“There are simply not enough hours in the day!” How often have you said this? We all wish we could get more done sometimes. We are busy. With never-ending ‘to-do’ lists and never enough time. Even worse, you don’t do the stuff that would make a real difference! Leaving you with lukewarm results at best. So read on because this article will show you how you can get more done and achieve results!
The problem with getting things done
Creating things. Making things happen. Changing things. These are things that we all do but it’s not always easy. It can be hard to know where to start or how to go about it. You want to do something, but how? This is often the first big stumbling block to making things happen.
Maybe you get distracted. You’re halfway through a project only to get inspiration for another idea. There can be so many tempting new things out there. It can feel like some promise a quick result. Next thing you know, you have several half-started projects and not a single finished one.
Sometimes you do something because someone else thought it was a good idea. Or because you thought it might solve something. But really, you’re doing it for the wrong reasons. Perhaps you’re not sure what direction to take. You end up spinning your wheels, feeling frustrated and getting stuck. It definitely doesn’t help with getting more done or achieving results.
Tips to get more done and achieve results
- What is your overall direction? In your work or in life. Think of this as a really big overarching goal. It should encompass all areas of your life; work, personal, relationships, activities, where you live etc. Getting clear on this future vision will help you create goals that support what you want to create.
- Now you have a big vision you can identify smaller goals that support your vision. These are goals that take a shorter time to accomplish. It’s good to be ambitious with your goals and you want to make sure that they are specific and clear. Ambiguity can make it difficult to achieve the goal. You want to be clear on exactly how you will know that you’ve achieved your goal and when you want to have achieved it by. (look at SMART goals here)
- For each goal, you can now create specific actions that you will need to take. Again, it is important to be specific and clear. Actions should be broken into detailed steps that you will take and you want to set a target date for completing each one.
- Prioritise and plan your actions carefully. Remember, a ‘to do’ list is NOT a plan. A plan is a realistic number of tasks or actions that can be completed in a given timeframe. It is realistic rather than a wishlist.
- Set yourself up to be proactive rather than reactive. Your realistic plan will help with this along with careful time management. Any plan should always have some space for the unexpected.
- Consider what actions add real value to your progress or which might unblock your progress. This will help you prioritise effectively.
- Make sure it’s all written down somewhere. Having the ideas in your head is not good enough!
What challenges could you encounter?
You may already know some of what makes it difficult for you to get things done and achieve results. Perhaps you struggle with procrastination, having enough time or maybe life just always seems to be getting in the way.
Key to all of this is being really clear on what you want for yourself. This sounds simple but it is usually the first big challenge. You might be so used to doing things for others that you don’t know what you want for yourself. If you’re not clear on this, you’re likely to procrastinate or lose motivation.
At the same time, you have to believe that you can. Ambitious goals are good but if you doubt yourself, it will be challenging for you to get things done and achieve results.
Time management is another frequent challenge, especially if you are not realistic in your planning. You are likely to overestimate what you can achieve in a day or week, and you will underestimate what you can achieve in a year.
Having support around you is crucial. Trying to do things alone makes it so much harder. Having support will help with self-doubt, overcoming challenges and keeping accountable for your actions and your progress. Sometimes your friends and family will be perfect, but often it’s helpful to have inspirational, neutral people around you. Like a group of like-minded people who are working towards similar goals. Something like this Accountability Club.
Staying accountable and having support in your planning can be the difference to your success! It can help ensure you have complete clarity and focus, and that your goals align with what you really want. So you stay inspired, motivated and on track.
