Next week brings the month of October and for most companies the final quarter of their business year. 2009 has undoubtedly been a challenge for most of us. The recession has taken its toll on business as most companies have had to trim their work force, cut back on spending, and put any plans of expansion on hold. These tough times have put the business world on the defensive trying fend off any further deterioration of their core business.
To liken the situation to a football game, many of us enter the 4th quarter down big on the scoreboard with no real offense to try and close the gap. At this point you have two choices; pull the starters and write this year off as a total loss, or put a few different plays in the game plan to try and shake things up. If what you have been doing all year hasn't worked maybe it is time to survey the team for some new ideas and give them a shot. The worse that can happen is you stay on the same downward spiral, but chances are some new initiatives will yield some different results.
Do not fall into the trap of telling yourself that things will be better next year and you will start anew in January. All that does is put you three months further in the hole.
Now is the time for action to try and put some points on the board. You may very well still lose the game, but you can take satisfaction in the fact you that went down fighting, not sitting it out on the bench.
Friday, September 25, 2009
Friday, September 4, 2009
My Three Keys to Success
When I think about what it takes to be truly successful at something there are many factors that come into play. Obviously, hard work and a certain degree of talent are very important, but they do not offer any guarantee of success. A bit of luck and a break here and there certainly can be helpful but obviously cannot be counted on.
After giving this thought, I have determined my own personal keys to success-perseverance, persistence, and faith.
Perseverance:
The Free Dictionary defines perseverance as "Steady persistence in adhering to a course of action, a belief, or a purpose; steadfastness".
My definition is a bit simpler, "Never Say Die."
I have always strived to persevere through all the many obstacles and challenges I faced in both my professional and personal life. I wish I could say I have been incredibly successful in this ambitious endeavor, but that would just be a plain lie. What I have done is continue to keep the whole concept of perseverance "top of mind" as I plow forward. When you take phrases such as "this is hopeless", "I have no chance",or "I should give up" out of your vocabulary you have taken the first step to making perseverance a valuable part of your approach toward life.
Persistence:
The Free Dictionary defines persistence as " To be obstinately repetitious, insistent, or tenacious. To hold firmly and steadfastly to a purpose, state, or undertaking despite obstacles, warnings, or setbacks."
My personal definition is once again is rather simple "Never Ever Quit"
I look at persistence as a family trait that was passed down through the generations. Growing up in a competitive atmosphere, I was given few chances to quit in my life no matter how bad I was getting beat. This has stuck with me over the years as I do not look at failure as an option. While I will be the first to admit there were many times in my life when I wanted to quit and I still fight the urge on a regular basis, I found a way to dig down deep and keep moving forward.
Faith:
The Free Dictionary defines faith as "Confident belief in the truth, value, or trustworthiness of a person, idea, or thing."
My personal definition is taken from an old Phillies slogan "You Gotta Believe"
For the purpose of this discussion faith is not my belief in God as that is a whole other subject, rather it is the belief in myself and my ability. You have to be able to take past success and translate it into future success. It is my firm belief that everyone who walks this earth has a talent or ability they can rely on to generate some form of success. You need to have faith in that ability and do everything in your power to maximize its potential. When you study people that have been extremely successful in their lives, I would be willing to bet that you will find that faith in themselves was their driving force.
After giving this thought, I have determined my own personal keys to success-perseverance, persistence, and faith.
Perseverance:
The Free Dictionary defines perseverance as "Steady persistence in adhering to a course of action, a belief, or a purpose; steadfastness".
My definition is a bit simpler, "Never Say Die."
I have always strived to persevere through all the many obstacles and challenges I faced in both my professional and personal life. I wish I could say I have been incredibly successful in this ambitious endeavor, but that would just be a plain lie. What I have done is continue to keep the whole concept of perseverance "top of mind" as I plow forward. When you take phrases such as "this is hopeless", "I have no chance",or "I should give up" out of your vocabulary you have taken the first step to making perseverance a valuable part of your approach toward life.
Persistence:
The Free Dictionary defines persistence as " To be obstinately repetitious, insistent, or tenacious. To hold firmly and steadfastly to a purpose, state, or undertaking despite obstacles, warnings, or setbacks."
My personal definition is once again is rather simple "Never Ever Quit"
I look at persistence as a family trait that was passed down through the generations. Growing up in a competitive atmosphere, I was given few chances to quit in my life no matter how bad I was getting beat. This has stuck with me over the years as I do not look at failure as an option. While I will be the first to admit there were many times in my life when I wanted to quit and I still fight the urge on a regular basis, I found a way to dig down deep and keep moving forward.
Faith:
The Free Dictionary defines faith as "Confident belief in the truth, value, or trustworthiness of a person, idea, or thing."
My personal definition is taken from an old Phillies slogan "You Gotta Believe"
For the purpose of this discussion faith is not my belief in God as that is a whole other subject, rather it is the belief in myself and my ability. You have to be able to take past success and translate it into future success. It is my firm belief that everyone who walks this earth has a talent or ability they can rely on to generate some form of success. You need to have faith in that ability and do everything in your power to maximize its potential. When you study people that have been extremely successful in their lives, I would be willing to bet that you will find that faith in themselves was their driving force.
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