Two powerful words for success

September in the United States means back to school. After spending over half my life in school, I always feel a certain fresh energy in the fall that prompts me to take a fresh look at my goals. I start thinking about what I need to learn, what I need to do differently, and even what I’ve been promising myself I’d change. And if conversations with clients is any barometer, I’m not alone.

Regardless of the time of year, it’s easier to feel enthusiastic while setting goals than it is to maintain the necessary energy and determination to make progress toward those goals. That’s the problem with new year’s resolutions, right? It’s fun to imagine a whole new life or business or body, but it’s a lot of work to get there. 

I recently ran across this article from leadership and platform-building expert Michael Hyatt, in which he suggests that two words can “set you up to win every time.” Using these two words allows you to make “implementation intentions” that address the things that keep you from reaching your goals and declare what you’ll do differently. (Read the post—it’s a quick one—for specifics on how to set implementation intentions and what these two critical words are.) 

Here’s the action step that Hyatt prescribes at the end of his post, and I invite you to take the same inquiry specifically in the context of business development and growing your practice: 

“Think about one goal that matters to you right now. What hinders your progress? Create a list of implementation intentions. Like the examples [provided in the post] put these in the first person, and review them often.” 

Identifying obstacles and planning how to overcome them is a simple and highly effective way to make progress toward your goals. Do this today, and you can create remarkable results.