So, you’ve set some goals or you have a great idea! You’re excited about making this new idea happen.
Maybe you want to:
- lose weight
- get organized
- be smarter with your money
- get a new job
- launch a new business
- take your business to the next level
You start of with great intentions and lots of momentum.
Then regular life happens and days turn to weeks and you realize you haven’t made any progress toward your new goal or idea.
It still excites you. It’s still something you want, but there is literally no time to work on it.
As a small business owner, wife and mom of 4 kids, I totally understand how this happens.
Here’s the thing: it’s actually normal.
In fact, most people don’t succeed. The amount of change that’s required to accomplish new goals or to make a new idea into reality takes a lot of effort.
But, some people do manage to accomplish their goals and ideas. It is possible.
So where do you start?
1. EVALUATE YOUR PLATE
Taking on something new doesn’t mean that regular life goes away. Get honest with yourself about your current responsibilities and the scope of the new idea you’d like to make happen. Don’t do this in your head; write it all out on paper. Make sure you get everything. It is common for us to overlook or forget about certain responsibilities if you’ve been doing them for a long time. Keep a journal for a week to see exactly how you’re spending your time.
2. DECIDE WHAT STAYS – AND WHAT GOES
Taking on something new takes effort and focus. Decide how much time you’ll need each week to work on your new idea. Then decide what activity/responsibility you need to let go of (even temporarily) to make that time available to you. One of your most powerful resources is your ability to say “no.” This might mean letting go of Netflix, delegating and saying no to low priority responsibilities. Don’t fall into the trap of thinking that you have to do everything. It’s simply not true.
3. REVISE YOUR ROUTINES
You might not realize it, but you already have certain routines established: activities you do every day without even thinking about it. Make sure your routines support your new priorities. For example, if you normally watch TV in the morning, and your “new idea” is to start a business, use that time to listen to a business podcast or audio book instead. If you normally get breakfast from the drive thru on your way to work, and your new idea is to lose weight, prepare a healthy breakfast in advance so it is just as fast to grab from your kitchen. Stick with it. It takes time to build new routines.
4. INVEST IN YOURSELF
The single biggest productivity “hack” to get more out of your day is to take excellent care of YOU. Get enough sleep. Eat real food. Exercise. Learn stress management techniques. Take breaks. Doing anything new has a built-in learning curve. It can be stressful, even while being exciting and fun. The stress will take its toll on your body. Not taking the time to take care of yourself might seem like the logical thing to do when you’re trying to do something new, but it can quickly lead to brain fog, moodiness, creativity blocks, low productivity and health issues. YOU are not a priority to be minimized. YOU are the driver! Take care of yourself.
5. ASK FOR HELP
If you find yourself really challenged to apply steps 1-4, or you still feel overwhelmed, reach out for help! I can’t think of a single inventor, successful weight loss story or business owner who truly did every step of their idea alone. You have coaches, trainers, experts and a support system available to you. Use them or find them!
What new idea, goal or resolution are you working on?