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Rusty Gaillard

The #1 Enemy of Progress

Published over 1 year ago • 1 min read

‘When’ helps you make the most important step in your achievement – the first step. —Saidi Mdala


This is the time of year when my healthy habits go out the window.

I think it’s the confluence of multiple factors:

- changing weather

- holiday sweets (peppermint mocha anyone?)

- shorter days

- busy schedule

The truth is, it doesn’t matter why my healthy habits are gone. The fact is, they are.

What matters is recognizing it and doing something about it.

In my case, when I consider what do about my misplaced healthy habits, I have one easy answer.

January.

And therein lies the risk.

The reason most people don’t have the kind of success they want is not due to failure.

The problem is they never start.

I had a number of conversations last week about planning for the new year.

Everyone does it at work, but few people plan their personal life the same way.

That’s how I operated for decades.

If you asked me to plan something more than 6 weeks in advance, I wouldn’t commit. It was outside my planning horizon.

Now I plan the entire new year during December.

If that sounds like the kind of exercise you’d rather not even start, I have a secret to share with you.

The whole point is to build a plan for a year that you love.

I have a year-at-a-glance calendar that I hang on my wall, and once I fill it out, I do a simple test.

Every time I look at the calendar, I notice if I feel excited about the year.

Have I planned enough things that I really want to do?

Have I left enough free time for relaxing?

Have I scheduled a trip or activity that’s long been on the “some day” list?

Taking a few hours to think about the year and schedule specific plans on the calendar has two positive results.

First, I look forward to those activities for months, every time I look at the calendar.

Second, I actually do the activity.

Having a specific plan is the way to transform a desire to reality, at work and in your personal life.

What is your plan for 2023?

To your best year yet,

P.S. I have a number of speaking events this month in companies and professional organizations, to train teams to reach their full potential. If you’d like to explore a presentation at your organization, reply with the word “progress”.

Rusty Gaillard

Executive Coach, Lifelong learner, Dad, Bass player, Outdoor Enthusiast, Former Apple Worldwide Director of Finance.

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