A boyfriend once told me, “Good things come to those who wait.”
I looked at him, jolted with that astonished awareness you have when you realize a relationship has just ended with one sentence. I knew it was over. Not because he wasn’t a good person but because our thoughts were misaligned in so many areas.
Even at 21 I knew what he, an investment banking executive ten years my senior, did not. You simply cannot apply the euphemisms or cliches of the world to life. If you do, you’ll lose. Because even in investment banking, you have to know when to sell, when to buy and you might lose if you wait.
Good things do not come to those who wait.
Not in my world. And not in yours.
I’m already hearing the protests of people who want to argue this point. Don’t. Just don’t. If you want to debate it, please consider that you may have a blind spot in this area and keep reading. You’ll be glad you did.
Timing is what matters.
No matter what industry you’re in, timing is a factor in success. And even in love relationships too!
Good things come to those who understand that windows of opportunity open, and if you’re not focused on delivering the right thing, at the right time, you may lose out. Yes, opportunities pass us by and new ones will come along. But if you’re in your zone and you’re focused on your plan you could miss out on that perfect opportunity made just for you. One that fits directly into your calling.
Sometimes life requires a rapid decision. Sometimes there’s a burning car on the side of the road and a life to be saved. Sometimes there’s a big business need that must be filled, and your business is the perfect fit! Sometimes there’s the love of your life and you must respond, even if you don’t think you’re ready or you’re fearful about what might transpire.
Let’s get serious for a moment. Here’s why speed matters in your business.
We live in a day and age in which responses are instantaneous. Cell phones, texts, Linked In, Facebook, and email are all accessible instantly from the palm of your hand. In the past, a CEO would have been unattainable. But today, with mobile phones and tablets in everyone’s laps at night, at home or in bed, the CEO is just as accessible as anyone else. Send an email or a text? It is likely you’ll get a response. Even the CEO brings his or her work home, and work and home life collides. So that means, the game has changed.
Speed matters.
Everything at work has sped up. Gone are the days of responding in a week. If you do, guarantee your competitor has offered up their solution or beaten you to a response, or to a client. Speed is just as important as what you deliver. Speed to market gains following and cements a brand in the culture.
Here are 3 quick tips to accelerate in life.
Don’t wait, analyze, or contemplate any longer. Execute. Make the rest of this year, and every year, a year of doing.
Planning is overrated. Turn this conception upside down and instead of ready, aim, fire, just get clarity, and execute. Do the planning as you go. Compress results.
Perfectionism is the opposite of speed. There have been many times in my life when I have observed someone with a need for a perfect response commit the sin of delaying or not giving any response at all. Why didn’t you call that client back? I once asked. “I didn’t have an answer yet,” he said.
Today your client expects an instantaneous response. When they text, or email you it’s expected that you’ll see it instantly. So, if you don’t respond, the assumption is that you’re ignoring them.
Stop thinking too much. You are already amazing. You already have the skills. Your brain is all you need.
Stop creating obstacles or traveling through the city of What-If in your mind! “What if” is a stumbling block that causes us to lose focus. (What if this happens? What if that happens?) Take a detour around What-if city and head for I can do it town instead.
Focus on speed and execute, execute, execute. Do all things faster. Ramp up your response times. Pay bills when they come in. Respond to clients right away. If you don’t have the answer tell them. But respond fast!
Speed is an asset.
