January Accountability Session RECAP!
Discussion:
What to do when you lose momentum, or when life throws a curveball at you.
How to make sure you get the tasks done that help you to accomplish your goals instead of just being busy all day and not accomplishing tasks related to your goal.
Goals that are aligned with your priorities, then broken down into tasks, can be added to your to-do list.
- Priorities (These are your guiding purpose.)
- Goals (Help you get closer to your priorities.)
- To-Do List (Small tasks that help you get closer to your goals.)
Do you make scrapbooking goals?
- Projects to complete.
- Number of pages to complete.
- Pages/stories to scrap.
Don’t let your hobby become a job. Don’t take the fun out of it. Even though you have a goal, if you HAVE to do it you might not want to. Give yourself a few options if that’s the kind of person that you are. Allow your personality to lead!
Multitasking. How to make it REALLY work.
Mixing a “brain” task with a “hands” task. You can’t do two brain activities at the same time, and you can’t do two hands activities at the same time, so mix one of each and you can effectively multitask.
The Frugal Girl talks about this in her Productivity series. You can read more about that in THIS POST.
Tips for keeping up with your planner.
Find the best planner system for yourself. Paper/digital/hybrid… it doesn’t matter if it works for YOU!
Alarms/events can help you stay on track.
“Brain dump” (now to be called “brain download” it sounds so much better!) on paper and transfer the ideas to my planner and to my calendar on my phone. By using the paper I can get all of my ideas down quickly.
How to keep yourself on track and create habits.
Ideas to try:
- Write on a mirror with a dry-erase marker.
- Use sticky notes.
- CHANGE THINGS! Don’t just write it down and leave it! By changing your reminders they will stay fresh and not blend into your background.
- Set up a visual cue to remind you to look at your to-do list. Use a number, colour or word to remind you to check your planner and get yourself back on task. Every time you see it… check your list!
- Give yourself a set time AND place to check your planner every day. Some people like to check their calendar right before bed.
- Make sure your calendar is accessible to family members, either electronically or on the fridge.
- Make things automatic. Book your next appointment while you are at the current one! This applies to other things too. What else can you automate?
- Link ideas to another event or time of year. An example is to book your yearly physical near your birthday. What other tasks can be linked so they are more likely to happen?
How’s that working for you?
If you aren’t seeing the successes that you want to, or reaching your goals, it’s time to re-evaluate. Are the things you are doing working for you? If not, look at your absolute statements and excuses. I never… I always… When you use these statements are they followed by an excuse or justification as to why you are not reaching your goals. If it’s not working for you… change it!
Allow for transition periods.
Don’t worry that a transition period in your life doesn’t allow you to focus on your goals. Adjust your thinking, re-evaluate your current goals and focus on getting through the transition period. Times of transition may include moving, illness, even summer holidays. Give yourself a new goal to work towards during this time of transition and you can go back to your other plans when the transition is over.
Find a way.
Are there things you can do that will help you reach your goals that you might not have considered? Project Life app can let you scrapbook right from your phone. You can download your teenagers photos from their social media. If there’s a will, there’s a way!
Now… stay on track and plan for your best year!