Your favorite football team, whomever that may be (mine is the New England Patriots if you didn’t already know), plays on Sunday afternoons, takes the field and tries to score touchdowns, while preventing the opposition from doing the same. When the team takes possession on offense and attempts to drive down the field, and there is a breakaway play and one of the players has an open lane to soar into the end zone, he doesn’t stop at the five yard line and spike the ball. No, that would be absurd – right? Can you imagine the ridicule on ESPN, replaying the clip over and over? If a player has a clear shot, they run right into the end zone and score a touchdown.
So, why is that business organizations and individuals so often fall short on achieving their goals and fully completing what they set out to accomplish? There are many folks with good intentions, but they lack the discipline and desire to complete the goals they set for themselves. That is what separates the outstanding and exceptional people and companies from the mediocre ones. It doesn’t matter how much talent someone has; if they do not follow through, the likelihood is that they will fall short of their goals and ultimately fail.
Here are the “The Five D’s for Delivering on your Goals and Promises”:
Direction: First and foremost, you must have a well-thought-out plan with specific goals. The plan should contain the details of what needs to be done to accomplish the desired outcome.
Desire: Once a plan is in place, and before you set out on your mission, you must have the desire to truly want to do what will be necessary to accomplish your goals and complete your vision. You must also possess the belief that you can maintain that desire throughout the entire journey.
Discipline: Here’s where the rubber meets the road. You must follow the plan you have laid out. You must stay the course, and even when you do not feel motivated, you must have the discipline to complete the check list of items necessary to meet your objective. Do not let laziness creep into your life and deter your from your destination.
Determination: In any plan or project, there are going to be bumps in the road and a variety of challenges. You must stay true to your mission, push past the pitfalls and obstacles, and not allow them to get the better of you. At times, you may need to make adjustments to your plan, which is perfectly fine, but don’t let the details derail you from completion.
Destination: After all of your hard work and focus, make sure that you realize the final product to its pinnacle. Don’t cut corners just to say that you finished. Make sure that you have done everything possible to complete the process and reach your ultimate goal to the absolute fullest. This will separate you from the mediocre norm that just want to get to completion of a project and are content with mere satisfactory, as opposed to exceptional, results.
If you approach a project or a goal in this manner, you will be successful at the highest levels and others will take notice of your talents and abilities. Employing the “Five D’s” will assist you in doing what you say you are going to do and will help ensure that you do not spike the ball on the five yard line.
