Get It Done

I came across a phrase today and I was reminded of the challenges that we all face – how we manage on the not-so-good days. Also earlier this week, a friend asked me, ‘how do I kill inconsistency and procrastination?’

The phrase says, ‘you can’t get much done in life if you only work on the days that you feel good.’

We all have days when we wake up and we are ready to face the world and on other days, the alarm goes off and we press snooze.

This could be dependent on how we are feeling – mentally, physically, spiritually and psychologically, the weather and sometimes it’s the sheer volume of work or challenges that we see.

On the not-so-good days, we sometimes feel unprepared, incapacitated, overwhelmed, and lacking in motivation, energy and drive.

How can you then face your family, the world, and the work that needs to get done when you already feel down and demotivated?

I woke up this morning not feeling on top of the world, not knowing what I would write about, not feeling inspired, and having loads of tasks swirling around in my head. The only thing I knew for sure was that I had to get things done.

Here are my tips for handling the ‘not-so -good’ days:

Make a decision to show up no matter what

The opposite of inconsistency is consistency and this simply means showing up until it becomes a habit. Also to tackle procrastination, all you need to do is decide to show up at the agreed time instead of a future time.

So it’s all about making a choice and sticking with it. The good news is that it gets easier each time you show up.

Admit that there will be days when you will show up feeling 50% inspired or 25% tired. The decision to show up is what needs to be 100%.

Make a list

When I have many activities to juggle, I always create a list. This is important for various reasons. It frees your mind of clutter so you can better concentrate. It gives you a clearer view of what you have on and you might find it’s not as bad as you first imagined.

Finally it gives you a basis for tracking your progress. Sometimes, I add a time element to each task as this gives me a good idea of when I’m likely to get back in control.

Focus on the strides that you make

As you complete tasks off your list, draw a line through them. Relish the moment and celebrate completing each task.

Soon enough, you will have many little positive things to celebrate and focus on. You soon start to feel good with a sense of accomplishment.

Don’t underestimate yourself

Even on days when we feel we are out of it, we are still very capable of more than we realise. I wrote an article years ago about the bane of our society. I also wrote a very inspiring personal statement.

When I feel average and need to be reminded of my brilliance, I go back to these two write-ups as they never fail to inspire and spur me on. They remind me of what I’ve done in the past and that I’m truly capable of much more.

Focus on the process, not just the end results

As a writer, I have a choice to wait to be inspired before I write or to show up everyday and start writing until inspiration takes over.

If I merely focus on the end results, I will only write on days that I feel like my best work is ready to be birthed. Trust me, these days are few and far between.

By focusing on the process and showing up for the daily tasks and activities, I find myself birthing new work everyday. Admittedly some of them are refined at a later time.

By all means, imagine the end results and how you will feel when you accomplish your goals, but don’t let that stop you from enjoying the journey.

Be personally accountable

As much as I love the idea of having mentors and accountability partners, they are pointless unless you’re willing to take ownership and be personally accountable.

We can give excuses for not completing agreed tasks and we can postpone meetings. Frankly speaking, unless they are our bosses in a work context, there’s only so much that another human can do to force the right behaviours from us.

It’s really up to us. And we are the ones that have everything to lose or gain. It’s time to cut down our losses and increase our gains by choosing everyday to show up and get things done.

Thanks for reading and sharing my posts with others. Remember, you’re capable of more than you realise. See you next week.