19. Strategy Made Simple - The Athlete
Running a business is like running a race.
The journey is just as important as the finish line.
Athletes know a race is about more than just race day. It’s the culmination of months of preparation, detailed planning, highs and lows, sore muscles, and little wins.
But Daily Distractions, whether you’re training for your first 5K or scaling a small business, threaten to thwart your progress.
The good news is when you put First Things First, Focus, and Follow Through your vision becomes reality.
The physical act of running is just one aspect of the sport. Nutrition, hydration, rest, the weather, the terrain, and more factor into performance.
Some elements are within our control, others are not. Imagine days training in temperate conditions only to have a heat wave strike on the day of the event.
We can only focus on what is in our control. And creating a strategy is within our control.
It starts with your vision, mission, and values.
I. First Things First
Using our athlete analogy, it might look like:
Vision – The future you intend to create – “To build a healthier lifestyle.”
Mission – What you do – “Weave fitness into the fabric of life.”
Values – What you believe in – “Hard work, commitment, & play.”
Once your firm foundation is established, you clarify strategic priorities and translate them into actionable goals and objectives.
Priorities – Focus over defined time-period – “Healthy heart. Strong muscles. Clean eating. Rest.”
Goals – Specific outcome to achieve priority –
Goal 1: “Run a 5k in < 21 minutes in the next 6 months.”
Goal 2: “Do resistance training 1/week.”
Goal 3: “Cook 5 healthy meals/week.”
Goal 4: “Schedule 2 days/week of rest and rejuvenation.”
II. Focus
You can’t do everything at one time. Sequence priorities and goals and then create a roadmap with specific metrics and activities to make them a reality.
Metrics – Success indicators tied to goals – “5k in <21 mins in the next 6 months.”
Activities – Specific actions to achieve goals –
“Monday – Sprints
Tuesday – Resistance training
Wednesday – Medium length run
Thursday – Yoga
Friday – Rest & Meal Plan
Saturday – Long Slow Distance & Meal Prep
Sunday – Rest & Rejuvenation.”
III. Follow Through.
This is where the rubber meets the road. Ensure the plan stays on track. It means showing up for your morning training run and planning meals for proper energy and fuel.
This approach doesn’t just work for athletes.
It works for businesses too.
And tt sets apart those athletes and businesses who are intentional about growth.
© Maly Strategies, 2023
So, what does it look like for your business?
Have you defined your firm foundation and put First Things First?
How do you prioritize and sequence your goals?
What is one thing you can do today to drive greater clarity?
I help small technology and professional services businesses scale and grow.
This means leaders work ON the business instead of IN the business. Whether it's a 10-year vision, 3-year strategy, or 90-day action plan - we partner to achieve your goals.
If you want to break through to the next level in your business, drop me a message, and we'll arrange a 15-min call to see if I can help.
To your success
~Susan
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