A disturbingly simple change that may have saved my sales quarter
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Heading into December, things looked bleak.
Millions of pipeline dollars vanished as my sales prospects struggled through layoffs, dwindling targets, and threats of recession.
Not one deal closed in Q3.
Personal struggles weighed heavy too.
I often swapped workouts for wine, good sleep evaded me, and I hadn't written anything for months.
I felt off, sluggish and defeated.
I had to do something.
Early that month, I tried decoding where I got off track.
Investigating my mornings revealed a subtle, but dangerously poisonous habit I had put into practice:
Consuming.
As soon as my eyes would open, I'd scroll my phone, buy (then chug) coffee, and rush to gobble down calls and emails.
Only hours into my day, I'd turn into a “consuming machine”, one not built for overcoming challenges and navigating messy shifts in sales opportunities.
So in December, I changed.
Now when my eyes open, I make celery juice for Tracy and me.
Rinse the stalks.
Peel the ribs.
Steer each one through the juicer, then clean the mess before she wakes.
Next, I feed my dog Bernie and walk him around the block.
Instead of buying coffee, I make herbal tea.
I also spend ten minutes planning my day before facing the email onslaught.
And whenever possible, I squeeze in some writing or a quick run along the beach.
By 8, I'm a creation machine. It's like I've warmed up my problem-solving superpowers.
We’ve closed 10 deals since the switch.
I'm sleeping better and writing again.
I feel focused and energetic.
And so can you.
Each morning you make a subtle, but surprisingly important decision.
Do you create or do you consume?
The choice might just save your quarter.
It might even save your life.
Remember,
When we embrace practice, develop awareness, and align our efforts, we can rise above the deal.
We can live #quotaless.