Ready to Stop Fooling Yourself and Take Action?

I was at the beach recently, having a discussion with someone about weight loss. She was asking me my opinion on how to lose weight, as she was snacking on a bag of chips.

Who are we kidding here? She's not interested in losing weight. Or having a healthier lifestyle and the benefits that come with that.

People reach out to me daily asking for my advice. They tell me they want to fill jobs more rapidly or improve their retention rates, followed by all the reasons why no matter what they do, nothing will work.

Some ask me to coach them. When I tell them what the process will entail, many say, “Thanks, I’ll get back to you.” They never do.

That’s because they’re not serious. They don’t want to do the work that’s involved to make improvements.

I even had one guy ask me, “Does what you do really work?” To which I replied, “I’ve had my consulting practice for 25 years. Do you think I’d still be in business if my clients weren’t better off having worked with me?”

I then placed him on my list of people I will not be working with, as it was clear to me that no matter what I said or did, he’d never be happy.

What are you kidding yourself about? If you've recently been passed over for that job you were vying for, do you still believe the next promotion is going to you?

Are you telling yourself that the reason team members are quitting at a record pace is simply because of the economy? Have you convinced yourself that a job is just a job and that everyone is miserable at work? So why should you be happy?

It’s easy to place blame for your failures on others or on the situation you find yourself in. This way, you get to take a pass and you don’t have to do any work.

If that’s you and you’re happy with your current status, then you can stop reading this article.

For the rest of you, read on.

It's a new year, which means it's the perfect time for a new start.

First, pick one thing that you’d like to improve.

Next, write down how you’d be better off having accomplished this goal.

Let me give you several examples.

Let’s say you’ve decided you’d like reduce employee turnover.

By doing so, you’d be:

• Free to work on projects that will give you more visibility, since you’d no longer be spending countless hours interviewing candidates.
• Seen as a more effective leader, which could result in a promotion with a pay increase.
• Less stressed at work and would most likely be more pleasant at home.

Or, perhaps your goal is to find a new job at a company that has more opportunity for growth than your current organization.

Finding this opportunity sooner, rather than later means you'll:

• Once again, feel excited about the work you're doing.
• Feel less stressed out and will have more energy for friends and family.
• Advance in your career and finally be compensated for the value you bring to an organization.

At this point, it should be crystal clear that any effort required to achieve your objective should be well worth the effort.

If it’s not, then don’t waste time or energy working on a goal with a low ROI.

Consider picking another objective.

If you're ready to face reality and do the work that's required to get your career into tip-top shape, then let's talk . Or if you prefer, keep drinking the Kool-Aid and continue to snack on your chips.

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