September 19, 2010 116 Comments

Inch by Inch

ruler - STUPID INCOMPETENT MANUFACTURERS

I’m shooting for improving my success in all areas of life: business, relationships, finance, health. This morning, I started back in on my physical fitness. The night before, for the first time in my life, I consciously ate half of my meal and left the rest. With money, I do a blend of explaining why I don’t need to buy X, and also deciding how to earn more Y. I wanted to share some of my method for how I do what I do in this regard.

Start By BEING

I’m not on a diet. I’m a healthy person. Healthy people eat better. Healthy people work out. I AM, and from that flows what I DO. See the difference?

Be, then do.

Now, the way I get this process to really work is that I write it down. I draw it. I make it real. I have a little poster that has the various identities I choose to be. The same paper has a huge, wild goal on it. So, if you want to work on success, if you really really want to improve the quality of what you’re doing, you have to define your identity (around your beliefs, your values, your desires), and write it the hell down. It does no one (and by that, I really just mean you) any good if you don’t have something to reference, especially as you’re rolling forward. WRITE IT DOWN.

And then below that is the secret to it all.

Inch By Inch

Once you have a really solid grasp on who you are (or who you are going to grow into being), once you’ve written down the wild goals, you have to write this below it all: Inch by Inch.

Anne Lamott had her “bird by bird.” Same thing. How do you improve? Inch by inch. You don’t decide one day that you’re going from fat to fit, and then take off that afternoon to run a marathon. You start by going walking. Then you run from one telephone pole to the next. Then you get a few more poles before you have to walk. And then you sign up for a 5K that you’re worried you won’t complete. And then you run a few more. And then there’s a 10K, and a half, and then you sign up for the marathon, and along the way you accidentally lose some weight, gain some muscles, and accidentally find yourself at the race with a number pinned to your chest.

It starts with each inch. It starts with not putting your kid’s last few bites in your mouth. It starts with not buying another pair of sunglasses when you lose yours (again). It starts when you don’t say something jerky to your significant other. It starts when you take the stairs instead of the elevator.

It’s all inches.

Overnight Success

This year, I’ll hit my financial goal that I set for 2010. I’m sure of it. I didn’t write down any kind of fitness goals, so I have no idea how I did. And that’s part of it. When you don’t write it down, you don’t know how you’re doing.

But none of this came overnight. I didn’t write a goal on Jan 1 and then hit it by the end of Dec 31. I started working on this years ago. I started from the same place where we all start: without resources, without goals, without motivation, without mentors, without models, without funding.

My blog is one of the top blogs in the world right now because I’ve been at it for 11 years. My New Marketing Labs is one of the successful new marketing agencies because we started it two years ago, and I had the ideas for four years before that. I’m a featured monthly columnist at Entrepreneur magazine because I started writing when I was seven.

Inch by inch. There’s no overnight success.

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  • Jim Harris

    Great post. I agree it’s inch by inch. Every year I’ve written out my financial goals including possible solutions, ie, # new customers, % increase in fees, etc. I’ve met or exceeded them. The same has been true with doing a remodel job, purchase new car, etc. When I’ve written them down and kept them in front of me it’s amazing what happens. This applies to business and personal life.

    Lately I’ve been looking at how I spend my time. I’ve heard people like Dave Ramsey and Dan Miller talk about a zero time budget. We all have 24 hours a day, 168 hours a week. I’ve written them down in budget format just like I do a financial budget and just like money it’a amazing the minutes and hours I found. Especially when I asked myself whether the time I’m spending doing certain activities is helping me achieve my other goals or have I let them become time wasters.

    Keep up the great work.

  • http://www.chrisljordan.com Chris Jordan

    I’m inchin’ along too. Thanks for keeping guys like me on my toes.

  • http://www.thebrandiD.com/ RachelGogos

    It’s really about envisioning who you want to be on many levels. Writing it down (something I don’t do) helps you put it out into the world and gives you the visual to keep working at it. I need to start writing more and writing “it” down. Thanks for sharing more of your secret sauce Chris.

  • http://twitter.com/BeyondCreatives Amy Halleran

    This is so dead on target! It reminds me of 2 great leaders: 1)Dr Edward Deming – famous for ‘if you do not measure it, how will you know?’ philosophy in quality engineering who 1st taught this in Japan in the 50′s & later the US after we stopped being so smug & realized we needed help in the quality dept. (1970′s auto ind.) and 2) Mike Hyatt, a great success personally as well as professionally, who wrote a great series on life plans that includes his, how he developed it, how he measures it & evaluates & reevaluates it again and again. You should check it out! Not bc yours isn’t great but bc I believe we can always gleen something from others who are doing it successfully. This is great timing & possibly how I needed to hear it bc although it’s nothing new for me, I haven’t exactly been doing it either.

  • http://twitter.com/BeyondCreatives Amy Halleran

    This is so dead on target! It reminds me of 2 great leaders: 1)Dr Edward Deming – famous for ‘if you do not measure it, how will you know?’ philosophy in quality engineering who 1st taught this in Japan in the 50′s & later the US after we stopped being so smug & realized we needed help in the quality dept. (1970′s auto ind.) and 2) Mike Hyatt, a great success personally as well as professionally, who wrote a great series on life plans that includes his, how he developed it, how he measures it & evaluates & reevaluates it again and again. You should check it out! Not bc yours isn’t great but bc I believe we can always gleen something from others who are doing it successfully. This is great timing & possibly how I needed to hear it bc although it’s nothing new for me, I haven’t exactly been doing it either.

  • MargeP

    I really like your use of the written word + story board (poster). I just took a look at a “dream/goal” board I created over ten years ago. In the last year, many of the ideas pictured, have started to become reality. The spark ignited after losing my job & being close to retirement age, but not financially able to retire. I realze, however, that I’ve been taking all those little steps & moving forward inch by inch .After 30+ years as an HR professional, I’m transforming my life into working animals & a related online business. If I hadn’t taken courses, volunteered, become active in animal related communities and dreamed of a different future, this would not be possible.

    Great advice for anyone and everyone, no matter where they are in their lives.
    With Gratitude,
    Marge P

  • MargeP

    I really like your use of the written word + story board (poster). I just took a look at a “dream/goal” board I created over ten years ago. In the last year, many of the ideas pictured, have started to become reality. The spark ignited after losing my job & being close to retirement age, but not financially able to retire. I realze, however, that I’ve been taking all those little steps & moving forward inch by inch .After 30+ years as an HR professional, I’m transforming my life into working animals & a related online business. If I hadn’t taken courses, volunteered, become active in animal related communities and dreamed of a different future, this would not be possible.

    Great advice for anyone and everyone, no matter where they are in their lives.
    With Gratitude,
    Marge P

  • http://www.ryanhanley.com/about Ryan Hanley

    This is a really great post.

    I do not write down. Or at least I didn’t written down in the past. This was the first year i wrote down a performance goal. By writing your goal down you eliminate excuses. You either hit your goal or you don’t. Period.

    By not writing my goals down I could continue status quo and make excuses for lack of desired success.

    I am not going to hit my goal this year. However, just by writing down my goal I have been able to analyze what worked and what didn’t and how I can make sure that I do hit this year…

    I love the idea of “Inch by Inch”… I need to on that.

    Thanks,

    Ryan H.

  • http://www.ryanhanley.com/about Ryan Hanley

    This is a really great post.

    I do not write down. Or at least I didn’t written down in the past. This was the first year i wrote down a performance goal. By writing your goal down you eliminate excuses. You either hit your goal or you don’t. Period.

    By not writing my goals down I could continue status quo and make excuses for lack of desired success.

    I am not going to hit my goal this year. However, just by writing down my goal I have been able to analyze what worked and what didn’t and how I can make sure that I do hit this year…

    I love the idea of “Inch by Inch”… I need to on that.

    Thanks,

    Ryan H.

  • http://mimosaplanet.com James M Cooper

    There is a very good reason people achieve ‘Overnight Success’. I think often it involves 10,000 hours, as per Malcolm Gladwell’s book ‘Outliers’. 11 years of blogging adds a lot to qualifying.

  • http://www.youintegrate.com Kneale Mann

    There are no short-cuts. There are no skipped steps. There are no victories won by osmosis. Work at it every single day even when you think no one is noticing. Fool everyone by working your ass off and suddenly those victories will come.

    Complain about how the world hasn’t handed you a living and your wish is your command. Put your head down and get stuff done and the complainers will be there to poke holes in all your good luck.

  • http://twitter.com/tpinto3 Tony Pinto

    Chris, you are quite an inspiration. Keep up the great work, my friend.

  • http://www.forty-something.com Blanca

    I AM. That’s were you said it all, Chris.

    Once we all grasp what this means and be who we are and who we are growing to be, everything else will just flow naturally and there will be no need to even talk about “success” because success will just “BE”.

    Inspiration – thought – creation. That’s what this game called life is all about.

  • http://www.facebook.com/maryeulrich Mary E. Ulrich

    Love the levels of meaning in “overnight success.” Your video shows a very tired you going somewhere in the “night”. Indeed. and then you do it “over and over” again, night after night.

  • http://www.facebook.com/maryeulrich Mary E. Ulrich

    Love the levels of meaning in “overnight success.” Your video shows a very tired you going somewhere in the “night”. Indeed. and then you do it “over and over” again, night after night.

  • http://www.facebook.com/maryeulrich Mary E. Ulrich

    Love the levels of meaning in “overnight success.” Your video shows a very tired you going somewhere in the “night”. Indeed. and then you do it “over and over” again, night after night.

  • Anonymous

    Chris – I recall seeing that video before, and it stuck with me. Regarding health/fitness, I wrote my goals down…publicly. I put them on my blog, Twitter, Facebook, and told everyone I knew that I was working on losing weight and getting fit. It worked wonders for me – I’ve lost 50 pounds since I saw you at SXSW in March.

    Part of the reason I started this journey was to help my son, who was overweight. Please note that I said “was”. :) He’s dropped 36 pounds himself (he’ll be 12 in a couple of months) and he is feeling and looking terrific.

    As always, great job here of laying out your thoughts in a sensible manner.

    Next up, I need to write down my financial goals. I have a feeling that this will also keep me accountable and help me get where I want to go.

  • Anonymous

    Chris – I recall seeing that video before, and it stuck with me. Regarding health/fitness, I wrote my goals down…publicly. I put them on my blog, Twitter, Facebook, and told everyone I knew that I was working on losing weight and getting fit. It worked wonders for me – I’ve lost 50 pounds since I saw you at SXSW in March.

    Part of the reason I started this journey was to help my son, who was overweight. Please note that I said “was”. :) He’s dropped 36 pounds himself (he’ll be 12 in a couple of months) and he is feeling and looking terrific.

    As always, great job here of laying out your thoughts in a sensible manner.

    Next up, I need to write down my financial goals. I have a feeling that this will also keep me accountable and help me get where I want to go.

  • Douglas A. Duffield

    Boy Chris,

    You remind me of my fitness coach at the GYM – Team LP. He pushes me harder to be better.
    Your are doing the same thing in the business world. Thanks and best of luck to you!!

    Keep it come – Douglas A. Duffield

  • http://www.rocknrealty.net Nanette Labastida

    i read this post at some point in the middle of the night last night when i couldn’t sleep. Then i dreamed i was running from lamp post to lamp post and telling myself that’s all i needed to get to, one lamp post. In my dream i knew i was in the middle of chemo treatment and marveled at my ability to do this.
    Then i forgot about this post & my dream till i was out on my walk today, i felt sad on my walk because i miss being strong and running and being in shape like i was before all this, i miss almost everything about “before” sometimes. But when i remembered the dream & what you wrote and i realized that inch by inch is all i have to do to get back, or get further to whatever i want. so i ran to just one lamp post, maybe two tomorrow? who knows.
    I have claimed i’m running a half marathon in a year :) so today was the first inch.

    • http://twitter.com/mayaREguru Maya P.

      You’re my hero Nanette. Keep it up!

    • http://www.thesacredseduction.com Rumio

      Don’t look back, if you look back you’ll feel sad. Consider it as if you’re climbing a mountain. If climbers look down they feel fear and can’t climb. Look up and keep on climbing inch by inch till you conquer the mountain. You can and you will…

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  • http://twitter.com/mayaREguru Maya P.

    Thanks Chris. I write many goals down, not all. I tend to write weekly but not the long term goals. As often as I have been coached, told, chided by people to make a “dream board” and put it all on paper I haven’t done it. I have goals set in my mind – but I guess if I put actual timelines in place I might inch along at a bit faster pace.

    As for the lamp post fitness stuff – I always say take the stairs when you can and park as far as you can from where you are headed. The few extra steps always add up in everything we do. Extra effort is always worth it.

  • http://twitter.com/mayaREguru Maya P.

    Thanks Chris. I write many goals down, not all. I tend to write weekly but not the long term goals. As often as I have been coached, told, chided by people to make a “dream board” and put it all on paper I haven’t done it. I have goals set in my mind – but I guess if I put actual timelines in place I might inch along at a bit faster pace.

    As for the lamp post fitness stuff – I always say take the stairs when you can and park as far as you can from where you are headed. The few extra steps always add up in everything we do. Extra effort is always worth it.

  • Todd West

    Thanks Chris!

    We all know plenty of people who are talented but unsuccessful. And we know people who aren’t all that talented but are exceptionally successful. Those who aren’t successful aren’t motivated. The key to finding success is to find your motivation. Your motivation is the fuel that will keep you going. Find that one thing that motivates you to stay up late at night and that will drive you to get out of bed early!

    Great Post and Video – Thanks again Chris!

    Todd West

  • Anonymous

    Love this video! Nothing comes easy, especially success. Learning, planning, doing, consistency, and long hours. Then repeat. Don’t forget to balance the personal/family time. Too often that gets pushed to the back burner. It’s amazing how much time management, rears it’s head as the real key to success.

  • Jodi Kaplan

    Judy, I was going to post a link to Arlo singing that song, but you beat me to it! Great minds…:-)

  • Jodi Kaplan

    Judy, I was going to post a link to Arlo singing that song, but you beat me to it! Great minds…:-)

  • Jodi Kaplan

    Judy, I was going to post a link to Arlo singing that song, but you beat me to it! Great minds…:-)

  • Jodi Kaplan

    Judy, I was going to post a link to Arlo singing that song, but you beat me to it! Great minds…:-)

  • Jodi Kaplan

    Judy, I was going to post a link to Arlo singing that song, but you beat me to it! Great minds…:-)

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  • http://www.onepowerfulword.com Ash Srivastava

    Overnight Success takes a lifetime sometimes. Thanks for reminding us that consistency is important.

  • http://www.onepowerfulword.com Ash Srivastava

    Overnight Success takes a lifetime sometimes. Thanks for reminding us that consistency is important.

  • http://www.blackfridayplanet.com/ William Hushburn

    “I’m shooting for improving my success in all areas of life: business, relationships, finance, health. ” Can’t help but notice this statement.

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  • Karen Alaniz

    My mother is in her 80′s and I love what comes from wisdom. She often says that everyone falls in a pit every now and then, but that doesn’t mean you have to move in and start decorating it. LOL I think of that often. I love my mom!

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