Following Through - Finish What You Start

“It was character that got us out of bed, commitment that moved us into action, and discipline that enabled us to follow through.” Zig Ziglar

So that is the answer to success ‘following through”. However, the majority of people fail to do just that. I am sure you are just like me and have lots of books, information, articles and other educational material on a shelf or in a cupboard waiting for the day you get the time to read it and take some action.

Seriously, when are you going to do that? I have been on a mission recently to clear up all the “stuff” I have been keeping until I “get time”. If it’s been there for 6 months and I haven’t used it I am getting rid of it. Of course I will keep the books, dvds and cds, but I will make sure they are on a shelf in some kind of order not just laying around, some still in the packaging they arrived in!

Here are my tips for making a difference and not adding to the stuff you keep collecting for a rainy day.

Think Before You Buy

The next time you are thinking about buying a book, course, dvd or any other material that can help in your business consider this:

How exactly will it help?
How will you use the information to re-gain your investment?
How quickly can you re-gain your investment?
Why are you buying it?

How Exactly Will it Help?

Does the product immediately speak to your business? By this I mean can you immediately see how whatever it is you are considering buying will add value to your existing business. Or maybe you aim to to create a new business, so how realistic is that going to be?

How Will You Use the Information to Re-gain Your Investment?
How Quickly will you re-gain your investment?

These two questions are essential to your decision making process. Can you use the product and or the information contained in it immediately, or do you have to make changes in your business to create the additional income? You may even have to get some additional training or experience to make full use of the purchase.

Your expenditure should be considered an investment not just spending money because you have some disposable income that particular month.

Why Are You Buying It?

This question could lead you to all sorts of thoughts. There are a couple of reasons we may be contemplating buying information products for our business or personal growth and development:

Fear
Confidence

Buying from a state of fear may lead you to make decisions out of desperation, the need to make changes quickly because you realise that you must do something if you are going to avoid serious problems.

In this state you may also hold back from purchasing because you cannot think straight you fear making the wrong decision.

However, fear can also propel you to make a decision and take a “risk” that you would not normally take but the outcome can be very successful - you often hear stories of multi-millionaire who were down to their last few £s who took a leap of faith and the rest is history, so the saying goes.

Sometimes the fear of remaining in your current state of turmoil propels you forward because you think nothing could be worse.

Acting from a state of confidence can be an exhilarating experience. You just know that you are making the right decision, nothing can stop you, you are on your way. This is a wonderful place to be but it can also lead you to make hasty decisions that have not been thought through thoroughly. This might account for most of the purchases you have not fully utilised.

What to Do?

First realise that nothing will happen good or bad if you don’t take action.

Stagnating benefits nobody. Once you have initiated the process of making a decision make sure that you are starting from a place of reality. Ask yourself the questions necessary to ensure that you are making a good decision based in fact.

Here are the questions I ask myself when I am on the verge of stepping out or taking a leap of any kind personal or business:

Does this make sense?
What is my gut reaction?
If I go forward what difference will it make?
If I don’t go forward what difference will it make?

Does This Make Sense?

When the initial excitement/fear of change happens we need to know if the decision we are about to make is logical, or if it is basically flawed. Of course we need to make all the necessary enquiries to ensure that our purchase is worthwhile, but something as simple as a Pro and Con list can help with this question.

What is My Gut Reaction?

Instinct, intuition, call it what you like if you have a nagging feeling in the back of your mind, acknowledge it, explore it and discover why you are hesitant to move forward. I don’t suggest for one minute you should run your business on gut feelings, but I firmly believe that to ignore a feeling of unease is to possibly cover up something that you know to be a potential future problem.

If I Go Forward - What Difference Will It Make?

Depending on the size of the decision - you may want to take some time and picture the future when you have made the change, or bought the particular item. How will it change your life? How much of an improvement will take place and how will it manifest itself?

Once again take time out to sit and consider the future, be specific and write down how you imagine life will be different. What benefits will purchasing this product and putting the information to work make to your life.

If I Don’t Go Forward - What Difference Will It Make?

How will your world be without this particular item or change in circumstances? Again, take time to be specific and write down how you imagine life will be if you pass up this particular item. Bear in mind that stagnation is not an option.

Change occurs whether we like it or not, how much better to be in control of it. We are all part of this Pilates Community because we took a step forward either buying a class, dvd, a book or training course.

It was only when we had made this decision large or small that something changed and we moved forward on some level, if we followed through that is.

The purpose of this article is not to stifle your creativity or desire for change but to encourage it - however, I would like us all to make conscious decision and above all FOLLOW THROUGH.

Just making the purchase, attending the workshop, course of convention is not enough, you must apply the knowledge you have gained and put it to use. Once the dust has settled, take decisive steps to TAKE ACTION.

Put Yourself In The Right Frame of Mind

If you are contemplating failure, then chances are you will fail. When you are on the verge of making changes for whatever reason, take time to get your “head on straight”. Find a positive state of mind that helps you step out with confidence.

This could be affirmations in the morning to start your day or deep breathing exercises to wake you up. In his book Think and Grow Rich, Napoleon Hill, talks about the Power of Thought and how positive thinking can bring out what her refers to as being Success Conscious. You can use a change in your posture to help create a more positive attitude.

Take this simple test: Sit in a slumped, lazy posture and say to yourself “I feel great, I am successful, I am happy with life” mmm not quite congruent is it? Now, sit or stand tall, head up and a big smile on your face, breathing fully and say the same things to yourself - it certainly makes more sense, doesn’t it?

I know that is a pretty simplistic example, but it emphasises the point clearly.

Take Practical Steps Forward

Now you are in the right mood take some definite steps to start your new plan. Whatever the change you want to make you will need to start initiating action.

Break the task down into practical and achievable steps so that at the end of each day you have taken one step, now matter how small towards your goal.

Life is a Cycle

This is so true, life turns in circles, sometimes we are at the top of the wheel and other times we are somewhere around the periphery. Successful people don't give up, unless you win the Lottery you can bet that you will have as many failures and successes but the difference with the truly successful people is they keep going and FOLLOW THROUGH.

Thomas Edison had more than 10,000 failures before he successfully designed an effective electric light bulb. When "Colonel Sanders" of KFC fame wanted to sell his secret recipe to create franchises - he called on more than 1000 restaurants and diners before someone took his suggestion on.

"Everything depends on execution, having just a vision is no solution".
Stephen Sondheim

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