Can the easiest route be the most effective one? -

Can the easiest route be the most effective one?

Atravelstyles it is the beginning of a new month, I started this week with reflecting, planning and goal setting, just as I do at the beginning of every month. I was shocked to find out from my calendar that I only have 8 full working days out of the available 20 this month, based on 5 day working week. And this includes my play Mondays – something I am trying out this month to start a working week with fun and pleasure. November happens to be packed with family visits, travel, then there is more travel and an important conference. With my intention in mind, I realised I’d need to work a lot in between these commitments to get there. But this thought did not motivate me to even think about the first step.

In the meantime, words “easy”, “flow”, “effortless” kept coming up for me in various ways: popping in my mind during mediation or as messages on my Yogi tea bags. And there I had my solution. I knew what I needed to do was not work twice as hard to compensate for all the travel I am enjoying this month, what I needed to do was to find the route that requires least effort and is the most effective in terms of result, oh and happens to be most exciting and fun too. And this strategy is not just for November, but for all months.

I noticed that many of us automatically go into a pattern of working harder to compensate for travel or taking time off or any other form of fun, because that’s what we have been taught. No wonder we either put off fun or feel overwhelmed. This does not have to be the case. I have to remind myself from time to time about my belief that being successful does not require sacrificing desires, lifestyle, travel, time with loved ones.

How to be effective with ease and pleasure

1. Know what motivates you

Getting crystal clear on your goal is naturally the first step. It seems straightforward. However, there is one very important element that is often overlooked from my experience – making the goal your own. If you don’t connect with your goal on all levels, it will most likely appear distant or abstract. How do you make a goal your own? You need to get clear on why you want it, what desire is behind it. With goals, we sometimes go for something we are told we should want or what other people who we see as more successful do or even advise us to do from their webinars or presentations. The problem with that is if you don’t connect with the goal, it will not be easy to go for it.

Knowing why you want what you want is key to choosing the easiest and most effective route. For example, you goal may be to get a speaking gig or a media opportunity because you want to receive your next 10 clients and income to spend on your dream holiday and that really motivates you. Or you may simply want to build up your speaking portfolio because you want to be a highly paid speaker. See the difference? The goal may be the same, but motivation and therefore the easiest way to get to your actual desire may be different (e.g. you may find an easier way to get next 10 clients.

2. Get clear on the one step that will make the biggest impact

There are several ways we resist taking the next step. We procrastinate because we are not clear on what to do and often feel overwhelmed by a big task. Or we do a lot to show to ourselves and others that we are making an effort but still avoid that one thing that deep down we know will get us closer to that goal or desire. I do both in different situations. Where do you find yourself now?

In both cases, the answer is to stop (either doing and procrastinating) and get clear on what the most powerful next step would be for you. There is typically one thing that will help you gain momentum. And this is usually the step we avoid. I have noticed that it is especially common for us women to avoid stepping into a greater visibility. We find ways to avoid or delay it: we sign up for another programme, telling ourselves we are not ready, we focus on creating that one page for our website that we claim changes everything, we wait for enough testimonials before taking action.

Recognise your resistance and acknowledge that it is ok to feel this way before taking action to step into something bigger. Here are useful questions to guide you in identifying what this action is.

What have you been avoiding, labelling it as unimportant?

What have you been tolerating (this is one of the most powerful questions I learned from my mentor Tara Marino and it has been life-changing)?

If you could do only one thing in your business today, what would it be?

3. Infuse fun and pleasure into it

cafeworkYou may know from my recent post that I have been decluttering and creating more space in my life for what I desire. Using this process, I identified that removing busy-ness and clutter I had been tolerating was the most effective thing to do at the time. It worked instantaneously, I felt empowered and ready to take inspired action. But if I am honest, this was the task I had been avoiding for weeks. So how did I turn my resistance into excitement? I brought the fun and pleasure factor in. I got my new stylish stationary out, I found a new vase, rose-scented candle, pictures, books, art and felt the excitement building up. I love decorating and infusing beauty into everything, be it a work space, lunch or an outfit. So this was an easy way to get me excited about decluttering.

Ask yourself before starting a task you have been resisting: what would make this experience enjoyable and fun for me?

4. Take action, celebrate and repeat

Now that you are clear and excited about that one powerful and fun step, go for it and see what unfolds. Don’t forget to celebrate yourself! It is one of the most important things you can do for yourself in business. And share with others so they can celebrate you too.

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My business styleAre you ready to take the easiest, most enjoyable and effective route to being successful, visible and known as the go-to expert in your industry? I invite you to book a free 30 minute consultation with me here to find out where to begin.

 

 

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  1. […] Mindless working is a common symptom for us former corporates. When we were used to doing everything because we had to or because someone demanded it, it is difficult to think about work in terms of joy or pleasure or choose the easiest path. […]