It’s that time of year when students are preparing for fall commencement. One of the many things we think of when thinking of students is their “GPA” (or Grade Point Average).
Over 33 years ago I was hired as an Allstate insurance agent by one of the insurance industry’s most successful front line sales managers, Kathy Honaker. She had a stellar corporate career with many promotions, all the way up to Senior Field Vice President.
Kathy taught me a lot. Next to my Dad, she was one of my very first business mentors.
A daily reminder for me and thousands of insurance professionals who have attended our conferences, workshops, and use the many other services we offer is the blue BGI Systems GPA wristband inspired by what Kathy taught me in 1984.
GPA stands for Goal, Plan, and Action.
Goal: I was taught I could have almost anything in this life I want if I have a strong, burning desire to achieve it. I was also taught that desire alone is not enough; we must commit it to paper. It must be specific with a deadline for achievement.
Plan: Next, we commit on paper HOW we aim to achieve our goal. This is our plan. This must include what we are going to do and who is responsible.
Action: The final step is simply taking the written plan and putting it into motion.
The people that consistently do this simple process succeed almost every time.
Yet, less than 5% of the world’s population writes down goals and plans of action on paper. The world belongs to goal setters. You already know this (or at least have most likely been told this many times in your career).
Here’s a question for you . . . Are you writing out your goals and action plans?
I would bet that 95% of you reading this are not, and that’s okay. Don’t beat yourself up. Start NOW. Write out one simple goal. Something like, “I will not drink soda for the next 3 days.”
It doesn’t matter what goal you want to accomplish or how long you anticipate it will take you to complete. The idea is the same for cutting back on your soda consumption to turning your business around. The important thing is taking action toward your goals.
When this was first taught to me in 1984, Kathy and I did this exercise for several goals that I wanted to hit. She encouraged and persuaded me to shoot for the top. What is amazing is that it worked, and it worked several times during the two years I had her as my sales manager (and has continued to work for many years since).
What I have learned over the years: Once you establish written goals and actionable plans the question to ask yourself constantly is . . .
What I am doing right now, this very minute, that is moving me closer or further away from my goals?
This is where the blue GPA wristband comes in handy. It serves a dual purpose as a constant reminder for you and an accountability piece.
Here’s my meaning: when I catch myself in any activity that is not moving me toward my goal I pull my wristband back a couple of inches and let it pop on the inside tender side of my wrist. Do that 2-3 times and it will move you to another action.
Want a wristband of your own to motivate you into action?
Get a free BGI G.P.A. blue wristband by emailing [email protected]. (We’ll send you up to 15 bands for you, your team members, or to share with your agent friends… simply let us know how many to send and the address for shipping.)