Danielle Guerin

Posts Tagged ‘goal setting’

Quick – pull out a few of your old To-Do lists. Look through them for that one item that keeps appearing, over and over, as you transfer it from list to list. How old is it? A week? A month? Longer?

We all have these stinkers that sink to the bottom of every To-Do list. Maybe it’s cold-calling a dozen potential partners. Maybe it’s revamping your website. Maybe it’s something as easy as making an appointment for an evaluation. Whatever your personal roadblock is, it’s time to bring it into the light of day and get it done. Here’s how:

Ask yourself why you haven’t done it yet.
Do you just not want to? Do you not know how to do it? Is it too complex to tackle all at once? Do you tell yourself it will take too long? Do you need more information before you can get started? Figure out what the hold-up is. Once you know what’s causing your stopping point, you can work to address it.

Chunk it down.
If the task is a complex one and you’re putting it off just because you think it’ll take too long, you need to break it up into parts. Of course you’re never going to get around to reorganizing your office if you’re waiting for a block of 8 empty hours when you can tackle the chore. Instead, look for smaller pockets of time where you can accomplish more manageable pieces of the larger task. If the task is particularly odious or unappealing, 15 minutes is a good start.

Give yourself a visual reminder of your progress.
If you’re dealing with a complex project that will require multiple tasks across many days, chart your progress where you can see it and be motivated by your completion (or lack thereof). Imagine a workout chart or a fund-raising goal to visualize how this would work.

Write it in your calendar.
If putting the activity on your To-Do list isn’t doing the trick, put it on your calendar. Actually schedule a specific time that you will complete the task. Don’t let anything else supersede your appointment!

Reward yourself.
Sometimes it’s enough of a reward to think past the task and imagine how your life or business will improve as a result of completing the unappealing item. But sometimes you need a little more motivation. If you’re working on reorganizing your office, promise yourself a new desk set or planner. Dinner out at a special restaurant, or $20 to spend on Amazon are also good motivators.

It’s been said that the only difference between a winner and a loser is that the winner does the things the loser wasn’t willing to do. Turn your business into a winner by tackling those tasks you’d rather avoid. You’ll usually find that getting them off your list will give you a huge boost of energy, leaving you ready to get on with the rest of your day with excitement.