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July 27, 2009

6

No More Starting Monday – Don’t Delay Success

lookWant to know a goal that is almost certainly one that will not be achieved? It is one that is delayed. One that is rescheduled. We all have done it (my story in a minute…) starting Monday I will start doing this, starting next week, at the beginning of the month, when the new year starts, etc. Whenever you make a clear goal, you need to take action immediately and achieve even a small part of it. If you don’t, if you schedule it for the future, you are assigning less importance to it. Also when you make the goal you are typically excited to begin it, so why would you schedule it a week from now when your enthusiasm may be considerably less?

Most goals that are tough to achieve come out of desperation, not inspiration. For example, if you are doing a bad habit on a consistent basis (eating unhealthy, watching too much TV, zoning on the web all day, putting off projects, etc) you stand up to correct it usually out of sheer desperation. You have had it. You have broken your own rules and cannot take it anymore. You finally and definitively make a bold statement to put a stop to it!

Just not immediately, let’s say…hmmm…next week?

Don’t let yourself off that easy. Start today. Start when the energy and focus is there. You don’t have to accomplish the entire goal, just take a step or two towards it. You’ll feel much better. When next week rolls around, you won’t have to recapture the fire of when you hatched the goal from last week, you’ll be several steps into accomplishing it. The momentum will already be there.

It’s all about immediate action. It’s taking a small part of the goal and working towards it. You may have tons of to-do lists. A fantastic idea, goal or new habit comes up and you write it down. A week later you review it and it’s just not as compelling. If the goal is really worth it, start immediately on it. If not, the goal will keep kicking around, week after week, month after month. You know the ideas I am talking about, the ones that have haunted you for months that you are not doing.

One recent goal I had was to start a video show, a video version of this blog. I can’t say it was recent though, because I seem to have been thinking of it for so long. I got wrapped up in what camera I was going to use, which mic, what video format, etc. Everything except taking the step to actually start it. To actually shoot it. I would plan to shoot it “next week”, then kept moving it. Last week I just shot one, it came out good, it will get better. But the important part is that it is now rolling. Finally! 

What goal, idea or habit do you want to do next? Is it scheduled for next week? Next Monday? Can you start on it today?

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  • http://mattsearles.com Matt Searles

    I’ve been trying to work out what the hell is wrong with me.. as I’ve been putting things off endlessly.. and always kind of wondering why. As a rule of thumb I try not and exert too much conscious will over these things.. try and keep my ear to the unconscious.. It’s quite a bit like luke skywalker putting on the blast helmet where he can’t see.. to fight the droid thing.. with Obi 1..

    Well finally I got the ball rolling.. I’m still in fear for the size of the mountain in front of me.. all the stuff to learn.. am I committed enough to follow it all through? It’s such a gamble and involves investing so much money in gear.. dragging my feet sometimes feels like the most rational impulse in me.

    But what I find most interesting is.. the goals I’ve had since I was a kid.. all the dreams.. they are here with me, supporting me, as I march on forward..

    I think its true that so many of the goals we set out, especially the ones that we put off for another day.. serve more of a psychological purpose then anything to do with reality as conventionally understood.. They are like a safe place inside of which we don’t have to face whatever is bothering us about our current existence.. and sometimes the trouble with actually going after them is.. we loose our escape.,, or I mean that’s the threat.. You want to do this thing that is so awesome.. but when you set out.. maybe you’ll discover that it isn’t awesome at all.. or the skills and talent you need to achieve them.. God.. do you even possess it?

    When I was a kid just trying to learn visual arts stuff.. what I’d say is “I don’t give a crap if this work is any good, just that doing it will make me better.” Not having the goal to make great art, but to be a great artist.. This way there was no risk of failure.. so all the time and energy and life you gave it.. all the blood sweet and tears.. no matter what happened.. it would not be risked.. and sometimes its the risk.. that once it gets too big.. you’re not even able to have the dream..

    So I’m trying to take the tact now. Every day I open up Apple’s Motion.. and work on a scene.. on a something or other,, Try and learn the program a little more deeply.. and photoshop and illustrator to.. and when I’ve had enough.. when frustration gets too much.. I leave it alone.. go do something else. Often this will mean struggling in Cinema 4D to try and learn to do some basic modeling.. and finally… finally.. I’m getting so I can move forward without the tutorials..

    So what’s motivating me, what’s exciting me.. is a combination of.. “look how fast I’m getting better with these tools and this craft” and “holy crap.. there’s something interesting going on in this work”

    A couple weeks ago I was trying to learn to create Drum and Bass Music.. and I was procrastinating projects that involve taking studio productions and trying to work out how to produce them live.. and what I’m realizing is.. though I need to achieve those goals.. What’s really going to differentiate myself from other sound people will be the visual work.. will be this video / animation / motion graphics work.,. It’s the packaging / presentation after all.

    I guess what I’m trying to get at is.. that even our impulse to procrastinate is not a bad thing.. That there’s a reason for every feeling and thought in our heads / beings.. I think what’s important is not to discipline our selves against them.. but to enable them.. the more our whole being is on the same page.. the greater our potential will be..

    And I think if what we are doing is putting goals off for psychological reasons.. it’s often to try and protect us from the fears we have of the voice of the unconscious coming at us.. when what we probably ought to be doing is trying to embrace those voices.

  • Franklin McMahon

    Well you mentioned a few things, “mountain in front of me” and how it was easier to create when young.

    The mountain can only be tackled a step at a time. Most people look at the huge journey/project and never take a step. But it’s all about bringing it down into small chunks. Have a 500 page book? Read 10 pages. Need to learn a 10 hour video tutorial, just do 20 minutes. Step at a time. Suddenly progress is happening.

    As for the youth thing, I remember before I got into cable and broadcast TV, I did public access. It was some of the most creative times I’ve had. No worries, I just kept creating. Bad stuff. Good stuff. Everything. I did not care. When your career ramps up, it’s hard not to second guess every step. The people who do great are the ones who just keep putting stuff out there. Bad stuff. Good stuff. It takes rhythm and it takes doing it often. Then it’s not so jarring to do something, you are so used to doing it.

    I always advise people..just do a segment…just a part. And then continue. After a week or two you suddenly have made so much progress. And do it now..not next Monday.

    And also produce stuff. ANYTHING. Get you, and your work, out into the world. There are people sitting back, reading stuff, commenting on other people’s stuff, sharing other people’s stuff. And then there are people actually putting stuff out there, helping to shape the collective world of creative arts. Taking steps, while creating a legacy, a body of work, is where it is at.

  • http://www.simonmalcolm.com Simon Malcolm

    Thanks Franklin…just what I needed to hear/read/get-into-my-head!

  • Franklin McMahon

    That’s why I’m here….

  • http://www.writing.com/author/dutchhillgirl Annie McMahon

    One way I found to defeat procrastination is to set a timer for 15 minutes. I can do anything for 15 minutes, no matter how great the task. Once I get started, it’s sometimes hard to stop, which is fine. :-)

  • Franklin McMahon

    Excellent suggestion Annie..I will try that myself! :)