How Well Do You Follow Through?

by Travis Wright

In life as well as in golf, the follow through is crucial. It is a very important aspect of personal development. How well and how consistent are you at following through? If you say you are going to do something, do you do it?

Your subconscious thrives on completing tasks, and finishing what was started. When we DON’T follow through accordingly, we break ourselves down a bit. If I tell myself, I’m going to go touch the wall, but then I neglect touching the wall. It has left my subconscious in limbo a bit, and now it may create a bit of stress for you, due to unfinished obligations.

I think that our lack of following-through is more a lack of organization than a lack of responsibility. When we keep all of our to-dos in my mind, we will have a hard time deciphering what to do next. We just know that we have a bunch of things that need to get done, but whoa, when are we going to find the time to knock them out? Thus, perhaps things sit unattended to, and certain projects slowly die.

Since adopting David Allen’s Getting Things Done method of productivity, I have found myself in more control of the many projects that I have in front of me. Since my projects are in control, my stress level has gone way down, and I have been consistently finding time to work out. I have already lost 10 pounds, and am feeling great.

When your to dos aren’t floating around in your vast cabeza [head], it will be a lot easier to manage your next actions and actually follow-through on your projects to completion. Do you even KNOW what your next actions are for each of your projects? Most people probably do not. Thus, they may not follow through on some of the things that need attending.

If you find yourself an extra hour in the middle of the day… what do you do with it? Well, if you know what your next actions are for various projects, you will follow through and not waste that found hour.

Write down a list of all the things that you need to get done. Then, on another sheet of paper, write down the next actions for those things on your list that will take a couple of actions or more to complete. If the action can be done in 2 minutes or less, do it now!

I don’t know how many times, something has stressed me in my life, in the past, that I could have knocked it out in 5 minutes or less… but you build things up in your mind and you end up becoming inept due to all these things that need to get done… that NOTHING ends up getting done. You go home tired, and turn on the boob-tube and waste away more hours.

How about implementing a system to help you follow through better. One that will ensure your success now, and in the future? Why not do something Right Now?

Much Love-

Travis Wright