On our Git 'er Done call this week we talked about systems
to keep us focused, on-track and productive. I thought I was
being clear and using plenty of illustrations, when one of
the participants asked, "Can you give us an example?"
Like teachers from the beginning of time, I admit to being
momentarily stumped, but then I heard myself talking about
the common example of "setting a goal to get up earlier in
the morning." It seemed to clarify things and people sent
emails saying how helpful the discussion was. I'd like to
share some of it with you.
1. Goals versus Decisions.
Most of the "goals" we set aren't actually goals in any
meaningful sense of the word. Many goals are just decisions
people aren't ready to embrace.
Getting up extra early to exercise or read, or bike to work
is NOT a goal! It's a decision. Admittedly, if you aren't
used to get up that early, you may be tired or uncomfortable
in the morning. It may be a difficult decision to execute,
and some mornings you may change your mind and sleep longer.
But adjusting your morning routine is not a "goal." It's a
decision you make and implement, depending on how important
it is to you.
Also, knowing that follow-through may be difficult some
mornings, you will need an effective SYSTEM to support your
decision day by day.
2. Procrastination versus Commitment.
If getting up early is merely something you "should" do or
"might" do, you'll think about it, perhaps set an alarm
clock, or list it as a "goal" so you can prepare for it in
the future. This is a sophisticated form of procrastination.
Most of us, most of the time, avoid doing "hard" and if
getting up early is difficult or painful, we tend to turn
off the alarm and doze a few more minutes.
The truth, however, is that we have all gotten up in the
middle of the night to catch an early flight, leave on
vacation or whatever. For fifty years, my mother got up at
five o'clock on every major holiday so she could get the
turkey in the oven or handle whatever needed to be done. Why
did she do that? Because it was sufficiently important to
her!
We do the things that are important to us.
So here's a SYSTEM for getting up early if you make the
decision to do so. Remember, this is not a goal. You can
decide this today, tomorrow, or next month. It's a decision
and here's a system you can implement whenever you're
sufficiently committed:
Do not set an alarm clock! Decide you will get up at a
specific time and then set SEVERAL alarm clocks. Set one
alarm beside your bed for the time you want to get up. Then
set several other alarms to go off five minutes later. Put
one in the bathroom. Set a larger, louder and more obnoxious
one in the kitchen (next to the coffee pot?). And if you are
truly committed to doing this and suspect you may have a
problem, set a really loud one next to the baby's crib! If
you have a good-enough SYSTEM, I guarantee you will get up
and stay up for the rest of the day.
If, on the other hand, you merely want to "think about"
getting up, set one alarm and you're good to go.
I love goals! We are goal-achieving creatures and successful
people use effective goal-setting techniques to transform
their lives. But we also tend to procrastinate, and we can
use that to our advantage. Never set a "goal" when a
decision is the more appropriate tool. Powerful decisions,
matched with effective systems, can change your world faster
than you can imagine! Decide to go for it!
Quotes of the Week
“The minute you settle for less than you deserve, you get
even less than you settled for.” -- Maureen Dowd
"My success just evolved from working hard at the business
at hand each day." -- Johnny Carson
“The lure of the distant and the difficult is deceptive. The
great opportunity is where you are.” -- John Burroughs
“There is no chance, no destiny, no fate that can circumvent
or hinder or control the firm resolve of a determined soul.”
-- Ella Wheeler Wilcox
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