"Just because you can" is not a good reason

As a business owner accumulates resources in the form of employees with capabilities, facilities, and money, the world opens up to her. More things are possible, and more situations and opportunities present themselves.

But everything in your grasp is not meant to be in your hand.

The old you would jump on any opportunity that was made available to you, and that’s one reason you got to where you are. But this strategy becomes a losing one if we continue it into a world made increasingly and even exponentially abundant by our early successes. There is simply too much in the world, and only one you. The danger is spreading yourself too thin across a big world until you aren’t good at anything; not because you aren’t capable of being good at it, but because you can’t.  

The great limit we can’t transcend with any resources, is time. Keep your focus narrow enough at any one chapter in your life, to make an impact.

2018 – What will you make happen?

If you haven’t already, you have to plan 2018. Get in a quiet room for a few hours with a journal and some colored pens. Think about it. 

First, reflect. How old are you? If you know, how many years until the next chapter? What have you accomplished so far? What are the key constraints in your business? Which team members are all in and which aren’t? How can you lead them better to get more engagement? 

What do you want to do? What are the organizations top two most important goals, that if it took all year to accomplish, would be well worth it? What do you need to learn to be a better thinker around these goals? What kind of person do you need to be to attract these results? What changes do you need to make inside you? 

What changes do you need to make in your business once you learn and become the right kind of leader? Who do you need to get involved in helping you make these changes? (Everyone!?) When will you make these changes? Make a plan. Do you need to collaborate on the plan? When will you communicate the plan? How? 

Every great achievement was created twice – once in the creator’s mind, and then again in reality. Create it in your mind first. Create it in vivid detail. See it. Get the feeling that comes along with it being accomplished. Hold it in your mind for some time. Hear it. Be it first.

Send it from your brain through your hand onto paper. Express it. Work it through. 

What is MOST important in getting it done? What parts have you historically been weak at, procrastinated or avoided? See yourself simplifying the entire task and going right at the most critical parts. What parts must be done by you and what will you delegate? How will you keep enthusiasm and momentum up for you and for your team as you progress?

Build it in your mind. Make a plan with timelines. 

Then do it. Make it a huge year!

Happy New Year!

I would like to thank everyone in the Think Daily community for helping me learn, get clear and express so many things by writing each day. It has been a great year here, and I hope it has been for you too.

We have learned a lot, dared ourselves, been bold and courageous, and become new people who are more actualized and able in the world. We have become more of who we are put here to be, and helped others while and by doing so.

As the year closes, let us celebrate all of it – the good and even the bad, which ultimately is a gift that will make us better. Let us look forward to another incredible year ahead where we create our own excitement, break new personal ground, and be that improved version of ourselves we have never been before.

Happy New Year everyone!

You write the history

2017 is almost over. What needs to be done still?

“2017 was the year that I __________________________.”

“It was late 2017 when we ___________________________.”

“In 2017, I was so glad that I finally_________________________!” 

Let’s get it done!

Action – Reaction

What is going on in your business? What are the problems? What is going well?

Can you see how you caused it? What action or decision on your part lead to the current circumstances?

What do you want now? What would you have to do to cause it to happen?

You are the cause. The world around you is the effect.

Do less for more.

We spend a lot of time, creativity and energy trying to be more efficient with our time. But why?  To get more done.  Why?  To get more results.

But for a leader, the real secret to getting more results is to do fewer things – but the right things, well.

What can you stop doing that you really don’t need to be doing?

What are those few things that YOU must do to get greater results throughout your organization?

People rise to your expectations of them

What do you expect from your individual team members?

Raise your expectations of and for them, and tell them about it.

Face your problems

If you avoid problems, you’ll never be the one who overcame them.

What big problem do you have that is holding you back?

Go right at it.

The right amount of courage

Leadership takes courage. Entrepreneurship takes courage. Good management takes courage.

Too little courage and you are a coward.

Too much courage and you are rash.

Do you have the right amount of courage to do your work really well?

Re-commit

Committing to a goal is great. But when time passes, the work sets in, and forward motion seems slow, re-committing is more important and more powerful.

Good things take time. Great things take more. Recommit anew, over and over again.

Stay with the pursuit and keep your enthusiasm up!