Choose one “Game Changer” Goal Each Year to Consistently Propel Your Contracting Business Forward

December 31, 2014
Category: Be a Highly Effective Owner,Business Tips,Define Your Vision and Plan

The end of the year is a time of reflection. A time when we pat ourselves on the back for the good things that we’ve accomplished, take stock of all the things that we still want to work on and create our New Year’s resolutions for our business and life.

If you’re like most people that I know, you probably have a long list of things that you want to do in 2015. And many of these things were on the 2014 list and maybe the 2013 and 2012 lists too. Am I right? I thought so!

I’m sure that there’s a lot that you want to accomplish in 2015. But trying to do it all can be overwhelming, demotivating and even counterproductive. The fact is that if you have too many priorities then really nothing is a priority at all. As a result, your energy, time and effort will be spread too thin and you’ll end up getting very little done.

This year, try something radically different.

In 2015, instead of having a long list of goals and New Year’s resolutions, consider focusing on one “game changer” goal or project. My definition of a “game changer” is a project or major goal, that when you accomplish it, has the potential to make a dramatic difference in your business or life.

Committing to a game changer focuses your energy, time and even your money on the one thing that will make the biggest impact on your business or life. The net result is that instead of making a tiny amount of progress on a hundred different things, you’ll end up making significant progress on the one thing that has the potential to create a breakthrough in your business and life.

Here are a few examples of game changers from my clients:

• Build a marketing system capable of consistently generating 200 leads a month.
• Figure out how to consistently attract and keep great people.
• Increase profit from 0% to 10%.
• Reduce my weekly work hours from 80 to 45 (so that I can have children), and continue to grow my business.
• Launch our first satellite location.
• Build a management team to help me run my business

Your game changer will usually be something that you don’t know how to do, and may be well beyond your “comfort zone,” but don’t let that scare you. As the saying goes: “If you want something you’ve never had, then you’ve got to do something you’ve never done!”

Intrigued? Here are three steps to make 2015 your game changer year.

1. Brainstorm your possible “Game Changers”

Some of you may already know exactly what your game changer needs to be. If you do, you just need to make the commitment that 2015 is the year that you’re going to make it happen. If that’s you, skip to Step 3.

If you don’t know what your game changer is, here are some questions for you to consider to stimulate your thinking. Answer each and just brain dump whatever comes to mind. Don’t edit, just get whatever you think of on the page. Get your spouse or your team involved. Often they see things that you don’t.

• What is your vision for your business? What things are keeping you from achieving it?
• What challenges do you face in your business that would make the greatest impact if you could solve them?
• What’s keeping you from breaking through to the next level?
• What do you most want to have in your business that you don’t have now?
  What about in your life?
• What are the biggest stressors in your business?
• What is the weakest link in your business?
• Fill in the blanks about your business with whatever first comes to mind: I wish I could… _________. Someday I’m gonna… ___________. If only I could… __________.

2. Choose your 2015“Game Changer” project

If you answered the questions in Step 1, you should have a long list of game changer ideas. So it’s time to choose. But how? To zero in on the game changer that is right of you, first read over the list and see if any jump off the page for you from a gut feel perspective. If one does, it’s probably the right one.

If a game changer doesn’t jump off the page for you, then look for the one that will either have the greatest financial impact on your business today, best set you up for future success or most improve the quality of life for you and your employees.

If you’re debating between a few, answering these two questions might help you select the best one:

• How will your business and you be different as a result?
• Why is this the right Game Changer for you now?

3. Create an action plan with the steps you will need to take to get you started

Because this is a game changer, you may not know all the steps you need to take to make it happen. Don’t worry. Just map out the steps that you know you need to take to get started. Put dates when you want to complete each step. When you complete these initial steps, additional action steps will become clear.

Also, consider what support you will need to ensure success and definitely get help where you need it. If you have a challenge in your business, the chances are good that someone else has figured out how to solve it so, rather than spin your wheels, ask for help!

Focus, persistence and follow through are the keys to success

I know from personal experience that this game changer approach works. I have been choosing one game changer project in my business for years, and it has had a dramatic positive impact on my business and my life.

I also know from experience that succeeding with your game changer is not for the faint at heart. It will require commitment, focus, persistence and follow through on your part to make it happen. At times, you may get frustrated and want to quit. But don’t. You chose your game changer because it has the potential to create a breakthrough in your business and life, and if you knew how to do it, you would have done it a long time ago. Keep at it and you’ll definitely make 2015 your game changer year!

Have a happy and successful 2015!

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