It's Your Comeback Year
Shortly after 2017 began, Tom Brady, a fossil by NFL quarterback standards, led the New England Patriots to victory in an overtime Super Bowl after trailing the Atlanta Falcons 28-3 midway through the third quarter.
After the game Brady explained, "We all brought each other back. We never felt out of it."
He is not just a great athlete, but demonstrates attributes of true leadership.
Last Friday night I watched a small town basketball game with a packed house in Central Oregon. The Sisters High School boys' team faced rival Madras in the first round of the playoffs. At 39-29 the Madras team was up by 10 points with about 6.5 minutes to go in the fourth quarter, and then their coach made a fatal mistake.
He had his team stall. Apparently in Oregon high school basketball there is no shot clock, so the Madras team drained over a minute from the clock just passing the ball around.
To be candid, although none of our kids attend high school, I was angry at the lack of integrity displayed by the Madras coach to teach his players a stall tactic with so much time left in the game.
It is also a dangerous strategy because it changes the whole momentum of how your team is playing the game.
By the way, is it a sin to boo a team that behaves that way? Or their coach? (I leave that up to you.)
What happened? The Sisters team rallied and won 46-39 (without overtime).
Now, that was a fun evening...
It is a comeback year.
People everywhere, except on the losing side, love a comeback.
HOW ABOUT YOU?
Everyone has an area of their life that is important, but they are failing at it. They are not meeting their own standards and/or progressing towards their dream.
You feel it is impossible to change.
You need a comeback.
What should you do?
First, ADMIT YOU HAVE A PROBLEM.
No, this is not Alcoholics Anonymous, although you could be addicted to denial at least in this one area.
What is your dream? Or if not a dream, what is a goal that is very meaningful for you to achieve that you have not been able to make progress on?
Let me put it another way:
What is the one thing you could do that would make everything else in your life better? (This is the core challenge of the book, The ONE Thing. A great book.)
Stop your denial. (Other things are more important. I can't do it. It's too hard...)
Stop procrastinating. (I don't have time. My other stuff is more important. I have to get this other stuff done first.)
Stop blaming others or circumstances. (My boss, or spouse, wants me to do other stuff. I have no money. I don't know enough...)
Denial is a slow death.
Second, COMMIT TO CHANGE.
Make a decision to be your best, not just good, or even great. You want to be YOUR BEST.
We are our best when we overcome heavy odds against us.
We are our best when we kindle the warrior within us to do extraordinary things.
There is a Spirit within you or beside you, just waiting for your invitation to join your battle.
It is the suffering and the story is what makes the game of life engaging, enjoyable, and fulfilling. Don't accept where you are in life. You are destined for more.
What makes a great leader?
Someone who fearlessly overcomes a challenge.
Did you catch that?
One challenge.
Not two, five or a dozen.
Consider the stories of great movies such as Gladiator and Braveheart. In ancient times the battle lines were formed with hundreds or thousands of soldiers on each side, yet to survive each warrior had to focus on winning against one foe at a time.
They could not get overwhelmed by the army facing them, or even the 2-6 opposing soldiers nearby.
There is one menacing thing holding you back. What is it for 2017?
To be your best, you must identify the one thing that will transform your current reality into your dreams.
Time is running out.
Third, YOU NEED A PLAN.
Define a simple plan to achieve your quest. There are three components:
#1 - A clear, measurable goal with a deadline
#2 - Identify what time of day you do your best work.
#3 - Set aside that time in your schedule to achieve your goal.
Should you be persistent?
No.
"WHAT?" you ask incredulously.
A persistent person keeps trying. That is not good enough.
To be great, you must be tenacious.
A tenacious person applies what they learn to avoid mistakes and accelerate their progress while never giving up.
#1 - A clear, measurable goal with a deadline
Here is the core of my method for writing clear, measurable goals:
Goals should be written in a clear, measurable way by following the acronym "T.A.R.G.E.T.™" from the books, The Company Culture Challenge and Success With People.
Start with the preposition "To" and follow it with an "Action verb." Next add a "Realistic Goal" area or focus. Then add an "Effective measure of success" and close it with the "Time for the goal to be completed."
T To (the preposition)
A Action verb
RG Realistic Goal to be achieved
E Effectively measure whether the goal has been achieved
T Time or date for the goal to be completed
The due dates are important. One sales guru, T.C. Michalak, likes to say, "A goal without a timeline is not a goal - it's a wish." Each goal must have a realistic completion date with your work finished on schedule.
Here is an example of a clear, measurable goal written in the T.A.R.G.E.T. format:
To increase consultant utilization rates to 78 percent for the quarter.
To begin: To
Action verb: increase*
Realistic Goal: consultant utilization rates
Effective measurement: to 78 percent average
Time bound: for the quarter.
NOTE: If you want to make the goal statement a bit more direct then drop the first preposition "To." Then this goal becomes:
Increase consultant utilization rates to 78 percent for the quarter.
#2 - Identify what time of day you do your best work.
What time of day do you do your best work?
That is the time of day to work on your most important goal.
Another consideration is where you do this work. You must be someplace where you will not be interrupted by people or electronics (TV, email, instant messaging, phones...).
Be realistic. When do you do your best work? How can you work without interruption?
#3 - Set aside that time in your schedule to achieve your goal.
Block out time in your schedule daily or weekly to achieve this goal.
Make certain it is the time of day when your best work.
Communicate. Explain what you are doing to other people who currently expect to be able to interact with you at that time. Ask them to respect that time and only interrupt you if the world is ending.
They will interrupt you anyway. Respectfully, calmly be firm about meeting with them later if the issue can wait. Unplug if necessary to block them out.
NOTE: Maybe the time you chose is the wrong time of day. If the schedule you set aside is not working, then reassess your schedule and try a different one.
Do NOT give up.
Today is passing fast. Yesterday is a memory, or worse, forgotten. The longer you wait, the more you rely on a miracle.
It's YOUR comeback year.
You do not have to become a billionaire, on the cover of magazines, or loved by everyone.
You just have to overcome one thing.
If you are candid, it might be the one thing in your life that will catapult you past silence into hearing the voice of God.
Do it now. It's your comeback year.
It might be you have spread yourself too thin at work for years. There is one thing above everything else that plays to your strengths and will launch you into a new stratosphere of opportunity.
Do it now. It's your comeback year.
It might be your relationship with your spouse. Would a weekly date night improve things?
I have a new friend, Mark, who enjoys a cup of coffee with his wife, Sheila, each day about 3:00 p.m. They just catch up. What would that type of communication do for your relationship?
How about scheduling a weekly, biweekly, or at least monthly family business meeting with your spouse? Finances are the #1 cause of divorce. A cycle of financial discussions might replace the demons of doubt with the candid confidence of your future together.
Do it now. It's your comeback year.
You decide the goal. Just do something!
If you need help getting started, or along the way, let me know. I love working with people who want to be their best. You can schedule a conversation with me here.
I hope our paths cross this year and I can encourage you in your journey.
