An atmosphere of urgency will create an atmosphere of achievement.
Have you noticed that the people who make things happen in this world value and share the same sense of urgency?
High Achievers work best under a self-determined or externally fixed deadline for achieving objectives. Those who consciously choose not to “sleep at the wheel” realize that regardless of the goal being pursued, they must continually maintain a sense of urgency in order to compete and win.
True greatness is only achieved once we develop a sense of urgency and importance of what we are doing. I mean a sense of urgency to the extent that we feel getting results and achieving our goals is a matter of life and death.
It’s tragically un-hip to procrastinate. A deadline and strong sense of urgency generates energy toward getting results. In short, they drive people to perform. Purposely put yourself in a position where you have to perform!
One of the biggest mistakes people make when trying to achieve a goal is to plunge ahead without establishing a high enough sense of urgency in themselves and others. Communicating urgency is one of the hallmarks of personal and professional leadership.
The Importance Of Deadlines!
In an ideal world, behavior shouldn’t depend on deadlines. Behavior should depend on our values, and one of the values of all high performing people is a sense of urgency.
* Deadlines Represent COMMITMENT
* Deadlines Enforce ACCOUNTABILITY
* Deadlines Create a SENSE OF URGENCY
A clearly understood deadline, that is shared, agreed upon and committed to is the silver bullet of proactive behavior. There is nothing like a good old fashioned, it’s got to be done by this deadline that gets people off the pot and into the game.
Why You Need a Sense of Urgency
None of us can afford to delay our goals, dreams nor responsibilities any longer. Deadlines create a sense of urgency that help us get things done.
Open your eyes, look around you and see all of the wonderful things that get accomplished all due to a deadline and corresponding sense of urgency that is either self imposed or other imposed.
* Newspapers and magazines all depend upon deadlines to get printed.
* Federal Express – an entire industry was created to satisfy those with a need for urgent communication.
* Credit card, mortgage, telephone, and power companies use deadlines and penalties to get people to act on time.
* The two-minute warning in football challenges coaches and players to make every play and opportunity one of importance.
* The thirty-second shot clock in basketball guarantees that that you either shoot or lose possession of the ball.
* Marketers intentionally limit quantity, style, color and size while using words like Hurry; Act now, and Tomorrow is too late… to convey an urgency to buy.
* All of your appointments to include Doctors, Dentists, Lawyers and even Hairdressers depend upon deadlines and timeframes, all of which causes you to take action.
* Planes, trains and buses all use deadlines to create a sense of action from their customers.
* Eggs, milk, butter and cheese come with short shelve lives that demand that you use them within a given time frame or lose them forever.
* Church services, banking hours and hotel checkout times all use deadlines to create a sense of urgency.
* The government depends on deadlines in order to receive tax monies.
The lesson: Everything in your world involves the use of deadlines to create commitment, accountability and most importantly a sense of urgency. It’s time for you enforce the same principle into your life!
Embrace a Do It Now Philosophy!
No matter how intelligent or capable you may be, if you don’t have a sense of urgency, NOW is the time to start developing it.
Creating a sense of urgency helps you to replace question marks with exclamation marks!
* The unwritten letter? Write it today!
* The old friend you’ve been meaning to reconnect with? Get connected today!
* The apology that is long overdue? Apologize today!
* The book you’ve talked about writing? Start writing today!
* The visit you’ve been intending to make? Make it today!
* The business you were always going to start someday? Get started today?
* The race you were going to run? Start running today?
* The daily exercise your were going to do? Start exercising today!
* The language you were going to learn? Start learning today!
* The musical instrument you’ve always wanted to play? Start playing today!
* The resolution to give back to the community? Begin giving back today!
* The person with whom you’ve been meaning to share your faith? Share it today!
* The time you’ve promised to spend with your children? Spend it with them today!
* The broken relationship you’ve been wanting to restore? Work at it today!
* The decision to confront your fears? Do it today?
* The commitment to be the best you can be? Make it today!
How Do You Create a Sense of Urgency?
Wouldn’t it be great if you could somehow infuse a sense of urgency and ignite passion into your activities as well as those around you?
The following are seven ways to create a sense of urgency:
* Recognize the importance of establishing a sense of urgency.
* Select the causes of complacency.
* Identify the strategies for raising urgency levels.
* Discuss with all parties concerned and create buy-in.
* Take action and stay focused on the prize.
* Monitor progress and adjust where and when necessary.
* Repeat, reinforce and remind yourself and others of the deadline.
If you believe that business in general is becoming more competitive, then you must also believe that you need more out of yourself. The best way to do that is to create a sense of urgency into all of your goals and plans.
A Closing Thought
Opportunity is all around you. What you complete by year-end is totally dependent upon the sense of urgency you create beginning right now. There is simply no alternative!
May each of us be compelled with a sense of urgency about TODAY!
Everything Counts!
Gary Ryan Blair
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Written by Gary Ryan Blair – The GoalsGuy is your online goal setting and personal leadership coach. Check-out My Personal Strategic Plan and learn how to achieve more in the next year than most people do in a lifetime. See why best selling author Brian Tracy said, “This is the most remarkable, simple, and practical guide for ANYONE who wants to create the ideal life!” Click Here!