I challenged a Chamber Gathering to define their goals for the year in one word. Having reviewed dozens of business plans over the years as a business owner and as a team leader I have found that the more elaborate the plan the more likely it is doomed to failure. In today’s rapidly changing environment it is those who can change course in midplan if necessary while keeping their eye on the ultimate target. It is not a matter of chasing the next shiny object or get rich quick scheme but about really zeroing in on that one thing and making sure every decision brings you a half step closer. The simpler you make it, the easier it is to make sure that that one next thing conforms to that vision.
That one word should be the vision for every aspect of your year: business, finance, spiritual, health, relationships.
It takes time to come up with the one word. It took me about a month of taking the word on a “test run”. You need to define what that word actually looks like if applied to all of the buckets above. It also needs to be a word from which you can define and execute actionable and measurable steps. As Scott Andres pointed out in our small group discussion, these actions are the leading indicators of future results. You need to have them on a visual score board and have accountability in their execution.
Some of our ONE WORD suggestions were:
Balance; Fluidity; Determination; Living; Incremental Lift; Activity; Sustainability; Confidence; Uncertainty; Explore; Discipline; Challenge; Growth; Learn; Expand; Service; Self Care; Win
I have a new word every year and then create actionable metrics to WIN EVERY DAY. Obviously my word this year is WIN. Not WIN as in I am beating someone but WIN as I am challenging myself to take the scary, hard choice in every decision I make each day. I am going to PLAY TO WIN, instead of PLAYING NOT TO LOOSE. It is the easy little things that build success but it is also the easy little things that are easy NOT TO DO. These easy little choices are called micro goals. They are the bricks that compound to build the mega goals. So in business, for example, I have WEEKLY 8 metrics that I track:
10 Personal Notes; 15 Phone Calls; 1 Lunch/Coffee with an A+ Client; 3 “Pop-bys” with an Item of Value; Creat 1 Marketing Piece; 2 Hours of Learning; 1 Open House; 3 People added to my Data Base
BTW- This counts as my one Marketing Piece. I do NOT track things that I have already become habits such as blogging every Friday or going to at least 2 networking events weekly or returning all emails/phone calls before going home for the day. One year my WORD was VISIBILITY. I THINK I HAVE THAT COVERED!!! I have fewer, simpler goals for my other buckets. The great things about trackable leading indicator actions is that at the end of the day you can feel that you have WON THE DAY even if the sky is falling. You do NOT have power over results, only activities. As Randolph Freese clarified, e is very pleased with his progress this year but if he doesn’t have different action items this coming year he will go backwards not even staying the same. You are either GREEN AND GROWING or BROWN AND DYING. This is my favorite says- grow or die.