Mark Twain said that people always complain
about the weather, but no one ever does
anything about it. I was reminded of his quip
when I, too, found myself complaining-more
like whining-about the economy. It's easy to
fall into the vortex and find yourself in a
pit of, among other things, inactivity.
Analysis paralysis. Apathy. Blah.
And that's when the proverbial voice inside
my head chants, "Walk your talk." It reminded
me of something I tell my audiences all the
time: "Act first. Feel later."
Simply stated, whether you feel like it or
not, do something anyway. You don't have to
feel like a sales guru in order to make a
phone call. You don't have to feel like a
patient manager in order to be quiet and
listen. You don't have to feel like a great
leader to say "Thank you" to an employee. You
don't have to feel friendly to start a
conversation.
You just have to decide to do something. Take
action. It helps to slap a number on it, kind
of the way vitamins have numbers. Vitamins
have RDA, Recommended Daily Allowances of
vitamins and minerals you need to stay
healthy. My RDA stands for Recommended Daily
Activity-three things you decide to do that
will improve your situation, whatever that
may be, whether it's hitting business
targets, mending a relationship, losing
weight, increasing sales.
My RDA on any given day might look like this:
1. Call 1 person who has referred me business
in the past.
2. Send ezine to 3,256 subscribers.
3. Spend 1 hour working on "Marketing is NOT
a Department" PDF promo sheet.
Another example:
1. Say "thank you" to 10 different employees.
2. Give my teenager 3 compliments.
3. Laugh 5 times.
RDA must have a number in it. Depending on
the day, I might make 5 calls instead of 1,
or spend 3 hours working on a specific
project. Or attend 1 networking event, mail X
number of "those little card decks," spend 1
hour researching a topic on the Internet. My
favorite is "spend 45 minutes thinking about
a new series of 'Get to the Point!' public
workshops." Thinking about something
counts as action, so long as you slap a
number (as in "time") on it.
Here's the coolest thing about RDA. I may
decide to make 5 phone calls to people who
could hire me, and I may not actually talk to
a single person. That's OK. I did my 5 calls.
I took my vitamins. Recommended Daily
Activity is not about getting more done and
being more productive. It's about feeling
better, too.
Yes, when I consciously and consistently
decide and DO 3 things that will help me
achieve my objective to [book more
presentations], [increase sales], [deliver
exceptional service], [reduce waste], [lose
weight], [be a better
boss/spouse/parent/lover], [you get the
idea], I do get better results.
And I also feel better. Optimistic, eager and
enthusiastic. Take your vitamins for 30 days.
Focus on one objective for business, and
perhaps one for your personal life. Decide
every morning what your RDA will be--3 things
you will do to move you closer to achieving
that objective. Then do them. Regardless of
how you feel.
I guarantee you that your results will be
anything but blah.
f
