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January 01, 2015

Getting It Done in the New Year

Make it a goal – not a resolution – and you will succeed!

Happy New Year… I think! Well here we are into yet another year. Apparently this one is numbered 2015 and follows the one that just flew by they called 2014. Will it be just like the ones before that? Will it fly by too? Did it zip by without accomplishing any of the things we really wanted to get done?

How would we even know… if we didn’t set out to do anything? Or did we? Aha… there’s the rub!

Did we even set out to do anything? Did we set ourselves some goals. Were they actually attainable? Were they realistic? Did we let anyone know about them before we started them or did we just hope by not announcing them we would be able to loll our way through another year without getting anything done? Did we write any of them down?

About 2 months ago I was getting overwhelmed by the number of things I had to do, and that were starting to pile up on my desk, around the house but moreso, especially in my mind! On my way to the ophthalmologist  in Toronto I declared to my wife that I was going to start a ToDo list and that I would write down the things that were needing to be done including the home reno (then in its 13th month), some business related things, my Delivery Doctor videos, an ebook, some product development, our web site – yes, among other things.

When we got to the docs I had some time on my hands (you think?) so I whipped out my iPhone, found a ToDo list manager and started to proudly enter anything that came to mind. I was about to enter the 16th item and it said that the app only allowed 15 items and asked me if I would like to pay an additional $4.99 for unlimited entries. I did not as the app wasn’t that good in the first place. I looked around my phone (among the 100+ apps) and lo and behold I apparently had an app that I had previously purchased and that already had unlimited entries, and that was much better than the free one I had been using.

Three days later I stopped entering items on my ToDo list figuring that if I didn’t stop typing I’d never start any of them. I was already over 60+ entries, each one of them reasonably major!

So I set myself the goal of picking off one or two a day thinking I would be done by the start of the new year – this new year. Problem was that every time I accomplished a goal I would find another two that would sidetrack me and I would do those as well. You can imagine my chagrin when I searched through my ToDo list only to find the items I had just completed weren’t even there, that they were actually new ones. No worries though I thought, I’ll just write them in and cross them off. So I did – and you know what? It felt pretty good.

In the meantime I found a wee online course on procrastination and thought, ‘what the heck I don’t have anything better to do’ and signed up for that. And you know what? Although I’m still going through it, the course has been excellent. It has shown me how to set attainable goals, to prioritize them, to measure them, and best of all, how to cross them off in a timely fashion! It is now showing me how to ensure they get done without stress, and showing me how I can manage time better to ensure all the goals will be accomplished, in this year they call 2015!

So, what has this got to do with Bowls, Curling and Golf – my three favorite sports?

Tiny Steps – From Outcome Resolutions to Process Goals

Everything! I am super enthused about what I expect to transpire this coming year. I am now setting out a timeline for completion of all those projects I listed above, and more! These are not New Year’s Resolutions as those are “goals” that are often made after a few wobbly pops or too many holiday meals, and are often neither realistic nor attainable.

This year I will be: updating the website regularly (right after I find some real hispeed - another goal!) completing my Delivery Doctor video series writing my first ebook - full outline is now complete thanks to the procrastination course! starting my personal and online coaching services introducing new products and services to bowlers writing bi-weekly blogs of relevance to bowlers and other athletes… yes you are athletes! and yes, I will even complete this master bedroom/bathroom renovation that is now officially into its 16th month.

These are all lofty goals – but, note that all of them are Outcome Goals – which means at this stage they are all no better than New Year's Resolutions. In upcoming blogs, through our Facebook page (Club MVP) and through tweets I will share with you my progress, I will take you through some of the excerpts from my upcoming book showing you how to take your goals from Outcome Resolutions to Process Goals – and how, at this time next year, you will look back with pride and say “Hey, I actually reached my goals!”

I wish everyone a Happy New Year in this the year we call 2015 and hope that I can assist you too in reaching your goals, in helping you to become the bowler you have always wanted to be. Dan Milligan – The Delivery Doctor

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