Forward Progress

Whenever I watch football, I am always so pleased when a team makes a first down or drives down the field. But I am even a bit happier when a player achieves a down or moves the ball due to “forward progress.”  Though I am far from an expert in the game of football, for those of you who don’t know, according to About.com, it refers to a situation whereby “at the end of a play, the football is spotted at the point where the ball carrier’s forward progress is stopped even if he is pushed backward by the defenders.”  It’s nice because the player “gets credit” for his hard work, even if he experiences a setback.

In our lives, we often make positive steps forward in our organizing, but sometimes we may fall back into old habits that seem to sabotage our efforts.  Or, we think we’ve moved forward, only to see that we’ve only made small gains.

The important thing to remember is that forward progress is indeed progress.  It may not occur quickly, or in one big attempt (like a “Hail Mary” pass in football).

But progress is based largely on our willingness to try something that will help us better develop our organizing strategies over time. Those small steps (like downs in football) really do add up to true “forward progress.”

Follow these tips when thinking of organizing projects:

• Break larger organizing tasks into smaller ones.  You’ll see changes and be better able to recognize your efforts.
• Give yourself credit for trying something new.  Organizing is not an exact science, so even if a new tool, resource, or organizing system just doesn’t work for you, once you have determined that, you can reflect on ways to improve your system.
• Have a plan in place so that your organizing efforts have a better chance of working for you. Just like in football, the playbook is used as a plan for the structure of the game; without it, the team wouldn’t know how to break down plays, and could end up making a mess out of the game.  Having a plan gives you a focus for your next steps, and carrying out next steps promote positive gains.
• Have fun.  Organizing, like football, can truly be a fun process.  It takes planning and hard work, as well as sometimes taking some time to establish your “just right” plans for success, but you will never know progress unless you try.

Now I’m in the mood to watch football.  I guess I’ll have to wait a few more days for that.  Here’s to “forward progress” in your life!