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I think the concept of regular three-month projects is so important
that I've given it its own section. Coming up with a goal that
you want to accomplish three months from now and then actually
getting it done is a surefire way to keep up your motivation;
instill in yourself the same self-discipline to get the job
done that you had when you were in the workforce; and have the
satisfaction of a clear, finished product that represents your
progress towards your goals.
The emphasis
I place on these short-term goals flies in the face of the
conventional wisdom that heavily emphasizes the importance
of long-term goals (e.g. where you want to be in 20 years).
I strongly disagree with this because, particularly for those
of us outside of the workforce, there is not so much a lack
of long-term goals or life dreams as there is a lack of doing
anything about it. It's all too easy to slip into the "why
bother?" mentality and slide into activities that just
pass the time. We need regular confidence and motivation boosts
that come when you accomplish a clearly defined goal.
The Six Rules for Three-Month Projects
- After you've read the section on goal-setting,
think about an exciting goal that you'd like to have done
three months from now. The only constraints are that it
must be exciting, challenging, and doable. Don't bite off
more than you can chew, but don't be afraid to challenge
yourself.
- Clearly define your goal. For example:
- Bad: "To learn HTML."
- Good: " To create by hand a three-page website
that includes text, links and pictures."
- Write it down.
- Under your description of your goal, write clear, detailed
descriptions of what you'll need to get done by the following
deadlines in order to meet your goal:
- Two months
- One month
- One week
- Tomorrow
- Commit to yourself that you will get this done, even
if you lose interest at some point. Think of it the same
way you'd think of a project given to you by a boss: get
it done even if you don't feel like doing it anymore.
- Add your deadline dates to your calendar, and store the
paper somewhere where you will remember where it is.
I want to re-emphasize step five, because it's the most important
one of all. In order to break out of the "just getting
by" mentality and become CEO of your life, you
must get in the habit of setting short-term goals and accomplishing
them -- even if you're no longer excited about it.
The CEO of a company couldn't keep announcing big plans for
her company and then constantly change her mind or decide
that she didn't want to do that anymore, and neither can you.
Every time you finish a project toward your goals, especially
if it was one you lost interest in at some point along the
way, your motivation will increase. It'll be more fun than
ever to dream big because you trust yourself to make it happen.
That inner voice that says, "Yeah, right, like you'll
ever get around to that," will be silenced.
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