What and How...

When I first married 7 years ago, I struggled to find a place in my new life. In addition to being a new bride, I was also shifting careers. I took a huge leap from the world of psychology and human services to the world of music and business management. To say it was a struggle is an understatement…I was in a full blown war. It was the old me vs. the me that was to come. My largest battle was following through with what I started. I had so much to accomplish, with little time to get it done. You would think that my experience as a case manager for the state, handling more than 100 cases per year, I would have been prepared to take on multiple tasks. That wasn’t the case. Working multiple tasks in several different disciplines proved to be more than I could handle...or so I thought. I realized that I was going about it all wrong. I was one person trying to do the jobs of five people all in one day. That left me unfocused and many jobs undone. It took some time. Ok…it took some years, but I figured it out and this is how I did it…

First, I defined the principle roles that I was to play in our business. Once I knew my place, I stuck to the script. Second, I dispersed my responsibilities to span over the course of a week and I approached each task asking myself these questions: what do I need to accomplish and how am I going to get it done? Those questions were applied to every area of my life. I used them to get house work done and to schedule my husbands weekly sessions. I used them as I approached song writing and writing my business plan for professional speaking. Those questions helped me focus on the task at hand and served as my point of accountability. If I had no clear answer when approaching a task, I reserved the task until I did. It is better to hold off on doing something until it can be done right, than to attempt something that is improperly executed.

Many of you have been wondering why you are unable to get things done. It is probably because you have been working off your script. You may not have a clear understanding of what I expected, leaving you unable to focus. This technique has worked for me and several other entrepreneurs I have consulted with over the past few years. I encourage you to use it before attempting your next project. It will improve your quality of work and cut down on the time it takes for you to execute it.

As Entrepreneurs, CEOs, Managers, and just plain old employees, we all have jobs to do. Getting things done requires a clear understanding of what needs to be done and a plan of execution. If you are like I was and are having trouble focusing and following through, start with what and how. Ask yourself what do I need to accomplish and how am I going to get it done.


To Blog…Nakeia