Start Me Up! Turning Tomorrow’s Promise Into Today’s Action!
Tomorrow: A mythical land where 99% of all human productivity, motivation, and achievement is stored.
Feeling overwhelmed at the prospect of tackling a daunting task? Here are a few tips that might help you overcome that dreaded disease known as “tomorrow-itis.”
– Jump on it. Studies show we drain our reservoir of willpower as the day progresses, so plan to do things that take a lot of willpower first thing in the morning. Dread making sales calls, for 
example? There’s nothing like two or three quick calls first thing in the morning to build momentum and overcome inertia. As Mark Twain said, “Eat a live frog first thing in the morning and nothing worse will happen to you the rest of the day.”
– Break it down. Need to trim your budget by 10% and don’t know where to start? Pick one line item and tackle only that item for today.
– Get clarity. Sometimes we don’t act on things we need to because we don’t really understand why we need to change. Or how. Or where the finish line is. Get clear on where it is you need to go and chances are you’ll get going sooner.
– Find an accountability partner. Studies show that when people use accountability partners the likelihood of achieving their goals skyrockets.
– Focus frantically. Hate the thought of gutting your files or cleaning out your office? If you’re having trouble getting going then remove distractions (no phone, no computers), set a timer and do 10 or 15 minutes of focused work. It’s easy to tackle the most daunting beast if you know it’s just going to be for ten minutes.
– Celebrate small victories. Create a yardstick for success and reward yourself in a fun way at each baby step of the journey.
– Make it fun. Turn it into a game. Create a competition – even if you’re just competing with yourself. Crank up the Rolling Stones if that’s what it takes to start you up. Schedule a one minute fun dance break every 15 minutes. Just do something that will help you turn tomorrow’s promise into today’s action!
Michael Kerr is an international business speaker. His latest book is called The Humor Advantage: Why Some Businesses Are Laughing All the Way to the Bank”. www.TheHumorAdvantage.com
