Tag Archive for 'goals'

Consistency before perfection

Published
by
Warwick
on February 6, 2009
in Contribution, Health, Skills and Wealth
. 0 Comments

Have you ever found yourself waiting for the “right moment” when everything will be just right so you can get started with your plans to {insert your change here}, examples may include lose weight, go scuba diving, call your parents, move to the countryside.

Many people I talk to are waiting for this perfect moment when all the stars are aligned, the inbox gets cleared and the children are old enough and …. and so on. Here’s the bad news. There is no such thing as a perfect time to start something.  And here’s the good news. There is no such thing as a perfect time to start something. So you better start now. This type of procrastination is also linked to the pursuit of perfection. Not wanting to start until “something” is perfect. We can learn a lot from nature. A flower doesn’t wait until the weather is perfect before coming out. It gets ready to bloom every day. It is primed and ready to grow. The beauty of nature is created through intense activity.

Marketing whizz Jay Abrahams says that a mediocre marketing plan implemented consistently over a long period of time, will outperform a “perfect” marketing plan. Successful companies, like Nike’s Just Do It, stick to a message and use it consistently.  Abrahams points out that it’s often advertising companies who encourage companies to change their messaging so that they can bill for new campaign creative work.  The question for you is- are you putting perfection before consistency?

When coaching clients, I always look for small actions that can be made immediately.  Action and the momentum this builds is the most important factor in moving a client towards an important goal. Sometimes a client will want to spend a long time talking about and analysing a situation from five different angles and talk theoretically about what could have happened if he did X, Y and Z. This is all very therapeutic and can help create awareness. But success is built on action. Consistent action towards a specific goal.

What goal have you been putting off waiting for a better situation?  Identify one small action that in 15 minutes would put you closer to your goal. Have you been meaning to take off some of that winter weight but still waiting for the weather to get warmer? Book a day session in a gym. Take a friend. Go there and do some light exercise. Have a sauna. Enjoy the action you are taking.  Always look for the small actions that when applied consistently on a daily and weekly basis will see you towards your end goal.
One of my goals this year is to compete in 3-4 Olympic distance triathlon races. Each event takes me around 3 hours and is considered a full marathon equivalent race. While each event is manageable in itself (1.5km swim, 40km bike and 10k run), adding them together makes it a challenge!  The best way to get ready for these type of endurance events is consistent exercise. Though with a new book launch, a busy consulting practice and international travel it can be difficult to find the time. But I know that even a 15 - 20 min run three times a week is better for me than waiting and doing a one hour run once a week.  Small drops all add up.

Take action: Look at one of your important goals for 2009. Find one that you have not taken action on in the last 2 -3 weeks. Identify a single action you can take that can be completed in less than 20 minutes. Take action on it today.  Start looking for other 20 minute actions you can take in the next week.

How clear are you about the path ahead in 2009?

Published
by
Warwick
on January 7, 2009
in Contribution, Health, Skills and Wealth
. 0 Comments

How clear is your path?

As we move into uncertain times in 2009, just how important is it to be clear about your own personal path?  I believe it’s essential. Ancient wisdom says you won’t know if you have succeeded if you don’t have a target. If you don’t choose a path to walk down, you will never reach your destination.

Pick an area that you want to move forward with in 2009. Perhaps in your personal life, family, finances or business career.

What’s your promise?

My big promise to the world is to:

Be the catalyst to help you unblock the {communication} obstacles that are stopping you from sharing your unique talents with the world.

So whenever I consider an area of my life that I want to improve, I always start with my big promise. If I was considering business, I might look at ways I could help people become aware of their obstacles (like with a blog). I could create products, write books or audio products which can provide practical tips and solutions to these obstacles. All my activities are hooked on my big promise.

I may refine my promise to suit the category, so for a business goal, it may be:

“To become the home of practical wisdom on overcoming common communication obstacles.”

Now that you have a promise, think about the goals that will help you reach this promise. It will likely be a series of steps or goals. For example, it may start with talking to some friends to better understand common obstacles. It may involve writing an article. You may need to hold a seminar or workshop.  For example, I plan to contribute more through using social media tools. This requires a plan on writing articles, using social media tools, learning which ones are most suitable for me, taking part in the communities and so on. I have blocked out time on my calendar of around nine hours a week to dedicate to learning and using this channel.

What are the conditions for success?

How do you know that you are succeeding? Most people spend a lot of time planing their goals in the first few weeks of the year and then forget about them until December when it’s too late to course-correct. If your promise was a table, then your conditions for success would be the legs. It needs to be obvious how well you are doing at any particular time.  It’s obvious if a table only has three legs! So one of my conditions for success in my blog writing is that I will always be one week ahead in my article scheduling. It’s easy to see whether I am on track. I just look at the scheduled posts and can see immediately how many articles I have written. Make your goal tracking as quick and easy as that. These small “brushstrokes” all contribute to your final masterpiece. Break your goals into bite-size pieces and track how you are doing.

Who is responsible for them?

Some of your goals may involve more than yourself. Use the same process but also add in accountability. Have clear areas of responsibility and frequent check-ins to make sure everyone and everything is on track.  Social media tools like Facebook can help here.

Reaching any goal is a process. Set yourself a clear path (and a clear reason) and you are more likely to stay the course as the buffets of reality unfold. Good luck and have an abundant year ahead!

Inspired by interview between Sean Redmond and Roger Hamilton. Listen here.

If you need to accelerate your progress in finding clarity in your path and taking steps to succeed, drop me a line. I help my coaching clients get clarity in their lives and I offer an initial free telephone consultation without obligation.