Wednesday, October 31, 2018
I grew up in the northwest suburbs of Detroit. My brother and I had newspaper routes next to each other covering a 12-block area. We got to know all the residents well, as well as the most efficient routes across the grid. By the time Halloween arrived, we had a detailed scouting report. It ranked neighbors by the probability of having the “cool” candy, how generous they would be with the candy, and the least amount of interaction time you felt obligated to give before moving on.
At that time there was a curfew, yet it was not right to start before dark. I am glad that last piece changed before my kids started ‘trick or treating”. Once we added all these factors to the allotted time we had for gathering, we could create the route that would maximize the biggest quality candy haul possible.
Costumes were coordinated and nothing that could be construed as offensive was worn. The candy hauls those years were superb and we even added a bumper of 15 minutes to meet up with friends and exchange candy to increase our % of brands we liked. Working around the popcorn balls (my favorite) to dig out the licorice (Dan liked), I added more Bit O' Honey to my stash. The neighbors we visited were respectfully greeted by name, those that enjoyed a little conversation got it, and everyone received a sincere “Thank you” with eye contact before departure.
We made it home 5 minutes before curfew so not to ruffle feathers at home. The overflowing bags were dumped on the floor to sort and organize the booty. Looking back, we had achieved our candy quota and bettered our relationships with our friends, neighbors, and parents. We had a great 5- year run before it was pointed out that kids our age no longer were out trick or treating.
The same elements in our “Big Candy Haul” years can be applied to successfully achieving goals in your professional and personal life:
Specifically, determine what you want to achieve. The more specific the goal, the better you can measure success. Make it important and understand the benefits of achieving your goal (sugar buzz).
Measure your progress along the way, so you can adjust if needed. The final record will also give you a more accurate prediction for future projects. Like the year we wore high heels (slowed us down and reduces our haul by 20%).
Be sure you set goals that are realistic and still push you to work harder. We could not cross the busy streets in the beginning (Mom’s rule) so, we needed to maximize our 12-block area.
All goals should have a time frame, so you can keep promises (like being home on time or delivering a project on time) and evaluate your progress.
There are times when things outside of your control throw a wrench in your plans (like the year of the torrential downpour). Your goals need to be important enough to you to overcome those obstacles and control what you can. We shifted routes to the streets with bigger trees for shelter.
Once you are clear on your goals- create strategies (a plan) to achieve those goals. The more knowledge you have of what you can do and what the market can offer, the more effective your plan will be. I recommend taking the time to plan before running off “willy- nilly” in search of your dreams. These are the lessons I learned from that period:
Do your homework
Set your goals so you know specifically what you want
What I learned from those days is to plan your work and work your plan
Treat people with respect
Teaming up with other’s increases your success rate
Dress appropriately for the situation
Be sure not to take your customers for granted
What has helped you successfully achieve your goals?
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