Ever made a big, bold goal and wondered how you’d actually achieve it?
Ever had a huge, unpleasant task hanging over your head and couldn’t seem to get any momentum on it?
We’ve all been there. One of the toughest parts of doing things is….doing anything at all.
That’s why I came up with an approach that can help: DOTT.
It stands for “Do One Thing Today.”
It’s a strategy for breaking down big tasks into smaller mini-tasks that you can achieve in very little time. Complete enough of these tasks, and you’ll have momentum on your side. And when you have enough momentum, anything seems possible.
Let’s say you need to clean out your garage. It’s jam-packed with junk. Just thinking about going out there and starting the job makes you sick.
But it’s probably not just the size and unpleasantness of the task that keeps you from making progress. It’s also the fact that one big job is actually many little jobs.
You need to find a place to dispose of all that junk. And you need to find a way of transporting what you’re getting rid of. Until you’ve figured these things out, there’s little sense in starting the tedious process of sorting through all that stuff, right?
So start off with a couple of simple tasks. First, find out where your nearest dump is and what their hours are. That’s a simple Google search or phone call. Done. You made progress today.
You’ll probably want to give away much of what’s in your garage to charity. You’ll need to find out where your nearest Goodwill donation center or truck is located. That’s another Google search or phone call. Done.
As for transporting the stuff you’re getting rid of, do you know someone who owns a pickup truck that you could borrow? Drop them a line and ask for a favor. Or, find out about renting a truck from a U-Haul.
These are all little tasks that can easily be completed in a few minutes. They’ll give you a sense of momentum. And they’ll provide a sense of focus for all the other little tasks you have to complete in getting your garage cleaned out.
Next, you might promise yourself that you’re going to spend 10 minutes a day right after work cleaning out the clutter. It’s only 10 minutes, but….that’s about an hour per week.
And the beauty of it is that, when you set very small, attainable goals for yourself, you’ll often find that you don’t want to stop once you’ve attained them. You want to keep working. That’s fine—but never use that as an excuse to skip tomorrow, because then it will be all too easy to skip the day after that, too. Stick to that goal of Doing One Thing Today.
It’s simple, isn’t it? This is the Power of DOTT. It has helped me, and I believe it can help you.