Or, How to Acquire the Habits 99% Don't Have

I have unleashed upon you during February three newsletters which establish the foundation of:

Small Steps, Big Changes

In this February Recap newsletter, I have three objectives:

1.?? Look Back at why I chose the title “Small Steps, Big Changes."

1.?? Give you a Précis of the essential points to remember.

2.?? Lastly, Look Forward with a glimpse of where we are going in March.

Look Back

I have a very simplistic view of how to succeed in life, and this applies to whatever you are trying to achieve, which could be:

• Greater affinity with your family and friends.
• A very personal goal – Losing weight – Winning a race – Climbing a mountain.
• Or business growth. Which can be personally through education and experience, and also actual growth in profitability.

Few will disagree that success is different for everyone, whether it’s one or more of these or something else entirely.

In the immortal words of Sly and the Family Stone, success is certainly:

“Different strokes for different folks”

This brings me to summarise my opinion of what is needed to achieve “success.”?

The journey to success is like

spinning plates on a unicycle,

but can be achieved with

dedication to the long game,

at the same time, embracing

small and monotonous tasks others avoid.?

In other words, “Small Steps, Big Changes.”?

Précis

But here is the problem with any written words. Life gets in the way, and they are quickly forgotten.?

During February we have discovered that you can protect and nurture your precious dreams by adopting three simple strategies to keep you on track to success, which are:?

1. Important and non-urgent tasks of the Attic.

This is when the Four-Story House Metaphor can help, especially with the Important and Non Urgent tasks of the Attic.?

Remember these are Important because they take you to success, but Non-Urgent because you can postpone them to a later date.?

That diet, going to the gym, restructuring your business; they are all “put offable” for a future time.?

Which often never comes.?

2. “No!”?

To ensure you spend time on what is important to your success rather than what is important to others, nurture the habit of saying “No.”

Politely if you can, non-politely if you must.?Click HERE if you have not read Dame Helen Mirren's wonderful advice on this subject.

3. Smashing Plates?

Sometimes, we fail to keep all the plates spinning, and one of life’s lessons is to enjoy the spectacle of the smashing plate, even when that represents a failed endeavour.?

Invariably, something better awaits, and other doors open when one closes.?

Are you “merely competent?” – Great!

And the key takeaway is this. Things don’t have to be 100% prepared and perfect to achieve success. Ponder over the words of the “Piano Man,” Billy Joel:

I would disagree that Billy is a lot more than competent, but would certainly agree that we are living in an age of incompetence.?

The spectacularly good news is that success can be achieved by us who are merely competent if:

• You know what success you are aiming at, and remain focused.
• You are not distracted from your important and non-urgent tasks to get there.
• You accept the failures, your smashing plates, as part of the journey and move on.?

Look Forward?

This brings me to what I have planned for you during March.?

I have established a foundation in February, and we will start to build on that.?

We are going to explore how we communicate or not communicate with each other, and whether we have a problem. Here’s a little peak of what’s in store:

See you next week; in the meantime, please pass a link to this newsletter to those you believe will enjoy it by clicking HERE. Or, better still, make a short post on your newsfeed singing your praises of Small Steps and Big Changes. Thank you.