With March arriving, we can finally start to think about Spring. We are a month closer to warmer temps, greener grass, leaves on the trees, and flowers in bloom.
We aren’t done with winter yet. Depending on where you live, maybe you’re still expecting some snow. Who knows what to expect after last month, huh?
Well, I’m not here to talk about Spring just yet though I do hope you’ve got some spring in your step as we begin the third month of this already very interesting year – but aren’t they all.
I’d like to just back up a little bit before we get too far along and with a full month yet to go in the first quarter of 2021 and ask you a very simple question…
“How ya doin’?”
No, really, I mean it.
You, personally. Your team, together. Your practice, as a whole. How has your year progressed thus far?
As the saying goes, we don’t care about perfection, we just want progress.
So, you started the year with some goals, some focal points, some objectives, and most of all some commitments.
Where do you stand with each 60 days into the year?
I want you to take an inventory on your own progress and compare it to what you set out to achieve and where you’d hoped to be by now.
This is a great exercise to do far more often than most anyone ever does. And here’s why we are doing it right now today… because waiting until the end of the first quarter to look back on “what happened” is FAR TOO LATE!
There is still time to course correct right now. We can all double down our efforts, sharpen our focus, accelerate through March, and make the most of this quarter.
Quite literally I’m challenging you to MARCH through to the end of the first quarter of the year in order to run up the score, accelerate your progress, close some gaps, and make some amazing things happen.
Here’s the thing: if we have an open-ended deadline where we are willing to keep putting it off then you will always find excuses, delays, and detours.
Maybe you are close to a record quarter and want to make sure you hit it.
Maybe you’ve got some snow days to compensate for.
Maybe you are in the process of training some new Team Members.
Maybe you are incorporating some new procedures or technologies.
Maybe you just want to hit the goals, fulfill the priorities, and execute on the decisions you set at the beginning of the year to stay true to these commitments.
The bottom line… don’t wait until the last day of March (or later) to reflect, refocus, and recommit – do it now!
It is easy to let these first few months slip by with nothing to show for them. It is easy to tell yourself that it’s a long year, that’s there is plenty of time. But one month turns into one quarter and one quarter turns into two and suddenly the year is half over.
Two months ago, you decided what was important, what would make this year a success. All I want to do is make sure everything stays on track to move from decision to done.
And without a deadline and progress check, it’s quite possible there will be things still on the list on the first day of April. You don’t want March to make an April Fool out of you.
Instead, choose to March forward on your mission and set up the rest of your year for success. In eight months from now, you’ll thank yourself for what you achieved in these next 31 days.
