How do you get a Round Tuit?

Last week I shared the poem, “Round Tuit.” I’ve often said, “I’ll do it someday,” or “Not now…” I’ve been spending time lately considering why I put off things that I know are important or that I should be doing. Here are some of the reasons I’ve discovered:

1.     Life is busy. There are so many things on my schedule, that I don’t have enough hours in a day to do everything I’d like to do, or everything that should be done. I end up having to postpone some tasks, including those that are important. Often the urgent things take precedence over the important ones, and the “busy work” takes up all of the available hours in a day.

2.     Lack of confidence. I’ve noticed that many of the things that I continually put off doing are tasks that require confidence; either believing that they are worthwhile to others besides myself, or believing that I am capable of doing them well. Fear of failure (and sometimes fear of success) can rob me of determination to achieve a goal.

3.     Lack of planning. Many things remain “dreams” because I don’t plan to achieve them. I continue to use the “Round Tuit” excuse, but because I don’t put the item on my to-do list and deal with other distractions, conflicts, or lack of confidence, they remain distant dreams.

4.     Lack of motivation or inspiration. Whether the task is very important or not particularly important; sometimes I’m just not motivated enough to make it happen, or I’m lacking the inspiration to move forward.

5.     Lack of access to resources. Sometimes I don’t do something because I need materials that I don’t have, require additional training for the task, or simply don’t have the money or time. Some of these things may be attainable someday as I plan to put the pieces in place to achieve my goals. Other times I need to readjust my goals to accommodate the reality of my current situation.

What can you do when you need to get around to doing something? Here are some strategies I’ve found to be helpful:

1.     Make a detailed plan. Define your goal clearly and specifically, brainstorm possible ways to achieve it, then choose the next three “best steps” for reaching it. I often schedule “to do” items right on my calendar so that I take time to get to them the same way I set aside time for a meeting or other obligation.

2.     Use positive “self-coaching.” The way we talk to ourselves is often the key to how we feel and how we respond. Negative self-talk such as, “I’m no good at this,” or “I’ll never be able to do this,” or even, “I don’t have time for this,” often ends up shutting us down and making it nearly impossible for us to move forward on a task. Changing our self-coaching to positive thoughts such as, “I can do this,” or “This really should only take me an hour, and then I can do something fun,” can generate positive emotions that help us achieve our goals.

3.     Ask someone to be your coaching partner. Like an “accountability partner,” this person knows about your goal, is willing to check with you regularly to see if you’ve done the various steps which will help you achieve it, and may be able to provide additional strategies and suggestions for “getting around to it.” I have friends who help hold me accountable to my goals, along with my husband and children. Not only are they my cheerleaders who keep me going and applaud my success, but they encourage and console me when I’m struggling.

Is there something you need to get around to doing? I hope you get around to it this week!