Remember Your Why: Staying Outcome Oriented For the Win

After we’ve set goals that align with our “I Am” statement we create task lists, or to-do lists, that we know (if we accomplish them) are going to get us there. Sometimes those task lists breakdown into even longer lists made up of even smaller tasks. What I want to remind you of today is that the GOAL is YOUR OUTCOME, the tasks are simply your vehicle to get there.

It’s all too easy to center our focus around TASKS and become task-oriented. But DON’T let the task become your outcome. You get in a car to GO someplace just like you complete tasks to GET somewhere. To get stuck in your task(s) is to stay in your car and never get to your destination… Don’t confuse your tasks with your goal.

It’s easy to become so focused on accomplishing our task that we forget our goal and get stuck in task loops, which is why I thought a keeping a Dream Book would be a good idea. My Dream Book is a place for me to keep a running list of all the things I want to do, be, and have in life. It’s also a place for me to analyze my current state and progress. If I make sure to stay tuned in to what I’m actually getting out of the tasks I accomplish, I’m more adaptable and I don’t catch myself getting stuck on my tasks like I used to.

Another thing I’ve been practicing to help me stay focused is starting off my day by giving it a mission statement. That mission statement reinforces my “I Am” statement / goal. I open up my daily planner and at the top here I write something like “Today I will….. Or Today I am….”

Now, what if the problem isn’t being in a task loop – what if the problem is that we have a hard time being consistent with our tasks? Or starting them at all? It’s natural to get distracted by how uncomfortable something is. Our bodies aren’t programmed to do more of what’s painful….There’s an opportunity in times like this too, to analyze and adapt….jot down in your planner what was painful today about what you had to do….try reframing the task as something you genuinely want to do because it will actually get you closer to your goal than not doing it at all… Revel in taking those steps, revel in taking the painful steps (like growing pains) and feel successful about the little changes you are making…jot down even your smallest successes in your planner And stay positive and focused on your outcome.

If you’d like to know more about the Daily Planner or Dream Book I mentioned please visit to the products page on my website davidrooks.com