In today’s interview, we have Jason Womack, Cofounder of the Get Momentum Leadership Academy.
Jason helps busy people with big dreams to solve the problems they face when they have to change themselves, so they can achieve greatness in their career and in their life.
He has a degree in education which served him well when it came to learning how to teach, as well as a degree in psychology which helps to decipher why people don’t learn.
Sounds like Jason has a lot to share with us, so let’s see what he has to say.
PBI: Briefly describe your “Perfect Prospect” – Who do you help?
JASON: You are a recently promoted manager, or you’ve just founded a small business and you want to work smarter, lead better, think bigger and achieve more.
Your goals are BOTH personal and professional, and you know that if you could do more, you could “do more.” NOT for the sake of being busy, but to cause major, positive, impactful change for yourself, your family and your community.
PBI: What common obstacles prevent them from achieving their desired outcome of working smarter, leading better, thinking bigger and achieving more?
JASON: BOTTOM LINE: People do what they’ve always done. They study harder. They work longer hours. They work while they’re stressed. They burn through staff, customers AND relationships.
There are multiple obstacles that block people from success, however, in my experience one of the major ones is … Admitting that THEY may have to change, for things to change.
Our soon to be released book, “Get Momentum: How to Start, When You’re Stuck” by Jodi Womack and Jason W. Womack (Wiley, 2016) is packed with strategies and processes to help people overcome those obstacles by improving their performance at work.
I teach the fundamentals of human performance in a way that spells out how to get more done with fewer resources and with less stress. Inside, they’ll find insights into why we do what we’ve always done, expecting different results—and how we can break the patterns holding us back.
PBI: Returning to work after the holidays can be stressful time, what do you have to say on that topic?
JASON: After the holidays, it’s back to the daily grind. Instead of energy and excitement about jumping into 2016, you’re already weighed down with dread. Walking into your office you’re hit with 20 more tasks, several crises and cancelled meetings. All the while, your to-do list grows by the hour while your inbox fills up with e-mails needing an immediate response.
The feeling of dread doesn’t come from the work itself, it comes from knowing there’s a backlog of work. We’ve all felt the humongous weight of unfinished tasks on our shoulders. The pressure to do more with less isn’t letting up. You can’t change that reality … but you can make peace with it.
PBI: Why do prospective clients become customers of yours?
JASON: I coach senior leaders to slow down. Many successful people move SO fast, they are “stuck” in the fast lane, that they don’t make time for (or even know how to) process their progress. Clients become customers (and often friends, as in the case of many GetMomentum.com members), because of my focus on this process of iterative (step-by-step, over time) change.
PBI: Very briefly, what are 2-3 popular misconceptions about achieving their desired outcome of working smarter and overcoming work overload?
JASON: – Firstly, that change (getting momentum) is something that can happen by reading one book, or attending one seminar. Secondly, they often believe that an outside expert is required for one to acknowledge what has to happen in order to change. And last, but certainly not the least, that there is ONE way to go about changing for the better.
PBI: Great answers Jason. Any final tips you’d like to share before you go?
JASON: Sure, I’ll share a few of my favorites, there are however several more that we don’t have time for today.
Purge and unsubscribe. When I suggests reducing your psychological burden, in some cases that means reducing your literal burden. Start by deleting and recycling to make room for the “new” of the New Year. Too many people let a backlog (of paper AND digital information) pile up and weigh them down.
Get rid of everything you can, and reduce what’s coming in. Unsubscribe from e-mail newsletters, magazines, book-of-the-month clubs, even special, ad-hoc committees you’ve joined recently. ‘Unsubscribe’ for three months; at the end of those 12 weeks, you can re-join if you want to!
Block your time and prioritize. Time blocking and prioritization are keys to daily productivity. Review your to-do list and your calendar each morning to schedule blocks of time to work on priorities. I identify three specific ‘work’ sessions of 15 to 45 minutes each. These blocks of time are to stay focused, minimize interruptions, and work effectively.
What we think about is what we do. Identifying what we’d like to experience is the first step in developing the habits and actions that move us closer to our goals. That ten minutes is the starting point in moving off the ‘thought trails’ that force you into thinking what you’ve always thought—and doing what you’ve always done.
PBI: Anything else?
JASON: That’s about it Stewart, I hope these tips are of help to your readers as they return to work after the holidays. There’s a reason we’re so drawn to New Year’s resolutions. On a deep, fundamental level we want to get better and better, both on the job and off. There is no reason to remain mired in frustration and struggling to catch up. Life can be a wonderfully exciting journey, and it can start whenever we want it to start.
PBI: Thank you for a great interview Jason.
About Jason:
Jason W. Womack, MEd, MA, provides practical methods to maximize tools, systems, and processes to achieve quality work/life balance. He has worked with leaders and executives for over 18 years in the business and education sectors.
WEBSITE: www.GetMomentum.com
THE BOOK: Get Momentum: How to Start, When You’re Stuck
EMAIL: Jason@WomackCompany.com
CALL: (805) 798-1362
