So much to do and so little time! This week’s blog post outlines ways to tackle your goals. Try these tactics out to keep your goals in sight and your priorities straight.
Start with a System: Create a system that is helpful but don’t spend too much time creating or maintaining the system ( especially if you are a type-A perfectionist). And if you normally don’t follow systems, keep it easy to maintain.
Let the system do the managing and don’t overcomplicate the process. If you manage your tasks best digitally then find an app or digital project management system and work with it. If you do paper and planners better then stick to that.
This isn’t the time to roll out a big complicated new system because the system will end up being the project rather than what you want to accomplish.
Know your Values: Time to return to your values to help guide you with this. Define your values to help redirect your path towards success. Values that don’t align can create stagnation and frustration.
Here is an example of values being out of whack: You may want high-quality art but maybe the perception of high quality comes from a place of inner criticism and perfectionism leading to exhaustion and lack of output. See how your values may be askew here? Emphasis on playfulness and exploration may help get the creative gears working at a healthier pace.
Make a Comparison List: Begin writing a wish list. Number in order how you wish to prioritize your creative goals or projects. Then write a second list with the actual order of these priorities. Use this time to objectively observe the difference between how you currently prioritize and how you ideally would like to prioritize. Find small ways to begin adjusting the current real priority list to the wish list.
Check-In: To keep your projects and goals insight you need to keep referring back to them. Plan quarterly goal days to evaluate your long-term goals and monthly check-in to keep making progress.
An easy check-in process is having a weekly business meeting with yourself. You can check on your goal progress, plan the next week and make any adjustments you need to do to continue making progress.
One Small Step: What is one small thing you can do to take a step towards success or achieving a goal? As you move towards you goals, the universe will show up and continue to open doors as you continue to follow your true creative path.
Take one small step.
Time Management Skills: There are many apps, planners, time tracking methods, and skills you can implement to help better manage your time. Knowing you don’t manage your time well can be a very humbling experience. In admitting it, you can make a change.
An objective analysis of how you spend your time can show you where you waste time. Spend a week writing down how you spend your time. Do this objectively, meaning without judgment and without changing what you want to do just because you are tracking (I know, this can be hard). Afterward, find areas of your day and week where you can adjust and fit in your passions.
Rest: Working yourself to the grindstone can feel like you are reaching your goals but in the end, you are just spinning your wheels. Taking some time off, taking a day to rest, or purposefully stepping away from a project for a short time can actually make the project come together better than planned.
