Morning Motivator – Making Your Resolutions Count!

"The man who will not execute his resolutions when they are fresh upon him can have no hope from them afterwards; they will be dissipated, lost and perish in the hurry and scurry of the world, or sunk in the slough of indolence."
~Marie Edgeworth

Do you know what the #1 killer of all well made plans is… EXECUTION!! More people plan "great changes" in their life and find themselves baffled by failure 2 months later with no idea of how the failure occurred. Answer: EXECUTION! The most critical part of any plan for achievement is the first step to success. What's that called again…? Oh yeah – EXECUTION! (recurring theme – please take note)

I am not above the "Failure to Execute" habit as I too fail to execute…often. Hence, this year's underlying theme in making resolutions is (drum roll)… EXECUTION! Here is a sample of the 5 MOST IMPORTANT things I resolve to accomplish this year:

1. Redefine my fitness and diet habits to achieve weight loss of 30lbs by my 30th birthday (July 21st) – complete plan by January 6th

2. Define my financial goals from 3 varying income streams (Dalcon, BarkLoud and Professional Speaking) by January 15th

3. Complete the discussion framework for initial presentation of my first speaking seminar series on "Overcoming Empty Success" by January 31st

4. Schedule time for my personal exploration and travel adventures (2 long weekends, 2 week long vacations – 1 per quarter) – complete 1st trip planning by February 15th

5a. Coordinate, Schedule and gain commitment for a monthly breakfast or lunch with my two mentors by February 28th

5b. Coordinate, Schedule and gain commitment for a monthly "guys night" with my great friends that I have not supported appropriately the last few years – complete by February 28th

* CRITICAL FOLLOW UP STEP - Reassess these resolutions and add to them on July 21st

What I have decided is not to change myself in manners that are EaRthShAkiNg, but rather in small doses with long term commitments. Easy to EXECUTE quickly and measure for success. Do not feel like you have to create these major life changing commitments. The LIFE CHANGING portion happens when you COMMIT to EXECUTING your actions.

SUCCESS STEP: It's a simple one – lay out your TOP 5 goals for 2008. Make them as specific and detailed as possible. Set measurements and time frame for accomplishment. DEFINE THE NEXT STEP TO EXECTUTION… and DO IT! If you focus on the #1 most important until its implemented – you will find your first BIG success! Then move to #2…

Have a safe New Years. I KNOW 2008 will be your best year yet… lets celebrate together the whole way!!

Cheers,
Zach

Morning Motivator – What are your plans?

"Planning is bringing the future into the present so that you can do something about it now"
~ Alan Lakein

Can you believe its December 27th already? The year has really blown by and I wonder – how many goals have been accomplished? I have a few that are remaining and I plan to knock out this weekend (very proactive, right?). The better question may be – how many goals will NOT be accomplished, simply because they were never planned for?

We all make resolutions. We all "commit" to becoming a better person – I will lose weight. I will make more money. I will spend more time with my family. Sound familiar? Its last until what… January 13th? Why? EASY ANSWER – you never planned the steps to be successful in those commitments! If you do not have a specific plan of action with details and measurements – then you have just voiced your imagination. Take ACTION! Formulate a SUCCESS plan! Define SPECIFIC actions and measurements! Give yourself a TIME FRAME to achieve! Define your REWARD! (Sounds S.M.A.R.T. again, huh?)

SUCCESS STEP: (this will sounds familiar… and yes ITS THAT IMPORTANT!)

A COMMON goal is: I want to get in shape. A SMART goal is best achieved when defined and made very specific with accountabilities in place. Follow the below S.M.A.R.T. strategy to make sure you are on point with your GOALS.

1. Specific – make sure your goal is defined in a specific manner (ex. I WILL run at Percy Warner Park)

2. Measurable – ensure accomplishment by defining a measurement (I will run 12 miles within 3 hours – 12 miles and 3 hours give 2. the goal structure)

3. Achievable – Make sure you are able to achieve the goal (if you know 12 miles will take 3 hours to run and you only have 2 hours to run – your goal may not be achievable and needs further evaluation)

4. Realistic – Ensure your goal is realistic (if you have not run in 8 months, running 12 miles your first time out may not be realistically achieved)

5. Time Bound – Set a time frame for SUCCESS and determine WHEN you will accomplish it by (ex. I WILL run 12 miles Tuesday afternoon from 5-8pm)

** Your NEW goal now looks like this – I WILL run 12 miles within 3 hours at Percy Warner Park on Tuesday from 5pm – 8pm. **

It will be very EASY to know if you accomplish this or not... welcome to accountability! Now DEFINE YOUR GOALS and take OWNERSHIP of the FUTURE you are entitled to!!

Cheers,
Zach

Morning Motivator – Thinking With Purpose/Setting SMART Goals

"To begin to think with purpose, is to enter the ranks of those strong ones who only recognize failure as one of the pathways to attainment."
-James Allen

To be effective, one must be decisive in their actions. To be decisive, one must know the goals they wish to achieve. To know your goals, one must think with PURPOSE. What does that mean? It's simple. Answer this question – What is my top life priority to achieve in the next 12 months? To be a better mother/father? Become a better business person? Enhancing my understanding of my faith?

Once you define your purpose, you will need to be specific on WHAT about that purpose you want to achieve – THIS IS YOUR GOAL for 2008. Once determined, you are able to drill down to the daily ACTIONS required to achieve it – THESE ARE YOUR SUCCESS (action) STEPS. Next, you are able to determine a TIME frame – THIS IS YOUR ACCOUNTABILITY. Finally, you are able to define a REWARD for your successful accomplishment – THIS IS YOUR MOTIVATION. If you THINK WITH PURPOSE to define your goals and follow the below success step, you will be half way to your SUCCESSES today!

SUCCESS STEP:
A COMMON goal is: I want to get in shape. A SMART goal is best achieved when defined and made very specific with accountabilities in place. Follow the below S.M.A.R.T. strategy to make sure you are on point with your GOALS.

1. Specific – make sure your goal is defined in a specific manner (ex. I WILL run at Percy Warner Park)

2. Measurable – ensure accomplishment by defining a measurement (I will run 12 miles within 3 hours – 12 miles and 3 hours give 2. the goal structure)

3. Achievable – Make sure you are able to achieve the goal (if you know 12 miles will take 3 hours to run and you only have 2 hours to run – your goal may not be achievable and needs further evaluation)

4. Realistic – Ensure your goal is realistic (if you have not run in 8 months, running 12 miles your first time out may not be realistically achieved)

5. Time Bound – Set a time frame for SUCCESS and determine WHEN you will accomplish it by (ex. I WILL run 12 miles Tuesday afternoon from 5-8pm)

** Your NEW goal now looks like this – I WILL run 12 miles within 3 hours at Percy Warner Park on Tuesday from 5pm – 8pm. **

It will be very EASY to know if you accomplish this or not... welcome to accountability! Now DEFINE YOUR GOALS and take OWNERSHIP of the FUTURE you are entitled to!!

Cheers,
Zach

*Special thanks to Andy Bailey and Justin Morrison for instilling in my the mental focus of S.M.A.R.T. GOAL SETTING! This has POSITIVELY changed the way I look at every day. Thank you!