For many of us, it’s easy to create a to-do list and before we know it, that list becomes overwhelming. It makes us feel good to think all of the things that we want to do, but the trouble is too often we don’t ever actually get any of that stuff done.
Instead of creating a to-do list or coming up with all of the things that we want to do, let’s start doing the things that need to get done. Some of those things we might not want to do, but by getting used to completing and doing, we start setting ourselves up for success rather than failure.
A perfect example of that is shoveling snow. It’s easy to just let the snow build up and tell yourself you’ll get it done tomorrow. Or, if you live in Calgary, just wait for a chinook to melt the snow so there’s no need to shovel it. But that’s not getting our brain in the habit of doing. Bundle up, go outside, grab a shovel and get it done.
Today my dad wanted me to clear the back deck off. It took about an hour and when I first started, I felt the frustration creep in because I got caught up in how much there was to do. I realized though that by focusing on what I had done, the more I did, the better I felt. So that’s what I did. I started focusing on each shovel full. One scoop at a time getting me closer and closer to the end.
Sure the destination is a great place to be, but the journey is what makes us appreciate the destination. So we can either grumble and not enjoy the journey, or we can flip our perspective, appreciate the effort that we put in, enjoy the journey and have the destination mean that much more.
For 2018, call it your success list, not your to-do list. The more you do, the easier it’ll become to get into the habit of doing. Start the day by making your bed and set yourself up for success.