I lost almost 50 pounds in 2013!
Before!
As 2012 came to a close and I was setting my goals for 2013, one of my areas of focus was that I wanted to (and really needed to) take off some of the pounds that I had intentionally gained over the last 30 years. Now I know that some of you will look at that last statement and have to read it again. As you do, your initial diagnosis may very well be that I need professional help. 🙂
Let me explain my comment to you. I say that I intentionally gained those pounds over the last 30 years for a very simple reason. To quote the late Zig Ziglar, I say that I intentionally gained those pounds because I can honestly say that I have never “accidentally” eaten anything. There has never been one incident in my life where I accidentally fell face-forward into any meal and had to eat my way out!
Have there been other years in which I made a New Year’s resolution to lose weight – and then did not do so? Absolutely. After all, a life in sales and business ownership involves eating on the run, entertaining clients and often not enough exercise.
So then, what was the difference maker in 2013? As I have reflected on that particular question, I can say that there were three major differences this year.
1. I learned the proper skills. I actually bought the book, The 17 Day Diet by Dr. Mike Moreno. Don’t let the title fool you. It involves 3 different 17 day cycles that you repeat until achieve your weight loss goal. During the course of following the book I learned the skill of how to eat healthier, and I developed the discipline to do so.
2. I had an action plan as to how I would eat each day.
3. The most important difference – I checked my results daily. I literally got on the scale every morning and as a result, I learned how my body responded to the previous day’s activities.
Steps one and two were important to my success. However, the biggest single factor that made the difference this year was that I got my happy self up on that scale every morning before I even had a cup of coffee, and I checked my weight.
I kept the score.
Those same three steps are absolutely essential in succeeding in any goal – especially in generating new clients and new sales. But the sad truth is that 80% of all sales people will read those three steps, accept them as being fully applicable to their personal situation and then still not put them into practice. Many will take the time and put in the effort to learn the skills they need. Some will even go so far as to make a plan of action that, if followed, will bring them success. But when it comes to that third step most people will start the year off tracking their results on a daily basis. Then after a few days or weeks, they will find themselves tracking those results less often – and then finally they will not be tracking their results at all.
Why does that happen? Because they know they are not following their plan. When I was not getting on the scale daily in my previous attempts to lose weight, it was because the scale held me accountable and pointed out to me that I was not following my own plan.
The 20% that do all three steps will make 80% of the sales and 80% of the incomes generated in their industry. They do not depend on a sales manager to do this for them – they are disciplined enough to do it themselves.
Your sales results thus far in your career are where they are now because your intentionally made that happen – whether good or bad. Now, I know that there may be factors that are beyond your control that could make you the exception to that statement. But those are situations are actually quite rare. For the great majority of us, just like I never “accidentally” ate anything, we’ve never accidentally failed to take action and keep the score every day. Being unintentional in our activities will yield the same results as being intentionally inactive.
Be intentional in 2014 in these specific ways.
- Develop your skills – get better at what you already know and learn new ways to succeed
- Develop a daily plan of action – have a written plan for the exact activities you will do on a daily and weekly basis
- Keep the score every day – compare how your actions matched your plans and how your results are stacking up
Questions:
What are the essential elements that you need to track daily in your industry?
What new skills do you need to become better equipped with in 2014?
17 Day Diet link: https://www.facebook.com/17daydiet
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