Okay, so we are quickly closing in on the second quarter of 2009, which can mean only one thing… unless we are manic… as in manic on steroids… we’ve now accomplished just about everything that we’re going to accomplish in the first quarter of this year.
For many, that is good news… for many more, it isn’t.
So, let’s speak for a minute or two about what to do if the goals are a distant memory… and then let’s get to work.
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Okay, so first let’s remove the biggest reason that is given for missing goals… the lack of time.
There is only one difference between those who hit goals, and those that don’t… and that difference isn’t time. To be sure, we all have 168 hours each week… and the free-will and ability to either spend those hours… or invest them.
No, when it comes to goals, the difference between the hitters and missers is simply this… people who hit their goals, hit their goals… and people who miss them, miss them… consistently.
It is the expectation that we all live up to… or down to.
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I spoke with a businessman in St. Paul over the weekend where I was attending a leadership conference. I asked if I could use his story, as I thought it might benefit someone else… and he agreed. So, what you are about to hear is true… the names have been changed to protect his wife and children!
This gentleman confided that he was off big time on his goals, and that he no longer felt they were within reach. As we spoke, it was clear that the sheer volume of work was daunting… actually causing him health challenges… but only because he didn’t have a team. And he was spending much of his time preparing to go in a direction that he really didn’t want to go.
He confessed that a great deal of pressure was being applied by other members of the family business to achieve certain objectives that he neither believed in, or felt a passion for.
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Not only will such goals be missed… indeed, it’s likely they should be missed… but this scenario carries an opportunity cost. By focusing on less than desirable activities… the really, really, important projects go unfunded… and unaccomplished.
With the clock ticking here are eight things you can do by April 15th to rescue the critical projects:
1) Review your list of goals, and give each a grade of A, B, or C. A’s are the things that MUST happen yet in 2009.
2) Increase the time invested in “A” activities to 85%, allocate 15% to your “B” activities, and throw out the C’s today. Do not revisit them until the A’s are accomplished.
3) Get your team involved… as close to yesterday as possible.
4) Review the circumstances that tripped you up over the last five quarters… and create contingency plans to avoid them in the future.
5) Create an emotional tie for success… make it a cause… complete with BIG rewards for the team for successful achievement.
6) Evaluate your progress weekly.
7) Keep your moral center. True character is revealed under pressure; be open to advice, and stay plugged in to your mentors.
8)Invest your “off time” into your own personal growth and development, and that of your team.
Questions:
What goals have you set that MUST be accomplished in 2009?
How does their achievement affect your plans for 2010, and beyond?
Are there any “A” goals in which you have fallen behind? What are the causes? What is your plan? Who can help you? Are they willing?
I look forward to speaking with you.
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