Do you have something you want or need to do but have been avoiding?
Is there something you’d like to change and just haven’t been able to?
It’s probably important but not urgent, so keeps falling behind urgent demands.
There are two approaches depending on the desired change. One, if it’s a behavioural or repetitive skill and two, if it’s a one-time task.
1. For a behaviour or skill you want to change, start first with some reflection.
Write down why you have avoided doing it so far.
What will happen if you DON’T make this change? What will you be seeing, doing, being in 6 months, 1 year, 5 years, and 20 years? What will be the impact on others?
What will happen if you DO make this change? What will you be seeing, doing, being in 6 months, 1 year, 5 years, and 20 years? What will be the impact on others?
Then learn a model or structure for giving feedback, practice it, continue to apply if more often than not, striving for continual improvement.
For example, you want to give your staff more positive feedback.
Maybe you haven’t done it much before because it takes time, it’s embarrassing/awkward, they are paid to do a give job, you are worried they will want a pay raise.
If I don’t make the change my staff will become less motivated and engaged. I’ll be seen as critical, etc
If I make the change my staff will be motivated and engaged. They will be happier and I’ll feel more positive, etc.
2. For a lingering task, like clearing out a storage room, break the chore down into at least 6 smaller pieces. From those 6 pieces pick the least fun one and break it down into 8-10 steps. Take one of those steps and spend 10 minutes NOW doing something on that thing.
Using our clearing out example:
Break into 6 pieces
– agree a time with your partner so they can sort their stuff in the room
– sort through books in book cases
– sort through piles on the floor ——————–> Break least fun into 8-10 steps:
– sort through stuff on furniture *Separate piles into paper/toys/clothing/etc
– set up a rubbish bag for rubbish * Organize papers into topics
– set up a box for items to be donated * Label file folders with topics
– set up a box for items * Try on clothes to see if they fit
– hoover the room * Check operation of any electronics
* Throw out anything broken
* Set up box for recycling items
* Have partner go through their piles
What do you know you want to do? What’s 1 thing you can do towards that right now?
