Your guide to a healthier perspective of life
Why goals aren’t achieved?
1. Not enough focused time spent in action.
2. Give up after it doesn’t work once (instead of staying consistent and persistent).
3. Lacking discipline to do what is necessary.
4. Being easily discouraged after setbacks or slower progress than expected.
Good leaders (including good parents) should be consistent and predictable with their actions and responses. What kid/employee would want to “walk around on eggshells” everyday, not knowing if their actions are going to make their parent/boss go berserk?
Aim to be consistent in what you say and how you act. Reward the same actions on a day-to-day basis, and punish the same actions on a day-to-day basis. Don’t be so temperamental. Those around you should know, “if I do X, my boss will be pleased with me. But if I do Y, they will not be happy.”
If we set clear expectations from the beginning, and follow through by rewarding/punishing accordingly, everyone will know the rules of the game and understand how they can win.
1. Decisiveness – clearly define what it is you want. Then ask yourself, will whatever action you’re about to take bring you closer to that goal? If yes, do it. If no, don’t do it. Not sure? Give yourself a set period to decide then take action.
2. Build momentum. Does an airplane start the engine then it’s up in the air flying? No. It has to build up speed to take flight. Once in the air, it’s easy to maintain. Determine what is the most important next action step, then do it (preferably, it should be easy to implement so you can “check it off the list” and build momentum). When you do that, figure out the most important next step and do that. Repeat, repeat, repeat.
3. Measure what matters. Keep track of the most important numbers. What are the lead measures and lag measures you need to hit to achieve your goals? Budget your time, actions, money, etc.
4. Become an expert. What did I do yesterday? How could I have done it better? What did I do that I should stop doing? What do I need to learn to be considered an “expert” in my field.
Do not hit unless you absolutely have to. But when you do, hit hard. You should never go looking for a fight, but if someone backs you into a corner or if you have to defend yourself or others, do it. And don’t hold back, because of you only gently attack them, chances are you’ll only make them more upset/come after you harder. You only have one chance to surprise them. Make it count.
If you don’t ever defend yourself, or you never stand up to that bully, they will continue to bully you. But worse than that is the lack of self-respect and self-confidence you will develop. If you do stand up and fight, you might get beat up/lose. But the harder you fight, the less likely it is that the bully will continue to pick on you. They will want to go after easier prey. (Stand up for them too.)
You can only go so far, or accomplish so much, on your own. It takes teamwork to achieve something great.
Teams (especially large teams with many decision-makers) can take a long time to decide and act on something. It is easier to move quickly when your team is small or you’re by yourself. But you will be limited by your time, energy, and mental capabilities if you only work alone. If you work with a team, with each team member having their own strengths and bringing something valuable to the team, you can achieve something larger than any one person.