Inspect Your Progress
"When performance is measured, performance improves, when performance is measured and reported back, the rate of improvement accelerates." - Pearson's Law
Initial Inspections - What's Working and What's Not
Now that the initial work has begun, the initial habits have been formed, it's time to evaluate what is working and what is not. How are your morning and evening routines progressing? What areas are you struggling with? We all have certain aspects of these new habits that will fall into place somewhat naturally, while other habits although seemingly simple and small, will continue to be a struggle.
List 3 Habits or Routines you continue to struggle with implementing.
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Don't make it harder than it needs to be
Now analyze why. What is holding you back? Chances are there is some aspect of this new habit that your personality is resisting. Is there an alternative solution? Is there another way? How are other people getting similar results from different means?
List 3 alternative solutions to get the results of the habits you are struggling with.
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Once you begin to make progress toward your goal, you may soon realize there is a lot more to achieving your dreams than you understood. There are many other skill sets you need to develop in order to see success. This can come in the form of marketing, or accounting, or even things like networking and developing new relationships. Things you never expected. In order to take the next step, you need to master these new skills.
List 3 new skill sets you want to learn and master to grow to the next level.
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Reevaluate what is working and what isn't. Now is the time to course-correct. Are you enjoying the process? Are you learning and growing at an acceptable rate? Do you find your days challenging and fulfilling? If so then you are definitely on the right track. If not, why not? What is missing? Is it a symptom of your situation, personality, or associations? Do you want to head in a completely different direction? Or do you simply need to be more patient? That is usually the case and often the most difficult to accept. Often times a failure or lack of success is simple to do to a lack of work and commitment. Make sure you have fully committed your efforts before abandoning the plan as you refine your skills and hone your craft.
Find a Mentor
Find a mentor. This is the best and fastest way to realize your dream and goals. Having a great mentor is like having a secret playbook to success. Covet and nourish these relationships at every opportunity. These relationships are hard to find and difficult to establish. How to do it.
First, make a list of as many as you can. each mentor will be a specialist at only 1 area you are learning. Having multiple mentors to learn from, keeps you from being too reliant on one opinion, will help you improve in multiple areas at once and ensure you are not being a burden or monopolizing the time of a person you respect and admire. Plus, some mentors will turn you down, some will not be the right fit, and the rest you eventually outgrow as you continue to develop. When asking be direct and let them know what aspect of your life or business they can help you with. Be prepared for rejection, it will come. If rejected the ideal follow up is to ask if they know someone else who would be a good fit for you. Chances are they will name a few. With that in mind, continue to look for new mentors and role models whether you have one or not.
List as many possible mentors that you could contact directly for advice or counsel.
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If you are in a situation where you do not have access to the people you want for mentors, the alternative is to get their knowledge. Learn what they are doing. This can be done primarily through books. Most successful people have written a book about their success, or they talk about it on podcasts, youtube videos, or other formats. The bottom line is if you want to learn from the best at what you want to do, learn from those who are already there. Find them and emulate them and the pattern of success will repeat itself.
How to Course Correct
I try to think of my life as a ship or a plane. When we leave port or head off into the wild blue yonder, the possibilities are endless, the direction you can head out is yours to decide. But in order to get our destination, we have to know where we want to go. Where do we want to land? Which city do we wish to arrive? Where do you want to go.
List 3 adjustments or course corrections you could make now to help you reach your goals.
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Once you know where you want to end up, head out. But on any long journey, we have to plot a course, use the maps and instrument of navigation and persevere to reach that final destination. Along the way, we must course correct. We must make adjustments, reevaluate. It ship or airplane never stops moving forward, they just adjust their direction. Almost always the corrections are minor and the adjustments simply fine-tuned, but all are necessary to end up where we want to be. Being fluid and flexible makes the journey successful and fun along the way.