Tag: goals

Background of a wall of doors with text on top "What if you had fewer decisions to make each day"

What if you had fewer decisions to make each day?

by EvieBurke, posted in Task List

What if you had fewer decisions to make each day?

How would that feel?

Would you get more done?

How many times throughout your day are you sitting at your desk deciding what needs to happen next? Only to do it again when you complete that task. You have to mentally go through all of the things that have to happen. And it can be exhausting.

Instead, create that to-do list so that you know what you need to work on next, and you don’t have to make that decision each time you’re ready to move on to a new task.

I’ve had clients tell me that they were surprised at how much smoother their day went with a good to-do list. They didn’t need to try to remember what the next thing was that they needed to get done. They had the next task written down already. The decision was already made.

So create your to-do list!

And if you want to make sure you set up your to-do list to tie in with your goals for the month, the quarter, and the year. I invite you to attend the free training I am doing at the end of April. It’s called Plan Prioritize Profit: The Three Keys to Getting the Right Things Done Each Day. In this training, I will be talking about to-do lists and sharing my framework for how to set them up in a way that allows you to make fewer decisions.

If you prefer listening/watching, you can catch this on YouTube or in my free FB group.

Background of a hands writing DONE on a pink sticky note with text on top "WHY things don't get done: It doesn't need to be done"

WHY things don’t get done: It doesn’t actually need to be done

by EvieBurke, posted in procrastination

Welcome to Part Six, the last in the WHY things don’t get done series. (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5)

Last week we talked about making things too complicated.

This week we’re talking about things that don’t actually need to be done.

Have you ever talked with someone and they tell you that you should do this? Or they tell you they know someone else who does what you do, and that person does it this way?

It’s not a bad idea, so you put it on your list.

But it just sits there, looming, frustrating you because it doesn’t get done.

It could be a case of productive procrastination (where you do less important things to procrastinate on the more important things). But another reason it doesn’t get done is it doesn’t actually need to be done.

Just because others do it that way doesn’t mean it’s a good idea for you.

These are usually things you think you should do because everyone does it or offers it. However, these can also be things that someone told you you need to do.

If it’s been more than a couple of months, if it was important to you, you’d have already done it (or started it).

This can also happen for things that don’t align with your business intentions or goals. This doesn’t mean it’s unethical. It means that you might be focusing on attracting new clients, and updating that one page on your website doesn’t align with that intention right now. Basically, it’s not a priority right now and can be added to your “later list.”

So, if something has been on your to-do list for a long time, review it to determine if it’s something that you think you should do or it’s just not a priority for you.

If it is a priority for you, set some time aside to start working on it so that your words match your actions.

If you prefer listening/watching, you can catch this on YouTube or in my free FB group.

Picture of Evie in her office with the text "The best thing you can do to achieve your goals"

The best thing you can do to achieve your goals

by EvieBurke, posted in failure, Goals

Have you ever set a big goal for yourself and then run out of time to get everything done over and over and over again?

We’ve all experienced this at some point. It’s so frustrating! And you might blame yourself, call yourself lazy or wonder why you can’t just get the things done you need and want to get done.

Or the flip side of this happens: you don’t set that big goal because you’ve been burned by not having enough time, and you don’t want to experience that again.

One way to prevent this from happening is to be clear on the daily, weekly, and monthly tasks that you do in your business. It will help you know how much time you have to dedicate to your bigger goals or which tasks you can delegate.

The best thing you can do to achieve your goals is to set up containers for your tasks. This means having a place to organize all the goals, projects, and tasks you have for your business. It can be on paper or digital, and it doesn’t matter as long as it works for you.

When you have a container, you’re clear on what needs to happen when and what you have time for.

I was working with someone on this last year. We were going through her week and everything that needed to be done when she had a realization. She realized that unless something came off of her plate, she couldn’t offer a class she had planned on. This came as a relief to her. It wasn’t that she was wasting a bunch of time; it was that her plate was already full and there was no room for anything else.

She decided instead of shifting things or letting something go so she could offer the class; she would focus on the things she was already doing in her business and promote her current offers. There was no need to make things more complicated.

This allowed her to keep more of her personal time for other things, which is very important!

So, set up your containers so you can keep track of all the moving pieces of your business!

Reach out if you want to chat about your situation.

PS. You’re NOT lazy. You just haven’t found a way to keep track of things that works for you!

If you prefer listening/watching, you can catch this on Facebook or YouTube.

The top goal-achieving secret to use when planning next year

The top goal-achieving secret to use when planning next year

by EvieBurke, posted in Goals, planning

It’s the time of year where we start thinking about our goals for next year and contemplating everything we want to experience and accomplish in our business and life.

I don’t know about you, but I find this part so much fun! This is the dreaming part, the what could I do next year part.

Don’t stop here, though! Yes, you need to know where you want to go (the goal part), but don’t forget the how part that comes next. The how part is the process; this is where the work gets done.

This is the top goal-achieving secret: focus on the process, not the goal.

Yes, set your goals — you need to know what you’re working toward. But in your day-to-day, focus on the process.

The process part includes not only mapping out the details of how you’ll achieve that goal but also includes:

  • how you set up your day
  • how you keep track of everything you want to do and accomplish
  • your ability to stay on task

Again, focus on the process, the systems you use to accomplish your goals.

You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fail to the level of your systems.

James Clear (Atomic Habits)

Focus on the process, and you’ll achieve your goals.

If you prefer listening/watching, you can catch this on Facebook or YouTube.

When was the last time…

by EvieBurke, posted in habits, Self Care

When was the last time you told a friend they sucked and were a failure?

Never? Maybe only in jest?

When was the last time you said that to yourself?

I know I can be tough on myself for not reaching goals, getting sidetracked instead of getting something done, or any number of other reasons.

But I’d NEVER say those things to a friend.

I guess I’m not a friend of myself??

It certainly can feel like that.

It takes time to unlearn those habits.

It takes practice, but you can get better at noticing when this is happening. You can learn your patterns and make adjustments. Watch for your insights and write them down. Then to remind yourself, put them on sticky notes where you’ll see them (like on your monitor).

Next time you get sidetracked, don’t reach a goal, or any other reason you might be mean to yourself, take a step back and treat yourself the way you’d treat a good friend.

And take opportunities to celebrate your wins. That might be reaching a goal. It can also be celebrating that you did the work, showed up, and did the things, regardless of the result.