You may have noticed that over the past couple of months I have not been posting with any regularity. It’s my intention and goal to write and post a blog entry every week, usually on Tuesday. This is an example of just one of the many tactics we use to grow RedKnight.
I was raised on this axiom from Mom: “Don’t air your dirty laundry in public.” What Mom meant by this was that I was to keep my failings to myself, almost as a dirty secret. But here I am – airing my dirty laundry in public on the internet.
Why am I breaking Mom’s rule? Well, because it’s important for you to know as a small business owner that all of us struggle at times to accomplish those things that are important, even those of us who are the supposed experts.
I have struggled all this year to keep up with blogging. A past Strategic Plan-ting™ Workshop participant shared with me that she is struggling with prioritizing and implementing her most important strategies. Why? Well, we have both been faced with challenging and time consuming issues.
It’s okay to fail to meet many deadlines, just like it’s okay to have dirty laundry. And when you have dirty laundry what do you do? You wash it. So when you miss a deadline what do you do?
Some of you will continue to procrastinate, make excuses, and stay stuck where you are – mired in a big pile of dirty laundry. Successful people investigate why they missed the deadline and then renew their commitment to meet a new realistic deadline. In other words, they pick up that pile of dirty laundry, sort it and throw it in the washer.
I will provide one caveat: Sometimes we miss deadlines simply because the strategy or task we are working on is no longer important or relevant. If that is the case, don’t wash that outdated dirty laundry, toss it in the trash. In other words, be willing to let go of the objective and identify one that is more relevant and strategically important.
For me writing blogs is strategically important. So effective now, I’m throwing my dirty laundry in the washer and getting on with it. I am recommitting myself to posting a weekly blog.
Are you currently mired in dirty laundry? If so, either wash or toss it. Then recommit yourself to accomplishing those tasks that will create the company of your dreams.