The journey continues with Part II of Business Lessons I Learned From Dieting. Last blog I talked about the first steps in creating a vision and a goal and how to measure these as you go along on your journey in finding success in business and dieting. Read on to see what else I have [...] [...more]
The journey continues with Part II of Business Lessons I Learned From Dieting. Last blog I talked about the first steps in creating a vision and a goal and how to measure these as you go along on your journey in finding success in business and dieting. Read on to see what else I have learned on my journey.
Expect set backs.
On my journey, there were several times I stepped on the scale only to discover that I had gained a pound or two. These are the times I could have easily become discouraged and quit. Obviously the body is more complex than simple input and output. Business is just as complex. We may be doing all of the right things, but not seeing any result or improvement. This doesn’t mean we should stop the analysis, but don’t get discouraged and quit at the first negative measurement.
Don’t lie to yourself.
When I log my calories or exercise, I am occasionally tempted to not log a particularly rich food item, or increase the amount of time I had exercised, which would certainly make me look good on paper. However, the reality is I wouldn’t lose the weight and would only be hurting myself. If you are lying to yourself, others will eventually notice the reality. Be just as honest about where your business stands and how well you are working toward and attaining your goals.
Don’t blindly follow the experts.
I don’t know about you, but I have seen my fair share of overweight dieticians or nutritionists giving advice on how to lose weight. Or the doctor who reeked of cigarette smoke while telling folks to quit smoking (although blindly following this expert’s advice is still a good idea). Just because someone hangs out a shingle doesn’t necessarily mean he or she is giving you the best advice. Evaluate your consultants, coaches and mentors. Do they practice what they preach? Have they achieved success doing what they are telling you to do?
You will encounter barriers.
Part of my exercise plan was riding my bike three times a week for 8 to 10 miles, and I was able to do this until mid December before we got snow. I’m certain that this was helping my weight loss and in general improving my health. Throughout the rest of the winter I have tried alternative methods, using our Wii Fit and a treadmill in the house, but I haven’t achieved the same results. Now that spring has arrived, I’m looking forward to getting the bike out and riding again. What do you do when you encounter barriers in your business? Are you able to find alternatives?
Hitting the dreaded plateau.
Anyone who has ever tried a diet has hit a plateau, and it can be very discouraging. You are still doing everything the same as usual but it is no longer working. Change something! Remember that the definition of insanity is doing what you have always done and expecting different results.
I hit the 40-pound milestone today. I have 26 more pounds to go to reach my vision. I have established milestones for when my weight goes under 200 pounds: 196 will be 50 pounds, 186 will be 60 pounds and then – woo-hoo! 180! I intend to be at my goal weight by August of this year, one year from when I started, with an average loss of 5½ pounds per month. Best wishes for your diet or your business.
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Published By admin on Mar 26 -
Last August, my wife and I took our oldest two granddaughters on a vacation to Aruba; the trip was immediately after my annual visit to my cardiologist. Feeling like a beached whale and knowing I was going to die sooner if I didn’t lose weight, I was suddenly motivated. I had a sense of urgency [...] [...more]
Last August, my wife and I took our oldest two granddaughters on a vacation to Aruba; the trip was immediately after my annual visit to my cardiologist. Feeling like a beached whale and knowing I was going to die sooner if I didn’t lose weight, I was suddenly motivated. I had a sense of urgency to change my course and ensure future vacations with my grandchildren. Therefore, on August 23, 2009, I started on a journey. At 5’7” and 246 lbs, my vision was to get down to 180, a weight I hadn’t seen since before I retired from the US Air Force over 25 years ago.
During this journey I have discovered a process that directly applies to running a business. Here is what I have learned.
(Official disclaimer: I am not a professional dietician or nutritionist, so my diet plan may not be the path you should take, but it is working for me.)
First, create a vision. My vision is to weigh 180 pounds. I wanted my vision to be a challenge – something I really needed to strive to achieve.
Tell others about your vision.
Frequently, business owners have a vision of where they want to take the business, but fail to share it with the people who can help them make it happen, such as employees or clients. By telling others, this solidifies your commitment to do what it takes to make your vision a reality.
However, it’s important to recognize that telling others about your vision does not make them responsible for its accomplishment. You might expect support and encouragement from them, but don’t expect others to take responsibility for your success. They should not become your spending or sales conscience – or your food police. You must take overall responsibility for your actions, which then allows you to take full credit for your successes.
Define success and reward yourself.
Success can be ambiguous and different for every individual. You have established your vision but you should also have milestones along the way to celebrate and keep you motivated. For some businesses it may take years or even decades to accomplish their vision. On a diet, remember that it took you a long time to put on the weight. You cannot expect overnight results. For me, I celebrate every 10 pounds I lose with a new article of clothing, or an indulgent meal or dessert. For your business, you could celebrate certain revenue levels or sales targets on the path to achieving your vision.
Expect incremental improvement.
Growing your business – and dieting – is not the lottery, there are no overnight winners. It takes time and hard work. All too often we want it now, and if we don’t get instant gratification we quit. Not many things in life that are worth accomplishing come without effort. And if they do, we generally don’t appreciate them. Remember the tortoise and the hare? The slow steady progress in the right direction will get us to the finish line.
Monitor and measure regularly.
I weigh in every day or at least every other day, which allows me to make corrections if I’m going off course. Measuring is an area that has several things you must keep in mind. First, measuring should be easy. If it is not part of your daily routine, and you have to take inordinate steps to obtain the measurements, there is a good chance you’ll stop measuring. Second, measure consistently. I get on the scale first thing in the morning. This allows me to compare apples to apples. In business, the way we measure often has us comparing apples and oranges. We measure at different times of the day, or different shifts, or different times of the year. Adding variables to the mix can make comparisons faulty or impossible. Third, when you measure, make sure you take into account all of the other things that could be impacted. For example, if you measure punctuality but not attendance, you could see punctuality improve because that is what you are focused on, but attendance could get worse because it is not being measured.
The journey will continue next blog post, stay tuned to see if I reached my goal and get more insight on the similarities between business and dieting.
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Published By admin on Mar 22 -
The journey continues with Part II of Business Lessons I Learned From Dieting. Last blog I talked about the first steps in creating a vision and a goal and how to measure these as you go along on your journey in finding success in business and dieting. Read on to see what else I have learned on my journey.