Measure Progress, Not Perfection

How do you measure up so far? We’re more than 30 days into the new year, and now is the perfect time to look at our progress. When we measure what we expect, we can back up and inspect how we got there…or not. New business plans, new strategic initiatives and fervent resolutions have been made, and inspecting our progress helps us avoid defaulting to old habits.

When it comes to staying on track, an airplane has a unique competitive advantage over humans. Let’s say you’re on an airplane flying from one side of the country to the other. There’s a guidance system that continually adjusts the nose of the plane to make course corrections, which keeps the plane on the intended target. Humans, however, don’t have a gyroscope, and even with the best intentions, they can easily lose sight of their intended goals. The goals we recently committed to may already be a bit foggy as many of us revert to our more comfortable behavior.

While the year is still young, here are the top three success habits to keep us on track for an exceptional year:

Clearly define three top goals, which, if accomplished by this time next year, will make you feel super successful. Decide what it will take to have a high-performance year by focusing on only one week at a time.

Create a master weekly checklist with activities you want to complete every day of every week. Be sure to include both personal and professional goals.

Develop an action plan for each category. For prospecting, block out one hour per day every day of the week. If your goal is to exercise for better health, add a one-hour workout to your action plan. If you want to focus on your personal relationships, make a weekly date night one of your goals.

To stay focused on your daily success habits, clearly define one top priority that must be accomplished every day (or on specific days) in order to help you achieve your goals. For a free copy of a daily success habit tracker, go to http://bit.ly/2CjVyFh.

At the end of each week, look at your progress and review your process. Plenty of people start the race, but only a handful actually complete it. Did you miss a few hours of prospecting? Add those hours to the following week to stay on target. Be vigilant in your focus to avoid reverting back to those old habits that are comfortable, but not exciting. According to Stanford University’s Dr. BJ Fogg: “There is just one way to radically change your behavior, and that is to radically change your environment.”

What will you change in your environment right now? A great start is to close your door and windows (as in Microsoft) to get more done early in the morning to avoid interruptions. If getting in better shape is on the agenda, partner up with a friend or neighbor for consistency and to help keep you accountable. Is your desk a mess? It’s time to clean up all those papers and files that distract you from your vital projects and goals.

We cannot improve what we cannot measure, so change your focus and zero in on what you do every day to allow yourself the joy and exhilaration of getting what you want out of life this year. The finish line is yours one step at a time if you head in the right direction.

Terri Murphy is a communication engagement specialist, author, speaker and coach. She is the author/co-author of five books, and founder of MurphyOnRealEstate.com. Contact her at TerriMurphy.com, MurphyOnRealEstate.com or Terri@TerriMurphy.com. For more information, please visit www.workmansuccesssystems.com.