Creating Your Motivational Action Plan

Welcome to Day 23 of the #write31days series! Over the last 23 days we have covered a lot of material and concepts together. Remember, I am offering the Creating Your Motivational Action Plan program for a fraction of it’s regular price this month to celebrate this series… If you’d like to continue this adventure, or delve in deeper, click HERE. , You will get step-by-step guidance, worksheets, an online journal and a 90 minute private coaching session from me.

Back to our regularly scheduled programming 😉

How many times have you set out to accomplish a goal and lose steam before reaching the summit? Hikers fatigue can happen for many reasons – running out of resources such as food and water is one, but most of the time, it’s because the load you are carrying is much too heavy for the journey. Even items that feel light in the beginning can start feeling very heavy after you’ve been carrying them a while.

How do you prioritize your time and lighten your load so you can keep hiking and finish strong?

Learn to say YES ….. I know right? Most “self-help time management gurus” will tell you to learn how to say “NO…” but I find that saying yes is more effective for lightening my load. I have a hard time accepting help. When my husband says “can I help with dinner?” my first reaction is to say “No, I’ve got it…” After all, I’m super woman – I don’t need help! Learning to say yes is learning how to lighten your load. Yes, you can take the kids for the weekend. Yes, you can help carry in the groceries. Yes, I can take a break. Yes, I can go for a walk to clear my head. Learn to say Yes.

Stop picking up rocks – There is an old parable about a man who was hiking a mountain, and each time he tripped or stumbled on a rock, he would bend down, pick the rock up, and put it in his pack. Obviously, he became very weary under the weight of his pack, and collapsed, not being able walk under the weight. The moral of the story, is if you trip and stumble, do not carry the guilt, shame, despair, and fear that the experience caused. Let it go. Pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and kick the rock to the side of the trail. Don’t carry the rock with you.

Distribute the load – If you had a group of five hikers climbing a mountain together, would it make sense for one person to carry the supplies for everyone? No. All five hikers would carry their own load. In other words, delegate. Take a list of all your tasks you need to accomplish and next to each item, write down who else can do the task. Maybe your kids can do the dishes, your husband can do the laundry, and you can take turns doing the grocery shopping. You have a goal to go after, and they are on this journey with you. You are not a pack mule – share the load.

Today, on your M.A.P. write down an absolute “YES” list – a list of circumstances where the answer will always be “yes.” This list will be based on “does this help me get closer to my goal – or does this help lighten my load?” If the answer is no, it doesn’t go in your pack. Happy hiking!

This is part of the #write31days series – Create Your Motivational Action Plan. To read previous posts – click HERE.

Until tomorrow –

Hit the Heights!
Priscilla Hansen Mahoney
The Natural Business Leadership Guide