Leadership and Sales BLOG

My eight-year old son Christopher is agonizing lately over how slow time seems to pass. This is typical behavior for our "type A" little guy. The impasse this month is Christmas. "I just can't wait for Santa to come" is Chris' refrain, and we're hearing it hourly if not more often these days.

Patience may be a virtue, but that doesn't mean we have to embrace it. Results take time to achieve and for every time I've heard a leader say "Business is a marathon, not a sprint" I've heard ten other leaders exclaim "Why wasn't this done yesterday!" Sound familiar?

As you plan for the year ahead, keep in mind three tips on results and focus.

1. Business is a marathon, not a sprint (sorry, I just HAD to put that in here) but speed counts! Focus on what you're really great at, and build the core of your endeavors around those skills. Repetition builds competence. Repetition of competence builds expertise.

2. You can't achieve a result if you don't believe you can. A mind is a terrible thing to waste, and it's especially sad when we waste our time worrying about what we cannot do. If results seem too big, break them down into bite-size chunks.

3. Get creative. Try new directions and ways of thinking. When you feel like the only one pulling at the oars, stretch yourself to make new connections with colleagues, customers and complete strangers. 

Chris complains about the slow pace of time. You and I know that as we age, time moves much quicker than it does for an eight-year old. The benefit of this is that we feel a sense of urgency about what we want to accomplish in life. We can also feel more scattered amongst all the "things" that we want to achieve.

Create results that make significant contributions to the ideas and goals that are most important to you. What can you achieve in the next month that would positively impact your family, your career and yourself?