photo credit: Per Ola Wiberg

The first day of a new month (rabbit rabbit!) and it’s the one that feels most like “autumn” to me—nevermind that it’s supposed to get up to almost 90° F today! The only downside: dreaded invoicing day. I really hate invoicing. A lot.

One reason for my passionate loathing is just the simple fact that it involves doing tedious tasks that I’m not particularly good at. If that was it, though, I’d outsource it and be done with it. The worse part is that I have to go through all of my PayPal transactions and categorize them, make sure everything matches, and realize that I’m putting in tons of hours and making very little money as a result. That’s just depressing.

So today I’ll get through evil invoicing first in hopes of having a better rest of the day. I haven’t even showered yet—don’t worry, it will immediately follow invoicing.

I also need to fit in some baking for our church gathering tonight—I’ve committed to bring some bread and I’m thinking about a certain bread machine roll recipe + a pan of cornbread. Neither will take very much active time but I need to remember to start early enough.

Most Important Tasks

• Invoicing
• Do two specific tasks on a client site (being vague here for privacy reasons)
• Create three new videos for my training course and write text versions for all four videos

The reward

I’ll allow myself to read as many of my blog feeds as I want (when my work is done). I have about 150 unread posts, and spent some time last night reducing the incoming flow, so I’m looking forward to catching up.

photo credit: bogenfreund

One of the things I’m going to have to watch out for is the tendency earn a reward but skip actually getting it. Part of the problem is setting it up like I did yesterday: time-sensitive. I completed my entire list, but by the point I got there, I had run out of time to actually collect my reward. So I’ll correct that today.

Most Important Tasks

• Start one of my designers on a client project
• Add the video I made yesterday to my training course and develop the “library” module
• Follow up on a very dragged-out project

The reward

I have a (random) vision of making my own gummy fruit-snack type food, and I’ll buy this candy mold to make them (this is the first of three I want). Yes, it’s a little odd, but I’m not letting that stop me!

photo credit: tracyhunter

After my post last week, I carefully considered both of the productivity courses I was thinking of taking… and decided to go with “neither.” Why? Because realistically, I already know most of what I need to do and am not doing it, so I think it would be a mistake to spend money on something else at this point.

One of the great things both of those programs offer, though, is daily encouragement. I’m sure the creators of both programs would counter my reasoning for not enrolling with something like, “Everyone struggles with not doing what they know they should do—my program helps you take action with daily motivation!”

So I’m looking to replicate that—on the cheap. Fortunately, I have a few good ideas. They’re a combination of tools, carrot, and stick (though maybe I should say “chocolate” instead of “carrot,” since I don’t actually like carrots… ooh, or “carrot cake”! ).

• The tool: I have a bunch of motivational podcasts that I’m already subscribed to. I enjoy them when I listen to them, and it would be a great start to each day to just hit play on one.
• The carrot cake: Leo (the Zen To Done guy) recommends rewards, and lots of them early on. I will give myself a small reward each day I hit my targets.
• The stick: I’m posting my plan here, and you’ll all know if I don’t do it. I’m also committing to posting a daily update for the next three weeks (sorry, might be boring reading for you, but I know from experience that public commitment motivates me).

A successful day

So the question is, what am I shooting for each day? I’ve made a specific list (because specific = finite = I know when I’m done!).

• I will start by listening to a motivational podcast. I’m resisting this one a little because it seems kind of frivolous (“why don’t you just get down to work?!?”), but I know that I am more likely to actually get down to work after I feel motivated.
• My first task will be to decide on two or three “most important tasks” (Leo calls these MITs). These are the tasks that matter most for one reason or another; they might be urgent, or they might relieve some particular stress, or they might further a developing business idea. But absolutely no more than three per day—otherwise it’s just not realistic.
• Accountability kicks in when I post the daily plan on this blog. This will probably be a very short post—just a list of my MITs, my reward for success, and any random thoughts that crop up as part of the process. I’ll put them all in the “Daily Check-In” category so that you can skip them easily if you aren’t interested.
• In addition to doing a few things right, I also need to break some unproductive habits. Consequently, I won’t check email or Twitter until at least one MIT is done. And I won’t check it again until all MITs are done.
• For the next three weeks, my specific “good habit” I’m developing is the “Process” habit. That means that my daily target will be to process all new email that comes in each day, plus five older emails (because I’ve got to get through that backlog somehow!). That doesn’t mean that I’ll complete the tasks contained in every email, just that I’ll process them, get them on the appropriate list, and stop using my inbox as a to-do list.
• Once I complete the previous items on this list, I will update the morning’s blog post with a comment.
• Finally, I will turn off my Mac before going to bed. Besides the benefit to the electric bill + environment, this means I will have to put everything away—save files, bookmark sites, etc. The morning will be much nicer with a clean slate.

Today’s plan

I thought of doing a second post for this but it seemed silly.

Most Important Tasks

• Finish the back-end design for my upcoming blogging course
• Record a video walk-through for a client
• Record my first video for the blogging course

The reward

If I get my day wrapped up by 4pm, I’ll take off early (to the living room!) and give myself some time alone with my new John Grisham novel.

photo credit: sunshinecity

I do well with rewards, and now that I’m caring about my fitness and health again, it seems like a good idea to set some goals and tie some rewards to them.

This go-round, I’m going to do three types of rewards: “doing the right thing,” metrics, and performance-based treats. Here’s what I have in mind…

“Doing the right thing”

Sometimes it’s easy to fall off the bandwagon when I’m not immediately seeing results, so I’m going to give myself some rewards just for doing the right things, regardless of results, in hopes that this will keep me doing them.

Here are my daily “right things”:

• Logging my food
• Logging my weight on Physics Diet
• Putting my shoes on in the morning (no excuses for not walking, etc.)
• Maintaining a 500-calorie deficit on non-biking weekdays, break-even on weekends and biking days

Weekly:

• Minimum of two strength-training workouts (the SELF Challenge workouts)
• Minimum of three half-hour cardio workouts (most of my bike rides are significantly longer)

The rewards

I know I’m not perfect, and only rewarding myself when I am will definitely backfire, so the criteria for a reward will be five consecutive days doing the right things. I will get one of the following rewards (in order!) for each successful round:

• “Skin care shopping spree” made up of Neutrogena® Summer Glow Daily Moisturizer SPF 20, Neutrogena® Build-a-Tan™ Gradual Sunless Tanning Face SPF 15, and the Clean & Clear Advantage kit
• Anarchy perfume (a cheap knock-off of Donna Karan’s Chaos, which Daniel liked but is discontinued these days)
• Weleda Baby Pregnancy Body Oil (it’s supposed to help prevent stretch marks!)
• Levenger Circa Bookcloth notebook (Junior size) + Desk Punch
• One book from my wish list (for all future weeks until I come up with other rewards )

Metrics

These are a little more straightforward: I hit the goal, I get the prize. For each number, the goal is considered “hit” when I maintain it (according to my daily average on Physics Diet) for seven consecutive days. (For the record, these rewards are all going to be modified if I get pregnant!)

• 145 pounds: Bra Cup Racerback Tank
• 140 pounds: Tempered Short
• 135 pounds: Side Sheer Bottom
• 133 pounds (my goal weight): Dipper Pant
• 29% body fat: Bra Cup Vee Neck Tank
• 27% body fat: AT Short
• 25% body fat: St. Martin Wedge
• 23% body fat: Reversible Tie Back Tankini
• 21% body fat: Layback Linen Pant
• 19% body fat (my goal): Solid Reversible 2-in-1 Tow-In Top

Performance-based

This is the most nebulous, just because I need some input from Daniel. What I’m thinking: when I can do the road ride up to the local ski hill in a certain number of minutes, we get a mountain tandem. (But that’s why he needs to be in on it, too.)

I’ll update this post as needed.

photo credit: Dafydd359

Feeling much more upbeat this week. I think a little legitimate discontent was exactly what I needed to push me in the right direction.

I tend to do life in cycles. Right now, I’m moving into a fitness phase where I care again about being healthy, so I’m going to shift some of my time and activities around to fit that goal. It helps that the weather is getting nicer, making it much more appealing to venture outside.

I’m shifting the format of my plan a little, too, to reflect the areas I’m working on.

Business

The goal

My big business goal is to get on top of it, stay on top of it, and then replace myself.

We’re planning on getting pregnant and having a kidlet (no particular time frame, as these things happen when they happen, but could be sooner rather than later) and I don’t want to be tied to a job at that point.

That’s not to say I won’t work; I’m pretty sure I’ll always work, just because I like it so much and find it interesting. I just don’t want to have to work.

My coach, Marla, helped me a ton last week by proposing a schedule. I’ve been having trouble balancing the big projects (that need regular effort to move forward, but don’t have the same sense of urgency as the little ones) and the quick, “it’s just a little change” jobs.

The path

• Stick with the schedule. Today that means doing the two big projects for two hours each this morning, taking breaks, and doing the small projects in the afternoon.
• Send invoices! (Meant to do this last Thursday…)

Health

The goal

I’m stuck around 150 pounds and 30% body fat, and I want to be at 133 and 19%. This will make me faster on the bike (making it more likely the boy will spring for the mountain tandem idea!) and be more congruent with both the things I want to do and my identity. The current disconnect is slightly stressful.

The path (for today)

• Create a list of goals and rewards. These are very motivating to me. (Done!)
• Move during my breaks (2 walks a day) and during phone calls.
• Find and subscribe to a couple of spiritual podcasts to listen to during walking breaks. (Making them spiritual gets two birds with one stone. )

Extra-curriculars

The goal

Other major initiatives I’m involved in right now include the Black Ink Project and singing every other week for music at my church. I need to make a point to devote sufficient time to each of these.

The path

• Participate in the first Black Ink call (and have my headphones handy so I can walk while I’m listening!).
• Buy the three songs I need to practice today, and set them to play while I’m doing less mental work.

Want to jump in yourself?

Just leave a comment saying what you’re going to do today, or post on your own blog and leave a link.

Right now I have three major client projects in the works, I’m writing an ebook (due to my editor on Wednesday), and I’ve signed up for Jimmy D. Brown’s Six Figure Formula coaching, which starts today. I’m also helping some friends organize and promote a 300-mile, 5-day bike ride (meeting today) and am in the middle of about six smaller client projects. Oh, yeah, and I’m supposed to be launching my new site and doing some business development work that will make my life easier down the road.

Aaaaauughh!

Today I am going to focus on doing just a small list of (big) things:

• Finish writing, entering, and first-draft-editing ebook chapters three and four, and send to my editor
• Read and follow the first lesson of the S.F.F. course
• Attend bike ride meeting
• Clear inbox (48 messages, most of which require some action or response)

I really want to add more items to that list, because I have so much more to do, but I think that’s realistically all I can handle in the next eight or nine hours. If I get it all done, I can always do more! Part of dealing with email will be communicating my slipping schedule to affected clients.

The big challenge will be not getting distracted. My inbox alone contains enough distractions to suck up the whole day, so I’m going to take Mark Forster’s approach and create a backlog of non-essential items that I can do later (like reading other e-courses), just to get them out of my immediate view.

I’m also going to turn chat off for today. I’ve just started following some ladies on Twitter that I’d really like to get to know, but I’m going to have to save that for another day when I can give it my full attention.

When I complete my tasks for today, I will reward myself with… um… man, I’m so mentally busy I can’t think of anything non-food-related that I want right now. Okay, I will reward myself with permission to read all of my neglected blog feeds, and check my blog stats.

Furthermore, when I get my finished draft of my ebook to my editor on Wednesday, I will get my hair cut on Thursday or Friday.

On the upside, I’ve already succeeded in clearing my clogged kitchen sink. That’s got to count for something!

Want to jump in yourself? Just leave a comment saying what you’re going to do today, or post on your own blog and leave a link.

Last week was sort of dully, vaguely unproductive. Nothing I can put my finger on, but I just didn’t make much forward progress. I’d really like to get this week off to a better start!

No overarching theme for this week, just a diverse bunch of things I’d like to move forward on.

Today’s to-do list has just six items on it, plus four emails that need written, and an inbox (only 13 messages!) to clear. However, four of the six to-do list items are big items, and I’d like to be done by 4pm today in order to be ready for tonight’s Bible study (need to read and prepare dinner). I’m also going to commit to a “closed list,” meaning I will not allow interruptions by adding new items to today’s list; anything that comes in today will be added to tomorrow‘s list.

If I get my list done today, I’ll be closer to my ultimate goal of making my business run without me. My reward will be the simple joy of being done at 4pm.

Want to jump in yourself? Just leave a comment saying what you’re going to do today, or post on your own blog and leave a link.

photo credit: moon angel

The concept is simple: public commitment (which I call “obligation”) is a powerful motivator. I can harness this power for good by telling you all (okay, since this is my first post, “you all” might be a rather small group, but whatever!) what I’m going to accomplish, and then I’ll be more likely to do it.

Wendy frequently uses either penalties or rewards as additional motivators, but I’m feeling too overwhelmed to add anything else at this point, so we’ll see how a simple public declaration works for me, and adjust as needed.

This Monday

• I currently have 18 items on my to-do list (and an additional 7 already checked off, woohoo!). As you can imagine, that’s a lot of pressure, but they are all what Covey would call either “important-not-urgent” or “important-urgent”–no busy-work here. So completing this check list is what I commit to do for today.
• I also commit to update you on my progress before I go to bed.

Want to jump in yourself? Just leave a comment saying what you’re going to do today, or post on your own blog and leave a link.