James Parker has always had big dreams. Two years ago he fulfilled one of them by starting a business. However, Parker says he's nowhere near done with his pursuits.
"I know what I want, and I make every effort to go after it," says Parker, CEO of PM Ideas, the Chicago-based parent company of GoBlackBiz.com, an advertised Internet directory for black-owned businesses, and the newly launched GoBlackBook.net, an online social networking portal. He makes an effort to complete at least one task per day related to growing his budding company, whether it's making a phone call, doing research, or recruiting people to assist.
"Goals are little good without the drive or urgency to obtain them," says Sepia Baker, life success coach and creator of The Affirmative Action Plan For Life, a guide for those looking to transform themselves. Whether planning to start a business, buy a house, or earn a college degree, having urgency propels one to take immediate action to make those things happen, says Baker. She adds that in this fast-changing society, the urgency needed to take advantage of opportunities or avoid hazards can be just as critical as talent or financial capital.
In his book A Sense of Urgency (Harvard Business School Press; $22) author John P. Kotter describes urgency as a pace of accomplishing something important each day. But Baker cautions that urgency is not the same as speed. Parker agrees. The 39-year-old says despite diligently saving a portion of every paycheck since 2003, it took him nearly five years to collect the two years' worth of salary he felt he needed before resigning from his position with the Chicago Housing Authority in May 2008. "It's not as much about when you achieve your goal, as it is how quickly you focus on taking deliberate and realistic actions to move in that direction, Baker adds. "Urgency doesn't displace patience?
Are you ready to find your sense of urgency? Here's how:
Speak with urgency. Talk in terms of what will be done today to advance your goals and mission. Use the present tense and reiterate the importance of moving forward in all of your communications.
Behave urgently. Arrange your schedule to accommodate items of importance, Eliminate unnecessary activities and delegate low-priority items. Focus on actions that provide the greatest acceleration.
Expect urgency, Assign tasks with deadlines that prompt others to begin immediately, Confirm next steps and each person's responsibility after a meeting or discussion.
Urgency is not our natural state of being, so it must continually be created. Checkout these tips for reviving your momentum:
Anticipate a slowdown. Understand that your pace will vary. But pay special attention to losing urgency after accomplishing something significant, as you are approaching a particularly daunting task, or when you are feeling overwhelmed or burned out.
Plan to make a comeback. Establish triggers that will alert you to a change in pace. Identify causes and brainstorm strategies to rev things up and get back on the fast track.
Take immediate action, Stage an intervention at the first indication of complacency. Revisit your mission and goals regularly.
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