Why are some people successful while most struggle? Are they lucky? Are they just at the right place at the right time? Is it because they are highly educated? Or, is it because they just learn how to perform better and are faithful to their practices?
Ben Feldman was arguably the best salesman ever. He was a High School dropout. Scratch higher education as a key requirement to success. That said, most successful people are subject matter experts. Product and industry knowledge are essential to succeed.
No matter how it looks, successful people are neither lucky nor just at the right place at the right time. Winners make their own luck. They are at the right place at the right time because of careful planning and execution. No surprises for peak performers. They knew the results going in.
This is a good time to take a step back and invest some time and thought into your business, your career and your life. What I do is go to a quiet place and reflect on what happened and decide what I need to do in the future. Not a complicated exercise. It’s not perfect, but without a serious personal assessment, how can you improve your outcomes?
I offer seven tips to tune up your business, your career and your life. There are more, but these seven are a good start.
Become a Peak Performer in 2011
Seven tips to tune-up your business, career and life in 2011
1. Renew your vows
2. Confirm your destination
3. Analyze results
4. Create a plan, welcome change
5. Optimize your time
6. Measure outcomes, make adjustments
7. Work relentlessly
Renew Your Vows
You were sincere and focused when you started on your journey. If you are like most people you have not reached your goals. That’s normal. Things, life seem to get in the way of the best laid plans. The good news is that you have made progress. The future is still ahead. Put yesterday behind, clean the slate, renew your commitments and focus like a laser beam on your tomorrows.
Confirm Your Destination
Are your goals defined well enough that you will know success when you get there? Is the desired outcome clear? Is it happiness? Is it personal freedom? Is it financial freedom? Or, is it all of the above and more? What is your end game? Is it written? If not, write it down. Keep it handy. Look at it often. Never lose track of your destination. If you do you will be unable to get there.
Analyze Results
How have things been going lately? What happened as a result of your efforts in the last twelve month? Can you identify things that worked? What didn’t work? Where did you succeed and where did you fail? Going forward, it is important to look back and draw conclusions. This exercise will result in the obvious. Continue to do what works, just do them better. Stop what doesn’t work.
Create a Plan…Welcome Change
Create a plan for success in 2011. Build on past successes. Review emerging strategies, tactics and tools to get ahead and stay ahead of your competition. Everything changes all of the time. If you don’t welcome change you will have no hope to grow or to even maintain your current status. Put it in writing. Read it often. Make changes when necessary. Your plan is a living document. Your plan is your blueprint for your success. It is your road map to the future.
Optimize Your Time
Is time optimization hard to do? Not really. If you do not prioritize your tasks and manage your time, you will have no chance to be a peak performer. Time is a valuable asset, possible the most valuable asset you have. Squandered time is lost forever. It can’t be recovered. How do you spend your time? Do you put aside important things to do menial, easy stuff? If so, you are impairing your ability to perform. Keep a diary for a few days. You will quickly see where you can improve your time management.
Measure Outcomes, Make Adjustments
Don’t wait until the end of the year to figure out the shortcomings of your efforts. Be accountable to yourself. Know your milestones. Review them often. If you miss a goal, figure out why not and fix it. It might be a simple as calling a lost customer and asking “why?” The answer might be as simple as doing more. If you optimized your time you can use the time saved for more activities. If things are going wrong figure it out and adjust.
Work Relentlessly
More than anything you can do to become a peak performer in 2011 is to work relentlessly toward your goals. This is by far the most essential tip I can offer. The truth is as simple as “more sales calls equal more sales”. If you do your best at all times you will notch a lot of victories and eclipse your competition. Those that have gone before us are a testimony to this truth.
2011’s Peak Performers
I would say good luck, but there is no luck involved. You make your own luck. You will be in the right place at the right time because you planned it.
