Success in 2010
For many of us the New Year marks a time to pause and reflect on what we have achieved in the prior year and to set goals for what we want to achieve in the coming year. Of course all of us are familiar with those New Years resolutions and most of us have the experience of having good intentions, but finding many of those goals slipping off the radar in the face of other life issues. This month I want to focus on how we can set meaningful, achievable goals for 2010.
A formula that I have found very helpful when thinking about goal setting is
Excellence + Consistency
______________________ = Success
Time
Let’s break this formula down and see if we can come up with a strategy for effective goal setting.
The point of the formula is Success. Knowing what we want to achieve, having a clear picture of the outcome we desire, is critical to the process. As you’ve probably heard said, “If you don’t know where you’re going, you’ll probably get there!” As you begin your goal setting process, follow Stephen Covey’s advice — “Begin with the end in mind.” What do you want to achieve? Maybe you want to start a new business, run a marathon, spend more time with your family, write a novel, learn a new skill, lower your golf score, increase your revenue. Whatever the outcome, take time to imagine not only the quantitative aspect of your goal, but also what your achievement looks like and how it feels. Write out a list, tell a story, draw a picture — whatever helps you flesh out this future achievement.
With a clear picture of success in mind, how do we move toward and create that success in our future? Looking at the left side of the formula, the components of success are Excellence, Consistency and Time.
Excellence, that quality of being outstanding in what we do, drives us toward our goals. For example, imagine you are remodeling two bathrooms in your house and give the business for each bathroom to two separate contractors. Contractor A does an average job, completing the work as assigned, getting the work done on time and on budget. Contractor B does an excellent job, making suggestions that improve the project, getting the work done sooner than expected and finding ways to decrease your cost along the way. Which of these two contractors do you think will have more success in their business? I don’t know about you, but my choice will be Contractor B every time because of the contractor’s clear commitment to excellence.
However, excellence is not enough! If our hypothetical Contractor B did an excellent job for me, but then erratically delivers late or over budget or below quality expectations, the business and its customers will suffer. The word constant comes from a Latin word meaning “to stand firm.” Excellence must be a daily commitment “to stand firm” in the level of quality and performance delivered over time.
Which brings us to Time. In the formula, excellence and commitment are divided by time. Certainly, in our lives and businesses, time plays a critical factor in our success. No matter how exceptional my product or service, no matter how well I perform a particular skill or task, if I do not deliver on time, success will elude me. However, time means more than the linear tic tock passage of time through every day. Time also encapsulates our very existence. It is the measure of our lives, our being. And so the question is not simply how much time will I devote to consistent excellence, but how much of my being am I willing to pour into consistent excellence in order to achieve success.
As you look to your path in 2010, I encourage you to ask yourself these questions:
- What successes do I want to achieve in the coming year?
- In order to create that success, what will excellence look like?
- How will I maintain consistency, how will I stand firm, in my level of excellence toward the goal?
- How much of my time and my being am I committing to achieve this goal?
Blessings in the coming year.
Have a great day,
Sharon McGee