Recently most of my time has been spent setting up social media and goofing around with WordPress themes, theme detectors , plugins and plenty of other time wasting activities. Sure, whenever you’re trying to build an online presence some of these processes are important but there has got to be a point when enough is enough and you have to just get on with it!
Sometimes you might think you’re working toward building passive income, when in reality you’re probably not. How can you tell if you’re working on the right things? Take a moment. Consciously zoom out from your current setting. Obverse your situation. Have a good look and all the projects your working on. Are they all benefiting your goal? How many tasks do you have on the go? If you’re working hard on the right stuff, then good. Keep it up. However if you’re finding yourself bouncing around all over the place from one task to the next, its time to reassess and figure out where you need to give your undivided attention.
Here are my thoughts and strategies to stay super-focused.
______
Set Mini Goals – Milestones
Aim for milestones. Work relentlessly toward them. If you don’t make it within your set time frame… who cares! You haven’t failed. Not starting all or giving up is the only failure. Fail to plan and you plan to fail unless you get lucky. Luck plays a small role when working toward your dreams. You have to make your own luck. Get yourself onto the tracks to get hit by the Luck-train. My ultimate goal is to earn a minimum of $15k (US) per year to support us in Asia and free ourselves to help those in need. But my first milestone is to begin earning $100 per month. Keep your goals or milestones simple and aim for one at a time. This will help you keep laser beam focused.
Keep yourself accountable
Whether on or offline, keeping someone you trust in the loop who is enthusiastic for you, will help you stay on track. A greater level of motivation is record your progress like I am here on this blog even few people are reading it. But offline, I’ve got my Mrs here who is directly affected by my actions or the lack there of and is not afraid to give me a swift kick up the backside when I start goofing off… At the time I hate it but in the end she is right. Having some to cheer you on is an awesome motivator… If you’re in a position like me where you have given up everything to pursue your dreams, your future depends on it!
Set productive building blocks
Break up your day into small chunks, I was watching a guy named Pete Williams on YouTube some time ago (He sold pieces of carpet from the former members pavilion in the MCG, one of Australia’s famous sporting arenas), he schedules his day into 25 minute blocks. Adopting a similar approach, I’ve started using the timer on my phone so to keep me super engaged in what I’m doing. I don’t get up for anything unless necessary. At the end I take a quick break then back into creation mode. This time schedule may not work for you but the point is to find a system that does and stick to it. Consistency is key.
Minimise the distractions
Close every browser, tab and app on your from becoming a distraction. Turn your phone of silent – Don’t be tempted to leave the vibration on. The lure of messages from social media is strong and before you know it you’ve been sucked into the Facebook vortex and hours have passed. If you’re like me you beat yourself up for letting it happen. I have to watch myself too… being lead astray still happens to me when I let my guard down. When you have work on social media, do it but make it deliberate, short and quick. Set aside the time and concentrate on what needs to be accomplished. Same goes with research – be deliberate!
Last but not least.
Take yourself seriously but don’t forget to have fun!
The hard yards you put in can and will change the course of your life. While many others will be falling away you will come out on top, whether 6 or 18 months or up to 5 years from now. Just don’t give up! Your life depends on it. Not just your life but the lives of others around you.
Lets not forget to have fun along the way. Thats what life is about: Enjoying the journey. Thats what a pilgrimage is. Its not just about the Holy Grail. Self gratification comes along the way not at the destination. Lets not deny ourselves the small pleasures whilst achieving the big. Celebrate and reward yourself when you meet your milestones and achieve your goals. Having fun and showing it enriches your story. Remember your only live once.
Tell us your thoughts.