Get things done, one seed at a time

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“Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds you plant.” –Robert Louis Stevenson

Do you feel like you’re not getting things done- those things that are important to you?  Or that you’re moving so slowly in your process of accomplishment?

I’m not just talking about the daily chores, but the steps you need to take to achieve your dreams.

It’s easy to get discouraged by the minimal results that single work sessions seem to generate. But what if you shifted your focus to the “seeds” you planted today?

Each time you sit at your desk to work toward building your business, completing a course, or writing your magnum opus; every time you take a short walk and lift a few weights or make a small change in a habit, you are planting seeds.

What if a farmer planted seeds and then 5 days later ranted and raved at her terrible fate, because no crop had appeared?  Aren’t you a little like that farmer when you feel ashamed of how little you did each day and how slowly it seems to add up?

Focus on the seeds that you did sow — how you scribbled the beginning of an outline for that new business idea, emailed one potential affiliate, or made better food choices at lunch. You took a step toward your goal, and each step matters!

Most people think that a “real [insert title of person]” works long long hours.  For example, a “real author” writes for 7 hours each day. Actually, research has shown that by starting early on in the process of your project or goal (before you’re even ready to start), and working at a slow steady pace, you’ll do a better job, be more creative, and be more likely to succeed at finishing what you started.

Maybe you only notice the items on your to-do list that did not get crossed off, and you stress about them. If that’s the case, I bet you fail to celebrate when you finally make that dreaded phone call, or complete that head-spinning research.

By switching your focus to what you are accomplishing daily, and working in small, focused daily work sessions, you give yourself an incredible gift. It’s from short work sessions like these that you’ll reap the greatest rewards later.

 How will short, strategic daily work sessions bring you closer to that harvest?  They will help you:

• Be Consistent. Work on your goals regularly. Over time, you build excitement to return to your project daily.
• Stay on Task.  It’s easy to remember what you are supposed to do if you just worked on it a little the day before.
• Do a Little A Day You discover that slow and steady does win the race. (The turtle did know a thing or two!)
•  Savor Your Accomplishment. Step by step, your project will  reach completion. And before you know it, you have an abundant harvest.

What seeds are you planting in your business today? Are you able to enjoy your crop as it grows? Or are you like the farmer who is in despair because her seeds didn’t become a crop in less than a week?  Please share in the comments below!

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