by M Asim Afzal

Did you make a New Year’s Resolution this year?

If you did, well done!

Question – Did you believe you will achieve it?

Now, I’m not knocking Resolutions – far from it. The dictionary defines Resolution as a ‘Firm decision to do something’ and I’m all for decisions and implementation of those decisions.

If you didn’t make a resolution this year the chances are it’s because you’re fed up setting yourself up to fail even before you get to the end of January.
If you did make a resolution many of you will have done it ‘tongue-in-cheek’ knowing that it’ll never last.

We are now in the 4th day 2012, how many of us still even recall our New Year’s resolution?

However some of you will have made your resolution with good intentions and seriously want to make them happen. Even so, to the question ‘Do you believe you can achieve it?’ Many of you will have answered with a faltering ‘I hope so…’

The thing is that this experience starts at a pretty early age with our mums and dads asking us on New Year’s Day to make a New Years Resolution. For most of us we are then left to our own devices to achieve them. No Support, no encouragement – nothing – until next New Year when they ask you to make another.

Think about that… Every year from when we were kids we experienced our ‘decisions to do something’ failing.

Its little wonder then, that a firm commitment to taking action happens so rarely in Small to Medium sized businesses. We’ve learned from repeated experience from an early age that they don’t get results.
Yet we all know that in business it’s absolutely critical to on-going success to build in time to review past performance and plan future activity for improvement and then to act on the plan.

So how do we break that pattern?

How can we turn our Resolutions, both business and personal into results that we can be proud of, regardless of what time of year we make them?

Here are some tips and ideas which have helped ‘break the pattern’ for the clients we work with.

• Avoid self-blame, which is a prime predictor of failure.
• Expect slip-ups but avoid falls. You know what I mean, missing one exercise session should not put an end to the entire exercise regimen. Use slip-ups to strengthen resolve. Not an excuse to quit.
• Make realistic, attainable goals along with a plan based on real activity and tasksn. Make sure you share your plan and your resolve to carry it out with others who have a vested interest. (That’s doesn’t mean tell your Gran , you’ll be a millionaire next year!!)
• Cultivate a support network or a buddy system. Getting other people to hold you accountable to your Resolutions massively improves your chances of success.
• Track progress. Always measure progress, this strengthens resolve.
• Reward success with a reward established in advance.

Remember, your resolution, your activity plan, is a marathon, not a 100-yard sprint. It will take three to six months before a change becomes routine. The first month is usually not the problem for most people.

One last reminder, its about activity planning, NOT good thoughts and intentions. To paraphrase a saying, regardless of how much positivity I put out there, the only way I’m getting a Pizza for dinner is either cook it myself or pick up the phone and get someone else to do the work for me…

As we like to say here at Templeton Green, The only constant is change; what change will you choose today?

 

by M Asim Afzal

Firstly, Happy Eid to Everyone.

At a time of celebration, it is useful to reflect on our life and our choices, especially those related to business. I came across this excerpt today that I wanted to share. Unfortunately, I am unaware of the author of this thought provoking piece.

“There are two days in every week about which we should not worry, two days which should be kept free from fear and apprehension. One of these days is Yesterday, with its mistakes and cares, its faults and blunders, its aches and pains. Yesterday has passed forever beyond our control. All the money in the world cannot bring back Yesterday. We cannot undo a single act we performed; we cannot erase a single word we said. Yesterday is gone.

The other day we should not worry about is Tomorrow, with its possible adversities, its burdens, its large promise, and poor performance. Tomorrow is also beyond our immediate control. Tomorrow’s sun will rise, either in splendour or behind a mask of clouds; but it will rise. Until it does, we have no stake in tomorrow, for it is as yet unborn.

This leaves only one day: Today. Anyone can fight the battles of just one day. It is only when you and I add the burdens of those two awful eternities -Yesterday and Tomorrow – that we break down. It is not the experience of Today that drives us mad, it is remorse and bitterness for something which happened Yesterday and the dread of what Tomorrow may bring. Let us therefore, live this one full Today.”

There is a quote I recall that states “Procrastination is the grave in which opportunity is buried” that sits well with the above and on a day of family, celebration and reflection, I have a simple question for you today:

What will you give of yourself to make today memorable?

 

Lastly as we say at Templeton Green, in business as in life, we have choices, what will you choose today?