There are many ways to do fine work. One approach is to focus on the themes of ambition, application and achievement. Let’s explore these themes.
Ambition
Imagine that you want to explore the possible things you want to do in your personal or professional life. If appropriate, you can then begin to clarify the possibility of achieving one of these goals.
Different people take this step in different ways. Bearing in what you can control in your life, you may want to consider the following themes.
Ambition
What is the specific goal I want to achieve in my personal or professional life? What are the real results I want to achieve? What is the picture of success? What will be the benefits of achieving the goal?
Attitude
What is the attitude I may need to demonstrate in order to achieve the goal? On a scale 0-10, how would I rate myself in terms of having the required attitude?
Ability
What is the ability I may need to demonstrate in order to achieve the goal? On a scale 0-10, how would I rate myself in terms of having the required ability?
Let’s assume that you have explored these topics. Bearing in mind the goal you want to achieve, you rated yourself as 8+/10 in terms of having the desired attitude and ability.
Before embarking on the work, however, you may want to check your motivation rating. One approach is to do the following exercise.
My Motivation Rating
Bearing in mind the pluses and minuses involved in working to
achieve the goal, my motivation to do my best to achieve it is:
___ / 10
Looking at the rating, make sure it is at least 8/10. Let’s assume this is the case, it can then be time to move on to the next stage.
Application
Many people set goals but then comes the important stage. They need to apply themselves properly to do their best to achieve success. They may also need to be agile in order to find solutions to challenges. Let’s explore these themes.
Application
Imagine that you are clear on the goal you want to achieve. One approach is to take the following steps. You can aim:
To clarify the key strategies you can follow to give yourself the greatest chance of success;
To translate these strategies into a clear action plan, embark on the work and get some early successes;
To follow your chosen rhythm for doing superb work on the way towards achieving your picture of success.
Let’s assume that you are applying yourself properly. Sometimes you may also need to add another element to do superb work.
Agility
Great workers continue to follow their daily disciplines. They are also good at reading reality and dealing with changing situations. This calls for being agile.
Different people demonstrate this in different ways. One approach is for them to take the following steps.
They focus on continuous improvement by building on what is working and tackling areas for improvement;
They keep reading reality about what is actually happening and also anticipate any potential challenges;
They demonstrate agility by buying time to think and finding solutions to challenges on the way towards achieving their goal.
This final point is crucial. One person described their approach in the following way.
“I am good at following daily disciplines but it took time for me to learn how not to be distracted by dramas. Some events needed immediate attention but others could be dealt with at an appropriate time.
“Working as a leader, I aimed to anticipate potential situations that could throw us off course – such as crises in the market, staff issues or other challenges. It was possible to prevent some of these events happening.
“Sometimes we met unexpected challenges, however, which came out of the blue. After a while I learned how to buy time and, when necessary, be agile when faced by such events.
“My approach involved aiming: a) to keep focusing on the end goal; b) to understand the drama and explore the possible solutions; c) to implement the chosen solution and return to working towards the end goal.”
Imagine that you are applying yourself properly and, when appropriate, demonstrating agility. At some point this may lead to the next step.
Achievement
Great workers do their best to achieve their goals. One approach is to find and follow your successful pattern for finishing. Bearing in mind the goal you want to achieve, this involves revisiting your positive history. You can aim:
To clarify when you have finished a similar piece of work – or tackled a similar challenge – successfully;
To clarify what you did right then – such as the principles you followed and how you translated this into action – to finish successfully;
To clarify how you can follow similar principles – plus maybe add other skills – to finish the present piece of work successfully.
Imagine that you want to follow elements of your successful pattern for finishing. If appropriate, you can incorporate these into your action plan for completing your chosen piece of work.
The next steps may be: a) to rehearse what you are going to do; b) to move into action; c) to then aim to flow, focus and finish on the way towards achieving your goal.
There are many ways to do fine work. One approach is to go through the stages of ambition, application and achievement. Can you think of a situation where you may want to follow elements of this approach?
If you wish, try tackling the exercise on this theme. This invites you to complete the following sentences.
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