Simply – Win!!

Win! That is what we do when we clearly establish the items that are most essential to be completed right now, also represented by the acronym WIN, “What’s Important Now?” Recently, I was working with one of my clients to determine how many of their 2009 objectives they had accomplished. They were amazed that each and every one of their goals and objectives had been accomplished! They also had “dodged the bullet” on all three of the “worst possible events” that they had estimated could happen during the same time period.

While I appreciated their amazement, I frankly was not surprised at all. In fact, I find this type of result to be fairly common in businesses that establish their “top three goals” and try to identify the “worst possible events” that could occur each year. The primary reason for this pattern of results lies with the following facts:

• Goals that get set will be pursued.
• Items that get measured tend to see the greatest level of improvement.
• Issues that are identified and written down will be acted upon.

You and I will tend to focus on the items that are listed because we know that they are important. Often, they are crucial to our success. Your subconscious mind also will work on these issues all the time. You cannot stop your subconscious mind from trying to solve these issues. This power of the subconscious mind can work to your favor, but only if you write goals and objectives down. It can also assist you to be on the look-out for ways to avoid those three “worst possible events” that you’ve listed.

You can use these tools on a business or personal level. In either situation, discuss issues with your management team (business) or your family (personal). First, it is beneficial to bring them into the planning process. Second, the professionals that you have on your management team have probably encountered similar situations elsewhere and can assist you to stay on a faster track to making the most optimal decisions and choices.

Here are some steps for you to act upon:

1. Decide what you want for your life and business and clarify your options.
2. Define it clearly in your mind and write it out on paper!
3. Review your options and collect information about them.
4. Analyze those options and discuss them with your team. None of us knows all the answers, but your advisors may have experienced similar situations previously.
5. Select what you feel, based upon the prior four steps, are the best choices.
6. Do not second guess yourself. Life is too short for that nonsense.
7. Evaluate your results and adjust your course, as needed.

I think you’ll be glad you did