Grace Marshall is our Productivity Ninja for the Midlands
She blogs at https://grace-marshall.com/ and can be found on Twitter, Facebook and Linkedin
Have you hit the ground running this year? Are you still trying to get going? Or does it feel like you’ve only just started and are already playing catch up?
On January 1st while I was watching Rise of the Guardians with my husband and kids and seeing who could eat the most sweets, my inbox, Twitter and Facebook stream was filling up fast with resolutions, goals, new programmes, products and launches. People grabbing the bull by the horns and kicking the new year off to a flying start.
Yup I had a new year blog post up, and a day of kickstart coaching sessions planned for my first week back, but I couldn’t help feeling like everyone else had started without me, while i was still munching on cheese and chocolate.
The kids eventually went back to school on the 8th January, and by my fourth working day of the year, we were halfway through the month already. It struck me, that when working around kids and school holidays – it can be really easy to constantly feel behind, always trying to catch up.
It’s hard work playing catch up. When I’m running and trying to catch up, I always find myself out of breath and out of step. I’m not running, I’m scrambling, chasing a moving target.
Start Now instead of playing Catch Up
Catch Up is reactive, un-fulfilling and carries a hint of panic and desperation to it.
Start Now carries a sense of purpose, focus and action.
When I’m trying to catch up, it doesn’t feel like the real work has begun until I’ve caught up. I dismiss all the steps I take to catch up. I’m on the back foot and my focus is on the time lost by starting late, and if I lose sight of who I’m trying to catch up with, or gap increases, I’m much more likely to give up and feel like I haven’t achieved anything.
With Start Now, every step is progress – purposeful, noticeable and fuels my momentum. I’m focused on running my own race and finding my own rhythm.
I remember when I started running this time last year, after my first minute, a friend told me “that’s it now, you’re a runner.” I didn’t have to catch up with someone else’s time or distance to qualify. I started as a runner with my very first minute. That gave me the momentum to keep running.
Start Now means I’m focused on my time, my progress and I create my own momentum.
Tune in tomorrow for Part 2!
Like this? Try these
Attend Grace’s workshop in Birmingham – Book your place here (not in Birmingham? Click here to see our other How To Get Things Done training)
Your One Year Goals thinkproductive.co.uk
New Years Resolutions: life planning books thinkproductive.co.uk