Check Your Compass Today

Follow-up Friday is the alarm clock that wakes you up each week and calls you to be accountable for your life. You are given an infinite amount of time each week, and it is up to you to decide how to spend it. Knowing what you want out of life and why is like having a compass that will keep you on the right path. Step back today and review the choices you’ve made this week. Do they support your goals and priorities? If not, you are literally giving your dreams away. Life unfolds one day at a time based on the choices you’ve already made about how to spend your time. You really do chart your own course so stay awake at the wheel this week and use your compass.

Clarity and Consistency is Key

Follow-up sounds simple but is something that most people fail to do. We spend a lot of time and money exploring new ideas and systems to keep us motivated and focused but fail to put what we've learned into practice. Consistent action is more important than the particular system itself and is the key to living the life you want. And it is easy to do once you have direction.

Your to-do list reflects the actions you've committed to. Take a step back from your to-do list and see how it fits into the bigger picture of your life. If you consistently take these actions will you get to where you want to go? Do you know where you want to go? If you have been consistently playing the Follow-Up Friday Game, you will have a list of priorities handy right now. So do you? Can you name your top three priorities? If not, your to-do list may very well be wearing you down.

Your to-do list is like a machine that runs 24/7. It never shuts down. It is you who must take control of your endless list and mold it into actions that move you in the direction you want to go. Stay focused on what you need to do this week to make your life work REALLY well. And remember, you belong on the very top of your to-do list.

Happy Follow-Up Friday!

As you are following up on your to-dos and projects today, take some time to follow-up on your priorities.

Do you find yourself putting important tasks off because you are overwhelmed by your busy schedule? If your to-do list doesn't reflect your priorities, it will keep you frazzled and running in circles. Spend some of your precious time today following up on your priorities. Do you have them clearly defined and written down? If not, I challenge you to take this on.

Get out a piece of paper and write down seven personal priorities and seven professional priorities. Think about what is important to you. On your list of personal priorities you might want to include things like spending time with your spouse and children, and taking time to exercise. Your list of professional priorities might include things like continuing education and following up on leads. Keep in mind that priorities change and this list needs to be updated periodically. This is a simple and powerful exercise and I hope you will take it to heart.

For additional support, I highly recommend the book, Remodel Your Reality by Kim Fulcher.

Make it a habit to follow-up.

Happy Follow-up Friday

As your week comes to an end and you prepare to step into the weekend, take a minute to review your to-do list and notice what isn’t getting done.

Is there an item that is just sitting there and no matter how hard you try it just won’t budge? Ask yourself if this item really needs to get done. It could very well be that the need to accomplish it has expired.

Like old canned goods that get shoved to the back of the pantry, we often keep tasks on our to-do list for too long. Clean out your to-do list today. Don’t leave old items on the shelf. If it really does need to get done then ask for help. Just because it is on your to-do list doesn’t mean you have to do it alone.

Life is a team sport and you need to be able to rely on others to help you win your season.

Make it a habit to follow-up.

Welcome to another Follow-up Friday!
Take some time today to scan your life for unfinished projects, unreturned phone calls and broken promises. This is the unfinished business in your life that consumes you and keeps you playing small.

What's really in your way?

Tolerations are the big and small things in your life that constantly nag and pull at you, whether you are aware of them or not. Tolerations combine together to create noise and clutter in your life that distracts you from following-up on what really matters. For example, a cluttered desk may be in the way of you finishing that big project at work. Old carpet may be in the way of you inviting your dear friends to your home. You may love gardening but are tolerating insufficient tools and yard space. Take some time to list at least ten things you are tolerating today. You don't have to do anything about these tolerations, just acknowledging them will free up some personal energy. Keeping an ongoing list of tolerations is a powerful tool to help you quiet the distractions and keep you focused on what is important to you.

Make it a habit to follow-up on your tolerations!