Beware The Whisperer

There is a Whisperer at large.... an unobtrusive personage who begins to influence us through the subtlety of whisper a couple of months out from the start of the New Year. This is what I hear.....

• "you don't need to do this now, leave it till next year"
• "it's been a big twelve months, you deserve to back off now"
• "you don't need to plan or think too much - things will work their way out"

I'm not sure about you, but I find myself at this time of the year tempted to listen to the Whisperer. The idea of slowing down is definitely appealing but then I think:

• Yes its been a big year, but what year isn't.
• Yes, I can see the finish line of the calendar year but does that mean I should back the pace off now and not run right through it at full throttle?

Athletes lose races when they do that.

One of the things I have found most helpful over the past few years is that when I hear the Whisperer start, I don't silence him, but rather use it as the motivation to push forward and even step up the pace so I can hit the years finish tape faster than when I started.

A few things to consider as we approach years end...

• take time to reflect on the year and begin identifying what you will stop doing, keep doing and what to initiate as the new
• what are the major outcomes of 2014 that you would like to see eventuate? (List these in the various life areas)
• what are the key activities that you need to do in order to get those outcomes?
• schedule those activities (even if it means using a diary or planner for the first time)

The major reason that people fail in getting the outcomes they want is that they neglect to follow through on the discipline of constant actions to create those outcomes. Outcomes don't merely happen, they are the result of disciplined actions.

So, when you hear the whisper to slow down, drive forward hard. You will start the new year in much better shape if you do.