Quote of the Month

"To achieve greatness:
start where you are, use what you have, do what you can."

- Arthur Ashe

Preparing For The New Normal	This is a Supplement to the Podcast Series produced for the "Smart Business for Tough Times" Initiative of the
Do it ...

Doing is hard work. In this economy we often find ourselves planning or waiting rather than doing. So, it's important to figure out what the NEXT action is. Do the NEXT thing, rather than the WHOLE thing. Make sure it's small enough to be digestible and that you don't have to wait for someone else to do something in order to get it done. Also, make sure it really does move in the direction you need to go, that it's not just activity for activity's sake.

Early in the day, plan to DO five things that will "move you forward" toward your vision of a future that will be better. It's very important that your DOING is connected to your vision. As Robert Fritz says in The Path of Least Resistance, "It's not what the vision is, it's what the vision DOES."

Don't be paralyzed by not being at the end of the journey. Just entice yourself to BEGIN. You can only finish what you have begun. Make sure that each of the 5 things moves you toward the next stage or moves a task onto someone else's plate.

When you choose the things to do, make sure that you are not procrastinating. Often we spend more time worrying about the possibility of failure than the time it would take to just "do" something. If you find yourself being paralyzed, it often helps to consider what the worst possible outcome of action might be. Often it's not bad enough to keep us from trying. And often you can learn enough from failure to make it a worthwhile investment of time.

Just let go of the outcome and step out in faith.

To-Do's for Today 1. Revisit your vision. 2. Make a list of all the people you could connect with. 3. Analyze and highlight the tasks you've been avoiding. 4. Identify the openings you could take. 5. Determine at least 5 things you can do today that will provide concrete action toward your dreams. Once you've done your 5 things, go replenish your sources of energy, or pay it forward, help someone else.

Quick Links to the Rest of This Podcast Series Introductions 1. Rodger Price: Decide . . . 2. Chuck Reid: Dream . . . 3. Ann Harten: De-Clutter . . . 4. Kathleen Ponitz: Drill . . . 5. Rebecca Bruns: Do . . .