Today is the most important day you have. You will never have this day available again; make it work for you.
Today we make choices. We answer the four “Whats”:
What is IMPORTANT today?
What is my ATTITUDE today?
What ACTIONS will I take today?
What RELATIONSHIPS will I build today?
#3 Actions
If you are a person who wants Results, then you are a person of Action. If you are a person of Action, you should not put your focus only on Results. Keeping the Results we want in mind is good. The problem is that we cannot always control the Results. The good news is we can control our Actions.
A great example comes from a book that I am reading entitled The Speed of Trust, by Stephen M.R. Covey, where he credits Tom Peters and his book Thriving on Chaos with a story of how Lee Iacocca wanted to add a convertible to Chrysler’s line.
Following standard operating procedures, he [Iacocca] asked his chief engineer to craft a model. The engineer, consistent with industry standards, replied. “Certainly. We can put together a prototype in nine months.” Several bystanders report Iacocca’s furious response: “You just don’t understand. Go find a car and saw the top off the damn thing!”
The engineer, following protocol, failed to understand—at least at first—what is most important: Iacocca wanted Action. The Action would lead to the desired result eventually—a convertible. The Action was most important.
Another facet of taking Action is it reinforces trust and the belief that your follow-through will be there.
“People may doubt what you say, but they will believe what you do.” ―Lewis Cass
Consistency in taking action toward a result establishes your reputation and trust. People know they can depend upon you. My dad used to tell me, “Do something! Even if it’s wrong…” In other words, take an action. Even if it’s the wrong action to achieve the desired result, you will still know more than you would if you hadn’t done anything at all. You’ve still moved forward. Now it’s just a question of what you’ve learned and how you will apply that knowledge to the next thing you do—but that’s information for another post.
So—what result are you after right now? What Action can you take in the next 24 hours to make some progress toward the real result that you want? Next, follow the incredible Nike slogan: “Just do it!”
We’d love to have you share your actions with us—and the results if you want to tell us about those as well! You can post it on the Leadership Harbor Facebook page using this hashtag: #Action=Result. Act your way to success today!
Blessings, my friend!
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