If you're the kind of person who writes out plans, follows them to a 'T' and gets them done and dusted in record time, you’re in the wrong place. If that description sounds alien to you - please continue.....

At this time of year there's usually a flurry of goal-setting going on. There’s also a lot of judgement; judgement about what you should have done last year and didn’t, or why you didn’t get around to achieving your goals - even though you really believed that 2017 was your year to be brilliant. (Why do we do that?)

I know, it can be soul destroying to keep repeating these patterns, year in, year out. 

I’ve got a better idea.

I think one of the problems is that we all begin on such a grand scale. We lay out the areas we want to improve or change and then write out the most earth-shattering intentions we have for living the life we want or designing the business we’ve dreamed of. (I know there are some who spend whole weekends doing this kind of planning). Movie length tomes of Goals and to-do’s fly from your fingertips as you begin to design your best year yet……. Again!

So far, it’s all good. You have the motivation, the inspiration and the intention to make this all happen, and yes, you really really mean it this time - I know, I know. 

But,

It’s Monday morning, the traffic is bad, the dogs/kids/to-do lists are driving you crazy and you have 2 workshops to prepare for, and it’s only 8.30. How is it possible for you to do a daily work-out, prepare meals and run your own business with ‘grace and ease’ as the gurus so lovingly ‘encourage’ us all to do.

The holidays are over, life is back to normal and very quickly we can turn back into gonna’s. We’re gonna go to the gym, we’re gonna do some marketing, we’re gonna put some cash in the bank… just not today. Today we survive. Head down, bottom up, GO!

Hey, no judgement here. Judgement is simply another form of sabotage none of us need.

Before you go and leap off the tallest building sans bungie rope, let me help you plan something a little more doable and practical. This is  the game of ‘Done & Dusted 101’ and it’s as basic as you can get.

FYI: I am focusing on weekly games here because I want to keep this simple. When we know better we can do better - and until then, let’s get a few weekly wins under your belt and before you know it you'll be playing in the big leagues with David Alan of ‘Getting Things Done’ fame. 

Let’s begin with this coming week. February is done and dusted, the resolutions have come and gone. Perfect timing. Follow these tips and you have a good chance of winning this game before the end of this first quarter in 2018. (Where does the time go?)

Prepare your winning games on Saturday or Sunday rather than Monday morning. If you wait until Monday morning it just might not get done. Hey, let’s not kid ourselves. One week and one day at a time can result in miracles. We’ll start there.

On a piece of paper, Evernote, OneNote or a Trello Board (I love Trello) - decide on 5 things you want to complete this week that matter to you. These will be your weekly games. (If you're artistic add colour, drawings, whatever gets your mojo working.)

Only 5 games maximum to begin with. Write down 5 games that you can/would like to complete this week and 5 actions that you can complete each day to support those 5 games. Create a 'no excuses' environment.

Then, pick the top 3 and begin with those. When they are done, do the other 2. 

That’s it. (You can add more if you complete the 5) Hey, I told you it was 101.

Ok, you might be rolling on the floor laughing right now, and I understand that BUT when you have completed the 3 or 5 games (or projects) by the end of the week - that may otherwise not have gotten done, then you will really have something to laugh about. In fact, celebrate your success. It’s important to let your subconscious know that celebration is a good thing and to lay the foundations for more of the same.

But wait, there’s more!

When you've chosen your 3 games, you’ll need to prepare your mindset. It might go something like this.  “I love playing  (the marketing game - or whatever it is) and I know I can win.” Choose a mindset that works for you and make a decision to follow through. When your focus wanders, give it a short break.  Have a cup of tea or a favourite beverage, and then pull it back in. Your mind really is quite simple and responds well to direction. Embed the mindset, feel it, embrace it, make it fun and make it true.

Give your games or projects priority. That means you'ill play them until the game is done. Even if you usually multi-task, set that aside for a week and see what happens. Can you do that? Sure you can - and I bet you've done it before when something was important to you.