Industry Magazine Get JACK'D Magazine Fall 2017 | Page 5

Life By
Design
BY: JACK DALY, CEO,COACH & AUTHOR
www.JackDaly.net
ASK anyone who knows me, they will validate this: I love what I do
in my business life. Yet, as much as I enjoy this business life, it’s not the
only thing of importance. How about
a) health
b) family
c) financial
d) spiritual
e) professional
f) friends and
g) “life”?
When I look at the above categories, I quickly realize there is much
more to life than my business, no matter how much I may enjoy it. Over
the years, I have seen way too many people enjoying success in their
business life yet falling considerably short of success in one or more
of the above categories. I’m of the firm conviction that it doesn’t have
to be that way. In fact, much of what we do in crafting our business
success can be used in crafting success in each of these categories –
in effect, living a life by design. Dennis Waitley said it really well: “Most
people spend more time planning Christmas and holidays than they
do planning their life.”
I feel very fortunate that in my teenage years, I had several
successful people in life underscore the importance of charting my
life by the following formula:
a) Put your goals in writing.
b) Don’t pick too many.
c) Hang a date or indicator of completion on each goal.
d) Design a written plan on the actions required to achieve
each goal.
e) Measure and record these actions.
f) Share with others for accountability.
In effect, it’s how you organize your view of the future that
determines what the future is. It’s amazing, and disappointing, to hear
that 95% of people have no written goals. I like setting the table when
working with others by asking the following big-four questions:
a) What do you want in life?
b) Why do you want it?
c) When do you want it by?
d) What do you choose to do in order to achieve it?
My long-term good friend Mark Moses introduced a great exercise
on this very topic, and one I’ve benefitted greatly from. He calls it “The
Crystal Ball Exercise.” You look into a crystal ball and can see into the
future to the end of next year. A great year is ahead of you! Write down
what your future holds according to the crystal ball:
a) Step One – The year 2017 has come and gone, and we “rocked”
because we achieved the following specific and measurable outcomes.
(See www.jackdaly.net/about-jack to see my “rocked” for 2017.)
b) Step Two – What are the top five things, ranked in order, that are
specific and measurable that made it such a great year? These are the
indicators that led to the result in step one. (Again, check mine out on
the “rocked” page at www.jackdaly.net.)
More often, failure in the future is the result of inadequate
imagination in the present. And so, reality is what you make of it. It’s
all a matter of “drilling it down.” Take a look. For each of your goals,
identify the various actions that will bring the goal to completion. On
each goal, ask the following questions in order to leverage success:
a) What will it take to guarantee that it happens?
b) What will stand in the way?
c) How will we overcome what stands in the way?
d) When will it be done?
e) Who owns it?
Destiny is not a matter of chance; it is a matter of choice. Again,
visit www.jackdaly.net to see my drilled-down goals, identification
of actions, and my reports to my accountability team. While these
examples are quite detailed, remember they are a byproduct of
doing this process for more than 50 years, and as such, each year has
become a little more specific and measurable. When people bust my
chops about the level of detail and measurement, I’m reminded of
this quote by George Bernard Shaw: “People are always blaming their
circumstances for what they are. I don’t believe in circumstances. The
people who get on in this world are the people who get and look for the
circumstances they want, and if they can’t find them, they make them.”
Our journey is determined by the choices we make. Our answers are
determined by the questions we ask. Our destination is determined by
the steps we take. Our future is determined by what we do today.
The time is now to design your magical life!
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