Now for Something Useful…

Recently I blogged about the need for goal setting in the form of a 2016 budget aka “Profit Plan.”  You say “I’ve done that in the past, and it didn’t pan out.” I understand, but consider this.

As if on cue, a close friend and brother recently referred me to a great book entitled “The Slight Edge” by Jeff Olson. Olson reminded me that the attainment of goals doesn’t occur in quantum leaps, but rather by the mundane daily repetition of small positive steps.  Over time, these daily repetitions bring significant change and accomplishments.

Now apply this to your business.  What daily steps can be taken to increase sales? Improve margins? Improve production? Reduce expenses?  Nothing can be done in a day.  But small measures can be taken that at first seem insignificant, but over the course of a year could help your business achieve more than you dreamed. But without written goals (Profit Plan), what are the chances that you will stick to the plan?

Truth is that there isn’t much you can do today to achieve significant goals.  But doing that little, seemingly insignificant, small task each day can, over time, move mountains.  It takes a plan and the discipline to follow the plan daily, even when it seems that no progress is being made.

I can’t pin it down, but it was either famous golfer Gary Player or a Cuban revolutionary soldier who first said “the more I practice, the luckier I get.” Here’s hoping that 2016 is your company’s “luckiest” year ever.