Beginning with the End in Mind

Today is the last day of 2010. By now you have looked forward and looked backward for the purpose of making significant decisions either professionally or personally.

I bet that on your list of goals some of these Top Ten Resolutions appear:

• Spend More Time with Friends and Family
• Lose Weight (or Get Fit)
• Enjoy Life More
• Quit Smoking (or quit some other substance abuse/overuse)
• Get Out of Debt
• Learn Something New
• Help Others
• Get Organized
• Do Something You Love to Do 

It's like we have all been attending the same school and listening to the same professors. Our collective mantra somehow says, "Yesterday was good; Tomorrow will be better yet!"

And all the people said, "Amen!"

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My career path has had me interact with the elderly. What I learn from those who have gone before me is like looking at a dirty GPS screen: I know the future is coming but it is not all that clear to me yet.

For example, I have heard many times how wonderful it is to be a grandparent. This year I get to find out for the first time for myself. It will not be someone else's story; I will own it. The GPS screen will get a little clearer.

We are all heading somewhere. As years fade away the playing field will level out dramatically regardless of money in the bank, letters behind the name, titles before the name, achievements and awards, and the number of pages in our experience journal.

Here are some of the things that I have gleaned from listening to those who have gone before . . . lessons that will be left standing when other things fade away in importance:

• Loving and caring relationships will always be important
• Contentment is great gain
• "Do as you would be done by" is still a curriculum to master
• Showing gratitude opens doors
• "No matter how much things change, some things never change." Happy are the people who know what things never change and respect them
• Pity is reserved for those who let faith die 
• The right word at the right time by the right person can accomplish so much
• Accumulated money rots without generosity of heart

Steven Covey, author of The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, talks about the importance to "begin with the end in mind." "To begin with the end in mind is to start with a clear understanding of your destination. It means to know where you are going so that you better understand where you are now and so that the steps you take are always in the right direction. It's incredibly easy to get caught up in an activity trap, in the busy-ness of life, to work harder and harder at climbing the ladder of success only to discover it's leaning against the wrong wall."

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We are all heading into the future ready or not! 

Here is a prediction for 2011: The goals on your list that most closely align with your true values will be accomplished.

Happy New Year!

The Magic Bullet

Growing up on the east coast I never missed the New York State Fair. One of the highlights for me were the "Billy Mays" (R.I.P.) in the consumer building. These professionals had a way of making the ordinary sound extraordinary. "It's not just a rag to clean up spills; it's Miracle Rag!" "This is no ordinary knife. You never sharpen this knife. It cuts through concrete and can still slice a tomato."

I loved listening to these professionals. I was not alone either. People bought stuff all day long and crowds just kept stepping in a little closer to make more room. These professionals were the forerunners of today's infomercials and even the multi-billion dollar advertising machine The Shopping Network.

Learn How to Make Millions!

You've seen the full page ads in the newspaper: Attend a one-day seminar and learn the secrets of how to be successful beyond your wildest dreams. Retire early! Drive luxurious cars! Live in a mansion! Hear from our experts how they tapped into secret power and discovered untold wealth and prosperity.

With all due respect, seriously? Why do we keep taking the bait that there is a secret?

Business owners often say to me, "We need an expert in our business. Only a successfull expert can tell us the one thing we aren't doing that's keeping us from the next level of success."

The Magic Bullet?

Tapping into the minds of sales professionals (that do not disappear after the fair is over) you can learn that there are certain verifiable truths to sales and marketing. They are proven in every industry and they are ageless. Here are some sales "secrets" that rise to the top in successful businesses:

• Relationship. Don't underestimate the power of knowing someone.
• Service. It really isn't about you. It's about your customer.
• Attitude. The power of thinking is indisputably positive.
• Persistency. Never, never, never give up.
• Value. Not what it's worth to you; what is it worth to someone else?
• Recognition. Identity in a crowd.
• Passion. Knowledge that is persuasive, committed and magnetic.

These axioms are not magic. What they require is simply clarity of thought and an action plan that you stick to. (On a side note: If you would like to send me a check for $999 I can send you a laminated copy. I will also send you a set of CDs that feature me talking enthusiastically about each one of these unveiled secrets. And if you act today I will throw in a beautiful walnut frame to display your copy of Secrets Unveiled on the wall of your office. Your colleagues will be envious . . .)

Seriously. Read the biographies of entrepreneurs and successful sales people. Get close enough to listen to their stories. The same truths will be told again and again. It's not magic. It's just the way things are.

Now if only an individual could break away from activity to gain clarity of thought and develop a workable action plan . . .
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When was the last time you took a thoughtful look at your sales methods?
Which tried and true sales axiom needs to be addressed in your business?

Send me an email: A.Furst@theGrowthCoach.com