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5 Tips to Getting that Dreaded Project off Your To-Do List for Good
By: Kim DeYoung
Quick – pull out a few of your old to-do lists. Look through them for that one item that keeps appearing, over and over, as you transfer it from list to list. How old is it? A week? A month? Older?
We all have these stinkers that sink to the bottom of every to-do list. Maybe it's cold-calling a dozen potential partners. Maybe it's revamping your website. Maybe it's something as easy as making an appointment with the doctor or dentist.
We all have these stinkers that sink to the bottom of every to-do list. Maybe it's cold-calling a dozen potential partners. Maybe it's revamping your website. Maybe it's something as easy as making an appointment with the doctor or dentist.
Whatever it is, it's time to bring it into the light of day and get it done. Here's how:
1. Ask yourself why you haven't done it yet.
Is a limiting belief holding you back? Do you not know how to do it? Is it too complex to tackle all at once? Do you tell yourself it will take too long? Do you need more information before you can get started? Figure out what the hold-up is. Once you know what's causing your stopping point, you can work to address it.
Is a limiting belief holding you back? Do you not know how to do it? Is it too complex to tackle all at once? Do you tell yourself it will take too long? Do you need more information before you can get started? Figure out what the hold-up is. Once you know what's causing your stopping point, you can work to address it.
2. Chunk it down.
If the task is a complex one or you're putting it off because you think it'll take too long, you need to break it up into smaller doable tasks. (When I'm working on bigger project I first break a task list down into four specific "buckets" – creative, content, technical, and administrative. I then list under each bucket the specific tasks that need to be done to achieve my goal.) Chunking it down is so effective. For example, you're never going to get around to reorganizing your office if you're waiting for a block of eight empty hours when you can tackle the chore. Instead, look for smaller pockets of time where you can accomplish more manageable pieces of the larger task. If the task is particularly odious or unappealing, 15 minutes is a good start.
If the task is a complex one or you're putting it off because you think it'll take too long, you need to break it up into smaller doable tasks. (When I'm working on bigger project I first break a task list down into four specific "buckets" – creative, content, technical, and administrative. I then list under each bucket the specific tasks that need to be done to achieve my goal.) Chunking it down is so effective. For example, you're never going to get around to reorganizing your office if you're waiting for a block of eight empty hours when you can tackle the chore. Instead, look for smaller pockets of time where you can accomplish more manageable pieces of the larger task. If the task is particularly odious or unappealing, 15 minutes is a good start.
3. Give yourself a visual reminder of your progress.
If you're dealing with a complex project that will require multiple tasks across many days, chart your progress where you can see it and be motivated by your completion (or lack thereof). Imagine a workout chart or a fund-raising goal to visualize how this would work.
If you're dealing with a complex project that will require multiple tasks across many days, chart your progress where you can see it and be motivated by your completion (or lack thereof). Imagine a workout chart or a fund-raising goal to visualize how this would work.
4. Write it in your calendar.
If putting the activity on your to-do list isn't doing the trick, put it on your calendar. Actually schedule a specific time that you will complete the task. Don't let anything else supersede your appointment!
If putting the activity on your to-do list isn't doing the trick, put it on your calendar. Actually schedule a specific time that you will complete the task. Don't let anything else supersede your appointment!
5. Reward yourself.
Sometimes it's enough of a reward to think past the task and imagine how your life or business will improve as a result of completing the unappealing item. But sometimes you need a little more motivation. If you're working on reorganizing your office, promise yourself a new desk set or planner. Treat yourself to dinner at your favorite restaurant or $20 to spend at Amazon, find something to serve as an additional motivator.
Sometimes it's enough of a reward to think past the task and imagine how your life or business will improve as a result of completing the unappealing item. But sometimes you need a little more motivation. If you're working on reorganizing your office, promise yourself a new desk set or planner. Treat yourself to dinner at your favorite restaurant or $20 to spend at Amazon, find something to serve as an additional motivator.
It's been said that the only difference between a winner and a loser is that the winner does the things the loser wasn't willing to do. Turn your business into a winner by tackling those tasks you'd rather avoid. You'll usually find that getting them off your list will give you a huge boost of energy, leaving you ready to get on with the rest of your week (and your list) with renewed focus.
Guest Blogger Kim DeYoung, the Get it Done Girl, is the founder of Get it Done U, the how-to resource for the busy entrepreneur. Kim inspires entrepreneurs through her training and coaching programs to get it done so they can create a meaningful, profitable and STRESS-FREE business.
Visit her site: http://getitdoneu.com/
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