Swing for the fences this New Year, but don’t forget your base hits!

Like a lot of people, I am sure you have listed some New Year’s Resolutions. And like a lot of people, I am sure not all of them will come to pass! In fact, I recently saw a great meme on Facebook that stated, “I can’t wait for February because that is when I can stop going to the gym and start going back to the bar!” Like a lot of my colleagues who focus on both organizational and personal effectiveness, I have been thinking out loud why we often come up short in our new resolutions or goals. The answer, I believe, is that while we expect home runs, we don’t value our base hits!

You see, as I heard author and speaker Paul Martinelli share, SUCCESS is really just a series of base hits or rather, a cumulation of small victories and steady progress points! Just think about the typical “I am going start going back to the gym” scenario. So, January 2^nd arrives and you and all your fellow resolvers are at the gym and running on a treadmill like you were being chased by Zombies (a convenient visual since you probably spent the break binge-watching The Walking Dead)! And as can be expected, you overused underused muscles thus you were too sore the next day to go to the gym. And so it goes. The reason for this scenario along with falling short in other resolutions is that we think we have to get it right or be perfect the first time or else we have failed. I propose this is the wrong mindset.

But what if we took the base hit approach? In other words, what if we took smaller but successive steps in reaching new goals? Behavioral experts have discovered that this incremental approach is more likely to create the new habits and changes we desire versus going cold turkey on the cookies or running a half-marathon before you are even close to ready. What if you were able to get to the gym every other day but started out by just walking fast and doing a few crunches? Would I like to get homeruns and book five-figure training contracts every time? You bet I would but those are few and far between for even the most well-known speakers. But what if I booked a series of smaller amount engagements? I would eventually gain the goals I have (scoring a win) but just think about how many more people I get to meet, encourage, and help along the way?

Do this quick activity for me. Think about a big goal you have this year or quarter (and there is nothing wrong with standing in the batter’s box and pointing to the upper seats!). Now instead of stopping there, detail a series of manageable steps you can take that will get you there. If you fall short or miss a gym day, then get it in your head and heart that you HAVE NOT FAILED, you just haven’t completely succeeded yet! The project and gym will still be there tomorrow.

As always if I can help you and the people you associate with Get Better, Be Ready and LEAD OUT LOUD, I would invite you to email me or to visit my website below and see if any of the training or coaching experiences I offer can provide an impact! Also, as a bonus, if you go to my Out Loud Strategies website (www.outloudinc.com) and enter your contact information, I will send you a FREE guide to establishing a mentoring initiative program in your organization! Such an initiative would be critical to add value to your organization!

Yours in Leadership (and still walking both roads!),

Bill Faulkner

Principal Consultant – Out Loud Strategies

Independent Coach, Speaker, and Trainer with the John Maxwell Team ^TM

Email = bill@outloudinc.com

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