So many times, I've heard people say they don't have time to do things. They don't have time to go to school right now. They don't have time to look for a better, more fulfilling job opportunity, and the list goes on and on. Really? And yet, there are others who really don't have a lot of time, but still manage to accomplish a lot in their lives. Why is that? Is it because some people have more time in their day to accomplish great things, or is it something else? We all have the same amount of time to work with each day. Twenty-four hours. What we do with that time can make us successful, or unsuccessful in our lives.
You'd be amazed what great things you can accomplish in small steps. You can finish anything in little bits, and won't suffer from burn-out nearly as much. Some great accomplishments have been made in my own life, and in other's lives this way. I talked to one of my clients, who just finished her nursing degree. It took her approximately six years to become a registered nurse. How did she do it? Literally one class at a time. Now she is a nurse! She knew that if she just kept pressing on, that she would get there.
Plugging away at a project until it's finished is the way to go, as long as you don't have a deadline. If it's a personal goal that's meant to help you better your life, it's alright to take a little while to accomplish it. That is, as long as you finish what you start. That's the main point here. To finish. And it spares you of a lot of stress, even helping you live longer! It helps you to understand your day's purpose, and how it will take you a step further toward your goal. It all comes from understanding that it's about small steps, not taking great leaps. Patience is key, too. It's important to understand that, as long as you have a goal, that you will get there. You just have to come up with a strategy for each day's steps to achieving that goal.
Being in the Moment
This is tough for a lot of people to do. However, being in the moment is one of the highest forms of wisdom. It means you know that this day is the only one got for sure, so you're going to make it count. There are some people who breeze through their day unscathed by situations that would really bug other people. They've learned to let most of it roll off, like water off a duck's back. Other people go through their day, wasting it by being moody or unhappy. I'm sorry, but that is a great way to spoil your whole life! Before you know it, those unhappy days could turn into a waste of a person's whole being. Yes, it really is that serious! So snap out of it! This is your life, and it's a blessing. This day is the only one you have for sure, so try to be hyper aware of your surroundings, and the people in them. Those are the things that matter right now, not what's in the past or future.
Get Going
The first step is to get up. It's as simple as that. I know it sounds like I'm over-simplifying the situation, especially for people who are tied to a desk chair for the whole day. It really is that simple, though. I've found that I can't sit at a desk and accomplish everything I need to do. I can't just sit down and expect everything to magically get done. I have to get up first. I've gotten to the point where I don't like just sitting down for extended periods of time. It makes me feel lazy, even if I happen to be working on something. It's healthy to take a walk around the office to refresh your mind and rest your eyes in between tasks.
If you want to get in shape, you have to get going to the gym. If you want to go to school, you have to get going to the admissions office, and do your testing to get started. Anything you want to accomplish doesn't necessarily have to have a planned time line. You just have to start it, and it will take on a life of its own. After that, you can plan your time around it. Sometimes, though, you just have to get going, even if its unstructured time. I start working on something around the house, for instance, and then that will automatically take me to the next step. As soon as I complete that step, I realize I'm almost done, and then I have to finish what I started. By getting started, you're actually forcing yourself to finish!
Breaking a large task down into smaller parts
Sometimes you'll have to break a big job into smaller sets of time to get everything done. You can't organize your whole house in one day. However, you can organize the kitchen cabinets on Saturday, and then work on organizing your office on Sunday. It's better to make the job smaller, and more concentrated, focusing on making it as great as you possibly can. After that, you'll have time for other things that you enjoy.
Take small steps toward a larger goal. Understand that you WILL get there. It's might take longer than you planned, but you will definitely be able to have more to show in the coming year if you have worked daily toward a goal. I guarantee you that!
Strategy For Accomplishing Goals
I've found that I can't predict or plan every single thing during the course of my day. There is a natural course or routine that takes place during the day. There are some things that you can't anticipate, like a new project dropped on you at the last minute, or your child getting sick. Those are atypical events, though, and most of the time you can plan your day based on a typical time line. Even if you don't have big goals for your day, you need to have an outline for at least two big accomplishments for the day, and write them down. This will help you focus on priorities, and once you finish those, then you can work on the smaller stuff. You can apply this to any day, not just work days. It'll help you get more accomplished, in anything from completing a report on a certain time line, or even planning a garage sale. You always have to have a plan first, and a set amount of time for each task, otherwise you'll just waste precious time.
Planning
If you look at the life of any successful person, you'll notice they all have one thing in common. They set goals with a specific time period to complete those goals. I've noticed that those who are ambitious set a deadline for their goals, whether big or small, and then follow through come hell or high water. They don't let any setbacks keep them from achieving, because they know the consequences if they allow that to happen. For successful people, wasting time and failing are not an option. They won't let anything get them off track while accomplishing their dreams.
Time is Money, Literally
That's why we get paid to work. They're paying us, at least partially, for our time. To spend time working on a job is valuable to an employer, so much so that they'll pay you for it. But do you ever act as though you're getting paid for your time when you're not at work? If you're not, then you should start doing so. It really is that serious! I hate to sound melodramatic, but we really aren't here very long. Tomorrow is not guaranteed, and that should make it so much more crucial to focus on achieving today! The bottom line is that this day is a gift, and the time you have today is limited. Make it count!
Thanks for stopping by...CC
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