My Ikigai

Dear Nikken Friend,

We all have goals, such as developing a new leg in our business.  How about getting on Team Kaizen or Team Taishi, joining the new Club Kiai?  Or developing a consistent, higher value monthly check in our business? Some people seem to have no problem achieving their goals. While others don’t seem to make much progress.

I have enjoyed both success in achieving my goals and had some setbacks.  I have absolutely crushed some goals and have also experienced ‘wonderful’ embarrassing failure!  As I have worked with others, collaborated with leaders, coached team members and studied the work of authors and high achievers I have identified 11 ways that we can get in the way of our own success. Sometimes there are things we can’t control. Influences in business, the economy, social shifts – it’s important to focus on the things we can control or influence the outcome- this must be at the center of our responsibility.

Here are 11 ways we can get in the way. Note – if we are in the way in any of these areas, we can get out of the way by reducing or eliminating the behavior. Pointing out the negative, gives room for its opposite to exist right?

  1. You Procrastinate. You keep putting things off. You talk about how you want to do something but you don’t act on it. You are like the howling dog. A howling dog refers to a dog who keeps howling because it’s sitting on a nail. However, he refuses to get up from the nail. Why? Because it’s not painful enough. You procrastinate on taking action because the situation is not painful enough for you yet. However, the times when it does become painful enough are often the times when it’s too late to do anything. The pain of discipline or the pain of regret is your call, I’ll leave it to you!
  2. You underestimate your goal. Achieving a goal is about getting from point A to B. From point A, you create an action plan that gets you to point B. Sounds foolproof, except the action plan isn’t 100% valid. That’s because you’re setting the plan from point A. You haven’t even been to point B, so how do you even know if it’ll get you to B? It may bring you closer to point B, but it’s not going to be 100% accurate.  Most of the time people fail because they underestimate what it takes to achieve their goals. I love what Molly Simpson said in SLC in her workshop. Invite ten times the amount of how many people you want to have at your local meeting!
  3. You spend more time defending your problems than taking action. You complain how you are not getting XYZ results. When people try to give you suggestions, you spend more time justifying why their suggestions will not work and defending your lack of results than brainstorm with them on how to get out of your rut. Spend less time talking about your problems and use that time to think about solutions. You can either be a victim or a victor, but you cannot be both!
  4. You are enclosed in your own world. You don’t venture out beyond your normal routine. You do the same things, talk to the same old friends, act the same way, circle around the same issues. You become stagnate. Open yourself up – take active steps to grow. Get to know more people – people who are driven, positive and focused. Get new, refreshing perspectives. Read new books. Add new blogs to your subscription. Ask for feedback on how you can improve.
  5. You’re not working smart. You do the same thing over and over, even when you don’t get results. You apply brute strength to your goals, without strategizing how you can apply this strength more effectively. If you are not getting what you want, it’s a signal it’s time to change what you have been doing. See how you can do this in a different, smarter, more effective way.  Look at people who have achieved the same results before, and learn from them.
  6. Avoidance (Fear). You avoid taking action because some of the things you have to do intimidate you. You rather delay the process as much as possible. Unfortunately, results are not going to come automatically from delaying. Results come to people who pay their dues, not people who avoid the work. The fear isn’t going to go away by waiting it out. Face the fear and do it anyway.
  7. You’re easily distracted. You get distracted by things thrown in your way. Your attention gets diverted from your goals. Your ability to stay focused is instrumental to achieving your results. Be clear of what you want and stick to it. Don’t let anything (or anyone) distract you. These are the obstacles the universe sends your way to see how serious you are about getting what you want.
  8. You over-complicate situations. Common among the neurotic perfectionists. If you are a neurotic perfectionist, you blow the situation out of proportion and create this mental image that’s so complicated that it’s no wonder you don’t get anything done. Things are usually simpler than you think – be conscious when you are adding unnecessarily complications for yourself.   KISS – Keep it Simple, Sweetie!
  9. You give up too easily. You give up before you even get anywhere. If you read “The Dip”, you’ll know all big goals comes with a dipping point – a chasm where it seems nothing you do is giving you results. It’s normal. This is the point that differentiates those who deserve the goal and those who are just taking a casual stab at it. Persevere!  press on! It always takes some time before you reap the fruits of your labor.
  10. You lose sight of your goals. You settle for less, forgetting the goals you once set. That’s bad because then you are just stifling yourself and making do with what you have – and this isn’t who you are meant to be. You have to first reconnect with your inner desires. If you cannot fail at all, what would you want to do? What are your biggest hopes and dreams for your future? What is the future you want to create for yourself? Reignite your vision and don’t ever lose sight of it. It’s your fuel to your success.
  11. You’re too stuck in your ways. You insist on doing things a certain way. You don’t open yourself up to new ideas. Guess what? You’ll remain stuck in your situation, too. Open yourself to new methods. Experiment. You can only improve if you are willing to try new things.

Remember that these 11 reasons are self-created problems – you can easily dismiss them – just as you have created them!  A more accurate title for this newsletter should be “11 Reasons Why You Aren’t Successful – Yet”.  Your goals are in your hands – you can achieve them as long as you strive for them. Address the 11 things blocking you from your success, and it’s a matter of time before you achieve results you seek.

Happy Valentines Day!

Ben & Dave

Check out: John Maxwell’s Personal Growth Plan