My blog post on Success spawned feedback that prompt me to write on it again.
My mom said "Finishing is one Success rule". So true. I know a lot of people who do 80 or 90% but never finish.
I would add "Starting is also a Success rule". Often people simply do not start. So start it.
Both parts of just doing it are important. Then they need to be tied together and what I use is momentum.
So what are some of the tricks I use to gain and keep momentum from start to finish?
1 - I have many mantras. Statements I repeat often to myself. One of these is "Just Do It". Hopefully Nike does not sue me for it.
2 - I do the worst thing first thing. I have a to do list. I simply go through it and pick the one task I am like the least and do it first. Brian Tracy calls this "Eat a Frog first thing and the rest of the day looks better". He even wrote a simple book on how to solve procrastination called Eat That Frog.
To add power to this technique, I create 2 first things. First thing in the morning and first thing after lunch. What originally spawned this was the fact that I could not call someone first thing in the morning often because they would not be available so I started adding after lunch. I found this so effective, that I have kept this habit.
I soften the technique some by adding "15 minutes". I have the theory that I can do anything for 15 minutes. Often when I start it I keep going but I give myself permission to stop after 15 minutes.
3 - Break the big job down into small parts. Small parts are not onerous. And often some of the small parts are easy to do.
4 - Do a few small parts of the job. Success builds momentum.
5 - Set a specific time for a job or task. I find I am more likely to do something if I have a specific time to start it.
6 - I ask myself "what would I like to have done by the end of the day". This simple technique often inspires me to complete the task.
7 - Sometimes I journal. I tend to do this sporadically. For me a journal is not where I put my feelings. Rather I write what I accomplished and how I am doing on my goals. For some reason, knowing that I will write about it helps me keep on task.
Any other ideas on starting, maintaining momentum and finishing?
Another good post.
ReplyDeleteSometimes to keep momemtum, when we can all be easily knocked off track, we "keep our eye on the prize" it is sometimes a far, far way off. Maintaining the positive outcome vision that the prize is just another step closer, helps in maintaining momentum.
Rewarding oneself for a job well done with a break or a small distraction can also be useful for maintaining momentum, when some tasks become tedious. This tends to stop procrastination in its tracks, by not feeling guilty about a small delay.
regards,
"Keeping your eye on the prize" is definitely something I was thinking of when reading the post.
ReplyDeleteI also think that reading about, speaking to, or watching something/someone that motivates you can get you pumped up enough to knock off a couple of those tasks which seem most daunting.
Great post.
Great ideas! I really like the notion of having two frogs in the day; I plan to implement that one.
ReplyDeleteI am surprised you did not say "rise early". I know you do from the time on some of your posts (particularly impressed that you do this even on the weekends)
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