In the last 90 days of the year, you can go one of two ways: You can mail it in and say, “I’m going to wait until the following year, and then I’ll get back on it after that.” Or you can say, ” I’m going to leave it all out there, and I’m going to do everything that I possibly can to achieve and accomplish what I set out to do at the start of this year.
This is above and beyond the last 90 days of the year. It is something that you’ll actually be able to apply in ALL 90-day segments of your year, so you could easily use this on January 1st to start out your next year as well.
There are three specific things that you can do if you really want to finish this year strong:
First, have a singular focus. Imagine you and I are sitting down and having a cup of coffee, beer, or a glass of wine on December 31st, and you look at me and say, “I CRUSHED it in the last 90 days of the year.” What would need to happen for you to say that? What would you need to get done? What would you need to make happen personally or professionally?
You might be a business owner watching this video, and you have lots of different metrics and things that you are responsible for, but there’s probably ONE thing that you’re really going to be graded on (bottom-line revenue, sales, etc.) that stands out above everything. When you look at one thing, it will rein in your focus. It will give you a singular concentration and attention to be able to go after what you want.
Can you have a couple of different things that you’re looking towards that you want to get done in the last 90 days of the year? Yes, but if you are going to do that, you need to prioritize it, so you need to have a 1, 1A, 1B, etc. You need to hyper-focus on 1 and all of your energy, focus and drive goes into accomplishing 1 before you move on to 1A, and you have to do the same thing for 1A before you move on to 1B. If you’re scattered around thinking, “Well, I’d like to accomplish these 10 different things that I wrote down on January 1st,” you’re going to end up doing nothing that well.
Second, all of life is based on a teeter-totter. What I’m talking about here is the opportunity cost of doing something. If you look at different sides of the teeter-totter, you’ve got the goal achievement on one side, and then you’ve got what you were going to have to do, or what you were going to have to give up, to make that happen on the other side.
Whichever one weighs more heavily on you is the one that wins.
A famous person once said:
“Half of knowing what you want is knowing what you’ll have to give up to get it.”
This is saying, “If I want to get something done in the last 90 days of the year, maybe I’ll have to spend less time on social media. Maybe I have to forego some happy hours with friends or with coworkers. Maybe I have to show up at the office just a little bit earlier. Maybe I have to give up watching some football or TV at night.”
What are you going to have to give up that’s on this side of the teeter-totter, and are you willing to do it?
It’s a very honest, objective conversation for you to have with yourself. It’s not right or wrong, but you don’t want to be incongruent. You can’t tell me you want THIS, but you’re you’re not willing to do THAT. I truly believe we can accomplish or achieve anything that we want in life if we are willing to pay that price of admission and weigh the opportunity cost.
Lastly, theme your days. I remember when I first started training for marathons. Usually, Tuesdays would be speed-work days. I HATED doing these workouts, but the golden rule of something I’ve learned in life is that the things that we want to do the LEAST are the things that will benefit and enhance our performance the MOST.
Theming one of your days also allows you to get comfortable being uncomfortable, and to take massive action. You can say, “No matter how uncomfortable it may be, I know for the next 90 days, I ONLY need to do it 12 times. And I can do it 12 times!”
You have 12 squares on a calendar, and every time you do it, you reward yourself with a big red X. You move on and say, “Okay, 11 more. 10 more. Nine more. Eight more,” and you focus on just crossing those off throughout time. It allows you to see that there is a light at the end of the tunnel for all the hard work, and blood, sweat, and tears that you’re putting into doing something and that you’re putting into achieving and accomplishing a goal.
Keep Outperforming!
