A Perspective on Success

One of the things I love most about the company that runs my day job is they encourage us to participate in frequent trainings. This morning I attended one on the topic of success.

Success looks different this year. I’m sure I’m not the only one that came into 2020 with a plan of what I was going to accomplish before the end of the year and how I was going to go about those goals. That was all derailed in March as I had to make immediate, overnight adjustments to a barrage of incoming conflicts from every side - both personally and professionally. Things didn’t start to slow down until September, which was the first time I felt like I could breathe in months. As I looked at the goals I’d set for the year, I felt defeated. Unlike previous years, I hadn’t created a list of potentially unrealistic goals, but the circumstances of pandemics, earthquakes, family challenges, the fear of being out of work, job transitions, and an unexpected move made even the simplest of tasks impossible.

But it was only September. I still had time right?

Now it’s nearing the end of October.... So maybe the timing of this training was appropriate.

We have 1440 minutes each day. That is constant. It will never change - even if 2020 provides us another square on our Apocalypse BINGO card. So what are we doing with it?

I had a few takeaways from this meeting I wanted to share.

1. Give yourself some thinking time first thing in the morning. Build your purpose for the day. What are three things I need to accomplish at work or school today? What are three things I need to accomplish personally today? What do I want to feel today? Who do I want to be today? Creating a game plan can help set you up for success. 

At the end of the day, take some time to reflect on what you accomplished. What were your successes? What unexpected tasks did you have to face and how did it go? What are your opportunities to improve tomorrow? 

2. “Eat a live frog first thing every morning, and nothing worse will happen to you the rest of the day.” - Mark Twain

I’ve heard this idea before and the concept has really helped me over the years. Do your most important and least desired tasks first thing. For one, it will make sure that the most vital items on your to do list are completed when expected or needed. For another, the tasks that you don’t enjoy doing, once completed, can be out of the way, freeing your day from the thought and dread of having to deal with the “problem child” later on.

Someone mentioned this in a training years ago and I decided to apply it to my tasks. I was a legal administrator at the time and had a particular person at one of the attorney offices I worked with that required a lot of time and attention. This was the “frog” in my day. I would push off responding to their emails or working those accounts until I had to, but the looming task was always there in the back of my mind and clouded the day. 

After receiving this tip, I started working on those emails first thing every morning. This was beneficial for a few reasons: I was able to accomplish them right way and then they were off my ever-growing to do list. I was also able to look at those emails with fresh eyes and they became less taxing because I was ready to get to work on the problems that needed addressing just as I started my work day. 

3. Have you ever tried the Pomodoro Technique? This is a method used to help you stay focused and mentally fresh when focusing on tasks. 

Step 1 - Pick a task.

Step 2 - Set a 25-minute timer.

Step 3 - Work on your task until the time is up.

Step 4 - Take a five minute break.

Step 5 - Repeat. 

For every four Pomodoro rotations, take a 15-30 minute break.

I’ve heard of exercise routines having sets that are similar to this, but I’d never thought to apply them to task accomplishment in the way that it hit me today.

The biggest goal I had for this year was completing the first draft of the first book in my series. I’ve been working on this story for over four years and have been derailed by life, roadblocks in my writing, and ultimately not making it the priority that I want it to be. Maybe trying this technique with my writing will help me accomplish this task. (Stay tuned - I’m going to try this over the weekend.)

I know it is still possible to achieve my first draft goal by December 31 and, to be honest, I kind of need it to. The idea of completing my first draft in 2020 means more now because of everything that’s happened. I need that big win.

What have you learned about success? What does success mean to you? What has helped you be successful?