“Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”
– Albert Einstein
Have you ever had an important project or goal not turn out as well as you had hoped? Don’t worry, we all have! It’s time to reverse this trend by re-evaluating the actions we are taking in our lives to see if they are setting us up for success. Here’s what we know:
- Change is constant
- We control our actions
- Our actions and results are connected
- We can all turn our ideas into action and enjoy amazing results
The powerful formula below tells the truth every time! You must be proactive in each area to enjoy optimal results.
Your Actions + Your Leadership = Your Results
Three Areas to Evaluate for Better Results:
1. ACTIONS
Are your actions aligned with the results you want?
Often, we wait until the end of the year to decide that our results are not what we wanted. Perhaps you are not entirely satisfied with your business, relationships, health, or finances. We have to be honest and ask ourselves, “If the actions we are taking today will lead to the results we desire tomorrow?”
First, we need to know what we want to accomplish or bring into our life and then we can align our actions. For example, one client wants to get her art career back on track and is working to put together a small event for her friends at the end of the year. As a result, one of her actions will be to spend time each day in her studio.
What are the actions you consistently take to enhance your life? If you want to build your business, do you attend networking events to attract new clients? Do you attend conferences to broaden your knowledge? There is no right or wrong answer to these questions. You have to decide what you what.
The encouraging part is that we have control over our actions.
2. PERSONAL LEADERSHIP
Are you taking personal responsibility for your life?
One of my core principles is to Be the CEO of YOU INC. (see 5 Ways to Feel Empowered Each Day). It’s about accountability, responsibility, making yourself a priority, and choices.
Life is a series of choices.
Each day you must decide how to invest your precious time and energy. Will you step up and be the CEO of your life or franchise out different areas and let others make key decisions for you? If you want a specific set of results, you must take an active role in your life and be proactive. If changing jobs is a core priority, then what steps are you taking on a daily basis to own the situation and create a new path?
You make the decisions, not someone else!
3. RESULTS
Are you doing everything you can to get your desired results?
Make no mistakes — results are not arbitrary. In a world where there is much uncertainty about the future, we can be certain that we will always get results. The uncertain part is if we will view the results as desirable or undesirable.
It all comes down to you.
Are you clear on the results you want to accomplish and are you taking the necessary actions to get there? If health and being in shape is a core value, does it make sense to order a high calorie coffee drink at Starbucks every morning and only exercise when you feel motivated? It’s one thing to say what you want but another thing to do it. Again, there are no right or wrong decisions, just the ones that work the best for you. Don’t be fooled, your results are directly related to your actions!
TOP 1% BOTTOM LINE: The good news is that you control your actions, which means that your results are dependent on what you do on a consistent or inconsistent basis. Many people want success overnight (this would be a good time to identify what that means to you), but success is a process that is created by the actions and ownership we take over time. Be honest, will your actions lead to the results you want in 2012? There is still plenty of time to assess where you are in different areas of your life and decide what shifts, if any, need to take place to get the results you desire.
Why not make choices that position you for success in every area of your life?
Photo by VinothChandar
Hi Alissa,
That is a powerful formula you have put together. Our actions and leadership do equal the results we get.
Indeed we have to pay close attention to ensure that our actions are aligned with the results we want. But this is only part of the picture. While our actions can be aligned with the results we want, they might not be aligned with the bigger picture or the situations we find ourselves in.
For example, if I were going for a job interview for this job that I wanted very much. And I prepared as hard and as thoroughly as I could based on the job description and what I think the interviewers are looking for.
The problem lies in the unknowns. I might not pitch myself the way the interviewers want. Or I might emphasize the wrong strengths and so on. Taking action that is aligned with the results we want is well and good. But we also need to align our actions with the overall situation so that we flow with the situation and not against it.
Just imagine, if we knew the outcome of all our actions before we did them, what difference would that make in our lives? How would this enhance your action, leadership and results formula? Only foresight will we know the best action to take in any given situation. And then we can take responsibility and make the changes we need to get the results we want without wasting time or effort.
When you know the outcome of your actions in advance, there is less uncertainty about what you should do and greater certainty in how to attain your goals.
Thank you for sharing this lovely article! :)
Irving the Vizier
Thank you. Being able to see the bigger picture and keep it in perspective is key!
Oh how I love goals. As I set my new goal to the Photo Project 365- my camera decided to not work. So, Now I have no job or money to fix it so I might change my Photo Project into something else as the camera might not be my option…or is it the universe telling me not to use photos? Oh how I wonder.
I have so many goals for 2012 but writing is my main one.
Thanks for the give a way as reading is my favorite thing to do.
And thank you for sharing, keep pursuing your goals and gaining clarity on what’s truly important and a priority in your life. Wishing you all the best for a wonderful 2012!
Dear Alicia,
One of my goals in the New year “2012” is to learn a new language which I think is important skill to develop in 21st century.
Thanks for your posts.
Monil
Very inspiring, love it! Thanks for sharing, Alissa
My top 2 goals for 2012: moving to Portland and getting my hazy dream of an education website started!
Awesome, go for it and keep us posted! Alissa :)
My husband and I are determined to move out of our small town in 2012. Our goal is to find a new job/jobs, and do what we have to, to move. I don’t like change when it comes to employment. It scares me. That is what has brought me to follow this blog (found it Googling). It is encouraging to read all these posts, and I realize I can do whatever I put my mind up to.
I love your last sentence, “I realize I can do whatever I put my mind up to.” It takes people a long time to be able to say these words, glad you are saying them now. Good luck with all. I’m excited for you! Alissa :)
thank you Alissa
that’s so true
i once wrote about that topic as well
we must keep changing our methods if we want different results
thank you :)))
Totally agree!
personal accountability is so important. so many of us just tend to blame everyone and everythign else for our misfortunes, but we can decide how to react these external factors
and move on
and lead ourselves to focus on what we want to achieve
Noch Noch
I love everything you said, very true and powerful!
such a powerful message. I needed this
I used to be a person to blame my environment and everything in it for some of the situations I’ve been in.
It led to really negative results in my life, which had me devastated.
But I’m realizing everyday (thank god) that the way I project my negative energy out to others and other things is actually a reflection of my unresolved personal issues.
Knowing that simple fact has changed my life, and your post just put the cherry on top.
thanks Alissa
Huge realization, thanks for sharing! Very powerful, Alissa :)
My biggest goal in 2012 is to get out of my own way. I realize that the limitations I experience are often directly related to my fears and excuses. Whether that is working out, finding a new job or saving money-when I start focusing on what I can do to move past my circumstance, I will start to see the path more clearly!
Powerful Sasha. I’d love to have you say this with a positive twist, instead of get out of my own way (and I know what you mean, many of us share this one), “I will be my biggest supporter” etc. Hope this makes sense, A
Hi Alissa,
Telling yourself The Truth is a terrific way of getting on track with your results. We often lie to ourselves, often unintentionally however being absolutely honest clears the decks and opens new paths to positive results. Thankyou.
be good to yourself
David
Hie Alissa,
Nice article, really insightful and liberating, just taking charge of our own action can and will work wonders for everyone. Thanks for the post…:)
Thank you for sharing Alissa! It’s very informative and I agree with what you’re detailing. In my new book, I also detail a series of simple steps to achieve your goals, no matter what, even in the midst of a crisis. It is so important to have a set plan to get where you want to be and to put you ahead of the process when going after a goal in any area of your life.
Gail Kasper – Motivational Speaker and Author, http://www.gailkasper.com
Unstoppable: 6 Easy Steps To Achieve Your Goals