After almost two years in what felt like hibernation due to the pandemic, suddenly everything seems to be moving at double speed and everyone is trying to catch up on lost time. Getting used to the fast pace and life at full throttle again can be truly overwhelming and you might feel as though you are not getting anything done or sinking into procrastination because you don’t know where to start.
Take a breath and follow these five steps from seasoned entrepreneur and home cook extraordinaire, Chantal Lascaris to help you refine your focus, go for your goals and find the courage to get it done:
Bite-Size Chunks: Sometimes, we set goals that are so daunting, the size and scope can add to our tendency to procrastinate. By breaking it into bite-size chunks and being realistic about what you can do, you’re more likely to set yourself up for success. Approaching it this way also helps you build confidence, which makes it easier to dedicate time to it.
‘Good Enough’ is Enough… to get going: The truth is you don’t always have to be the best. By always striving to do more, without recognising when you’ve done enough, you put yourself on a never-ending journey to discontent. By letting ‘good enough’ be enough, you aren’t slacking. Rather you’re approaching it with the wisdom to know you don’t have to stress about every little thing, and there will be times – many of them – when what you’ve done is enough.
Standards Stay Up: There’s a difference between having standards and expectations. Your standards are how you measure the value of your efforts. Your expectations are the belief that what you want is going to happen. Your standards should always stay up, whereas your expectations should be realistic.
Critique Criticism: The key to handling criticism is understanding the intention. There will be times when criticism is toxic. And there will be times when it’s constructive and holds value to help us see things we may not have seen otherwise.
Ask An Expert: If you know someone who is good at what you’re trying to do, don’t be afraid to ask them for tips or even a couple of lessons. By finding someone you can learn from, you eradicate the perfectionist tendency to always focus on the outcome, rather than turning the journey of learning into something fun.
