So New Year’s has come and gone quite some time ago. Were you one of those people who gave yourself a goal to reach this year in business or in your personal life? If you didn’t, you’re one of the majority who had too much trouble with follow through to make their vision a reality Following through is essential for success both at work and at home; without it, things simply don’t get done.

1. Don’t Overdo It

One of the biggest killers of goals is when you pile more goals on your plate than you can reasonably stomach. This is the best way to split your focus and ensure that if anything does actually get done, it won’t get done well. Many leaders (too many leaders) are highly concerned with output. How much business are we doing? What do our numbers look like? How can we grow this part of our business?

While there certainly isn’t anything wrong with finding ways to grow, you must do it in an organized, thoughtful way that doesn’t impede your ability to complete any one step well. Keep things simple whenever possible. Once your goal has been achieved, you can always pick a new goal.

2. Be Consistent

Consistency is going to be important for just about everything you do, and follow through is no exception. This means being dedicated to your goal every day. Not one a week, not one every three days, but every day. Make a plan and stick to it. After 21 days, habits become routines, and routines help people stay consistent with their efforts.

Everyone needs a little momentum—no pun intended, really—to stay consistent. It’s something that takes practice and diligence, but consistency is key for success. It’s a great skill to have so try it out, I bet it looks good on you.

3. Get Support

Everyone needs support, there’s just no way around that. The feeling of strength behind you is enough to keep you upright even in the most trying of times. Your chances of achieving your goal increase by quite a lot when you have a person or a team standing in your corner.

So it’s a no brainer: get the support you need. This helps with follow through because a strong support system will not only be there for you to lean on, but will also help to keep you accountable so you can follow through on your goals each and every time.

Time For Action

Think carefully about these steps. Go over in your mind how you might apply each one to your current goal set. How many goals can you realistically tackle at one time? What habits will you commit to that will ensure your consistency in all things? Who is best to support you in your endeavours.

Once you’ve had an opportunity to really think about how these three apply to you, it’s time to put each one into practice and start following through. You can do it! Contact Momentum if you need help.

Harnessing the power of over-delivering to turbo-charge your career and give you an edge over everyone else.

“Find out what your boss wants and then over-deliver.”

Simple, but spot-on.

Wow is what happens when you deliver more than your customer expects. In today’s competitive environment, you must create wow to succeed.

The same is true in your career. If you want to turbo-charge your career and advance more rapidly, you must consistently over-deliver.

Delivering on what your boss expects will give you job security (maybe), but it won’t get you noticed. And if you don’t get noticed, you won’t get promoted. It’s as simple as that. You have to stand-out.

When I think back over my career and consider the hundreds of people who worked for me, the ones I remember are those who consistently over-delivered. They made an indelible impression on my psyche.

This isn’t a difficult concept to grasp. Yet, it’s surprising that more people aren’t intentional about using it as a fundamental career strategy.

You don’t have to be the smartest person in the room. Or the most creative. Or even the hardest working. All you have to do is be committed to exceeding the boss’s expectations.

Here are some suggestions for harnessing the power of over-delivering to turbo-charge your career and give you an edge over everyone else:

1. Make the decision to over-deliver. Few good things happen by accident. You have to decide you are going to do something differently—or do it at a different level. Just making this decision will set things in motion. It’s amazing how many aren’t willing to do this. They are content to do just enough to get by.

2. Get clear on your boss’s (or client’s) expectations. It’s really not about you—not if you are going to succeed. You have to be committed to making your boss successful. What does he expect from you? This is worth considering overall and on the front-end of each initiative. Start by asking, “What do you expect from me?” His response sets the bar.

3. Identify specific ways you can exceed them. This is where the fun begins. List your boss’s (or client’s) expectations in one column of a sheet of paper or on a spreadsheet. Now, in another column, list what you could do to exceed those expectations. How can you make his jaw drop or at least make him smile with delight? Use your creativity to create a wow experience.

4. Make wow your new standard. Every time you exceed your boss’s expectations, you create a branding impression. You want to develop a reputation for consistently over-delivering. You want to be the first person your boss thinks of when considering a new position or important project. That’s the secret to getting ahead.

Of course, the problem with exceeding expectations is that your performance quickly becomes the new standard. That’s why you have to be committed to never-ending improvement. Every new position, every new project is an opportunity to grow and realize your own potential.

By: Michael Hyatt