With the New Year fast approaching, it’s time to consider the projects you didn’t finish in last year and make them a priority for this year.What projects have remained on your to-do list all year long, part of the year, or even just this past month? It’s time to make them top priority. Consider them your “big rocks.”
Not long ago I asked someone I know how she managed to get so much done each day. She responded, “I always move the big rocks first.”
What are your big rocks for the coming year? Make a list of the projects that are most important to you.
Now make a commitment to yourself that each day these will be #1 and #2 on your to-do list. If you move those rocks before you move the stones and the pebbles, you’ll find you’ve accomplished your big goals early in the New Year. You won’t be too tired from moving around all those little stones and pebbles all day to tackle the big rocks. In fact, moving the big rocks even a little bit each day will help you build muscle and feel more energized. That will help you develop the strength and endurance to meet your goals and complete your projects.
I know that my big rocks typically end up at the top of my to-do list, but I handle the pebbles and stones first. I never get time to move the big rocks. It’s a huge mistake. My important projects remain untouched because I want to get the stones and pebbles out of the way. By clearing a path, though, I never get to the big rocks. They keep piling up into a huge wall I feel I can’t climb.
After I spoke to this woman, I went outside to a place I had seen a large oval rock. I cleaned it off and brought it into the house and placed it on my desk right in front of my computer. It’s a reminder to move my big rocks first every day.
What will you do to remind yourself to move your big rocks in 2011? Or do you have some great strategies for moving them you want to share? I’d love to hear them.
