“A vision and strategy aren’t enough. The long-term key to success is execution. Each day. Every day.” Richard M Kovacevich
Now that the new year is finally here it’s time to get down to business. It’s the moment that most of us have been waiting for. The new year produces is us hope, expectation and opportunity to be better. We’ve written down our goals, created a strategy and a plan and now it time to execute. Execution is the hardest most measurable part of making our goals a reality. It’s the part of the process that requires the most sweat, tears, perseverance, consistency, intentionality, etc.
It’s the part of the process where we can take what we have written and make it a reality. Think about what life would look like if we accomplished every goal we’ve written down this year. How would you feel? How would that feeling and experience propel you into the next year? We can have the greatest goals and the most creative plan for obtaining those goals but if we don’t take action and execute, we will never reach what we’ve plan.
“No excuses. No explanation. You don’t win on emotion. You win on execution.” Tony Dungy
Steps to executing our goals:
1.) Clearly communicate the goal
In order to execute a goal we must first clearly communicate and understand our goal. Next, we must make sure the goal is simple and we understand the purpose behind it. Thirdly, we must build behavior patterns based on what we want to see. When we understand our goal we are able to answer the following questions: “What is my goal?” “What am I expecting to see happen?” “What steps do I need to take to accomplish my goal?” “How will reaching this goal impact my life?”
2.) Start the process
Starting the process is the first step to actually making our goals a reality. It’s a powerful step because it shows how committed we are to doing what we said. Starting gives us a sense of ownership and responsibility in the process of obtaining our goals. Getting started creates in us a greater level of expectation and excitement which is needed to help us finish the process.
3.) Envision Success
What you envision determines how you finish. Envisioning success keeps you encouraged in the process of obtaining your goal. It can help you shift your focus to self-motivating questions such as “What small steps can I take today to reach my goal?” and “What is a new way of thinking about my goal that would help me to be successful?”
4.) Measure progress
Measuring our progress is important because it help us to understand where we are in the process. We measure our progress by keeping track of what we do daily. We can ask ourselves questions like, “How is what i’m doing now bringing me closer to my goal?” or “What can be done today to help me reach my goal?” Setting time limits and dates can help keep us on track to reaching our goals.
5.) Reward Progress
Being rewarded for all the work we put forth is one of the greatest feeling in the world. Think about your high school or college graduation. How did you feel? When we are rewarded for the progress we made it motivates us to keep going and compels us to finish strong.
“When it all comes down to it, nothing trumps execution.” Gary Vaynerchuck
With the start of each new day comes the opportunity to get closer to our goals. I want to encourage you to be intentional and take action everyday. Take things one step at a time and envision the success you want to see. Be determined to put in the work and make your goals a reality this year.
Thank so much for reading!
Check out my motivated Monday video on YouTube at Inspiring Intentional Hope.
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