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How to do 2021 differently

How to do 2021 differently

Change begets change.

2020 thrust upon us change in almost all areas of our lives and routines. Much of the change was unwelcome. But the curious thing about change is the way that it makes us re-evaluate what is important to us and what we really want.

Many people were doing this last year. I know I was. And the resulting outcome is that many of us are wanting to do 2021 differently. We want to drop some things and we want more of other things.

The change that was so de-stabilising last year has jolted us into initiating our own changes for this year.

If you have also felt the pull towards a change but are not sue where to begin, then you’re in the right place! Here’s how to begin:

Get specific about the change you want by first defining WHERE you want changes to happen. Decide which life domain your proposed changes will be in 2021. Is it just your work habits you’d like to change or are you thinking of your health and wellbeing? Make sure you understand the WHERE of your changes.

Next you need to define WHAT specific changes you want to make. It’s easy to become clear about this by answering a few powerful questions.
Thinking of the life domain that you have selected above, answer the following:
What do I want more of in this life domain in 2021?
What do I want less of in this life domain in 2021?
Is there anything I want to completely stop in this life domain in 2021?

It’s important to have a time-frame in mind such as WHEN you want to start the changes. Is January the right time to make changes in your family domain or will it work better in February when the kids go back to school? Or when you are fully back into work mode?

Consider if you have the resources to take up the new changes now.  If you are dropping some things, consider whether you need to wrap a few things up first before letting go of them.
For example you may decide to delegate things and you may need to do a handover or training. This will help you define your “when”.

HOW will you make the changes? It’s important to have a plan in mind that establishes how you will start and manage these important changes. I recommend that your approach be slow, small steps at first. You can always move forward quickly once you’ve established the initial changes. What is required in order for you to make these changes? What steps do you need to take?

You should assess the impact of your changes on your schedule as well as others. Anticipate push-back from others if your change effects them, as it will take some adjustment for both you and them to get used to this new way of doing things.

The second part of the HOW is to create a system to maintain the changes you want to make. Do you have a friend or colleague who is also making changes? Perhaps you can agree to check-in with each other every week to see if you’re maintaining the changes. You might also consider an accountability partner or working with a coach. The key is to stablish a system that works for you to keep you on-track.

This WHERE, WHAT, WHEN, and HOW approach is an excellent foundation for the changes that you envision ahead for you in 2021.

If you need any help, reach out for a FREE 1 hour Coaching Introduction session to get you on track for your best year yet!

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5 tips for managing change better

So much change in so little time. Surely this is the tagline for 2020? By now we’ve all been weather beaten into submission with all the constantly moving parts. No longer fighting against the tide of change (at least I hope you’re still not doing that) we’re now in some form of acceptance that things will continue to change and be a little crazy for at least the rest of the  year and likely next.

And herein lies the challenge: more change ahead. So how do we even navigate the next 6 months (which will feel like 8 months)? We need to learn to manage change. Whether change is something you are choosing for yourself or something that has been unceremoniously thrust upon you, you need to pro-actively manage it.

Change is hard and it doesn’t come natural to any of us. Our brains are wired to resist it. Without proactive management frequent change on a large scale can create much stress, anxiety and feelings of being out of control.

So let me share with you 5 ways that you can better manage change over the coming months:

  1. Accept it’s a challenging time

We are currently experiencing change and disruption to our routines and way of life on a huge scale. It’s a difficult time for everyone. When it’s a difficult time, things feel harder. It’s tiring. You may feel stressed. You may oscilate between feeling engaged and then wanting to retreat from the world. That is to be expected because it’s a challenging time. Change requires adjustment and takes time. Accept it is difficult and believe that you are navigating it as best you can.

  1. Simplify

This is one of the best techniques to apply, with immediate results. When COVID-19 hit I did exactly this and it helped a lot! Look at everything that you have on your to-do list including your goals and general responsibilities (personal admin, housework etc.). Decide which things you can delay (push your deadline back), delegate or delete altogether. Trying do it all while navigating the change process will only exacerbate the stress and overwhelm. Simplify by reducing your responsibilities in your work and personal life.

  1. Allow more time for the adjustment to occur

Most of us would prefer that we have a certain established amount of time and at the end of that time, the change process is complete, such as having an end date for this pandemic. We all want it to be nice, neat and predictable. Mostly we just want it to take as little as time as possible. But there is no way to speed this process up unfortunately. When you focus on the end result you want and resist your present circumstances it causes you stress.  You are resisting what is and wanting it to be different(you are“arguing with reality” as Byron Katie says). Ask yourself: Can you accept that it will take a long time? How can you shift your focus to the present moment?

  1. Expect it to be messy

Change is not a straight line from one way of being to another. If you graphed it it’d probably be a zigzag. You may cope and adjust to a new situation well for a while, but then you seem to“regress” back to the old way of thinking and being. This is a normal part of the process. But often this is when we all feel like we’ve failed or that something is wrong with us. I assure you that it is normal to be feeling up and down as you adjust to change.

  1. Have your own back. 

Moving through change will require more time and energy from you. It can be unsettling, frustrating and tiring. It’s important to therefore have your own back. Work with yourself and not against yourself. You can do this in a number of ways: 1. By becoming aware of any negative thoughts about your situation. Remind yourself that this is a process and will take time. 2. Support yourself as you would support a good friend in their time of need. Cut yourself some slack, reassure yourself that you are doing your best. 3. Engage in self care activities. Give yourself the things you need to rejuvenate your energy (exercise, sleep, yoga, good food, water, a day trip etc).

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Don’t be busy, be productive!

Want to get more done in your business without spending more time? Today I share 3 techniques that you can easily implement to ramp up your productivity. It’s easy to get caught in the whir of “busyness”. How many people do you talk to that say “I’m so busy” or “I’m flat out, I have so much to do”? I’d like you to take a step back and really think about these comments thoughts. You’ve likely at some point said these aloud to someone or to yourself. I’d like to suggest that what you’re really saying is a version of “I’m important”. Modern society has bought into this idea that “I am busy, therefore I matter/what I do matters”. This is why it’s often difficult for many of us to not be busy.

Have you ever looked at the definition of “busy”?  Busy= “having a great deal to do”. Let’s look at the definition of “productive”. Productive= “Producing or having the power to produce”. Do you see the difference? “Busy” is having many things to do. “Productive” is actually producing something, creating results, creating the outcomes you want. When you switch your focus to being productive and actually producing results, the more you can accomplish in less time. Want some of that?           Me too. That’s why I implemented these 3 Productivity Hacks to create more in my business without spending more time.

  1. Create Specific Outcomes
    Get specific about what you want completed and by when. Not just for your goals, but for every task you do. Productivity is about creating outcomes, getting things done. You need to decide what you will get done now, in this particular time that you will work on this task.
    Example: If your task is to write an article: Your specific outcome might be that you will write the introduction and the outline for the article within 1 hour. Specific outcome (introduction + outline) and specific time frame (within 1 hour).
  1. Don’t multi-task
    Multi-tasking is a myth. Your brain cannot do two things at once. What it actually does is switch from doing one thing to doing another. And guess what? This slows you down. Do only one thing at a time. Give it all your attention and focus.
  1. Compress time
    More is completed in compressed time, so your job is to compress time. How? Simply set a shorter period of time than you normally would to spend on a task. Set a timer and aim to complete the task within that shorter period of time. Most of us do this exceptionally well, unconsciously. Ever leave a task to the last minute? You suddenly have a shorter period of time in which to complete the task to meet the deadline. You work like crazy, completely focused, and, guess what? You get it done in a very short space of time. The trick is to use this technique consciously to compress time regularly with your tasks way before their deadlines. Try it! I think you’ll find that this will take your productivity to a whole new level!


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#1 Mistake Made When Setting Goals

There is an additional step in the goal setting process that seems to get left out by most people. It is the #1 mistake that often costs us the results we truly want. Instead of being able to work towards the goal consistently over time, we get derailed and often don’t end up completing the process and achieving that goal. You may have experienced this and concluded that “maybe goals don’t really work for my kind of projects”, or maybe “I just can’t seem to stick to my goals”. This experience is common when working towards a goal when you have not taken that extra goal-setting step. You can eliminate this circular process of stop-start and resulting feelings of frustration just by adding in one extra step when setting your goals.
So what is that step? Have a specific plan to achieve your goal. Each goal needs a specific plan, or pathway mapped, to get you to the finish line (the goal). Having the finish line in mind is important, but mapping the way will help so much more. So, where to start? Think about where you are now in relation to your goal. There is a gap between where you are now and where your goal is at the end. Think of the space in between the two as a “no-man’s land”. You want to create points to aim for as you cross this wide open space. Aiming to get to the other side is not enough. So firstly, look at what steps need to happen to get you to your goal. Make a list of every task and action that needs to happen. Then think about obstacles that might come up. What things might hinder your progress? For example, your goal might be to acquire 5 new clients by the end of June. An obstacle that might come up could be that you are not getting enough leads to acquire those 5 clients. So the obstacle is generating enough leads. Write this down on your list with all the other tasks. So now you should have a list of tasks/actions  and obstacles that will fill the space between you and your goal achievement. You’ve essentially created a series of smaller goals to get you to your larger goal. The next step is to assign those tasks and obstacles to overcome in your calendar and to set deadlines for each. That’s it.
Now as you work on your goal, you are working on a mini goal, the smaller part of the whole. This provides a stepping process for you to keep moving along towards the end goal. It creates outcomes along the way which are the small wins that will keep you motivated. It breaks things down into smaller pieces which makes it easier to manage and creates a smaller part for you to focus on. This also helps reduce that feeling of overwhelm. It also provides a time-frame for getting all the smaller steps done. Rather than feeling there is a never-ending list of things to do before you can get to the goal, you can instead focus on each step one at a time, knowing that it leads you to the larger goal. It is this knowing that you have mapped a path that makes you feel that you are actually on track to achieving your goal. And feeling on track will keep you motivated which will ultimately ensure the achievement of your goal.