If you�re hearing the song that Bachman-Turner-Overdrive
made famous in the 60s, that�s exactly what I want! I�m not talking
about �business� in a strictly financial sense, but �business� with the
idea that whatever you�re shooting for success-wise, you complete your
tasks.
Once you have a course plotted for success, there are going to be a
million things that will vie for your attention and time. It�s not that
these things haven�t been there before now, and it�s not even that the
world is plotting against you succeeding. It�s just that now you have a
focus and you�ll begin to notice things that seem like they shouldn�t be
on your radar screen.
It doesn�t mean that you don�t do the little pesky things that are
buzzing and want to be taken care of (especially if it relates to your
job), just that you must not let those things pull you off-track.
So how do you stay on-task? The best way I�ve found, bar none, is to
keep a log of tasks that must be accomplished as you move towards your
goal. Remember to break the big tasks in to a series of small ones and
to give yourself a reward-system as you do it. I use check-marks; others
use stickers (sounds silly, but if it works for you, who cares?), still
others use tangible rewards as they accomplish �x� number of small or
large tasks.
Whatever motivates you is your key�keep it simple and keep it
attainable. If the carrot is too far out in front of the horse, the
horse will give up. If it�s just close enough to smell and see but just
out of reach, that horse will keep moving towards the incentive.
Let�s say your goal is to lose 60 pounds. That�s quite a chunk of
weight and can take a long time to accomplish. Let�s also say that you
need a new wardrobe. Should you wait until all the weight is gone to buy
those new clothes? Probably not�your current closet full of clothes
will look awfully loose and ill-fitting if you do.
But let�s talk about small, incremental rewards that help move you
towards your goal. If you lose 10 pounds, your current clothes won�t
look baggy on you, but you will notice a difference in your waistband
that might bother you. Don�t chuck the pants or go buy a new pair�take
the current ones to a seamstress or tailor to be taken in.
It�s a small reward and saves you the money of buying new pants that
you will continue to shrink out of. It also keeps you motivated. For the
next 5 or 10 pounds, think about some new cosmetics or a new
hairstyle�small things that will make you feel better, inside and out.
Take care of business and stay on task. Now that�s the way to chart yourself to success!
http://www.12secondcommute.com/rep/bnelson4.html
