5 strategies to get your work done
February 26th, 2020 by Morna
Have you ever found yourself procrastinating, overwhelmed, or just plain stuck when it comes to getting your work done?
Recently I did a webinar called “From To Do to Ta Da Done!” about how to get more — and the right — work done.
I think of it as a simple five-step process. Of course, simple does not always make it easy.
Step 1 — Clarity
Are you clear on the big picture?
If you do not know where you are going or why, you are going to stay stuck.
Think about a time when you knew what you needed to do and how the work just fell into place. Perhaps when you were headed on vacation and you had to tackle everything before you left.
Wasn’t it amazing how you did it all? That is because you were clear on your tasks. This example may be a smaller picture, but the concept is the same.
For you to move forward in your business, you have to know what the big picture is. What your why is. Trust me that the time you spend doing this will pay off in the future.
If clarity is the strategy, what are your tactics to get there?
Start by scheduling time to actually figure out the big picture.
I’m a big proponent of time blocking, so schedule time to regularly think about your future.
I can hear you now, you have too much work to do that you cannot take time for that.
That is why you have too much work.
You have never taken the time to really figure out if what is on your plate is what should be on your plate.
So set aside time to get clear on where you are going and why.
Still stuck?
Try creating a vision board, keeping a journal, starting a gratitude practice, spending time just “being,” and brainstorming about everything that you want to do, be, and/or have and look for connections.
Step 2 — Goal setting
Set goals now so you know where you are going.
Your goals should have some element of SMART to them — specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and time-driven — so you can track them.
Two more keys to successful goal setting
Your goals must be your goals.
There are people everywhere who let someone else define their goals, either consciously or unconsciously. If you let someone else define your goal, you are setting yourself up for self-sabotage at the beginning. So stop worrying about what others will think and create your own definition of success.
Your goals need to be meaningful to you.
As you write the goals, ask yourself, What is really important to me? What is the purpose of doing this?
Step 3 — Taking action
Take action. Sounds easy, but this is where some people get stopped by procrastination, overwhelm, perfectionism, self-doubt, and analysis-paralysis. Here are a few tips to get behind that:
• Play the 10-10-10 game.
My neighbor shared this one with me. When faced with a decision, she asks if it will matter in 10 minutes, 10 months, or 10 years.
By evaluating the long-term ramifications of something, you will make a better decision, or again at least know why you are making the decision. This should help move you forward.
• Aim for good enough.
I have two signs in my office.
One says “Good enough is good enough.”
The other says, “Progress, not perfection.”
This is not license to slack off, it is license to finish.
• Acknowledge that you can’t do it all and get help.
Learn how to delegate.
• Do it scared!
So many of us get stopped because of our fears — fear of failing, fear of success, fear of being judged.
Do you have any “love letters” from your fans? Get them out and read them if you need an extra push.
Step 4 — Track results
It’s time to start tracking your results. You set goals and you need to keep on top of them and make adjustments.
Set an agenda for each day with only three tasks to complete, focusing on MGAs and ROI. (Money-generating activities and Return on Investment).
At the end of each day, look at what worked for you and make adjustments for the next day.
Weekly have a Success and Strategies Summit to review what you have accomplished, what you have learned, what you did not get done, and what challenges you are facing. Then celebrate those successes.
Step 5 — Stay accountable
Find a system to keep yourself accountable. It can be with a friend or family member. It can be an online diary system. It can be a formal program like our Members’ Studio.
Any system that keeps you accountable moves you forward towards accomplishing your goals and your big vision.
It’s your turn!
Where do you get stuck moving forward? How do you get past it?
Tags: goals, take action
Marie said:
I get stuck at Taking Action. I get started on something and then get paralyzed by how much I need to do. Sometimes it’s lack of confidence in knowing how to do the task. It just seems everything take longer to do than expected. That’s when I get overwhelmed and shut down.
I like the part of choosing only three goals for the day. But it’s hard to keep all those other things that need doing from popping up. I need to refocus when that happens.
Morna said:
Yes, it is easy to get paralyzed if you look at the really big picture and it looks daunting. As other things you need to do pop into your mind, write them on a piece of paper. You could call it “later.” It might just be your lengthy to-do list. It’s really getting it out of your mind and on the paper. That way you won’t lose the thought. Now it’s easier to go back to one of those three tasks. When you finish them, that task that popped up will be on your paper and you can tackle it.