Have a Sense of Urgency

Do you have such a sense of urgency that you feel like you have no choice but to succeed?

The chips are down. You’re back is up against the wall. You must figure out a way to make something work – anything – whatever it is, it has to work?

It’s hard to manufacture that sense of urgency. Most of us are so comfy that we can’t relate to the feeling of turning desperation into focused action.

We’ve got just enough money coming in or the physical discomfort isn’t quite as bad as it could be. We continue doing what we’ve always done and keep on our slight, downhill trajectory.

Or if we are familiar with the feeling of desperation, we don’t turn it into focused action but worry, fear, and panic.

Today’s Challenge: Treat every task with a sense of urgency.

I had a lot of important and urgent work today along with some maintenance tasks at work that needed to be tended to. None of the work had  direct relationship to pulling in cash, but nonetheless, it can become a bigger distraction down the road.

I decided to treat the tasks as if my work life depended on them.

Some of the tasks in question:

• Empty electronic inbox (my company’s task, accounting, and sales system): This system actually catches reminders and follow-up items that keep current projects top of mind. It’s easy for someone like me (head in the clouds, big picture, salesguy) to neglect these items. Today, I hit them like they were a new whale client.
• Paper inbox: This thing, too, needs to get done. I try to keep my inboxes somewhat empty per David Allen’s Getting Things Done methodologies.
• Phone calls: I had to connect with a few people. I wasn’t necessarily looking forward to the calls, but I had to make them.

As a salesperson, though, I must – you must if you’re in sales or marketing – turn desperate, measured, value creating urgency toward income and revenue generating activities.

But practicing by attacking all our tasks with a bit of fire in our bellies will create better habits when the fire truly needs to be there.

Until tomorrow…

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Today’s Listening and Reading

SPOS #432 – UnSelling With Alison Kramer And Scott Stratten – Six Pixels of Separation Podcast, Mitch Joel

A great piece advice from this podcast: Take some time to go through your organization’s processes as a customer or client. Learn what it feels like to be on the other side of the phone. Would you want to be your own customer?

733: Jon Gordon: Distractions are the enemy of greatness – Entrepreneur on Fire, John Lee Dumas

I loved hearing Gordon’s story about having his back against the wall and realizing that he had to succeed (obviously the inspiration for today’s action item. In addition, I loved Gordon’s statement (used as the title of the podcast: “Distractions are the enemy of greatness.” Oh that I could ditch my adult-onset, electronics-induced ADD! (Jon Gordon is a prolific writer. I need to put his work on my list.

Resonate: Present Visual Stories that Transform Audiences – Nancy Duarte (Affiliate link)

I’m working on a presentation and a breakout session workshop for an association’s training day next week. I know my topic. I’ve put in some time in Toastmasters. But this is higher stakes, and I need a little assistance. Nancy Duarte is a presentation expert and her book, so far, has given some wonderful advice on translating a business-focused presentation into a compelling story infused experience. Now to pull it off….