Toward the end of last year I began thinking about recommitting to the old ‘Top 6 or 7 For Success’ formula. I’ve heard it so many times: all the successful people make a list of their top priorities and then do those first, before tackling anything else, and that’s how they are so successful.
Sounds good, doesn’t it? Easy, even. But I have to confess that I was often bamboozled. What counted as a priority? I mean, obviously a top priority is revenue-generating work, and then there are the marketing tasks that don’t generate anything immediately but are important, and then there are writing tasks and phone calls and emails and working on the business instead of in it and walking the dog and eating well and meditating/visualising and family needs and so many other important things.
The moment of clarity came when I realised that my top priorities were supposed to align with my highest goals! (I know: Blinding Flash of the Obvious…) Since I’d already written a new goal card for the year, those ‘Top 3’ had to relate to achieving that goal.
Now I start my day writing out my Big-Year-Goal and the ‘Top 3 Priorities’ that directly relate to achieving it. (Three because that’s more achievable than six or seven.)
Then I create another list (with approximately three items) that is my ‘Success Today Looks Like’ list. The items on this list aren’t necessarily aligned with my year-goal, but they relate to other important things I need or want to achieve.
Then I list the ‘Other Stuff’ on the bottom half of the page.
A sense of focus, purpose and self-worth clicked in as soon as I began following this format. I had ‘permission’ to prioritise the items that gave me the most joy because they aligned with my most highly-valued goals. 🙂
The ‘Success Today’ list was easy to prioritise because it picked up on some of the other work that was important but not necessarily on my dream list.
And then I have the ‘catch-all’ for the other bits and various reminders to myself.
If you’d like to receive a template of this format that you can use, please email me and I’ll send it straight out.
And if you’re looking for a bit more inspiration to start the new year, come down the rabbit hole into ‘Wunderland’ with me and podcaster Georgia Ellis.
Georgia’s podcast is called ‘Ellis in Wunderland’, and she ‘interviewed me’ last week. She describes herself as a ‘law-abiding, rule-breaking, fear-conquering, future-creating, Super Curious Human Being’ – I love those distinctions! (You’ll also find our conversation in places like YouTube, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, etc.)
We spoke about my reasons for writing, how universal laws etc. show up in my work, and the future I’m in the process of creating. It was fun, and I’m especially looking forward to ‘interviewing’ Georgia about the 14 months she spent writing out her goals daily – and then manifeste dall of them. (Stay tuned for what will be a very inspiring conversation!)
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