1. Uninformed optimism. This is the first stage and the most exciting as we imagine all the benefits that we are going to get from the change.
2. Informed pessimism. This stage is characterized by a shift into negative emotions.
3. The valley...

Commitments improve relationships, strengthen integrity, and build self-esteem. Commitment is a state of being bound emotionally and intellectually to a course of action.

The ability to keep commitments is fundamental to effective execution. The difference between interest and commitment is...

Forget about the 12 month year and instead focus on the 12 Week Year. Why? Because you can get more done in 12 weeks than in 12 months with the right mindset, goals, and strategy.

• To execute successfully, it is important to have a strong emotional connection to the outcome.
• ...

Having an annual plan has the following benefits:

• It reduces mistakes
• It saves time
• It provides focus

Having a 12-week plan has three additional and distinct differences from annual planning:

1. Is more predictable t...

To tap into the incredible power of a personal vision, you need a future that is bigger than the present. Your business vision needs to be anchored on your personal vision.

When things get hard the connection between your personal and business vision will help you to focus.

When y...

To achieve life balance, you need to be purposeful in how you spend your time, energy, and effort.

• When our attention is spread over various subjects and conversations, we apply very little of ourselves to any individual activity. This can result in feelings of being b...

• Scorekeeping will provide you with a knowledge base that will guide decisions and lead to better performance and success.
• Scorekeeping will let you know whether what you are doing is effective.
• Measurement builds self-esteem and confidence because it documents progress and ac...

• The actions that we take create our long-term results. While we plan for the future, we act on the day.
• If you want to be truly effective, your daily activities must align with your long term vision, strategies, and tactics.
• A weekly plan will translate your 12-week plan into...

• The important actions are usually uncomfortable ones. And the secret to living up to your potential is to value the important stuff.
• Vision is the starting point of all high performance.
• Barriers to physical performance exist in the mind.

You must be clear on ...

1. Strong desire. A clear and personally compelling reason will make you do things
2. Keystone actions. A few core activities account for a majority of your results
3. Count the costs. Counting the costs means being ready to commit ti...

When creating your vision, focus on three-time horizons:

1. Long-term aspirations.
2. Mid-term goals about three years to the future.
3. 12 weeks.

Pitfalls when creating a vision:

• You don’t take the power of vision seriously.
• The vision isn’t meani...

Your supply of time is completely inelastic and perishable.

When you are not purposeful about how you spend your time, you leave results to chance.

Block out regular time each week to deal with strategically important tasks. Examples of performance time: