Why You Should Manage Time To Refresh Your Business Strategy And Tactics But Stick To Your Goals

Here are a number of simple strategic planning and time management techniques that
you need to follow:

1. Set the end game and define success. Visualize the successful consequences. Write them down and solidify this objective monthly. But only re-visit it and re-think it annually. Definitely not more frequently.

2. Set out two key milestones for each year of your five-year plan. One milestone will be tangible - say a financial target, the number of hours per week on a particular business, networking, sporting, social or family activity. The other milestone will be intangible - say a particular level of media standing or a level of access that you need to achieve with certain selected priority customers.

3. Now define the actions that you need to take to get to those milestones. Plus the resources that you intend to deploy. Time, cash, hired support, mentors, business angels, etc. For each quarter over the next two years. This is your own strategic plan.

4. Call them what you want, your milestones do not need to vary that much. Otherwise known as strategic goals, these determine your strategic plans, which should be reviewed and tested quarterly. Look objectively at those strategic action plans every three months. Be honest with yourself and consider whether they are really working, to keep you on track with your milestones. Be prepared to adjust your strategy to get back on track.

5. For each week of the forthcoming quarter, set out more specific milestone steps - plus your tactical plan to get there. These tactics will involve very specific activities, say to derive value for your customers, to market your brand or to organize and outsource your low added-value support activities.

6. Be prepared to challenge yourself over your tactical progress every week and reprioritise your action plan every day. Remember that you can never be good enough at time management. This most precious resource should be managed in a disclplined manner. Make it fun but keep it rigourous.

7. Put the next day's priorities in four lists:
a. Cash Is King - Grows Cash Flow This Quarter
b. Build Our Brand - High Impact On Competitiveness, Niche and Innovation
c. Love Our Customers - Create New Customer Value And Deal With Any Issues - Immediately
d. Other

8. Delegate or outsource list (d)

9. Get trusted support on the other lists. You cannot do it all in a growing business. But run activities in (a) to (c) yourself,unless you can entrust them to staff with integrity, intelligence and energy.

10. Hire this support diligently and thoroughly. Follow your first instincts to get to short-list fast, for any level of job role. But then take your time to test and reference check anyone that you believe can be worthy of being on your payroll. Check them and test them again for integrity, intelligence and energy. Because if the don't have integrity first, the other two can soon destroy what your brand and business stand for.

For the Master Entrepreneur

1. I will prevail. My instinct is right. I will get to the end vision. Sometimes I will vary my strategic plan. I will make sure I have such control that I will be able to take action fast

2. I will make sure I never get into a position where I cannot react swiftly to change my tactics in an instant

3. I will stay close to the detail where it involves cash flow and customer satisfaction. Hirings in this area will be very carefully and diligently made.

4. I will outsource when I have a recommendation from someone that I really respect and trust

For the Cautious Optimist

1. I will agree a plan with my accountants and stick to it. I will work with trusted advisors and give most of my focus to sales and credit control

2. I will set a programme to test my strategic priorities every month and take advice from trusted mentors or non-executive directors

3. If I have brought in 'Business Angel' Investors to help me so I will seek their opinion on big strategic changes, but make sure I have delegated authority for week-by-week tactics

4. We will only grow our enterprise as fast as we are allowed by the availability and hiring of really top people. If we can't be sure of our staffing we will play safe, delay hiring and put he brakes on revenue growth for its own sake.

We all know examples of success in either type of leader. And you will recognize which is you. Ultimately your success will depend on your strategic judgement and your tactical allocation of your most important asset - your time.

Alan Taylor has known much success and failure as an entrepreneur, as well as driving shareholder value through technology-led change as a director of leading international companies. He now consults to clients of the world's leading enterprise software company, on performance optimization.

Get his insights to Why Wait Just Do and learn from his experience at http://tinyurl.com/86byrxn.

Great Insights on Exercise Science

And see 15+ NEW FREE EBOOKS on Fitness, Positive Thinking, Lifestyle, etc.
on

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Exercise Reverses Aging In Human Skeletal Muscle
Buck Institute for Age Research study gives credence to the value
of exercise, not only as a means of improving health, but of
reversing the aging process itself.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/05/070522210936.htm

Changes in Lipid and Lipoprotein Levels After Weight Training
Both men and women reduced their cholesterol and triglyceride
levels by weightlifting for 16 weeks.
http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/252/4/504

Brief, Intense Exercise Can Benefit The Heart
McMaster University study found that six weeks of intense sprint
interval exercise training improves the structure and function of
arteries as much as traditional and longer endurance exercise with
larger time commitment.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080604101529.htm

'No Time To Exercise' Is No Excuse
The Journal of Physiology article shows that short bursts of very
intense exercise -- equivalent to only a few minutes per day -- can
produce the same results as traditional endurance training.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/09/060918142456.htm

For Insulin Sensitive Overweight Patients, One Session Of Exercise
Improves Metabolic Health
This study shows that even a single bout of exercise helps obese
individuals increase their body's fat-burning rate and improve
their metabolic health.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080925072428.htm

Varying Weight Training Intensity Increases Growth Hormone In Women
Women need to have heavy loading cycle or workout in their
resistance training routines, as it helps to build muscle and bone.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/12/061201105951.htm

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Articles highlighting multitude of exercise benefits, particularly
in older adults.
http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/physical/growing_stronger/why.htm

Best Bet For Boosting Brawn In Women Is Traditional Strength
Training
Ohio University study of women shows the greater benefits of
shorter, heavier workouts over longer, lighter workouts.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080520210700.htm


Weight Training Reduces Fat And Improve Metabolism In Mice
Boston University researchers demonstrated that an increase in type
II muscle mass can reduce body fat which in turn reduces overall
body mass and improves metabolic parameters such as insulin
resistance.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080205121740.htm

Journal of Applied Physiology - reference to studies of Morpurgo,
Petow and Seibert
Muscle hypertrophy (enlargement) is caused by more work per unit of
time, whereas total the total work done was without importance.
http://jap.physiology.org/cgi/pdf_extract/71/1/372

Both Aerobic And Resistance Exercise Improved Blood Sugar Control
In People With Diabetes
The group that did both kinds of exercise had about twice as much
improvement as either other group alone.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/09/070917173157.htm

Moderate Exercise Yields Big Benefits
Studies have shown that simply walking at a brisk pace for 30
minutes or more on most days can lead to significant health
improvements.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080104123421.htm

How To Ride The Bumps and Walk Away From Critics

According to Einstein (or rather misquoting him!) and probably several other philosophers and gurus  besides, luck is dealt to all of us in equal measures through our life. So what really counts? Obviously it’s how you exploit the good luck, when it comes your way. And we will be discussing that much more. But let’s just focus for a few moments on what happens when luck goes against us. Or when we misjudge a situation and our action goes against us.

How we ride these bumps through life is just as important. Then you are ready for the next opportunity, with sustained energy to apply when good luck returns. Quite often we will tend to exaggerate failure. We will let our own thoughts and feelings make a setback much worse than it is. And if the pressure on our own self-esteem is not enough, then there can often be separate pressures, from the criticism of others.

So how do we ensure that we maintain self-esteem through the bad times? And how do we take the positives from critical feedback, but still ensure that we swiftly distance ourselves from negative critical people. Ensuring we walk away from critics fast, but, to (correctly) quote Kipling “make allowance for their doubting too”?

For the Master Entrepreneur

1.     These are the fun times! Challenges we want – to test us. Our instinct will guide us to those problems where we need to dive deep into the detail until they are resolved.

2.     We do not believe in exit criteria so we will keep the big picture and We Will Prevail.

3.     We will ignore non-issues that we judge are unimportant or will resolve themselves. Criticism in these areas will be politely ignored.

4.     We can turn this problem into an opportunity for learning and a springboard for creating value for others in some new way.

For the Cautious Optimist

1.     We will have to decide very early if this is time to get out. Is this a moment to cut our losses and walk away. Or do we hang on and see this problem through?

2.     We will have set our exit criteria and our stop-loss position. This is where our safety net can be utilized.

3.     We will keep our energy high to face the problem head on where it is major. While we fight, other issues or losses can be absorbed by our safety net.

4.     Those critics who are saying “I told you so” can be ignored as I hold my head high for trying to make this work. If it fails and I move on, my true friends will be there for me and my business acquaintances will respect me more.

Human nature being what it is, there will always be individuals  who criticise you, often enviously. They are normally average people without an appetite for risk or the energy to embrace anything new. Walk away from them. Forget their comments and just emerge as a stronger individual, from the learning. List the ways that you are a better person from the negative experience. When in doubt, repeat that list in your mind, over and over.

Remember that every bump has a downhill stretch on the other side. So ride it with strength, Don’t buckle. Look forward to the extra momentum and depth of character gained when you get over this bump and emerge on the exit with greater vigour and self-belief. For no critic is allowed to ever enter your mind and dilute the trust that you have, in your own abilities and potential.

How Can You Take One Giant Step to Fitness? Cut Out Alcohol

Rarely touch alcohol - maximum five unitsper week and never after 6pm. You must respect your metabolism and work with it- not against it. This doesn't need a Doctorate in Nutrition. Nor deepscientific knowledge. Just discipline. As a serious athlete or cyclist, youcommit to a disciplined training regime. You value your health and fitness. Youwant to feel like an Elite rider or top Triathlete, every time you train. Sowhy not follow the same discipline with controlling your weight and alcoholconsumption? And what a difference climbing hills! It's amazing. Unshed thosekilos and you fly up those killer climbs. You recover quicker at the top. Youfeel so much better that you could go back down and climb that hill again!Seriously. When you cut out alcohol and lose that weight you will think howill-disciplined you were, to leave it so long, before taking action. And it'snot about fads like Atkins or G.I. or others. It's about balance, moderationand getting into good habits. Habits so good that you can reward yourselfregularly - even to the extent of a bar of chocolate any afternoon! Provided,of course, that you are following the rules carefully, like no other carbsafter 6pm.

So we have put together key rules for anactive sports person to lose 10 kilos in 5 months - or about an imperial poundin weight every week. These reflect varied pieces of information, advice andlearning, over thirty years of fighting excess weight. The key is to keep therules, all the time. And cut out alcohol. Then you'll feel great. Rarelyhungry. And fly up the hills as if they did not exist! Follow

http://www.elitecyclingfitness.com

So reducing alcohol consumption iscritical. Even better, just give it up completely. Try to combine this with alife-changing event like a new job, a new home move, or a new relationship.Seriously, this gives you an alternative focus and keeps your discipline. Youwill find, after a few days, that when you have beer or a glass of wine, thatyou can really taste the alcohol in it. The flavours that you thought you wereyearning for are just not there. They are overwhelmed by the alcohol itself.Why is this so important? Because you must respect the importance of a properlyfunctioning liver. A healthy liver is essential to process your weight loss andregulate your whole body's digestive balance, especially glycogen. The secondyou consume alcohol, then your liver switches into self-preservation mode, toget the impurities out of your body as fast as you drank them in! What happens?Well clearly all the other liver activities move back down the queue. So othertoxins from training take longer to process out. And other fats in your systemtake longer to burn. Go to bed at night after a few glasses of wine or beer andyou can say goodbye to any weight loss benefits for a couple of days. Yes, itis that important.

But what happens if you slip back into somesociable drinking? A Sunday lunchtime pint is sometimes fine. Or a glass ofwine with a good meal. But, if you are serious about weight loss, make surethat you always dilute one glass of an alcoholic drink with at least twoglasses of water. The effect will be amazing on your general well-being too.Better sleep, better skin and better late-night abilities for conversation - orother activities that need a healthy body! But don't some people advocate thata daily large glass of red wine is good for your health? Sure they do. For thefruit and the tannins. But not for the acidity and the alcohol. Better topurchase a really good juicing machine. Then make the most amazing fresh fruitjuice cocktails. But again watch the high sugar content, too late in theevening before bed. Remember a pint of lager has the same sugar content asdoughnut coated with icing. How many Elite Cyclists or Top triathletes winraces by stuffing themselves with Crispy Cremes?

Nurture Courage To Never Say "I Should Have" www.whywaitjustdo.com

Cautious Optimist or Master Entrepreneur?
Domestique or Aggressive Roadman Sprinter?

It is so easy to fall back on the apparent safe course. We all do it. Whether it is just following the same food or travelling habits, or sticking to a formula, in a work context, that creates safe output and earnings. So how do we nurture courage? How do we step away from that comfort zone? How do we judge when it is worth it?

First of all you have to believe in courage. Can you accept that is a positive quality, to facilitate innovation, energy, passion and resilience? For sure, a courageous mentality means more brave efforts. It means more steps into the unknown. And, as a consequence, that means more pitfalls and potentially more failure.  Either from random misfortune or unforeseen mistakes. It will happen. So the resilience comes from accepting that sometimes not everything will go your way. Then you have to trust your own judgment, on when you decide to still doggedly hang on in there regardless. Or when your instinct tells you that it really is better to cut your losses and get out fast.

Checklist for the Master Entrepreneur?

1. Will I learn from this leap into the unknown, whether I succeed or fail?
2. Is the opportunity innovative and differentiated enough, to have great upside potential if I put my full energy into it?
3. What are my exit criteria and my stop-loss position if things start to go wrong?


Checklist for the Cautious Optimist?

1. Do I currently have the time, energy and available cash resources to make this opportunity work?
2. Should I wait for something even more compelling?
3. Is my safety net strong enough right now – and worth deploying against the downside risk of this opportunity failing?


Let’s recognize that there are few of us who go around consciously seeking continual courageous acts. Quite often, they arise as a result of another event that prompts you to act in response. This may be a confrontation that you are not prepared to accept. Or alternatively a threat to your current business, or your pride, or your livelihood, that means that you just have no alternative, other than to respond. In that situation doing nothing is not an option.

However, these acts of courage to take an opportunity do need a really conscious effort and a state of mind that reflects a hunger for more. This is often driven by internalized needs to prove something to yourself. And these needs offset any doubts or aversion to risk.

So with enough drive and energy, the doubts fall away and courage comes naturally to the Master Entrepreneur. Nurturing courage for the Cautious Optimist is not so easy, because there will always be a stack of reasons not to take the opportunity. With real confidence in yourself and an understanding of the balance of reward versus risk, you just have to give it a go. To learn much about yourself, whether the venture works or not.

http://www.whywaitjustdo.com

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