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Start Strong in 2012!

Guest post by: David Carter

Article Overview: I have observed over and over again that that the difference in our success or failure is not chance, but choice. Because whatever the challenge or adversity, it's not what happens that will determine our destiny; it's how we react to what happens. That's what Start Strong is all about! When you combine "start" and "strong" you create a powerful platform for action that can be the driving force in all that you do. Here are some actions to reinforce, encourage, and motivate you to move forward and Start Strong in 2012.

Start Strong in 2012!

I have observed over and over again that that the difference in our success or failure is not chance, but choice. Because whatever the challenge or adversity, it's not what happens that will determine our destiny; it's how we react to what happens.

That's what Start Strong is all about! When you combine "start" and "strong" you create a powerful platform for action that can be the driving force in all that you do. Here are some actions to reinforce, encourage, and motivate you to move forward and Start Strong in 2012.

Keep Believing
You know what you want, and you probably know what it takes to accomplish what you want. The question is do you believe you can achieve what you want? This is the most important distinction I can advise you on. Your belief and your clarity of vision will be the driving force for achievement. Keep dreaming. Keep believing.

Face Down Your Pivotal Decisions
How you approach the pivotal decisions along your path, I believe, determines the scale of impact you will have on your company and customers. And the greater risk for such decisions is not usually exposing yourself to the risk of failure. The greatest risk is running away blindly from an outcome you have not fully contemplated.

The lesson here is to look your most difficult decisions in the face and let your mind ponder the worst-case scenario. Without being defensive or shifting to survival mode, think through what would happen if you failed. You may realize it would not be as bad as you feared and that there were a few simple things you could do to reduce the downside risk.

Bob Parsons, founder of GoDaddy was about to throw in the towel when he "faced down" this decision and began to rethink. Parsons realized failure would not be as bad as he thought. He threw out his shutdown plans and calculations and decided to go for it. Now GoDaddy commands something like 60% of its market in the US and is worth 100 times or more than when he almost quit.

It only takes 10 minutes. Do it now. Write it down. What would failure really look like?

Focus on Priorities
Stay focused! We often become "drunk with possibilities" resulting in diffused or diluted activities. You and your company will benefit from being aligned on only 3-5 focused priorities for 2012, and knowing what your top priority is for each quarter. Imagine what you can accomplish when all the minds in your company are focused in this way.

Redefine Your Limits
We are what we think! I truly believe this is a key differentiator between those who succeed and those that do not. And how we think determines how we act. There is still money out there--go and find it. Historically, in a recession the economy generally shrinks about 5%. The US economy was approximately $14 trillion before the recent recession. This means that there is still $13.3 trillion in economic activity and spending left in the economy. Put this in perspective by writing it out! $13,300,000,000,000. Can you find and exploit the opportunities that recessions create? Quickly adapt to your new market conditions.

Play to Win
Now is the time for action. Play to win! Too many businesses are playing not to lose. General George S. Patton said: "A good plan violently executed today is far and away better than a perfect plan tomorrow." I believe you have an opening window to gain market share and a substantial competitive advantage as we move into the New Year.

"The will to win...the will to achieve...goes dry without continuous reinforcement" (Vince Lombardi). I hope these actions will help you reinforce, encourage, and motivate you and your team.

Regardless of what is past and what lies ahead, what matters most is how you will choose to respond. The choice is yours. Will you choose to Start Strong?

So here's my challenge to you...decide today to Start Strong in 2012!

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Article Tags: driving force, motivate, start strong, will to win



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