It all adds up, stay consistent!

Today I’m bringing you lesson number 3 and it’s short and sweet!

One of the speakers at Content Live was a brand expert (Phil Pallen), and he was talking about Pinterest. Now, I love Pinterest! I’m really visual and I love vision boards and seeing my goals laid out in pictures. As a bit of a foodie I like to see recipes and the finished article too, and it’s also a bit like window shopping at times, great to get ideas for outfits or home furnishings. Oh and pets! I have a pet board too, full of pictures of the elusive and much wanted puppy! Seriously, if you’re not on Pinterest, why not?! There is literally something for everyone.

Anyway, one of the things that Phil said really struck a chord with me. He was talking about Pinterest and the power of repinning, but it really applies to anything you want to do, and his message was simple. Just spend five minutes every day doing whatever it is you need to do (in this case repinning), and your efforts will accumulate and you’ll progress consistently towards your goal.

I think most of us have things we want to achieve, whether in business, work, or life, and I thought this was such a great lesson for all of those areas. Finding an hour a day, or half an hour a day, can often be challenging, especially on those days where you need to travel or seem to have endless commitments, or the days when you have poorly children (like I did yesterday!), but finding five minutes is so much more manageable.

The thing is this. All of those five minute chunks don’t seem much on their own, but put together they turn into hours and then days. Never ever feel like five minutes isn’t enough. Do what you can with the time you have and give yourself a big pat on the back for fitting it in. And if you have longer one day, then spend longer, that’s great. Just don’t fall for the voice that tells you it’s not worth you doing something for five minutes because it absolutely is!

So that’s the lesson for today, give yourself five minutes per day to help you achieve your goals, and do it consistently so it all adds up.

Planning v's Doing

Recently I’ve done a bit of a sweep of my home office and I’ve established that I have a pile of planners. I adore pretty stationery and I’m a sucker for picking up a new notepad or organiser whenever I’m in paperchase!

And that’s not counting the electronic versions I have too, like Asana which also keeps me organised on the go. 

Planning is good. It helps you work out where you want to go, and how to get there. But, and this is a big BUT. Planning is the easier option than doing because it’s safe.  

If you’re spending all your time planning and not actually putting into action, then it’s not a plan. It’s a dream.  

And sorry for the reality check, but dreams don’t usually come true until you start taking action to make them happen.  And that’s scary because you have to put yourself out there. You have to talk to people and show what you can do and try when you feel like you might fail. 

Planning is great, but it won’t get you where you want to be unless you put those plans into action. Maybe that’s where the term “plan of action” comes in!  

The best way to turn your dreams into reality is to take action towards them. All the planning in the world won’t help unless you do. 

The best way to put your plans into action is to plan short term, execute, and then plan for your next steps. I’m sure we’ve all created detailed and pretty plans which look great but are out of date in about thirty seconds. Trust me, it’s a waste of energy. 

if you’re not where you want to be, plan for the next day or week, not for the next year. Take a deep breath, and put those plans into action. That will help you build momentum and carry you forward.  

Plans are safe. Action can be really scary! But that’s because action is moving you towards your dreams. Plans are just the roadmap. You need to be en route to get to your destination. Think of it like this. Trying and failing will get you closer to your dreams than never trying. It’s okay to fail. It means you’re taking action. 

So next time you plan, keep it short and sweet. And next time you fail, celebrate your progress because it means you’ve taken action and you’re on your way to where you want to be.