It is tempting to make the case that the problem is ‘other people’. If it wasn’t for them we would not be side-tracked.
Without all the distractions that surround us, we would be more organized, more productive and more satisfied. We would get done all the things that are important to us.
It is certainly true that we need to be flexible enough to accommodate other working styles and to communicate with people very different to us. Yet we do have a responsibility to ourselves to honour what we believe is really important, our true agenda. Blaming other people is a way of ignoring this responsibility.
Our true agenda can get hidden away
Then we can be very busy without being consciously aware of what has happened. Instead we might feel vague uneasiness, tension or dissatisfaction without knowing why.
If we are consciously aware that our true agenda has been side-lined, we tell ourselves that we will return to it when we have finished everything else. This strategy rarely works because we never finish ‘everything else’.
The secret to moving forward is commitment; it’s what makes the difference between intention and action. Commitment transforms the mental activity of creation into living reality. Yet committing to one thing inevitably excludes others, so it is wise to choose carefully. How often do you say ‘No’?
Here’s a practical strategy to get back on track
1. Make a list of what is really important to you. This can be single words or phrases, general or specific. Spend as much time as you need to create a list that covers all that is important. Here are some questions that may help you:
- What do you care about?
- What do you really want?
- What makes life worth living?
Also ask yourself:
- What makes you angry or frustrated?
- What is it you can’t live with?
- What principles are being violated?
When you have your list, keep it in a safe place. This is the essence of your true agenda.
2. Against each item on the list put a value between 1 and 10 to indicate how much you currently honour it with your own resources (time, energy, money)
3. Review the list, particularly noting the items with the lower scores. Choose one item (or more if you like) where you want to increase your resources (time, energy, money) spent on it. What do you want to achieve by doing this?
4. Make a commitment to balance this increase in resources by trimming a less important area (preferably one that is not on your list at all!). Give this commitment a time frame and a review date so you can check the balance again then.
You can return to your list anytime you like and repeat steps 3 and 4.
As you regain your true agenda, watch what happens to your inspiration levels.
About The Author
Trevor Hill works with people who want to be energized, focused and fulfilled. He helps them learn the secrets so they can be inspired whenever they want. You can get a free copy of ‘How To Inspire Yourself … Now’ from http://www.inspiration-at-work.co.uk/free-report
