Can you take a baby step?

3 Keys to getting and staying in action

 

In January 2009 my colleague, Tammy Cook, and I conducted two 2-hour teleclasses on making 2009 your best year ever.  It’s chock-full of meaty content, simple strategies, and some terrific step-by-step information.  Despite all the details, almost universally, attendees said they found the idea of breaking things down into “baby steps” to be the MOST useful!

 

It’s easy to be overwhelmed by the big picture or larger goal.  Even breaking goals down into milestones and individual tasks can leave you feeling stuck.  When you begin to feel that way, just think about taking baby steps.

 

Take one step and break it down EVEN SMALLER!

One of my clients is working on writing a very large paper for some advanced credentialing in her field.  She did her planning and realized she would need to write one chapter each week in order to make her deadline. She broke that down further and identified the subject for each chapter so she knew in advance how to focus her thoughts when she sat down to work.  Despite having broken things down, she still wasn’t making the progress desired.

 

What we discovered was that she felt limited in getting this done because she felt she needed large blocks of time to do this work.  Due to her long work hours and changing shifts, this was a real challenge.

 

So, we broke things down into even smaller steps.  After doing a chapter she realized she had a 4-step process she followed that includes gathering her current data, research, speaking with colleagues, and summarizing her findings.  NOW she had some baby steps she could take throughout the week in smaller increments of time…and she was able to get it done!

 

Implement one new habit that will help forward your action

A baby step can come in the form of a new habit.  For example, if your goal is to lose 30 pounds in the next 7 months and you haven’t exercised in years, a baby step could be taking the stairs instead of the elevator. Or, you could commit to working out for ONE MINUTE every day like my friend’s sister did.  Becky is a mom of three under the age of 3 and wanted to improve her health.  So she committed to working out for just one minute.  What she’s found is that even SHE can find ONE minute each day to exercise and, once she’s moving, she often works out even longer.

 

The key is not to radically change your entire lifestyle, but form one new habit that is a baby step towards the end result.

 

Track your progress

Breaking things down and forming new habits is a process.  Tracking your action through a checklist, sticker chart (yes, they work for adults too), spreadsheet, or whatever works for you will help you gauge your progress.  Notice what’s working and what’s not and CELEBRATE the successes you ARE having!  So often my clients will have achieved a really great milestone and gloss right over it.  Stop and celebrate, it will help fuel your momentum and keep you going!

 

Your Guilt-Free Assignment (should you wish to accept it)

You can either stay overwhelmed and stuck or get moving on your goals.  Here’s what to do if you really want to get moving:

• Choose one goal and break it down. 
• When you think you have it detailed out, pick the first step and break THAT down further.
• Identify one habit that will help you move towards your ultimate goal and implement it
• Decide how you will track your progress (I offer some free goal setting tools on my website at http://www.theguiltfreecoach.com/tools.htm)
• Review your results in a week

 

If you’re still stuck and need some brainstorming or accountability to get and stay in action, my new group coaching program can provide just that.  Each biweekly call includes a brief lesson on a relevant topic and expert coaching to keep you focused on creating your Best Year and give you the specifics to get going with momentum. The calls will also provide accountability, support, and the resources to implement strategies that will keep your business and your life continually getting better and better. You can get this and more through my Best Year Ever Group Coaching Program.

 

© 2009 Victoria Cook. All Rights Reserved.

Want to use this article on your website or your own ezine? No problem! But here’s what you MUST include:

Victoria Cook, The Guilt-Free Coach, helps ambitious working Moms create more tme and focus to accomplish their goals, grow their business, and live guilt-free! To get YOUR FREE resources for increasing YOUR time and reducing stress, visit ww.TheGuiltFreeCoach.com/gift.

Get More Done with a “To-Don’t” List

A colleague of mine recently sent me a link to an article written by Liz Massey of Creative Liberty on 7 Ways to Reduce Stress With a To-Don’t List.  As a chronic To-DO list maker from waaaaayyyyy back, I was really intrigued by the title! As a coach who helps her client’s focus on what’s most important and get it done, I figured I’d learn some additional insights to share with you.

I’m just soooo busy!

Somehow in our culture, “being busy” has been elevated to a status symbol. However, busy does not equal productive! It’s easy to be unceasingly busy with the never ending to-do list. As one thing is checked off, three more are added on.  But too often clients complain they just aren’t getting what they want accomplished or they aren’t hitting their goals.   They are “busy” going nowhere.

While the to-do list seems forever ongoing, in contrast, Massey describes the “to-don’t” list as “contractive, narrow, and boundary-defining.” She also shares that, “At the heart of the ‘to-don’t’ list is the Pareto principle, also known as the 80/20 rule.”  The 80/20 rule states that 20% of our efforts produce 80% of our results. This means that 80% of our efforts aren’t even important! Enter the “to-don’t” list.

Creating Yours

While Liz Massey’s article focuses on the seven benefits you’ll get from implementing your own “to-don’t” list, I’d like to share three tactics you can use to create your own “to-don’t” list so you can attain those benefits!

1.  Assess what you are currently doing and rank the importance using the traditional A, B and C ranking where A is urgent, B is for items you’d like to get done today but aren’t critical and C is for the optional or back burner items.  Review your B and C tasks and assess if any can be added to the “to-don’t” list (permanently or temporarily).

2.  Identify what you can outsource!  While some tasks need to be completed, they may not need to be completed by YOU!  Much of the business administration work you do can be given to an assistant (or virtual assistant for all you small business owners) to free you up for focusing on the 20%! Those items outsourced can be added to your “to-don’t” list.

3. Detect your key time stealers. Cell phones, blackberries, pagers, a disorganized boss, e-mail, junk mail, or a chatty co-worker are just a few possibilities. Once you know the time stealers you can decide how to handle them.  Perhaps some things can go on your “to-don’t” list like checking e-mail first thing in the morning. This is often a major time stealer and can be relegated to a little later in the day.  Save your “prime time” work hours for the more important and strategic activities.

Use your “to-don’t” list to clear away some of the 80% of unimportant work.  Your “to-don’t” list will also help you create a to-DO list that is more strategic AND realistic!