It seems like only yesterday that I was sitting down making my plans for the New Year. “2008 is going to be great!” I bet many of you were chanting this new slogan as well. Now seemingly in the twinkle of an eye, half of the year is already gone, and for some of you it seems to have taken your personal growth plan as a hostage.
Where has time gone? Who cares? (Especially if you’ve not been productive.)
More importantly, with only five months left in the year “Are you where you need to be in your career?” If yes, Fabulous! If no here are some tips to get you back on track.
• Personal Growth and Development is not automatic: You my friend will have to invest some time. Earl Nightingale once said “If you’ll spend one hour a day, every day for five years on a given subject, within five years you’ll become an expert on that subject”. Are you investing your time in the wrong areas?
• Grow your strengths: Here is what I learnt from John C. Maxwell. “Choose to grow in the area of your strength, not in the area of your weakness”. Maxwell says “There are only four things that I do well, just four, and I focus exclusively on them. I lead, communicate, create and network. That’s it. I spend all of my time on one of those four strengths zones. The secret of successful people lies in their ability to discover their strengths and to organize their life so that these strengths can be applied.” (If you wish to get started I recommend, Now, Discover Your Strengths by Marcus Buckingham., a strength finder quiz link included in book).
• Compare yourself to someone who is better than you are: No matter how good you think you are, if you look hard enough I guarantee that you can find someone in your field who is stronger, bigger, better, faster, more successful than you are. Find that person, study their success and compare them to yours. Then swallow two humility tablets and learn from the master.
• Hire a coach or seek out a mentor: Look for persons who possess specific skills that you wish to acquire, again target their strengths and learn at their feet.
• When a leader doesn’t grow, neither does his/her people: This is the “Law of the Lid” which basically says that a stagnant leader stunt the growth of an organization (The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, John C. Maxwell). Make a commitment to continuously develop yourself so that you can push your people and help them to achieve their personal goals.
• Disengage from the people you’ve outgrown: The more focus you become, the more you realize that the enemy of great is good. Friends who once shared your vision now encourage you to settle for second best or worst try to talk you out of your goals. Don’t settle – cut!
This week I leave you with the words of Vince Lombardi “If you settle for nothing less than your best, you will be amazed at what you can accomplish in your life”. Let these words inspire us all and remember in 2009 you will be left behind if you don’t try to make it great in 08.
