Accountability Partners

Now that we are measuring and tracking our goals we need to establish an accountability partner.  An accountability partner can be a friend or family member that you can team up with to make sure both of you are achieving goals.  I suggest a weekly phone call to communicate your goal measuring and ideas how to improve to obtain your goals.

Key’s to successful accountability partnerships are:

• Challenge each other
• Hold each other accountable
• Celebrate milestones together
• Give honest feedback
• Have weekly check ups to discuss successes and failures

Remember, measuring and tracking isn’t a solo sport.  Accountability of oneself can be challenging.  It is easy to skip a workout or forgo a challenging sales opportunity.  One can always put off today’s task for tomorrow.  Form accountability partnerships today to increase your ability to achieve your goals.

I look forward to hearing about your accountability partnerships,

Pat Roth 

Now What Part II

On my last blog post I focused on the importance of measuring goals. Remember, if you don't measure your goals then by default they must not be important.  Now that you are measuring your goals like a Champion it is important to apply several BASIC principles.

1) Commit For the Long-Term

• You must commit to measuring.  After 1 week of consistent measuring it will be come second nature.

2) Schedule Time For Your Goals

• You are more likely to spend time on your goals if you schedule them into you day.  Put them into your calendar today!

3) Focus On The Tasks That Will Give You The Biggest Return.

• Remember we all have the same 24 hours.  You must focus on key tasks to see the most success.  Get rid of the clutter.

We would like to hear about your successes on measuring your Goals.  Look forward to hearing from you.

-- Pat Roth 

Hey I Have Goals, Now What?

In Basics, we focus on developing goals so they are clear, defined and written on paper.  Within the first stages of the Goal Setting course we write down 50 goals we want to accomplish.  These might range from running up Pikes Peak to learning to cook to finally taking that leap into entrepreneurship. From this list we categorize and prioritize goals down to core goals.  Core goals being 3 to 4 absolute things that if done successfully will propel us to our best year yet.  If you are like most of us you are asking NOW WHAT?

When we study the Greats there is an overwhelming theme.  The Greats have created and established a bridge between making goal and successfully accomplishing goals, which is they measure and track their goals like fanatics.

I will leave you with one final thought, "If you don't measure and track your goal then by default it must not be important".  For the next month, remind yourself of this statement.  Either you will launch yourself in the direction of accomplishing your goals or your true goals will now materialize.

-- Pat Roth

The Secret to a Great Day

Do you want to have a great day? Guess what, great days just don’t happen by accident, they usually start early and they start with good old fashion discipline. Most achievers are early risers and they wake up with the sun. They are energized and ready to rock the world. The hardest thing about early morning is putting both feet on the floor.  Try this…when your first foot hits the floor say “thank” when your second foot hits say “you” and the look up to the heavens. This is not a bad way to greet your new day ahead.

Next is where your rock solid habits need to kick in. Time to get your mind and body moving. I like to get on my workout cloths, brew my coffee and head to my home office. With coffee in hand I’m at my computer pulling up YouTube and looking for 15 to 20 minutes of an inspirational, educational entrepreneurial story. Last week it was my Warren Buffet week. Buffet is all over YouTube and I came away with many great thoughts and ideas. Next I head for the door for my 30 minute power walk in the great Rocky Mountain high air. I am accompanied by my trainer (Winston) and my therapist  (Lucy) and they are both wagging their tails! Labs also have great smiles! I try to time my walk as the sun is coming up. A great sunrise is better than runners high.

I’m back home and ready for 15 minutes of spiritual time. This is where my “why” really comes together and is really the most important part of my morning routine. Now I’m in the “zone”!! Next I’m off to the kitchen and blend my berry, banana and apple shake and shower, dress and dance out to my car ready to have a grand day meeting with “winners” from the Basics Team.

Life is good…

-- Bill Roth

The Strength Of Your Network

Successful people have robust professional networks (For example look at Warren Buffett, Richard Branson, and Oprah Winfrey). Most of us spend the majority of our time with our closest connections.  We go to dinner on the weekends with the same friends.  We workout with the same few people. At happy hours we eventually migrate to be with our closest friends to debrief on the latest work politics, social happenings, and yes the latest Shark Tank episode (at least I do).  Even further, at work we tend to eat lunch and sneak away for afternoon Starbucks with the same co-workers.

The large amount of time spent with close personal relationships by default naturally restricts our ability to expand our professional networks.  For this discussion let's all agree that one's professional network will most likely lead to one's next job or new customer as this network is exponentially larger than our day-to-day personal network.  I challenge you to dedicate a few hours a week to strengthening your professional network.  Try simple activities such as networking lunches, 15-minute introduction coffees, follow-up emails, seminars, and even joining new social circles.  Your acquaintances can be your most valuable relationships.

Today there is a powerful tool at your fingertips to help develop a strong robust professional network. If you have not guessed it, it is LinkedIn.  The networking power of LinkedIn isn’t in your 1st degree contacts as you already have established those relationships (being friends and close co-workers).  The true value of LinkedIn is in the 2nd degree contacts.  These are the individuals that your 1st Degree contacts can introduce you to.  Your next customer is just 1 introduction away.  Spend the time and effort to building out your professional network.  

-- Pat Roth

Vision Boards - Grab a Glass of Wine, Turn on the Music & Create

I heard about vision boards years ago but never had taken the time to actually look into them or create one. The theory behind them is you look at them often to keep your goals in mind, think positively and stay motivated.

One day a few years ago, I became inspired and decided to pour through magazines and be creative. I came to realize this was a really fun and fulfilling process. I cut out different pictures, phrases, words, etc. that spoke to how I want to live my life and the type of balance I seek in it. For me that included family, friends, faith, being active, etc. I had such a good experience taking some quiet time for myself to turn on music, pour a glass of wine and create!

Vision boards can be made with words, pictures, etc. They can be individual or perhaps something you and your significant other create together to keep in mind your goals and dreams. When I made mine I made a collage on a poster board, but there are many ways you can do it. I know my Dad keeps his in his journal and adds to it continuously with photos, quotes, etc. that he finds. You could also use an online tool like Pinterest or look into a vision board app.

The best way to utilize them is to have it somewhere where you will look often. I hang mine in our closet. And in fact, in writing this I realize that it's time for me to update my board as it has been a few years and a lot has changed!

Have you ever made a vision board?

Happy creating!

Really, Try Tracking for 30 Days

This month Denver hosted a TEDxMileHigh event showcasing numerous Colorado speakers spreading big ideas. TEDxMileHIgh describes itself as "a community of thinkers and doers, ideators and creators, activists and enthusiasts".  Even though it was a beautiful classic Colorado Saturday, I really enjoyed forgoing the sun and listening the the wide range of speakers.  The one speaker that gained traction with me was Ned Breslin, a life long water activist. Ned left me with the very simple thought of if you are not tracking how do you tell if you are truelly creating value.  In other words, without tracking your results you could be moving in the wrong direction and not have a clue.  Ned described a very simple scenario of water focused NGOs moving from town to town in Africa with presumably establishing life changing wells for communities.  The unknown downside was that the NGOs didn't track to see if the wells actually worked in future years.  You guessed it, some were still active and some were disappointments to the host community.  Ned proposes a system of continuous tracking of the wells to learn and establish best practices.

Now we all have big goals and habits for 2013.  What if we spent the next 30 days seriously tracking our progress and results what would we learn about ourself?

July 1st is almost upon us and it is a perfect time to spend 30 days tracking what ever habit you are trying to establish or abolish.  Several of my personal ideas for July tracking ideas are:

• Frequency of workouts
• Meals with vegetables
• Personal finances
• Relationship building through coffees, lunches, email, text messages and yes an old school phone call

As you know I am very keen on systems and platforms.  Some of my favorite tools I am currently using are:

• Nike Fuel Band - tracks my daily movement
• WorkOut - simple calendar iPhone app that tracks frequency and allows simple note taking
• Lift - simple habit creating iPhone app with a social network encouragement element 
• Simple Bound Notebook

What successes have you achieved by tracking? Any recommendations for our Basics Team Members?

Go for it!

-- Pat Roth