Getting traction

Gene Mage

Most, if not all, of the leaders I work with can articulate their goals, and a strategy for reaching those goals. Some can even translate their strategy into specific plans. But few put their good intentions into action on a daily basis.

Would you like to set yourself apart from the crowd? Would you like to reach your goals while everybody else talks about their goals? Then you need to make some traction.

What is traction? Traction describes that magical intersection between the mind, hands, feet, and mouth. When the “rubber meets the road,” so to speak. People who create traction know how to get things done consistently, relentlessly, and effectively. Here are some ideas to help you get more traction in your daily life:

Be honest about resistance. Why do people start out in pursuit of their goals with such energy and hope, but when faced with the hard work give up on their dreams? I think their motivational equation has gotten out of whack. When passion and hope outweigh fear, we act. When fear gets too big, we procrastinate. While we cannot eliminate the fear of failure and rejection that accompanies making calls or subjecting one’s work to the white lights of the marketplace, we can choose where to focus our energy and attention. What thoughts tend to drain your energy? Which ones tend to get you going? Dwell on your energizing thoughts.
Invest in planning. Thirty minutes per week, and ten minutes per day, that is all we ask. If you plan your week, that is, write down a thoughtful allocation of your time based upon what is important to you, you will spend more time on what is important to you. Some people like to spend their thirty minutes on Friday afternoon. I do my planning on Sunday night. I review my mission and goals, and write down what I want to accomplish for the week. Then I block time on the calendar for my most important priorities.
Use the power of three. I like the power of the number 3. If you accomplish three important goals per day, such as making calls, sending letters, writing, communicating, or planning, you will accomplish 15 goals per week, 60 to-do list items per month, and a whopping 750 accomplishments per year. Just get three things done per day. Once you finish your three, tidy up all the other things that cry for your attention, and plan for the next day.
Block out time for high-payoff activities. I mentioned the concept of blocking time for important priorities. If you are like most people, you can identify a few things that really pay off in terms of results for you. For me, high payoff activities include talking with current and future clients, authoring new materials, and making presentations.

What are your high-leverage actions? What things do you do each day that, if you do them a lot, get you the most results? What activities, if you do them a lot, make no difference? Set up meetings with yourself every day to work on your “short list” of actions with the highest bang for the buck.
Focus on your sewing. My friend sent me a little quote from the poet Robert Lewis Stevenson that says, “Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds you plant.” Those words are on my desk. Some days do not have much of a harvest. We are not always billing, or delivering, or getting referrals. That is OK. We can always sew more seeds. Then, over time, the harvest comes.

What three things will you do today that will really payoff for you? How will you make the rubber meet the road? Put your good intentions into action; you’ll be glad you did.

For more ideas on becoming “Free to Lead” from Leadership Development Author and Speaker Gene C. Mage, visit www.makingitwork.com.