5 simple tips for overachieving

In my 9 – 1 or 1 – 9 blog, I challenged you to answer these three critical questions as you reflect on this past year and think about what you want to accomplish this upcoming year:

1. What do I want to do more of?
2. What do I want to do less of?
3. What should I stop doing altogether?

The new year is the closest thing in life you get to a “do-over,” and right now is the time to take advantage of this. Let’s talk about how to do that.

The key is unwavering focus—on what you’re doing at any given moment and on your long-term efforts to achieve your goals.

Not only do you have to be mindful of how you spend an average workday, but also you should keep in mind ongoing things like your job performance and continuing self-improvement. It’s a lot to take in, so we’ll break it down.

Here are my 5 simple tips for overachieving this year:

1. Limit email usage. You can’t focus on the big picture if you can’t focus in general. Studies show that the average businessperson gets interrupted once every eight minutes! Email is the #1 culprit. It’s an “electronic tiger” that is tough to tame, but you can limit the number of times you wrestle that beast. During your business day, get into the habit of only checking your email at 10 a.m., 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. If you want to check it before and after work, have at it! But don’t check email continuously throughout the day! Scheduling 30-minute “email appointments” at 10, 2 and 4 puts you back in control.
2. Review your goals monthly. Most people write down their goals in January and never look at them again unless they stumble upon the document months later—or, worse, when they run into problems. Goal setting is more than an exercise we do once a year. We need to use it as a tool for staying focused on what we want to accomplish. Review your goals at least monthly. I have clients who have their goals set as their screensaver or desktop background.
3. Openly and regularly discuss your performance. Assess progress and/or performance at least once a month (if not more often) with your boss, mentor or coach. Don’t turn performance discussions into once-a-year arguments. This assessment should be an open, ongoing discussion. And remember this: You can’t be defensive when discussing your progress! A defensive attitude is a barrier to hearing what you need to hear in order to do what you do better. Make the process conversational and interactive. Andy Stanley said it best, “Experience doesn’t make you wiser. Evaluated experience makes you wiser.”
4. Learn a new skill and/or improve a current one. We live in an ever-changing world. Be a part of that change! Learn a new skill or become even better at something you already know. Make your strengths even stronger, and correct any weaknesses regarding your job requirements.
5. Develop your communications skills. The best communicators continue to be the ones who rise to the top—of everything from a company to a country. Studies show that effective communications skills are the #1 way to move up the ladder. An executive’s capability to sell a vision or to convince people to change the way they work depends upon that executive’s ability to persuade people to follow his or her lead. Bottom line: The best communicators win the prizes in life.

These five tips are fairly straightforward, but they are vitally important to overachieving this year and every year.

Make them part of your routine. Follow them to better focus on your day-to-day (including effective time management and keeping your goals in sight). And use these tips to direct your ongoing efforts toward a bigger picture of goal achievement (through steady, solid performance; improving your skills at work; and becoming a better communicator).

This is how you make the most of your new-year do-over.