Success, whether personal or in business, starts at the individual level.
Imagine an individual or better yet, a group of individuals working in a collaborative, synergistic, and focused way on a shared vision, mission, and/or objective; powerful and potentially unstoppable. OK, this may seem obvious to some, and common sense to others; but like most things related to common sense, some are not always so “common”.
Consider one example where common sense isn’t necessarily followed — weight loss. The weight loss and diet industry is a multi-billion dollar industry (that’s right, that was “billion” not million). It is a market served with a multitude of books, products, and gimmicks to promote weight loss. All this effort to satisfy the consumer’s interest in finding a solution to successful weight loss, and all while a very “common sense” solution exists. A solution that has been empirically and scientifically proven as a foolproof method and one that literally guarantees weight loss success. In addition to this guaranteed weight loss method fitting perfectly into the category of a “common sense” approach, it is also dead simple…do you know what it is?
To ensure and reach weight loss success, simply make sure that your caloric output is greater than your caloric input.
This simple, proven, and common sense approach is so completely “not-so-common,” that it supports a multi-billion dollar industry! The point is that, with personal and business success, there are also some very common sense “must-do” methods to ensure your success, that are also “not-so-common.” Let’s begin with:
Vision
What is your compelling desire, what is that thing that you want to achieve that is a little bigger than you can image, that stretch goal that is seemingly unachievable, that desire that commands your attention and that, when realized, will meet your wants and needs?
Having a clear and compelling vision is what will motivate you and guide you to take the appropriate actions needed to move you closer to what you desire. It will be the foundational reference point that will underpin all of your decisions and choices.
Vision is established through introspective self-enquiry, best done with a supportive and trusted friend or colleague. Let me explain further the importance of establishing a clear vision with the following two points;
- To be clear, vision exists in hearts of people, it enrolls support from others who share your vision, and vision will be the primary driver for compelling action and performance. But there will be times when situations arise that will require actions that may seem to fly in the face of a vision and seem unrelated to your longer-term visionary goal.But trust this, when the actions taken are the correct actions, they always lead to a visionary outcome. Case in point, when Louis V. Gerstner began to lead what some consider as one of the greatest turnarounds in the history of business, the then-failing IBM, he is famously quoted as saying, “The last thing IBM needs is a vision.” But in hindsight Gerstner’s actions absolutely supported a desire and an (unstated) vision that he had for IBM; namely, to survive by becoming customer solutions focused, to benchmark performance with competitors and then achieve best-in-class status, and finally to create and nurture the correct culture
- You may be asking, why is it that sometimes we drift away from this common sense visionary approach and the simple ways and the actions that support our vision, mission, objectives, and short-term goals? Well simply,We lack discipline.I understand, life is hard, it’s difficult and complicated, and sometimes the universe rises up to block your efforts; and this is exactly where and when we lose our focus and forget our long-term intention. We get trapped in the day-to-day fire fighting of things that move us away from our vision.
What is needed to successfully take the correct actions (point one), and always stay sure and disciplined in living your visionary goal (point two)? It is to seek the help of a mentor and coach.
As an example, consider the real discipline required to be a successful student of martial arts. The student must first choose to begin training, but what is the one ingredient that is always required to achieve success? It’s a teacher. A teacher to guide, instruct, and instill discipline within the student. And in the best of all worlds, even the teacher has a teacher; beware of a teacher, athlete, or leader who doesn’t have a teacher/mentor/coach. Every good martial arts student, through training and guidance, learns and builds their own applied self-discipline that allows them to continually focus on achieving their vision.
Establish Your Clear and Compelling Vision
Interested in exploring, defining, and/or clarifying your own vision? Choose to allocate the necessary time to reflect on your vision, consider asking someone you trust to help, and if necessary find a coach. You will find that this “common sense” approach will serve you in a very real powerful way. Contact us for a consultation.
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