Life Is Too Short for Poor Planning
I hope this New Year is off to a happy, healthy start for you!
Today is the 80th birthday of my wonderful mom, Emily Link! What a huge milestone this is for our family. We are so blessed to have her in good health as we start 2018.
She has achieved so much in her 80 years on this earth. And just think of how life has changed in that relatively short amount of time. When she was born in 1938, there were no computers, jobs across all sectors looked vastly different than they do now, and life expectancy was nearly two decades shy of 80!
And yet, if the New Year reminds us of anything, it is how fleeting our time here is. Don’t the years seem to fly by faster and faster with each countdown to the clinking of champagne glasses?
As we usher in 2018, we look ahead at the New Year with hopeful optimism. This time of year, especially for us as entrepreneurs, is a fresh start, full of goals and resolutions.
Perhaps it’s because we know that life is short, we create grand visions for ourselves in the months ahead. Healthier diets and weight loss. Stronger relationships and closer friendships. Steady business growth and monthly sales we can be proud of. Better work-life balance.
Simply put, we want more for ourselves.
We have the potential to achieve these things. But resolutions aren’t the road to the promised land.
It doesn’t take long for optimism to fade and goals to grind to a halt. After a few days or weeks pass and you’re faced with the same day-to-day challenges and stresses as last year, you begin to fall into old patterns.
New Year’s resolutions go by the wayside and it’s back to business as usual.
This year, let’s make a resolution to change this tired, old pattern. By properly planning, we can achieve the prosperous results we truly want in the year to come.
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Instead of resolutions, set an action plan.
A goal is just a dream unless it’s specific. Take a sales goal, for example. You want to make more sales and boost profitability in 2018. That’s great, but that’s just a dream until you start quantifying what you’re striving towards and identify what exactly it will take to get there.
What are your specific targets for sales each week, month, quarter, and year? Now work backwards! How many networking events do you need to attend every week to generate quality leads? And how many prospecting calls do you need to make every day to reach these goals?
Achievable goals are supported by a specific action plan. Successful entrepreneurs take time to map out and quantify the action steps they need to make their goals a reality.
Without quantifying your goals, you can’t measure your success, which is critical to ensuring you’re on the right track and adjusting your tactics as needed.
Action step: Commit to creating a step-by-step master plan that will keep you focused on hitting your daily targets.
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Be realistic about your goals.
When New Year’s comes around, people tell themselves, “This is going to be the year I make it happen.” Make no mistake, there’s nothing wrong with turning a new page in your life or in your business. But you have to be careful to set realistic – rather than idealistic – goals.
For example, if you want to get more clients this year, saying you’ll add 15 new clients a month isn’t very realistic. Of course, what’s realistic for you is unique. But it’s important that you take your real life into account, rather than thinking, “If I were like Tony Robbins or Louise Hay, I would be able to add 15 clients per month.”
There is no one-size fits all formula when it comes to setting benchmarks. But regardless of your personal strengths and limitations, it’s important to be honest about what daily and weekly actions you can maintain to reach your goal. If you struggled to make a few sales calls a day in 2017, committing to making 30 consecutive sales calls each morning before you check your emails isn’t realistic!
Your plan may look impressive on paper, but if you can’t follow through, then what’s the point? Put a plan in place that you can stick to week after week, month after month. In the long run, it’s the consistency of your performance that will empower you to generate RESULTS.
Action step: Identify and set realistic goals as part of your master plan that you can break down into monthly, weekly, and daily tasks. Learn fundamental strategies that will help improve your skills, so that you can advance the efficiency and effectiveness of your business
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Support your plan with systems.
Likely one of the biggest reasons resolutions fail is because they’re fueled by a temporary burst of will-power. But will-power will come to an end, and the day-to-day grind of life will come back.
It’s easy to feel pumped to accomplish greatness at the start of the New Year, but how will you handle the bumps in the road? There will be setbacks. It’s an inevitable part of life. So how are you planning to accommodate those setbacks?
If you don’t have systems in place, life’s road bumps will make you more apt to lose self-confidence, throw in the towel or settle for the status quo.
The only way to create lasting change in your life and your business is to make sure you’ve put a plan with specific processes in place. Your plan needs to be rooted in systems proven to keep you on track when you’re feeling tired and discouraged. When you commit to working the system consistently, you’re able to weather any storm that comes your way and produce results.
Action step: Regularly evaluate your progress, identify weaknesses and adjust your plan as necessary to stay on track. Meet regularly with an accountability partner who will keep you honest and focused as you strive to reach your goals.
Life is too short for trial and error.
You don’t have the luxury of running your businesses unless it’s profitable. When the clock is ticking – and it’s always ticking – you need to know your actions are moving you toward the end goal.
That’s why I teach my clients at Celeste Giordano Coaching a proven system for reaching their sales, business growth and personal development goals. The system is quantifiable, realistic and incorporates strategies that I’ve personally used to grow my Legacy Business.
Whether your business is in its infancy or you’re trying to break through barriers to take your established business to the next level, the bottom line is you want 2018 to be a game-changer in your business.
If you’re committed to taking the action necessary to make 2018 the most profitable year yet, this is the time to PLAN for success. Capitalize on your will-power right now to create change.
Want to “Double Plus” your income this year? It doesn’t have to be a pipe-dream. And you don’t have to fall into the trap of settling back into your old ways when grand New Year’s resolutions fail to materialize.
Contact me today to learn sales and business development strategies that will fast-track your journey to growth and profitability THIS YEAR.
Wishing each and every one of you a positive, productive, and prosperous 2018.
Celeste Giordano’s mission is to help business owners develop the skills, knowledge and attitude necessary to “double-plus” their income and become effective and inspirational leaders in their fields. Whether it’s taking your successful business to the next level or starting a new venture, she will teach you the exact skills and strategies you need to enroll more quality prospects, build a rock-solid team, and break through obstacles to achieve real profit and lasting success. Celeste is a professional business growth specialist, a master sales strategist, and dynamic speaker with 40 years experience in direct sales and managing high-performing teams.
To learn more about Celeste, click here.
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