Posted by “Small disciplines repeated with consistency everyday lead to great achievements gained slowly over time.” – John C. Maxwell
My attempts to accomplish things when I was young produced a fair amount of frustration and impatience. My mother, always ready with a timely phrase or quote, would tell me, “Rome wasn’t built in a day.” She kept meticulous notes and had schedules for everything she did. My mother prioritized and organized everything she put her mind to consistently and effectively.
I admire people who consistently get things done; they all have something in common –they approached life with a high level of intentionality. Having clear objectives and well thought out action plans is foundational to consistently getting things done. The thought of a lifestyle of always making things happen by design energized me. I found that intentional forethought makes it possible to stay motivated for life.
Highly intentional leaders stay motivated by focusing on getting the most important things done first because you get a much bigger return on your time invested. Prioritizing tasks gives you a clear path to achievement. It’s self-empowering to have the essential tasks behind you with lesser and many easier ones ahead of you.
“Preparation gives you the advantage of being in the game before it begins” -JSP
Whether in quiet times or times of crises, prioritizing your objectives in the order of importance will energize you. When you intentionally prioritize your daily agenda, you begin your days with confidence. Your motivation increases with each completed item because of the momentum it generates throughout the week.
Motivated to succeed in any environment
“Success in life isn’t a birthright it’s a responsibility” – JSP
Define Your Objectives in Detail
Make your objectives as specific as possible. Visualize your action steps in sequence and calculate the time you’ll commit to each. I find I’m motivated quicker and work better when I see twenty smaller steps prioritized and scheduled than I do when confronted with one immense time consuming “must do now” mega-project. Knowing what needs to get done first helps you begin with a clear path ahead of you, enabling you to work with a progressively approaching end in view.
Establish a Clutter-Free Zone
There’s an old proverb that says, “a place for everything and everything in its place” because an organized workspace is more conducive to achieving objectives than having a place for nothing and everything all over the place. I must have wasted three days’ worth of time annually, just looking for stuff I didn’t assign a place. Many people spend countless hours searching for misplaced things when they need them most.
I found by indexing my library; I save countless hours searching for references. Prioritizing objectives and organizing your workspace keeps the momentum going, and your confidence growing.
Commit to the Discipline of Self-Control
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow writes, “The heights by great men reached and kept were not attained by sudden flight, but they, while their companions slept, were toiling upward in the night.”
It takes discipline to develop a strong work ethic that reaches objectives consistently. The benefits of living a self-controlled life are numerous. We all face challenges to our commitments every step of the way.
We can outlast and overcome any obstacle once we’re committed to a disciplined lifestyle of self-control. John C. Maxwell said, “If you want to reach your potential, you need to add a strong work ethic to your talent.”
Assess Your Progress at Regularly Scheduled Intervals
“It is not until you change your identity to match your life blueprint that you will understand why everything in the past never worked.” – Shannon L. Alde
Knowing who you are reveals your purpose, and knowing your purpose dictates your objectives. Having sound systems in place to keep you on track and on schedule is vital to fulfilling your purpose. Effective systems are liberating because they establish consistency, which we know is the forerunner to momentum.
Having a program for an honest self-assessment is priceless since it increases our self-awareness. Taking regular assessments as a team increases accountability, strengthens commitments, creates momentum, and builds confidence.
“The best way to assess yourself is to base the assessment on the product you produce daily” – Sunday Adelaja