381 - Mid-January: Hope Is Over. Are You Executing?

0:00As I record this podcast, it is January 15, 2026. So we're now in the middle of January, and statistically, this is the point where most New Year's resolutions quickly start to fall apart. Not because people are bad or not because they're lazy, but because hope has replaced execution. So let me ask you a very direct question. How is your refocus on 2026 actually going? Not how do you feel about it, not what you intended to do, but what are you actually doing week to week? And a few questions. Are you still using the Ivy Lee method? Are you still identifying the six most important actions for the day?

0:49Are you finishing them in order of priority? Or did they quietly disappear once the calendar flipped back to reality? Are you still making execution commitments? Real commitments that involve other people? Emails sent, calls made, meetings requested, follow-ups completed? Or have you drifted back into planning, organizing, research, thinking? Here's the hard truth. If no one else can tell you work this week. It probably did not count as external. Now, if you're off track, that's not failure though. That's feedback. The mistake people make is pretending they're still on track when the evidence shows otherwise.

1:37So here is how you correct the course quickly. First, First, stop revisiting your goals. Goals do not execute themselves. Execution commitments do. Second, reduce the number of commitments. Most people fail because they try to do too much. Pick fewer actions, but make sure they're non-negotiable. That's important for you, but it's also important that the people you interact with, whether that's your board, your professionals, your partners, your acquisition prospects, see that you do what you say you're going to do. Third, re-anchor to time. Execution commitments need deadlines that create discomfort.

2:21If your schedule's too comfortable, you're usually not stretching. And fourth, put friction back into your week. Cold calls, direct outreach, follow-ups with people who have not responded. These are things that create progress and also resistance. And finally, review this weekly, not emotionally, but factually. What did I commit to do? What did I complete? What did I avoid? And what am I changing next week? Or better yet, what am I changing now? If you are still on track, excellent. Don't ease up. Momentum is fragile. Keep doing what you're doing. Just usually do more of it if you can do that.

3:07Consistency in January is what separates people who talk about 2026 being their year from people who dominate 2026. So stay focused, stay uncomfortable, keep executing, taking action on the most important things. And most of the time, people can't do this alone. They need a team around them. They need other people to do tasks as well. So think about would you benefit from joining my Empire Group Coaching or the VIP Mastermind. Those certainly give you the ability to see what other people are doing, closing deals, putting boards together, etc. Which, if nothing else, tells you, yes, this is possible.

3:55So I hope that helps. I hope your check-in is a realistic, sober check-in on where you are today and to make those course corrections so that 2026 is a year in which you succeed in your goals. Your execution is in support of those goals, and hopefully you will acquire acquisitions in 2026. If you stay focused, take action, and realize that the setbacks are temporary defeats. They are not failure unless you accept them as failure.