Goals – Page 8 – Mark S. Brown

The Gap? Knowledge and Action

I was reminded this week about how many of our challenges can be summarized by the interaction of knowledge and action. There are two opposing situations that can slow our progress toward success.

1. Action that lacks knowledge. At times our actions don’t generate the right outcome. Afterwards we may learn something that would lead to better actions in the future. Knowledge can come from many sources. Better results can occur just through using the knowledge of other people. If we are taking action but not getting the results we desire, then knowledge and resources can help.

2. Knowledge that lacks action. The second situation is when we know what to do, we just don’t do it. This is also very common. When I exercise first thing in the morning, my day is more productive, and I feel better. Do I exercise first thing every morning? No. There are many reasons, or… excuses. If we have the knowledge but fail to take action, then finding a means of accountability usually helps.

The interaction between knowledge and action can ultimately define our success. As a coach, I help people continually navigate both of these situations. For complex challenges, we experience a fluctuation between both of these situations. On a day when I feel stuck, I find a way to shift my energy to either action or knowledge. This helps me achieve success for the day. What helps you get through these two situations as you go through your week?

Make Today Successful

A friend of mine was recently working on a project and had let the upcoming completion date be a high source of stress. Deadlines can cause stress. Stress can prevent us from achieving the success we desire. My friend eventually worked through their stress and met the deadline for their project. Hidden in her story is a great little lesson.

Do today, what is most important today. If every day you do what is most important, tomorrow will take care of itself. She was able to meet her project deadline because she made a point to get done today the requirements that needed to be done today for the project. Having a longer term plan, but a short term focus can eliminate the stress.

Check your to-do-list. If it looks the same every day, never changing, then do something different. For a week, forget your to-do-list. Instead, define the most important thing (or two or three) to accomplish today. Use this focus to break through the to-do-list stagnation. Build momentum towards a larger goal.

Action is a strong deterrent to stress. I have coached many people that have missed deadlines because they put off taking action. A large project is accomplished through small meaningful actions accumulated over many days. If you can define the action that needs to be done today, and you achieve that action, a large project becomes manageable. If you can take action every day, you will feel the stress fade.

When you think of your biggest goal, what is the action you need to take today?

A Celebration of Generosity

“You have not lived today until you have done something for someone who can never repay you.” – John Bunyan

The word today in this quote made me pause and think about my efforts in helping others. My business is about helping others, and I also volunteer with several local organizations. Yet it made me reflect on the value I have for generosity.

The first thought that comes to most of our minds is money. But generosity is much more. It is as simple as taking the time to provide a service to another person. Life would be very boring if we were not driven to help others. Helping a friend, a family member, a co-worker, or a neighbor is what can give our life significance on a daily basis.

Most of my service time is spent with groups organized through the church, but I also spend time mentoring others. Many professionals provide some pro bono work, and I decided i would like to do the same. I have never thought of coaching in terms of a generosity I can provide. Going forward a portion of my coaching hours each month will be provided on a pro bono basis.

I have provided sample coaching sessions in the past to potential clients, but I am excited that this venture will be different. This will not be an introduction to coaching, but ongoing coaching. I plan to offer selected individuals at a minimum three months of coaching. I would like to use 10% of my monthly work hours in this fashion.

Interested? Stay tuned to this newsletter (or register if you are not already registered) for more information in the next week or two. I am ready to celebrate my ability to help others, what can you do to be more generous on a daily basis?

Don’t Let Perfection Get in the Way

Perfection is defined as reaching the highest attainable standard. In my experience we are sometimes stalled by focusing on perfection. If you have ever delayed taking action because you are afraid that you are not ready or something is not good enough, then you understand how perfection can get in the way of progress. Here are some thoughts on perfection.

1. Don’t confuse perfection and excellence. Excellence requires great results, not perfect results. Release yourself from perfection and create excellence.

2. Action provides the process to change a vision of perfection into something tangible. Any form of perfection, or even excellence, only resides within our mind until we take action. Ideas need to be turned into results which can only happen with action..

3. Mistakes drive improvement. We improve through practice. We learn from mistakes. We can only get better by making the mistakes that provide insight into advancement.

“Perfection belongs to narrated events, not to those we live.” said Primo Levi. Life is messy. Only in our minds can perfection exist, and I don’t want to let it get in my way.