It is easy to just jump from one task to another; putting out fires, one after another without stopping to evaluate if you are actually accomplishing something that matters. That is why regular planning and meditation is so important. It is taking that moment to stop and use the executive part of your brain to say, What is most important for me to work on right now? What is my strategy?
A good strategy or plan really makes a difference when you are executing or getting things done. A good strategy will help you stay focused and ensure you will get the results you are looking for. It pushes you toward alignment. Alignment with your values and goals.
Also, a good plan will help you with burnout. It removes unnecessary tasks from your bulging task list. It sets limits on what you will and will not do. It points you towards a meaningful goal that will make a difference. It spells out how you will reach that goal. You will have a sense of control. A sense that you are in control.
Take the time to sit down and make a plan. Daily, weekly, monthly, and lifetime plans will ensure that you lead your work and lead your life in an intentional way.
Don't Wait
Don’t wait for something to happen. Make it happen. Don’t wait for someone to give you permission. Just do it. Put past you the “thick of thin things” and have laser focus on what is most important to you.
“Some day…”, “When the kids get older…”, “When I have more money…”, “When things slow down…” These are all excuses that are used to justify waiting. Successful people figure out how to make it work. They carve out the time. They get past the excuses and start. They also figure out how to finish.
What can you start today that will get you closer to achieving your goals and your dreams?
Back to School
It is that time of the year when a lot of children are going back to school. There is excitement and relief. (Kids are excited, parents are relieved.) Maybe some angst and trepidation.
As adults, is it time for us to go back to school? How are you doing with your personal and professional development? Are you adding books to your reading list that help you to grow and improve? Is there a workshop, online learning, continuing education course, or webinar that you can sign up for that will motivate and educate you on the latest and greatest thinking.
Development takes some time and effort. It is a commitment outside of our day to day. It can make the difference in the way you think and behave. It can give you that added motivation and inspiration to be better, think differently, and contribute.
I challenge you today to make a personal and professional development plan. How will you stretch, grow, challenge yourself, learn, and be inspired?
How Do You Start?
Before you begin racing from one thing to another, consider carving out some time just to meditate and plan. Take at least 15 minutes in the morning to relax, breathe, and outline what critical few things you are going to accomplish today that matter most. Productivity goes up. Life satisfaction goes up. Stress goes down.
The "Not to Do List"
We are all familiar with “To Do Lists”. I love them! Especially the “Prioritized Daily Task List” taught by Hyrum Smith. (A daily, prioritized, list of tasks.) But, along with your To Do List, do you have a “Not to Do List”? Consider keeping a “Not to Do List” that will keep you focused on what is most important to you.
Some think that a “Not to Do List” is only a list of bad things that you are not going to do. Not necessarily so. Life is full of decisions between those things that are good, better or best. The key is pushing yourself to make time for and focus on the “best”. Sometimes that means saying no to the “good” and even “better” tasks that you could work on. Having those “good” and “better” things on your “Not to Do List” will also serve as a reminder of those tasks that you can add to your To Do List once you do have some time freed up.
You might also include on your “Not to Do List” those things that can turn into excessive activities. For example, you might decide to check Social Media for 10 minutes and all of a sudden, an hour has gone by. You may choose to watch some TV and 3 hours later you finally turn it off. What excessive activities do you need to be wary of? Being aware of those activities that can turn “excessive” can help you be intentional about how you spend your time.
To Do or Not to Do! That is the question.