Are We There Yet?

"The end is never as satisfying as the journey."

Unknown

An abbreviation of a longer quote with the deleted portion making the point why this is true.

But why aside, do you agree with this much?

Whatever level of business and point in your career you are at, if you could would you "wave the magic wand" and put yourself at what you now consider to be the best possible conclusion?

Think carefully.

Manager = Big, Effective Thinker?

"Big thinking precedes great achievement."

Wilferd Peterson

20th century American author

Saying that is the easy part with the hard part being actually doing not only "big" thinking, but thinking that is also effective.

And just because you've got the manager title does not guarantee your thoughts are either big or effective.

I can point to many issues I've thought long and hard about with little or nothing to show for the effort. 

How about you?

Accomplish More Than Excuse

"It is no use saying, "We are doing our best."  You have got to succeed in doing what is necessary."

Winston Churchill

20th century British statesman

This may sound heartless and it would be taken to the extreme, but as things stand, there is no danger in that.

To the contrary, too many of us, sometimes including me, spend far more time explaining why we didn't do something than we do doing it.

But when it comes to business no amount of excuses will save you.

Succeed or go home.

What Have You Done?

"Genius does what it must, and talent does what it can."

Edward G. Bulwer-Lytton

19th century English politician

Suggesting that we call those who do extraordinary things, genius, regardless of what an intelligence test might say about them.

Actually, a pretty good definition I think.

What Have You Done Lately?

"When we have nothing to worry about we are not doing much, and not doing much may supply us with plenty of future worries."

Chinese proverb

I can think of two reasons you might not being doing much.

1. You're too tired.
2. You see no reason to be doing something.

The first is ok as long as you start doing something once rested.

The second and you're on your way to plenty of future worries.

Best of Intentions Don't Get It Done

"Tomorrow is often the busiest day of the week."

Spanish proverb

So true.  

I sometimes amaze myself with all I plan to do tomorrow, which rarely turns out to be what I actually do.

How about you?

No, But I Can Explain

"It's not whether you win or lose it's how you place the blame."

Oscar Wilde

Or how you explain why you did not accomplish something important?

There are legitimate excuses for not getting things done but if you find you must more often than not explain your lack of performance, your success/failure ratio may be upside down. 

If so, the reasons will soon no longer matter.

We all get paid for what we accomplish, not for explanations of our failings.

Which Way You Headed?

"The wake of a boat doesn't steer the boat."

Ralph Waldo Emerson

What you have been, good or bad, doesn't mean you have to or will be that in the future.

Sins and successes are soon forgotten.

Too Much, Too Little?

"Often he who does too much does too little."

Italian proverb

I would modify this to read, ". . . he who attempts to do too much does too little", but the thought is the same regardless.

Multi-tasking is fine as long as most if not all the "multi-tasks" get done, but that isn't what always happens.  And excessive delegation does not insure accomplishment.

Multi-tasker or delegator, which are you?

The Power of "Git 'er Done"

"One of these days is none of these days."

Unattributed proverb

This along with numerous other proverbs and quotes says "do it now" beats "schedule it" every time.

How are you when it comes to procrastination?

Effort

"Life is like a game of cards. The hand you are dealt is determinism; the way you play it is free will."

Jawaharial Nehru
First Prime Minister of India

"There was nothing I could do" usually means you did nothing, which should not be the same as what you tried to do.

Good Management: But Only To A Point

"Everyone rises to their level of incompetence."

Dr. Laurence J. Peter
Professor of Management/Author

For those too young to know, this comes from the 1969 book, "The Peter Principle".

The assertion; that all work is accomplished by those who have not yet (but ultimately will) rise to a position they are incompetent to hold.

The book was meant to be a humours assessment of our limits in business, but when you think about it . . .

How far can you go?

Done! What's Next?

"As peace is the end of war, so to be idle is the ultimate purpose of the busy."

Samuel Johnson
18th century Englishman of letters

I don't think so. I get things done so I can do other things.

Taken literally, this sounds too close to the quote attributed to then (1899) head of the US Patent Office, Charles Duell, who supposedly said the patent office could be closed because "Everything that can be invented has been invented."

What do you think about the concept of working to be "finished" as opposed to working to be able to move on to other things?

Failure: "I Can Explain"

"It is easier to do a job right than to explain why you didn't."

Martin Van Buren
8th President of the United States

And yet so many spend so much time explaining why they didn't get the job done as expected/requested/required.

Why?

I Didn't Have Enough Time

"I don't wait for moods. You accomplish nothing if you do that. Your mind must know it has got to get down to work."

Pearl S. Buck

Ms. Buck is telling us we don't have the luxury of waiting until the moment is "right", or any other time related expression/excuse as to why we didn't accomplish our goals.

To quote Larry the Cable Guy, "Get 'er done!"

Do you?

Goals: What Have You Done?

"You can't build a reputation on what you are going to do."

Henry Ford

Goals, objectives, good intentions . . . all have their place in business; however when the sun goes down we all get paid for our accomplishments.

What we did, not what we do or will do.

What have you done?