Continuous incremental improvement is unstoppable.
Having launched at the very end of last year and with the wind in our sails, we sat down in January and chiseled out a plan for 2021. We split the year into two halves, each half containing a number of goals, objectives, and milestones. Reviewing the first half of that plan, some goals have already been met, some are on track, others not so much.
Planning is a crucial exercise. By creating a goal or objective you give yourself something to aim for, which makes it easier to take action; actions create outcomes, and outcomes allow you to reflect and adjust. Not having a plan is like navigating an ocean without a map or compass - you can end up anywhere.
So what to make of our mixed bag of outcomes so far? Well, perhaps we overestimated on some goals and underestimated others; attacked some areas enthusiastically while neglecting others. Could we have done more? Absolutely. But there is no doubt that we are in better shape and further forward than we would be without the plan. And that is precisely the point. But we must also keep in mind that there is no end destination.
Underneath all our plans, goals, and objectives exists a single-minded drive to transform potential into being. Quite simply, that is life. It never stops. And we all contribute in our own way every single second, consciously or unconsciously.
A single conversation, a single spark, that birthed a tiny flicker of a flame. A flame that we could have blown out (as we often do), returning the idea back into the darkness with all the other lost ideas. We take responsibility for nurturing that flame every day, stoking it so that it burns stronger. The stronger the flame the more we can throw at it meaning that it becomes stronger still. And on it goes.
Every single action we take stems from that first spark, another nudge that transforms potential into being. At this level, success or failure is besides the point. Keep on pushing. How far can we take this? Where can it take us? What are we, you, us capable of?
Continuous incremental improvement is unstoppable.