How many times have you remarked to someone that there are not enough hours in the day? The sad truth is, not matter how much you wish it, it is unlikely that you can get more than 24 hours in each day. So, the trick to time management is really how you get the most out of the hours you have. One way to do that is to become an exceptional planner of your day. It is not very difficult – just takes some basic knowledge and a lot of discipline. As a coach, I can help you with both, but the knowledge is what I’ll cover right now.
Set aside time to plan
This is really the first step. You have to make planning a habit, and do the task religiously. I set aside an hour on Sunday mornings to plan my week. In order for me to make sure that the week goes according to plan, I have to have “a plan” to start with. In the beginning, it may take you longer than an hour, but once you’ve done the planning for a while, you’ll get more efficient at it. You will also feel much more focused when you have identified what you want to accomplish for the week.
Schedule at least one week at a time
Some people only plan one day at a time, but I think that you need to be more forward looking than that. So, I suggest you focus on at least one week at a time, but also review what may be coming up in the next month while you are considering what to prioritize for the next week. The more proactive you are about your life, the less often you will find yourself having to react to unforeseen situations.
Identify your “big rocks” for your week
If you don’t know what I mean, you have to read Stephen Covey. He made a masterful illustration using a bucket, some sand, and several rocks of various sizes. He explained that the sand represents all the busy work that we have to do, like answering the phone, reading email, filing away papers, etc. The rocks represent all the important things that we have to do, such as setting goals for the year, launching a new project, creating a vision for your team, etc. The bucket represents all the time we have for all the demands of our lives.
What happens with most of us is that we fill up our buckets with the sand first, and then we can only put a few rocks on top, and there’s no more room for the rest. What he suggested is that we put all our rocks into the bucket first, and then fill in all the available spaces with the sand. And miraculously, everything fits in our container!
This is the philosophy you need to employ when you schedule your week. Identify all your big rocks, and block out the time to handle these first. Then worry about the sand afterwards. We have to make sure that we handle the important stuff first, and not let the busy work consume our days.
Think 24/7
I am not suggesting that you plan to work 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. But I am suggesting that you account for 24 hours a day, 7 days a week in your schedule. If you neglect to consider Saturdays and Sundays because those are your “days off”, you may find on Sunday night that you have not handled any of the household chores that you needed to get done. Or if you are planning on having a dinner party on Saturday night next week, you had better block off some time Friday or Saturday to straighten out the house, or go to the market.
Plan personal and play time
Don’t think that a schedule is only for work, this is a plan for your life. So, make sure that you block off time for exercise, or “date night” with your spouse, or cheerleader time for your kids’ games in your schedule. Remember that the goal is to have time to handle everything that’s important to us, not just things that are important concerning work. If you want Friday to be a mental health day, block that off. You don’t need to put in any more details than that. But you know that if you don’t plan for it, it won’t happen.
Leave some contingency time in your schedule
You know better than to expect that your days all go exactly as planned. Just when you are about to really focus on that important analysis you needed to do, your boss calls you into a meeting where your expertise is desperately needed, and your schedule is shot. So, don’t cram every hour of your day with activities. Leave some contingency time for you to catch up when the unexpected happens.
Discipline, discipline, discipline
Once you have your days scheduled, you need to exercise discipline and stick to what you planned. Do everything you can to eliminate distractions and really focus on what you have to do. You will be amazed how much more productive you can be. So, close that email program, turn the phone ringer off and let voicemail handle the calls, close your office door for an hour of so. Then when it is time for you to handle email, and phone calls, and drop-in visitors, give all your focus to those activities then.
About the Author:
Leadership coach Inez Ng helps busy professional and entrepreneurs get better results quickly. Learn more about coaching with her at http://www.RealizationsUnltd.com Check out her ebook packed with tips and strategies on saving time on email at http://www.easyemailstrategies.com
Showing posts with label follow through. Show all posts
Showing posts with label follow through. Show all posts
Friday
Make Your Goals Stick
The amazing thing about the future is that if you wait, it will always come to you. No doubt you sat down and created your share of New Year's resolutions to conquer this year. The unfortunate truth, however, is that most people's resolutions fizzle and die before the first quarter is even over. It doesn't have to be this way – with a few key steps, you can be well on your way to goal-getting instead of just goal-setting and turn your resolutions into real solutions.
Goals aren't enough – know your reasons
It's great to have goals, but by itself, a goal is not much. Have you ever shared with someone else that you would “try” to accomplish a goal? Try is a very weak word. When do you think you'll be ready to commit to actually doing it, instead of just talking about it?
The main reason most goals don't stick is because there is not a big enough reason to follow through with them. For example, losing weight is a great goal. However, why do you want to lose weight? See, if the goal is just “lose weight” then when that surprise birthday party happens, it's easy to talk yourself into letting loose and stuffing your face because that goal can be pushed aside, delayed, or even forgotten.
On the other hand, if your reason for losing fat is to avoid health problems or gain confidence, now you have a reason. That reason is your passion, your fire, your spark and your fuel to keep going. When you identify the true reason behind wanting to change, write it down. Keep it with you. Read it when you wake up, and before you go to sleep. Let your mind know what the reward will be, because most people focus on the process when it is the reward that keeps you going.
A real goal is about a vision. You must have a vision bigger than the obstacles you may face. Goals are stepping stones towards turning the vision from a dream into reality. Remember, goals are simply dreams with deadlines. So commit to your goal, know the reason, visualize the change, and it will stick with you despite the challenges you may face.
Hold Yourself Accountable
A goal is not much if you don't share it with others or create accountability. Without accountability, it's easy to make the goal simply disappear when things turn sour. Then you are simply a great goal-setter, but have nothing to show for the goal-getting department.
Accountability can take many different forms. If you're not ready to share it with the world, then simply write it down in a journal. Each day, spend five or ten minutes to reflect upon the steps you took that day that are taking you closer to your goal, and what choices you may have made that have you headed in the wrong direction. This will allow you to decide what changes you must make to keep moving closer to your goal.
For example, if your goal is to run your first triathlon, one of the daily actions you can take towards that goal is to eat healthy. This will fuel your body, improve recovery, and provide the nutrients necessary to have the energy to succeed. If you decided to blow your nutrition program, then this is a habit that is taking you farther from your goal. Identify it and decide what is more important – the short-term satisfaction of eating a treat, or the reward of finishing your first triathlon event. Stay in focus, and you'll go far.
Join the Right Team
Have you ever heard the phrase that your success is determined by the company you keep? Can you imagine how your life would be different if your circle of influence included those people who have already accomplished many of the goals you are setting for yourself?
Sometimes it can be difficult to lose your friends, but if your friends are not supporting your growth, they are holding you back. Trade them in for someone more positive who will keep you headed in the right direction. Author Napoleon Hill describes a group of like-minded people as a “mastermind group” where a true synergy is created – the results of the mastermind group become greater than the sum of the individual contributions. BeginnerTriathlete.com is a great place to connect with others who have similar goals to your own. Plug into your mastermind group!
Follow the Right Coach
Last but not least, it is important to have a good coach.
Have you ever stopped to really think about successful people? People who are top athletes, or business executives, or great piano players, for example. What most of these people have in common is that they did not learn everything on their own – they had teachers and coaches. In fact, I don't know any successful business people, athletes, or simply those who are in great shape who don't have coaches. I have coaches for fitness, coaches for business, and coaches for my personal life (“life coaches”).
A good coach will empower you to achieve your goals. They do this by helping you avoid the mistakes they've already made, or already witnessed their other clients make. You also benefit from their knowledge and experience without having to go through the entire process yourself. A quality coach will have a background in the area you are trying to improve, solid references, and will offer time to connect with you before you make a coaching commitment. This will allow you to decide if there is a fit to move forward and conquer your dreams together in the coming year.
Conclusion
It's great to make New Year's resolutions, but do yourself a favor. Self-esteem is related to self-promises. When you break a promise to yourself, you lose a bit of your confidence and self-esteem. When you keep a promise, you gain confidence. Don't commit to a resolution you are not ready to achieve. Don't let your goals simply remain words on paper. Create a plan for success, tackle the areas we discussed and your New Year's resolutions will truly stick in the coming year.
Jeremy Likness is an International Health Coach and motivational speaker. After losing 65 pounds of fat, he discovered his true vision to coach thousands around the world to better health. A Certified Fitness Trainer and Specialist in Performance Nutrition, Jeremy is the author of the internationally-selling e-Book, Lose Fat, Not Faith and the companion 5-CD set. Jeremy has been published in major online publications including Tom Venuto's Fitness Renaissance and Bodybuilding.com. Jeremy's approach is unique because he focuses on fitness from the inside out. Visit Jeremy online at Natural Physiques.
Goals aren't enough – know your reasons
It's great to have goals, but by itself, a goal is not much. Have you ever shared with someone else that you would “try” to accomplish a goal? Try is a very weak word. When do you think you'll be ready to commit to actually doing it, instead of just talking about it?
The main reason most goals don't stick is because there is not a big enough reason to follow through with them. For example, losing weight is a great goal. However, why do you want to lose weight? See, if the goal is just “lose weight” then when that surprise birthday party happens, it's easy to talk yourself into letting loose and stuffing your face because that goal can be pushed aside, delayed, or even forgotten.
On the other hand, if your reason for losing fat is to avoid health problems or gain confidence, now you have a reason. That reason is your passion, your fire, your spark and your fuel to keep going. When you identify the true reason behind wanting to change, write it down. Keep it with you. Read it when you wake up, and before you go to sleep. Let your mind know what the reward will be, because most people focus on the process when it is the reward that keeps you going.
A real goal is about a vision. You must have a vision bigger than the obstacles you may face. Goals are stepping stones towards turning the vision from a dream into reality. Remember, goals are simply dreams with deadlines. So commit to your goal, know the reason, visualize the change, and it will stick with you despite the challenges you may face.
Hold Yourself Accountable
A goal is not much if you don't share it with others or create accountability. Without accountability, it's easy to make the goal simply disappear when things turn sour. Then you are simply a great goal-setter, but have nothing to show for the goal-getting department.
Accountability can take many different forms. If you're not ready to share it with the world, then simply write it down in a journal. Each day, spend five or ten minutes to reflect upon the steps you took that day that are taking you closer to your goal, and what choices you may have made that have you headed in the wrong direction. This will allow you to decide what changes you must make to keep moving closer to your goal.
For example, if your goal is to run your first triathlon, one of the daily actions you can take towards that goal is to eat healthy. This will fuel your body, improve recovery, and provide the nutrients necessary to have the energy to succeed. If you decided to blow your nutrition program, then this is a habit that is taking you farther from your goal. Identify it and decide what is more important – the short-term satisfaction of eating a treat, or the reward of finishing your first triathlon event. Stay in focus, and you'll go far.
Join the Right Team
Have you ever heard the phrase that your success is determined by the company you keep? Can you imagine how your life would be different if your circle of influence included those people who have already accomplished many of the goals you are setting for yourself?
Sometimes it can be difficult to lose your friends, but if your friends are not supporting your growth, they are holding you back. Trade them in for someone more positive who will keep you headed in the right direction. Author Napoleon Hill describes a group of like-minded people as a “mastermind group” where a true synergy is created – the results of the mastermind group become greater than the sum of the individual contributions. BeginnerTriathlete.com is a great place to connect with others who have similar goals to your own. Plug into your mastermind group!
Follow the Right Coach
Last but not least, it is important to have a good coach.
Have you ever stopped to really think about successful people? People who are top athletes, or business executives, or great piano players, for example. What most of these people have in common is that they did not learn everything on their own – they had teachers and coaches. In fact, I don't know any successful business people, athletes, or simply those who are in great shape who don't have coaches. I have coaches for fitness, coaches for business, and coaches for my personal life (“life coaches”).
A good coach will empower you to achieve your goals. They do this by helping you avoid the mistakes they've already made, or already witnessed their other clients make. You also benefit from their knowledge and experience without having to go through the entire process yourself. A quality coach will have a background in the area you are trying to improve, solid references, and will offer time to connect with you before you make a coaching commitment. This will allow you to decide if there is a fit to move forward and conquer your dreams together in the coming year.
Conclusion
It's great to make New Year's resolutions, but do yourself a favor. Self-esteem is related to self-promises. When you break a promise to yourself, you lose a bit of your confidence and self-esteem. When you keep a promise, you gain confidence. Don't commit to a resolution you are not ready to achieve. Don't let your goals simply remain words on paper. Create a plan for success, tackle the areas we discussed and your New Year's resolutions will truly stick in the coming year.
Jeremy Likness is an International Health Coach and motivational speaker. After losing 65 pounds of fat, he discovered his true vision to coach thousands around the world to better health. A Certified Fitness Trainer and Specialist in Performance Nutrition, Jeremy is the author of the internationally-selling e-Book, Lose Fat, Not Faith and the companion 5-CD set. Jeremy has been published in major online publications including Tom Venuto's Fitness Renaissance and Bodybuilding.com. Jeremy's approach is unique because he focuses on fitness from the inside out. Visit Jeremy online at Natural Physiques.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)