3 Simple Ideas That Will Accelerate Your Progress in Reaching Your Goal

We’re  in the third week of 2012 and if history has taught us anything, by now you’re already back to your old habits. You’ve stopped going to the gym, you’ve started eating crap, and the idea of accomplishing more in 2012 than you have in your entire life is an afterthought.  The status updates, declarations and all the enthusiasm you started off with just 15 days ago are gone.

Fortunately, here at the Skool of Life, this is exactly the kind of thing that will  get you kicked out of class. But, we’d never kick you out of class without giving you a way to get back on track. So let me share 3 simple ideas with you that will not only get you back on track but accelerate your progress towards your goals.

Eliminate Distractions

The world we live in is full of distractions. Most of us start are day in a frenzy of text messages, status updates, phone calls and noisy households. It’s not exactly the best way to start your day off on a high note. Given that I am  constantly battling ADHD, eliminating distractions of any kind is essential to getting shit done. I’ve found one simple method that works and also allows me to give into my distractions. I work on one thing for just 30 minutes at a time. After that 30 minutes I allow myself to goof off. By leveraging these blocks, I get more done in a day than I would in a week if I was trying to work on many things at once.  Turn down the noise and pump up your effort.

*Note this is also apparently known as the pomodoro technique which you can read about elsewhere online

Daily Accountability

If there is one suggestion I recommend you follow, it’s this. I’ve made a point to review where I’m at every single day on the 4 goals I’m working on and  the pressure of accountability results in consistent action. Sure there are days that I don’t do anything on a particular goal, but when I write down “NOTHING”  for 2 days in a row it lights a fire under my ass. But instead of telling you that this works, let me share the results:

• I’ve written 10,000 words for a new product i’m working on
• I’ve developed a full product launch roadmap with my business partner David
• I released my own anti-resume called the Search for an Opportunity to be Remarkable
• I’ve made it a point to reach out the biggest fans of my podcast and ask for iTunes reviews and we’re up to 35 5 star reviews and adding almost two new ones every single day. If you’re a fan of the show, I’d love for you to write a review.
• I recorded an audio version of my relationship marketing for bloggers e-book

I’ve done this all in the span of about 7 days. You could argue that I’ve managed this because I don’t have a full time job, but oddly enough that would cause me be more efficient because I’d have less time and be forced to use it more wisely. So don’t underestimate the power of daily accountability.

Discipline and Commitment

While you’ve probably heard some of the ideas above before, what makes them actually work is discipline and commitment. As ridiculous as it might seem I carry my goal planner everywhere with me. So even if I’m spending the night at a friend’s house, I still have it with me and still fill it out every single day.

Discipline is about doing something consistently. There are definitely going to be days where you just don’t feel like doing the things you have to do.  It’s on these days that it’s most important that you stay the course.

Commitment means doing whatever it takes. It might mean getting up an hour earlier or going to sleep an hour later. It might mean giving up dessert once a week and eating something a little more healthy and a little less tasty.

Before you write these ideas off as simple, give some thought to this. The simplest ideas are often the most effective. We often complicate things in order to give ourselves an inflated sense of accomplishment.

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