Four Ways to Start Today

" What is not started today is never finished tomorrow."

- Johann Wolfgang van Goethe

(1749-1832) German Writer/Statesman

It is the age old problem and one that I am all to familiar with myself: I can get it done, I just can't get started.  I cannot tell you how many times I have had a project (usually something around the house) and I put it off "till tomorrow" over and over again.  Finally I have to do it and it takes me ten minutes to complete.  A ten minute project really took me three weeks to do!  I can make this confession because I know most of you have done the very same thing.

                I have always envied people who saw something that needed to be done and just did it.  How smart is that?  You do not have it haunting you for weeks, it is out of the way and you move on to other things.  There are a few thing I have learned that helps me to do what I need to do every day and not wait till tomorrow to get started.

1)  Get moving early

                I am one of the first people who will tell you that we all have different times of day that we do best in.  Some are morning people and some are night people.  However, we have jobs, responsibilities and things to do that are not under the control of our personal time table.  I have found that those who achieve the most in a day are those who start early.  Better to get a jump on the tasks of the day before the day gets a jump on you.

2)  Do the most important things first

                Look at your day and decide what is the most important thing you have to do.  Do that thing first.  I know it can be tempting to do the smaller things first and "get them out of the way", however, there are always lots of small things and they will eat up you time quickly.  Do the most important things first, and then do the small things as they come.

3)  Take breaks

                This may seem counterproductive to take a break when you have a project to finish but it really can be a great help to you.  Studies have shown that when people have a task that requires a lot of focus and attention, that if they take short 5-10 minute breaks about every 90 minutes or so they refresh their minds and do a better job.  You will also find that during a busy day, a short nap will do wonders for you.

4)  Focus and complete

                When you have a task to do, focus on the job at hand.  Do not answer email, go to social media or talk on the phone.  Give yourself time to really focus on the job so you can do it with excellence.  Once you have started a project or task, see it to completion.  Do not do it half way and then decide to come back to it.  Chances are very high you never will come back to it.  Also, when you stop to come back at a later time you loose momentum and focus.  Get it done and have it out of the way so you can move on to the next project.

To read more from John Patrick Hickey or to get his books, training and book him to speak to your church, business or group, visit our website at http://www.growthcenter.net or www.johnpatrickhickey.com.   © 2014 John Patrick Hickey