Let me ask you: have you ever blocked out time in your calendar for something important, only to end up not doing it?
You’re not alone!
In this video, I want to share some simple, practical tips to help you maintain momentum and actually stick to the plans you’ve made with yourself.
Right now, I’m in Atlanta, USA, with the city skyline behind me, and I just finished speaking to a room of about 150 leaders. During the session, I asked a straightforward question: “Have you ever set aside time for something important, only to give it away?” Every single hand went up.
We had a chat about why this happens, and three common reasons stood out:
You give the time away – You might have booked the time, but then something urgent comes up, or someone schedules a meeting, and you hand over that precious time to someone or something else.
You don’t feel like it – You get to the time you’ve set aside, but you’re just not in the mood or don’t have the energy, so you push it aside.
You get distracted – You start working on your task, but then something distracts you, and before you know it, you’ve been pulled away from what you intended to do.
So, here are three simple tips to help you stay focused and keep those promises to yourself:
1. Value Your Time
Why is it that we respect meetings with others, but don’t give the same value to meetings with ourselves? Whether it’s a meeting with someone else or just time you’ve blocked for yourself, what truly matters is the impact. Often, the meetings we have with ourselves can have a greater impact on our long-term success than any other meeting. So, start valuing those blocks of time you set aside for yourself—they might be the most important meetings of your day.
2. Commit to the Minimum
Here’s a little trick—if you don’t feel like doing something, just commit to doing the bare minimum. Tell yourself you’ll spend just 5 or 10 minutes on it. More often than not, once you get started, you’ll find yourself picking up momentum and carrying on. The hardest part is starting, so make a promise that you’ll always start, even if it’s just for a few minutes.
3. Block Out Distractions
Distractions are the enemy of productivity. When it’s time to focus on your task, turn off your phone—better yet, hide it. Find a quiet spot where you won’t be interrupted and give yourself the chance to dive into your work without being pulled in different directions.
By following these three simple steps, you’ll find it much easier to stick to your plans and accomplish the important tasks you’ve set for yourself. This not only boosts your productivity but also keeps your motivation high. It’s really disheartening to end a day knowing you didn’t make progress on what matters most, but when you’ve kept your commitment—even in small ways—it feels so much better.
So, my question to you is: How good are you at keeping meetings with yourself for those important tasks?
This is this week’s Work Smarter: Live Better tip.
Hope you have a lovely day!
A bientôt,
Cyril
