Whether your dream is to have your own successful business or to become a professional in a desired field, goal setting is necessary. Think for a moment, what is the hardest part about goal setting? For most people, the answer to this question would be...focusing and completing the necessary tasks to achieve one’s goals. We all know the telltale case of being motivated and feeling as if you will conquer the world by attacking one goal at a time. Once that motivation juice wears off, we can almost bet Netflix, hilarious videos on YouTube, or social media wins the battle between productivity versus procrastination. I am not suggesting that you stop watching funny videos of babies eating lemons, but I have a few tips that may make it easier for you to stick with productivity in working towards your professional or business goals.
Pen and Paper: Old School Groovin’
Do you remember this magical duo called pen and paper? I know, it's so archaic nowadays. Nevertheless, I believe you can establish a deeper connection with your goals by simply writing them down. There is a sense of accomplishment when you are able to check off completed goals and tasks. Write down all of your goals and dreams! Create a “Dream Work” folder and put your papers in it. As you accomplish your goals and reach your dreams, you will create new goals for new dreams. There will always be a need for your “Dream Work” folder. Call me cheesy but wouldn't it be so cool to create a time capsule to look back at the many stages of your dream journey? This is the first stage of your productivity starter kit!
Organize Your Goals
It is difficult to stay focused on your goals when they are all over the place. What you may think is organized chaos is just, well, chaos. I always have the best action plans and ideas to accomplish some of my goals as soon as I wake up in the morning. If I do not write them down as I've mentioned, those great ideas just drift away into the land of the lost ideas (this is a real place ya know). You can organize your goals by writing down each task you must complete to accomplish a goal. If one of your goals is to launch a website, write down the tasks you need to do to achieve this goal. Write down tasks you have already completed so you can visually see how much work you have done.
Challenge Yourself: Game On
I will be honest, I am certainly a member of the Procrastination Posse, the Put It Off Patrol, and the Distracted Dynasty. Sometimes you have to challenge yourself to stay focused on attacking your goals. You can start by spending a solid 10 minutes focusing on a task related to your goals. Set your timer and go to work! You can also challenge yourself to actually complete one task a day. Do whatever works for you. Ten minutes a day turns into 70 hours a week or one task a day turns into 7 tasks a week. Create some sort of consequence for yourself if you stray from your “Dream Work” time. Personally, I do something awful like adding an exercise that I despise to my workout (burpees for me). Do not take the easy way out; select a consequence that you know will hit you where it hurts!
Celebrate Good Times
Each goal represents a step you take towards your dreams. They are all equally important so make sure you treat them as such. From completing research tasks to getting a website set up, celebrate everything. Go to your favorite restaurant to celebrate the completion of your business plan! Appreciate every item checked off your to do list and every goal you attack. This will help you stay motivated to stick to productivity like glue.
Until next time,
Phylicia
