Everything Counts

By: Gary Ryan Blair
Submitted: 2007-01-17 12:48:46
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I interrupt your life to bring you this important message—everything counts!

Everything Counts! offers a philosophy for running a great business and for enjoying a great quality of life. Its meaning is simple; yet powerful:

Everything you say; every thought you entertain; and everything you do has a direction, which serves as an advance or a retreat in respect to your pursuit of excellence. Everything, regardless of size or intent, has bottom-line consequences; therefore, everything counts — this is the golden rule of excellence.

Self-knowledge grows as you subject your life to examination. Listening to your own speech, reflecting on your own thoughts, looking at your own actions—these are the processes by which you master yourself. You shape your philosophies and yourself by observing and striving to understand the events of each moment. A focus on virtues to attain and vices to forego is crucial.

Everything Counts! is a call to greater personal awareness, accountability and self-discipline; not to neurosis. It offers a fresh, honest perspective on living; an ongoing investigation of truth. In this investigation, everything counts.

Making everything count requires a conscientious and sustained effort on the part of each of us. The examined life is the life worth living. By adopting the golden rule of excellence, you’ll begin to examine even the smallest details, which in the past may have compromised performance and even contaminated your character and reputation.

You already possess everything you need for this investigation. All you need to do is make your potential actual, one day at a time. You do this by pursuing your goals and embracing excellence as your ideal. Pursuit of your goals and a genuine commitment to excellence is compelling as each step offers an opportunity for growth, learning, maturity and self-improvement.

No matter how you define excellence, it will always include exceptional quality, meticulous attention to details, uncompromising standards, and superior craftsmanship fueled by love and passion. Excellence is respected and admired, serving as the triumphant accomplishment of those unwilling to accept anything less than their absolute best.

World-class results are the product of world-class habits and activities. From start to finish, the distinguishing characteristics of success are found in the details. One of the most impressive characteristics of all high achievers is their relentless commitment to excellence and the meticulous attention to details associated with that journey.

High achievers turn over all stones, understanding and exploiting to their benefit the fact that the critical difference between merely acceptable versus excellent results lies in the smallest of details. They acknowledge and accept that the difference between gold and silver at the Olympics can be traced to the tiniest of details in training or execution; as a result, they make everything count.

Unfortunately, far too many people and organizations function in a suspended state of mediocrity. Reputations are damaged, brands diluted, and loyalty is lost by blatant disregard for the small stuff which negatively impacts the customer experience. A ‘don’t sweat the small stuff’ philosophy is flawed as it breeds poor customer service, under-performance, wasted opportunity, mistakes, inconsistencies, rework, and oversights.

From typos to tardiness, many people and organizations act as if details just don’t matter much. The result is that they treat customers poorly, deliver sloppy results, and show up both unprepared and late. While mission statements and service creeds extol excellence, quality, and consistency; you’ll receive mediocrity, apathy, and—far too often—incompetence.

Quite frankly, it has to stop. If a business truly wants to create cult status with their customers, then it must embrace Everything Counts as its operational philosophy!

The adoption of Everything Counts! as an operating philosophy will become the driver for organizing all sales, service, and performance-improvement initiatives. It will also become a sustainable competitive weapon.

In business, the smallest of details count when it comes to creating perfect brand perception. Every element and every detail in each company’s communications portfolio is waiting to receive a touch of consistent branding: the language and tone used in letters, the standby music on the phone system, fax cover-sheets, download time from internet sites, the presentation of invoices…. The list goes on and on.

Likewise, in your personal life, no detail is too small to count — ask anyone on a diet. Success is in the details. Sometimes we get so caught up in the big race toward our ideal weight that we forget that we get to the finish line one step at a time. Each calorie-cutting gesture counts and pays off in weight loss and a better awareness of healthy eating habits.

People have within themselves the power to raise the bar of their own performance any time they wish by dumping “don’t sweat” complacency and embracing an “Everything Counts!” attitude.

An “Everything Counts!” mindset is today’s total quality initiative for a productive and satisfying personal life, family life, and business life.

The “Everything Counts!” life is one of discipline in which the individual takes charge of his or her own behaviors and exercises the control necessary to do what needs to be done right… the first time!

Gary Ryan Blair is the inspirational force behind Everything Counts! – http://www.EverythingCounts.com

He helps business owners, corporate executives and sales professionals manage their time, set their priorities, and stay focused so they can achieve their goals, grow their business, and sustain a lasting competitive advantage. To get your copy of this breakthrough book, which is now being used by people and companies throughout the world, click here now! http://www.EverythingCounts.com

Gary can be reached for speaking, coaching and media requests at 877-462-5748 or by sending an email to Gary@GoalsGuy.com

Article source: Expert Articles