Today, February 22nd, is the 53rd day of the year. Slightly more than 1/7th of 2019 is behind us.
Did you set large, challenging goals for yourself for the year?
Are you on track for achieving them?
If you have fallen behind in your quest to achieve your goals, the question of the day is: what are you going to do differently in the next 53 days to get back on track?
I have been asking these questions of audiences since the third week of January and it is dismaying how few people are on target to achieve the goals they set for themselves.
Even more surprising is how few seem to have any plan for getting back on track and forging ahead. Do you have a plan? Be honest with yourself.
Naive Hope
Truth be told, most of these folks will continue doing what they have been doing with some naïve hope that everything will turn out the way they want.
And the next 53 days will pass by which time, sadly, they will be even further behind.
Not for a moment am I suggesting these are not extremely hard-working people who, every day, expend enormous energy working hard both in and on their businesses.
But what I do know with near 100% certainty, it is not a lack of hard work that is causing them to fall behind, it is what they are working hard at, that is the real culprit.
There is a vast difference between doing things right and doing the right things. Think about that for a moment, the requirements are the same … it is what we are focusing on that is different. Client after client, year after year, this is what differentiates those who succeed and those who don’t.
Three weeks ago, we spoke of the importance of Directional Activities – those activities that move us ever closer to the achievement of our goals.
The truth is too many people spend their time intensely working on those things which are important, but not even remotely directional.
Directional Activities
I have a simple suggestion for all my clients: spend your daytime activities – as best as possible – doing those things that are truly directional and do everything else at 3AM.
Simply put, those folks truly obsessed with achieving the goals spend their working days focused only on those things that move them towards their goals and everything else is done after hours.
It is much easier to spend time doing those important things – working on our website, writing promotional materials – than it is placing ourselves directly in the path of fiery rejection by making calls. Understand, results are always directly proportional to the focus of your efforts, not just the efforts themselves, and there is nothing more focused than Directional Activities.
Many years ago my good friend and trusted mentor Ross MacInnes, shared something with me that I have never forgotten: “One way or another we always pay for our education.”
Roughly 1/7th of the year has gone by. If you are one of those who are not solidly on track to hit your targets, then you are among the large majority of those destined to fall well short of your desires.
But all is not lost. There are 312 days left for us to catch up and make 2019 our best year ever.
Remember this: there are always two prices to pay; the price for doing nothing and the price for doing something. One way or another, you will pay one of them.
A number of years ago there was a commercial that asked parents: it is 10 PM, do you know where your kids are?
I have a similar question for you: it is Day 53, do you know where you are?
If your answer is anything other than a loud, committed YES, then contact me at tellmemore@strategicpathways.net and let’s get you back on track.
Talk soon.
Till we read again.
