How do successful people seem to accomplish more, seem better organized, and generally happier? Personally, the shift for me was development of a proactivity mindset. What do I mean by that? I define this as the ability to be thinking forward to getting things done, driving to the completion of a task, having a “do it now” mentality.
For example, if I come home from work with groceries and even though I’m tried, I take the 10 minutes to put everything away – that’s a proactivity mindset – I don’t leave half on the counter, convince myself I’m tired and I will get to the rest later, and then experience dread when I’m ready for bed and realize the groceries are still sitting there.
So why is this so hard? We live in a world where things are coming at us right and left. Our schedules are packed, we’re tired, and we’re overwhelmed. I help people all the time develop a plan to reverse this state and proactivity mindset is a big part of it. Often times when we are in a state of overwhelm, our inclination is to keep our head above water, to do the bare minimum, and to procrastinate. Which is understandable given our state.
What to do about it? So how can we start that shift and train ourselves to have a proactivity mindset?
- Find your proactivity mantra. For me this is “do it now”; if I have the choice to put something off or leave a dish sitting on the counter, or leave clean laundry in a basket instead of folding it, I turn on my inner voice and tell myself to “do it now”. Other phrases that I’ve seen people use: “Work now, play later,”” helping me help myself, “ “this will only take a minute”
- Have a routine to set yourself up for future success. Get a cute dish for your keys, always put your work bag in the same place when you come home, lay out your outfit the night before, etc. These are things that take 30 seconds and over time, become habit. Do away with the anxiety of looking for your keys plus the time you waste; both add to your overwhelm.
- Set a timer and challenge yourself. Set a timer and see how long things really take. The answer may surprise you. For example, I used to put off folding laundry. I would leave the crumpled clothes in the dryer for hours. Then I timed myself. It takes no time at all. If you are feeling competitive, challenge yourself to beat your last time.
Start small – maybe try one of the above for a week. Habits build on each other. As you start to shift your mindset to a proactivity one and the overwhelm starts to decrease, you will start to look for ways to incorporate it. You will be calmer, free up more time overall, and feel more accomplished in your day.
Need help? Set up a free call!
