Did you do your best work this week? If for some reason today was going to be the last day you could work, would you be proud of what you created? Or did a series of unplanned events distract you from making meaningful progress or giving your best effort to reach your number one goal?

If you’re happy with what you accomplished, please take some time to celebrate your success, reflect on what you did well and identify how you can build on your results next week. I’d also encourage you to send out at least one thank you card. Life is a team sport, and if you reached your goals this week, someone helped you. In addition to being the right thing to do, research in the field of positive psychology has proven that expressing gratitude increases the health, happiness and productivity of the giver and receiver.

If you feel your accomplishments were less than you’re capable of achieving, make a commitment to change your approach next week.

There is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to creating success systems for leaders. Each of us has unique strengths and challenges in our personal and professional lives that make it difficult to predict what will or won’t work for someone. However, there are some common behaviors that are consistent with all high performers.

Here is one idea from THE POSITIVE WAY COURSE that you can customize and apply to doing your best work next week.

Create A Sense Of Urgency For Reaching A Daily Goal

Today matters. The dictionary describes ‘urgency’ as a condition of pressing importance. When individuals operate with a sense of urgency, they take positive action now…not later.

The urgency I’m talking about does not create an unhealthy feeling of stress, but it shows a healthy commitment and determination to do whatever it takes to do our best work and exceed the expectations of those we lead and love.

Too often we convince ourselves that tomorrow will be a better day to start an important project even though we know tomorrow will also be filled with fires that need to be fought, problems that need to be solved and conflicts that need to be resolved.

Urgency is created when we set one measurable, meaningful and challenging goal that we know is a stretch for us, but that we also believe we can achieve. Our minds need a specific target. When we have too many goals or ones that are vague, we usually perform below our potential and the satisfaction with our work/life goes way down.

I’m sure you have yearly and quarterly goals already, but unless you break those down into what you need to do each morning, afternoon and evening, your days will turn into weeks, then months, then years, and before you know it, you’ll look back with some level of regret knowing in your heart you didn’t do the best of which you are capable.

In addition to having a target that helps us excel during the day, it’s also important to base our actions on our commitment…not our feelings. We can’t consistently win the day if we’re only willing to do our best work when we feel like it.

As leaders in our organizations, families and communities, it’s important to develop the habit of doing our best work daily. No one else can do what we have been called to do. Our co-workers, clients and family members need and deserve our best effort today…not tomorrow. Sometimes later becomes too late.

Do your best work today, and your example will also inspire others to do the same.

Let’s Get Better. Together! Bill Durkin