Make Victory Inevitable

May 6th, 2014 by Kelly Kienzle

“Design and launch a meaningful marketing initiative for 2014.” I wrote that 4 months ago in January. Since then I haven’t done anything meaningful in tackling that goal. It is critically important, requires huge mental energy, and has many moving parts and multiple steps.

All of which combine into a mind-numbing cocktail that slows me down instead of inspiring me to tackle it. I feel like I’m trying to run underwater.

Sometimes we (meaning “I”, really) wait for when a vast desert of free time will magically appear on the calendar. (I’m realistic about it. I know that, of course, some sort of magic will have to be involved for this free time to appear.) And then, I will be able to sit down and think great thoughts about my marketing strategy.

But as that day continues to not come, my dread and fear of the project continue to build. Gradually, the project becomes so big that I get frustrated just thinking about it. And my behavior of waiting for more time has become a habit. I even have a shorthand for it as I continue to copy it onto my to-do lists each day: “D&LMMI2014”. Catchy, isn’t it?

So here’s an alternative: Make victory inevitable by carving out one small step that is doable today.

What is the one task that you can complete before you leave work today that will put you one step closer to completing that project? What is so small that you will be able to achieve it, no matter what the rest of the day throws at you?  How can you make victory inevitable?

In the spirit of crafting simple steps, here they are for the Inevitable Victory process for your next big project:

• Write down the one doable task.
• Ask yourself: “Can I definitely complete this step today?” If you can’t, modify the task until it becomes doable.
• Repeat tomorrow.

Script your first few moves so that victory is inevitable. You need easy victories early on to build your mindset about your ability to tackle this project. Your brain needs evidence that you can do this project. The size of the victory doesn’t matter. It’s the number of victories you can ring up early on that matters here.

And just think – – this evening you can enjoy a small victory over this project.

Now, please excuse me. I have to go write one, single paragraph e-mail to one client about a cool, new program of mine.