A New Year always seems to come with resolutions. I read somewhere recently that the average resolution only lasts 6 days. Sounds more like your average bout with a cold to me.

I guess a big problem is that we try to do too much all at once, making some huge commitment to change all at once, overnight. Yeah, like that works! We get all enthusiastic about what we want to do and try to do it all in one shot and then end up falling off the ladder. We get back on and try again, and then fall off again. Wow, that sounds kind of like the last time I tried to put myself on a diet.

It comes down to habits. If we don’t adopt successful habit changing methods, we may just keep falling off the ladder and then get discouraged and quit.

Well this year, lets take a look at how we can use some habit changing methods to change that, one or two habits at a time. Lets not try to change every habit all at once, because the more we try to do the less the chance of success. When we can change just one or two habits then we can move to the next.

They say it takes 21 days to form a new habit. So if we start with something like remembering to organize our desk tops at the end of each working day, by February we will have mastered that and can move to the next habit of making sure our “To be filed” piles and “out box” are emptied daily.

With a small amount of initial discipline let’s start out. Here are some tips to help create those new habits and make them stick. 

1.      Commit to 21 days. Mark your calendar with the start and end dates of this venture. It will help motivate you when you see the date is really not that far away.  

2.      Start simple. Don’t worry about perfection and don’t try to completely change your work habits in a day. It is easy to take on too much. Just do a little, but do it everyday.  

3.      Set reminders. About two weeks in you may start to forget why you started, maybe some of the pain that drove you to making the change has subsided. Place reminders in your view so you don’t forget your goal. If you stop in the middle it defeats the purpose of starting in the first place.  

4.      Get a buddy. A co-worker, a family member, and on-line friend, whoever you can trust to support you and keep you motivated.  

5.      Stay positive. If negative thoughts come into your mind like “I’m no good at this”, replace it with, “I’m struggling with this now, but soon I will be much better at it.”  

6.      Make room to succeed. If clearing your desk off is a priority, have the proper tools, like a desk file sorter, to put your files into. Whatever the goal consider what you need to make it a reality.  

7.      Use a Role Model. If you know someone who is really great at what you want to do, spend time with them, learn from them and try to mirror them.  

8.      Consider the benefits. Get books, read articles and familiarize yourself with the benefits of a change. Imagine yourself enjoying those benefits.  

9.      Know the pain. Be aware of the consequences of not changing. Expose yourself to realistic information about the downside to not changing. This will add some motivation.  

10.   Do it for yourself. Don’t let other “Should” on you. Doing things out of guilt makes for an empty resolution.

Recently I had the pleasure to listen to a presentation by JoAnne Ward, who is a Certified Compass Life Coach. She inspired me with a lot of what she was saying and then I heard something that I have said before come out of her lips and I was thrilled. She said, "Are you Should'ing Yourself?" and I grinned. Have you ever "Shoulded" yourself? By that I mean do you have a list of things that you feel you should do yet perhaps aren't getting around to all of them for lack of time and energy?

Well, having a list of things to do is fine, if they are things that you really want and are inline with your personal and professional goals.

Yet time and time again I meet people that not only have their list of valid shoulds, yet a whole other list that was either given to them by others or consists of things they just took on without giving much thought to the value or whether or not they really need or have time to do them.

Running around, trying to get everything done without having a clear vision of why they are doing what they do. Feeling overwhelmed and anxious about not having enough time to get everything done. Unclear about priorities and deadlines and just keeping it all inside them, trying to remember everything.

Let me ask you, do you find yourself here? Can you relate? Do you have a seemingly endless list and are you wondering just how much of it is really yours? Want to find a way to help get your priorities in order?

The cure starts with the "BRAIN DUMP" and ends with taking action. Let me explain...

1. What you need to do first is write out everything on your list. All your errands, all the calls you need to make, the appointments you have set, the household chores, the reading you promised you would do, the studying etc.

2. Now go through the list and see if there is anything on this list that you really don't need to do. Is there a value to doing it, will it bring you closer to your dreams? If the answer is no, consider crossing it off. Like I said, "Don't let people Should all over you" and like JoAnne said "Don't Should yourself?"

3. You can also go through the list at this time to see if there are anything's on that list that can be delegated to a family member, friend or co-worker. Who said you need to go it alone? Use the resources available to you when ever you can. When delegating though, be sure to be clear and realistic about expectations and make sure the person or team you delegate too understands what these expectations are. They to have to schedule the work and manage their tasks.

4. Now, an important step in making you're your plan your tasks effectively is timing them. So when you're done with deleting and delegating write down the time you feel it will take to do each task you have left.
Now here is where it can be tricky because many people misjudge time. Generally if we hate doing a task it always seems much longer. On the other side when we have on our list something we enjoy we tend to think it will go faster. This almost never fails.

The best advice I have is when putting down the times think about each step in the process of completing the task. If you think it will take 10 minutes to go to mall and shop, think again. Factor time to get ready, drive, park, walk to store, make purchase, drive back etc.

5. Now that you have your list and you know how much time things will take realistically, now go to your day planner and schedule the tasks in it. Group similar tasks together to save time. Like a closet where all the shoes have a section, so too should your phone calls, and so on. This tip will make planning your time easier and tasks more manageable.

It is at this point that many will start to see the reality of the situation they may be in. For those that truly have too much to do you may find that you can't fit everything in. If this happens, don't panic! Now is the time to go back to your list. Take another look and see if there is anything left to cut, anything left to delegate, even to a hired hand, and anything that can be deferred to a later date.

Perhaps still there may be a few items that can be trimmed off. Check again and be ruthless. Think about your needs and what is truly important to your personal and professional goals. Remember, cross off the "Should's" that aren't yours.

The moral here is taking care of what needs to happen to get you closer to your dreams. Give up on trying to do everything perfectly and pleasing everyone. In my opinion this is not a healthy way to live. Try to narrow your focus to what matters instead.

If what I wrote makes sense to you yet you need some help applying this principal, planning your goals and learning time management tricks, I can help. On top of organizing spaces and file systems I also enjoy helping to clear cluttered schedules.

Do you believe in the power of your dreams?

Some say you can attract the things you want by focusing deeply on them and imagining you really will have them.

In some cases I find that people believe that the magic of the universe will somehow bring it to them if they focus hard enough. Talk of the "Law of Attraction" and books like the "Secret" can in some ways encourage this magical thinking.

Well not that I want to squash any of these theories, they all seek to encourage us, yet I am not convinced that magic plays any part in us getting closer to our dreams. Well at least none of the supernatural variety. I think that if there is any magic, it is the magic within us.

So before we continue, let's start with one of my all-time favourite quotes. "Whether you think you can or think you can't, you're right"

I say it is true that if you focus deeply on your dreams they will come to fruition, yet I believe this is because no matter who you are or where you are, as long as you focus on your dreams and you know what the end result will look and feel like, you will naturally be taking action to get closer to your dreams in the first place. No supernatural forces required, simply you, taking action.

Great news isn't it? That means the only thing standing in the way of you attaining your dreams is you. No really, that's a good thing because nothing else can stop you when you do make that choice.

Sure, life will throw you curve balls and not everything will go your way but as long as you are open to opportunity and willing to do the work, you can get closer to your dreams everyday.

Ok, so where do we start? Most of you already know, many have already started and many are all ready there. For those that haven't, remember, each day is an opportunity, yours is here now, grab a pen and paper and take some notes.

What I am going to share is a way in which you can start managing your time and plan your goals today.

I call this the "TIGER Method" and the acronym goes like this:

Testify on your motivation and dreams.

* Write out goal statements for all areas of your life that need focus.
* Start tracking your time and see where it really goes.

Identify what has works & what doesn't.

* Note Technical Errors, External Realties and Psychological Obstacles holding you back.
* Consider your personality, style & unique challenges.

Get real about how long tasks take

* Use a task planner to do this.
* Choose a planner that suits your style.
* Categorize Organize and Map out your task schedule to make time tangible.

Engage your plan and take action.

* Make decisions on tasks using 4 D's, "Delete, Delegate, Defer and Do It."
* Purge excess & meaningless tasks.
* Assign space for tasks and keep separate.

Refine & adapt the schedule to your needs.

* Monitor your progress & timing bi-monthly.
* Make time to re-group in times of crisis.
* Be flexible yet honor your commitments.
* Take time to celebrate your successes.

This process can help you lay out your dreams; it only requires your passion and a bit of effort. The sooner you start, the sooner you realize your dreams.

"The vision must be followed by the venture. It is not enough to stare up the steps - we must step up the stairs." ~Vance Havner

Go get' em Tiger!

Do you work better under pressure or is it that you only work under pressure?

Research done by Dr. Pychyl, an associate professor of psychology at Carleton University, suggests that people who claim to work better under pressure are really just procrastinating and he calls them "Arousal Procrastinators". It seems that the majority of us consider ourselves to be procrastinators as well, a whopping 75% according to Dr Pychyl's studies. However, the good news is that 95% of procrastinators want to change and there is help.

I know even I have been known to procrastinate from time to time. So in an effort to help here are my Top 7 Tips to help you get more done and be more effective!

#1 - List your goals. Get yourself in a positive state of mind and start brainstorming. Choose the areas in your life that you need to consider and prioritize your goals. Consider goals that are really your own goals, and not goals that others may have for you.

#2 - Plan your actions. Write out your goals and the steps to get there. Make a "To Do" list for taking daily actions. Until a goal is in writing it is just an idea. Writing out goals is the most critical step to making them concrete, it is the reinforcement to make them reality.

#3 - Manage your time. Create a schedule for yourself as you would for any project. When life gets busy or you get distracted it can be easy to let things slide so having a written schedule will help keep you on track.

#4 - Track your goals and stay motivated. Use a journal to keep track of your goals journey. This is a great way to also keep track of great ideas you have or helpful tips and tools you come across and want to use later. You can leave voice messages for yourself to help motivate you or to help remind you of things that you need to do.

#5 - Get help when you need it. Be honest with yourself. If part of your goals requires doing something you are not good at, admit it and get assistance from others, even if that means enlisting the help of a coach or consultant.

#6 - Be grateful for what you have already. Although it is important in life to surround yourself with people that you can look up to and that can mentor you, remember, our personal experiences are unique. Don't compare yourself to others and put their heads above your own.

#7 - Review, reevaluate, rewrite. Keep your goals fresh, update them as needed and stay focused.

There is no time like the present! Start today to work on your goals and let your dreams take flight!