Reven Concepts is a coaching company that emphasizes mindset. We have led the effort to bridge the gaps between limits and possibilities in people.
In this month’s T-U-S I will be sharing ways to help stay on task. Times can be very busy (especially around the holidays) and it is important to complete all your tasks. It does not have to stop there though. What if you had a proven format to get everything you wanted to be done and more? Would that be something of interest or value to you? Well, I have great news. I have separated the process into 4 easy steps.
Step one – Set your Expectations
Step two – Snowball Effect
Step three – Avoid Distractions
Step four – Focus on what you Complete
Step one, Setting up your expectations is something I learned from my teaching days. At the beginning of the year every teacher walks into their classroom with a new expectation board to hang up for the students. The expectations can be new or old, but what doesn’t change is the importance of having those expectations. In the classroom, the expectations help the class learn by following the rules and guidelines. Though there might be a moment when the expectations have to be re-looked at it doesn’t mean that they have become obsolete.
The purpose of having expectations is to allow yourself to succeed. These expectations are the blueprints of your success. You know what has to be done, and what should not be done. My short list of expectations looks like this:
My Expectations
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Honest/Respectful
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Time – Follow the Schedule
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Have fun/Enjoy
The first of my expectations is, to be honest, and respectful in all I do. This can include others around me and those in my life, but the most important person that this expectation address is “me”. I make sure that I am being honest with myself at all times. I make sure to respect myself by giving my body proper food and sleep. This is the foundation that allows me to achieve at a higher level and eat a day. If I am sick then I have to be honest with myself and “pivot” to make sure that I remain honest and respectful of what my body needs.
The next part of my expectations is about following my schedule. For those that know or have worked with me I have every minute of my day laid out. This does not mean that I have to eat from 12:30 -1:00 like is scheduled. It is more of a map that lets me see the main parts of my day and move accordingly. Some days I might have to skip an activity or obligation, but I always go back to step one and be honest with myself. (How am I feeling?) Remember, you make time for the things you value, so be sure that your time is spent on what you value most.
The last of my expectation shortlist is to have fun. This is a really easy one to follow because I made sure that my schedule is filled with many things I love to do. For example, I love going to work! Whether, I am staying home to work or going out I enjoy what I do. Another example is the gym. I like to eat healthily and work out. There are some workouts I do not favor, but I have turned them into something I can enjoy by setting up alternating workout plans. That just means that I might have to do something I do not like once a month, but what it eventually does is restructure the brain to make it a routine rather than a chore.
How can your expectations help you? Your expectations are there to guide you to what matters most in your day. These are things that MUST be done and there is no other option but to follow them. Having that type of mindset about your expectations will allow you to become more accountable and able to understand just what is needed for you to make your day victorious. Champions are not made by hard work alone. It is dedication, routine, and expectations that allow them to function at such high levels.
Step two is the snowball effect. If you are in any type of way a finance person then this term might be familiar to you. The term in finance means to pay off the smallest amount of debt first and then to work your way up to the bigger debts. This step is crucial because it is proven to work. You can jump to further heights if you have momentum. The momentum of completing/accomplishing the smaller areas, tasks, and debts can help give you a huge feeling of accomplishment.
Accomplishments here in this area are important because it gives you purpose and reason for what you are doing. You get a recharge for every task you reach, but you are also strengthening your brain. I like to use the story of when I was a swim coach and I would deal with a student who was afraid of the water. I would constantly tell them that they were “so brave”. Those words alone would eventually restructure their brain and thought processes about swimming to the point when I would say, “wow, you are so brave!” to receive a response from them like “It was so easy”. We always started off small with one kick or one arm or one side of the face, but we always got to the finish line. The finish line for you does not have to be reached by tomorrow. The small steps really do matter because they are a part of the bigger whole.
The small tasks that you complete will get you ready for the big and challenging tasks later in life. You might look at all your tasks and they might all be big and scary, but you have to determine if you can break any of them down, outsource, or start somewhere more manageable for where you are today. My yoga teacher would always tell me to “go where your body takes you today.” She was basically saying to do all you can, but not ask more from yourself than possible today. Knowing this taught me about being respectful and honest to myself and listening to the positive side inside me. (The negative side is the part of the brain that says you cannot do it.) Start small and do what you can today and follow these steps to help keep you on task.
Step three is to avoid distractions. This one might be the most obvious out of the four, but it is a very crucial one to follow. There are many things that can take you away from the tasks that need your attention. Your bestie might have just posted a video of a cute animal playing in the field and now you can’t get enough of these animal videos. The internet is a great thing, but it is filled with distractions like the one I just mentioned. So how can we learn to avoid these types of distractions?
I created some rules in my life to help me with these distractions. One of the biggest and most helpful rules I created was no television or “screen time” Monday through Thursday. This means that I am not allowed on my free time to watch any movie or television show in my free time. I made my schedule for this time period strictly for work and bettering myself. I read instead of watching TV or I have an experience in my life that I could not have sitting on the sofa. When it comes to food I make sure to only buy foods that are healthy and that I enjoy. I love cooking, so for me, this is a great time to meditate and maintain a healthy diet.
The distractions that try to impede the progress of your tasks are only momentary pleasures. These pleasures will fade and the procrastination that anteceded will now become fear, thus, resulting in delays in achieving your most desired life. The easiest way to avoid distractions is to just not have them in the first place. Do not buy ice cream for the house if you are on a diet. (It is a distraction or an impediment to your goal.) Another example is to not turn on the TV while you are trying to study for your exam. (Though, some people need the TV on to live). Another big one is to stay off of social media in the morning and at night in bed. You are in bed to sleep, not seeing the world or dealing with drama/problems. Distractions can be avoided and taken out of the picture completely.
Step four is to focus on what you completed. There is a saying that goes something like this, “Do not focus on how much further you have to travel, but instead look at how far you have come.” This is important because the trek up a mountain can be filled with many false summits, a sore body, and a yearning for a nice hot shower and a comfy bed. It is very easy to say you did a good job coming this far and give up, but you have to decide what you want in your life. Do you want the tasks that need your attention to go uncompleted or do you want to conquer all that you have to do head-on and make sure each of them is fulfilled?
The fact that you are here and reading this today means that you have so much more to give. You might not have the energy to do it all today, but a rekindled spirit is like a new car. It will ride just fine for many more years to come. Being able to focus on your accomplishments also gives you another wonderful mindset boost. When you think about the good times and things that were accomplished by you then you can understand that you are important, that you made a difference, that you are wanted and desired, and that you are amazing. Just knowing these things is enough to send your rocket to the moon or any place you wish to be.
Staying “On Task” is one of those things that you can do each and every day. You have to make sure to set your expectations high and aim for success. Doing that will one day lead you to your most desired life. You also have to make sure to not let the little things in life hold you back. Next, be sure to take away all distractions so that you can focus on what needs to be done right now. Lastly, be sure to understand your accomplishments and not forget them. Those accomplishments are your foundation for future growth and betterment. Again, the life you dream of having can be yours, it can be meaningful, and it starts by you staying “On Task”.
Until then,
Michael Rearden
Founder of Reven Concepts
The Author
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Momentum Vs. Endurance
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1 thought on “T-U-S Part 5: On Task”
You are one of the most determined person I know.You never followed a crowd or have someone talk you into something you didn’t want to do.You have always been a leader.You have accomplished things in your lifetime that a 90year old person still dreams about.when I grow up i want to be like you.
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