Sometimes we experience dissatisfaction with some aspect of our life or work and we want something different or yearn for more. We set out with every intention to make some changes but before we know it weeks, months or even years have passed by and things are still the same – we’ve been treading water! Personal goals and ambitions can often get neglected as other things take over in our busy lives and sometimes this happens because we have no clear markers of time and consequently don’t really notice time passing until its too late. In this months tip I want to offer you a powerful way of ‘marking time’ that can help you to get more important things done and ensure you are moving on instead of standing still. This tip does come with a warning as it’s not for the feint hearted because this can also be an important wake up call to a lack of action!
The significance of marking time was brought home to me a few years back. For me the first day of Spring spurs me into thinking about all the outdoor things I want to do as the weather warms up and evenings get lighter. Several years ago Spring arrived and I made my plans but then before I knew it mid-summers day had come and gone and I realised with horror that few of the activities I had intended had happened – time had simply slipped by and I vowed never to let this happen again. What had made this so shockingly obvious to me was the passing of the two markers of time created by March 21st and June 21st. This tip offers a way of ‘marking time’ to help avoid your plans sliding, to keep your goals from being neglected and to stay on course.
Take a moment to write a brief letter to yourself that begins by writing about where you are at the moment in terms of how you feel about life, work, relationships etc. Make headline statements about what is it missing, what you are not satisfied with and what isn’t working? Next write about where you want to be in three months time, what will be different, what will have changed and how will you be feeling about life? Follow this by noting the things you will have done over the next three months to achieve what you want, note changes you will have made, actions you will have taken and goals you will have achieved. Finish by signing your letter and putting it in a self addressed stamped envelope. Give the envelope to someone with strict instructions to post in three months time (write the posting date on the envelope) and choose someone whose organisational skills you trust! If nobody comes to mind I will be happy to do this for you – simply send it to me clearly marked with the date you want it posted.
A friend of mine was so taken with this idea they adapted it and did it weekly! First thing Monday morning they wrote themselves a short letter listing six key things (both work and personal) they were going to get done that week. They gave the letter to their PA to post on Friday so they would receive it in next Monday mornings post. Initially the results we frightening as they discovered how often other things took over and how little of the key things they got done. Determined not to continue suffering the Monday morning disappointments they changed their approach to how they ‘ring fenced’ their time for important priorities and worked out how to use their time differently. Now their Monday mornings are a cause for celebration as the actions in their letter have been done and as a consequence they are becoming more successful at work and in life generally. Because taking action to get important things done has now become a habit for them they’ve stopped writing the letters. It is fascinating to notice how people talk about something in a coaching session that they have been meaning to do for ages and then all of a sudden they do it, coaching has provided the catalyst to move their action from the ‘back burner’ and keep it top of their list. Regular coaching appointments can become markers of time and strengthen people’s commitment to hold themselves more accountable for their own actions and goals.
Jeff Gill ICF Credentialed Coach
Is time passing you by? - To learn more about this author, visit Jeff Gill's Website.
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Hi, I'm Jeff Gill ICF Credentialed Coach
and founder of Better Balance Coaching. I
offer one to one coaching for
professionals who want more from life and
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