Here we are in the final thirty something days of the year. Well over 300 days down and we’ve all invested a massive amount of energy and dedication to put ourselves in the position we are now in, and we want to finish strong. You do want to finish the year strong don’t you?
Wherever you stand with your property goals, what can you do to make sure you have that final big sprint to finish the year strong and go into 2022 with confidence and momentum?
A few years ago I shared the true story of a runner who was able to consistently lead the field but who always lost in the final stretch of the race. His coach, who had observed and analysed the runner’s race habits and results, pinpointed the problem – in the final stretch he was always looking over his shoulder at the competition and in those moments would be overtaken.
The coach’s advice, which proved successful, was to ‘fixate on breaking the tape’ and ‘don’t look over your shoulder. You can’t be afraid when you are out in front and alone. When you look over your shoulder you switch focus from the positive goal of winning to the possibility of someone overtaking you.’
This same thinking is what we all need to apply to our respective business situations in the final weeks of the year, if we want to finish with a winning feeling. In other words, to really focus on our goals and protect ourselves from distractions.
So if you want to finish 2021 strong, focus on breaking the tape and don’t let temptations of taking the foot off the pedal distract you.
Here are 5 STEPS TO MAXIMISE THE END OF THE YEAR:
(I got these 5 steps from a Peter Voogd podcast)
Step #1 AWARENESS
*Have full awareness of what you’re doing and how you’re operating in the final stretch of the year.
*Do the opposite of others i.e. at this time of year, most people are starting to eat unhealthy, drink more, take the foot of the work pedal but if we want to differentiate ourselves we have to do the opposite – step up the exercise, keep the diet in check, plan effectively, don’t sell yourself short.
STEP #2- STACK UP MOTIVATION WITH WHYS
*Figure out WHY you want to have an amazing end to the year AND build MASSIVE MOMENTUM going into 2022, and write the reasons down.
*Look at these reasons regularly and use them to push you through while others are easing off.
STEP #3- WRITE DOWN EVERYTHING AND PRIORITISE
*Best way to get rid of the overwhelm and fuzzy thinking is to write everything down. Get it out of your head and onto paper.
*What GETS SCHEDULED GETS DONE
*Write out clear expectations for your business for the end of the year and clear tasks for each person, whether it’s just you or if you have a team – it’s about working more strategically and intentionally rather than doing loads of hours so we can all be more present with our family when we choose to be.
STEP #4- CELEBRATE WEEKLY PROGRESS
*Celebrate weekly progress rather than focusing on perfection or living in ‘the gap’ i.e. focus on what completed or how far you’ve come in the last year, be grateful for what you got done rather than living in the gap of where you think you should be”.
*This next bit of advice is gold, and my favourite quote of the podcast – “You are exactly where you need to be, to learn exactly what you need to learn, to get the lessons that you need to get to build an amazing future”. Don’t beat yourself up, bet on yourself.
STEP #5- WHAT IS YOUR GAME CHANGING HOLIDAY ROUTINE
*The ritual you create to solidify getting back in the zone.
*It’s hard to build momentum when you take breaks, but at this time of year you need to, and when you do you’ll want to be fully present. So to allow yourself to be fully present during down time, maximise what you do leading up to the break. You’ll then feel amazing taking time off with your family.
*In advance of taking your time off, think about and write down a ritual to get you back in the zone. For example, I like to bullet point my ‘pick up points’ before I break for a holiday i.e. a simple instruction so I know exactly what to do first having disconnected for a week.
What are you doing to keep your focus on breaking the tape and finishing the year strong?