The reason WHY we do something is and always has been the single most critical factor in achieving success.
Our reasons why keep us going, they drive us.
Without them we are like a rocket on the launch pad without fuel.
In this world of :
- goal-orientated,
- MBO {management by objective} obsessed managers,
- S.M.A.R.T. thinkers,
Why is it more and more people are failing?
I have been studying goal setting/ MBO since my first forays into management, and understanding how to get your teams motivated is a vital skill set and one that should be instilled early and built on throughout our life.
Over the years I have seen all styles in action, some are more effective than others, some simply fail.
We instinctively warm to quality leadership and react well to those who inspire.
I have seen managers who try to force staff by bullying and threatening, it may work short term… but it will not last for long …
Being motivated by others is one thing… BUT far more importantly how do we keep ourselves motivated, driving along … put simply
Getting Shit Done
5 Whys
Many of you will have heard of the 5 Whys, and their use in business.
The 5 Whys method is part of the Toyota Production System.
Developed by Sakichi Toyoda, a Japanese inventor and industrialist, the technique became an integral part of the Lean philosophy. “The basis of Toyota’s scientific approach is to ask why five times whenever we find a problem …
By repeating why five times, the nature of the problem as well as its solution becomes clear.“ Taiichi Ohno
However, by using a similar technique, I have developed a method of determining, personal motivation. Inspiration and determination are powerful forces, but without action, they are doomed to die on the altar of our wishes…
You Have To Take Action
It is only through sustained action against whatever life throws in our path, that we can truly achieve the goals we set ourselves.
Goal setting HAS To start with clearly defining why …
So in weight loss, not only is a specific target weight and the date we want to achieve it is critical… but the true catalyst to action is WHY…
Example…
- I want to lose 35 pounds. Why?
- Because I am overweight…
- OK but Why?
- My Doctor told me I needed to
- Oh, that's interesting why did your Doctor say that?
- Because it will help with my health
- Really is that the real reason?
- Well, he cannot recommend me for fertility treatment unless I lose 35 pounds,
- Do you need that treatment?
- Desperately, we really want to start a family…
The first couple of answers are the smokescreen protecting ourselves from the truth… The final answers reveal the truth and the probable motivation, without which the work will NOT be done.
My personal motivation was a combination of three levers
Lever 1 My doctor told me I was close to type 2 diabetes, this would seriously put my vocational licence at risk as the condition is reportable, which meant I would lose my ability to earn a living as an HGV driver…
{On its own NOT enough as I have alternative business's}
Lever 2 My daughter was getting married and I really did not want to be the Fat Dad in all the pictures
Lever 3 I was very nearly thrown off a flight to New York, and I just could NOT fasten the seatbelt! That was so humiliating I never wanted to go through that again.
These three things got me going,
I shared them with as many people that would listen ( accountability) and really just fastened onto those elements. They motivated me enough to take consistent action…
What I now help my clients to do, is to define their personal motivators. I do not do the work for them, however, by working together, I act as the catalyst to empower their movement forward, at an accelerated pace.
I believe that the best motivation comes from early, TRACKABLE results…
One of my inspirations in life Tony Robbins explains it simply in this diagram. However, they would not have been enough to sustain me for the entire weight loss journey I wanted to achieve
There were added motivators along the way that built onto the original drivers and this is where I truly believe in the coaching model I now deliver.
The Coach
Without a coach to keep me accountable I doubt I would have achieved even goal one.
Having that person to remind me of my own reasons, to encourage me to get back up when I stumbled ( we all Stumble! )
Add to that having accountability partners that I gave permission to, to call me out on my bullshit when I tried to pretend failure was OK …
These were the pillars of my success of that, and frankly, ever other success I have had in my life.
The Coach is the single most important person.. they take the long view, they can stand back from the pain and look at exactly where you are.
The Coach also keeps an eye on the level of motivation and adjusts or adds goals /targets accordingly.
On my personal weight loss journey, I could not believe that I would lose 154 pounds when I started … I had no idea of what that looked like even …
To get the clarity I pictured a size that I COULD IMAGINE, with specific outcomes that would confirm success… these were far more important to me than the actual weight.
Metrics and tracking are vital in anything, and although I learned this during my marketing and management careers, they were never more important than on my personal weight loss battle.
TRACKING
Without tracking how do you know that what you are doing is working?
Without a goal how do you know when you are hitting the right target, making progress. I never wanted to set a weight loss target … primarily because I had failed so often I truly did not want anyone pointing out my continued failure when I didn't hit the next target …
There is a perverse logic in there somewhere… and an awful mindset … it is hardly surprising that I had failed to control my weight for so long, however, with guidance and understanding, of a mentor, a person who had actually achieved what I was setting out to achieve.
I was able to negotiate these pitfalls, develop a success orientated mindset and ultimately win.
Are You Ready To Start Winning?
Look I am not standing here with a magic wand, I cannot sprinkle ‘woffle' dust over your head and suddenly you get skinny, or your business explodes, or you become the next Steve Redgrave at the Olympics! Life does NOT work like that, as I am sure you already know.
We need to clearly define what it is you are trying to master, look at the way you have been working to date, identify the main metrics, and weigh points, and then set up a plan of actionable steps that will get you started on the way to your definition of success.
Success, by the way, looks very different to each of us, has very little to with bank balances, fast cars, expensive watches, or any other of the apparent telltales of success.
Success does leave clues, and we will clearly define the outcomes you need so that we can reward your efforts, appropriately, as you start to make progress… I believe in delayed gratification… but I also believe in rewarding hard work …
Let's get together and see how we can work out your future, and get you there sooner … All the very best
*DISCLAIMER:-
No Results Are Guaranteed. Individual Results Will Vary…The Training, products and business systems we provide are for educational purposes. The Testimonials here are real, however just because others have achieved a certain result, should not be taken or even implied that you will have the same result. There will some people who do make money and others who do not. Individual results will vary greatly but will be determined by effort, determination, hard work, and the ability to follow directions.
Steve Greenhalgh T/A BCM Marketing Ltd. 19 Main Street Worthington, Ashby-de-la-Zouch LE 65 1RQ
Steve Greenhalgh Contact Steve via email at steve@steve-greenhalgh.com