Are you busy all day but never seem
to get ahead? Solve the problem by using these time management tips to focus
your work and be more successful.
We all want more success and the
fear of failure can often be the driving force of our actions. We work
long hours, sacrifice personal time, and even sleep. We put our heart and
soul into what we're trying to achieve, only to find that we're spinning our
wheels. We think we're getting things done, because at the end of the day
all of our Action List items are crossed out; but did we really get closer to
achieving our goals? The fact is, most of us accomplish a whole list of
things by the end of the day, but have little to show for it. Your
success depends on what you are doing and the way you are getting things
done. If you're not moving closer to your goal achievement, you are not
getting things done the right way.
The good news is, getting things
done the right way requires only a simple shift in your actions. There
are only two ways of getting things done; one way leads to your success, while
the other keeps you in the same position you're in right now. There is no
in between. Getting things done right comes down to taking actions that
support your forward progress and success. If you feel like you've been
spinning your wheels, you probably have been. You might be getting things
done, but your actions have been sabotaging your success. You end up
working twice as hard, only to stay in the same place.
Getting things done the right way,
can take you from spinning your wheels to; creating more time, expending less
effort, reducing frustration and moving you closer to your goals with every
single action. This is possible because success relies on one principle:
success takes successful actions.
1. Organize Your Time for Optimal
Performance
Success takes successful time
management. Whether you're a corporate executive or an entrepreneur, you
must optimize your performance. The universe will only deliver what you
can handle, so if you want more, you have to do more without adding more hours
to your day.
Ascertain what you need to Do,
Delegate, and Delay. Since you can't manifest any more hours in a day,
focus on your highest pay-off activities. In other words, do just those
things that will lead to the highest probability of achieving your goals in the
quickest timeframe possible. Put these things in priority order and then in
your calendar.
You will quickly realize you don’t
have time for anything that doesn't get your closer to achieving your goals.
2. Take Action with the End Result
in Mind
Maintaining a constant focus on your
goal will help you achieve it faster. Remember, getting things done right
means taking actions that are in support of your goals. As an example,
watching TV for 5 hours is not an action in support of your success. You
may have to learn to do the things you don't necessarily want to do, but you do
them because they will get you to where you want to be.
Keep a working list of actions you
need to do today, and place them in prioritized order. Check them off the
list one at a time as you complete.
This leads you to focus on your
highest payoff activities, not the ones that are the easiest.
3. Act with 100% Integrity
It's not always easy to always to do
what you say and say what you do.
But there is no way around it;
acting with anything other than 100% integrity will sabotage your
success. The truth isn’t always easy, but it is the truth!
4. Act with the Best Interest of all
Involved
Achieving your goals does not mean
you step on people to get there; in fact it's quite the opposite. This
principle follows the universal law of reciprocity; what you put out comes back
to you. Getting things done right, means you keep the best interest of
all involved at all times, so the reciprocal comes back to you. Every
action you take has an outward effect, and long term, sustainable success is
only possible acting by this universal law. Napoleon Hill explores the
power of this law great depth in his book, Think and Grow Rich.
5. Think “Outside the Box”
What got you to where you are today
typically isn’t what will take you to where you want to be. Get creative
and brainstorm ideas and possibilities. Ask friends and business
associates for feedback. Ask them what improvements you can make to
improve your service and relationship with your clients. Study someone
you admire. If you know someone who is successful and want to know how
they did - ask them! Think outside the box of where you are right now and
learn how you can improve yourself to encourage your success.
6. Remove Negative Emotions
Taking action based on feelings of
fear, anger, or jealousy will get you no where and can even lead to goal
regression. Negative emotions sabotage your success - period.
Remove them from your thoughts and actions, and you will be getting things done
the right way. Pay attention to what you say to yourself. Sometimes
we don’t realize we're feeding our minds with negative thinking until you
consciously pay attention. Ask a friend, peer, or significant other to
share what they hear you say or do. Having an occasional 5-minute pity
party is acceptable – but then you've got to get over it and move on.
7. Write an Action Plan
You don't have to know exactly what
to do, some of it you will have to figure out along the way, but you must have
a general plan of action. Say you want to completely eliminate your
$10,000 debt. Write an action plan detailing exactly how much money you
will commit to paying every month, or week, toward reducing your debt.
Create a detailed spreadsheet for every month, until your balance is
zero. Write down the Day, Month, Year and even a time your debt will be
eliminated.
8. Write Monthly Self-Evaluations
and Look for Areas of Improvement
Ask yourself the following
questions:
- Did I provide the best service I believe my clients deserve?
- Did I focus on the highest pay-off activities that allowed me to be the most productive and efficient I could be so I could achieve my goals?
- Did I effectively use my calendar and honor it?
- Did I delegate and delay everything I could?
- Did I reduce or eliminate distractions so I could stay focused only on those activities that put me in the highest probability situation for success?
- Did I make decisions that delivered the best results for all involved? If no, how might I have reacted differently to improve end results?
- Did I act with 100% integrity in all of my personal and professional relations?
- Did I accomplish my goals? If no, where were my thoughts and actions focused?
- Did I allow myself to make excuses and then let myself off the hook?
What will I need to do to change
this?
If you have answered 'no' to any of
these questions, explore why and how you can improve future actions and desired
end results.
Action is good, but it's the way you
take action that makes all the difference. Action taken produces results,
good and bad. Successful action produces positive results and brings you
closer to your goals - that's getting things done in the right way.
Optimize your performance, act with integrity, keep the higher-good of all involved
and every action you take will get you closer to your success. Results do
Rule!
Success comes to those who become
success conscious.
NAPOLEON HILL, Author of the best-selling classic, Think and Grow Rich
Anne Bachrach is president of the
California based accountability coaching firm, A.M. Enterprises. By utilizing
her powerful processes, Anne's clients learn how to maximize their talents and
experience a great quality of life. Her fresh approach to business is a
much-needed change for stagnant businesses. For more information, go to her
website at www.AccountabilityCoach.com.
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