Just Take the Shot

It seems like this cold and flu season is taking no prisoners this year.  Every day I hear friends all over the world talk about being sick. Seems like this respiratory sickness is really intense.  In conversation with a friend the other day, she told me that she had gone to the doctor and gotten prescribed a round of antibiotics. “Oh, didn’t they have a shot to give you?” I asked. She said, “Well…they offered but I didn’t want to. Those needles hurt!”  Well sure, they hurt, but that’s just a minor hurt that will help you get better faster.  I’ve been that sick, and when faced with the easy antibiotic or the painful shot, always take the shot.   My friend had to take two more trips to the doctor and three more rounds of pills. The end result- her sickness lasted for over a month.

Yesterday I was talking with a client who was deathly ill. After our call, she made her way to the doctor. She explained, “They gave me a shot and, like magic, I could breathe two hours later! I feel so much better.”

That’s it exactly. You see, at first look, the shot seems like the harder option and people want to put off doing the things that are harder. But I promise, that if you’ll try the hard stuff first, you’ll get the results you want sooner. Are there things in your day that you put off doing because they’re hard or a little painful? For some of us, it’s writing sales agreements, for others, it’s making outbound calls. But those are the things that cause the best results!

For me, it’s hard to get organized and start a project because the task seems overwhelming.  Where do you start?  After reading dozens of time management tips and tricks, here’s what works for me:

1. First, I carve out 10 minutes to clean my desk. I hate it, but I know I have to. I file things that need to be filed and I start a new folder for whatever project I’m working on. I start a fresh sheet in my notebook. This helps me work with a clear mind. I don’t dust because honestly…who dusts?
2. I determine how much time I’m willing to spend on the project at this time and I block it out on the calendar. It’s important for me to do that so I know I have a stop time available to me. When the task is so daunting, knowing I’ve only committed to one hour (or 30 minutes, or whatever), helps me focus, because hey, I can do anything for an hour, right?
3. I prioritize the top 2-3 things that must get done to move the project forward, whether it’s materials development, a training outline, or scheduling. This helps me set the goal where I’m going so I’ll feel successful when I get there.
4. I rid myself of distractions. I would rather do anything that this task because it’s hard, so I don’t allow myself to see anything else. I turn off chat and email so I’m not tempted to multitask.
5. I focus. Remember there’s a stop time. I’ll focus on the two or three things I identified. A lot of times when I do this, I’ll get into a groove and keep going on the project, and that’s ok. But if I don’t, I stop at my end time and then block out the next hour or 45 minutes that I’ll work on it again. I’ve met my commitment to myself.

Even though it’s hard for me to get myself organized and begin projects (or sales calls, or staff training, or leadership coaching), I find that if I just take the shot and get moving, I feel so much better sooner. Accomplishment is healthy, right?  So I’ll say it again, when in doubt, always take the shot.  – Dr. Sherry