How to Get Things Done with Positive Results

A new year brings new opportunities...or so they say!

You all know the definition of insanity; it's doing the same thing and expecting a different result. This is true for most people who don't make a shift from their current way of doing something to a new, productive way. Counter productivity in business is a killer. It slows the business down, results will ultimately drop and moral takes a hit.

To make a permanent shift to a new, more efficient way of working, first you need to create some new habits - and stick to them this time! There are no such things as New Year's resolutions in business. Consistent hard work at something worthwhile brings success. Try these tips to getting better results from the goals you set this year.

1. Understand the reasons for doing a particular task or taking a particular action - Have a clear vision of what you want to achieve. Write down the reasons why you want to achieve the task or goal. Having a good reason for doing something helps you to focus and gives you direction.
2. Consider all of your available options - What are all the possible ways that you can accomplish what you want. Write it all down and don’t edit anything yet.
3. Place your options in order of priority - Put the most achievable option at the top of the list, then the next and so on.
4. Along side each goal write down just one action that you can immediately take to move that goal forward - Writing things down will make your goal real and will begin to create commitment in your mind. Create a list of things that you can do.
5. Start with your first goal and the chosen action and commit to doing it for 30 days - It takes around 30 days for a new habit or thought to become ingrained in your subconscious mind and become part of your daily routines.
6. Do the same with each of the goals and actions until you have completed the list - 30 days for each and continue with last month's options and actions too. The outcome is to build on each of the existing habits from the previous month for a cumulative result.
7. Check the progress of each of your options and actions only after you have been doing it for at least 90 days - Gaining momentum helps to reinforce each of your actions. Do not change the action too soon as you will not be allowing yourself sufficient time to acclimatise to your new habit.
8. If, after a good period of time, your options or actions are not creating positive results for you, consider changing them - If you do change your action, repeat the 30 day process. When changing an action, make sure you have allowed time for relationships to be formed, trust to be built, and those things out of your control to come into focus.
9. Give yourself an appropriate time-frame to evaluate your success - New endeavours will take time to come into their own. Be patient and stay focused.
10. Evaluate your own success for the year. Look at the goals you set in Tip 1 above - View your own success with your own definitions and measurements and not someone else's perception of where you should be. Then, just enjoy your new found success.