Recently I interacted with someone who just did not have his act together. With missed appointments, frequent last minute cancellations, unproductive lengthy meetings, and unfocused conversations, I realized that this man has no foundation. There was nothing for him to build upon and without that foundation in place, he flounders through his days. At his rate, it will take him much longer to get anything accomplished.
Dealing with someone so challenged can be absolutely unnerving, to say the very least. It’s just not possible to get anything done operating without a solid foundation to support you. Operating this way is like trying to build a skyscraper on a clay foundation. It simply won’t work. Without a solid foundation to help you make and keep appointments and scheduled meetings, plan accordingly, have concise, productive meetings and a focused agenda, the building can come down fast.
What does your foundation look like? What do you have in place to help with your calendar and other scheduled items? Do you plan on a regular basis, have concrete reasons for scheduling meetings and create agendas for them? If not, you might be experiencing the aforementioned situation.
Think about what you’re building. Why do you do what you do and what goals are you aiming for? Start from scratch and create your plan. Create your goals and be sure that they are values-based and S.M.A.R.T. (specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, time bound). Next, create the plan for reaching each of those goals and place the related individual tasks on your daily to-do list and in your calendar. Before you schedule a meeting, ask yourself if it’s really necessary to meet. If so, does the meeting have to be face-to-face or can it be virtual? Who needs to be there and why, and what items need to go onto the agenda? Create that agenda and assign time to each item, then stick to the agenda.
If you’re floundering through your days, take a step back and look at your foundation. Ask yourself if it’s supporting you now and if it’s strong enough to get you to where you want to go. Do you have a solid foundation that will erect a steady structure, or will it all come tumbling down? What are you building?