jorgefusaro.com » gtd

Be Ready to Step Into a New Decade

Jorge Fusaro — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 00:37:25 +0000

Ever since High School, December has been an introspective month where I usually spend most of my time reflecting on the past 11 months. I look at my work, family, relationships, community, faith, decisions/choices made, etc. Yet most of my time investment goes into taking a sincere look at myself. I revisit personal goals to see what worked and what did not. I take notes. Lots of them.

I don’t know about you, but 2009 has been unlike previous years. It’s one of those years that I’ll probably draw wisdom for the rest of my life.

In the weeks leading to New Year’s Eve, I start preparing for the new year in anticipation. I throw away paper, optimize my computers, donate old clothes, start setting the tax docs aside, clean the fridge, etc. I like to be ready for that 1st day of the year.

While going through this process, I obtain the clarity and certainty of the goals I want to tackle in 2010. I don’t cut corners here. I take the time I need to set the the goals I need.

Allow me to share some thoughts of why I think goals are important to success, in life as well as in business. Perhaps these characteristics will inspire you (or others) to write your own list of goals.

Goals are the road-map of life and business. Without goals it is almost impossible to make plans and strategies. Needless to say, achieve anything.
Goals are not just for you and about you. Your goals are most likely going to affect others along the way. That can be very useful when deciding what goals to include.
Goals are proactive measures for success. Goals get you where you want and need to go. They are very useful, especially when the going gets rough. And it will.
Goals separate the achievers from the wanderers. People who set goals accomplish more. Organizations with goals have a competitive advantage and a strategy to support the goals.
Goals can serve as milestones to determine progress along the way. Humans and organizations need check points and rewards. Milestones are great incentives to keep going.
Goals are like cheerleaders. Once achieved, they keep cheering us on to tackle the next one.
Goals are not just for leaders. They are for everybody: parents, leaders, businesses, markets, community groups, entrepreneurs, churches, teams, countries, etc. Any individual or group of people seeking to go somewhere, must take adequate time to set goals.
Goals are our friends. They keep us accountable with a clear purpose and sense of direction.
Goals help us choose our peers. It is a natural thing to find like-minded people with a similar set of goals. This is easier than ever with social networking sites.
Goals serve as the common language in organizations. Employees should believe in the goals, and be able to list and talk about them.

After many years, I’ve learned that goals can be a bit sneaky and play hard to get; or take a different form or stop making sense along the way. That is why I find it useful to write them down and look at them as much as I need to. Feel free to make edits along the way if you need to. You have to flexible in this day and age of rapid change.

We are entering a new decade. We can create anything in a ten-year span. We just need to set our hearts and minds in motion.

Are you ready?
Do you know what you want in 2010?
What are your goals?

Please share on the comment section below. Thanks!

How to Do Things Just Once

Jorge Fusaro — Thu, 07 May 2009 19:39:28 +0000

When Henry Ward Beecher was asked how he could accomplish so much more than others, he replied,

“I don’t do more, but less than other people. They do all their work three times. Once in anticipation, once in actuality, and once in rumination. I do mine in actuality alone, so I end up doing things just once.”

To do something in actuality means to act at the present moment.

I really love this quote and advice. I get amazing results when doing things in actuality rather than having them accumulate on my to-do-list. I know that “later” often means “never” or “too late.”

If you have a tendency to procrastinate, force yourself to do things in actuality. This tip is especially helpful for creative types, visionaries, and entrepreneurs who are easily distracted. Usually the toughest part is getting started. Once you begin, it begins to flow. Overtime, you will get better at tackling tasks on the moment.

My favorite part of getting things done in actuality is that I don’t have to come back to it again. That frees up my leisure time for more “play time”.

Do you have a stop-doing-list?

Jorge Fusaro — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 00:09:20 +0000

Look at your to-do list. How many items do you find that have been there for months. Do they really need to get done? What if you deleted them?

The first rule of getting something done is identifying and knowing what does not need to get done.

List those tasks where you get “caught up” everyday. Create a new list and call it: “Stop Doing List.” This list will serve as a reminder of the activities that distract you from the most important things you should be doing. Life is too precious and work too important to let your time be consumed in less important stuff.

Your list may include habits that no longer work for you or activities that consume your time each day. Some of the items I have on my list are:

Stop checking emails all day long. Check them only twice a day, at 10am and 4pm.
Stop multi-tasking. Do one thing at a time. Be present.
Stop taking breaks between tasks. That includes picking up the phone. Start a task and complete it.
Stop writing long and often unrealistic “things to do” each day. Focus on three major, must-get-done tasks!
Stop wandering on the www reading so many blogs, news, and articles.
Stop checking Facebook several times a day. Check it one and limit my time to 20 min a day.

Sticking to your “Stop-doing-list” will not easy and requires constant practice and discipline. The reward is more time to do what needs to be done and more time to do what we love to do the most.

What items should you quit doing? Join the conversation by commenting below.