"It's hard to do…"

“…for me, in my area, at this time, under these circumstances”.

If you keep telling yourself that, your belief that you can do it erode, and your commitment falters – then you’ll never accomplish it.  

How about, “I’m getting this done now.  It’s not hard.” 

80/20 Squared

The Pereto Principle, called the 80/20 rule, says that 80% of our results come from 20% of our activities.  So why not focus on those 20% of activities that give us the most results all the time?  

Better yet, to really leverage our time, what if we took the top 20% of the top 20% of activities and concentrated there?

We all have the same amount of time.  What if we spent it on things that would give us VERY SIGNIFICANT impact?

What would those things be for you?

Priorities

If you have many priorities today, you have none.

What is the ONE priority? ONE?

Why are you doing anything else?

What problems are worth solving?

Before we set out to solve a problem, we have to define it first.  

What is the problem?  Is it a battle I have to fight?  Can I redefine the problem and make it easier to solve? Is this problem a result of another problem (the real problem) that should be solved?

If you spend your time solving the important problems, many others go away without touching them.

What problem should you really be solving?

Don't see the problem

We all struggle with stuff and for many of us it’s the same stuff over and over.  “I can’t build a sales force”, “I can’t get more customers”, etc.

There are people who could walk into your business and do those things in a week, and make it look easy.  Why?  Because they don’t see the problem or have all the emotional “reasons” that it’s hard to do.  They just do it.

When you think it’s hard or impossible, it is.  One day, you can wake up and say “I am so fed up with this, I’m just gonna make it happen.”

Could it be today?

It all sounds crazy until…

…somebody does it.

What crazy thing needs to happen in your business?

"I created a monster"

Incentive programs can be very powerful ways to motivate people to get the results you want.  But they can also bring out the worst in people as they start to think only about themselves, and not the company or customer or their “internal customers” (other departments).  (Some) people will always figure out how to game the system.

When you create an incentive program, consider its effects on behavior carefully and try to design it to bring out the best in people only.  When you launch it, and other times afterwards, remind your team that in order for you to offer this incentive program (commission, bonus, etc.) to them, it must work for all stakeholders inside and outside the company.  Tell them it’s not permanent unless it solves problems and doesn’t create any new ones.

Blind Spots

It’s what you don’t know that you don’t know that could be a problem.

What (function) are you NOT measuring in your business?

The Wild Card is always dealt

The Wild Card could be an unforseen disruptive force or a surprise that you determine how to use based on the circumstances.

Be ready, because the Wild Card is always dealt.

What have been the wild cards dealt you so far?

What "Lifestyle Package" do you want?

As you travel along this journey to accomplish your goals, you can be unhealthy, exhausted and worn out, OR you can be uplifted, fulfilled and healthy.

Don’t forget about “The Art of Living”.

What “Lifestyle Package” do you want?