A message from my husband
Hi Team,
This is Dan, Jade's husband, pulled in for this week's Hump Day Hype Up. Why's that, well this week's challenge is to ask for help with something you want to achieve.
Consequently, Jade has asked me to write the weekly HDHU and after a solid whinge I've agreed to do it. I hope it helps and if not please let Jade know she barked up the wrong tree getting the guy that needed an english tutor in high school to write a weekly newsletter.
Like most if not all of you, I often have tasks or goals that sit on my to-do list for far too long. For you this could be anything from something as simple as meal prepping every Sunday, wanting to run 5km without stopping or wanting to learn a new skill (learning Italian has been a regular on my goals list since 2009). Subconsciously, or even at times consciously, these unaccomplished tasks can burden us.
There are a plethora of ways to get after something you want to achieve. A crowd favourite is to rearticulate your goals as actions. Another suggestion is to limit your current list of things you want to achieve to just one item and focus solely on that. The old 'just block out time in your calendar' is another. These are all GOLD - don't get me wrong and I would recommend all three. However, as well intentioned as one may be to achieve certain tasks using methods like those above, the simple fact is we are so time poor that it is often easier said than done.
So what is a low hanging fruit, an EAA (easy access action) that can get you moving in the right direction to achieve your to do list? Asking someone to help.
Bringing someone else into your task can be done in a multitude of ways. The most obvious ones being (1) they keep you accountable, (2) they give you advice, and (3) they actually get involved and help you. When someone (or multiple people) support you through one or a combination of these actions the benefits will include:
You should see an increase in productivity and begin to move towards your objectives quicker
Early wins, even if they are supported by someone else, will build momentum
Any stress or feelings of being overwhelmed will be reduced when you are being directly supported by someone else
Simply talking to someone has been shown to be a proven method of reducing stress and having their support will active participation in helping your goals will only further ease feeling of being overwhelmed
Someone else's time and effort being invested in your undertaking is normally an organic motivator for you to also invest your time and for you to make an effort
Furthermore, asking for someone's help also shows a Growth Mindset, the acceptance that you are willing to grow and learn from others
From a people perspective your relationship with the person or people supporting you will hopefully strengthen as they join you on this journey together
They're invested in your mission now.
If you want to give this a try, pick something you have struggled to get after, write it on the top of the page and write the key actions you would need to undertake to achieve it. Now reach out to someone, bring them into your inner circle on this task and either get them to support you by doing some combination of keeping you accountable through reasonable check in points, ask for their advice, guidance and ideas on the task and/or see if they can do one of the actions required.
As I write this I've been reflecting on my list of 'things I want to achieve'. So at some point today, I will be writing 'Learn Italian' on the top of a page and getting after it, starting with reaching out to someone to help me.
Go Team,
Dan
