Play the Game!

Producing Results is one of the most amazing experience of life! It doesn't matter if it is reaching a financial goal, getting that promotion, landing a huge sale, losing weight, exercising, writing a book, doing yoga everyday or hitting your fund raising target! If you measure it, you can make it happen by playing the game.

Here are the ONLY rules of the game:

Know exactly what you want!
Know exactly how you’re doing – always!

That’s all there is to playing the game.  Just following these two rules with as much focus and discipline as you can possible manage. 

Know exactly what you want

For example, if the sales target for your business is $5,000 a month, you already know exactly what you want!  So you’re following the first rule. 

Now say it’s the 10th of the month, and you know your sales so far are 1,500 exactly.  You’re also following the second rule.

Know exactly what you want. $5,000 a month in sales
Know exactly how you’re doing – always!   $1,500

Sometimes the first rule takes a while because we haven't taken the time to figure out the exact target. We may say "more money" or "more enrollments" "more exercise". That's natural--- we all want more these days, don't we? Problem is that's not playing the game, and it doesn't lead to producing the results you want and need.

Start playing the game with just one result until you get the hang of it. Take the time to choose the target-- exactly what you want! It can be a bit of a stretch because that always adds to the excitement and thrill of achievement when you get there. Up to you. If you work with others, get together and decide your exact target.

The second rule is a bit trickier because there are some strong limiting beliefs that keep us from following this one:

I'm afraid what I'll find out when I check -- better not to know.
Who's got time to stop and figure out exactly where I am.
I think were probably at about $2,000, not sure.
I've got more urgent things to do now.

Notice those beliefs and then just grab yourself by the collar and move to task of finding out exactly how you are doing.

Above all, don't forget the "always" part. Keep your records up to date so that you're always following the second rule. If your boss was to call you in the middle of the night and ask you "how much money have we raised to date?" would you be able to say exactly how you are doing?

Now for the FUN part...

Make the game FUN to play. Design a game to track exactly what you want and exactly how you are doing. Be creative --- charts, pictures, board games. Add some friendly competition and see what happens. Amazing how well you do when you are seeing your own progress and you have some positive peer pressure!

Adapted from article written by Jinny Ditzler, founder of BEST YEAR YET PROGRAM

For more information on personal, team and organization-wide programs email donna.king@bestyearyet.com.BEST YEAR YET will help you close the gap between planning and performance! You can be focused, aligned, and producing results, year after year!