My partners and I recently met to finalize our game plan for 2014. When we first set our projected company revenue at a percentage increase over 2013, our goals seemed pretty lofty. Then we broke out our strategy from start to finish, in week- or month-long increments, and it all seemed very achievable.
This reminded me of the same process people go through when they decide to undertake their first marathon.
At first, most non-runners feel there is no way they can complete 26.2 miles in one stretch. They forget about the course of action and look at the final achievement, as if they had to run the entire race immediately. What they do not realize is that the first week of a six-month marathon training plan for beginners only requires 6 miles of running—or to further break it down, 2 miles on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
Not too bad. Run three days a week and take four days off, etc. The secret is to take one week at a time and not focus on the full 26.2 miles on race day.
Once beginners commit to following the plan, the goal becomes attainable. Now, along the way there might be setbacks, such as injuries, busy schedules, and such. But their desire to accomplish the objective will allow them to work around unforeseen circumstances.
So, go ahead. Set those aggressive goals for 2014. Then break them down and achieve them.
As principal, John Conger oversees operations at CASE Commercial Real Estate Partners, a full-service firm with offices in Dallas, Fort Worth, Austin, and San Antonio. Contact him at [email protected].
