So how are you doing with your year-end goals?
Are you moving towards them confidently, or are you losing momentum?
This month, we want to help you focus, stay or get into momentum, and become inspired by learning how to streamline a huge project.
If you are like me, you may get so overwhelmed with a huge project that you totally freeze, or you have the habit of distracting yourself and getting off on other tangents. If you are a detail person, maybe you get so tied up in the minutia, that when you have a big project, again, it just becomes overwhelming. That’s why we are going to talk about how to make tackling a huge project fun and easy so you can results.
I found a system that really works for me. A while back, I was supposed to put together three videos. I was so overwhelmed by the whole project, that I kept putting it off. The whole idea of having to get all dressed up, writing the content, setting up all the video equipment, getting the lighting ready, and feeling as if I had to be perfect for the presentation was draining my energy. Plus, I was doing it all by myself, so I called up my assistant and said, “Just forget it, I’m just going to do audio.”
Then she reminded me of the question, “How do you eat an elephant?”
One bite at a time.
I blocked out the whole day and went for it following the steps I’ll show you in a moment. It took me 12 hours, but I completed all three videos. They weren’t perfect, but I think they turned out well! And the best thing was we could move forward with that project.
I remember calling her at 8 pm with such joy, saying, “I did it! I did it!” I was so excited. It felt wonderful.
Here are four steps I took:
- Set a deadline for yourself.
- Break the tasks down into little, tiny steps or milestones. (I have a great way to do this!)
- Schedule the tasks. It can be over a period of weeks, days, or in my case – hours.
- And then celebrate and congratulate yourself. This is really important!
As you complete each milestone, you are going to get to that fabulous feeling of satisfaction that comes from meeting a goal. As you reach each of your milestones, you are going to be able to experience those feelings again and again. You are going to become more confident; it’s going to be fun, and it will become easier. You will turn what was a dreaded, intimidating project into a doable, satisfying accomplishment.
What I just shared with you was a small project, but what if you have a very large project? It’s the same steps, but step #2 will need to be very detailed. Luckily, I just interviewed business coach, Debbie Patterson, last month, and we role-played one of my upcoming projects by using an organizational chart template.
I found it very helpful to see the whole project laid out visually. I know you will enjoy the entire interview because Debbie coaches high-level executives, and this type of training is her unique ability! You can watch or listen to the 30-minute show: How to Get Clarity for the Next Level.
Right now, think about your biggest project and break it down into smaller steps, and then set milestones (use a visual like an organizational chart if you want), schedule it, and then celebrate at the end.
Watch your email each week this month because we have two terrific new shows for you on Smart Women Talk. The first is with 9/11 survivor, Mike Jaffe, also known as The Human WakeUP Call. When the 9/11 anniversary rolled around last month, I knew I had to invite him to share his inspirational story.
Our second guest is author/speaker/coach, Kathy Caprino, who will share the first step to take if you want to make more of an impact today by leveraging your talents in more fulfilling, rewarding and successful ways. In fact, be sure to read her article, The 7 Damaging Power Gaps & How to Overcome Them in this issue. This research is based on a survey of thousands that Kathy conducted, and they are the same 7 Power Gaps (based on limiting beliefs) she shares in our interview this month, so you won’t need to take notes!
Thank you for being part of our Smart Women Community! You can access all the free resources on the E-Learning Tab at Smart Women’s Empowerment!
Katana Abbott, CFP®, is a Midlife Millionaire® Coach, founder of the Smart Women Companies, and the host Smart Women Talk with over a million subscribers. For over 30 years, Katana has shown women how to take charge of their life and finances and believes it’s never too early to plan for expected and unexpected events like retirement, encore careers, moving abroad, or preparing for long-term care. She has written several books, created a financial literacy course, and is a popular speaker. Katana has been honored by NAWBO as one of Detroit’s Top 10 Business Women, receiving the Breakthrough Award. To download her new retirement guide, Three Smart Strategies to Maximize Your Retirement Income visit www.katanaabbott.com