Are you doing the work?

I have recently spoken about showing up (or the act of not showing up and what this can mean). Now I feel like the natural progression is to talk about doing the work, or GSD (Getting Shiz done)! 

It is so easy when you are under the pump to feel overwhelmed and get bogged down in how much work there is to do, and instead of getting on with it, sitting on it and stressing about how much there is to do. This is a trap that we are all guilty of falling into, but one that that we need to recognise and get out of immediately. 

Take Bree for example. Bree is a busy working mum like most of us. She juggles kids, work, a busy household and (when she gets time) a life. It all got the better of her recently. She had just taken on a new role at work, a role that she was more than capable of, in fact it was her dream role. However, the timing of it coincided with her partner being out of town on business; the start of a new school year for her eldest; her youngest getting sick; and her kids being unusually emotional (feeding off her vibes). 

Her go-to feeling in this unusually stressful situation was that of absolute overwhelm, and it left her paralysed with no ability to get on with it. Instead of simply doing the work and taking small steps forward, she let everything go. What resulted was her boss needing to pull her aside and question if she was keeping up with the changed workload. 

Not getting shiz done can be due to many reasons. We all find ourselves in situations where we are perhaps overwhelmed, suffering mind blocks, lacking confidence – whatever it may be that is stopping us from getting on with it. At these times we need to acknowledge it and implement a strategy to ensure we can get on with it. One of the things I find helpful is taking time when I am not stressed to develop a self-care plan that I can access when I am feeling like this.

Similar to not showing up, not getting shiz done can have many ongoing negative impacts; the work compounds, people notice you – for the wrong reason and you can develop a bad reputation. Check out more here.

 One of my core values in life is progress over perfection. This is all about not sweating the small stuff and just getting on with things. It is about not being scared of giving things a go. It is about trusting in yourself that you are capable. Sounds simple in theory, and it is actually quite simple in practice too. 

So how do we get on with it and get shiz done? Here is my simple yet effective advice for exactly that: 

Write a list - of ONLY 3 things 

I write a list of only 3 things to get done in a day. Of course, I have a longer list around, but if I get those 3 things done, I feel like I have achieved what I have needed to. If you need to, keep a longer list somewhere else.

Writing down the tasks you need to complete and prioritizing the list is so simple, yet super effective. Think of all those things that pop into your head on a daily basis, the things that you are continually putting to the back of your mind but that are also so important to complete. Write them down so you can focus on actually completing them. The bonus to this method is the absolute sense of achievement you will get from ticking items off the list once completed.  

Writing down the tasks you need to complete and prioritizing the list is so simple, yet super effective. Think of all those things that pop into your head on a daily basis, the things that you are continually putting to the back of your mind but that are also so important to complete. Write them down so you can focus on actually completing them. The bonus to this method is the absolute sense of achievement you will get from ticking items off the list once completed. 

Stop procrastinating - Do the HARDEST thing first!  

I do the hardest thing on my list first and then give myself a fist pump for getting it done!  

Stop distractions and focus 

Distractions are all around us and can be very hard to avoid, however you do have some control over this. Switch emails off, turn your phone onto to do not disturb, block out your calendar and request no disruptions from work colleagues for set times throughout the day. Use this time to focus on nothing else but tasks on your to do list. Eliminating these distractions and focusing will make the task at hand so much simpler. You may even find that you are completing it quicker than you thought you would. 

Seek out an accountability buddy 

Sometimes not being accountable to anyone can mean we don’t do the work (this is something I see a lot of in small business owners). Find someone who you can share your goals with and check in with them at a regular frequency. Being accountable to someone other than yourself will help keep you on track. 

Revisit your goals  

If you have been with me for a while you would know that I like to set goals (yearly, monthly – sometimes even weekly). Monitoring these goals is so important to ensuring that you are on track to reach them. If you are not getting shiz done, chances are you are not going to achieve your goals. Take time to reflect on your goals and implement those strategies that you need to, to ensure that you are on track to see results. 

 Implementing these strategies will help set you on the right path to getting shiz done. Just think how good you will feel when you are ticking off the to do list and knowing that you are on top of your workload and where you need to be to move forward. Oh – and don’t forget to treat yourself when you feel like you have been super effective. This could be as simple as going for a walk or getting a coffee, just something to say, “I did good!” 

If you need some help getting shiz done, I’m your gal. I am results driven and expect results from my clients. I will keep you accountable and make sure that you are getting all the shiz you need to get done, done. Get in touch and see how we can work together.   

 Be enthusiastic, optimistic and energetic everyday. 

Em x