6 Practical Tips For Getting Shit Done
You have a full time job, brilliant ideas to share with the world, a side hustle business to launch, sleep to catch up on, exercise to hustle through, and about 100 other #adulting things to take care of. 24 hours in a day seems like we would have plenty of time to get all of our shit done – doesn’t Beyonce have those same 1,440 minutes? But time seems to escape us, the weeks add up, and we’re not sure if we’ve made any progress at all. So how do you get all of this shit done, without losing your shit!?
1. SPARK THE FIRE
Attitude is everything, and being passionate about what you're doing goes a long way during difficult hustle days. Maybe you love your full time job, but have to work a side job to pay the bills; or perhaps you’re no longer passionate about your career, and struggle to find time to focus on a side hustle you’re pumped about. If you’re not doing what you love right now, seek out the small things that bring you joy and start a daily gratitude practice to keep a positive mindset and track what sparks your internal flame.
2. SET INTENTIONS
To create and maintain daily motivation to get shit done -- write your goals down! Even if they are big, lofty dreams – it helps to see them on paper and break them out into small steps that you should be taking in that right direction. Whether it’s a project based goals, annual achievements, or a lifelong vision – knowing what you are hustling for will fuel your drive and ensure your time is well spent.
3. BREAK IT DOWN
People often never even start to chip away at their goals because it seems like such a big task to tackle (or, they haven’t written their goals down, so there is no clear place to begin). Once you have stated your intentions, take each of your goals and break them out into a series of smaller goals that you can accomplish each month throughout the year. Then, take it further and break it down into what you can handle a week (or even a day) at a time. This way, you know what you have to do, so you can schedule the appropriate chunks of time to do it and get that shit done!
4. SCHEDULE PRIORITIES
Ask yourself – “What will I do this week to create my legacy?” Staying organized and keeping an ongoing task or activity list helps you see what’s coming up, where you need to schedule work or play time in, evaluate your priorities, and tackle your daily to do list as efficiently as possible. Writing down ideas, notes, and future tasks can help clear the clutter from your brain so you’re able to focus on the task at the moment. Knowing what you have on your plate allows you to evaluate what you’re spending your time on and how you should spend it.
5. CHUNK
Set aside chunks of time to power through and focus on only the priorities you set for the day so you can work as quickly and efficiently as possible. Knowing that you've set aside specific time for tasks will keep you on track and focused in the moment; put the phone away, turn off desktop notifications, stop checking your Instagram likes, and concentrate on the task at hand to work as efficiently as humanly possible. If you get off track or distracted easily – schedule regular weekly times to catch up on the tasks that tend to pile up like responding to emails, organizing your apartment, tracking goal progress, and especially time for relaxing and exercise.
6. TAKE A BREAK
The hustle is real, but giving yourself time to rest and reflect will ensure you are efficient and healthy in the long run. If you’re constantly trying to run at full speed, you can get tired and anxious and that will only hinder the time it takes to achieve your goals. Scheduling in chunks of free playtime allows you to stay refreshed and creative!
Earl Nightingale said to “Never give up on a dream just because of the time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway.” Every single day counts leading up to your big dreams, and even though you can't get it all done right now, every little task will add up to something grand. By writing down your intentions, scheduling priorities, you can make sure the work you're doing is leading you in the right direction with every project you take on and every person you meet.
xo SH
