How To Be Your Own Coach: Dealing with Deadlines (Part 1) Blog Feature
Molly D Protosow

By: Molly D Protosow on April 25th, 2013

Print/Save as PDF

How To Be Your Own Coach: Dealing with Deadlines (Part 1)

deadlines | Sales Tips | Sales Training | Motivational

running

When you’re going after a big goal, are you more likely to succeed if you begin with a deadline? 

If you’re going to accomplish a big goal, - something bigger, better, and greater than you’ve ever done before - there are questions you need to ask yourself.  Are you going to be doing this for the rest of your life until you achieve it?  Or are you saying to yourself, “Well, I’ll pour my heart into it for a couple of years, and if that doesn’t work, then I’ll go back to my old life and lower my sights and change my goal.”

Which approach will more likely lead you to success? Well, there are four things to consider:

 

1. Working hard

2. Danger of dates

3. Veering off course

4. Movement

 

(1.) Working hard? When you wake up well-rested, it’s relatively easy to begin the day with a new mission and a new purpose in life and a new energy in your step; you’ve got that adrenaline flowing and you can keep going and that’s great. What happens when you get tired?  When you work hard, you will get tired.  And when you’re going after a goal that’s bigger than any you’ve gone after before, you will no doubt work hard on both a physical and a mental level as well as every other level in between. 

 

And so the question is, “What happens when you get tired and know that you’ve got a built-in arbitrary time period?” You've set a deadline for yourself. 

(2.) Well, now we’re talking about the danger of dates. Let’s say you’re planning on giving your best efforts for two years. Well, that was the original plan, but now you’re 18 months into it and you go, “Well, you know, I’ve got six more months left before the deadline, and I’m kind of coasting toward the end because I can see now that I’m not going to make it.” How do you tend to react when you see that deadline up-front? Is it a relief? Is it an oasis?  Is it an excuse to get off the treadmill and stop running towards your goal? That’s the danger in dates for some people, especially those who grow weary after working hard.  Who can blame them? We all get tired at some point. Reflect on how you personally deal with arbitrary deadlines. The situation might be unique for different people. 

**** 

Should you make a left as part of your big plan, or do you make a left and call that ‘veering off course’?

 

 

 

About the Author:

Steve_Bookbinder

Steve Bookbinder is Co-founder and CEO of Digital Media Training, a training partner to some of the most successful sales organizations around the world.  DMT delivers training which treats sales as a competitive sport and changes behavior needed to help sellers consistently win.  DMT is a leader in M-learning training reinforcement with a proven track record of improving sales through training. Steve has delivered more than 500 keynote speeches at national sales meetings, conducted more than 3,000 training workshops and trained, coached and managed more than 35,000 sellers and managers from leading companies around the world for more than 20 years.

 

 

About Molly D Protosow

Molly Protosow is the COO and Training Strategist for DMTraining. She manages the day-to-day business and training operations while helping research and develop new training programs as well as refreshing signature programs to reflect the newest sales trends, technology, and best practices. Molly utilizes her wide-range of skills to create sales and marketing assets focused on delivering value to DMT’s clients. Molly has a passion for learning and leveraging new knowledge and experiences. Outside of DMTraining, Molly is a hard core Pittsburgh sports fan, enjoys staying active by running and golfing, and unwinds by reading and playing the piano.

  • Connect with Molly D Protosow