Baxter's Buzz

Buzz of the Week

Slow and Steady - This past week has been refreshing for me. My online class started last week and I am very excited to see how I perform. Not how I perform in the class per se, but how I structure my time. Organized is something that I am working very hard to be. I have improved greatly, but I still have a long way to go. I am planning to take more classes online IF I'm able to manage my time. I feel like the more idle time I have, the less productive I am... sometimes.... That drives me mad, but nobody can change it but me. So my plan is: One class this spring, two classes this summer, and three to four classes this fall. That plan is contingent on me taking care of my business and being organized.

My networking group (Greenmen Group) has planned our first mixer/meet and greet for the beginning of next month. We are trying to recruit new members to become part of what we are building. Slow and steady wins the race. We have been meeting at least once a month since September of 2008. There have been people who had the best ideas in the world, but they are no longer involved. Don't come in here with all these great ideas with no idea how to execute, and worse yet, no even following through.

I have failed at a few things in my lifen (maybe more than a few) and the biggest reason for my failure is having too big of an idea with no way to quantify or measure progress. Since we've started meeting, I have labeled myself the "rain on the parade"guy. I wanted to make sure that we continued to take baby steps and remain consistent in our effort. That way we didn't just attempt to "one up" each other's ideas without a way to see it through.

Well, I am excited because things are taking shape and our diligence has paid off. This approach works when you have long-term and (sometimes more important) short-term goals. This group has been a great example for me to follow in my personal life. Taking one class doesn't seem like much, but when you've been out of school as long as I have, one class is a great start.

You will reap what you sow. If you want a small crop or two to pop up, be "iffy" with your effort. If you want a full harvest, have a plan in place and execute it. Consistency is what separates us many times. One of my good friends told me just recently, "Don't worry about the time you've already wasted, just understand that you don't have anymore time to waste."

Set your goals, short and long termed. Create a plan of execution. And get after it.