Put an end to procrastination and finally make a start on achieving your ultimate aim in life with these seven easy steps
OK, hands up: who’s got a big project that they keep talking about, but never actually do? We’ve all got one thing or another that we aspire to work towards - writing a book, starting a business, running a marathon - but when it comes right down to it, something keeps getting in the way. When that big goal has been on your to do list for month after month (or year after year!) it can seem like you’ll never get it done. Sometimes you just feel like giving up, but it doesn’t have to be like that.
We reached out to leading entrepreneur and number one bestselling author of ‘Do Less, Get More’ Shaa Wasmund MBE, to show you how to finally get your act together and get that big project done and dusted. Here are her seven steps for making it happen.
1. Start by getting clear on your REAL goal
There’s no point in trying to accomplish anything if you’re not sure exactly what you want - after all, if you’re not sure what you want, how will you know when you get it? So get crystal clear on what you actually want to happen. The more precise details, the better. This means none of these “I want to lose weight” or “I want to write a book” - type goals. If you want to lose weight, then how much do you want to lose, and by when? If you want to write a book, then what exactly is it going to be about? And when do you want it to be finished?
2. Chunk it down
Big goals are fantastic, but if you try to tackle them in one go you’ll get overwhelmed. Once you work out how to peel back the layers on your goals, everything becomes more achievable, whether it’s running a marathon or running your own business. The key is to chunk the overall goal down into little pieces so that you can tackle one piece at a time.
3. Reverse engineer your plan
OK, so you’ve broken your goal down into manageable pieces, now it’s time to get a plan in place so that you can tackle them in the right order and in a way that lets you meet your deadlines. But don’t start planning just yet! First you need to know that almost everyone does planning all wrong. Instead of starting where you are now and planning your way to an end goal, you need to start at the end goal and then plan your way backwards to today. Think of it like creating stepping stones to get you to where you want to be. Just make sure that each step is small and simple - complexity only makes things harder.
4. Get accountable
Once you’ve decided that you’re going to work towards a goal, the probability that you’ll actually achieve it is still just 50%. But if you get a specific person to hold you accountable as you work towards your goal, then the probability of achieving it increases dramatically! So find at least one person who will support you unconditionally - but who will also give you a kick in the pants if you start to slip.
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5. Eat your frogs
Whatever you know you have to do to move yourself closer towards your goal, but you really don’t want to do, do that FIRST. Don’t put it off, it will just take up space in your mind, making you frustrated and anxious until you get it done. You know exactly the type of thing – the one that you think about as soon as you wake up, yet gets pushed to the bottom of the list and then carried over to the next day and the next day and the next …Have to see your bank manager? Make the call to schedule the appointment first thing in the morning. Need to send an awkward email? Do it as soon as you turn on your laptop. Whatever it is that’s making you cringe, get it out of the way — you’ll immediately feel better for it.
6. Build your goal into your schedule
Working towards your goal needs to become a part of your daily life, so you need to schedule time in for it right from the beginning, and make that time non-negotiable. If you don’t, daily life will take over and your goal will slip down your priority list. If you can’t figure out a way to do everything you’re doing now and still work towards your goal, then don’t - outsource!Anything that you’re not really good at or that takes up a lot of your time is fair game. So whether that means hiring a cleaner to give you more time to exercise in the morning or hiring a collaborator to help you finally get your book out of your head and onto the page, do what you need to do to make your dream a reality.
7. Check in regularly
It’s really easy to create a plan for completing your project, get really fired up for a few weeks, and then go off the rails. So make sure that you schedule in regular appointments with yourself and whoever is holding you accountable to check your progress, figure out what’s working and what needs to change, and whether you need to adjust your plan. Remember, what gets measured gets done, so don’t skip this!
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