Did you know…
It takes 3 weeks to develop a new habit. For those of you who made New Year’s Resolutions, we just passed January 21st.
Following Through
According to popular statistics, almost half of you reading this e-mail have made a New Year’s Resolution this year. Some of the top New Year’s Resolutions include; eating better, exercising more, stopping smoking, and getting organized (my personal favorite). Even if you haven’t made a New Year’s Resolution, chances are that at some point in your life there has been a goal you have tried to achieve.
Here’s a tip from the book, Following Through, that I personally believe is one of the best at helping people accomplish their goals…
Make the cost of NOT following through so high
that you nearly guarantee yourself success.
For example, let’s say you want to lose 25 pounds in the next 5 months which works out to be 5 pounds a month. Now, let’s say that you are a huge Ohio State fan. To help you accomplish that goal, find a friend and give him 5 personal checks, each for an amount that would be uncomfortable to part with, perhaps $50. Here’s the kicker, make the checks payable to…The University of Michigan Athletic fund! Instruct your friend that you will give an update to him at the end of each month. If you accomplished your weight loss goal of 5 pounds for the month, he can rip up the check. If you didn’t, he must mail it and you will have to live with the knowledge that you just financially contributed to the success of your fiercest opponent!
Use this example and insert your own goals, your own price, and your most disliked organization. Just make sure your goals are realistic and easy to determine if they were met or not. And make sure that you establish a truly painful consequence for not following through!
Productivity Tip
I have added a folder to my Control Point drawer that some of you may find helpful. It is simply labeled “Taxes”. I keep it right before my January folder. When a receipt comes through that I will need at tax time, I just drop it in there. As a small business owner, I have to keep track of all of my receipts for the year so I have many. This folder allows me to keep them together. And no, I don’t organize them by category or anything. In the event I ever get audited, I will take the time to do so but I choose not to invest that time until I know it’s necessary. At the end of the year, I simply remove that folder (because it has now become a follow-up item) and start a new folder for the new year.
A Thought to Ponder
“The second half of a man’s life is made up of nothing but the habits he has acquired during the first half.”
~ Fyodor Dostoevsky (1821 – 1881)