You know that pile of books on your bedside table?
I decided to do something about it over the holidays.
I decided to not read them!
Well, all but one.
The rest were respectfully moved to the bookshelf.
They don’t need to be a nightly (and morning)
reminder of something still not done.
They were neither urgent, nor important.
And the book I read? It was Gordon Tregold’s FAST.
It was important for me to read that.
I promised Gordon I would and
doing what you say you will do matters.
Luckily I’d told him it might take me a while.
He sent me a copy in late October.
In case you don’t know, Gordon is amongst Inc Magazine’s
Top 100 Great Leadership Speakers and
Top 100 Leadership and Management Experts.
He’s been named the #1 Leadership Expert to Follow on Twitter.
Plus, Gordon graciously participated as an expert on the
Crack the Leadership Code Season 2 telesummit last year.
(Crack the Leadership Code Season 3 is coming in 2016.
It’s still in the planning phase so stay tuned for details.)
F.A.S.T. made for a great end of year read – a timely reminder that stands for:
Focus – Focus on the right things and ensure they stay priorities. Beware of busy.
Accountability – Make sure everyone knows what they’re accountable for and are held to account.
Simplicity – My favourite. Simple is not easy. As Leonardo Da Vinci said, “It’s the ultimate sophistication”. Complexity keeps us busy.
Transparency – Everyone involved should know how far you’ve come and how far you’ve got to go.
To me, F.A.S.T. is all about taking control while, as Gordon says, recognising that:
“if you want to get something you’ve never had,
you must do something you’ve never done”.
And that’s where I can help you. Getting to where you’ve never been before.
Like a major news network calling you on New Year’s Day
asking you to be on their top rating 6pm News program
talking about New Year’s Resolutions.
For me, that was one mighty curve ball.
A mighty big deal for a TV virgin.
It sent me in an out-of-control non-FAST-like spin… for a brief moment.
A year ago I’d have said: “No can do. Thanks for asking. Happy New Year.”
Even if I had the time, I’d have been too scared.
- Scared to get in front of a TV camera.
- Scared knowing I’d potentially be beamed into over 1 million homes.
- Scared I wouldn’t know what to say.
This year I said “Yes”.
It was the right kind of F (as in Focus) for me:
- Stretch into the discomfort zone.
- Take action when you don’t feel like it.
- Take action before you feel ready.
Like pretty much most things that terrify you,
it wasn’t as scary as I imagined.
It was far from perfect.
But it was done.
And done is better than a fantasy.
I’m not telling you this to brag
Although I am pleased as punch to have been on the 6 o’clock news.
I’m telling you this because it wasn’t luck.
“Success occurs when preparation meets opportunity.” Zig Ziglar
Looking back I realise I’d been doing the right things
to be ready to say ‘yes’ and pull it off successfully.
Will you be ready when your next opportunity comes along?
Do you know if you’re doing the right work so that you’ll be prepared?
The work that means you stop feeling like a fraud and
have the confidence to know that ‘you’ve got this’
when opportunity knocks?
Or will you let the opportunity pass you by?
If you don’t want that to be you and
would like help preparing for the success you want
at work and in your career, then it’s time to get to work.