Following Through

According to Gregg Harris, two-thirds of people surveyed (67 out of 100) set goals for themselves. But of those sixty-seven who set goals, only ten have made realistic plans to reach their goals. And out of those ten, only two follow through and actually make them happen.

What makes the follow through so low? There are several reasons.

You can set the goal. That is a good start. But it must be realistic enough to have the possibility of you attaining it. One of the things that many people do is they set goals when they are desperate. They hope that by setting a goal they can turn things around immediately. They set the ‘too big’ goal and when they realize that it is not going to happen they become discouraged and quit.

Another reason for poor follow through is that people set goals to please other people. If you set a goal without true ownership of it for yourself you are much less likely to follow through on it.

We can have ‘too big’ goals. We can have goals that we truly don’t own. But let’s say that your goal is reasonable and that you own it. What keeps you from following through?

There are two things I have seen that can hold you back. First is not having a clear plan with the tiny steps that you are going to take to make the goal a reality. Secondly, it is important to have someone holding you accountable for fulfilling the goal.

Goal setting without accountability can be like do-it-yourself heart surgery. It can become extremely challenging to be successful. Yes, follow through is a challenge for all of us.

As Johann Wolfgang von Goethe once said, “Thinking is easy, acting is difficult, and to put one’s thoughts into action is the most difficult thing in the world.”

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Keys To Business Success: Your Leadership Model

Who’s your leadership model?  In John Maxwells’ book, Developing the Leaders Around You, he emphasizes that you must give much thought to which leaders you will follow.  Why?  The leadership model you follow will determine your course.

Who Is Your Leadership Model?

When I talk about a leadership model what am I referring to?  Whether you are a self-employed business owner, entrepreneur or solo professional seeking greater personal and small business success it is important that you find the right mentors.

Find people who exemplify the emotional, intellectual and character qualities that will take you to the next level.  Out of these three, as a personal business coach, I encourage my clients to focus first and foremost on character.

Why?  You may love their logic, their intellect.  You may love their passion, their emotion.  But without good character you are building the foundation of your leadership model upon sand.  It will not last.  Without good character the rest doesn’t matter.

Leadership Model Questions From John Maxwell

1. Does my leadership model’s life deserve a following?
2. Does my leader model’s life have a following?
3. What is the main strength the influences others to follow my model?
4. Does my leadership model produce other leaders?
5. Is my leadership model’s strength reproducible in my life?
6. If my model’s strength is reproducible in my life, what steps must I take to develop and demonstrate that strength?

Find Your Leadership Model
Throughout my life I have had different leadership models.  What is interesting is that someone who was a leadership model ten years ago may not be a leadership model now.  Leadership models will change.  Why?  As you grow and change your need for a different leadership model will often have to change to support that growth.

Whether you are seeking growth in business, personal growth or just a growth strategy in leadership you must let go of the old in order for the new to enter.  Just as a tree sheds its leaves every year, we too, as humans must shed what is no longer useful.  Unlike the tree you have a choice.

Part of creating a great leadership model is exercising your power of choice.  Part of great leadership is making wise choices.  Choose wisely.  Your leadership model will be as you wish.

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Belief Determines Your Present And Future

I once had a client who had very little belief in himself.  He was running a small business that was passed down to him by his father.  He was bright but he had never developed his talent.  His lack of belief in himself was hurting his company, employees and worst of all his family life.

Your beliefs control everything that you do.  They will determine your personal and small business success and growth.

Belief—It Holds You Back

As a personal development coach I have observed in myself and others that what our belief is in ourselves will determine what we expect and what we will receive.  My client did not believe in himself.

Why?  There were many reasons.  The most important one was he was running the business the way his Dad had run it.  He was afraid to put his personal touch on things.  After all, things had worked well or maybe not so well for a long time so why change?

His belief in his lack of ability to make positive change was holding him back.

Belief—It Moves Your Forward

We started identifying small, safe areas where he could institute change.  Most important it was change he believed in.

When you start exercising your “belief muscle” it is best to start with some small things where you can have some immediate success.  Too often I see well intentioned, self-employed business owners, entrepreneurs and solo professionals exercise their “belief muscle” on too big a stage.

Why?  They feel that is some shape or form that they need to make the grand impression.  Remember, an impression can work both ways.  You can take your belief and impress it on others but if you haven’t thought it through it can come back at you in the form of a negative impression.

The key is to start with something small.  Enjoy the small successes from your beliefs. Learn from them.  Once you have mastered the small things then you can work up to some bigger areas.

Whether you are running a small business or starting up your own business begin with the small things and work up to the bigger ones.  This will increase your odds of staying on a success track.

Belief—It Predicts Your Future

More often than not in personal business coaching I am collaborating with others on creating a vision of the future they desire.  Once we have created the vision we start taking steps to make it happen.  It’s a very exciting process.  And, it is all fueled by belief.

Your belief in yourself, what you do and where you want to go is usually a very good predictor of the future you will have.  How come it is a good predictor of your future?  Your belief determines your expectation.

And you have a belief and an expectation you are much more likely to see it become a reality.  Whether you are starting your own business or running a small business identify your beliefs.  Understand your expectations.

If they aren’t leading you to the future you desire, change them.  Change your belief on something.  It will change your expectation.  And, your expectation will change your life.  Today you can start to have the future you want tomorrow.   Start today by harnessing the power of your belief.

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What’s Your Path?

As we go through life we learn from our failures and from our successes.

And the more quickly we recognize the errors that are on the path of failure, the sooner we can start moving along the path of success.

Both paths are well traveled. How can we make sure we are on the path of success more often than the one for failure?

First, the path of failure is necessary so we can learn how to take the path of success. But when we take the path of failure too often then, because of its high degree of difficulty and extreme demands we no longer have the energy to take the path of success.

Both paths involve decisions. And these decisions have future consequences. And these consequences can be rewarding or hurtful.

To stay more on the path of success you must make the future, what you desire to have happen, part of your every day philosophy. Ask yourself, is this taking me where I want to go a month, a year or 5 years from now?

If the answer is ‘Yes’ you are on the path to success. You may have a temporary failure but at least your decision was made in an effort to achieve something worthwhile.

When you don’t have your future vision as your guide, you are much more likely to fail and in the process not learn much that can help you. Why? You have no vision of where you are going.

Just as when you get in your car you have a clear vision of your future destination. And you make all the adjustments along the way to get there. Sometimes because of traffic or construction we may have to make a detour. But because we have a clear vision we get back on track and successfully arrive at our destination of choice.

Make your vision of the future part of your decision making every day and you will increase the odds of traveling the path to the success you desire.

See more at: www.businesskeystosuccess.com/