On the Usefulness of Recurring Themes

The themes that reoccur over and over again provide you with strong evidence.

The reoccurrence of the same problem or challenge is strong evidence that you need to change. The recurring successes provide evidence that you should do more of what is working.

Recurring Problems

If you always have trouble prospecting and opening new relationships, then you have evidence that you need to try something new (or old and uncomfortable).

If you always lose on price, then your results are providing evidence that you aren’t creating enough value to win over your lower-priced competitors. It likely means you need to sharpen the value you create and increase your dream client’s perception.

If you routinely have the same challenge in delivering what your client needs from you, the evidence is providing you with the signal that something you’re doing isn’t working. It means there is something you need to change.

I have the recurring problem that is too much to do and too little time. This is strong (and compelling evidence) that I need more help and a greater ability to say no (I am carrying this into next year with me).

Recurring Success

There are some things that you sometimes do that produce exceptional results. Usually it’s the difficult stuff that’s effective, but because it is difficult you don’t do it often enough.

It’s difficult to get in front of opportunities. It’s difficult to nurture the relationship, provide valuable ideas, and develop latent dissatisfaction and the case for change. But when you are able to do so, you create opportunities, you squeeze out potential competitors, and you run across the finish line all alone. This is evidence that you should do more of the activities that give you this advantage.

When you engage with your clients around the difficult issues, when you have the difficult conversations, you find your way through them together. Instead of finding the relationship at risk, you find that you have developed greater trust and deepened the relationship. That’s a recurring theme worth noting, too.

Are you paying attention to the recurring themes in your business and your life? Are you noticing what you should change and what you should double down on?