Taking Action

Get Results: take action
Get Results: Take Action

The “why” of taking action

The most important part of any plan or goal is actually “taking action“. Without this crucial step nothing will come to fruition. A dream is but a dream unless you move to make it a reality. It’s not just about taking action, it’s taking action in the right way. Doing the important things that need to be done to carry out the plan and achieve your desired goal is what’s necessary. If you can act with purpose, make sure you are doing the important things in a productive manner you cannot fail to make progress. Throughout this post I am referring to “taking action” in a business sense, although many of the principles can be used for personal goals/plans with little adjustment.

Don’t let fear stop you

Sounds simple doesn’t it. Well it is as long as we don’t allow fear to overtake us and sabotage our actions. The fear of failing, the fear of rejection and the fear of disappointment are our enemies in such situations. They show themselves in the form of procrastination, indecision, overwhelm, insecurity and self doubt. To overcome these enemies we must re-frame them in our minds, believe we are good enough, not fear failure, but embrace it as a necessary component of making progress. If you have never failed at anything, you have never pushed yourself to your boundaries of your capability. Imagine your life inside a bubble: only by pushing past the boundary of that bubble can you make it bigger. A bigger bubble equals a bigger life. Quite often the fear of something is far worse than the actual experience of it, so get  out of your head and get on with taking action.

Overcoming obstacles

We are sure to come across obstacles along the journey. Obstacles are part of the learning process, they test us and our plans. We should be refining and improving our plans as we move along our journey. If it were easy, everyone would be doing it, so difficulty is a barrier to entry for our competition also, and means that the weaker ones are weeded out along the way. You’re ahead of 90% of the population by even making a start, so take strength from that fact and push on. Use problem solving techniques to overcome difficult-to-solve obstacles, and look for “role models” to find better ways of doing things and overcome things that get in your way. Look at the systems, models, habits and relationships that successful people employ(ed) on their path to success. Research these and test them for yourself. Use the acronym M.A.R.S.H to remember these important areas of study.

  • Models
  • And
  • Relationships
  • Systems
  • Habits

Models  – Business models are an area of study in themselves. It’s important to understand how businesses do what they do, the nine building blocks of business models include:

  • Core capabilities: The capabilities and competencies necessary to execute a company’s business model.
  • Partner network: The business alliances which complement other aspects of the business model.
  • Value configuration: The Value Configuration describes the arrangement of activities and resources that are necessary to create value for the customer.
  • Value proposition: The products and services a business offers. Quoting Osterwalder (2004), a value proposition “is an overall view of .. products and services that together represent value for a specific customer segment. It describes the way a firm differentiates itself from its competitors and is the reason why customers buy from a certain firm and not from another.”
  • Target customer: The target audience for a business’ products and services.
  • Distribution channel: The means by which a company delivers products and services to customers. This includes the company’s marketing and distribution strategy.
  • Customer relationship: The links a company establishes between itself and its different customer segments. The process of managing customer relationships is referred to as customer relationship management.
  • Cost structure: The monetary consequences of the means employed in the business model. A company’s DOC.
  • Revenue: The way a company makes money through a variety of revenue flows. A company’s income.

There are so many examples of business models

  • Auction business model
  • Bricks and clicks business model
  • Collective business models
  • Cutting out the middleman model
  • Direct sales model
  • Distribution business models, various
  • Franchise
  • Freemium business model
  • Industrialization of services business model
  • Low-cost carrier business model
  • Loyalty business models
  • Monopolistic business model
  • Multi-level marketing business model
  • Network effects business model
  • Online auction business model
  • Online content business model
  • Premium business model
  • Professional open-source model
  • Pyramid scheme business model
  • Razor and blades business model (bait and hook)
  • Servitization of products business model
  • Subscription business model
  • Value Added Reseller model
  • Unbundling business model
  • The long tail business model
  • Multi sided platform model
  • Free as a business model
  • Open business model

Look for alternative ways of doing things and thinking “outside the box”. Look at other industries and see if it can be ripped and piveted for your purposes.

Relationships – Probably one of the best ways of getting what you want is by forming relationships with others. None of us are an island and we all need to develop good personal and working relationships. Form relationships with like minded people that can help you and you can help in return. There has to be some form of mutual exchange for any relationship to flourish. So don’t fall into the trap of forming relationships for pure selfish gain. Form them to improve the lives of all involved and nurture them with genuine concern and caring. Win win situations are the only sustainable option we have, otherwise eventually the one getting the raw end of the deal is going to feel used and unappreciated and move on, it’s just a matter of time. Think about how you can add value to other people’s lives in every aspect of yours. We all admire people that put others first. For example, I once had a guy, who I had never met, design me a website because he just “wanted to help me out”, he is now a good friend of mine and I still haven’t forgot that gesture. I have done similar myself since, and it feels great to do something special for another human being out of the blue.

Systems – Famous systems include franchises such as McDonald’s, where they can afford to employ lots of young adults with little or no work or life experience to work in a multi million pound fast food business and produce consistent food products time and time again. How do they do this? Well they have very efficient systems of food processing and product delivery that give consistent results. Systems include procedures, processes, courses of action or methods that achieve a specific result, consistently.

Habits – Habits are actions we do automatically, without thinking about them. We can form good or bad habits. Habits are formed with practice and doing and thinking things in a certain way over and over again.

Use goal setting to control the direction of actions.  Taking action without goal setting is like driving around a town without having somewhere to go. So use goal setting to focus your actions like a compass, and move you in a direction that will lead to a better life.

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Walking Towards your Goal

 

Get Results: walking towards your goal
Get Results: Walking towards your goal

Hazel and I recently went for a lovely walk around Entwistle and Wayoh reservoirs which took us approx 100 mins to walk the 9 km distance, and I thought of how that walk was almost a metaphor for the road to business success.

When we first started it look such a long way, Hazel asked “Are we going to walk all the way around it?” but as I’m trying to lose weight at the moment, I thought it would do me good to do it. It reminded me of setting off with a business goal in mind that may cause us to question ourselves “Is this goal too big for me?” or “Can I do this?” Just making a start is half of the battle in these circumstances, make a start and see what happens.

Get Results: walking towards your goal
Get Results: Walking towards your goal

As we walked around the reservoir we just took it one step at a time, not big steps but definite ones, one after the other. We were admiring the scenery as we went, it was such a lovely day. Before we knew it we had travel approx 4000 steps (according to our mobile phone app) when we turned back to see the distance we’d travelled we were surprised at our progress. It hardly seemed any time at all, yet those small steps had added up, partly because of our consistency of walking and partly because we were enjoying the walk so much. As in business if you take the important steps towards your goal, and try to get some enjoyment from the journey, you will be surprised how quickly you can make progress.

As we progressed along the pathway we found lots of alternative routes that went off into the surrounding woods, some of which looked rather interesting, but we stuck to our aim of going around the water’s edge. In business we face lots of distractions, that try to lure us from our main path. Beware of these time wasters. Stick to the quickest route to your destination otherwise you might find yourself lost and wasting time and effort, leaving you without the energy to get to your goal

Sometimes our path may be blocked and we are forced temporarily off route, and this is ok, we just have to take a diversion and get back on course as soon as we can.

As we passed the halfway stage of our walk we got a second wind of energy which seemed to add a spring into our step. There seemed to be a building momentum pushing us towards our destination. In business you find that the same thing seems to come to your aid after you’ve gone so far, pushing you forwards, or is it your goal pulling you to it?

When we finished after an hour and half or so, we had walked close to 9 km, not that far you may say, but for me, who has back trouble when walking, I thought it was a great achievement. I felt pleased that we had done it but was surprised how quickly we had done it and how easy it had seemed after all. Again in business you will find that sometimes goals, which seemed such long shots when you started out are indeed much easier to achieve that you worried they would be. But you’ll never know until you actually give it a go.

Summary

  • Set yourself a big goal
  • Formulate a plan of action – the best way to achieve your goal
  • Make a start towards your goal – just do it
  • Avoid distractions
  • If you hit any road blocks take enough of a diversion to get past it and carry on
  • Let momentum push you goal-wards. Successive wins (steps) build and form new habits which will make the journey easier as you go
  • Achieve your goal, enjoy your sense of achievement and use this to set new bigger goals and repeat the cycle

Check out our “Ultimate Guides” links in the sidebar/navigation, well worth a look.

FOCUS to Improve Productivity

Get Results: FOCUS follow one course until successful
Get Results: FOCUS

FOCUS has a couple of dimensions which should be considered, one is focusing on DOING what’s important, when there are a multitude of alternatives available, and doing it without distraction. You shouldn’t keep yourself busy doing unimportant tasks, that aren’t going to move you closer to your goal.

The second dimension relates to time. It’s important to be PRESENT,  focused on DOING in the moment, rather than stuck mindfully in the future or past. Nothing gets done in the future, only by your interaction with the present moment are you able to shape what comes next.

Concentrating your focus will inevitably increase your productivity. Like a laser beam that packs incredible energy in a narrow field of light, or the sun being concentrated through a magnifying glass. Your focus is key to increasing your effectiveness in search of fulfilling your goal.

If you dilute your energy across many activities, your power is shared out and becomes less effective for each activity you’re involved with.

Below are a number of quotes that will help you focus on the one important thing you should be doing.

“What’s the one thing you can do now such by doing it, everything else will be easier or unnecessary.” – The one thing.

Get Results: What's the one thing you can do now such by doing it, everything else will be easier or unneccessary
Get Results: What’s the one thing…

“What you do in this moment shapes all your tomorrows” – getresults.org.uk

Get Results: what you do in this moment
Get Results: what you do in this moment

“Focus on the one most effective thing in pursuit of your goal.”

Get Results: focus on the one most effective thing in pursuit of your goal
Get Results: Focus on the one most effective thing in pursuit of your goal

“Do something today that your future self will thank you for.” -unknown

Get Results: Do something for your future self
Get Results: Do something for your future self

“The decisions you make and the actions you take shape all your tomorrows.” -getresults.org.uk

Get Results:actions have consequences
Get Results:Actions have consequences

“Focus on one thing at a time – multi tasking is an illusion.”

Get Results: focus on one thing at a time - multi tasking is an illussion
Get Results: Focus on one thing at a time – multi tasking is an illussion

“FOCUS – Follow One Course Until Successful.”

Get Results: Focus on one thing at a time - multi tasking is an illussionfollow one course until successful
Get Results: Focus on one thing at a time – multi tasking is an illussionfollow one course until successful

“Your future is created by what you do today, not tomorrow.”

Get Results: Your future is created by what you do today, not tomorrow
Get Results: Your future is created by what you do today, not tomorrow

“Most people treat the present moment as if it were an obstacle that they need to overcome. Since the present moment is life itself, it is an insane way to live.” ― Eckhart Tolle

Get Results: Present moment
Get Results: Present moment

“There are only two days in the year that nothing can be done. One is called yesterday and the other is called tomorrow, so today is the right day to love, believe, do and mostly live.” – Dalai Lama

Get Results: Nothing can be done at any time other than today
Get Results: Nothing can be done at any time other than today

“Unease, anxiety, tension, stress, worry – all forms of fear – are caused by too much future, and not enough presence. Guilt, regret, resentment, grievances, sadness, bitterness, and all forms of non-forgiveness are caused by too much past, and not enough presence.” – Eckhart Tolle

Get Results: Presence is the only time that really exists
Get Results: Presence is the only time that really exists

“The future is a concept, it doesn’t exist. There is no such thing as tomorrow. There never will be, because time is always now. That’s one of the things we discover when we stop talking to ourselves and stop thinking. We find there is only present, only an eternal now.”

Get Results: Only Present
Get Results: Only Present

“If you are unable to find the truth right where you are, where else do you expect to find it?”

Get Results: Truth is where you are
Get Results: Truth is where you are

“Don’t let a mad world tell you that success is anything other than a successful present moment.” – Eckhart Tolle

Get Results: Successful present moment
Get Results: Successful present moment

More Quotes

“What the future holds for you depends on your state of consciousness now.” ― Eckhart Tolle

“Nothing ever happened in the past that can prevent you from being present now, and if the past cannot prevent you from being present now, what power does it have?” ― Eckhart Tolle

“When you want to arrive at your goal more than you want to be doing what you are doing, you become stressed.” ― Eckhart Tolle

“You are never fully here because you are always busy trying to get elsewhere.” ― Eckhart Tolle

“Nothing is going to make us free because only the present moment can make us free. That realization is the awakening.” ― Eckhart Tolle

“The present moment is the field on which the game of life happens. It cannot happen anywhere else.” ― Eckhart Tolle

“The most important, the primordial relationship in your life is your relationship with the Now, or rather with whatever form the Now takes, that is to say, what is or what happens.” ― Eckhart Tolle

“Awareness is the power that is concealed within the present moment.” ― Eckhart Tolle

“The past has no power to stop you from being present now. Only your grievance about the past can do that. And what is a grievance? The baggage of old thought and emotion.” ― Eckhart Tolle

“Awareness means Presence, and only Presence can dissolve the unconscious past in you.” ― Eckhart Tolle

“So when you look to the future for salvation, you are unconsciously looking to your own mind for salvation.” ― Eckhart Tolle

Find your Unique Selling Proposition (USP)

Get Results: unique selling proposition
Get Results: Unique Selling Propositio

A USP is what Stands you apart from your competitors’. It’s what makes you unique in the eyes of your prospects and customers, it’s what differentiates you from other suppliers.

If you don’t find and subsequently use a USP in your marketing, you become something of a commodity, and prospects will only choose to use you on a random basis, with no defined reason behind their purchase decision.

Your USP explains to the world why you’re different, and why they should use you.

Finding your USP

We will identify four options for finding your Unique Selling Proposition. To begin you might find it useful in answering the following questions:-

  • What services and/or products do you provide?
  • To whom do you provide these services/products; who are your customers?
  • What needs/wants do you fulfil for your customers?
  • How big a problem does your solution solve?
  • What benefits do customers appreciate most and which do they actively look for?
  • What makes you better than other suppliers?
  • Is it the value you provide, your experience, know how, customer service, delivery speed and so on?

The second way of finding your USP is to look at the gaps and opportunities within your niche / market that aren’t currently being catered for. Find a demand that isn’t being supplied.

Look for opportunities to provide genuine convenience such as instant availability, convenient location, large selection of stock, fast service, big discounts, professional advice, longer than usual opening hours, more convenient opening hours, privacy and security to name a few.

The third way to find your USP is to have a good answer to following potential customer question…

“Why should I do business with you, instead of any and every other option available to me, including the option of doing absolutely nothing at all.”

or

“What do I uniquely guarantee.”

A fourth method of finding your USP is to compare yourself to your competitors on a range of criteria and focus your USP on the areas where you score higher.

self Competitor 1 Competitor 2
Price
quality
range
Catalogue quality
website
Ease of ordering
Speed of delivery
reliability
Personal liking

Next steps

Once you have identified your USP, you need to think about the ways in which you can use it. These could include:

  • Sound-bites or elevator speeches
  • Marketing messages on-line and off-line
  • Brochures or flyers
  • Press Releases
  • Business Proposals

Keep your USP as the central theme throughout all your marketing, and through repetition you will become known as the business to use for that particular USP.

For more marketing related content check out our marketing guide.

Customer Lifetime Value

Get Results: customer lifetime value
Get Results: Customer Lifetime Value

It is crucially important to know the lifetime value of your customers, so that you know what you can afford to spend on marketing to acquire each new customer.

Let me show you what I mean. Let’s assume for illustration purposes that you are a  gym owner and you want know what the lifetime value of a gym member is. Let’s say your average spend is £20 every month and an member stays on average for 3 years. The value of that customer would be:

£20 x 12 months x 3 years = £720 in total revenue (or £240 per year).

Now work out what your Cost of Sales are in servicing that customer each year.

Let’s assume the Cost of Sales is £40 a year, then you have £200 left over for marketing and profit in year one. If you can acquire a new member for less than £200 you will be in profit within the first year. You won’t have the marketing cost in year two and three so you will make £200 profit in each of those years.

Now you can see even from this hypothetical example why many gyms offer a free starter membership to help drive traffic. Gym owners know that as long as they spend less than £200 to acquire a new member, the customer will prove profitable over a short period of time.

 

Pedometer Apps – Measuring Your Fitness Progress

Get Results: pedometer screen shot
Get Results: Pedometer screen shot

A great way to monitor your walking or running progress it to use a Pedometer. Even better, use a Pedometer App on your phone so you have it on you all the time. A great FREE solution is the Pedometer Android App by Tayutau which can be found on Google play here.

You can easily share screenshots like the one above on social media with a couple of clicks.

A useful added feature is the ability to look at daily, weekly and monthly charts.

Having the Pedometer App running in the background, will drain your battery quicker than normal, but is worth having an insight into how many steps you actually take in a day.

 

Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) calculations

Get Results: BMR men calculation
Get Results: BMR men calculation
Get Results: BMR women calculation
Get Results: BMR women calculation

The Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) calculations above will give you the minimum number of calories you body needs during inactivity, just to keep your organs running. the equation takes into account weight, height and age and is different for men and women.

You should use your BMR figure to establish the minimum number of calories your body will use in any given day, even if you do no exercise. It will allow you to gauge your calorie intake accordingly. If your BMR comes out at say 2500, then you know that to lose weight you would need to keep your calorie intake under this figure. If you do exercise that burns an additional 300 calories than the number of calories burned would be 2500 + 300 = 2800 calories. If your intake through food was 2300, you would have a deficit between calories taken in, and burned of 500 calories. If you did this consistently for one week you would lose approx 1 pound in weight.

Get Results: BMR calculation
Get Results: BMR calculation
Get Results: weight and height converter
Get Results: weight and height converter

 

Get Results: 500 calories for web
Get Results: 500 calories per day equals 1LB of fat per week

What’s Stopping you Getting Results?

https://youtu.be/gccAWvCAtA0

Get Results: get results model
Get Results: Get Results model

Whether you’re trying to lose weight or get fit, or become a success in business, whatever you want, there must be a way you can get the results you crave. But let’s first go back to basics.

There are only 5 basic reasons you’re not getting those elusive results…
• You don’t know what is wanted – a lack of a defined goal
• You’re knowingly not doing something that needs to be done
• You don’t know something that needs to be done
• You’re doing something wrong – you don’t necessarily know it’s wrong
• You’re trying to do something that is impossible to achieve

At a very basic level, there are just 2 things you need to do to get the results you so desperately want…

Know what to do

and

Do what needs to be done

It’s important that we start from this basic understanding, so that you don’t miss any of the important possible variables that could be preventing you from getting results, although these appear simple to overcome the devil is in the detail, and this detail is specific to you and your situation.

Let’s have a look at each of the reasons why you might not be getting the results you want. Although these are a great starting point, remember that we are highlighting a framework here, to start your journey of discovery from. You will require further insight to make this framework more relevant to your particular situation. However this framework applies to such diverse goals as weight loss, improving fitness, wealth building, success in business, relationships and much more.

#1 – You don’t know what is wanted, you lack a defined goal.

Make your goals specific and measurable. Focus on outcomes and results rather than activities. It’s really not about working on the pursuit of your goal for 16 hours a day and seeing yourself as an hard working go-getter. A few hours are fine, if that’s sufficient time to do what needs to be done. As long as you’re laser focusing on achieving results, rather than clocking up your working time, it’s about working smarter rather than harder, being effective rather than efficient.

Clearly visualise the outcome, what does it feel like, look like, taste like when you reach your goal? Align your goal with your purpose (be true to yourself). Make sure you’re doing it for the right reasons, doing it for you, not others You don’t want to spend time striving to achieve a goal that once achieved makes you feel empty and dissatisfied because it wasn’t in keeping with “who you are”.

#2- Doing something wrong – you don’t know it’s wrong and don’t know something that needs to be done.

Both these points concern undertaking research and gathering accurate information that will allow you to achieve your goal. Without accurate knowledge, about how to do what needs doing, the results you crave are going to be hard to come by.

Layout the assumed essential elements of the process required to achieve your intended goal. Research each of the steps in the process using role models and study the models, systems, habits and relationships that they have adopted to achieve what you’re aiming to achieve (more about this here). This should be your starting point only and you should aim to work from this point, testing possible variations to see what works specifically for you. It’s a trial and error approach that often leads to the best results for many goals.

#3- Knowingly not doing something that needs to be done.

This is about failing to take appropriate action and involves both motivation and productivity components.

Motivation

It’s important to stay motivated, you’ve got to want to change and be inspired to take action. There are a number of motivation hacks to help in this process such as doing the hard things early in the day when your will-power is fully charged.

Being persistent and not allowing failure to diminish your drive is also important when you hit hurdles during your journey.

Productivity

Work with priority and focus, be effective not efficient, work smart not hard. Productivity is a whole book in itself, we have lots of productivity help for you if you decide to sign up with us.

#4- Trying to do something that is impossible.

It’s important not to put artificial limitations on yourself. You might not strictly be able to run a 100 miles per hour, but you can find ways to travel at that speed aided. It’s about looking for alternative ways of getting the job done, but also understand that there are some things that are currently impossible to achieve. However if someone else has already done what you’re aiming to do, then it can be done again for sure.

Challenges

Underestimating Goals

Sometimes pursuing your goal is not as easy as going from A to B to C. Be prepared to be flexible in your approach. Lookout for feedback and review progress as you go. Think outside the box if you need to and approach situations from a different angle. Look to how role models have succeeded in achieving what you’re aiming to do.

Look at trends to see where things are headed in the future. You need to be effective by doing the right thing. Don’t allow difficulties to diminish your motivation. Build on each successful day.

Test and practice, measure and monitor results. Tweak and begin the process again until you achieve your goal. Be adaptable, be prepared to be flexible in your approach. Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result is the definition of madness.

Avoid Fear

The fear of failure, rejection, change, embarrassment, being vulnerable are often manifested through things like procrastination, defending your position, staying within your comfort zone and remaining stuck in your ways, avoidance, over complicating situations, insisting on perfection and giving up too early.

These are all signs of underlying fear and this is holding you back from doing what’s necessary to push past this and do what’s required. Be prepared to take calculated risks, waiting for the perfect time to reveal itself is foolish, because it simply will never be the perfect time. Take action sooner rather than later. Get in the game! You’ve got to be in it to win it.

Create opportunities, “do”, focus, face challenges head on, learn from your failings, and be committed to your cause.

Acquire practiced expertise

There is no substitute for practice in developing certain skills. There is no short cut when developing a skill that can’t be taught or learned quickly. Some skills are only attained through deliberate practice and doing repetitively over a prolonged period of time. Things like motor skills, intuition, co ordination, muscle memory, seeing variables that less experienced people just can’t see, are improved and strengthened over time.

In many instances, if you haven’t got the time to invest in developing such skills you can allows look to hire people who already possess these skills to do it for you, if you have the necessary financial resources.

Conclusion

Stripping it back to basics helps clarify the underlying requirements for you to achieve your goal. The sheer number and variety of human goals requires a unique set of approaches for each goal you may have, but using each of the points highlighted above will provide a framework to start from.

Some health based goals may require more of a motivational focused approach than say, wealth accumulation goals, where knowledge or productivity may be the main focus. Most goals will require differing amounts of knowledge, motivation and productivity based skills developing as you progress towards the successful completion of those goals. Life is as much about the journey as the destination, so make that journey as enjoyable an experience as possible as you make progress towards goal achievement.

Plan Less Do More

Get Results: plan less do more
Get Results: Plan less do more

Sometimes it pays to spend less time planning and more time doing.

Much of the popular advice about undertaking a new project advocates doing lots of planning. It’s important to ensure you align any new project with your life goal, so you know you’re undertaking it for the right reasons. You don’t want to get to the end and discover you feel empty and unfulfilled, having just successful completed your project.

Having said that, I have always found greater effectiveness comes from the actual “doing stage”, the experimenting bit, if you like. Getting your hands dirty, testing things out, failing and learning from that failure, tweaking and testing again. I find this way of working far more interesting and insightful.

Don’t get me wrong, having an outline plan is fine, a general direction to aim for, making sure you have an end goal that you truly want and believe in. The finishing line is important otherwise you’re like a rudderless boat floating around aimlessly and without any purpose and as a result little desire, or motivation to do anything constructively. Not having a sense of purpose takes the fun out of life. Human nature is inspired by ambition and striving, and as long as it’s done positively and without desiring power over others, or knocking others down, it’s a good thing. “A rising tide lifts all boats”.

Some years ago organisers did an interesting experiment where they pitched kindergarten children against MBA Harvard graduates and asked both groups to build the tallest structure they could within a time limit, using sticks, tape, and string, placing a marshmallow on top. The graduates took the task seriously, taking a highly analytical approach, debating how best to use the string, tape and sticks to achieve maximum altitude. For all the planning and construction, they ran out of time and were unsuccessful. The kindergarten children on the other hand, just got on with building, if it didn’t work they quickly tried something else, they got to give it a lot more tries than the graduates. They learned from their mistakes as they went along, instead of trying to figure out everything in advance. They won! They were more efficient in using the time they had available to them.

When it comes to making progress with a difficult task in uncertain conditions, there is no substitute for quickly trying things out to see what works. As soon as you think of a possible combination, try it to see how it will work.

In a rapidly changing world we must become better experimenters. Coming up with ideas, building and testing those ideas. With technological advancement it is often less expensive to try out your ideas than to figure out if you should try them out.

 

Acquiring Knowledge in pursuit of your Goal

Get Results: acquire knowledge
Get Results: Acquiring Knowledge

When it comes to pursuing your goal, knowledge is a vital component it that journey. Without knowledge about what to do, how to do it, and when to do it there is nothing but a vision of the end result and no way of getting from here to there. Knowledge is the ladder to success each rung takes you ever closer to the top.

Knowledge comes in two parts, finding…

  • reliable sources and
  • accurate information

Reliable sources

Reliable sources of knowledge include Role models, Mentors and Mastermind teams.

Role Models

A Role Model is define as:-

A person looked to by others as an example to be imitated.

We tend to study role models from afar. They are often people in the public eye or are widely publicised. In the world of business we might look to people like Richard Branson as a role model, because he is seen as successful in the world of business, having accumulated millions in personal wealth and build numerous successful businesses under the brand name Virgin, such as Virgin Atlantic, Virgin Media, Virgin Money etc.

When selecting role models ensure you:-

Only take advice from someone who has provable experience achieving the same goal as you are aiming for. If it is a business goal, search for successful business leaders, if its health related look for individuals who have a great fitness background. If you’re looking to kick an habit look for those that have kicked the habit in the past and are helping others to do the same.

Understand the underlying principles behind the activities that resulted in their success and model these. Look to the Models, Relationships, Systems and Habits they have employed to achieve their success.

Be cautious of the passing of time and its effect on the methods being modelled – are they still relevant in today’s world – did they benefit from being in the right place at the right time.

Use their principles as a starting point, then test for yourself, look to improve upon it, and learn from your own experience moving forward.

Mentors

A Mentor is defined as:-

An experienced and trusted adviser

A mentor is someone we are lucky enough to personal contact with in a one to one situation, someone at work is probably the most common type of mentor, but increasingly we have access to virtual coaches that are able to communicate via video or email contact.

If you approach someone to be a Mentor to you, look to provide some value in exchange for their time and effort. For instance offer to work for them for free or use your existing skills or resources to do something they will value, in return for them mentoring you.

The above still applies, making sure they know what they are talking about, understanding the underlying principles etc. Usually Mentors will take a more guiding role and take you through the steps and feedback what you did right and wrong as you go. This is often more fruitful than just using role models, because of the instant feedback and corrections as you take your journey towards your goal.

Mastermind teams

A Mastermind team is defined as:-

The coordination of knowledge and effort of two or more people, who work toward a definite purpose, in the spirit of harmony

Mastermind teams offer a combination of brainstorming, education, peer accountability and support in a group setting to sharpen your business and personal skills. A mastermind team helps you and your mastermind team members achieve success.

By its very nature it is closer to the Mentoring model than that of the role model situation. It is coaching as you go, but with a slightly different twist. The people in your mastermind team might not be experts in achieving your particular goal, but can offer a more general perspective, using their knowledge to bring fresh eyes to your pursuit and as a results can be a valuable addition to having a mentor.

Conclusion

When it comes to acquiring knowledge ensure you are getting accurate information. Remember the quote:-

“A journey of a 1000 miles starts with a single step”

Taking one step at a time will only move you closer to your goal if you are heading in the correct direction to start off with, otherwise each step could be taking you in the opposite direction and ultimately further away from that goal. So make sure the information you are using is actually accurate.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cF0q4vu8rns