I am on the road again. I love spending time with family and friends when I am away but I find that the promises I make to myself tend to slide. What kinds of things you might ask? Well, my diet for one. It is so much easier to stick to a plan when I am at home but on the road it's a bit of a struggle. Eating out or preparing meals for my grandkids become an "occasion" instead of just nourishment.
Several years ago, well maybe it was more than several years ago, I read a book titled Execution: The Discipline of Getting Things Done by Larry Bossidy & Ram Charan. It's a book about running your business but it's pertinent to running your life. Per Bossidy & Ram the reason we fall short of our promises is that we lack execution. The reasons why?
1.) There is a gap between what we want to accomplish and our ability to deliver on our stated goal. I may want to run the Hawaiian Ironman Triathlon but I don't have the ability to deliver on that stated goal.
2.) We have tactics for accomplishing our promises but don't have a long-term strategy for executing. I run 3 miles a couple of times a week but I don't have a plan for developing all the necessary skill sets to compete in the Hawaiian Ironman
3.) We aren't disciplined enough to understand ourselves and our environment. If I believe that at my age I can participate in the Hawaiian Ironman beyond standing on the side lines and cheering, then I not only lack discipline to understand my abilities and life circumstances but I am delusional.
To avoid falling short of our promises to ourselves we must be clear-eyed about our abilities and our environment when creating our strategy for success. How about you? Do you challenge yourself in life? Do you have a plan for execution?
Hugs,
C