February has finally arrived!
A lot has happened in one month. Like managing all those stresses that came with the holidays and the end of a calendar year. Squeaking through those end-of-2015 closings, holiday parties, family gatherings. Closing the deals that pushed to January. Getting through the first week back to work after a holiday break. And, for those of us who live in the colder parts of the country, changing our driving patterns to accommodate the new norm of snow and ice on our roadways.
We are finally here, solidly into 2016.
Many of you are beginning to feel caught up, while others of you are realizing that the year is in many ways starting to slip away from us. Time flies and before we know it, we will be facing an election and the prospect of a new POTUS.
In this second month of the calendar year, it’s time to ask ourselves this: How am I doing on my new year’s resolutions? Remember those? Made in the flurry of hope and positivity as we toasted the prosperity to come, these resolutions signaled not only a perfect opportunity for change, but a deep desire for it as well.
Surely you made some resolutions concerning your business plan. As we have learned time and again, it’s very easy to get distracted and lose track of our ambitions and direction. But, we all know that what separates the strong from the weak is compounded consistency. Are we doing what we need to do every day so the results compound over time.
Here is a great example of how things compound. If I offered you one million dollars or a penny that doubles every day for 31 days, which would you take? Many people would be quick to take the million dollars, but the compound effect of doubling a penny every day for one month totals $10.7 million. The same is true with our businesses. If we do the little things that we tell ourselves we are going to do every day, the compound effect is tremendous. So, when we say we want to make more money, the solution is simple: We need to begin doing what we commit to. Every day.
We can use every excuse in the book to justify why we couldn’t complete a task or even why we couldn’t attempt it in the first place. This applies to creating and executing your business plan as well.
Stick to those resolutions! Follow these straightforward tips to grow your business in 2016.
1. Commit to consistency. Skip the pie-in-the-sky, idealistic goals you can’t get to every day. For example, so many people tell me, “Jon, I’m going to call 30 new people every day to grow my business.” I say to them, “No you won’t.” And they agree!Instead of believing that you will make 30 calls a day, commit to an actual, real, attainable goal. Why? Because you can never attain an idealistic goal. Every time you think you are going to hit it, you stretch it too far again. Goals are measurable.In the above scenario, I talk to my clients about a realistic number and have them commit to consistency. I would much rather see you consistently make five calls a day than say you are going to make 30. It never happens and you never feel the small successes which will build growth and confidence in your business.
2. Commit to a formula that works. Everyone needs a morning ritual and an evening ritual. Some also need one or more during the day. Know, understand, and commit to a ritual and formula that you put your business into. It gives you structure even when your day turns completely on its end.
3. Break up your one-year business plan. Break your one-year business plan into 90-day plans and put them on index cards that you update each month. Make a few copies. Have one in your wallet, one on your desk, one in your backpack, one at home, etc. Make it a ritual to look at that card multiple times each day, especially first thing in the morning and at the end of the day as you prepare for the next day.
Business is so easy in hindsight. December 2016 will be here in a heartbeat. Avoid putting yourself in a position of looking back and wishing you had done more. Choose to commit – or recommit – to consistency in your daily approach to your business … and to having a kickass year!
Think Big!
Jon
