How's Your Follow Through?

Photo Credit: workingnation.com

"Remember that nearly all extraordinary accomplishments began by overcoming a series of challenges that discourage and tempt us to quit, before we succeed. Those that maintain faith, stay committed, follow through and keep moving forward are the few that achieve everything they want in life. Be one of the few."
​-Hal Elrod

One of the areas we feel where we've thrived in, that we see so many people struggle with, is follow through. Whether it is going to the gym, finishing a project or starting a new venture, the biggest disconnect for most people is the lack of commitment to seeing something through to completion. May it be procrastination or a lack of self control, many people fail to succeed, because they fail to follow through. We believe that this is mainly the result of people failing to see the long term vision. In a world of instant gratification, how can you stay the course towards your goals despite not seeing immediate results?

1. Change your mindset: If you want to change your results, you need to change your activities. If you want to change your activities, change your mindset. Start by developing a growth mindset. Are the things that you are thinking about, or doing on a regular basis, helping you directionally get to where you want to be in life? Dr Carol Dweck states, "The growth mindset allows people to value what they’re doing regardless of the outcome." Entrench yourself with learning. Not just for the sake of reading and listening, but with the intention of learning, growing and implementing specific strategies. 
2. Have a plan of action: Have you ever heard the saying, "If you chase too many rabbits, you'll never catch one?" Often people don't have a solid action plan because they don't have a specific strategy. What are your key objectives? What are you trying to accomplish? What are 2 or 3 actionable items that you can focus on? This is one of the main reasons coaching and mentorship has been so valuable for us, because it allows someone who has had success help to determine certain directives. We found that it is all about reverse-engineering a path to get you there, and then acting on specific items/habits on a daily basis.  
3. Implement the plan of action: Plan your work and work your plan. There is no substitute for SMART and INTENTIONAL work. In anything worth achieving, there will be an element of grind. What separates truly successful people is their ability to focus on the mundane of the 'work hard' phase so that they can transition into the 'work smart' phase. 
4. Integrate accountability: Often people lack follow through, because they lack accountability. That's why there is so much validity in being part of a like-minded community that holds you accountable to your goals. We found that putting systems in place to create accountability channels in your life is so critical to keep both the work you are doing and the goals you are looking to accomplish in perspective.  
5. Keep your vision in front of you: When you are looking to achieve a goal, majority of days are going to suck. Falling short of goals and failing forward is part of the success journey.  Find ways to keep your vision in front of you and stop talking yourself out of accomplishing it. 

Be one of the few to actually follow through on your commitments. You want to change your life? Actually follow through on something. Stop making excuses and execute. Practice patience, persistency and perseverance. Who is ready to see things through to completion?

With love,
Brandon & Amanda