Getting Things Done

So, you’ve been running around in circles, so busy, so many things to do, and you’ve been hoping you don’t forget anything on your list.  But, at the end of the day, it seems you haven’t accomplished much afterall. Does this sinking feeling ever happen to you? So many times, I would get through a seemingly endless ‘to-do’ list and feel completely defeated, like I was just spinning my wheels in the end.

One of the greatest techniques for getting things done came from a wonderful Tony Robbins’ seminar. He talked about ‘chunking’ activities. First, we went through a variety of exercises to set life goals in every area: personal, physical, emotional, spiritual, financial, career, etc. 

Then, we had to come up with titles for each area that truly excited us. So, instead of ‘Diggin Out of Debt,’ which sounds like drudgery from the get-go, you might reframe into something inspiring, exciting, or motivating, like, ‘Financially Free’ or ‘Big Mad Baller’ (my futile attempt to be current!) – whatever jazzes you up. It’s hard for me to get excited about cleaning my house or doing the little repairs and maintenance, but when I see them listed under, “Home, Sweet, Home,” I can see the final goal I’m aiming for and am more likely to get to work on the seemingly mundane tasks on the list. As I cross off even the smallest of tasks, I know I’m getting closer to the final objective. 

So, instead of, “Work Out and Eat Right,”  –oh, sorry, I fell asleep there for a minute, my ultimate goal is “Body Temple.” Instead of “Get through all the temper tantrums at the check-out line, emergency running to the potty, back-talk, eye-rolling, etc. with my kid so I can get my to-do list done without going nuts!”  – maybe try, ”Super Mama,” or “Cool Daddy,” or “Positive Parent.” Whatever you choose, make sure it’s something that is exciting to you. So, when you’re tempted to blow off the to-do, you remind yourself of the final goal that this not-so-sexy task is ultimately serving.

Sometimes, my lists are pages long, but I only need to accomplish a couple of tasks to feel like I’m moving forward in a positive direction. We often don’t give ourselves credit for the little steps in the right direction. If you’ve ever been to one of my seminars, you’ve probably seen me pretend to be a baby (okay, big baby) learning to walk and solicit natural responses from audience members when I falter or fall in learning the task. Inevitably, audience members are completely encouraging, smiling, offering words to prompt me to try again, keep going, etc., cheering me on, and even clapping for me to continue. We reward even the slightest step in the right direction. So, what stops us from acknowledging ourselves when we do the same? Don’t we deserve to acknowledge and reward ourselves for making positive progress in the right direction?   Quoting C + C Music Factory, “Things that make ya go, hhhhmmmm.”