Let me start by wishing you all a Happy New Year. Let’s all commit to making this year our best year yet.
It used to be that this time of year most everyone would sit down and write their New Year Resolutions. Some would follow through, most would not. The following year most would read them only for the second time realizing that hmm, what of been good if I followed through.
To actually get clear on how to create our best future is that we must be more specific and intentional. We must know what we’ve done and accomplished and also know specifically what we really want for our future.
How in fact do we create our Best Year Yet? First, we must be familiar with all our current and past bests. Yes, our bests both personally and professionally. In fact, as we ponder, was 2018 your best year ever? If yes, what needs to happen to beat it? If not, what was your best and what do you need to put in place to beat that year!
We need to get really clear on our professional bests. What’s your best month, quarter or year in revenues and or profits? What’s your best month in attracting new clients or customers? What’s your largest client that you ever attracted? What’s your best client retention percentage? What was your best team engagement?
What’s your personal best? Your best weight? Your best physical shape? How many books did you read last year? These are all bests that can be conquered in 2019.
What are some things that you can measure both personally and professionally? You can measure your weight, body fat, heart rate in addition to how many steps you take per day. You can measure your times and distances in swimming, running, jogging and bike riding. These are all things you can look to become a little bitter each and every time. We can certainly measure our relationships simply by the response we get from those we are closest to.
There are all sorts of measurements we can track in business. We have revenues, earnings and profit margins. We can measure how many rings before the phone is answered. We can measure delivery times, customer satisfaction, number of transactions, average sale, new client conversions. We can measure employee retention and engagement.
When we really truly understand that our only true competition is us, our team and our organization at our extreme best, only then will we be able to focus more on what really matters and where we need to direct our attention.
Take the time to get clear on all the things you can and want to measure both personally and professionally. Then create an action plan of tracking, measuring and committing to beat them. Make that commitment and I, as your coach, guarantee you that if you make 2019 a year of Besting your Bests, you could just make this year your Best Year Yet!