I’d like to ask a quick question. Can you name some nagging thing that you want or need to get done but you just can’t start it?
I think the real question is who can’t name such a task?
For one of my clients, it is to finish setting up a water fountain in her yard. This has been on her to-do list for almost two years. Another client shared her goal of performing a song in sign language for a talent show at a CHADD convention. For myself, I want to stop feeling dread and embarrassment every time I open the door to one of the rooms in my office. That room, with no closets and multiple functions, including being a video recording set, has devolved into a mess of objects and stacks of things. It’s this negative weight in my brain and I want it FIXED!
These seemingly simple tasks are often daunting for our executive functions because they require multiple steps to complete, with one or more of the steps representing an unknown starting point or end result. When faced with such a task, our emotional brain can take over, preventing us from taking action.
I know that these nagging tasks require us to use our brain’s executive functions and that takes effort. The first problem is task initiation and the second is sustaining focus and motivation for completion. So what’s a person to do? Well, answering this question is how the Seeing My Time In Action: 30 Day Challenge was born! We have seen a need from you, our community, for some kind of accountability program to see a difficult task through to completion. We are so excited to get started!
Seeing My Time® in Action is set up to do two things to help you complete a multistep goal:
1. It Builds Accountability
When you post your personal goal for others to see, cheer you on and motivate you to continue, you are much more likely to see the goal through to completion. A research study on accountability from the American Society of Training and Development (ASTD) showed that you have a 65% chance of completing a goal if you commit to someone. This research also tells us that if you have a specific appointment scheduled with an accountability partner, you will increase your chance of success by up to 95%! That is a very important piece of information about the immense power of sharing your goals with another person who will be cheering you on.
Seeing My Time in Action provides you with that support. Choose a buddy to do the challenge with, or do it on your own and reply on the group dynamic to hold you accountable. This is a closed, private group of participants, so there will be no posting awkward selfies or pictures of your paper piles on social media! Just you, your buddy and the others in the group. Our goal is to build a safe space for people in the challenge to share their goals, fears and successes.
2. It Helps You Break Tasks Down into Actionable Steps
Seeing My Time in Action also gives you the structure you need to break the task down into doable chunks. This is often the biggest roadblock when it comes to accomplishing a medium or large-sized goal that we have been putting off. Our online classroom (available as an app or on a desktop) has 30 days of posts, with places to post and document your progress as you span the 30 days. This feature, combined with the accountability of working with another person, is a great recipe for getting that nagging task off of your plate.
I’ve been testing this strategy and am really pleased with my results, so I decided to share it with others and get the benefit of clearing out that room!
For years I’ve wanted a way to continue to support people to reach goals after they finished the Seeing My Time Course. Our beautiful online classroom platform is finally making that goal possible. It is easy to use and accessible on your phone. Each day you will get a tip or inspiration to help you break down your goal and create action around it.
We will be launching this challenge starting on the first of May 2018. The cost will be $19.95. You will receive an email when the cart is open for payment and registration.
Little by little…
Marydee
