Growing at the Speed of Failure
GRTD = Getting (the Right) Things Done: Tips For Productivity by Helen Raptoplous
I’ve known Helen Raptoplous for over a year now. She is vibrant, knowledgeable, driven and one of the most disciplined people I know. She has been called a Muse Mentor by her clients and the premier catalyst for business owners to grow and keep moving their business forward. Listen to Helen on my radio show from December 30, 2010.
“It is true that time is the great equalizer!
We know it, we have the same amount of time in our day as the President of the United States, the Governor, and the top achievers and producers of any Fortune 500 company. No matter who we are and what our job is, we have to accept that time given is a level playing field – we all start with the same 24 hours in a day and we end with the same 24 hours spent. This can be very motivating and depending on who you compare time with, very inspiring as well!
So what prevents us from having a great sense of satisfaction at the end of a day? Most of our frustration is due to a feeling that we didn’t use that time wisely. What are the habits that we could change that would empower us to achieve our goals, and go to sleep at night with a feeling of “Wow, this day was awesome, a job well done!” Here are some things I think we need to take a hard look at:
1. Know what is really important to you. Is that what we start with each day? That are certain activities that if done consistently will help move us forward. Instead of exercising or preparing a good breakfast to share with our spouse or family, do we rush right into checking e-mail and watching the news? It’s simple things like this that can begin to splinter our day in terms of whether or not we are moving forward with the things that will be most beneficial to us in the long run – a simple habit to create, and a little harder to break. But it’s worth the effort to change.
What habits do you need to change if you are going to be and do your very best? Your daily habits are not always about business success; many of them are about balance. Take time to know what is most important about each day.
2. Be realistic about your schedule. Many of us are chronic over-schedulers and often lack the courage to say no to things we don’t really have a passion for, things that fit us into someone else’s agenda? This does not mean that all of your focus should be on you and only the things that serve yourself, but we do need to be very careful what we agree to become involved in.
Strive for a good balance and be realistic about what your schedule can handle. It is the ultimate case of denial to think we can do it all. It is a good idea to build your confidence and time management skills a little at a time. Do this by starting with a short list of what you can accomplish, under estimate instead of over estimate. Practice putting boundaries in place that protect your schedule. As you build that muscle, add a few more things to your schedule. When you find that point that if just right, pay attention and strive to match that as often as you can.
3. Get a bigger picture. It’s what I call “playing the movie.” In other words, look at your current activities and pretend to see where it will lead in 1, 3 or even 5-10 years. For example, if you continue to neglect exercise and healthy eating, what will that look like years down the road? If you continue to put more on your To-Do list than can be humanly completed, what will that look like? What will be the return on your time investment?
It is very important for us to be really present with what we do day in and day out as it will relate to where we are going and compare that with where we would like to be going. No matter how on target you are at any given moment you will experience moments when you lose focus and step off that path. Pay attention to that so you can course correct and get back on track. It is very similar to an airplane, which is said to get off track at least 75% of the time, but makes small corrections along the path so they still end up in the correct destination!”
Remember, time is the currency of life and how we spend it will determine our future. How are you spending yours?”
Visit Helen Raptoplous at ActionHabits.com where she is provides visitors a valuable, downladable 20-minute webinar titled “Keep Moving Forward” as well as her 7-Day Simple Start action plan that will assist you in taking action now! Check it out and become more productive in 2011.
