Insights on Improvement for the New Year

The following is from an article by John C. Maxwell. I encourage you to read it with the intent to learn and improve as a result of the various insights.

(c) Stuart Miles

Are you excited about your plans for the new year? Most of us have an idea about areas where we would like to improve. And at the beginning of the year, those ideas sometimes turn into resolutions or goals. I am a big believer in making goals, but I believe it is important to go into them with a realistic perspective on improvement.

Whether you want to improve your health or grow your business, or you have any other long-term improvement goal, keep these insights in mind:

IMPROVEMENT INSIGHTS

1. Do not be afraid to admit you were wrong.
   • We cannot change if we are unwilling to recognize that there might be something wrong with how we have been doing things. Admitting you were wrong proves you are wiser today than you were yesterday. One of the things I always do when I review the past year is identify where I was not productive.
2. You will never change your life until you change something that you do daily.
   • Improvement is based on two things: the decisions we make; and the disciplines we practice. Acting on our decisions daily is what makes a goal a reality. So identify daily disciplines you intend to practice in 2014.
3. You cannot manage what you cannot measure.
   • Be specific in creating your goals. For example, do not say, "I am going to read more this year." Instead, break it down into measurable increments: "I am going to read two chapters per day in whatever book I am reading" or "I am going to read two books a month".
4. Set realistic expectations for your improvement.
   • Want to lose weight? Be realistic in how many pounds you can reasonably lose in a month. There is no greater recipe for failure than setting a "goal" that is little more than a "pipe dream".
5. Continual Change is essential for continual improvement.
   • One of the great paradoxes of success is that the things which got you there are seldom the things which keep you there. Be prepared to make course corrections and continue to stretch and grow throughout the year. To do that, plan a review of your plan every few months.
6. Motivation gets you started. Habit keeps you going.
   • We tend to overestimate what we can do in a month. We underestimate what we can do in a year. That is why so many New Year's resolutions are broken in the first few months. Focus on establishing habits and you will be able to continue when the motivation fades.
7. Focus.
   • William Jones said, "If you would be rich, you will be rich; if you would be good, you will be good; if you would be learned, you will be learned. But wish for one thing exclusively, and do not at the same time wish for a hundred other incompatible things just as strongly." What is the one area in which you most desire to grow and succeed in the coming year?
8. Spend 80% of your time working on your strengths.
   • This refers to your skill set, not your character. There are two weak areas in character that must be addressed because they will hurt you: self-discipline and attitude. But in your skills, focus on developing and growing in your areas of strength. Growing in a weak are might bring you up to average in that area, but growth in a strength area has the potential to make you exceptional! What is your greatest strength? And how can you improve it?

Review your past year and set goals as you enter this new year. But remember, SUCCESS DEVELOPS DAILY, NOT IN A DAY.

One way to stay on track is to regularly ask yourself this question: "Is what I am doing today getting me closer to my goal tomorrow?" Develop good habits and the discipline to keep them, and evaluate every day, and you will stay on course toward achieving your long-term goals.

Donald G Rosenbarger
Senior Vice President
Delta Companies Inc