Face Your Lists & Set Yourself Up For Success

By Lisa Cherney

 

What is it that you want to accomplish this year so you know it’s a success?  This time of year feels like a home stretch.  First kids go back to school, then the holidays begin, and the next thing we know its January.  So, let’s pause right now and make sure that we know what we need to do in order to feel like this year was a success.  What were those goals you made?  What were those plans?   What were those New Year’s resolutions?  It’s funny to think of New Year’s now, but what a great way to be conscious and present in our business and in our lives.

 

Haunting Lists

 

Pull out that “2005 Goals” file; open up that “Business Plan” document or find that piece of paper in your planner or organizer.  Review those notes you took at that great seminar. You know the one… the one that inspired you to make a list of all the things you wanted to do to improve your business.  (I think I have about 3 going right now.)  What do all these lists and documents say?  When I ignore them or push them aside they haunt me.  I wake up at night and think, “Darn, I was going to add a page to my website” or, “When am I going to create that new audio product?”  What lists or tasks haunt you?  What things do you want to do, that if they are not accomplished by the end of the year you will feel failure or regret? 

 

3-Things Technique

 

A coach friend of mine taught me this technique to use when I have tons of things on my lists and I feel like nothing is ever getting done.  You know that feeling right?  The end of the day comes and you ask yourself, “What did I do today?”  You look at the list, there are a few check marks, but the burning things didn’t get done.  So this is what she suggested:  Pick three things (and only three) that if you get them done today you will feel like you were productive.  Now, sometimes these aren’t the “A” tasks.  In other words, the things that “must” get done today are sometimes not the ones that are on our minds the most or that have been gnawing at us.  And sometimes they are not the ones that will make us feel good about our day or give us a sense of accomplishment.  I have been using this technique on a day-to-day basis for months now, and I have never felt as satisfied at the end of each day as I do now. 

 

So, what if we applied this technique to our year?  What three things do you want to accomplish this year, and if you do it will feel like 2005 was a success?  You will feel satisfied, fulfilled and ready to take on next year.  Here are a few other hints to make this process effective:

-         Be willing to put things on the list that may not have made it to prior lists, but they are on your mind (and in your heart) right now.

-         Stick to only three things, it’s the magic number.  It’s do-able!

-         Make sure it’s realistic to complete each item before the end of the year.  We want to set ourselves up for success!

-         Check in with your heart and make sure it’s something you really WANT to do, not something you feel like you SHOULD do.   This will ensure you are motivated to get it done.

-         Promise yourself you will feel a sense of accomplishment when the three things are done.  It doesn’t matter how many more appear on your lists!

-         Make plans to celebrate.

 

Are You Resisting?

 

Starting this process before the holiday homestretch will ensure a feeling of completion (instead of regret) when the New Year’s bubbles wear off.   If you find yourself resisting it, take time to find out why.  When I resist this process, it’s not because I have a foolproof annual (or daily) plan that I implemented perfectly and everything I listed is getting done on time.  It’s usually because I don’t want to look at those darn unfinished lists, goals, to do’s, etc.  In other words, I’m in denial.  When I realized this was happening last year, I did something I’ve never done before… I threw out a bunch of lists!  I realized that I didn’t WANT to do most of the items.  In fact, when I read the darn lists I felt overwhelmed.  So, I picked out the three items that still sounded fun, felt good and made me motivated, and crossed out the rest!  What a feeling of liberation.  I highly recommend it.  It allowed me to start the New Year feeling good about my business and excited for the future.

 

Make this a year of success.  Make this the year that ends with a feeling of pride and accomplishment.  List your three most important to do’s, evaluate the ones left over to see if they “deserve” to remain, and move the rest to next year with a sense of excitement.   It’s time we set ourselves up for success!