Do you ever get so overwhelmed that you just feel stuck? The list of things you need to do and the demands that other people make on you keep piling up and you feel that you just can’t get anything done.
Is it possible to use just five to ten focused minutes for getting unstuck and moving on to a productive day?
YES! I have to do this all the time and I can tell you it works. Here are 5 tips for how to do it.
1 – Make a list
As you probably know by now, my #1 go-to method when I am feeling overwhelmed is to make a list. If you haven’t tried that, just grab whatever paper you have handy (something cute like THIS or a notebook like THIS), a pen and start writing.
The popular names for this list are “brain dump” or “brain drain”. Call it whatever you want to call it, but it really works for helping to clear your mind of all the nagging worries and things to do.
There are a couple of ways to do this and you should pick the one that works for you.
1 – just write whatever pops into your head. You can organize the list later.
2 – create category topics and write things within the appropriate category.
Either way, when you finish writing (i.e., when you can’t think of anything else), put category names beside each task. You might also prioritize the tasks by urgency (meaning they have to be done today or tomorrow) or by importance to you (meaning you want to get them done by today or tomorrow).
2 – Put a star beside your 5-minute tasks
Now take a look at your planner. If you feel as if you are already scheduled like an airport runway, I understand. Many days are like that. But see if there is any tiny chunk of time (maybe while you are waiting in the carpool line to pick up your child or while you are waiting for something to boil on the stove).
A couple of things you could do with your planner:
1 – put an asterisk or a “5” or some other symbol beside any tiny chunk of time
2 – list your five-minute tasks on a post-it note and just keep it in your planner. When or if you find a small chunk of time, check your list. Can one of those tasks be completed then?
3 – Take baby steps
But some tasks just cannot be done in only a few minutes. So what then? Take one baby step at a time.
Take that big task and jot down small things that could be done that would lead to completing the big task. When I say “small things that could be done”, I mean tasks that take less than five to ten minutes to complete. I wrote more about how to do this in this post.
Doing just one baby step task at a time still keeps you moving steadily toward getting a larger task done. I do this all the time in my work as a teacher. That pile of assignments to grade is never going to go away. And I am never going to have a large block of time to get them all graded at once. So I grade them in small chunks of time.
Believe it or not, it does get done and it gets done surprisingly quickly when I break it down and just do what I can in five to ten minute chunks.
4 – Getting unstuck with creative projects
Focusing work in five to ten minute chunks also works for creative projects. If you are working on some project such as writing or an artistic work or redecorating or rearranging your space and you feel stuck, try just sitting quietly for five to ten minutes with that paper and pen handy. Close your eyes if you need to, but try focusing your thoughts and your energy on just this one project. Then write down whatever comes to mind.
This really works for getting past any kind of “block”. You may need to do this several times before a truly brilliant idea comes to mind. But all of the thoughts and ideas you generate in this time are worth keeping since they may have great ideas for later.
5 – When you’re so overwhelmed that you don’t know where to start
When you have a huge project staring you in the face and you feel overwhelmed, try that list-making technique again. I find it’s helpful for me to just write down everything I can think of that will need to be done for this project, in no particular order.
Once I have that gigantic list, I then organize my list into categories such as “do first” and “do later”. (Fancy titles, I know!) Then, within the “do first” category, I put stars beside the tasks that would be most helpful to absolutely get done first because they will lead to getting other tasks done.
Then, before I start hyperventilating over the size of the list, I choose one task and just work on that for five to ten minutes. Somehow, just getting started, even on a small task, makes me feel like I am making some progress.
Getting unstuck is difficult. Try one of these tips and see how it works for you. And please share your ideas!
Do you get frustrated and stressed when you have clutter everywhere, drawers will barely close and your closet is out of control? Then you get even more stressed because you don’t have any large time blocks in the near future when you can get to work and actually clean it out? Me too. So here is my plan for how to get organized when I don’t have time.
I have noticed the power of only five to ten minutes in many areas of life. Sometimes this means doing small tasks that can easily be done within that amount of time (folding a load of laundry, replying to some emails, sweeping the floor, jotting down ideas for vacation plans).
But sometimes it also means devoting just five to ten minutes toward a daily task until it’s done. At the beginning, it feels like you will never finish because the task is so huge (like cleaning out your clothes closet), but be patient. When you spend just five to ten minutes on your “get organized” task, as many days as possible, you will be amazed at how quickly you really do get it done. Better yet, you get to enjoy the benefits of a semi-organized or semi-decluttered space along the way!
In this post, I talked about going through your living space and listing all the areas that are causing you stress in some way. For this “get organized” project, you could use that list and methodically go through every area you listed that is messy or cluttered. OR you can just look at the list and identify just ONE area that is causing you the most stress. That will be your first “get organized” task.
When you identify the area, get to work.
1 – First gather some supplies. Here’s what you need:
*Clorox wipes (for wiping down any shelves or dirty areas),
*one or two containers (for collecting stuff that needs to be recycled/given away or stored in a different area),
*a pad of paper and a pen or pencil (for writing down anything that comes to mind while you are decluttering so that you don’t get sidetracked).
2 – Set a timer for four or eight minutes. (You want to leave one to two minutes at the end of your session for putting away what you pulled out.)
3 – Instead of emptying the whole drawer or closet or shelf, just start with one part of it. For example, I really need to declutter and organize my pantry. I am starting with half of a top shelf because I believe I can get that done in four to eight minutes. If I don’t get it all done in that time, no worries. I will return to the same area tomorrow. If I do finish it, I will go on to the second half of the shelf.
*I tend to remove everything from the space I am decluttering. I find that it helps me to actually make a decision as to whether or not to keep the item I pulled out. (Sort of the Marie Kondo “Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up” technique of asking if that item “sparks joy” in you!) Plus, when I remove everything, I can quickly wipe it down or dust if I need to do that before returning the items I am keeping.
*As you are decluttering and organizing, you might think of items you need for keeping the space organized or you might think of random other things. To keep yourself from getting sidetracked by leaving the space to go put something on your shopping list, just use the paper and pen in your supplies. Jot it down quickly and get back to decluttering.
*Use your containers for getting rid of items that are either no longer useful (they don’t “spark joy”) or that should be stored in another space.
*Keep going until the timer goes off!
*When the timer rings, it’s time to clean up. Now set the the timer for one to two minutes. If you still have stuff out that you have taken off the shelf, just put it back on the shelf. Don’t worry about putting it back in an organized fashion — that will be your work for tomorrow.
*Take a look at anything you wrote on your list. Does something need to be put on your shopping list? Do you need to schedule a trip to Goodwill for donating some items?
*Put your supplies away.
*The next day, schedule your decluttering time and begin again!
As you read this, you might think that you will NEVER get the job done if you go this slowly. But trust me — you will. And every day that you continue to make progress will help you to feel that much more confidence and satisfaction when you see what you have already accomplished. It also gives you motivation to go ahead and get it finished when you have a bigger chunk of time to use. There is no “rule” that you have to only stick to 5 – 10 minutes!
Yes, it will take you longer to get your spaces decluttered with only small bits of time. But think about it this way: at the end of the week, you will have spent 30 – 70 minutes decluttering your spaces. That’s a good chunk of time that you might not have been able to find in your busy schedule otherwise.
Try it out and see for yourself. Let me know how it goes!
Have you ever noticed that your best days start with a great morning? The most successful and happiest people have solid morning routines. Having a great morning routine does not mean you have to get up at 5 a.m. (although it’s fine if you do that!), but it does mean that you are intentional about the activities that are part of your morning routine. Here are 12 of the best habits to incorporate into your morning routine. You can start with one and add on when you’re ready.
1 – Wake up early (or earlier than you are waking up right now). Try to allow at least 1-½ hours for yourself in the morning before you have to leave for work or start your day.
Why: this allows time for you to do important things that matter to you, without being interrupted and without anyone else needing something from you. Early morning is a good time for planning your day, journaling, exercising, meditating, creating something, or working toward a goal that you would like to achieve for yourself, outside of your work or family goals.
How: try waking up just 15 minutes earlier. This will also mean going to bed 15 minutes earlier at night. Once you have this routine down, try 15 minutes more.
Bonus tip: if you have not read Mel Robbins’ The 5 Second Rule, check it out! In her book, Mel talks about changing her own morning routine and “launching” herself out of bed like a rocket, before she could talk herself out of it. Doing that – counting backward 5 – 4 -3 – 2- 1 – and physically moving out of bed changed her life. She then discovered the science behind it. So if you haven’t read her book or watched her TED talk, I highly recommend it!
2 – Write morning pages.
Why: morning pages will change your life. Seriously. They are therapy. The process is so simple — writing three pages of whatever comes into your head first thing in the morning in a journal or notebook (not in a digital format). Write whatever pops into your head and whatever is on your mind. Somehow this whole process brings clarity and helps you to overcome negative “voices” telling you that you aren’t good enough or that you cannot do something. Morning pages also help to clarify what really matters to you and what you want to do in order to live the life you want and be the kind of person you want to be.
How: get a pretty journal or just a plain spiral notebook. Use the kind of pen that makes you happy. (Flair pens work for me.) In your earlier morning wake-up time, get your journal and just write three pages. Put it away and forget about it until tomorrow. Then write again. You can read more about morning pages here. Consider reading Julia Cameron’s book The Artist’s Way.
3 – Review your goals.
Why: keeping your goals uppermost in your mind, first thing in the morning, will keep your focus on what is most important to you and what you really want to achieve. I like using Rachel Hollis’ system of the Start Today journal. Rachel explains the process HERE. You can read more about setting goals in my post HERE.
How: pull out your planner and review your goals. Rewrite them every day if you are using Rachel’s tips, or just read them out loud. Read your to-do list and shift items around as necessary in order to be sure that you are doing the things that need to be done and the things that matter most.
4 – Schedule and time block your day.
Why: If it’s not scheduled, it’s not going to happen. Look at your to-do list and your calendar and actually write down when you are doing to do each task. Of course, sometimes when you do this, you may find that there truly is not enough time in the day for you to get to everything on your list. Don’t panic. List what is most important to do and shift less urgent tasks over to tomorrow’s list or to later in the week. Sometimes you might drop a task altogether.
Why: If you focus on the good (in a person, in a situation), you will find the good. And the opposite is true as well. Even though there may be many things that are “wrong” in your life, think of the good that is there. How: Keep a gratitude journa, add slips of paper to a Happy Jar, use the 5-Minute Journal, whatever works for you. But think of at least five things for which you can be grateful. Then spend some time meditating or praying or both!
“Prayer is when you talk to God. Meditation is when you listen to God.” ~unknown
6 – Work out or do some form of exercise.
Why: when you read the morning routines of successful people, many of them make time for a workout in the morning before their day begins. Plus, lots of research points to the benefits of morning exercise. Even if you don’t have time for a long workout, doing a short workout gets your body and brain motivated for the day. Research also says that morning exercisers are more consistent with their workouts. For me personally, I love knowing that I got my workout in, no matter how busy or crazy my day gets.
How: choose something you already enjoy doing or try something new! Do you like to run, practice yoga, do barre workouts, lift weights? If you need some structure for getting a great workout routine started, consider Amanda Tress’s program Faster Way to Fat Loss. Her program is the best I’ve found for staying motivated and on track with both fitness and healthy eating.
7 – Make your bed or at least tidy up your space.
Why: this makes you feel accomplished before the day has even begun! Somehow, having orderly surroundings calms you down and helps you to focus on the bigger, more important things you want to do with your day.
How: just take five minutes to make your bed, hang up any clothes, stack the books, clear the clutter, wipe the counters. Even just five minutes makes a big difference.
8 – Do the most important things first.
Why: whatever your biggest task for the day might be, try to get it done before breakfast. Of course, some important things might not be completed in that time frame (writing a book, for instance), but doing the most important thing first means to spend some amount of time working toward that goal before you move on to other parts of your day. For example, if you are polishing your resume for a job search, work on that in the morning. That feeling of accomplishing or at least working toward an important task gives you momentum for other tasks during the day.
How: just choose a chunk of time BEFORE you go to work or begin your day at home. Whatever time you choose, schedule that block of time. Then set a timer for the amount of time you can work on that task and, as Mel Robbins says, 5-4-3-2-1-GO.
9 – Think about your day in detail.
Why: thinking through your day and visualizing how you want it to go is a powerful tool for helping you feel empowered and ready to make positive and healthy choices. Visualizing your conversations with people, your work situations, your health habits creates neural patterns in your brain which helps direct your actions to actually make those positive choices happen! This is why successful athletes use visualization. It might sound crazy, but it works!
How: you can just sit, close your eyes and visualize if that works for you. I usually do this while I am showering and blow drying my hair. Other people like to do their visualization on their commute. Choose a time that works for you.
10 – Connect with someone you love.
Why: starting your day by sending love out into the world makes you feel good! Plus, being reminded of the important people in your life keeps you focused on what and who are most important.
How: Enjoy your coffee or breakfast with your partner or family, make a phone call, write a quick note, send a text — whatever helps you to reach out to someone you love and remind them of your love.
11 – Develop a quick get-ready routine.
Why: getting ready for work or for your day can be stressful and take way more time than it should. But when you can quickly shower, do your hair and makeup and get dressed, it makes your day start on a better note.
How: develop systems for all of your get-ready routine segments. Organize your bathroom supplies so that everything can be grabbed and used quickly. Throw away (or give away) anything that does not work for you any more (dried out mascara, a hair dryer that doesn’t work, lipstick that is not the right color for you, etc.). Keep your closet organized.
12 – Try intermittent fasting!
Why: there are lots of resources and explanations of what intermittent fasting is and how it benefits your body. You can read my post about it HERE. I started fasting as a health habit to balance my hormones about a year ago. A side effect was that I lost ten pounds! Plus, it makes your mornings so much quicker and easier when you’re not having to prepare and eat breakfast or pack up breakfast and snacks for the day.
How: note the time when you finish eating or drinking any beverage besides water in the evening. That is the official start of your fast. You are naturally fasting overnight. Try fasting for 12 or 13 hours to get started. For example: if you stopped eating or drinking at 7 p.m. the night before, you would postpone breakfast until 7 or 8 am the following day. If you want the most benefits from fasting, try to extend your fast to 16 – 18 hours. So in our example above, you would postpone eating your next meal until 11 am to 1 pm.
There you go – 12 morning habits that will change your life! Rember to try just ONE habit. Then add on another habit when you feel ready. I would love to hear how these habits work for you!
If you’re like me, you are always looking for ways to use time better, be more productive, get more done. So, here’s my question — is reading a waste of time?
I am a fifth grade teacher and I am a voracious reader. You do not even want to know how much money I have spent on Amazon books alone (not counting books I buy from local independent bookstores). It’s not a bad thing to be a voracious reader, right?
In their book Disrupting Thinking – Why How We Read Matters, Kylene and Bob teach a simple framework for students to use to help them to think more deeply about texts. I have been using this framework with my students, with great success. It is not quite automatic to some of them yet, but with consistent application of this simple but powerful framework, my goal is that this way of thinking will be habitual to them by the end of the school year.
Here is the framework:
While using this framework with my students in a discussion one day, a student mentioned that this framework is helping him to slow down and really think about what he is reading, instead of just pushing on through to get “done”. Other students chimed in and said that they used to spend more of their time “just reading”, but that this framework was now helping them to actually stop and think about what the story or the information means to them. It was a powerful moment for me as a teacher. But it was even more powerful for me personally.
I had to think about what my students had just shared and I wondered: How often do I just devour a book or magazine article or devotional or inspirational book, and then just walk away? How often do I actually reflect on the questions in the HH part, especially the Heart questions? I’m great about telling you what I read, what it was about, what the author said. But how much of this do I actually take to heart and actually do something with what I read? How is all of this voracious reading actually doing me any good and changing me personally or changing my teaching practice? How much of this just gets overwhelming so that nothing changes as a result? That’s when the reading, while enjoyable, is not doing me any good and could even be considered a waste of time.
So that happened one day, and the very next day I read page 71 in a daily inspiration book called Rise & Hustle by Mike Whitfield. The title was “Why Reading Books Doesn’t Do Any Good.” (Of course, as a teacher and a reader, I immediately disagreed with the title, but I knew Mike probably had a point to make and he got my attention.) In that day’s reading, Mike talked about the very questions I had asked myself the day before. It is at moments like this that I know God is speaking to me.
Mike says:
“After all, what’s the point of reading and reading . . . and reading . . . and reading without actually applying anything you have learned because you’re just overwhelmed? You’re not giving yourself enough time to process it. This is when reading books for self-improvement doesn’t do any good.”
Well – it must be time to make a change.
Here are my plans for changing that and for becoming a more intentional reader. I want to take my reading to heart and actually apply what I am reading and learning.
*Choose just one book in whatever category I want to read. For example, read only one education-related book at a time, one self-improvement book at a time, one inspirational/faith-based book at a time.
*Depending on the size of the book, I will read one or two chapters OR just read five – ten pages. And stop for the day!
*Keep a notebook handy while I’m reading. As I read, I will jot down insights I have or questions or ponderings — whatever comes to mind that has to do with the reading. (Funny how I ask my students to do this with their reading and have not been doing this myself.)
*For the next day or two, I will review what I wrote in my notebook at random times so that I can keep the reading in my mind. As I think about just this small part that I read and what it means for me, I will probably get more insights into how to apply what I read (the HEART part of the framework).
*Before reading the next “chunk”, I will review my notes again and write down any other thoughts or insights that came to me while I was busy doing other things. (Because that is when we often get our best ideas — when we’re doing other things!)
We’ll see what happens. I have a feeling that using the BHH framework will change my reading life, as it has changed my students’ reading lives. I would love to hear from you if you try this too!
Do you have too much stuff? I know I do. Most of the time I keep my stuff under control by putting things back where they belong, recycling or giving away what is not useful to me any more, and throwing away what is not useful to me or anyone else! But occasionally all that stuff starts getting in the way and stressing me out. Here is a plan that I follow for a decluttered and organized space.
First, what are the benefits of decluttering and organizing in the first place?
When the space around me is clear, my mind is more clear. When I have stuff everywhere and I am trying to focus on something I need to do, I get distracted by all the other things and tend to jump from task to task. Anyone else do that?
I often find things that I had forgotten I had and that might be useful in some way. This especially happens with the clothes and accessories in my closet. It’s a great mood boost to find a necklace or sweater or scarf that I had forgotten I had! It’s (almost) as good as buying something new.
A decluttered and organized space makes me feel more in control, even with a crazy busy schedule. When I am feeling busy and frazzled and then I open a closet door or drawer or see a table space that is decluttered and organized, I always feel like at least one area of my life is under control!
Decluttered and organized spaces give me focus and momentum for completing other tasks that are important.
The #1 suggestion would be to declutter an area right before you use it. For example, if there is “stuff” on my kitchen counters and dishes in the sink, I take care of all of that before I start cooking. If there are “organized piles” on my desk or work area, I sort and file or return them before I sit down to work on a task. Get the idea?
But — what if you feel like your whole house or living space or classroom is a mess? Here’s my plan for getting organized for massive space decluttering!
1 – Here’s what you need: a pad of paper and a pen. I like to use those two column steno pads you can buy anywhere.
2 – Set a timer for 15 minutes. (Of course you can do this for longer if you want to and you have the time. But sometimes getting started on an overwhelming task is, well, overwhelming. Setting that timer lets you know that you have “permission” to stop when the timer goes off, which helps you get started in the first place. You can do anything for just 15 minutes!)
3 – Start at your front door. Whether you have a foyer or entryway or whether your front door opens into a living space, start by moving clockwise around that space.
4 – Label your paper with “living area” or whatever you call your space. Now as you walk around the space or look around the space, make a list of what you like or what is working for you in the left column. This is the part that will make you feel like at least some areas of your world are in good shape!
5 – Make a list of what needs your attention in the right column. This can be anything — the paint color you want to change, the drawers you want to declutter, the deep cleaning you want to do, the furniture or pillows or accessories you want to replace or buy some day.
6 – When you finish in some room or one area, move clockwise into the next area and repeat the process.
7 – When the timer goes off, you are done for today. Depending on the size of your space and depending on the number of items you put on your list, you may not be done. That’s okay. Repeat again tomorrow and the next days until you done.
8 – Now what to do with these lists? Reread the things you like or that are working well in your spaces. That gives you positive momentum to attack the things you want to change!
9 – With the lists of changes to make, you might want to code them with color, letters, or abbreviations. Cleaning tasks can be organized together with one code or color, decluttering tasks with another code or color, and decorating tasks with still another code or color.
10 – Put a big star beside the areas that are giving you the most stress. Those are the areas you will want to attack first! Even if you have several of these areas on your list, don’t get discouraged. Just go after the first one on your list or the one that is most stressful of all the stressful areas!
11 – Schedule a time to begin today or tomorrow. If it’s an especially busy time for you, or if you have young children that limit how much you can do in one day, just schedule 5 – 10 minutes. If you have a longer block of time for this, great, but don’t be discouraged if you only have a few minutes. A few minutes’ work every day is better than nothing!
12 – Now get going. I love Mel Robbins’ book The 5 Second Rule and her video about 5-4-3-2-1-GO. Just get started. Take baby steps if you need to. Work in small blocks of time. Before you know it, the areas that are causing the most stress will get decluttered (and maybe even cleaned or re-decorated!), and you will feel so much more in control of your life and your work.
The end of a month is a good time for reviewing goals and any resolutions you might have set for the new year. For some people, this can be a depressing exercise as they see all the things that they did not get done. Don’t get down on yourself! Use the progress you’ve made (or the lack thereof) to set some new goals and to decide on your next steps!
Here are my 10 tips for reviewing goals and resolutions:
1 – read everything you wrote at the beginning of the month. See my post about setting goals here. Maybe it’s because I am a teacher, but I find that “grading” or “scoring” things gives me so much clear information about what is working well and what might need to change or be improved in some way. Try it – give yourself a rating of 1 – 3 on each goal. A 3 = you achieved that goal. A 2 = you are working on that goal and made some progress. A 1 = you didn’t do anything toward that goal.
2 – while giving each goal a rating, try very hard not to get down on yourself. No one can get everything done all the time. The idea here is to honestly assess your progress and to decide what is still most important to you and what might need to be saved for another time
Back to the teaching example — a student’s bad score on a test or assignment can be disheartening and frustrating. But that number is just a piece of data. Figuring out the story behind the data and reflecting on next steps is where you can begin to overcome that frustration and get some clarity about what to do next.
3 – if you got a 1 in anything, that is great, believe it or not! This is where you can learn and grow the most. The first thing to do with your scores of 1 is to truly evaluate whether or not that goal is still important to you. If not, drop it. It might have seemed like a good idea when you set the goal, but maybe it means nothing to you now. Just drop it. And drop the guilt about it.
4 – If you scored a 1 but the goal is still important to you, ask yourself two questions:
1 – would this goal be more appropriate to work toward at another time of the year? For instance, if your goal is to organize your closet, but January is a busy month for you at work or with your kids, maybe closet-organizing is not so important to do in January. Could you move that goal to some time in the spring or summer instead?
2 – what baby steps could you take toward that goal? Which brings me to tip #5.
5 – I have found that baby steps are the key. See my post about baby steps and time management here. It always seems like you are making no or very slow progress toward achieving a goal while you are taking those baby steps, but at the end of a week or a month, you will be amazed at how much you actually accomplished. To get back to that closet example — if you spend 5-10 minutes per day on organizing your closet, you will feel like it’s going to take forever. But those minutes add up and give you momentum for completing the task. If you spent 5 minutes just five a days a week, you would have put in 1 hour and 40 minutes by the end of the month. If you spent 10 minutes just five days a week, you would have put in 3 hours and 20 minutes. Finding those blocks of time in a busy schedule might have been near impossible, but 5-10 minutes is not impossible.
6 – back to the goals in which you scored a 1 — it’s time to seriously evaluate whether or not that goal is right for you. For instance, if your goal was to learn to speak Italian and you have done nothing toward that goal, ask yourself some questions:
Why do I want to learn to speak Italian?
How will it help me?
How will it help other people that I love?
Is this a goal that is possible for me to achieve right now?
Should I save this goal for another time of the year or another time in my life?
7 – If you decide that the goal is not right for you right now, but you still think it would be good to achieve it some day, put it on a “Someday” list. I keep a “Someday” list for lots of things — books I want to read, places I want to go, restaurants and stores I want to visit, recipes I want to try, etc. Add a category for goals you want to achieve!
You may decide that this goal just isn’t that important for you, so cut your losses and move on! I know I’ve said this before, but I am hereby giving you permission to just take it off your list and don’t feel guilty. There is never enough time to do everything. It’s so important to choose what really matters to you and the people you love, and to focus your time and energy on those goals.
8 – If the goal really is something that you want to achieve, it’s time to start thinking about those baby steps. What is one small thing you could do that would help you move toward that goal? Back to the learning to speak Italian example — here are some baby steps that would help:
Google “how to speak Italian” for websites, apps, programs, etc.
Check out Babbel and pricing
Google a site where you can listen to Italian speakers while reading the words on the screen (maybe while they are reading something?)
Ask friends or your Facebook community for ideas and resources — you never know who might be a great resource for helping you find other resources!
Get the idea? Make a list of small, easy to do tasks that could be done in 10-15 minutes. Then get started today. Do one task. Tomorrow, do another. For tasks like googling resources, know that this is a task that you might do daily for several days since you will find so many resources to check out. That’s okay. The object of the game here is to make daily, incremental progress toward learning to speak Italian, and finding resources will take some time.
9 – if you got a 2 in anything, that’s great too! This shows that you are making progress toward the goal. What can you continue to do to move toward achieving that goal? If your goal was to lose ten pounds, and you only lost eight, congratulations — you are on track! Think about what is working for you in achieving that goal and what you might want to change or improve.
10 – if you got a 3 in anything, that’s awesome! Is that goal something that can now be part of your routine and move off of the goals list? For instance, if your goal was to write morning pages every day, is this now just part of what you do in the morning? If so, it can move off the goals list because it is now part of your life.
Now take all of this information you’ve gathered on your goal progress and make a list of new goals for the next month! You might also list the baby steps you will take first toward each goal. Being able to cross those baby steps off your list as they are achieved builds momentum and helps you keep moving forward to achieving those goals!
I would love to hear how this works for you!
Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
