Slaying one dragon at a time
by Karen Southall WattsLink to article
By Karen Southall Watts, from http://karensouthw.wordpress.com/
Here’s an action plan. Notice I did not say THE action plan. Frankly I think that’s one of the problems with free advice, gurus, and self-help material of all kinds—the notion that there is ONE attitude or method that works for every person and every problem. Life is simply more complex than that. Having said that, here’s one strategy for you to try.
Step 1: Do a realistic assessment of where you are now. Is there any external and objective feedback you can use? Your uneasy feeling that “something just isn’t right” may be where you start but it’s the bank statement, number on the bathroom scale, FICO score or cholesterol level that tells you where the concrete problems lie.
Step 2: Begin with the end in mind. Even before Stephen Covey made this phrase famous it was a sound idea. You don’t need to have your entire life and future mapped out, but you need to have some idea of what you want to accomplish (or fix). Aim for specific goals: I’m going to lose 5 pounds, I’m going to pay off $550 in credit card debt, I will apply for 15 jobs this month—the more concrete the better.
Step 3: Slay one dragon at a time. Most of us have a “to do” list that could be organized in volumes. Our lives are a sea of sticky notes, manila folders and notices held up by refrigerator magnets. While multi-tasking is a necessary evil of modern life it is not the most effective way to get things done. Each problem needs your full attention—at least once—during the planning phase. Prioritize your dragons…some you must slay today so you will be around to fight tomorrow. Some can snooze at the bottom of the pile for a bit.