MAKE EVERY DAY COUNT!

The difference between extraordinary performance and run-of-
the-mill performance is often found in the "little things".
We know that education, intelligence, wealth, even
personality do not explain the difference between high
achievement and failure. Those things aren't even close!
What we know is that highly successful people use better,
smarter, more effective strategies.
There is only a slight difference between landing a plane
safely and crashing into the end of the runway, but that
slight difference is the difference between life and death.
In achieving your goals and creating the life you truly want,
it's the small differences that will ultimately determine
your long-term results.
High achievers know the value of an effective strategy.
Highly successful people constantly review their strategies
and measure their results to see if they are "on course".
Are they getting what they want? Are they making progress?
At the end of the day, is it working?
In my opinion, the most important difference between
success and failure has less to do with talent, education,
resources or "luck" than it has to do with following an
efficient strategy.
I have identified about a dozen key strategies in high
achievers, and we'll be reviewing them over the next few
months in TIPS, but the first and most fundamental strategy
is that high achievers MAKE EVERY DAY COUNT!
Several years ago, I heard about a group for cancer
survivors called "Make Today Count" and that helped me
recognize this strategy when I saw it in my most successful
clients. They focus their time, they plan their days, they
do "first things first" and they GET THINGS DONE. No
distractions!
In his excellent book, "Thinking for A Change", John
Maxwell details his strategies for organizing his work a
month in advance and reviewing again at the start of each
day. He is a master of planning and making every day count!
I do not believe it is necessary to work extremely long
hours, or to work extremely hard. Often, we can achieve a
full day's RESULTS with just one action, if it is the RIGHT
action at the right time, done in the right way. High
achievers do the right things, at the right time, and they
do them every day.
Some days they take "off" and rest. When they play, they
play all-out. Some days they work, and when they work, they
work full-speed-ahead. The point is that each and every
day, they make progress, they get something done. They move
toward their most important goals.
Most people rush through life. We are all busy, but are we
really getting anywhere? Is all that energy and activity
moving us forward? With high achievers, day by day, the
answer is always an emphatic YES!
Plan your days and work your plan. Before leaving your
office in the evening, or first thing in the morning,
outline your day. Review your schedule, choose your most
important activities, and FOCUS on them! Every single
morning, I list the three most important things I need to
do that day. They may be work or play or something in
between, but they are my CHOICES and once committed to
them, I don't go to bed until they are done.
The first strategy of high achievers is to focus on the
things they can control, starting with making each and
EVERY DAY COUNT!