As we start working on our goals for 2008 it’s easy to get so excited about moving our plans forward that we may forget some of the things we did in 2007 that detracted from our progress.
One of the the biggest of these is time wasters.
They make take several forms and may even disguise themselves as “research” or “background” or “experience” but they really aren’t any of these. What they are is frustrating, attitude-destroying, daily goal-crushing, time management twilight zones and here’s three ways you know when you’re caught in one.
- You started out one daily goal and you’ve found yourself on another goal entirely without remembering how you got there. You’ll usually find you haven’t accomplished the first goal.
- You’ve tried to finish a daily goal and keep running into obstacles. After your third unsuccessful attempt at a daily goal I would bookmark it and decide to work on it again tomorrow. Just removing yourself from the situation and letting your subconscious mind work on it while you complete other tasks can make the goal a snap even the next day.
- You’re in a negative mind set or are outright angry. There are people who claim they do their best work when angry or stressed or whatever. The truth is these people are few and far between and I have yet to meet someone who has all their faculties working for them in this state. Again, take a break, go for a walk, play with your dog and see if that helps. I’ve found that usually will do the trick. If not, maybe today is not a good day to tackle that goal.
Of course, there are many others.
My main purpose here was to get you mindfully working on your goals and keep your eyes open for these time wasters so you don’t lose valuable time to them.
I hope this post helps you approach your day with a slightly different perspective.
One method I suggest(not an affiliate link)is Mark Joyner’s Simpleology 101. It’s free and it can help you identify the things you do that help and hurt you in accomplishing your goals.
Best of luck in 2008,
Jeff
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