This past week I had the opportunity to attend the International BNI Directors Conference in Anaheim, CA. I got to sit down and network with some of the best networkers in the world at this event and the best part is that many of these directors are also the best in the world at training business people to effectively build their businesses through referral marketing.
I sat down with one of these experts and we were talking about all the training that BNI members receive as well as the wealth of knowledge business people receive to through the internet, books, and speakers. During this conversation he posed a question that he asks his members and it struck me as a blinding flash of the obvious. He asked “Do you actually put the information you hear in action?”
How often do we hear some great ideas from people who are successful and we have the full intention to implement these ideas but we get back to our office and fall back into our daily routine and no changes occur? It happens all the time.
Here are three things you can do to help put these great ideas into action.
1. Prioritize!
Many times we end up with a list of great ideas that we want to implement immediately so we can revolutionize our life or business but when we try to do it all at once we become overwhelmed and frustrated and end up making no changes.
After you read a great book or when you get home from a fantastic conference, go through your notes and make a list of the ideas that you believe will have the biggest impact. Once you have the list, prioritize the list based on the impact each item will have and the ease to implement. Sometime an item that is easier to implement but has a smaller impact is better to do first than an idea that has a huge impact but will be difficult to implement in a timely manner.
2. Get An Accountability Partner
If you are going to make a change, having an accountability partner can help keep you on the right path. Let someone you trust and who’s opinion you value know what you are doing and ask them to follow-up with you on occasion to make sure you are continuing to work on achieving your goal. Knowing that other people are expecting you to follow though can be a powerful motivator.
3. Don’t Give Up
Change doesn’t happen overnight. It takes 21 days of doing something (in a row please not throughout the year) to create a habit that you maintain. Results may not show right away but if you continue to apply the idea you will see the changes happen. Add the idea you are implementing to your to-do list so you get reminded regularly put into action the great idea you want to use, this well help you form the positive habit you are looking to create.
We are bombarded with ideas on a daily basis but few are ever put into action. Choose wisely and focus on making one change at a time and you will start seeing your business change for the better.
