3 Steps to Replacing Hope with a Strategy in 2013

Have you ever encountered people who say they desperately want to change their circumstances, but do not want to change themselves? They unconsciously choose the “hard way” over “hard work” and simply hope things will turn out for the best.Dr. Woodrow Kroll has reported that 3% of people have written goals, 10% have goals but haven’t written them down,, and the other 87% simply do not have any specific goals at all. Dr. Kroll noted that people with written goals are 50%-100% more likely to achieve them than those who haven’t written them down. As the late - and very wise - Zig Ziglar said, “If you aim at nothing, you will hit it every time.”Why do people avoid writing down their goals? What story do they tell themselves that makes not writing them down OK? Why is hope so attractive, even though it doesn’t work?With the New Year upon us, it’s a great time to check your systems, people, strategies and resolutions to make sure you and your company don’t rely on HOPE as a strategy. As leaders, we often forget…we get what we set ourselves up for.Three overly obvious and embarrassingly simple steps to making 2013 your best year yet:1. Write down your goals.

• Be specific.
• Be measurable.
• Be non-negotiable…if it’s not important, do not bother.
• Keep them simple.
• Share them with a SAFE person.

Then ruthlessly prioritize the following to align with your goals:2. Examine how you spend your time.

• Most growth-hungry companies are worried about the competition. But the truth is, knowing how to spend your time will give you the biggest strategic advantage. Everyone has 24 hours in a day…what you do with them determines if you win or if your competition wins. You better be focused and you better have the right people on your team!

3. Evaluate how you spend your money.

• As Dave Ramsey says (and I agree): Either your money works for you or you work for your money.

So what, now what? Remember Dr. Kroll’s study. You are faced with a choice. What are you going to do? Will you improve your circumstances or let another year slip through your fingers HOPING that you meet your goals?What methods have you used to get focused and meet your goals?