Brenda Buck, CPCU, CIC, CPIW
Set the Wheels in Motion is an idiom, meaning: to cause a series of actions to start that which will help you achieve what you want.
Decide
First, decide what you want and decide when you want it.
Perhaps you have heard the story about three frogs sitting on lily pads in the pond. One decided to jump. How many were left? All three were left, because deciding didn’t mean that he actually jumped!
Focus and do something
Next, focus on what you need to do to make it happen.
John F Kennedy said “Things do not happen. Things are made to happen.”
Prioritize
Do you feel overwhelmed by the avalanche of email, information and outstanding action items?
Do you have workflows to follow at work?
Do you follow a personal routine?
What do you use for reminders? Where does the reminder need to be seen?
- Phone calls by the phone
- Work by the computer
- Errands in the car or by the door
What is your work? Do you feel like answering emails is your job? At what point did answering anything become your job? Mail, phone and conversations in the hallway –
are these distractions or your work? You may need to prioritize and say no to some things.
Accomplish
At the end of the day, when you look back at what you have accomplished, make sure your wheels are in forward motion!
Henry Ford said, “You can’t build a reputation on what you are going to do.” However, it has also been said, it’s not what you have done in the past but what you are doing right now and into the future that will provide you with opportunities. In other words, as Babe Ruth once said, “Yesterday’s home runs don’t win today’s game!”
Brenda Buck, CPCU, CIC, CPIW is an active IAIP member in New Hampshire. Brenda is employed by USI Insurance Services LLC as a Commercial Lines Account Executive.