Start to Finish.
Brainstorm to Finished Project.
Goal setting to Execution.
I am the king of the left hand side of that list.
This week (same as last week), I am faced with several do-able projects. The problem has been actually doing that work to finish these things. I keep juggling. I keep spinning the plates, and as a result, none of them are finished.
If you are reading this and I owe you a website...thank you for your patience...it is coming this week.
Here's how I am going to do it!
I am ONLY focusing on one thing at a time. (Truly a finisher's quality)
I have readd part of a book about procrastination...I'll read the rest of it another time.
There are piles of things around my house to get done. And while I am not going to post my "honey do" list on the blog...the point is the same. Pick the hardest or most important thing and focus on it until it is done.
That is my challenge to myself this week. I WILL exhibit this finisher's quality.
In the meantime, take some time to check out these superior blogs.
Recent Post from Seth:
URL: Small business success
Recent Posts from Stephanie Diamond:
URL: Collaboration with Customers
URL: The Power of Focus
Monday, November 12, 2007
Monday, November 5, 2007
Finishers "Never Weaken" - see: Justin McBride
Here's a finisher's quality and a guilty pleasure all rolled into one post:
I am obsessed with the PBR.
No, that doesn't mean I am hanging out in some guy's back yard having a "yard" beer.
That is the Professional Bull Riding. "The Toughest Sport On Dirt" - as their commercials say.
This weekend was the end of their season where the league crowned its "World Champion."
My finisher for this week, therefore, is the PBR Season Champion Bull Rider Justin McBride. His rider page is HERE...just in case you are curious how much you can make riding a bull.
This guy is a finisher. One of his mentors, Ty Murray, has a saying about riding bulls that I think to myself whenever I recognize that I am slipping into something less than a finisher.
It is, "Never Weaken."
The only way you can ride a 2,000 pound bull for 8 seconds is to fully commit yourself to that action at that moment. When you watch hours and hours of bull riding, (and yes that means that I have...just ask my wife!), you can clearly tell the difference between the riders who finish their rides and riders who aren't.
It is not a question of ability or heart or "wanting it", or any of the things that ALL of the riders have. I think the difference is being able to sink yourself into the moment completely.
Finisher's Quality of the week: Finishers Never Weaken... they are ready to ride for 10 seconds.
by the way...if you want to pull for the bull...that's ok. A bull named Chicken on a Chain is the winner of the rankest bull world championship. HERE are his stats for this season.
I am obsessed with the PBR.
No, that doesn't mean I am hanging out in some guy's back yard having a "yard" beer.
That is the Professional Bull Riding. "The Toughest Sport On Dirt" - as their commercials say.
This weekend was the end of their season where the league crowned its "World Champion."
My finisher for this week, therefore, is the PBR Season Champion Bull Rider Justin McBride. His rider page is HERE...just in case you are curious how much you can make riding a bull.
This guy is a finisher. One of his mentors, Ty Murray, has a saying about riding bulls that I think to myself whenever I recognize that I am slipping into something less than a finisher.
It is, "Never Weaken."
The only way you can ride a 2,000 pound bull for 8 seconds is to fully commit yourself to that action at that moment. When you watch hours and hours of bull riding, (and yes that means that I have...just ask my wife!), you can clearly tell the difference between the riders who finish their rides and riders who aren't.
It is not a question of ability or heart or "wanting it", or any of the things that ALL of the riders have. I think the difference is being able to sink yourself into the moment completely.
Finisher's Quality of the week: Finishers Never Weaken... they are ready to ride for 10 seconds.
by the way...if you want to pull for the bull...that's ok. A bull named Chicken on a Chain is the winner of the rankest bull world championship. HERE are his stats for this season.
Monday, October 29, 2007
Finishers are Team Players
Here is a superb recent post from Tom Peters regarding Individualism in Business.
Many of the things he brings up are related to being a finisher. I hadn't thought of it this way, but teams always out perform individuals.
Even if you are a sole proprietor in your business...look for a team.
Here is the link: Individualism in Business
Many of the things he brings up are related to being a finisher. I hadn't thought of it this way, but teams always out perform individuals.
Even if you are a sole proprietor in your business...look for a team.
Here is the link: Individualism in Business
Monday, October 22, 2007
Finishing when You Are Busy
In tennis there is a moment of shot recognition when your opponent can only make a defensive shot that is only just going to make it over the net. Once you recognize that they are not able to hit an offensive shot, you must "close on the net" in order to get to the ball before it drops below the level of the net...
Some people are waiters...they wait until the ball bounces and then blast it out.
Some people are flailers...they swing hard at the ball and blast it right into the net...their feet were not in position.
Finishers recognize the shot early, get in position, and close on the net in order to put it away.
I think that the ability to maintain your system, as well as a systematic approach to your work, when things really start flying is a finisher's quality.
My business and the "busy-ness" has really picked up in the last few weeks. More people are signing up for the basic Brain bucket website, and I am lined up to do consulting-type work with a great company. This is all great stuff that I have been working hard to make happen.
But that means that it is harder for me to finish the things that need finishing.
I see others that I consider good finishers handling this type of workload / flow much smoother than I do.
I keep telling myself to maintain my system and to take time to reset my work list...and to set aside enough time to complete my tasks.
Here are some other finishers from the weekend:
Oliver Truog (my brother) reached a huge, long-time goal when he qualified for the Boston Marathon this weekend. He ran the Kansas City Marathon in 3:09. GREAT JOB!
James Tomko (a great friend) completed a half Iron Man triathlon...That is a great achievement!
Some people are waiters...they wait until the ball bounces and then blast it out.
Some people are flailers...they swing hard at the ball and blast it right into the net...their feet were not in position.
Finishers recognize the shot early, get in position, and close on the net in order to put it away.
I think that the ability to maintain your system, as well as a systematic approach to your work, when things really start flying is a finisher's quality.
My business and the "busy-ness" has really picked up in the last few weeks. More people are signing up for the basic Brain bucket website, and I am lined up to do consulting-type work with a great company. This is all great stuff that I have been working hard to make happen.
But that means that it is harder for me to finish the things that need finishing.
I see others that I consider good finishers handling this type of workload / flow much smoother than I do.
I keep telling myself to maintain my system and to take time to reset my work list...and to set aside enough time to complete my tasks.
Here are some other finishers from the weekend:
Oliver Truog (my brother) reached a huge, long-time goal when he qualified for the Boston Marathon this weekend. He ran the Kansas City Marathon in 3:09. GREAT JOB!
James Tomko (a great friend) completed a half Iron Man triathlon...That is a great achievement!
Monday, October 8, 2007
Make a "Honey Do" List for your Business
Finishers do little things right away, and put the big things in a plan.
I have a list of "honey do" items around the house and the yard and the car and the garage.
Unfortunately, those have been supplanted by larger and more pressing projects that take multiple weekends and late week nights to complete.
But this morning, as I walked to the car I saw four or five very small projects staring me in the face. They are little things that I know I must do. Things that I know I will feel better about walking to the car and playing in the backyard once I get them done. I just haven't made them a priority...other things that are more important always jump in line.
Sound familiar? Does that sound like some parts of your business?
I have said before that I struggle with finishing and that is why I write this blog. So here's my confession for the week. I basically ignore those things until either (1) someone yells at me to get them done and stop sitting on the couch watching football, or (2) I get so sick of them myself that I decide to make them a priority.
What are the things you are not finishing?
For many business owners I have worked with, this could be as simple as setting aside part of a day each week to outline a sales system and to build a marketing plan. Then you will need to adopt some of the other finisher's qualities in order to actually make sure that those things get FINISHED.
This weeks book list:
"The Power of Focus" - Amazon Link Here
"Mentally Tough - the prinicples of winning at sports applied to winning in business" - Jim Loehr is a big time sports psychologist who turned his ideas towards business people a number of years ago. HERE is that book. I find things in this book that help me every day.
Blogs to check in with:
Shawn Kinkade will get your head back in your business: Aspire Blog
Stephanie Diamond: As always, Stephanie has some great business perspective. Read this and take the advice! More Ideas, More Profits?
Jerry Smith helps me every week. Read this blog and get your head straight: Accord Coaching
I have a list of "honey do" items around the house and the yard and the car and the garage.
Unfortunately, those have been supplanted by larger and more pressing projects that take multiple weekends and late week nights to complete.
But this morning, as I walked to the car I saw four or five very small projects staring me in the face. They are little things that I know I must do. Things that I know I will feel better about walking to the car and playing in the backyard once I get them done. I just haven't made them a priority...other things that are more important always jump in line.
Sound familiar? Does that sound like some parts of your business?
I have said before that I struggle with finishing and that is why I write this blog. So here's my confession for the week. I basically ignore those things until either (1) someone yells at me to get them done and stop sitting on the couch watching football, or (2) I get so sick of them myself that I decide to make them a priority.
What are the things you are not finishing?
For many business owners I have worked with, this could be as simple as setting aside part of a day each week to outline a sales system and to build a marketing plan. Then you will need to adopt some of the other finisher's qualities in order to actually make sure that those things get FINISHED.
This weeks book list:
"The Power of Focus" - Amazon Link Here
"Mentally Tough - the prinicples of winning at sports applied to winning in business" - Jim Loehr is a big time sports psychologist who turned his ideas towards business people a number of years ago. HERE is that book. I find things in this book that help me every day.
Blogs to check in with:
Shawn Kinkade will get your head back in your business: Aspire Blog
Stephanie Diamond: As always, Stephanie has some great business perspective. Read this and take the advice! More Ideas, More Profits?
Jerry Smith helps me every week. Read this blog and get your head straight: Accord Coaching
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