There is nothing more frustrating than knowing you have business to take care of but lacking the will-power to do it. If you were to be completely honest as of lately, you might have been doing just enough to get by but haven’t been mustering the energy to put your very best foot forward.
I was there- not truly admitting to myself that I was doing a halfway job or taking a step back when things looked slightly difficult, then looking around wondering why I wasn’t making leaps and bounds of progress. I saw where I wanted to be, but in reality, my actions weren’t matching up to what it truly took to get there. And you might be in that same place.
There is no shortcut around it. You get out what you put in- and that can be applied to anything you pursue. What you see, is usually the result of your efforts.
Whether it’s because of a lack of motivation, having the attention span of a 3-year-old or just plain laziness, together, we are going to confront a few hindrances contributing to why you’re not really getting things done in the day-to-day.
Why? Because when we know better, we can do better; and when we do better we get better results. And we want to see more productive results in our lives right?
Good. Glad to know we’re on the same page.
Let’s decide to hang up our hang-ups once and for all, starting with these common everyday obstacles:
You’ve already told yourself it’s too much and mentally checked out.
Because your mind is set on the difficulties, you’ve failed yourself before even beginning- and now you’re checked out. You realize you don’t really want to be doing this- so you barely will. We sit back and obsess so much over the amount of energy, time and process the task is about to take that we mentally exhaust ourselves before ever doing anything. This is the quickest way to kill all potentially great effort. Sometimes the best thing we can do is not overthink and just start. Shut down the debilitating thoughts, Just do it. Focus on the first step. As you find your flow, the rest will work itself through.
You keep checking social media.
Your notifications are the thief of your focus and will be the death of your productivity. I’m sure you already know this but here’s your confirmation. If you keep checking your phone every 5 minutes in the midst of your very important task, it is slowly but surely robbing you of being present, being fully dedicated and giving your best potential. Have some self-discipline. Be intentional about not checking your phone until you have completed your priorities. It will get you ahead and so much farther.
You base your actions off of how you feel.
If we only did things when we felt like doing them, we would never get anything done. And this may be the reason why many of your goals go unreached. Where you want to be and what you do aren’t adding up. This is primarily because when it comes down to it, your feelings and attitudes are determining your actions. If you take away anything from this, let it be this: you do not have to live your life this way. You can take authority over your emotional funk and decide to act no matter how you feel. Sometimes all it takes is one step past your feelings to find a world of progress on the other side. Keep pushing this practice and it will change your life.
You’re not prioritizing.
Just because we’re “busy” doesn’t mean we’re getting things done or making real moves. You may be doing a little thing here, doing a little thing there, filling your time with things that make you feel like you’re doing something, while completely neglecting the main thing. The main things are the real works that are going to contribute to moving your vision forward and making it greater. You could have done a million little things that really got you nowhere different because you failed to focus on your priorities first. Sit back, shift, and start mapping out your priorities at the beginning of each week. Then own them.
You’re doing too much at once.
While multi-tasking looks cool and super boss, there’s nothing like single-tasking. Being fully present and putting your all in one effort shows. You are focused and invested. This means closing all your internet tabs and putting the world on hush until you get this one thing done. Not only will you feel accomplished but so much more satisfied knowing you gave it your full attention and total heart.
You’re responding to everything that demands your attention.
Not everything that’s urgent is important. There will always be something demanding your attention- always. A lot of things truly can wait; and when we’re responsible about it, we can set aside a more appropriate time to address these things and follow through. But this starts with knowing what your priorities are and what must be done in your book. If you don’t know your own priorities, the world will start making them for you.
You’re mentally blocked.
Up until this point, I’ve attested a lot of our roadblocks to what we’re not doing. In this case, we’re sabotaging ourselves from doing too much. You’re being over-productive, and because your mind is racing so much, it’s actually mentally blocked. Similar to when your phone gets too hot and locks you out, so it has time to cool off. This is when you need to step away from the screen, get some sun, eat something and take a break. Let your brain breathe. There’s good research surrounding The 90 Minute Block. Our brains only focus best for 90-120 minutes before needing a break to recover.
Let’s recap:
- You will stop telling yourself it’s too difficult and just do it.
- Your notifications can wait until you’ve completed most of your priorities.
- You will push past your feelings (when appropriate) and do what has to be done.
- Instead of filling your time with “busy” you will make real moves by investing in your priority goals.
- You can practice single focusing and put your heart into one whole task for your best results.
- Not everything that demands your attention is urgent. You can set a proper time for it that also regards your priorities.
- You will take a break when you’re overwhelmed so you can offer the best of yourself from a sound mind.
Amen? Amen.
Have you struggled with any of the above or any that hasn’t been mentioned here?
You can find this original article and more from Brittney here: http://brittneyamoses.com/7-reasons-youre-not-really-getting-things-done/