CONSIDERTHE CONSEQUENCES by Brian Tracy
Themark of the superior thinker is his or her ability to accuratelypredictthe consequences of doing or not doing something. The potentialconsequencesof any task or activity are the key determinants of how important itreallyis to you and to your company. This way of evaluating the significanceof a task is how you determine what your next frog really is. LONGTIME PERSPECTIVE DoctorEdward Banfield of Harvard University, after more than 50 years ofresearch,concluded that "long-time perspective" is the most accurate singlepredictorof upward social and economic mobility in America. Long timeperspectiveturns out to be more important than family background, education, race,intelligence, connections or virtually any other single factor indeterminingyour success in life and at work. Yourattitude toward time, your "time horizon," has an enormous impact onyourbehavior and your choices. People who take the long view of their livesand careers always seem to make much better decisions about their timeand activities than people who give very little thought to thefuture. THINKABOUT YOUR FUTURE Successfulpeople have a clear future orientation. They think five, ten and twentyyears out into the future. They analyze their choices and behaviors inthe present to make sure that they are consistent with the long-termfuturethat they desire. Inyour work, having a clear idea of what is really important to you inthelong-term makes it much easier for you to make better decisions aboutyourpriorities in the short-term. DETERMINETHE CONSEQUENCES Bydefinition, something that is important has long-term potentialconsequences.Something that is unimportant has few or no long-term potentialconsequences.Before starting on anything, you should always ask yourself, "What arethe potential consequences of doing or not doing this task?" Theclearer you are about your future intentions, the greater influencethatclarity will have on what you do in the moment. With a clear long-termvision, you are much more capable of evaluating an activity in thepresentand to assure that it is consistent with where you truly want to endup. MAKEIT A TOP PRIORITY Ifthere is a task or activity with large potential positive consequences,make it a top priority and get started on it immediately. If there issomethingthat can have large potential negative consequences if it is not donequicklyand well, that becomes a top priority as well. Whatever your frog is,resolveto gulp it down first thing. KEEPMOTIVATED Motivationrequires motive. The greater the positive potential impact that anactionor behavior of yours can have on your life, once you define it clearly,the more motivated you will be to overcome procrastination and get itdonequickly. Thinkingcontinually about the potential consequences of your choices, decisionsand behaviors is one of the very best ways to determine you trueprioritiesin your work and personal life. ACTIONEXERCISES Reviewyour list of tasks, activities and projects regularly. Continually askyourself, "Which one project or activity, if I did it in an excellentandtimely fashion, would have the greatest positive impact on mylife?" Whateverit is that can help you the most, set it as a goal, make a plan toachieveit and go to work on your plan immediately. Remember the wonderfulwordsof Goethe, "Just begin and the mind grows heated; continue, and thetaskwill be completed!" | 