I need to work out more.
This is a frequent lament of mine but one to which I never really bother to find a solution. It’s recently become apparent to me why this is the case: exercise is not high on my priority list. This should be evident by the fact that I never bother to find a solution to the problem. However, the mind can be a tricky thing.
In her book “The Happiness Project” Gretchen Rubin states that it is the things we do every day that matter, not the things we do some days. So, if you run a mile every day, that matters much more than if the only exercise you get is a marathon you run once a month. This is a very, very important distinction to make when you look at your priority list. It can tell you both what you find important and why you’re not making progress on things you think you think are important.
I talk a good game about how important I think healthy and exercise are – and in many ways I DO think those things are important. But at the end of the day, I always choose a text message chat with my sister over a quick jog. I tell myself I can exercise the next day. I can always exercise the next day. You can trick yourself into thinking that the few times you do exercise are far greater than they are when coupled in your mind with your intention to exercise. It’s a slippery slope.
This applies to your business as well. If you always put being right over being polite to your customers, you’ve made your priorities clear. Similarly, if you think that bringing in new sales is really important but you never sit down to write the ad copy or make the phone calls, it’s unlikely you’ll achieve your increased sales goals.
If you really want to evaluate your business, sit down to think about what you do every day, not just some days. This will give you a clear picture of where you’re focusing your time and whether you need to make a shift. Making small changes – like calling five prospective clients every day – can make a big impact on your success.
As for me, I’m looking for a way to make exercise a priority every day. Perhaps I should call my sister so she can listen to me huff and puff through a workout while we catch up.
Really, it’s the little changes that can make a big impact. But only if you make those changes every day.
Very good point to make!
I’m working on a new project & have been really trying to focus on what I want my short term & long term goals to be. I hadn’t thought of adding a daily goal list. This is good advice!