I don’t want to sound like a pessimist but nobody sticks to those things. At lease not for any real length of time. Do you?
Hey, I’ll be the first to admit that I fizzle out after about three months. So, why bother in the first place?
I’ve going to give you five ways to become more productive, align your focus to what really needs to be done, set goals and actually see them through.
This I promise you is a much better way to stay on track with your goals and ambitions—and it’s sooo much easier than setting unrealistic New Year’s resolutions.
Ok, let’s get to it.
Step 1: Relax. I know that sounds like the opposite of what you’d think but it’s actually better for you and allows you to get more done in less time. Let me explain. Think about all of the deadlines that get thrown at you. Everyone wants something and is sucking away your time. Don’t let ‘em. Take a step back and relax. There’s always going to be more to do in a day’s time than you’re going to be able to get done. The key is to triage the events at hand. Only do what’s important and essential. Work on the less important stuff later.
Later in this article I’ll share a system that’s so simple, so easy to help you better manage your time that you’ll feel like you’ve gain an extra day in the week. And it’ll astonish you how much you’ll accomplish by using it.
Step 2: Start With The End. To get anywhere you gotta know where you want to go. Right? So start with the end in mind. Before you set sail on your goals, you simply must know what you want. Sounds simple, doesn’t it? You’d be surprised just how many folks haven’t a clue what they want out of life. They just drift around like a ship without a rudder.
Find yourself a quiet place, grab a pencil and paper and start writing down all of the things you want. Be as specific as possible. Just by writing down exactly what you want (even if you do nothing else) you’ll accomplish roughly half of the items on your list.
I know these sounds like voodoo but it’s true. What you are doing by thinking about your goals and writing them down is feeling your subconscious mind. It’s very powerful . . . and it works!
Step 3: Plan your work. Now that you know what you really want get crackin’ on building your road map. This is the “how” part of getting there. No need to be too elaborate. Just allow your subconscious mind to hand it over to you.
I couldn’t tell you how many times my subconscious has freely given me all sorts of brilliant ideas and plans to test out. But I gotta warn you, be prepared to receive what your subconscious dishes out—it could (and usually does) come when you least expect it.
I always carry a note pad and pen with me at all times. If I happen to be in the shower and an idea flashes in, I’ll promptly write it down as quickly as possible. These ideas are what your action plan becomes.
Step 4: Work your plan. Now that you have your plan written down, start working on your goals. Again, relax and enjoy the process of working through your goals. Break it up into chunks. Remember the old cliché—inch by inch it’s a cinch, yard by yard it’s hard. So don’t burn yourself out by biting off more than you can chew. Also be prepared to change your course if needed. Nothing is written in stone.
Step 5. The killer system. Here’s the killer system I’ve used for years to get maximum results for minimum time. It’s responsible for keeping a laser beam focus on my goals and such.
Now before I share this killer system with you please don’t dismiss its simplicity. I’ll ask that you try it with an open mind and see what results you get—and I promise you will get results if you’ll just try it.
Round up your favorite pencil and paper and write down the six most important things you should do tomorrow.
Next number them in the order of their importance for you and the success of your business.
When you get to your office on Monday, start working on item number one. After all that’s the one that’s most important to you and the success of your business. Stay with it unit it’s complete. Don’t let any thing get in the way or interrupt. Yea, it’s hard but I know that if I can do it, so can you.
If you let a lot of little things interrupt, you may get a lot of little things done and done well but the most important item will not be done.
Remember the first things must be done first. Then proceed to the second, third, and so on until you get the six most important things completed. If you don’t get what you wanted done on the first day, carry it over to the second day. Just be sure each item is done in its order of importance.
When you have completed all six on your list, create another list of most important items. Again, I know this sounds too simple but I’ll assure you that it works—just give it a try.
Warmly,
Emette Massey