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| How To Make Sure You Fail This Year | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Well,
you don't really want to fail, do you? And mulling
over the past is not going to get you any closer to achieving
success either.So, kick the dust off your feet and make a commitment now to give yourself a fresh start. On the other hand, if you really do want to make sure you fail this year, read this article and do the opposite of what it says. |
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| Life is not fair. It seems that everyone else has more of something that we need: money, talent, connections, looks, experience, societal status, etc. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| But one thing that we all have equally is "now." Sure, some of us may have more free time than others. Some of us may live longer too. But we all have "now." | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| After 20 years of experience in the business, I can tell you that "now" is the thing that I've seen most people waste. And I'm preaching to myself as I too have been guilty on occasion. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Is too much time being spent on bureaucratic meetings? Are we judiciously using technology (e-mail, cells, PDAs, blackberries, etc.) to be more productive or have we become enslaved to its entertainment value? Are we spending personal time (and money) on sports events, re-runs or clubbing? | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Of course, there's nothing necessarily wrong with doing those things. It's just that it's so much easier to kill time than it is to be disciplined about taking action now to achieve our corporate goals or personal aspirations. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Remember. Time is a resource you can never recover. Once now is gone... it's gone forever. I'm glad whenever others think of me as being very good at taking now-action. But I know that there's always room for improvement. How about you and your partners, company or department? | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Another thing I have observed: everyone has goals, but they don't often have plans. Goals and plans are not the same thing. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Let's take an example to illustrate my point. Some kids dream of becoming a professional baseball player and getting into the Hall of Fame. That's a goal. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| But what's the plan? Calling George Steinbrenner? Obviously not. There are no shortcuts. No one starts at the top. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| So it's about having a plan -- learning about and playing the game, trying out for Little League, etc. Later plans would include getting into the minor leagues and eventually trying to break into the majors, even if it means starting out with a low ranking team. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Planning is about the small steps you take now to achieve a series of many little goals. By staying consistent and persistent, all of these little achievements may add up to the one big goal you are after. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| But it requires a lot of humility. Are you willing to be faithful in doing the small things now in order to even have a shot at achieving the big things later on? | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Make a contract with yourself. Put your plans in writing. It's one thing to keep goals in your head. But you really need to write down all the small steps you need to take toward achieving the goals. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The very process of writing it down will be a forced reality check that helps clarify what areas need more development. Having a written plan also helps to keep you focused and from becoming overwhelmed. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| It's easier when your immediate focus is taking a few manageable steps toward the achieving just one small, but important, goal in four weeks than it is to have one big general goal to achieve far off into the future. And the sense of accomplishment will give you the extra motivation to propel you further along in your plans. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Make yourself accountable to your own contract. Share your plans with a trusted friend, relative or mentor. Find someone who you know will "sue" you if you "breach" the contract. It's a great motivator to have someone who will periodically check in with you to see how you're doing. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Try to get someone who is not also your business partner. An "outsider" will have no vested interest so their fresh perspective is what you'll need when you slack off, come up with excuses or get discouraged. Every now and then, a little scolding or pep talk is just the thing to help get back on track. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Write down your goals and then
write down all the steps. Start big and general and  work
your way down to small and detailed. Big goals need many
long-term steps and the smaller goals in between need many short-term
steps. Be specific. Eventually, you should end up with a "To Do" list of things to start taking action on immediately. |
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| E-mail me about setting up a consultation. Do it now! I can help you with the following: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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> Honest and critical self-evaluation > Determining realistic expectations > Coming up with a strategy and action plan > Creating a business development plan > Putting together an affordable budget |
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| If you have questions about any of these tips or if you need help fine-tuning an existing business plan or budget, e-mail me about setting up a consultation. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Not sure yet? Have
questions about the fee or services? E-mail me to arrange for a free confidential telephone appointment to get more information. |
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