If being successful in your goals and dreams is what you desire, then you must be intentional with your time and the decisions you make. Spending too much time flying by the seat of your pants is the culprit of success and will eventually destroy any good intentions you may have. There are many things you can do to live a life more intentionally, but here are 3 changes you can apply immediately to get a good start.
- Live by a schedule. This is by far the most important factor of success and being intentional, but it is also the hardest. The good news is, once you get acclimated to living by a schedule it does become easier. The best way to set a schedule is to make sure everything you desire to do each day is on the calendar. This would include, any tasks you need to accomplish, working out, meetings, family and work events, down time, ETC… EVERYTHING should be on your calendar. Organize your day by priority if possible. Do the hardest thing first. A great idea is every night before going to bed look at your next day and week. Adapt any changes but do your very best to stick with the plan. You must avoid flying by the seat of your pants at all cost. Every decision you make, where you spend your time, your talents, and your treasures should be accounted for and must align with your deepest desires.
- Kick procrastination to the curb. Like the old saying, “Don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today!” This truth is one you must learn to live by. When it comes to procrastination, practice makes perfect. You can practice this by having routines and sticking with them. Examples would be, going to bed at the same time every night, waking up at the same time each morning, and have a consistent nighttime and morning routine. Practice not allowing yourself to put something off that needs to be done, like gas in your tank, going to the grocery story, or a hard meeting you should have with someone. With procrastination, practice is key. Remember, the emotion follows the action. There is a good chance you won’t feel like doing what you should do, but once you take the action, the emotion will catch up!
- Work with a coach. There is a reason why the teams with the best coach are the ones who always win the most games. There is nothing that can replace having an expert coach to learn from, keep you motivated, help you create a plan, stay focused, support you, and most important hold you accountable. Most high performing successful people have a coach. This is one of the best investments you can make in your own personal development and success.