You might think that the backlog of “things to do” – would have been dealt with during lockdown. When all we had was “time” did we do all those things that we say we’d want to do…..if only we had more time? Hmmmm….not from what I’ve heard.
Whoops opportunity lost?
I’m an optimist so I say no, rather we have gained insight into what we are really motivated by, or to do. I think that there are really just two things that stand in the way of doing the things that we say we want to do.
- Lack of courage
- Lack of a compelling reason.
Lack of Courage
It takes real courage to change sometimes. It might mean that you must confront someone, put yourself out there to possibly be criticised, lose a relationship or put one at risk. You might get feedback that hurts. So, you know what? “ Let’s just keep things as they are”
There are a couple of things that I think people can do to help them feel courageous- or at least courageous enough to instigate change
- Understand your strengths, those things that you personally bring to any situation. Are you analytical, a great relationship builder, someone who can knuckle down and get things completed? Not everyone has the inner resources that you have. Find out what yours are and actively grow their power by applying them. Know that as well as any skill set that you bring to a situation, you also bring a mindset- and that mindset can give you great courage because it gives us confidence.
- Communicate effectively. Often times people don’t say what they need to say because they are not too sure how what they have to say will be taken and/or they’re not too sure how they might manage any backlash that may occur. So, you know what? “Let’s just keep things as they are”. We communicate all the time- what we don’t necessarily do all the time is communicate well. When we communicate well, we get what we need- the other party gets what they need, relationships remain intact stuff moves on/ gets done.
Lack of a Compelling Reason
90% of people who set goals (even SMART goals) do not achieve them. One reason for not achieving your goals might be that you do not have a compelling enough reason to change. How many people do you know of who never exercise or pay attention to their diet…until something goes wrong with their health? When poor health becomes our reality we are compelled to change.
It’s easy to have a long list of things that we or someone else thinks that we should be doing, but it’s not until you believe that it’s worthy of your time and effort that you will make the changes necessary in your life to make it so.
Look at the things that you have on your must do list and ask yourself if you really want what you think the outcome will offer you. Then decide whether it stays on your list or gets the boot.