With the start of 2021 not going quite to plan for so many with the juggle of homeschooling whilst also working, and feeling like you just haven’t got enough time to get things done, It’s understandable that you may not have made as much progress as you hoped you would towards your goals.
I have to be honest, during this lockdown and juggling homeschooling, there were some weeks in my business that felt incredibly overwhelming.
I had days when I felt guilty and like I wasn’t doing enough in my business and days where I felt like I wasn’t doing enough to fully support my kids in their homeschooling. It was hard.
I lived by the simple mantra of taking it one day at a time and that even the smallest step forward was progress.
I had a flexible plan in place that guided me on what those small steps were and I simply followed it.
I would like to share with you four practical tips that will help you to get your goals back on track.
RE-ALIGN WITH YOUR GOALS
Now that the kids are back at school and we prepare for the second quarter of the year, now is a great time to set clear intentions for the next three months.
Go back to your personal and professional goals for the year and see if they still feel relevant and are in alignment with where you want to be in 6 months? A year? Take some time to think about why they are important to you and what it will mean for you when you meet them.
Top tip: Make your goals as specific as possible so that you know exactly what it is you are trying to achieve. If they are vague you will lose focus.
Have your goals written down where you can see them and remind yourself daily of what you are working towards.
WIN WITH SMALL ACTIONABLE STEPS
It is totally understandable if the last few months have left you feeling overwhelmed and out of control, but there is a way you can overcome this and start to see progress quickly.
Take your goals and break them down into smaller projects that have micro tasks attached to them. An action plan will enable you to focus on the most important tasks that will move the needle in your business.
Top tip: Be very strategic about what you spend your time doing. Running around without a plan, without a strategy and without focus will just create more work.
Start with a small project that isn’t overwhelming to get you into action and build momentum.
- Break your project down into milestones and then braindump all the tasks that you can think of that need to be accomplished to complete that project.
- Set a realistic timeline of when you will complete the project and the weekly milestones to focus on.
- Prioritise blocks of time during your day when you can complete 2-3 of the tasks that must get done to move your project forward.
Be realistic with the time you have available and what you can get done.
HAVE AN ACCOUNTABILITY PARTNER
If you find yourself stuck procrastinating and second-guessing yourself then having an accountability partner can do wonders to help you make progress.
I have had accountability partners through coaching programs, masterminds and with some of my business friends and nothing quite gets me taking action like having to report on my progress every week.
They have helped me gain clarity when I couldn’t see a solution myself and they’ve boosted my confidence on the days when I’ve struggled with self-doubt. And most importantly they get it. They understand the challenges of being a business owner and the crazy online world.
RELEASE THE NEGATIVE CHATTER
Release any negative chatter about not being where you hoped you’d be by now. There is so much going on right now and nothing is ‘normal’. Be kind to yourself and know that you can get back on track and accomplish everything you want this year.
Don’t let the mind monkeys stop you from believing what is possible for you because this will hold you back from taking action. It is your actions that will get you results. You are fully in control of the actions you take, so focus on that.
Everyday is a fresh start and you can make significant progress if you have a clear strategic plan that you can implement. All the small steps add up and make a difference.
