Not Doing What You Want? Here's Why...

I used to struggle to get things done; things that I knew were important. But all too often they were never finished, or even started. They remained elusive ambitions, and I would move them from this week’s To-Do list to next week’s. And then to the next. And the next.

But in reading books like David Allen’s classic resource, “Getting Things Done,” I had a revelation. I was thunderstruck to realize that many things I wanted to ‘do’ but didn’t do were NOT doable. They weren’t actionable. There was no specific action. No, first step.

They were goals. Ambitions. Projects with several steps. Even simple things kept being put off until later and I wasn’t sure why I was procrastinating.

Objectives vs Actionable Tasks

For example, ‘having a more organized workspace’ is a worthy objective. But it’s not a task. It’s not a single, actionable step. Whereas getting the vacuum cleaner is doable. Vacuuming the office is a ‘To-Do.’ So is, donate unneeded books and office supplies. (Which is actually a bunch of ‘To-Do’s starting with: Get a box big enough to hold the unneeded books and office supplies.)

This is an important distinction to make if you’re wondering why things aren’t moving forward.

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Procrastination

Hi I’m Rick Green, one of the hot topics in our Patron forums, and I guess in the wider world as well is procrastination, putting things off, delaying, not getting to things, not doing the things you want to do.

And here’s a suggestion, one reason why you might not be doing something is that it’s not something you can do, it’s not a doable thing.

I want to live longer, yeah that’s great, what do you have to do? Not die.

So that’s what you have to not do, but what do you have to do to live longer? Healthier diet, exercise more or both.

But again that’s not something you can immediately do in the next five minutes, like healthy eating starts at the grocery store, and exercising getting physically fit, stamina and so on starts at the gym, or swimming pool, yoga studio, or wherever.

Healthy eating and exercise share a common goal, right? Live longer, who doesn’t want that? But each is a, think of it as a big project involving very different actions.

So to avoid overwhelm you pick one action to start, so I want to eat better all right so I’m going to buy healthier foods so I don’t have that temptation, great.

So what healthier foods? Well I better get a flyer out, I better make a list, those are the steps you can can start doing.

Now, there’s a challenge, once we get in the store there’s cakes and muffins, and donuts, and and more muffin did I mention donuts?

And so I have found, and Nanaimo bars or… and so I have found, and, and danish Cherry Danish, cherry pie, holy.

Sorry, so what I have to do is plan ahead of time, the first thing I do is eat before I go there, that I can do, so I can go and get something to eat now before I go food shopping, so don’t focus on the grand goal.

I mean you know what that is, and remind yourself now and then maybe by looking in the mirror and seeing if you’re progressing, but figure out what is the next step, the next action.

My point is if you’re struggling with any big goal, small, big, whatever, what is the practical action I can do?

Live longer is the outcome the ongoing outcome really until you die, but watching a yoga video begins right now, you can do that right now by going and turning, and first you might have to find the remote, which it was in your hand a minute ago, where did?

I’m Rick Green thanks for watching, do comment, like, share, and consider becoming a patron, because patrons get benefits, and they’re better human beings… yeah no they are, I checked.

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