Are you a
THINKER or a DOER? Do you love to sit
and contemplate the possibilities? To ponder, what you want, the direction you
want to go and how to get there? Or would you rather be the person in action, staying in motion -
getting things done to get what you want? Which do you
think provides the greater
advantage?
The truth of
the matter is, most people find it very difficult to THINK! That might sound strange, because you likely
believe that everybody thinks all the time!
But that’s really the case. Even
busy professionals who are quickly contemplating their next best move in their busy
day are not really THINKING. It’s
impossible to do any deep thinking in the midst of busy activity, noisy
environments and concerns of the day!
So we find
ourselves doing, doing, doing all the time.
Maybe you grew up with the expression, “Don’t just SIT THERE … DO
SOMETHING!” Growing up in that mentality
would subconsciously engrain the belief in you that, if you’re not actively
engaged, you’re not getting anything accomplished… you’re not being
productive.
But, sometimes
in order to move forward you have to STOP!
Stop dead in your tracks and see which direction you are going in. You
know, SPEED is not an advantage if you’re going in the WRONG direction! You need to THINK ABOUT where you are and in
which direction you are heading … is it really
where you want to go?
But what if you ARE a thinker? What if your challenge is implementation? You
think of good ideas all the time! GREAT
ideas – AMAZING ideas, but putting them in motion is YOUR challenge. Well, that’s something to work on too!
Here’s the
thing … there are people who do-do-do and never stop to THINK, which is most
people, and there are those who think-think- and never really DO! Both can hinder your progress. You know, if you only have ONE oar in the water whether; it’s thinking or doing, you are going in a circle and you will feel STUCK! You really need BOTH oars in the water to
move forward.
So how can you balance the two?
Here are FOUR STEPS to help you become more productive and build momentum toward moving forward:
- Schedule time to STOP to think about what you need to do going forward. Typically the best time to do this is the evening before the next day's activities. (Don't wait until you are too sleepy, though). If you don't actually schedule time for this, it's not likely to happen.
- Next, take the time (even just a few minutes) to jot down what you need to get done the following day. If you write it out, you are sending a message to your brain that this is important, and your mind can subconsciously work out the details while you sleep. Doing this makes things go more smoothly the next day. PLUS, when you wake up, you're ready to hit the ground running ... knowing exactly what to do! While someone else is thinking about where to get started first thing in the morning, you have already begun! You have a jump start on the day, because you are clear about your direction!
- However, if your challenge is making yourself actually DO THE WORK, then build in incentives for yourself! Reward yourself for completing the task, or punish yourself if you don't. Whichever works best for you. But building in a meaningful incentive can help you get things done.
- And finally, I will offer the biggest help of all, and that is to either hire a coach, or get yourself an accountability partner! It's so easy to put things off when you are only accountable to yourself! You know this is true! If you're serious about upping your game and getting more done, make this your most important step!
Feel free to contact me with any questions on this or other topics. You can also take advantage of my FREE "Achieve Your Business Dreams" COACHING SESSION! Let's explore the possibilities! For more information on this, go to www.achievein2016.blogspot.com
To your success,
Leanne
Leanne Cannon
Author, Speaker, Business Coach
Social Media Marketing Trainer
Author, Speaker, Business Coach
Social Media Marketing Trainer
330-400-9814
