We all want success, of course we do, it’s natural to want to create this for ourselves and those around us. But how do we keep on track? How do we make sure the path ahead is clear and we continue to make progress on our journey?
Everyone will have their own unique method to stay on course but there are some questions you will need to ask yourself frequently, in order to stay on track.
So, here they are. The 3 Critical Questions you need to frequently ask yourself:
I. Am I doing the right things in the right order?
This is really a question of two halves. Am I doing the RIGHT things? And am I doing them in the RIGHT order?
To figure out whether you’re doing the right things, you need to look at the action, then look at the outcome. I’ve talked about this in my blog post How to stop worrying and start doing…
“You need to look back at what you have achieved and acknowledge your progress. If you keep note of what you’re achieving each day, you’ll also be able to analyze what the most productive actions were, meaning you have a better picture of where to focus your efforts the following day.”
So, the first step is to make sure you’re doing the RIGHT things that pave the way to achievement.
To figure out whether you’re doing them in the right order, you need to look at your attention to detail, your energy levels, and how efficient your progress is in relation to your to-do list.
Hopefully, your to-do list will already be broken down into manageable sub-tasks. The trick is to then prioritize these tasks into how simple they are AND how much impact they will have.
“…the 80/20 rule asserts that 80% of your result will be dictated by 20% of your input. And so, identifying the 20% of tasks that will lead to the greatest achievements helps you sustain focus and prioritize what’s most valuable in terms of your goal (and therefore the most productive use of your time).” Read More Here
You’ll want to get that one thing you keep putting off done first. Eat that frog, as they say. Get it out of the way and you’ll feel much more energized and ready to tackle the other stuff.
If you’re finding your attention to detail is waning, this is often due to context switching. Make sure you batch tasks of a similar nature together, so you can maintain focus and not get distracted by the next thing on your list.
Finally, work WITH your energy levels. If you’re feeling especially productive and motivated, use that energy to check a few more things off your list. It’ll put you one step ahead of yourself and allow the opportunity to do less when your energy levels dictate it.
II. Do I know what my overall goal is?
According to Stoic philosopher Seneca, “There is no favorable wind for the sailor who doesn’t know where to go.”
If you don’t know where you’re going, how do you know which steps you must take to get there? Clarity is absolutely KEY. Once you have that clarity, you’ll gain focus and you’ll know which tasks will propel you forward on your journey. You’ll also feel much more motivated to take action.
Quite often, we feel stuck and overwhelmed when our goal is unclear, so it’s an absolute must for you to identify your goal clearly and be certain about WHY you wish to achieve it.
III. Am I having fun?
What’s the point if you’re not enjoying what you do while doing what you love? Of course, there are always tasks we don’t want to do, loitering in the background, sucking up our energy and making us feel anxious. As I’ve said before, get these out of the way as soon as you can, then you can focus on doing the tasks you enjoy that bring you further towards your goal.
Alignment with your values and principles is also necessary. If you’re not enjoying what you’re doing, ask yourself why. Is it because it doesn’t feel right? Is something not quite sitting well with you? If that’s the case, it may not be the tasks that need adapting, it may be the goal you’ve set for yourself so it’s worth analyzing this aspect to make sure you’re headed in the right direction.
In my next blog we’re going to be tackling the importance of time management as well as how to create fun and follow your purpose – so be sure to look out for it!