I've spent many years learning and working on time
management, and I have read many books on the topic.
"Just begin". "Begin with the end in
mind".* Both of these are admirable recommendations, and neither of them
really work for me all the time. I cannot begin if I don't know where to begin.
It's not always like a race, where everyone lines up at the starting point
together, and a shot is fired to tell us when we can begin.
Many times, a task or a goal for me is so many building
blocks or puzzle pieces that I need to gather together, before I can decide
which part to work on first.
And beginning with the end in mind only works if you know
exactly where you are going - if I want to be in Rome by 5pm on Friday
afternoon, I know I need to work it backwards to identify what to pack and
which method of transportation I will use to reach my destination, so I am able
to work out what time I need to leave home to arrive on time.
Begin with the end in mind is great if you know exactly what
you want. And if you are building your dream house, then you probably do want
to keep that image in mind, to be sure that when it is built, it is how you
wanted it to be. And with any goal, to really achieve it, in some tiny corner
of your mind, you do need to believe it is possible; you need to be able to see
yourself having achieved it, to be living the results.
Some goals, though, are a little different - we need to see
ourselves achieving them, but to be willing to adapt if needed, or to realise
that what we imagined is not exactly how it will play out. I remember
visualising my trip to Singapore and India last year. For me it was seeing
myself in my mind's eye, boarding the plane at Heathrow, and imagining the
flight, and then landing in Singapore.
However, no matter how much research I did about Singapore
and India, no matter how many colleagues in Singapore and India I spoke to in
order to prepare the workshops, and how much I planned the trip, in the end
none of that matched exactly my imaginings and my visual image.
What it did do, was to carry me through the time when I was
planning and working, and to give me the inner motivation to keep going. And
where the original goal was to go to Singapore and India and present the
workshops, the more I spoke about my trip to colleagues and friends and
relatives, the more real it became, and the more I began to realise it was not
just about going, it was about what a successful outcome of the trip would be,
and how I could ensure that it was successful.
Crossing the finishing line
When I was working on my coaching diploma two years ago,
there came a point where I was nearly finished, and yet I just had 3000 words
left to write to submit my coursework for assessment. By this point I had
completed all my practise coaching sessions, I had attended all the on-site
training days and I had been assessed on my practical skills. I had completed
what felt like about 90% of the course. However, I found myself hesitating to
complete the final 3000 words, to submit that final piece, because it was that
last bit of work, and handing that in would be the final test. Had I done
enough to pass? Had I done enough to pass with a mark that I would find
satisfactory? What would happen if I passed?
Then I read a description in "The Now Habit"** about the final stretch of a marathon. It wasn't until I read
this description and imagined my course as a race that I was able to put it
together and realise that not handing in that final 3000 words, was the
equivalent of simply sitting down 100m before the finishing line, of stopping,
and not finishing the race. I could see
the finishing line, and my friends cheering me on, but if I didn't cross the
finishing line, I could not finish the race. It was then I realised that my
friends would congratulate me on finishing no matter how long it took me, and
that it really didn't matter how long it took others to finish that race,
whether they finished ahead of me, or after me. It was my race, and only I was
in charge of myself and my attitude.
Celebrate finishing
I got over this idea by deciding to celebrate when I had
handed in my coursework, when I had crossed the finishing line, rather than
waiting to find out my results and celebrate my outcome. Whilst I wanted a good
outcome, and I'd want a personal best for the race, the most important thing is
crossing that finishing line. Because that is the part that I have control
over: my efforts and my input.
You may say that it is obvious when to begin if you are
running a race, but I would argue that is not necessarily the case. For one person it may
be buying their race outfit, for another it may be registering for the race,
for another it may be finding a cause to run for, or a friend who will sign up
with them. For another it may be signing up to a gym to build up their stamina.
So I say, if you're not totally sure where to start, that's
okay. Take the first step.
Begin in the middle.
Lynn
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