As we draw nearer to the end of the year, look back at the goals you set yourself in January. Did you achieve all that you set out to achieve? Did you have a big hairy audacious goal (BHAG) in January but lost momentum by March? Did your goals to get fit, eat healthily and develop each day not materialize?

Working towards our goals is not easy. We are all human and it is easier to do nothing and just try and get through the day by achieving the bare essentials of life.

John Maxwell writes in his book Sometimes you Win, Sometime you Learn, “Success in most things comes not from some gigantic stroke of fate, but from simple, incremental progress. That’s is pretty boring, isn’t it? It may not be exciting but it is true. Small differences over time create a big difference! Improvement is achieved in inches, not giant leaps,” What Maxwell is saying is that every day make sure you are doing one small thing to move you closer to your goals. The emphasis is on small.

First set your goals, at work, relationships, personal fitness or financial. Then make small incremental steps each day to move you closer to those goals. You may not see a difference in a day or even 2 days but compounded over several days, weeks and years you will notice a big difference.

Saving a £ or $ each day will improve your financial well being. Running or jogging a few kilometers or miles each week will improve your fitness. Reading 10 pages of a non-fiction book each day will ensure you grow mentally. Make a decision to take a small action in your social group or join an online webinar or register for a seminar to grow your knowledge. Each of these small steps compounded will improve your relationships and your physical and mental health.

I know you lead a busy life and don’t have time. It is all about priorities and being smart with your time. Why not watch an hour less of television and use this time constructively to improve your fitness or why not jump on the tread mill while watching television and doing both! Your friends will not miss you if you spend 20 minutes less on Facebook and read a book instead – you could then post what you have learned online.

I know someone who reads while on a cross trainer. It is a highly effective way to improve mind and body and at the same time de-stressing from a demanding study schedule.

As a child develops we expect them to grow. We watch week by week and are excited when they get taller and also learn new skills. We watch them learn through nursery, school, high school and university. We are delighted when they pass a new learning milestone and achievement, maybe winning an award or two on the way. We watch as they physically get taller and stronger until our children are towering above us.

Why is it when we get older no-one is surprised any more when we are not growing physically. The body stops growing when we reach 20. This is a normal and natural event. However, our brain should not stop growing and learning. When many adults stop growing physically they also reach a plateau in their learning and then kick back and relax. You may be at an age where your body has stopped growing however your mind should never stop developing and learning. You should learn and grow all of your life. As John Maxwell writes, “if you don’t, you will come to the end of your potential long before you come to the end of your life.”

Keep growing . . . . Slow and steady wins the race.

Stuart

Making Steps and Leaving Footprints…