1. Define your priorities.
What are your main three priorities in your life? What three things do you do with the majority of your time? Do your priorities match up with where you’re spending your time? If so, awesome. If not, you’ll need to work extra hard to be intentional about spending more time on your priorities, and getting rid of the junk that prevents you from doing what’s important to you. Really think about how you want to spend your life – you will likely only feel successful if you spend your time on what matters most to you.
2. Set a schedule for the following day.
Time is our most precious resource, and it’s irreplaceable. If you really want to be successful, you’ll need to plan how you’re spending your time. One way to do this is to take time each evening to write out a schedule for the next day. Writing out your schedule helps for three main reasons: It helps you maximize every hour you are awake; it helps you set aside time to focus on your priorities every day; and it helps you discover if you waste a lot of time. I recently read that the average American spends 5 hours a day watching TV. Setting a schedule will help you avoid the trap of time-suckers like TV.
3. Eat the frog.
If you’re like most people, there is a task every day you procrastinate because it scares or overwhelms you. This task is your frog, and according to Mark Twain, you should eat it right away in the morning.The problem with procrastinating eating your frog is that it’s hard to concentrate on getting other things done; you’re too busy thinking about the frog you need to eat later. Also, putting it off makes it seem even more overwhelming because you have time to imagine every possible thing that could go wrong with the task. Eating the frog early in the day gives you a sense of accomplishment, and it’s great to start the day feeling successful. Finishing your dreaded task immediately can give you the momentum you need to get other tasks done throughout your day. Plus, they’ll all seem easy compared to the frog you started with.
4. Be honest with the person in the mirror.
Now that we’ve talked about eating the frog, I want to encourage you to be honest with yourself. Just because there’s a frog to eat at the beginning of your day doesn’t mean it’s a good idea to get up way earlier than you normally do to start eating it. Some people do their best work before sunrise, and others are incredibly productive late in the evening. If you love starting your day at 5 a.m., wonderful – go ahead and eat your frog in the early hours of the morning. If you prefer to sleep in, that’s fine too – go ahead and eat your frog early in YOUR day. Successful people are honest with themselves. They know that setting a goal of working out every morning at 4:30 a.m. isn’t the best idea if they’ve never been a morning person. They set their goals based on their most productive times.
5. Give yourself deadlines.
Take advantage of a major productivity hack: Parkinson’s Law. Parkinson’s Law states that work will expand to fill the time available for its completion. If you have less time to complete a task, you’ll likely increase your effort. Think about how clean you can make your house when someone calls and says they’ll stop by in 20 minutes, and how intensely you can focus when you have a an assignment due the next morning. Your effort significantly increases when time is limited. Giving yourself deadlines to accomplish tasks can help you achieve your goals. As you set your daily schedule, it can help to use Parkinson’s Law to your advantage. One way to do this is by using time blocks. Give yourself 55 minutes to accomplish a goal, and then take a planned 5 minute break. Knowing you have limited time will help maximize your productivity during the 55 minute work session. Also, the mini mental breaks from your hard work every hour can re-energize you.
6. Minimize distractions.
Get rid of as many distractions as possible while you work. If the internet distracts you, set your computer so it’s locked from certain sites during set times of the day. Shut off your phone. Your messages will be there when you’re done with your to-do list.
7. Pause.
Plan time every day to take care of yourself. Set aside time in your schedule for you to give yourself the gift of exercise, quiet time, or ideally both.
8. Plan backward.
One way to move forward toward your big goals is to plan backward when setting goals. For example, say you want to lose 26 pounds. After you set an initial long-term goal of losing 26 pounds by one year from now, start planning backward and breaking the goal down into doable chunks. If you want to lose 26 pounds in one year, you’ll need to lose 0.5 pounds (1750 calories) each week. This is 250 calories per day. Many people have 3 meals and 2 snacks per day, which means you can decrease your intake by 50 calories every time you eat. That’s a totally doable goal! You’ve now taken a large, overwhelming aspiration and you broke it into very small, achievable daily goals. Planning backward to move forward works for all kinds of big goals. I have a financial goal I want to meet this year, and I know exactly how many dollars and cents I need to earn each day to hit my mark.
9. Write it down.
Research shows that just by writing your goals down, your chance of achieving them increases significantly! Write down your goals, post them somewhere easily visible, refer to them frequently, and you have a much higher chance of success.
10. Find an accountability partner.
Accountability partners are great; they encourage and support us as we work toward achieving our goals. Maybe you’ve always wanted to write a book, exercise regularly, or start a home-based business. Tell someone who will help keep you accountable and check in with you weekly to review your progress. It works great to have an accountability partner who has some similar goals.
11. Compare yourself to others only to fuel your determination.
You really want to feel good about your life? Quit comparing yourself to everyone else if it makes you feel bad. Being envious of others can quickly decrease your happiness and make you feel unsuccessful. That being said, comparing can be helpful if you’re doing it out of admiration instead of jealousy. If your friend is constantly getting promoted at work, study his habits at the office. Does he always arrive early and stay late, and offer to take on extra projects? Emulating his work ethic may help you get the raise you desire. Is your coworker the picture of perfect health? Comparing your habits to hers may make you realize she takes a walk every day over the lunch hour while you munch on snacks at your desk. Join her for a walk if you aspire to improve your fitness. ‘When we compare in a healthy way (they have that, I’d like it, how can I learn from them to get it?), it can fuel our determination to become more successful.
12. Seek out a mentor.
If there’s a specific area in your life you are passionate about, choose a successful mentor to help you grow in that area. You may find that you have different mentors for different areas in your life – I know I do. Consider hiring a coach; the right coach can make a world of difference in your life by giving you the inspiration and tools needed to reach high levels of success.
13. Delegate.
As difficult as it can be, it’s important to give up some control and delegate certain tasks. After all, there are only 24 hours in the day, and if you really want to focus on your priorities and become wildly successful, you’ll need to trust others to take care of the things that are less important to you. A few years ago, I wrote out my weekly tasks, and realized there were 56 tasks that I completed each week. No wonder I felt overwhelmed at times! I began evaluating the importance of each of those tasks and decided to delegate the tasks that weren’t imperative for me to perform, yet still needed to get done. Now I have more time to focus on my priorities. When we delegate some tasks to others, we are able to focus on what’s important to us – a key to becoming successful.
14. Choose your company wisely.
Aside from having one specific accountability partner, choose your entire tribe with care. Are you hanging out with people who are encouraging, positive, and supportive? Or, do you spend most of your time with people who are toxic? Choose to spend your time with people who inspire you to be your best.
15. Read.
Want to be highly successful? Read. Read frequently. Reading invigorates us and opens our minds. Read material that inspires you and lights your fire. Delve into self-development. Absorb as much information as you possibly can. There’s always more to learn. Do these things every day and you will quickly be on the path to wild success! Featured photo credit: Between the warp and weft /Between the warp and weft blog via picjumbo.com
