It's nearly the end of January, 2023!
If you're like me, you're wondering where the time has gone...I can't believe it's 2023 but I also can't believe that January is nearly over.
It happens quick.
The reality of it is, December will be here quick. 2024 will be on our doorstep.
So how can you make sure you don't wake up in December wishing you had moved your priority needle more and not allowed the busyness of life to steal your true desired growth?!
I sent our an email at the beginning of January to our sales staff asking them if they wanted some advice/help on time and calendar management, if so, to reach out.
After the first on many sessions, I want to share what a few tips that maybe could help you, but also what I learned from these sessions.
3 tips:
You must...must, have a yearly goal. Yearly goals should be both numbers based and personally based. Some people do words for the year, others focus on tangible accomplishments, like buying a car or investment property. Doesn't matter what, they just have to be set. Your yearly number goals is the 'begin with the end in mind' mentality. Find your number for the year, then break down that number backward for each month. Now you have a monthly goal. Take it one step further, divide by the weeks and even break down to the day. Guess what, you now have a daily goal that if followed will allow you to hit your quarterly and yearly goal with certainty! Once the goal is written, time to execute...everyday.
Have a plan. Make sure your daily and weekly goals are present on that sheet! Print out your calendar. Mark it up, use it as a notepad. Find the gaps and mark notes for next weeks improvement. Don't close your week until your next week has those improvements blocked out. It's the only way to make sure you improve week over week and your priorities are improved every week.
Audit a past week. This helps find reasons as to why we regret our own internal fog that allowed a year or quarter to pass without thinking. Take one week calendar from last quarter, one that you can vividly remember the week, see yourself back there, you remember the events and have a good visual on what happened. Sit down and take the time to ask, did my priority needle improve this week? Did I add some movement to my yearly goal or did my week just get so busy that I woke up and it was Friday?! Find the times slots you could have focused on your yearly goal, find the improvements that would have allowed that needle to move. Also, find the things that allowed the fog to set it, identify the brain thieves that stole your time away. Write them down and make those improvements in your next weeks calendar! Don't repeat the same mistakes and be sure to improve on the things you did well!
This is a really a simple formula to follow. Set a goal, make a plan and execute and review to improve. Every week.
Here is a takeaway I learned.
Not many people Know how to do this or more obvious to me, those that do know how just don't do it. The fog sets in.
Here's the secret. Ask for accountability. Find someone that cares enough but also will be honest with you. Turn in your calendar, give them your goal, ask to be review once a month. Heck, find a buddy and do this together.
I have found that accountability improves your success rate a 1000%! It matters more when you know someone will ask about it.
Just remember, 1/12 of 2023 is already gone. GONE. Not coming back. If you don't improve today, 6/12 of the 2023 will be gone and then 11/12 of 2023 will be gone.
Be the person who wakes up in December and looks back over your year and says...heck yes! NAILED IT!
Uncage your abilities. Uncage your goals.
Uncage the lion!
Here's to praying 2023 brings your the success you deserve. Now go get it!