GPS Your Day

Few of us (in particular those of us that are 'directionally' challenged - like me!) would contemplate driving somewhere totally new without taking our GPS.  At the very least we are going to check Google Map for directions.  I know that the moment I am heading out to a new client location I am plugging their address into Hugh and taking him along with me for the ride... just in case!  (okay, okay... yes... my GPS is named Hugh...  so named because of the voice setting to Australian male... made the connection yet?)  We do the above automatically, without ever questioning the need to obtain directions 'before' setting out for our destination.

However, how many of us strategically plan out the 'how' we are going to get to our desired destination in life?  We may think about and establish the desire end result but... we leave the getting there to chance.  We don't think beyond that end destination and begin planning what steps are required DAILY to get us where we want to go.  Is it little wonder then that weeks, months and, most depressingly, years go by without our actually achieving any progress?

Instead, we need to operate a little more like our GPS (Australian accent is optional!) and consider what actions we can take to move forward, to ensure we are moving in the right direction.  In this instance it is always easier to plan in reverse.  Take that desired end result and break it down into smaller 'chunks'.  Each of these, in turn, gets broken down, those get broken down... and so on.  This way you end up knowing just what you need to achieve annually, monthly, weekly and daily to reach that ultimate destination.

Consider those daily action steps as your GPS directions for the day.  Each needs to be followed if you are going to be, at the end of your day, where you needed to be.  You wouldn't consider stopping two blocks from a meeting location and believe that it's 'close enough'  Why settle for less from your day?

I have many of my clients highlight a small section of their daily planner where they drop in the one action step that they can take that day to move their personal goals and agenda forward.  This one item, no matter how small, becomes an absolute.  No matter what else happens in their day that necessitates carrying other items forward, this one item MUST get done that day.  In doing this, most report that regardless how the rest of their day went, looking at that item and knowing they took even one small step toward the achievement of their goal always made them feel that something worthwhile got done.

Try this out for yourself, GPS an action step into your daily plan and see how it works and feels for you.  Getting that one thing done each day will likely have you feeling that you had a successful day too.  Hmm... pardon me...  a g'day mate!