Why is making a comeback important?
Making a comeback is an especially important area in light of all things COVID-19 and the recent events of 2020. Many carefully formulated plans or goals may not have come to fruition. This blog provides some practical tips on what making a comeback is all about when the chips are down, and what it looks like.
To begin with, it is important to acknowledge the situation and the emotions or feelings you are experiencing. When we lose momentum on our way to achieve a goal, we may have feelings of doubt, sadness or hopelessness.
The first step towards getting back on track is to acknowledge these feelings and the reality of the situation. Coming to terms with these feelings is part of moving forward. One of the most important aspects of life is the attitude we take towards unavoidable challenges. Therefore, turning a setback into a comeback is one of the healthiest actions we can take.
What does making a comeback look like?
A comeback can be defined as moving back towards taking intentional actions that are in line with our goals and values. So you may need to reflect on these and reassess what you wish to achieve and how are going to go about it. A great way to frame this is to ask yourself what is the one thing I can do right now that will make all other things easier?
In any given moment, this question can do wonders for your productivity. A to-do list becomes a success list when you prioritise things. Often this means having to put difficult tasks at the top. You want to work on something that will give you tangible and substantial returns. Having a clear email inbox might look productive, but this is probably not the most important task that you need to get done to get you back on track.
How do I work effectively towards a comeback?
We do not need to think about winning the whole game, rather just winning the next point. Make your task selection clear and be aware that the more things you try to do at once, the less you will actually accomplish. You need to be working on one thing at a time, without distraction. You cannot rely on your willpower alone to keep out distractions.
Create a schedule with time blocked for focused work on your next number one priority. This needs to be in an environment that has distractions removed. Close those extra browser tabs and put your phone away. This could mean working in 30minute blocks on your task then returning to make sure you meet other obligations for communication and work with others.
Keep in mind that having a great strategy is important but the hard part is in the execution. Schedule in time to also take stock of how well you are committing to your schedule and assess things what may need adjusting. Similar to the halftime meeting a rugby coach has with their team, you need to evaluate how well you are concentrating and what can be improved. Create a scoreboard of the time you are spending working on your priority tasks. If at the end of the day you can confidently say I accomplished 2 or 3 hours of distraction free, focused work, you are moving in the right direction.
A comeback is not something we achieve in one day; we want to aim for small wins consistently over time. The compound effect of stringing together multiple days and weeks of focused priority driven work will give you the best chance of making a great comeback.
