Sometimes we get so overwhelmed that everything seems to set us off. A tough critique at work, a spat with a friend, a never-ending to-do list—suddenly, the world can feel like it’s crashing down. But the truth is, most of what stresses us out are just small pieces of a much larger, more complex puzzle.
Learning how to keep things in perspective isn’t about ignoring problems; it’s about developing a mindset that prevents minor setbacks from hijacking your overall well-being.
I’m a big believer in living in what Dale Carnegie called, “Day-Tight Compartments.” Living each day in its own 24 hours. That means not allowing yesterday’s “stuff” to impact today’s efforts. It means not over-worrying about tomorrow’s events at the cost of today’s happiness and productivity.
Living in Day-Tight Compartments is the superpower that lets you navigate storms without sinking your entire ship.
Here are a few practical strategies you can use to zoom out and regain your footing when life feels too big and your Day-Tight Compartment starts to get a little leaky.
1. The 10/10/10 Rule
When you’re facing a stressful decision or a major upset, try asking yourself these three simple questions:
How will I feel about this in 10 minutes? (Immediate impact)
How will I feel about this in 10 months? (Mid-term impact)
How will I feel about this in 10 years? (Long-term impact)
Most of the things that cause immediate distress—that awkward email, a spilled coffee, a missed deadline—will have zero emotional weight in 10 months or 10 years. This exercise instantly shifts your focus from the current drama to the long-term reality, often shrinking the problem down to its true, manageable size.
2. The “Worst-Case Scenario” Check
Our minds are masters of catastrophizing. When we feel anxious, we often jump straight to the most dramatic, scary outcomes without checking the facts.
Next time you feel a worry spiraling, take a moment to define the absolute worst-case scenario. Write it down. Then, ask yourself two more questions:
How likely is this truly to happen? (Be honest, not fearful.)
If it did happen, what is the absolute minimum I could do to recover?
By confronting the “worst” and creating a fallback plan, you strip away its power. You realize that even if the worst happens, you would be okay, and you have the resourcefulness to handle it. You move from panic to planning. This will take a ton of weight off your shoulders.
3. Embrace the “Circle of Concern vs. Circle of Influence”
This concept, popularized by Stephen Covey, is critical for reducing stress over things you cannot control.
Circle of Concern: Everything you worry about—the economy, the weather, what others think of you, a coworker’s bad mood.
Circle of Influence: The things you can actually do something about—your effort, your attitude, your boundaries, and how you spend your time.
When stress hits, identify what part of the problem falls into your Circle of Influence. Don’t waste energy fretting over the weather (Concern); focus on bringing an umbrella (Influence). By dedicating your time and energy only to what you can control, you become more effective and less burdened.
4. Practice Gratitude Daily
It sounds almost silly, but a consistent gratitude practice is one of the most powerful tools for perspective. When you focus on what you lack or what went wrong, you narrow your vision. Gratitude forces you to widen it.
Take three minutes every morning or evening to list three specific things you are genuinely grateful for. It could be your morning coffee, a good night’s sleep, or the support of a friend.
This simple act reminds you that even on a bad day, your life is filled with existing good things—and the minor setback you’re currently facing doesn’t invalidate any of them. It puts your troubles into a richer, fuller context, which tends to shrink them.
A Final Thought: You Are More Than Your Problems
Remember that you are not your immediate circumstances. Hope is the understanding that our current circumstances are very unlikely to be our permanent circumstances. A bad day is a single data point, not a complete picture of your life. That means we always have hope. When you feel trapped by a current challenge, step back, breathe, and use one of these tools to zoom out.
The ability to keep things in perspective isn’t a trait you’re born with; it’s a skill you build, day by day, worry by worry. Start practicing today, and watch how much smaller and easier to manage your challenges become.
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Hey everyone, I’m passionate about sharing insights on life and leadership through my blog. If you’ve found value in my posts and wish to see more content like this, please consider making a donation. Every little bit helps in continuing to provide quality guidance and inspiration.
But whether you can offer support or not, I’ll continue to try and write a blog that gives back, informs and sometimes even entertains. I hope you enjoy it!
I’m a little surprised by how often I’m asked by people how to ask for a raise. I don’t normally answer a question with a question, but in this circumstance, I do it anyway. The question I ask is, “Do you deserve a raise?”
I get a variety of answers to that question. Many people say, “well, I need one.” This is where the frustration begins to set in for them. Because my reply is that if I’m your employer, I could care less that you think you need a raise.
I then ask them to explain to me, with a pretty good level of specificity, why they deserve a raise. I want them to tell me what they have done to make themselves more valuable to their employer.
It is my belief that no one is entitled to a raise they didn’t earn just because they have been with a company for a certain period of time.
Consistently increasing the value you bring to your employer is the fastest way to earn a raise. Increasing your value helps you stand out from your colleagues and coworkers. Standing out as a valuable employee not only helps you earn a raise, it can open doors to career growth, job security, and personal fulfillment. Becoming indispensable to your employer isn’t about working harder—it’s about working smarter, aligning your efforts with the company’s goals, and consistently demonstrating your worth.
Here’s a practical guide to increasing your value at work, with actionable steps you can start implementing today.
Understand Your Company’s Goals and Priorities
To be truly valuable, you need to align your work with what matters most to your employer. Take time to understand your company’s mission, vision, and current objectives. Are they focused on increasing revenue, improving customer satisfaction, or streamlining operations? Knowing this helps you prioritize tasks that directly contribute to those goals.
Actionable Steps:
Ask questions: In team meetings or one-on-ones, inquire about the company’s short- and long-term priorities.
Read up: Review company reports, strategic plans, or public communications (e.g., investor updates or press releases) to grasp the bigger picture.
Align your work: Frame your contributions in terms of how they support key objectives. For example, if customer retention is a priority, focus on delivering exceptional service or suggesting process improvements.
Example: If your company is pushing for digital transformation, volunteer to learn a new tool or platform that supports that initiative, like mastering a CRM system or analyzing data to improve decision-making.
Develop In-Demand Skills
Employers value employees who bring expertise that is relevant to the company’s needs. Stay ahead by continuously developing skills that are in demand, both within your role and in the broader industry. This could mean technical skills (e.g., data analysis, coding) or soft skills (e.g., communication, leadership).
Actionable Steps:
Identify skill gaps: Look at job descriptions for roles similar to yours or ask your manager which skills would make you more effective.
Invest in learning: Take online courses (platforms like Coursera, LinkedIn Learning, or Udemy are great), attend workshops, or earn certifications relevant to your field.
Apply your skills: Find opportunities to use your new skills on the job, whether through a special project or by improving an existing process.
Example: If your company uses data to drive decisions, learning basic Excel functions or a tool like Tableau can make you a go-to person for insights, increasing your value.
Take Initiative and Solve Problems
Valuable employees don’t wait for instructions—they proactively identify challenges and propose solutions. Being a problem-solver shows you are invested in the company’s success and can be trusted to handle responsibilities.
Actionable Steps:
Spot inefficiencies: Look for processes, tools, or workflows that could be improved and suggest actionable fixes.
Volunteer for challenges: Offer to lead a project, tackle a tough client issue, or streamline a task that others avoid.
Think ahead: Anticipate potential roadblocks in your team’s work and propose ways to address them before they become problems.
Example: If your team struggles with meeting deadlines due to poor task tracking, propose adopting a project management tool like Trello, or Asana and offer to set it up.
Build Strong Relationships
Your value isn’t just about what you do but how you work with others. Building strong relationships with colleagues, managers, and stakeholders fosters collaboration and makes you a trusted team member.
Actionable Steps:
Communicate effectively: Be clear, concise, and respectful in emails, meetings, and conversations.
Support your team: Offer help to colleagues, share credit for successes, and foster a positive work environment.
Network internally: Get to know people in other departments to understand their roles and how you can support cross-functional goals.
Example: If a coworker is overwhelmed, offer to take on a small task or share a resource that could help them, building goodwill and strengthening team dynamics.
Deliver Consistent, High-Quality Work
Reliability is a cornerstone of value. Employers prize employees who consistently meet or exceed expectations, deliver on time, and maintain high standards.
Actionable Steps:
Set clear goals: Break down large tasks into manageable steps and track your progress to stay on target.
Pay attention to detail: Double-check your work to avoid errors that could cost time or resources.
Seek feedback: Regularly ask for constructive feedback from your manager or peers to improve your performance.
Example: If you’re tasked with preparing a report, ensure it’s error-free, visually clear, and submitted early, demonstrating reliability and professionalism.
Be Adaptable and Embrace Change
Workplaces evolve—new technologies, strategies, or market conditions can shift priorities overnight. Employees who adapt quickly and embrace change are invaluable because they help the company stay agile.
Actionable Steps:
Stay open-minded: Approach new processes or tools with curiosity rather than resistance.
Learn quickly: Take the lead in mastering new systems or workflows, and share your knowledge with others.
Show resilience: Handle setbacks or unexpected changes with a positive attitude and focus on solutions.
Example: If your company adopts a new software platform, take the initiative to learn it early and help train your team, positioning yourself as a resource.
Communicate Your Value
It’s not enough to do great work—you need to make sure your contributions are visible (without being boastful). Employers often notice employees who can articulate their impact.
Actionable Steps:
Track your achievements: Keep a record of your accomplishments, such as projects completed, savings generated, or positive feedback received.
Share updates: In performance reviews or check-ins, highlight specific ways you have contributed to team or company goals.
Be proactive in meetings: Share ideas, insights, or progress updates to demonstrate your engagement.
Example: During a performance review, say, “I streamlined our reporting process, which saved the team 5 hours a week and improved data accuracy by 20%,” to quantify your impact.
Stay Positive and Professional
A positive attitude and professional demeanor make you a pleasure to work with, which enhances your value. Employers appreciate employees who inspire others and maintain composure under pressure.
Actionable Steps:
Stay solution-focused: Even when challenges arise, focus on what can be done rather than dwell on problems.
Show gratitude: Acknowledge others’ contributions and express appreciation for opportunities.
Handle conflict gracefully: Address disagreements calmly and constructively to maintain a positive work environment.
Example: If a project hits a snag, instead of complaining, say, “Let’s brainstorm a few ways to get this back on track,” showing leadership and optimism.
Mentor and Support Others
Helping your colleagues grow not only strengthens the team but also positions you as a leader, even if you’re not in a formal leadership role. Employers value employees who elevate those around them.
Actionable Steps:
Share knowledge: Offer to train a new hire or share tips with a struggling colleague.
Be a team player: Celebrate others’ successes and contribute to a collaborative culture.
Lead by example: Model the behaviors and work ethic you want to see in others.
Example: If a new team member is struggling with a task, spend 15 minutes walking them through it or sharing a helpful resource, showing you’re invested in the team’s success.
Stay Committed to Growth
Valuable employees never stop growing. Commit to continuous self-improvement, both in your role and as a professional, to stay relevant and impactful.
Actionable Steps:
Set personal goals: Identify one or two areas for growth each quarter, such as improving public speaking or mastering a new tool.
Seek mentorship: Connect with a mentor or manager who can guide your career development.
Stay curious: Read industry blogs, attend webinars, or follow thought leaders on platforms like X to stay informed about trends.
Example: Follow industry leaders on X to learn about emerging trends in your field, then share a relevant insight with your team to spark discussion.
Final Thoughts
Being more valuable to your employer is about aligning your efforts with their goals, continuously improving yourself, and making a positive impact on your team and organization. By taking initiative, building skills, and developing strong relationships, you’ll not only increase your worth but also create a more rewarding work experience for yourself.
Start small—pick one or two of these steps to focus on this week. Over time, these efforts will compound, making you an indispensable asset to your employer and setting you up for long-term career success.
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Considersupporting my efforts with a gift!
Hey everyone, I’m passionate about sharing insights on life and leadership through my blog. If you’ve found value in my posts and wish to see more content like this, please consider making a donation. Every little bit helps in continuing to provide quality guidance and inspiration.
But whether you can offer support or not, I’ll continue to try and write a blog that gives back, informs and sometimes even entertains. I hope you enjoy it!
One of the most common excuses for not planning is that “the plans never work out anyway.” When I hear that from someone, I don’t worry about their inability to plan; I worry about their inadequacies when it comes to adapting their plan to a different set of circumstances.
Lacking the ability to adapt kills more potential opportunities than the lack of a plan, the lack of funds, or the lack of help. Don’t get me wrong, planning is very important; the process of developing a plan is even more important than the plan itself. As President Eisenhower said, “no plan survives first contact with the enemy; you must be able to adjust.”
In a world where change is truly the only constant, adaptability is a superpower. Whether it’s navigating a career change, embracing new technologies, or adjusting to unexpected life events, being adaptable allows you to thrive in uncertainty.
But adaptability isn’t just about surviving change—it’s about embracing it, learning from it, and using it to grow. Here’s a guide on how to develop adaptability and flourish in an ever-evolving landscape.
Understanding Adaptability
Adaptability is the ability to adjust your thoughts, behaviors, and actions in response to new circumstances. It’s a blend of resilience, flexibility, and open-mindedness. Unlike rigidity, which can lead to stress and stagnation, adaptability empowers you to pivot when plans go awry, seize new opportunities, and maintain balance no matter what life throws your way. The good news? It’s a skill you can develop with intentional practice.
Cultivate a Growth Mindset
At the heart of adaptability lies a growth mindset—the belief that you can learn, improve, and evolve through effort and experience. People with a growth mindset see challenges as opportunities to grow rather than insurmountable obstacles. To foster this mindset:
Reframe setbacks: Instead of viewing failures as dead ends, treat them as learning experiences. Ask yourself, “What can I take away from this?” For example, if a project at work doesn’t go as planned, analyze what went wrong and how you can improve next time.
Embrace curiosity: Stay open to new ideas and perspectives. Read books outside your usual genre, listen to podcasts on unfamiliar topics, or engage in conversations with people who think differently.
Celebrate effort over outcome: Focus on the process of learning rather than immediate success. This builds resilience and encourages you to keep trying, even when things don’t go as expected.
Build Emotional Resilience
Adaptability often requires managing emotions during uncertainty. Emotional resilience helps you stay calm and focused when faced with change. Here’s how to strengthen it:
Practice mindfulness: Techniques like meditation, deep breathing, or journaling can help you stay grounded. For instance, a 5-minute daily meditation can reduce stress and improve your ability to respond thoughtfully to challenges.
Acknowledge your emotions: Change can bring discomfort, fear, or frustration. Instead of suppressing these feelings, name them. Recognizing “I’m feeling anxious about this new role” allows you to address the emotion constructively.
Develop a support system: Surround yourself with people who uplift and encourage you. Sharing your experiences with trusted friends or colleagues can provide perspective and reduce the emotional weight of change.
Stay Flexible in Your Approach
Being adaptable means letting go of the need to control every outcome. Flexibility allows you to pivot when circumstances shift. To enhance flexibility:
Let go of perfectionism: Striving for perfection can make you resistant to change because it creates rigid expectations. Instead, aim for progress. If a plan fails, adjust and move forward rather than dwell on what didn’t work.
Experiment with new methods: If your usual routine isn’t working, try a different approach. For example, if your traditional study methods aren’t helping you learn a new skill, explore online courses, group discussions, or hands-on practice.
Practice scenario planning: Anticipate potential changes and prepare multiple responses. For instance, if you’re launching a business, consider “what if” scenarios like market shifts or supply chain issues, and brainstorm solutions in advance.
Sharpen Your Problem-Solving Skills
Adaptability often involves finding creative solutions to unexpected problems. Strengthening your problem-solving abilities can make you more agile in dynamic situations.
Break problems into smaller parts: When faced with a challenge, divide it into manageable steps. This makes overwhelming situations feel less daunting and helps you focus on actionable solutions.
Seek diverse perspectives: Collaborate with others to gain fresh insights. A colleague or mentor might see a solution you hadn’t considered.
Learn from past experiences: Reflect on times when you successfully navigated change. What strategies worked? For example, if you adapted to new software at work, recall how you broke the learning curve into small, daily tasks.
Embrace Lifelong Learning
In a rapidly changing world, staying adaptable requires continuous learning. Whether it’s mastering new technology or acquiring soft skills, staying curious keeps you relevant.
Stay updated on trends: Follow industry news, attend webinars, or take online courses to keep your skills current. Platforms like Coursera or LinkedIn Learning offer accessible ways to learn.
Develop transferable skills: Skills like communication, critical thinking, and collaboration are valuable across contexts. For instance, improving your public speaking can benefit both your career and personal life.
Be open to feedback: Constructive criticism helps you identify areas for growth. Seek feedback from peers or supervisors, and use it to refine your approach.
Build Confidence in Uncertainty
Adaptability thrives when you trust your ability to handle the unknown. Building confidence in uncertain situations takes practice.
Start small: Take on small challenges that push you out of your comfort zone, like trying a new hobby or speaking up in a meeting. These experiences build your tolerance for uncertainty.
Visualize success: Before tackling a new situation, imagine yourself handling it well. Visualization can reduce anxiety and boost confidence.
Reflect on past adaptability: Remind yourself of times you successfully adapted. This reinforces your ability to navigate future changes.
Final Thoughts
Becoming more adaptable is a journey, not a destination. It’s about building habits that allow you to face change with confidence and curiosity. By cultivating a growth mindset, staying emotionally resilient, embracing flexibility, sharpening problem-solving skills, committing to lifelong learning, building confidence, and prioritizing well-being, you can transform uncertainty into opportunity.
Start small: pick one or two strategies from this guide and apply them to a current challenge. Over time, you’ll notice that change feels less like a threat and more like a chance to grow. In a world that’s constantly shifting, adaptability isn’t just a skill—it’s a way of life that empowers you to thrive, no matter what comes next.
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Considersupporting my efforts with a gift!
Hey everyone, I’m passionate about sharing insights on life and leadership through my blog. If you’ve found value in my posts and wish to see more content like this, please consider making a donation. Every little bit helps in continuing to provide quality guidance and inspiration.
But whether you can offer support or not, I’ll continue to try and write a blog that gives back, informs and sometimes even entertains. I hope you enjoy it!
Most people don’t plan. They don’t plan because they believe plans “don’t work.” Nothing ever goes according to plan so what’s the point in planning they ask.
One of the greatest military strategists and tacticians in the history of the United States, President Eisenhower once stated that plans are useless. (He had a little more to say on the subject of planning but we’ll get to that in a moment)
The truth is, most plans don’t work. They don’t work for a variety of reasons. One huge one is that even people who put in some level of effort creating a plan then fail to work the plan. So before we go any further let’s get one thing straight. No plan works if no one is working the plan.
Planning does not guarantee success. It does however improve your odds of achieving it.
Another reason plans don’t work is that the people developing them are not realistic. Two critical elements to a solid plan are knowing your starting point and your desired outcome. We call your starting point the “as is.” What is your current situation? What level of effort are you willing AND able to commit to your future success today.
That’s where many plans go off the rails. The plan includes some pie in the sky estimate about the level of effort a person is willing to commit in order to reach the desired outcome. What we call the “should be.”
Here’s one common example. People make a plan to get in shape. They are already very busy people but they commit to one hour a day of working out, most likely at some gym or fitness facility. Committing that hour is the easiest part of the plan. The hardest part of making that plan work often never even comes to mind for most people.
The hardest part is committing to STOP doing something that’s become a habit in your life for one hour a day. When you make your plan you likely know that there are 24 hours in a day. But most plans look as if the act of making a plan somehow added an hour to everyday. It makes we wonder if people think the extra hour they have committed to doing something new is just gonna fall out of the sky.
A successful plan for any type of self improvement must include what you will STOP doing in order to make the plan work.
Now about that “should be.”
Those who know me well know that I think I “should be” King. I don’t know King of what or who. I do know so many things would be better if I was King. For instance, I would eliminate lines. There would be no more lines for popcorn at the movie theater. No lines for rides at Disney parks. No lines at the grocery store, absolutely no lines anywhere. Think of the time it would save.
But…there are a couple of little problems there. First, I’ve sadly come to the conclusion that I’ll never be King. Of anything. While apps on Smartphones have contributed to the shortening of lines at theaters and grocery stores I’m afraid lines, lots and lots of lines, at Disney are a fact of life.
By putting an uncontrollable and unattainable “should be’s” in your plan you demotivate yourself. That leads to the abandonment of your plan and reinforces the belief that “plans are useless.”
Now, back to President Eisenhower. Yes, he definitely said, “plans are useless” but his complete statement was, “In preparing for battle I have always found that plans are useless, but planning is indispensable.”
Eisenhower knew that plans seldom work out completely as intended. But he also understood that the act of planning prepared him for the unexpected. He was not surprised by what happened on the field of battle. That’s because all possibilities had at least been considered during the planning process.
For most of us our “fields of battle” are competitive marketplaces, disrupted supply chains, unscrupulous competitors, and difficult economic conditions to name a few. But planning still pays dividends. I’d say in challenging times planning pays even greater dividends.
Make sure you know your “as is.” Be honest with yourself. Be realistic with your “should be.” There are of course several more elements to a successful planning process but if you get those first two right you’re well on your way to a plan that will get you to where you want to go.
Some of you know that I’ve been trying out something relatively new over on Twitter. It’s called SuperFollow. That means I post some tweets that are for subscribers only. The tweets I post for subscribers are video only. I post two each weekday, mostly on leadership but also sales and living a better life in general. I’m also way more available for questions from SuperFollowers than I can be for the million plus regular Twitter followers. The investment to see these “SuperTweets” is $4.99 a month, that’s about 17 cents a day. The videos continue to grow in popularity so clearly a lot of people think they are worthwhile.
I don’t get to keep the entire $4.99. Twitter of course gets some, Apple, for reasons I don’t entirely understand, gets an even bigger chunk than Twitter. What’s left after that ALL goes to charity. So you can help yourself with solid video coaching and make a difference in the world too. This month the charity is very very close to my heart. All the proceeds are going to help kids with Down Syndrome.
You can find more information by clicking the Super Follow button on my Twitter profile page IN THE TWITTER APP. http://twitter.com/leadtoday Give it a try if you’re so inclined, and if you are, be sure to let me know how I’m doing and how I can be of even more help.
Almost everyone I talk to says they would like “things” to improve in 2022. When asked to be more specific many of the people say, “you know, just things in general.”
Well, generally speaking “things” don’t improve until somebody improves them. I guess that’s where the “somebody ought to do something” phrase comes from.
People want improvement and they want somebody else to give it to them.
That would be nice if it worked that way and I suppose every once in a while it does. But waiting for “somebody” to do “something” to make your life “better” is kinda like waiting to win the lottery when you haven’t even purchased a ticket.
If you want to be sure of improvement this year then you need to realize that if it’s going to happen then YOU need to take responsibility for making it happen. Don’t wait on anything or anyone. Don’t hope for something good to happen, make something good happen.
Make a plan for self-improvement and then implement the plan. It can be professional improvement or improvement in your personal life. Maybe both. Be aware that some improvement will require that you start doing something that you may not particularly like doing. Other improvement will require that you perhaps stop doing something you like.
Oftentimes what we stop doing has more positive impact on our lives than what we start doing.
There are many things in your life that you don’t control but if you really want a better life then you must control the things you can…and they are many too. The most successful people accept responsibility for their lives.
They accept responsibility for what they do and what they didn’t do that they should have.
Change will happen in the New Year, the question is, will change happen to you or because of you? Will you be in control of your life in 2022 or allow “somebody” else to determine your life’s trajectory?
It’s a simple choice but it’s a choice that only you can make.
The “Launch” is the seventh step in our planning process. It’s also one of the most frequently skipped steps. It is amazing to me how many times I’ve seen a person or a company invest time and in the case of companies, huge amounts of money, to develop a great plan and then do nothing with it.
Years ago I was working for a company and we were contacted by one of the largest banks in the world. While they were already huge, their growth was stagnant and they wanted a plan to begin growing again.
We advised them that the first step of developing a plan would be determining where they were at right now…we needed a crystal clear idea of their “As Is.” As I said this was a large bank and the most effective way to determine their current situation was to conduct a needs assessment throughout all levels of the organization. This would a seven figure investment and they would receive an actionable plan that would lead to a return to growth for the organization.
We delivered the plan to the bank on time, which was four months after the process began. They were a little overwhelmed at the amount of detail we provided but they agreed wholeheartedly with our findings. They were excited to be moving forward.
We scheduled our first follow up meeting (The Follow Up will be the 8th and final step in our process) for 90 days after they put the plan into action. 90 days later when we called to confirm the follow up meeting they asked to reschedule. They were still preparing to launch the plan “in the very near future.” Remember they paid over a million dollars for the needs assessment and the plan that came out of it.
The bank NEVER did actually launch the plan. They had the best of intentions. They invested heavily to make certain their plan was actionable and that their desired outcomes would be achieved. But they failed to launch!
The “Launch” is where having a coach or a mentor can make a huge difference. Without someone to hold you accountable you may never begin. Or, you may have a few “false starts” and then never get going again.
Think of all the time you’ve invested to this point. You likely know more about yourself then you ever have before. You’ve dreamed your dream and made a plan to make it become real. You’ve done the hardest part.
All that’s left is to implement the plan.
You need to take that first step. Some of us, okay, most of us will still need a little push. That’s what your coach or mentor is for. If you think coaches or mentors are only for big shots then don’t get one. But find yourself an accountability partner and ask them to hold you accountable. The only requirement for an accountability partner is that they care enough about you to actually hold you accountable.
I can’t say that strongly enough…whoever you ask to hold you accountable MUST truly CARE for you. That is a must must must! They need to be willing to keep encouraging you, pushing you, even scolding you in that’s what’s needed. Your accountability partner needs to stay along side of you when you tell them you’re done. They must care enough to not allow you to be done.
Some people seem to misread the title of this step. After completing their plan instead of going to “launch” they simply go to lunch…and apparently never come back. Lunch can wait, your future will not! Implement your plan ASAP…as in today because in you’re always waiting for tomorrow, tomorrow never comes.
Some people use time as an excuse. Highly successful people use time as a tool.
Now that you know what you’ll stop doing in order to succeed and you know what you’ll start doing to achieve your goals you need to commit to a time table. This is such a critical step in the planning process yet many people skip it completely.
Years ago when I would present Goal Setting Workshops for Dale Carnegie people would present truly outstanding goals. They presented them with such passion that it was obvious they wanted to achieve them.
But when I asked when they would begin the pursuit of those goals they were completely flummoxed. They had not considered a starting date and time, they were simply going to do it. Except I knew they likely wouldn’t. Because they would most probably use time as an excuse for never actually beginning. I’ve seen it happen again and again.
So for everything you committed to stop doing you need to add each one of those individually to a time table. EACH ONE, INDIVIDUALLY! If you think you can lump them all together and stop them all at once you need to be more realistic.
Keep in mind you’re using a TIME table, not a date table. When adding a “stop action” to your time table list the date you will implement the stop action AND the time of day. Specifically. Exactly. Then put that in your calendar. In ink. In all caps.
Tell the world about your commitment. Ask them, ask everyone, to hold you accountable.
Use exactly the same process for everything you committed to start doing in order to achieve your goals and bring your plan to life. Specificity is key. You need to determine the exact date and time you will begin….or you’re unlikely to begin…ever.
Setting an exact date and time to begin your journey to goal achievement is an example of using time as a tool. Having an exact date and time in your plan and on your calendar gives you the tool of accountability. It helps you hold yourself accountable. Sharing that exact date and time with others might even give you more accountability than you want. 😀
One a word of caution about adding action items to your time table. The farther into the future you plan to stop or start an action the less likely it is that you’ll do it. The best time to begin is today. The second best time is tomorrow and the third best time is the next day. You can imagine how effective it WON’T be to start something 6 months from now…that’s almost as bad as having no start date at all.
Today is the best day to take control of your life. If you begin today then all of your tomorrow’s will have a much better chance of going according to YOUR plan. If you don’t have a plan then you’ll have to settle for whatever happens to come your way.
