Many times career professionals fail to achieve their goals. Even though they stay ‘busy as all get out’, they aren’t accomplishing the substantive things that will truly make a difference in their careers, lives and businesses.

Why is it that some people seem to have all the ‘luck’?

I have found over the years that some people just make more progress, have more ‘wins’ to show for their efforts, have more ‘toys’ to show off.  It’s not that life is really at all about the toys, but a few of them with personal significance to the owner help validate that something was working right.

So what is the key to having things go well? I say there are three. Read them and see if you agree. Leave a comment either way.

Cover of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

1. Have a plan

I hear all the time how busy everyone is. They are working on the ‘urgent’ things that Stephen Covey identified in Habit 3 of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. How much time are you spending putting out fires? How many of those fires could have been averted or prevented?

Being proactive and setting aside time to SET GOALS and ANTICIPATE BREAKDOWNS will keep those fires and breakdowns to a minimum. If you think you’re too busy to plan, think again. You, especially, need to devote some time to getting ahead of the curve.

2. Work your plan

It does little good to have a plan and never look at it or never work on it.

Some people who DO make plans, fall victim still to getting hung up in short-term emergencies. Their plans sit in a binder, on a shelf, in a drawer or their PC.

You must confront your plan – DAILY. Make sure you take at least one action on it each day. Do something that will make progress on your short term goals as well as a long term goal. If you have long term goals that you aren’t actively working on, they aren’t goals, they’re pipe dreams. You’re not really serious.

You’re just hopeful. But after a few months or years of inaction, you’ll be embarrassed and depressed. ACT TODAY on your dreams for the ‘morrow.

3. Assess your results against the plan

Things happen. Plans don’t go as expected. Unexpected things arise. You’ll learn more and become more effective when you look at what you said you would do, compare that with what you DID do and then evaluate how it all turned out.

What did you learn? What would you do if you could do it over? What would you NOT do? What resources did you need that you didn’t have? Whose help would you enlist?

Even though you may never have that particular goal again, you’ll still learn something about yourself, your environment and the process of ‘ACTION‘ that will be applicable to future endeavors.

Have a plan. Work your plan. Assess your results. Those are the keys to success.

Related articles

• Nine Things Successful People Do Differently (talktomylawyer.wordpress.com)
• Be a Better You in 365 Days Challenge – Day 20 Making Action Speak louder than Words Day (becomeabetteryouin365days.com)

Today’s effective leader must demonstrate both a sense of independence from traditional thinking as well as an interdependence with her or his community in order to cause change.

We’re just celebrated Independence Day in the States. In addition to the picnics, barbeques and fireworks, it’s a holiday that honors our forefathers for breaking away from Great Britain.

Here are some critical reasons why as a leader, you need to exhibit independence AND interdependence.

The case for independence…

1. Leaders must be ahead of the pack in order to lead. This requires courage and the willingness to stand out.

2. Leaders aren’t content with the status quo. They must be willing to buck conventional wisdom and act with independence.

3. Leaders must make tough decisions. Sometimes their decisions will be unpopular, but if they are the right decisions, the leaders must stand by them.

4. Leaders set high standards. They don’t succumb to mediocrity nor people’s excuses for ‘why it can’t be done’. They raise the bar on performance levels for all around them including their own.

The case for interdependence
1. No leader, no matter how capable, can bring about their big vision all by themselves. They need the support and commitment of others to make their ‘dream’ come true.

2. Leaders instill loyalty by caring for other people and demonstrating concern for their welfare. As John Maxwell said, ‘People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care‘.

3. Leaders create community, bonding people together for a cause greater than their personal and individual wants and needs. In community, people can accomplish miracles that otherwise would not be possible.

4. By definition, leaders need other people. One can’t ‘lead’ if there is no one TO lead.

Therefore, leaders are dependent on the presence of others to make possible and real their leadership role. It’s not approval they’re seeking but without other beings, there is no possibility to express leadership. Therefore, they are dependent on others to experience their Self-as-Leader and Leader does not exist.

Leaders must be competent functioning in both domains, courageously independent bucking the trend while at the same time operating interdependently with others to make magic happen.

One of my favorite quotes is from Studs Terkel, author of “Working”.  He said, “Most people are in jobs that are too small for their souls.  They don’t want to work for a company, they want to work for a cause that transcends the dullness of their everyday lives.”

Back in the 1980s when he wrote that, life was much simpler. I believe that fewer people today would say their lives are dull.  I DO believe that many may confess they are searching for more meaningful days or the opportunity to pursue the dreams they’ve kept on the back burner for far too long.

So if you’re one of them or live or work with people who’ve complained of that void, be proactive in helping to raise the (emotional) tide in your neighborhood.

When you make an effort to improve the quality of your life or the lives of those around you, the world becomes a much brighter, happier place. Don’t be an uninterested bystander. You can make a difference.  You do make a difference. Go make one.

Here are some things you can implement right away to help them (or you) bring more meaning and joy into their lives.

1. Identify (or revisit) your core values
When you take the time to articulate what is truly important to you, it brings them to consciousness. Your brain will then start looking for opportunities to make them more present in your life.

2. Talk to the people around you about what’s important to you and what matters most to them.
People are sometimes hesitant to talk about what’s in their heart, feeling it’s too personal to reveal. Yet, its in the revelation of those important matters that creates bonds with others and allows us to feel we’re part of a community.  Even if the people around you value something quite different from you, you will gain insight into their behavior and motivations and perhaps even appreciate them more.

3. Take a class on a topic you’ve been interested in
This might be on a topic that will benefit you personally or professionally.  I believe it’s important for our hearts and minds to be at work on issues that stimulate and inspire us.

The cells in our body are designed to grow and multiply.  Our ideas should as well.

4.  Hire a mentor or coach
If you look at the most successful athletes, they all have a coach. Our own talents can take us so far. And let’s face it, sometimes our human need for the safety of homeostasis, keeps us from making the progress we should. Sometimes you need an outside perspective to see your career or business in a new light.  Sometimes you need a swift kick in the pants from someone who is committed more to your success than your comfort.

5. See the best in others and shine a light on it
Everyone has dark days at times. Some people wallow in them. When you make an effort to see the people around you as more capable than they see themselves, their performance will rise to meet your expectations. When you see and encourage the light in others, the world becomes a brighter place.

Take this 5 actions to heart.  Practice them regularly and let a brighter future unfold.

Many people I talk to struggle with feeling over committed, overwhelmed and overworked. Do you have a faithful companion who supports you in your important quests?  Or are you trying to fight for law and order in your ‘town’ on your own?

Here are 7 signs that you’re maxing out on your effectiveness.

1. You’re routinely one of the last people to leave the office
There really is a limit to the amount of stuff you can do in a 24-hour period.  When you try to do too much, you routinely work into the evening or even late at night.  Other people seem to be able to get out of the office at a decent hour, but not you.

2. The work you take home with you causes problems for your family
Your family complains because you’re always on your computer, cell phone or laptop.  They miss you and want to ‘play’ with you but you’re to busy doing ‘important’ work.

3. You feel resentful of the people around you
When you’re dealing with too much to do, it could seem like others around you are sloughing off.

The reality is that you’re responsible for your situation and your feelings. If you’re complaining bitterly (and silently) to yourself, speak up. If you need help, ask for it.

4. You miss deadlines
One of the problems of having too much on your plate is that your work suffers. There never seems to be enough time in the day.  You have too many commitments to keep up with them all.  Your reputation suffers as does your self-respect.

5. Your schedule is filled with too many (unimportant) activities
You may feel important and ‘in demand’ but if you look, it’s possible that time is sucked up because you can’t say “No!”.  You agree to things that are inconsistent to your big goals (if  you’ve even bothered to create them).

6. Your big goals are languishing on the back burner of your life
As a result, you never get to the things you say are truly meaningful.  That vacation of a lifetime, the book inside you, the relationship, the call to a family member or long-term friend. You may secretly fear you’ll end up alone.

7. You don’t enjoy work anymore
When all of these things add up, it casts a heavy cloud over your days. The job you once loved is now a burden.  Your health suffers and does your spirit.

As you may have heard me say, “We have more options than we generally see and more control than we tend to take.  It’s time for you to take control.”

Make requests. Ask for help. Say “No”. Remind yourself what your life is about.  (Hint: It’s probably NOT what other people are telling you it should be about.

You get to choose. Look into your heart and ask, “If this were my last year on earth, what would I be spending my time doing?“, then re-prioritize and get started.

Whether you own your own company or work for someone else, it’s critical that you have an exit strategy.  Unless you plan to work until you die, you need to start taking actions NOW for how you’re going to gracefully step out and how you’ll spend your time once you do.

In the last couple of weeks, I’ve had a number of conversations with executives, professionals and business owners (primarily women) who have dreams of life beyond their current circumstances.

They envision being well compensated in a job or business they love, having the respect and credibility from peers, bosses or clients they believe they deserve and having the time and resources to pursue their dreams.

They all, however, were dealing or putting up with circumstances that were literally suffocating their souls, extinguishing their dreams and leaving them feeling exhausted, sad or even worried about their future.

The one thing they each were lacking was – can you guess?…

CONFIDENCE!

At some level, they didn’t feel fully equipped to have their dream life NOW.  They felt at the effect of others around them who seemed to hold all of the power.

From my perspective, it seemed there were three key ingredients that, if implemented, would make all the difference in the world.

1. Self-definition
Because it felt to them that others were more powerful than they, that they were unable to truly define, and stand for, who they are and what is important to them.

They felt stuck in the roles they had been given to play and looked longingly toward the future when they would finally be happier.

My advice to them (or you if you find yourself in a similar situation): be true to yourself.  This is your life and it won’t last forever.  Know what makes you happy and what doesn’t. Don’t buy solely into other people’s dreams and expectations that are counter to who you know yourself to be.

2. Self-determination
Once you’re clear about where you stand, it will be easier to let others know who you are and what you need.  Without that, you’ll continue to feel frustrated, hopeless, resigned, depressed and afraid.

My advice to them and you: don’t wait.  Be clear and public about your needs and goals NOW. Make requests.  Make demands when necessary.  Make life go the way YOU want – now.

3. Focused action toward their goals
It’s one thing to dream big, it’s quite another to make those dreams a reality.  When you’ve defined yourself and your direction, the path before you will become clear.

It still requires you to take action.  Seeing the path and having it in front of you is not the same as walking on the path.  Rita Mae Brown defined insanity as “Doing the same thing over and over again expecting a different result.”

Action is required. Action builds confidence.  Action gets results.

My advice to them and you: Take action.  Identify one thing you can do like making a request, taking a class, telling someone “No”, researching your passion or getting help to make it happen.  No one can or should try to do any worthy effort alone. And living a big life is definitely a worthy effort.

So what does this have to do with an exit or stay strategy? Start working on your exit strategy now.  Don’t wait until ‘the time has come’.  You’ll be scrambling then.  And it may come sooner than you expect.  Plan now. Act now.

Make sure you have a stay strategy that isn’t just going along for the ride.  Use your self-definition and self-deterimination to make your current life/career/business more to your liking now.  Again, act now.

Your life is in your hands.  Make sure you’re living YOUR life, not someone else’s.