Daily Decision Strategy

Making decisions is essential to success. Without a decision, we cannot follow through and complete.

This truth seems so basic and obvious.  Why then do so many get so hung up in daily indecision?   I’m sure you know that completing priority items is optimum.  But decision making requires courage and sometimes we’d rather distract ourselves than choose.

The Daily Decision strategy works well on the tail end of the Go Direct strategy. Understanding and using the Daily Decision strategy causes one to quit second-guessing and to complete.

This strategy is not used for momentous career and business decisions.  It’s best used for daily personal productivity enhancement.  If you find yourself questioning what you’ve accomplished at the end of the day – this strategy is for you.

The marketplace pays us for completions.

Daily Decision Strategy Steps

1). Choose two, and only two, important things to complete today.
2). Identify what completion looks like so you’ll know it’s complete.
3). Schedule a time (I use one hour per item), set a timer and remove yourself from all other distractions (turn off email, phones, etc.) until complete.
4). Choose only things that meet these criteria:  A) You are eager bring your best to it.  B) Its completion inspires you.  C) Its completion creates progress for a greater objective.
5). Complete both items in the time allotted.

Inspiration and eagerness are vital to completion because obligation is resistance and you can’t complete something while fighting it at the same time.

Understanding Decision

Strategies are often deceptively simple to follow but laden with hidden blessings when followed.  Often these energetic blessings provide greater value, in the form of well being, than the completion itself.

But there’s a downside as well.  When we talk a good game but don’t follow-through on a strategy, we create unrest and self-doubt.

Actually using the Daily Decision Strategy brings forth five powerful energies, all directed for your greater greater good.  Yet it’s impossible to enjoy the five following energies without first making a decision.  Declaring what you want is essential.

1). Energy of Decision – Decision expands possibilities through trial and error.  Increased mistakes lead to more options, which create more opportunities, which always lead to greater freedom.  Decision making brings determination, resolve, boldness and a fixed purpose, which is built right into this strategy.

2). Energy of Commitment – Your commitment is your pledge and promise to fully engage in what you say is important to you.  Commitment is your assurance that you can trust yourself.  Clients new to coaching will often over-commit.  While you are getting the hang of this strategy, it’s important to promise less and to fulfill every promise.

3). Energy of Accountability – Accountability proves your responsibility or your ability to respond.  When we tell our intentions to another, we’ve stepped our game up a notch.  We’ve decreased the possibility of failure simply because another person is aware of our plans.

4). Energy of Self-Honor – Holding oneself in the respect of high regard brings a scared element of esteem along with the characteristics of integrity and courage.  Without honor we betray our original blessing of capability and we feel the shame of non-action.

5). Energy of Completion – Completion creates integration between you and your desires. Completion is conclusion, fulfillment and fruition, which are necessary to recognize your own competence to life.

Using the Daily Decision strategy will boost your objectives forward while increasing your joy and fulfillment.  Feel the natural power in decision, commitment, accountability, honor and completion and you’ll no longer question what you’ve accomplished at day’s end.

Decide.  Commit.  Be Accountable.  Honor Yourself.  Complete.

Comments

  1. I do this every day, but instead of just two things, I usually focus on four or five – given that I don’t work outside the home, the five things I focus on means five hours of work (and lots of time in between recharging the brain!).

    And yet somehow I never feel that I get quite enough done. Must be because as an solopreneur, there is always something that has slipped through the cracks.

    Alex Fayle | Someday Syndromes last blog post..Avoiding overwhelm and moving foward: Lab Rats Week 3

  2. Tom,

    I copied your Daily Decision Strategy Steps so I can try them on a full day. However, I have completed one of my important things today. The other one, exercising, I will be doing shortly. You are very correct in that it helps me to plan ahead and think about what are the most important things I want to get done. All too often, I get off course and the day slips by with a priority item not getting completed. I like your reminder and suggestions. Thanks:~)

    Saras last blog post..An Exercise to Practice Positive Thinking

  3. Hi Tom – I love your image! All those arrows – which way to go! This looks like a great strategy to follow, to make things work really well.

    Robins last blog post..What If? The Movie, A Review

  4. As I gain clients I’ll cut back on things but as I build I have on the go: an ebook, my fiction, a client project, my blog and related marketing stuff, and (until today) English classes to prepare.

    I try to move each thing forward at least “block” (whatever that means for the particular project) every day, but I don’t beat myself (much) when I don’t. 😉

    Alex Fayle | Someday Syndromes last blog post..Avoiding overwhelm and moving foward: Lab Rats Week 3

  5. Suzanne @ vAssistant Services says

    Tom – I would have to scale WAY back to do only 2 completions per day. But as I think about it – that might be exactly what I need to do!

    Suzanne @ vAssistant Servicess last blog post..One Person’s Benefit, Another Person’s Barrier

  6. Robin – It works well for me. Choosing what to complete definitely enhances productivity in both the short and long run.

    Alex – I’d expect nothing less form a organizational guru like yourself. Two completions is all I can handle with a full coaching schedule. If I were you I’d look at how you feel about things. Perhaps you’re judging yourself too harshly? Completing five important projects daily really is superb!

  7. Tom,

    I love the practical steps you specified, especially the first 3. Just do 2 things a day (or even 1!), know what completion looks like, and sets a timer. Works for me! Great advice. Will also start thinking about the next two steps which I don’t usually consider, so I learnt something. Thanks!

    Daphnes last blog post..How To Find Happiness That Lasts

  8. I really like your point in “Energy of Decision”. Making mistakes or experiencing setbacks allows us to view things a different way and brings to light other ways of doing something (thus, reveals more options). This is very true and is a great way to look at mistakes…an opportunity to come up with more ideas.

    Matt Thomass last blog post..6 Things NOT to do After Experiencing Success

  9. Sara – Glad to help. The simplest strategies can make a world of difference.

    Alex – I’m please the beating is kept to a minimum. 🙂

    Suzanne – I’m obviously not counting the completion of powerful coaching sessions for this strategy. So I think you have more because our business models are different. Regardless of how many you select. Be sure to select the most pivotal completions for you.

    Daphne – Hope you’ve completed some powerful ones by now. Self honor rocks!

    Matt – Mistakes are good! Expansion happens when things don’t work. That’s why “it’s all good” is such powerful advice.

  10. The #3 strategy step is so key–I always find myself so productive when I schedule out time blocks of the things I need to do and stick to it.

    I like your mention of “increased mistakes.” Reminds me of the saying about how “failing forward” is actually a good thing.

    Christine Gallaghers last blog post..The Art of Social Marketing

  11. WOW Tom! Great points. I found “Commitment is your assurance that you can trust yourself,” a real profound statement. I had never thought about keeping my commitment to myself like that before.

    I just completed 6 days of presentations and I am beat. Most of them were out of town. It feels so great to have completed this heavy week and been told I did a great job. While I am so tired, it is a good tired, feeling success and confident that I can do hard things and do them well if I commit to it!

  12. I recently started setting a timer and that method works very well for me. I work best with deadlines, and setting a timer provides a deadline for completion. I also (try to) cut down how much I complete in a day, otherwise the list is overwhelming. For the past few weeks my focus has been on one thing, a book series, which will be available soon. When we get out of our own way, completion has many rewards!

  13. Laurie – Having the courage to commit to oneself is the essence of honor. You have what it takes. Continue being bold.

    Christine – Both mistake-making and blocking out the time are tools that keep me on track. One reminds us to play lightly and the other brings focus.

    Stacey – The timer works because it gives an intense urgency to what we want. I agree less is more. If you are choosing priorities it all works out well.

Trackbacks

  1. […] would also like to acknowledge Tom Volkar and his Daily Decision Strategy that I committed to almost two weeks ago, on a great free coaching call. This has propelled me […]

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