I define a business as a group that takes human energy and creates value. Since humans are an integral part of any business, we need to think about their limitations. Actually, as humans, we have a lot of limitations. We can’t run 60 miles an hour, we are not able to teleport, and the one that upsets me the most, we can’t fly.

One that is less obvious but just as much a limitation is that we don’t have the ability to focus for more than 90 days. This limitation is one of the main reasons strategic planning or yearly planning falls short.

All too often, leaders and managers of teams in business, overlook the importance of celebrating small wins. Have you ever heard your boss say “It’s about time this team made some progress”? (I know I have in my early career in corporate sales) Although the intent was to recognize progress, the tone was negative and uninspiring.  

It wasn’t fun. Alex (my business partner) and I took our annual Clarity Trip™ in the Smoky Mountains, following the Appalachian Trail. We planned to do 76 miles over 6 days. We did it, but it rained for five of those days.

On our longest day of 16 miles, it rained 5 inches. So, slogging along in wet boots with water up to our calves on the trail, we debated stopping after about five miles. However, that would have added four or five miles to each day we had left; we would have had to quit early. We wouldn’t have reached our goal.

Seth Godin wrote a post recently called "The Illusion of Control." As with all Seth’s posts, it prompts great thoughts.

The gist of the post is that we delude ourselves when we tell each other, tell our children, tell our employees, tell our management team that we have control over the future. We don’t. Plain and simple.

All we can control are our actions. The things we choose to do. If we choose wisely, we can greatly influence the future. But that is all. Just like with your cholesterol. What you eat will influence whether your bad cholesterol goes up or down. Not what the exact number is. And exercise, of course.

How do you define the SMART acronym? Wikipedia lists several possibilities for defining the acronym. I saw this one 5 years ago: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-phased. People often agree on the first three and differ a bit more on "R" and "T." I like to use Realistic and Timely, but the gist is the same.