Lately, I seem to be very busy but not getting as much done as I’d like.
We don’t benefit from just being busy.
We benefit from getting things done. It is the completion of tasks that make the difference.
Seeing as we are three days into the 2nd quarter of 2018, I thought it would be a good idea to talk strategies to getting more things done.
There are two strategies that I fall back on when I’m challenged by the dislike of having to perform certain tasks.
Eating frogs or making snowballs.
Eating frogs comes from Brian Tracy.
“If the first thing you do each morning is to eat a live frog, you can go through the day with the satisfaction of knowing that that is probably the worst thing that is going to happen to you all day.”
-From Eat That Frog: 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating
The frog is the most important task that you need to complete, but because of it’s perceived demand, it’s also something you’ll most likely procrastinate on.
Perhaps you’re having trouble getting your workouts complete each week.
You can “eat the frog” by getting up early and going to the gym first thing. Workout completed and the rest of the day is easier because you’ll no long worry about getting it done.
Got a big project due? Do it first thing in your workday. Task completed. The rest of the day is easy.
The second strategy is The Snowball Method.
This is actually based on a debt reduction strategy promoted by Dave Ramsey where you pay off the smallest debt first and then the next largest and so on, but you can modify it to any behavior modification challenge you’re facing.
The idea is that you address the low hanging fruit of your behaviors first. Do something small, simple, and measurable toward your goals.
By doing to something that is favorable toward a goal, you’ll get a little hit of dopamine, your reward neurotransmitter in your brain. Dopamine feels good.
Just packing your gym bag and taking it with you in the morning makes it more you’ll hit the gym on the way home.
Writing out your education goals for the year can get you on track to move your forward from a professional standpoint.
Now that you’re looking for your next hit of dopamine, you’re more likely do the next thing that is required for you to hit your goal.
Over time, your behaviors become like a snowball rolling down hill and accumulating more snow and growing until you’ve amassed a number of consistent behaviors that support you goal-directed efforts.
I can’t say that one is more powerful than the other, but I’ve used both successfully. The key is to take some form of action, right or wrong. Act.
Your comeback starts today.