Archives For result


A year ago yesterday my daughter was born.  That also means I’ve been a father for a year.  If those first two sentences seem redundant, believe me, they’re not.  They’re absolutely two different and independent facts and events.

Image

It’s definitely necessary to assess situations more often than yearly but Continue Reading…

About these ads

Not Just A to B

November 4, 2012 — Leave a comment

Most of us are trying to get from A to B.  Why?  There could be a number of reasons but what it boils down to is that A is where you are (unhappy, unfulfilled, unsatisfied) and B provides something to fill that void.  The desire to fill this void can lead to some dramatic and illogical decision-making.

How you get to B is as important as getting there.  Why?


If you consider the diagram above.  There are three options to get from A to B.  Option 1 is becoming an entrepreneur and opening your own business.  Option 2 is going to university to become a Lawyer.  Option 3 is becoming a drug dealer (illegal).

Assuming that in this scenario getting to B means financial stability or wealth and that all three of these option would provide that, what is the difference in each path?  The type of person you become.  It seems obvious in this dramatization.  In life though there are many more variables which disguise that you will be a changed person.  The people you deal with, the skills you learn and how you behave all affect your mindset and who you will be in the end.

These are some important questions to ask yourself before choosing a path:

  • Who do you want to be?
  • How will your path affect who you are?
  • How will your journey affect other people?
  • If you don’t like the outcome, can you go back?
  • Once you arrive at B how will who you are effect where you go next?

The Art Of Adaptation:  No decision is just A to B.


This is a very simple concept I have listened to from almost every manager I have had. It was said to me so many times that I think of it as common sense now. So much so that it feel to me as if I should even repeat myself because you as readers will say, “No shit Sherlock.”

But… there may be someone out there who doesn’t know. So here it goes.

At times in life each one of us is going to hit a plateau. It could be in your job, your family duties, relationships, sports, school, what ever it is that you try to perform and improve upon.

Those plateaus are a red flag. They signal to you that a change is needed. One way to identify a plateau is to set goals. Pretty elementary but you would be surprised at how many people don’t actually write short, medium and long-term goals. I create goals monthly for personal, financial, career and development. That way I can analyze if I am producing the results I want or if I am not (plateauing). You can get more or less detailed than I do but if you don’t write your goals, they aren’t goals. They are thoughts.

So you check your goals and activities and notice that you are not heading in the right direction or at the right pace. What now?

You need to ADAPT. You need to change,

Albert Einstein’s definition of insanity is this: “Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”

Insanity Is Simple

You can complicate this and beat it to death or you can approach it simple, which I will for the sake of clear communication. This is how I approach a plateau.

  • Goal: Win Gold At Competition 2012
  • Hours Trained: 15 per week for 8 weeks
  • Result: Silver

Now I Adapt!

  • Goal: Win Gold At Competition 2013
  • Hours Trained: 20 per week for 10 weeks
  • Result: Gold

Of course there may be other factors that play into the scenario than hours worked or trained but that is your job to analyze what you did, what the result was and how you can adapt in order over come a plateau and improve.

Who wants silver every year?

The Art Of Adaptation:

  • Set goals
  • Measure progress
  • Analyze results and process
  • Adapt by adjusting earlier process

Note: Sometimes the hardest thing to do is identify your own plateau. Especially if you don’t set goals and monitor your progress. In this case it may be very helpful to get an outside perspective. Talk to someone who is going to give you constructive criticism. Friends and family members are great but often in the same boat as you are on so many levels. Looks for a coach. There are many resources out there such as business, life, sport, mental and spiritual coaches. Reach out.