The Success Reset

Do you have a success reset? It’s a way to ensure that you’re staying on target with your big picture goals. The process doesn’t take long and it can help you become more productive.

I’m reminded of my days anchoring weather on the news. In the commercial break before the segment, I would have to stand in front of the green screen, the area of the studio where the control room would electronically add in the maps you’d see on your TV. I’d also turn and wave my hands some.

The whole process only took a few seconds but it was critical for the success of the weather segment. Even though the camera location and the lights rarely changed in our weather center, there was always a chance that some little detail could affect the special effect that put me in front of the maps. Not getting it right would be very distracting for the audience.

While the system was designed to replace everything that was a lime green color with the images of my maps, a little bit of yellow in my tie could impact the success of the illusion. The color of your hair could also create challenges. All of these things could be overcome with some slight adjustments from the control room.

I was asked to wave my hand to make sure the special effect wouldn’t be impacted by motion. This rarely happened but it paid to double check, as I would be gesturing throughout the forecast.

Performing this reset process at the weather wall would ensure the technology would perform well during my segment. I would not have to worry about it failing. The system was reset for my success.

It could be tempting to skip this process and assume that nothing would go wrong. Fortunately, I had good directors who left nothing to chance.

In your world, do you take a moment to reset yourself for success? This doesn’t have to be a long process. Many say it works well if you do it at the start of your day or after a lunch break.

Simply ask yourself if the day’s activities are supporting your big picture goals, how can you minimize activities that hurt your productivity, and is there some kind of help or assistance you need to get back on track.

I’ve found this brief conversation to be a better producer of success than the traditional to-do list.

When we get busy, we tend to get away from the important things we do really well. Take a moment to check in and make sure you’re set up for success.