You can’t do it all.
Well, not all at once anyway.
Start with one thing.
Get it to done.
Then move onto the next one thing.
Focus.
Finish.
Go again.
“Until my One thing is done, everything else is a distraction.” – Gary W. Keller
“There’s no such thing as multitasking.” – Jim Loehr
So … is it important?
How important?
If important enough, time will make way for it.
Amazing how the time can be found when it’s important enough.
Whoa … nearly missed it.
Just made that.
Nearly forgot the important thing.
It’s all happening too fast.
Getting out of control.
Okay … time to pause.
Slow things down.
Regroup.
Recover.
Reprioritise.
And then go again.
“Have you ever been too busy driving to stop for gas?” – Stephen R. Covey
“The cure for moving too fast is just to slow down.” – William E. Coles Jr.
“Procrastination isn’t the problem. It’s the solution. It’s the universe’s way of saying stop, slow down, you move too fast.” – Ellen DeGeneres
Redirect energy to where it is needed.
Refocus on outcomes that matter.
Reprioritise the priorities.
Not every now and then.
As frequently as needed.
Perhaps more often than has been.
As often as is required to be effective.
Same energy.
Different outcome.
“The secret of change is to focus all of your energy, not on fighting the old, but on building the new.” – Socrates
“Energy and persistence conquer all things.” – Benjamin Franklin
So, it’s a little out of control.
What do you need to do about it?
If it is outside your control, then there is nothing to be done about it.
If it’s okay being out of control for the moment, then maybe nothing needs to be done right now.
If it is something that absolutely needs to be in control, go get after it.
We don’t and can’t control everything.
Pick your target(s).
What do you need to have under control?
By tomorrow?
This time next week?
Next year?
Go get after it.
“There is only one way to happiness and that is to cease worrying about things which are beyond the power of our will.” – Epictetus
What are you working on?
Simple question.
So many possible responses.
So many directions.
What are you building?
What are you creating?
What are you developing?
What are you upgrading?
What are you designing?
What are you redesigning?
What are you improving?
What are you manufacturing?
What are you initiating?
What are you tweaking?
What are you producing?
What are you conceiving?
What are you preparing?
What are you launching?
What are you organising?
What are you making?
What would you like to be working on?
Pick a direction.
“You can do anything, but not everything.” – David Allen
“While we don’t always get what we want, we always get what we choose.” – John C. Maxwell
Have you been putting it off?
What has been stopping you?
If it is urgent, you will find a way.
If it is important, you will make time.
If it is neither, then you don’t need to do it.
“I have two kinds of problems, the urgent and the important. The urgent are not important, and the important are never urgent.” – Dwight D. Eisenhower
“Most of us spend too much time on what is urgent and not enough time one what is important.” – Stephen R. Covey, author of “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People”
Nope, I will not always be at my best.
And that’s okay.
I may stay up too late.
Perhaps there is not much on tomorrow.
I may sleep in (for the same reason).
Breakfast could either be a feast … or nothing.
I have been known to disappear into social media.
I open the fridge and then close it again.
Then check the pantry.
I might read a book longer than intended.
Spend time and talk with my family.
The day might start with a loose plan (or no plan).
I might look inside the fridge again.
Then the pantry again.
I may have a long chat on the phone.
Or eat all the chocolate.
Perhaps walk the dog.
I might watch a movie (there are so many ways).
I’ll examine the fridge again.
Nope, the answer is definitely not in there (it rarely is).
I might do some household chores.
Take too many breaks.
Keep putting off what I should be doing.
And that’s okay.
These distractions may be what is needed.
Or they may not.
Then I’ll refocus and go again.
“Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. The important thing is not to stop questioning.” – Albert Einstein
“Don’t wish it were easier. Wish you were better.” – Jim Rohn
“The answer is not in the fridge.” – HorrieM
You know you need to change.
You know what needs to be done.
To break an unhealthy habit.
To change the default action.
To replace a detrimental behaviour.
The old needs to be replaced with the new.
New creates a new neural pathway in the brain.
But the old neural pathway, old habit, is well established.
The old pathway is like a highway.
The new neural pathway is a dirt track.
Continuing with the new behaviour will build the pathway.
It becomes a lane.
Will power and self-motivation is required.
It becomes a road.
Focus and repetition.
A new highway is built.
The new habit now has a strong pathway to drive on.
What neutral highways are you building?
“For things to change, you have to change.” – Jim Rohn
“Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going.”– Jim Rohn
“We generally change ourselves for one of two reasons: inspiration or desperation.” – Jim Rohn
(I couldn’t decide which Jim Rohn quote to include … so I went with all of them.)
What is not serving you anymore?
The behaviours.
The habits.
The … stuff.
What are you going to leave behind?
That self-doubt.
The lack of discipline.
Those negative and toxic people.
Excuses.
Overindulging.
(Be it food, alcohol, binge-watching … insert you’re own here).
Playing small.
The need to please.
Your ego.
Some of that attitude.
The lack of motivation.
Trying to do it all yourself.
Hesitation.
Saying ‘yes’ too often.
Comparison to others.
Judging others.
Stress (though not the good eustress).
Burning both ends of the candle.
Multitasking.
Procrastination.
“Good or bad, habits always deliver results.” – Jack Canfield
“You can’t talk your way out of a problem you behaved your way into!” – Stephen R. Covey
“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” – Aristotle