A couple of years ago, I was working with a client named Daniel, who has since become a friend.
Daniel was not your ordinary business owner. He came to me with a growing advisory business that was already profitable and operationally sound. Yet, he had bigger aspirations.
One day, Daniel asked, “Stewart, we’ve got our goals lined up and our strategies mapped out. But how do we make sure we actually hit these targets? What should we be tracking weekly to make sure we’re on track?”
I could see hunger in his eyes. Not for pies, but for WORLD DOMINANCE!
No. Really, he just wanted to go faster.
Daniel wasnโt just looking for incremental improvement; he wanted massive strides. I immediately thought of a principle we had explored in our sessions: pre-committing to implementation intentions.
It works like this.
“Imagine if every Monday at 9 AM, you reviewed a set of key metrics for 30 minutes without fail. You’d be tying your immediate actions to your long-term goals, creating a powerful habit loop.”
“At first, it will feel mechanical, but soon, something will shift because precommitment reduces decision fatigue and procrastination. The result is greater focus, which creates momentum, which results in things getting done faster.”
“I’m more focused, and our short-term achievements have started piling up.”
But Daniel didn’t stop there.
He automated initiation triggers. For instance, if he wanted to complete four strategic partner outreaches by Thursday, he’d set up automated email reminders.
His tools became part of his accountability system.
The part that really drove it home was celebrating short-term wins.
Every monthโs end, Daniel would gather his team, not just to review metrics but to celebrate what theyโd accomplished.
Theyโd note not just revenue, but the number of meaningful client interactions and successful project completions.
It wasnโt just about tracking; it was about enjoying the journey.
He transformed what could have been a stressful chore into a momentum builder, which again propelled things forward.
It reminds me of a quote by Aristotle,
“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.”
It’s not about doing more, but doing the right things superbly, and consistency isn’t just about discipline; it’s about making the process enjoyable and rewarding.
You don’t need to wait for a perfect plan.
Start with what you have, and adapt along the way.
Celebrate the journey, and success will follow.
