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Be the Leader of Personal Change

Yesterday, sitting down to have coffee at a local hot spot I noticed a young couple with a rather rambunctious 4 year old boy. He had glinting blue eyes filled with mischief, tousled blond hair that was as wild as he was, and the energy of a supernova. His parents were attempting to control this juggernaut while having a semblance of a conversation. I became impressed by their deliberate focus away from his antics. Many parents, myself included, would have lost it or given up on the “adventure”. Not these two brave souls.

About half way through my coffee I looked up to see Mr. Lightning Bolt sitting absolutely still staring at something his mother had put into his hand. I was both astonished and curious about this secret weapon that converted energy into calm. He was holding a small ball-in-a-maze puzzle and working diligently at moving the pesky ball to the Goal Achievement is a Processcenter. Neither of his parents were helping him but were thoroughly enjoying his efforts. I found myself draw into the drama. In a couple minutes of trying he successfully “sank the ball.” With a war whoop he leaped up and did a victory lap. His parents smiled and prepared to leave having finished their coffee. As they walked out I realized that this little powerhouse held a secret for all of us share – goal achievement.

Measuring Success

How do we define success in completion of goals? This is a critical step in the process of change. For without measurement, goals become worthless. Taking a cue from Mr. Lightning Bolt; focus energy on the job at hand and measure your success against an expected goal. Our 4 year old “docent” understood completing the puzzle was worth sacrificing his time and energy in exchange for the euphoria of success. The simplicity of his process is the foundation for his winning way. He didn’t worry about complex measurements, what if analysis, or the possibility of failure. He committed 100% to his endeavor and it paid off in spades.

Influence on Others

The most interesting phenomena about this situation was the collateral effect of his personal change on the world around him. His parents and I were drawn into his process and benefited without his direct knowledge. In business developing awareness of how your changes affect others can become a useful competitive difference. Knowing how and why to influence others becomes the base for effective marketing and sales efforts.  I challenge you to make worthwhile goals and understand their potential influence on others. It is not as easy as it seems…

6 Tips to Build Success in 2014

Well it’s mid January and the dust of 2013 has settled. Now is the time to start implementing the necessary changes to reach your personal and business goals. Hopefully your business goals are focused, measurable, and realistic because over 60% of people fail to reach their goals before the middle of the year even with strategic planning. Review my previous post about simple rules to use for 2014 and pay attention to punctuality, organization, and building value. It can be hard to know the best steps to take to ensure that you realize your potential, personally and in business. Here is a list of tips to help migrate from this month of reflection and evaluation to February, where you will  build a foundation for change.

Commit to Communication

Communication is one of the key tools for change. Discussing goals and opportunities with friends, family, and colleagues enforces the benefits of your goals and provides support through praise, advice, and  motivation. They may provide the necessary help to get you off the ground. Develop good communication habits by actively listening, responding effectively, and following up. Just like a small business, personal relationships require investment and management.

Finish Your Personal Evaluation

Everyone talks about goal setting, cleaning house, making way for the new, and getting ready. These are all great in concept but don’t lead to action. Take ACTION by finishing your reflective period and start to implement your plan.

Make Realistic Plans

Lofty goals?

Simple Plan… Big Results

In many cases lofty goals are just that, lofty. Make plans that are realistic and part of a strategy for the year not for a single problem. Build daily action that represent steps in your process. For example, in your small business keeping better track of expenses starts with recording them in a daily ledger. Don’t worry about what is going to happen tomorrow or how much you will use for taxes. Just do it! Remember, it is always easier to edit than to create.

Understand Your Value

If nothing else this coming year, figure out your value and apply it to your goals, expectations, and interaction with others. With this knowledge you can make critical decisions  to delegate, outsource, or eliminate tasks and projects that don’t add value or detract from your goals. Ask, how often is time, energy, or money wasted in pursuit of something that can be done faster, better, or for less cost by someone or something else? The answer will startle you and provide motivation for change.

Automate, Automate, Automate

Make it once and use it over and over again. Review practices or habits and remove the “one off.” Automated process and procedures become a way to optimize resources without additional investment. Examples include auto responders for e-mail, information aggregators, monthly payment plans, and online calendars. Regardless of the situation automation can save time, create value, and enhance experience.

Eliminate the Paper Trail

Writing something down more than once creates potential for loss, increase in clutter, and leads to disorganization. Put everything into on online format to make sure it is measurable, traceable, and available at the touch of a button. Don’t write it several times.. type it once and save.

Easy For You to Say

It all sounds great but how is it actually done. The processing, goal-setting, strategic planning, measuring tools, and technology. Where to begin?  Contact me and we can find out together. Don’t wait until tomorrow to make the changes that were necessary yesterday.

 

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