Growing up, it was indeed taboo for me to come home from school and not have the home cooked southern meal that my grandmother “Madea” had so lovingly prepared and had waiting for me to consume at 3 pm every day. As I am reminded of that delicious “supper” waiting for my arrival every afternoon, not once do I recall consuming it on paper dinner supplies; not a paper plate, fork, spoon or cup existed in my home. It was just unheard of. This childhood memory reminded me of a key strategy I have implemented in order to be successful at goal achievement. It is the strategy of “convenience”.
You see, nowadays things are totally different for me and my family. My household thrives on utilizing paper eating supplies to make life easier and more convenient for us. I mean really! There are seven of us in my home which includes three children under the age of ten and a very busy teenager.
Sure we have a working dishwasher and dishwashers (in the form of humans of course) but the convenience of saving time that those paper supplies create for us far outweighs the shame of using them. Of course I have “good dinnerware” including some pretty cool China that we could all use when sitting down daily at the dinner table together. But the reality is, the time and energy that is saved by not using them is so much more valuable.
So, what exactly does this have to do with goal setting?
Say for instance, you have a goal to write and publish a book before the year is out. One of the key hindrances to you accomplishing this goal will be trying to go at it with a “perfectionist mentality”. Simply put, it’s you trying to cross every “i”, dot every “t” and go through the process in a way that is more traditional than practical for you.
When it comes to accomplishing “big goals” I have found that implementing the most convenient strategies toward goal attainment is key. Sometimes this requires taking the road that is less traveled by others yet is most convenient for you.
You have to learn how to eat your “elephants” (big tasks) one bite at a time. Map out your goals and dreams in a consumable format that will be more convenient and attainable for your lifestyle.
I must emphasize that this is not cheating. It’s just working smarter not harder by using proven strategies that get you results.
Evaluate your current goals and then ask yourself these 3 key questions:
Is this the best way to get this done?
How can I save time and energy by doing this another way? (Create a Plan A, B or C even.)
Who can help me make this happen?
As always, I hope this helped. That’s all for now and remember don’t be ashamed of your “paper supply usage”. The key is to get the job done!
Empowered to DO IT always,
~ Kish
