This is my 100th blog post, almost 12 months since I took the leap and started my own talent consulting and coaching business. My professional journey has taken me through many challenging yet rewarding routes. While there’s no one path in business which fits everyone, there are many articles written about why blogging is important when starting a new business. And hence I set a goal to write at least 100 posts in my first year in business to help others by sharing my knowledge and information. The old adage has proven true: in trying to help others I’ve helped myself. Blogging is a great tool to facilitate deeper thinking and put facts and ideas together into a coherent whole. It requires that I find my own voice as I use my experience and knowledge to benefit others. Here’s what I’ve learned so far along the journey: 1. Dream big: give yourself room to grow
When I was growing up, buying new shoes meant passing the Thumb Test. My mother would use her thumb to push down on the end of the toe to make sure the shoes were slightly too big so that we’d grow into them. How excited we were to get these too big shoes once a year. Nowadays we know to buy shoes that fit properly, but the concept is still valid for our dreams – choose your dreams a size too big so that you can grow into them.
2. Plan small: break down a big goal into small steps
Once you have identified the end-result, narrow your focus and maintain attention on what will get you there. Success is incremental, a series of small steps. My grandmother had this Yiddish proverb that “if you want your dreams to come true, don’t sleep”. You need to break the dream into small achievable goals and get to work. Define what would be important moments on your journey. Every milestone would bring you closer to your big dream.
3. Track your progress: do more of what’s working
We get de-motivated when we feel our goals are too far off. Tracking your progress regularly will help you realize how much you’ve done and how far you’ve come in achieving your goal. Every step forward is an achievement. Make sure you track what goes well, and do more of it. This will help keep you on the right path and give you the strength to continue pushing and forging ahead.
4. Reward yourself: celebrate small wins
An important part of reaching big goals is celebrating your progress. That’s why you need to list your wins, big or small, every day and for every week. Every forward movement is a reason to celebrate, not necessarily for making a big difference, but for successfully staying the course. Small wins build momentum and have enormous motivational power since they indicate we are capable of achieving bigger and greater things. Each step completed merits a special treat.
5. Keep going: there’s always more in you
When you reach one goal, it’s time to set a new one. Challenges are good for the soul. Look back and think about what you didn’t get done, or could have done better. Once you’ve done the proper reflection, look forward to setting and achieving new goals for the next growth spurt. I am finding that in trying to create the extraordinary, I just need to put a little “extra” into the ordinary every single day. How about you, are you ready to put a little 'extra' into your life?
