Keeping a Balance.
I wanted to say a few words; really this is aimed at one of my readers who has asked for more tips on how I manage to keep enough energy to keep a status-quo.
My answer would have to be, take life a bit at a time. You could spell that another way and it would have even more meaning. Re- Question:-
How do you eat an elephant?
Answer:- One 'bite' at a time.
I digress, I prefer the former description.
I digress, I prefer the former description.
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To Do List.A bit at a time, means - don't write out a massive list of everything that you have to do today, (although there is nothing wrong with that if you are getting it all done).
Maybe, like me, you could easily write out an A4 sheet of 30 plus things you need to do today. This is OK for planning, but you should take that list of, lets say 30 items and reduce it by choosing just 5 top things you need to do.
Then re-write those out on a separate fresh post-it type note! - then do a mental rehearsal.- You have probably heard of this before - its called visualization.
Just try it, you will be convinced I'm sure when you find that you are getting things done instead of procrastinating.
The first way you visualize this, is to go through the five things, thinking, of- 'If I do this first and start at, [time], (look at the clock and decide a time - thinking that you are also going to need enough time, perhaps 15 minutes to finish this visualization). Write the start time next to the item on the post-it note.
Visualization.
Imagine - see yourself doing it, it may be just doing the accounts - or writing for your blog, or doing the ironing, or feeding the pets, or setting up something on a web-page.
Think of what a logical and reasonable time would be to complete it, then, looking at the clock - add that time and write it in as a 15 minute break. Then move to the next item on your to-do list.
Here's my To Do list starting this morning, just in-case you are wondering! (Its Monday 20th Dec 2010).
I just need to mention that today - I am doing 10 minute sessions on my exercise-cycle, rather than my usual single session of 40 minutes to one hour.
Don't get caught up in time time specifics, if I say 10 mins on the bike but write 9.30 ex 10 then Accounts at 9.45 - (that's still only a minimum of 10 minutes on the cycle), just get over it!
To do list, started with 5 items chosen from my bigger list.
1, Accounts. - (book-keeping really) 1 hour
2, Email sign-ins. (2 hours - to deal with email).
3, Blog Post. (any one of several of my blogs - but this you are reading, is the one today).
4, Web-page alteration.
(I assess 2 - 4 hours - I'll do what I can today and carry the work over to another day).
5, Personal - shopping for xmas. - (non business, 2 hours).
Things like exercise and taking the kids to school etc - don't usually go on my To-Do-List as these are my daily activities that are not really too hard to find time for, they are already a part of my daily life - habituated.
You may want to make writing a To-Do-List a habit too!
If I say exercise 10 - this is where you could take a break - get it! - its easy ain't it?
9.30 ex 10 (this means exercise for 10 minutes at 140 BPM - I allow 15 minutes to allow for getting on and off - getting water etc).
9.45 Accounts.
10.15 ex 10.
10.30 Accounts continued (but I also started writing for this blog post).
11.00 ex 10.
11.15 I altered to Blog writing- since I got started as soon as I thought of this.
11.30 ex 10.
11.45 blog write continued.
12.15 ex 10. (I got distracted and engrossed in writing and totally missed 12.15 - I have a timer on my computer that pops up, but I just set snooze till the next time). - etc.
12.30 OK - enough said - you get the point!
I'm going to post this now and review it later, (using a - "its good enough - just get it done" attitude), I'm going to get on with the accounts!
The rest of the day should go like this:-
1pm Shopping trip with wife- till 3pm
3pm Kids -we pick-up from school
4pm - Home - TV on but I will be watching and working on web-page alteration - poss 2 to 4 hours. (Unless I get fed-up or stuck - I'll watch some videos on YouTube if I can find some covering my web-page alteration issue). I work from home and have a family room office computer as well as a private office area, so I can work and still be involved in family life.
5pm-6pm - evening meal with family.
6pm Continue as 4pm - and work in my email-sign-in's - -breaks for trips to take son to Army Cadettes at 18.30 and 21.00- etc -
What I don't get finished today goes on tomorrows list! - etc.
I'll stop there because it is now lunch, and I have to complete those accounts. I started this Blog post yesterday - ideas and writing today. This last bit above was put in after the end of the story below. I mention this just for your information, to show you how your plans change!
My day changes with how I feel and how I want to work.
- (I'm lucky that I've realized that I like to work from home and can make a living online).
If you are not so lucky, then you have to start to create your own luck. You can do this by looking around for things to inspire you. On this website there is usually a link to a program that I am on. My best and favorite is The Secret - found in the Millionaire Secret Code - Look for a banner somewhere on this site.
Here's something that motivates me - it is the thought that if I don't motivate myself to work and enjoy working for myself on my own time and schedule; Then someone else will motivate me - Someone like a boss, if I had to get a job.
What all this is about is this; - The only thing any human has true control over is the present - or more specifically your present thoughts. - It is this present thought that will determine how your future will be;- (but not specifically).
You cannot control the past - that has gone, done, over with - so do not waste time dwelling on past failures. You cannot really control the future ither, because things will always alter the best laid plans as I have said.
What you can do is control the future of how things will be on a whole, but not precisely. I know this is a difficult subject to comprehend, but I'll tell you was someone once told me. You don't have to understand it, just accept it and believe it. (Like, you don't have to understand how a car engine works to be able to drive the car). Just get over it!
I heard a speaker at a business meeting once say, that getting things done and planning and goal setting, is just like flying a plane, you cannot see the destination - because it is maybe hundreds or thousands of miles away, (just a dream or a thought right now), the pilot knows it is there, the destination and course is set.
There will be constant alterations required to keep the flight on-course. Wind direction changes and a whole host of other things conspire (it seems) to push the plane constantly off course.
Just like in your business or working day life. People around you have their own direction, which may not be exactly the same as yours. It's your objective to avoid the distractions and keep moving toward your own objective, a bit at a time.
The chap went on to say, 'it's like traveling at night on an unlit road'. Meaning, you can only see the 50 or 100 feet ahead of you, the 'bit' that you can see in the headlights.
You have your destination, your objective (your dream or goal). You might not be able to see your destination in physical reality, but you know where it is (or have the directions) and you have a plan to get there.
You only need to see a little bit ahead - (like the bit you can see in the headlights), all the time altering course slightly to avoid obstacles, turning at junctions, judging each obstacle or problem as it arises. You may have to take a diversion that takes you away from your chosen path for a while, that's OK so long as you keep your final objective in mind.
If this happens in your day, take the diversion if it is the only or best way round the problem that has arisen. Then re-do the short to-do list of five things.
e.g. - Fixing the car - parts not available to complete the fix today, order the part and do something else off your to do list. Its not rocket science, you just need to have a plan and know how to run that plan to make it work.
e.g. Making alterations to website, it appeared to be a simple thing to learn and do, but you discovered it was harder than you originally thought, if you cannot schedule more time, outsource the work or schedule more time to learn the skills you need to do the job.
e.g. A product ordered, I sent out, was not received (probably lost in the post). It was the last of the batch, I offered a refund, -not acceptable was the reply. I found a better more expensive product and sent that in its place. Job done. It cost me my profit, but it meant more to me to have a satisfied client!
These (above) were my obstacles recently - I overcome them! Your plan needs to be - to first make a plan and then to know that there will be obstacles that you cannot plan for, but you can avoid or get round them!
My method is as easy as -123 - 1Plan - 2Do - 3Review.
You can travel thousands of miles using this method; just as in business and life, you can reach any destination or goal you have, if you take it one bit at a time.
Let me finish with this, If you start your to-do list and don't manage to keep to time, don't give up. (That one of those unknown things that happen)! It takes practice, and remember that nothing has to be perfect, it just has to get done, and before it gets done, it has to be started.
Just keep starting things and don't give up. As the boxing fraternity says, its not necessarily how many times you get knocked down, its how many times you keep getting back up!
AndyGold.
Magic secret = 'Keep trying'. - I'm proud to say, people say, they find my very trying!
