It's a weird little irony. But it's enough to single-handedly paralyze your progress.
The issue is not that you don't know what to do to get ahead. The issue is that you have so much to do that you end up doing nothing at all... Which is exactly the same as not knowing what to do.
Ever suffered paralysis by too many options? Do you have a To-Do list which, if printed on paper, could deplete a measurable bit of Brazil? Have you ever sat down to look at old items on your list of goals and wished until you ached that you'd just done something about that one gem when you first had the idea?
I have.
When I woke up to discover that my 'To Do' list spanned 217 pages on Microsoft Word, I realized I was doing something dreadfully wrong.
This is how my personal paralysis came about: Whenever inspiration struck, my system was to jot the idea down on my master 'To Do' list on my computer. Then I'd sit staring at the blinking cursor and thinking, "That could change my career! If I get that right, it could add an extra zero to my income." And then I'd do absolutely nothing about it. And the next idea would strike. I'd jot it down. Do nothing.
And so my ideas were all connected in the Great Circle of Futility.
Perhaps you don't struggle to have those moments of inspiration. The ideas spring into your mind like flees on a passing dog. Perhaps, like so many people, you struggle to do something about them.
The gap between your epiphanies and your ultimate success may be nothing more than a small amount of effort. If that's you, here is a practical suggestion:
BREAK THE PARALYSIS
Start by apportioning a single week to the goal of breaking your paralysis. A week is a nice, manageable chunk of time. It's long enough to get stuck in to your tasks, but short enough to measure your progress.
Now take a half hour to sift and select through the ideas and to-do items you have accumulated. Write down, on a fresh sheet of paper, 20 of the most important ones.
You're going to do them all this week.
How? Well, it's a piddling four items per day. Four items per day constitutes a manageable goal. Faithfully do your four items each day, and by the end of your first week, your life story will be ahead by a full twenty achievements. You will be staggered by the impact twenty achievements can make to your progress.
ONE IRON-CLAD RULE:
Here is your one, non-negotiable, sacrosanct, descended-from-on-high, cannot-be-broken, Moses-spake-unto-the-people rule: These twenty items must be progressive ideas, not reactive admin. Each idea should be something that propels you forward, not something that merely mops up the mess behind you.
In this line of thinking, 'writing a thousand words for my book' would qualify as progressive, as would 'making that sales call I've been meaning to do.' However, 'dropping by the post-office to update my personal details' would not.
If you can exercise discipline in carrying out twenty progressive items in a week - four per day - the progress you will see will be remarkable. And nothing breeds a personal culture of success quite like a little momentum.
Remember, though, Friday is not a gentleman. Friday will come and go whether you try this technique or not. When it rolls around, why not greet the weekend with twenty achievements under your belt? Can you visualize the impact this one week could have on your life?
The issue is not that you don't know what to do to get ahead. The issue is that you have so much to do that you end up doing nothing at all... Which is exactly the same as not knowing what to do.
Ever suffered paralysis by too many options? Do you have a To-Do list which, if printed on paper, could deplete a measurable bit of Brazil? Have you ever sat down to look at old items on your list of goals and wished until you ached that you'd just done something about that one gem when you first had the idea?
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| Speaker, author and trainer, Douglas R Kruger |
When I woke up to discover that my 'To Do' list spanned 217 pages on Microsoft Word, I realized I was doing something dreadfully wrong.
This is how my personal paralysis came about: Whenever inspiration struck, my system was to jot the idea down on my master 'To Do' list on my computer. Then I'd sit staring at the blinking cursor and thinking, "That could change my career! If I get that right, it could add an extra zero to my income." And then I'd do absolutely nothing about it. And the next idea would strike. I'd jot it down. Do nothing.
And so my ideas were all connected in the Great Circle of Futility.
Perhaps you don't struggle to have those moments of inspiration. The ideas spring into your mind like flees on a passing dog. Perhaps, like so many people, you struggle to do something about them.
The gap between your epiphanies and your ultimate success may be nothing more than a small amount of effort. If that's you, here is a practical suggestion:
BREAK THE PARALYSIS
Start by apportioning a single week to the goal of breaking your paralysis. A week is a nice, manageable chunk of time. It's long enough to get stuck in to your tasks, but short enough to measure your progress.
Now take a half hour to sift and select through the ideas and to-do items you have accumulated. Write down, on a fresh sheet of paper, 20 of the most important ones.
You're going to do them all this week.
How? Well, it's a piddling four items per day. Four items per day constitutes a manageable goal. Faithfully do your four items each day, and by the end of your first week, your life story will be ahead by a full twenty achievements. You will be staggered by the impact twenty achievements can make to your progress.
ONE IRON-CLAD RULE:
Here is your one, non-negotiable, sacrosanct, descended-from-on-high, cannot-be-broken, Moses-spake-unto-the-people rule: These twenty items must be progressive ideas, not reactive admin. Each idea should be something that propels you forward, not something that merely mops up the mess behind you.
In this line of thinking, 'writing a thousand words for my book' would qualify as progressive, as would 'making that sales call I've been meaning to do.' However, 'dropping by the post-office to update my personal details' would not.
If you can exercise discipline in carrying out twenty progressive items in a week - four per day - the progress you will see will be remarkable. And nothing breeds a personal culture of success quite like a little momentum.
Remember, though, Friday is not a gentleman. Friday will come and go whether you try this technique or not. When it rolls around, why not greet the weekend with twenty achievements under your belt? Can you visualize the impact this one week could have on your life?
Douglas Kruger is a professional speaker, trainer and author of the '50 Ways' series of books. His most booked keynote speeches are: The Rules of Hamster-Thinking, The Big Bum Theory, and How To Position Yourself As an Expert.
See him in action or read more of his articles at: http://www.douglaskruger.co.za. Email him at: kruger@compute.co.za or follow him on Linked In or Twitter: @douglaskruger
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