The Task

In my last posting I wrote about the goal, the second of the three steps in the three step process for successability. Today I am writing about the third step in that strategy, the task.

In the three step process, we first determine our vision. From that we determine our goals, the goals we need to complete in order for our vision to manifest. From those goals we determine our tasks. Tasks are the things we actually do. They are the activities that we perform in achieving our goals. If we complete our tasks, we will achieve our goals. If we achieve or are achieving our goals, we are manifesting our vision.

We have control over our tasks. We don’t have control over our vision, because it’s not something we do; it’s something we are. We discover our vision. Similarly, we don’t control our goals; rather, our goals are achieved by the one step we do control, our tasks. When we focus on our tasks, what we can control, we increase our motivation.

Just as there are requirements for a goal to be motivating, there are rules for a task to be motivating.


Motivating tasks are:
• specific: write them down in enough detail; a complex task should be broken down into its smaller component tasks.
• clear: must be easily understood; if you are confused as to exactly what you are supposed to do, you will not be motivated.
• observable: are behaviors, something you can see
• measurable: have clearly defined results for each task and well stated objectives; this has the dual motivational effect of reducing anxiety and increasing positive expectancies
• realistic: you must believe you can perform the task; if you don’t, you will not be motivated.
• related to one of your goals: be clear on how the task fits into the goal. If you don’t see how the task is going to help you achieve one of your goals, you may want to ask yourself why you are doing it.

We’ve all heard the proverb. “He who fails to plan, plans to fail.” The three step process for successability is a great start in creating your plan for self motivation.