In a fast-paced world, it’s important to remember that getting everything done doesn’t mean doing it all at once. I started to believe that there was no way I would ever get everything done. Truthfully, there may be some truth to that statement, especially if I go about it the wrong way. But when you get clear on what you want to accomplish, the list gets shorter and shorter for the things you actually need to do. And when you stick to your plan and your ‘True North,’ you can do it all, but just not all at once!
What do you see yourself accomplishing in the next quarter? I like to start with the quarter because it is a big enough block of time that you can make some great progress while making little shifts if needed along the way and still see results.
What is the “All at Once Mentality”?
I find this to be a very fascinating subject to discuss, especially since I have struggled with this for so long! I never had words for it until now, but the idea that the “all at once mentality” manifests as multitasking, overcommitment, impatience, and perfectionism makes so much sense and describes me to a “T”! And the negative consequences it can have, such as decreased productivity, increased stress, reduced quality, and overwhelm, are enough to want to dig deeper and figure out what can be done to get off this train and start leading a life that has reduced stress and improved productivity. After all, that is our ultimate goal, right?
The Power of Prioritization
Let’s start by first talking about how to determine what will make the cut. I like to think of this part as pruning your tree. When you prune anything, you shape it the way you want it to grow in the future. You are constantly making decisions on what stays and what goes depending on the outcome you want. This is no different for our lives, our “tree of life” if you will.
In an old position I held in a software development office while stationed in Florida, our teams worked in increments of 2 weeks, known as iterations, which contributed to the 10-12 week sprint. We first went through a process of determining what the requirements were, then we prioritized them and broke them down into stories, then tasks, then sub-tasks. By the end of the 10-12 week cycle, we would have a minimal viable product or MVP that could be demonstrated. This thing was not perfect nor was it the final product, but it was the bare minimum that we could produce that yielded some form of progress that we could then adjust and correct until we got it all the way right.
Hopefully, that example didn’t totally bore you and put you to sleep. Working in software was definitely not my jam, but I can totally see how that concept can relate to our lives and our goals. When we didn’t get the prioritization right, or we underestimated how much time a task might take, that made us fall behind in our schedule. When we didn’t finish the right task before the next task, it would sometimes throw us completely off or cause us to have to backtrack. The same will be true for us and our goals. You can’t expect to be successful by bouncing around doing things in whatever order you want. You must respect the process and be clear on what needs to be done and when.
“Saying no is not a sign of weakness. It’s a demonstration of your ability to prioritize and respect your own boundaries”
Embracing the Power of “No”
When you are clear on what you really want to accomplish, it makes it that much easier to say no to things that don’t move your goals forward. I know for me, I tend to overfill my plate, and it is not always with things that matter to me or are important to any of my goals. Sometimes I say yes to things because I don’t know my schedule well enough or don’t think far enough ahead to realize that if I say yes to this, I am, in essence, saying no to something else in the future. And that transitions nicely to the next thing I want to discuss, time management.
The Art of Time Management
Everything seems like a great idea until you lay it out and assign it to an actual time slot. You find out quickly how little time you have! That is when being realistic about how long something will actually take vs. how long you hope it takes really matters. You know you are growing and doing this right when you start accounting for things like travel time, and I don’t mean just driving. You have to also account for gathering your things, walking out of the building/house, walking to your vehicle, clearing off snow, etc. I think in our minds, we underestimate those details drastically and leave out many of the important things it takes to successfully get somewhere on time. That’s one example, but can you imagine applying that to other things like projects? We must remember to take into account things like waiting on others in your process (if that is applicable), Holidays/down time, etc. Being honest will keep you from overextending yourself and allow you to complete what you said you would, when you said you would complete it.
The Value of Mindfulness and Self-Care
I have found that valuing my self-care over knocking out one more task is far more valuable than I give it credit for. It actually makes me feel less stressed even though in the short term, I complete less work.
Examples of some self-care practices that recharge and rejuvenate are exercise and physical activity, mindfulness meditation and deep breathing exercises, and engaging in hobbies and activities that bring joy.
So why are these some of the first things on the chopping block when we feel stressed and overwhelmed?! I’ll tell you why I think we do it. It’s because we don’t see them for what they really are. And that’s non-negotiable and absolutely essential for our well-being!
Think about it. Would you let down your friend or your boss by saying you were no longer going to do something for them that you promised or was on contract to do? Well then, we should not do that to ourselves.
On a subconscious level, that communicates to you that you matter less than whatever it is that you are choosing over you. This not only teaches others how to treat you, but this sends signals to yourself that you do not honor yourself or your word. This can be so detrimental to you seeing progress and building the confidence that helps you stay consistent and successful.
“Focused attention is the key to unlocking the full potential of your abilities”
Brian Tracy
The Power of Focus
I have said it several times before, and I am going to keep shouting it from the rooftops if I have to (definitely preaching to myself on this one), but I believe how much progress you see and how quickly you reach success is a direct reflection of how well you can focus and complete one thing at a time. And let’s be clear, it must be the right one thing. There are some pretty smart people who have said this and even wrote books on this very subject. I am reading Gary Keller’s book “The One Thing” right now, and he says that when you attack your goals by starting with the one right thing, it leads to bigger things. That is so true! I’ll speak for myself and say that I often get really busy doing a lot of little things that don’t add up or lead to the bigger thing, and that is because they are the wrong things!
What really helps me stay focused is reading my big picture statement I developed according to what dreams and goals I have right now. It is so good, y’all! I love reading it because it tells me what my ‘True North’ is and gives direction to everything that I am doing. When I fail to keep that in mind, it is so easy to get distracted and off course.
If you need some tips on how to focus and be productive, make sure you go back and read my previous blog “5 Proven Strategies to Help You Stay Focused and Productive”. I lay out some really great tips on what to do when you have a hard time staying the course and not getting distracted by every shiny object!
Celebrating Progress, Not Perfection
I am, or shall I say was, the biggest offender of not celebrating my progress. I was stuck in this perfectionism cycle and on top of that suffering from imposter syndrome, so I never gave myself permission or felt worthy of celebrating my wins let alone a little bit of progress. But let me tell you, it is such a game-changer when you train yourself to know that you will reward yourself even before you are all the way done with something. When you hit each milestone, you should at the very least acknowledge it. That alone does something and can motivate you to continue and not give up. Knowing that the little pieces will eventually make up the big picture is so encouraging when you feel like there is no end in sight!
Conclusion
So yes, you can get everything done with a mindful and balanced approach. Remembering first to discover what the big goal is then breaking it down to bite-size pieces that you can accomplish one at a time and in the right order. From there, it builds on itself, and you start to get momentum like the first domino falling and hitting the next domino, then the next, and the next, until before you know it, you’re checking off goal after goal because it’s inevitable as long as you stay in action, doing the next right thing.
