Finish Strong! How to end a quarter....

It's Spring, a time when most of us feel a sense of renewed energy, hope and optimism. But, this year, Spring brings with it mixed emotions  and concern about the days ahead. Why because we are tasked daily with “change.” We pause with concern and after a moment we think, “I’m okay; I still have time to make changes” and we go about the rest of our day.  But…how do you finish?

Finishing strong helps you leave well. You will only get one chance to finish well in this position then history will decide how you are remembered. When you keep your eye on the finish line, you stay focused on doing your best right up until the end. Success isn’t about starting but finishing. The end of the quarter brings some questions with it:

“Was it worth it?”
“Did I really make a difference?”
“What kind of effort can I honestly put into this thing in the last few days?”

These types of questions can conjure up feelings of regret over what you expected to happen and where you’re currently at. They can also motivate you to make the most of the moments you have left to serve.

It all depends on where your focus is: regret or resolve.

The difficulty with regret is that it comes with the realization that you can’t go back and change what has already happened. The beauty of resolve is that it doesn’t matter what’s happened in the past, you can keep your eyes focused on where you’re headed in the present. You can experience a breakthrough in your leadership when you’re able to focus and concentrate on those areas where you can lend your strengths. 

When you finish strong, it serves as a model for yourself, your team, your division, your company. This isn't just about you, but about all of the people whom you lead. A successful ending should be a team effort. Work to keep yourself engaged, motivated, and connected to the goals and vision of the team right up to the end. Nothing will deflate team morale more than to have members of a team slowly fade away before the quarter is up.  Sales is a team sport!

The difference between a leader and a follower is found in the willingness one has to accept responsibility. You may have some “good reasons” for shirking your responsibilities as it gets close to the end. But you only miss out on the sense of satisfaction and personal pride of seeing your responsibility through to the end.

If you've read all the way to this point, you probably realize that finishing strong is a principle that you need to follow in everything you do. Do the hard work on the back end to see your commitments through.

The best piece of advice you can take from all that I have said: “Don’t give up…finish strong!