Everybody has dreams and aspirations; something they want to achieve, someone they want to become, or somewhere they want to be. Jim Larsen’s success story is a great example of how you can convert your dreams into reality by achieving your goals. Here are some tips shared by him that can be useful to you along your journey:
Break Free from the Status Quo
People have adapted the culture of trudging through life like good soldiers doing what they are ‘supposed to’ with the mentality that they have no free will. We aren’t taught to know what we want, instead, we’re taught to obey authority figures: parents, teachers, coaches, bosses. Jim urges people to stop blindly following their directions and think about where their life is heading and if that is truly what they want.
Set Clear and Interesting Goals
Planning ahead is the only thing that gives you a sense of control over the unexpected future. Once you figure out what you want and are ready to set out on that journey, the next step should always be to make a plan by setting clear achievable goals. This way you can ensure that you’re always working towards their accomplishment and avoid accumulating pressure for the last moment. These goals need to be aligned with your dreams and you should try and make your task as enjoyable as possible to prevent loss of interest. Setting activity-based goals will help keep track of your activity, attitude, and pace leading to your desired results.
Avoid Multitasking
People multitask to increase efficiency and get things done quicker but Jim believes that it ends up doing the opposite. He refuses to multitask because he wants to give his maximum attention to whatever he chooses to do at a specific moment, whether that is related to his personal or professional life. Staying focused in a particular zone is less likely to mess things up as compared to when there is more than one thing going on in your brain at a particular time. Hence, you should avoid multitasking to maximise productivity and minimise errors.
Minimise Screen Time
An interesting fact shared by Jim was that he always keeps his phone on ‘do not disturb’. It is almost like the phone doesn’t exist because it doesn’t ring, buzz, or even vibrate. When he’s working he likes to be focused and stay in the zone. Later, he picks up the phone to respond to any missed calls or messages. Although this habit might seem a little extreme to some people, imagine the difference it can make on your productivity level. You can prevent yourself from being interrupted by constant notifications and concentrate on completing your goals as efficiently as possible.
Change Your All-or-Nothing Attitude
Lastly, Jim emphasizes the consequences of having an all-or-nothing mindset. He believes that it is a negative thought process that ends up demotivating the person to an extent that he ends up accomplishing nothing at all. He admits that he had started to adopt this mindset in his personal life as well as business and had to learn to shut it down because he had stopped enjoying the things he was once passionate about. He says, “Anything that moves you forward is better than doing nothing.”
Jim Larsen’s journey is inspiring and the tips he shared are easily implementable in one’s life which will surely lead to great heights of success.
