Taking the ugh out of strategy to move beyond mediocrity

Knowing how you operate and working with it (as opposed to working around it) is everything you need to move beyond mediocrity. You have to remove judgement in order to do that, however. I used to feel bad about hardly ever being able to finish what I started. Some stuff, I did. Most things, I didn’t. That’s mediocrity. In his book, No More Excuses, Sam Silverstein states that:

“If you show up, you’re in the top 25 percent…If you show up with a plan, you’re in the top 15 percent. If you show up with a plan and you work that plan, you’re in the top 10 percent. If you show up with a plan, work that plan, don’t make excuses, and are proactively accountable, you’re in the top 5 percent. From there, you can succeed in almost anything you do.”

We know what we’re capable of.

You don’t need to be convinced that you deserve better or to know that you can do it. You know you can. And I feel you on that. You also know that there’s a bridge from actually knowing better to doing better. Then there’s another from doing better to having better. From moving from mediocrity to excellence.

Strategy is that bridge.

Quick story: I remember having a mastermind session with my mentor to figure out why my services weren’t getting any play. She asked what my strategy was. Before explaining that I didn’t have one, I mumbled how much I hate the word “strategy.” She chuckled. Then, I thought it was maybe because she could relate. Now I wonder if it was one of those infamous wax on/wax off shits she allows me to go through sometimes (which I really require because I tend to rebel against what I’m told to do. You too? Nothing wrong with that).

I’m thinking the latter, considering that since I’ve created a structure (which I continuously refine), I’ve gone from having no play to, at times, having a waiting list. One thing about the seller and the ideal client is that they have more in common than not. I originally thought that the best way to serve my clients was to “help them in whatever capacity they needed help at the moment.” That was seriously my pitch.

That shit didn’t work. It wasn’t attractive because it didn’t make you feel taken care of. You couldn’t clearly see how it’d resolve your specific problem. That same no-strategy-having goal is how I failed in eating better and working out more. I ain’t gon’ lie to you. Strategy is work. If you’re more of the feely-flowy type of person like me then it’s gonna require a little stirring up, but it doesn’t have to be a teeth-pulling situation. One of my core values consists of prioritizing how I want to feel. Here’s how strategy meets my bohemian flow:

• Identifying if it’s an interest or an intention, then treating it as such. I have a list of interests, but they haven’t yet made it to my to-do list. My intentions, however, have an active timeline.
• Breaking it down into small steps. I’m ready to start running two miles in less than 20 minutes, but just getting out there and running my ass off wasn’t working. I had to break it down. My first goal was to get my mile under 10 minutes. From there, I implemented breathing and posture techniques for long distance running. Now, I’m working on second-mile speed.
• Making room for it. I recommend writing it on an actual calendar in addition to using a digital calendar (for alerts). When we think of everything we have to do, we leave a lot off. When you write it down, you can see how much you’re overextending yourself or neglecting self-care or leaving little room for your goal. Remember that 70/30 approach? Yes. That. I fell off too. Let’s get back on.
• Respecting it. You obviously deemed this as something important to you, so treat it as such. I try not to have anything planned a couple hours before and after it. This way, I eliminate the possibility of being burned out and no longer feeling like it or whatever I was doing beforehand running over its time and now I no longer have time to do it.
• Sticking it out. I signed up for a 30-day, 30-mile running challenge. I skipped about two whole weeks, but I didn’t quit. I kept at it. This way, I was able to more accurately pinpoint what went wrong and better plan for the next go round. This also boosts your integrity. You’re proving to yourself that if you say you’re going to do something, you’re actually going to do it. We’re good at following through for others, but not ourselves.
• Celebrating it. After publishing What the Devil Meant for Bad, I threw a party. After breaking my record and running a mile in less than ten minutes, I shared it on Facebook and basked in the likes and congrats. After accomplishing last month’s Call-to-Copy goal, I treated myself to three courses plus two glasses of wine at my favorite restaurant. It don’t matter what you do, just do something for yourself. And you don’t have to wait until the end to do it, you can celebrate after every milestone, after you’re halfway in, etc.

Once you’ve gotten comfy with the success of it, move it up a notch or two. Again, you gotta know yourself. No judgement allowed! Quality is the opposite of mediocrity. Define what quality looks like in your particular goal, then apply the above six steps, along with your core values, in order to best hold yourself accountable. Put yourself in that 5 percent that Silverstein mentioned.