The In-Between Matters
"It does not matter how slowly you go so long as you do not stop." – Confucius
A few days ago, I was listening to a program with a fitness coach who discussed how to meet short- and long-term goals. He made a comment that seems so simple, but the impact is profound.
As usual, most of the good advice that applies to one field can easily be applied elsewhere.
Here’s a summary of what the coach said: “A real key to realizing your fitness goals is all about the in-between stuff. What do you do in-between your workouts? Do you eat healthy? How many days pass before we see you next in the gym? Do you mix-up your routine to include weight training? You see… all of this in-between stuff matters. The better the plan you have, the more overall success you will have in the long run.”
Let’s Apply It
I remember many years ago when my business partner and I gave a presentation to the NFL technology team in New York City. We invested at least one month preparing for this meeting, and I felt we were ready.
However, this was going to be a tough meeting because we were going to propose a solution to this group that they already should have had in place.
I still vividly remember getting peppered with several questions, and since many of them were highly technical, my business partner fielded most of them. Interestingly, most of the queries and concerns related to potential security issues.
I say “interestingly” because this meeting took place in the summer of 2001 when the vulnerabilities were less prevalent and impactful than they are today.
By the way, we were in NYC the month before the 9/11 attacks. It is still so weird to think about that terrorist attack on our country and how much it has changed the world.
Back to the meeting …
After two hours, the meeting was over, and as we walked into the busy NYC streets, my business partner and I knew the meeting had gone less than well. While we were prepared for the delivery of our presentation, we were not as ready for the tough questions.
The In-Between
As you probably guessed it, we did not earn the NFL IT contract. However, as we conducted a post-mortem (i.e., lessons learned) review of the meeting, we vowed to be much better prepared for future business meetings.
Our next big opportunity came quickly, as we presented to the leadership teams of major collegiate conferences, including the ACC, Big 12, and PAC-12.
Before going to these presentations, we rehearsed our response to every conceivable question, especially those pertaining to IT security. We wanted to be as ready as possible.
Because of this hard work and preparation in-between meetings, we landed many of the contracts we pursued during the next few years. Our confident approach also made a big difference.
Elsewhere
I’ve shared a business presentation here, but we can apply this concept to almost anything we do. From my standpoint, I have a strong desire to be a better husband, father, and friend.
The one thing I know about success in anything is that it starts with me. I’m smart enough to know that the Lord has His plans, but I have to do my part as well.
And… as usually happens, it starts with humility, kindness, love, and service to others.
Inspiring Quotes
"I never dreamt of success. I worked for it." – Estée Lauder
"Successful people are not gifted; they just work hard, then succeed on purpose." – G.K. Nielson
Homework Inquiry
During the next week, here’s your homework inquiry: What can you do to stay focused on your most important goals?
I use this opportunity to share with you a unique story and a couple inspiring quotes. Oh ... as a professor at heart, you guessed it, I have a homework inquiry for you. This is a powerful question that might just trigger you to take action on something that really matters in your life. If you feel the Catalyst Newsletter brings benefit to you.