Today's post is short and to the point.
Transitioning to a new year means we sometimes think about making changes in our personal or professional lives.
Let's cut to the chase...
1. Pick three things to work on this year (not resolutions.)
2. Write them down with deadlines to make progress throughout the year.
3. Start today.
Stop with the self-talk noise.
Stop with the "I'm too busy excuse."
Just freaking go.
Happy New Year...and as always...
I'd love to hear from you.
No Excuses.
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So the new year is upon us...lame resolutions have been proclaimed...and right on schedule are now broken and discarded. I'm not a big fan of annual declarations of how we're going to transform our lives from our wish list to reality. I am a big fan however, of making progress.
Realistic
What is happening in your world right now...personally...professionally? What needs to get done this year? If you had to prioritize the most important projects at work, what would they be? Take a moment and think about them. What are they? When do they need to be accomplished? What are the consequences of not getting them done?
You can document them here.
What about at home? What needs to get done this year? Are you as fit as you would like to be? Do you have any major decisions that are overdue and need to be addressed in 2014? Open up that same app and document those items too.
Progress
Once you know what needs to get done versus your fantasy wish list that evaporates by January 7th, you can start taking action. Remember, the key is that you make progress, not that you accomplish everything on your list by the end of January.
If your work has become more and more complex, then perhaps getting organized will be a huge step forward this year. Not only will that help you feel more in control, but you will be amazed at how productive you will be.
If you are not as healthy or fit as you need to be, then follow the same strategy. Get organized, do some research, check out the #hrfitcrew hashtag and start on a path that helps you make progress.
Patience is required. Commitment is required. Putting pressure on yourself to look like Shaun T or Jillian Michaels is not.
How About You
How are you going to make progress this year? Are you going to re-frame success as a series of positive steps forward; or, is it still an all-or-nothing-guaranteed-to-fail-option in the first week of the year? I'm big into this issue, so if you'd ever like to strategize a bit let me know.
I'd love to hear from you.
No Excuses.
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“The chief beauty about time is that you cannot waste it in advance. The next year, the next day, the next hour are lying ready for you, as perfect, as unspoiled, as if you had never wasted or misapplied a single moment in all your life. You can turn over a new leaf every hour if you choose.”
- Arnold Bennett
New Year, New Beginnings
Each year a bevy of resolutions, promises, and declarations are made about self-improvement, fitness, productivity, new jobs, and more. Somehow the calendar year transition sparks a renewed level of commitment and enthusiasm (usually for about 36 hours.)
For me the real challenge is how I manage my time. It seems that is a common theme in today's world. I don't seem to have enough of it...or I discover that I've not been efficient enough...or I've wasted a bunch of it and I get frustrated.
Lose the Negativity About Time
I love Arnold Bennett's quote above because it speaks to a fresh perspective about the concept of time. The never-ending amount of "new leaves" we can turn over every hour of the day! When was the last time you thought about time that way?
Typically discussions about time and time management decompensate into a gripe session instead of something positive.
Thinking about time as an unspoiled opportunity that you can make into something special is a much more appealing idea than complaining that we're all too busy, don't you think?
How About You
As you wrap up the year and think about your goals, hopes, and plans for 2014, how are you going to consider spending your time? Tools like this and this have transformed how I manage my time. But it is Mr. Bennett who has me thinking about time very differently.
I'd love to hear from you.
No Excuses.
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