Why your ideas don't get done (and a tip for turning 'Resolutions' into 'Results' in 2024)

If you find you're too busy, too overwhelmed, too distracted, or just too tired to implement your ideas in ways that generate results, then this Mojo is for you.

Two senators were standing in the hallowed halls of the Capital Rotunda debating their views on legislative priorities. The senior senator was expressing his vigorous support for a key priority (even though, to the younger senator's dismay, no progress had been made) when the junior senator simply paused and said, "Senator, you can tell me what's important to you or you can show me your budget and I'll tell you what's important to you."

I can't tell you how many times last year I had everyone from lifestyle advisors to founders of 7-figure firms to the CEOs of enterprises share some version of this statement with me: We talk about a lot of ideas and changes, but they never seem to happen.

My #1 tip for turning your ideas into implementable action plans is to "show me your budget." In business terms, this means aligning your time with the priorities that align with your vision and goals for your practice and life.

The uncomfortable truth is that if I parachuted into your office for a week I'd very likely find that you're wasting or misdirecting 50% or more of your time on activities that do not align with your goals. When you take agency over this time you can create real results much more rapidly.

Today's Mojo is my gentle kick-in-the-pants reminder that if you don't support your vision and goals with a system stronger than the resistance you will face (you and all the stuff that gets thrown at you), your desired results will not be realized. It's not because your intent isn't good; it's because you don't have a system designed to align your time with the outcomes you want to achieve.

Michael Kitces has been a client of mine for 4 years now, and in those years, he's used his time to grow more than 10x! This is only possible because Michael is a master of his time. He is such an ardent advocate of managing your time better that he asked me to write this article on Taking Back Your Time to share our model for aligning your time with your vision of success.

If you want to up the ante and make results instead of excuses in 2024, you don't need a 27-page business plan (such plans rarely result in results). What you do need is clarity on the outcomes you want to achieve, a list of priorities you will tackle to create those outcomes and — this is where the rubber hits the road — to set up a system to ensure you stay on track. In this case, that means setting up your annual calendar and weekly schedule at the start of the year (aka now!) to budget time toward those people and actions that will actually move the needle this year.

Decisions are the best way I know to avoid distractions. Otherwise, you're likely to fall into the trap of making excuses instead of results.

Wishing you your best year ever in 2024!

Show me your budget!

P.S. The research says that the odds of change are stacked 9 to 1 against us (which is why resolutions fall away by mid-February and those big ideas fail to materialize). The research also says two factors support sustainable change: coaching and community. It just so happens we have both in abundance at Limitless Advisor, so don't hesitate to visit LimitlessFA.life or reach out to [email protected] if you're ready to make results instead of excuses this year.