Successful people all have this in common

It was a warm Saturday morning, the birds were chirping, and the sun was shining brightly.

We ran all over the court, polishing our skills as we whacked tennis balls over the net. 
As our lesson came to a close, the tennis pro paused for a final coaching moment to emphasize the importance of following through on our strokes.

“You cannot just hit the ball and stop. The follow through is what’s going to direct the ball over the net where you want it to go.”  

He reminded us that even if you’re in the right position, prepared, and have solid power behind your swing, it still won’t work if you don’t follow through. 

How often do we make this same mistake in life? Perhaps we have set the ball in motion and forget to follow through, whether that’s in our communication, our intentions, or our goals. Maybe you got ready early, did all the advanced preparation and delivered a fantastic presentation, but if you don't follow through, it's all for naught. 

Successful people know that it's not over until it's over. You have to stay with the task at hand until it is completed in order to get the results you’re looking for. 

For example, someone doesn’t become a marathon runner for taking a few steps off the starting line. They become a marathoner when they cross the finish line and complete the race.

In the same way, you don’t become an author for writing one page; you earn that title when you’ve written page after page to complete the book.

We have to finish what we start, or in the words of our coach, “we have to follow through." 

If this is something you struggle with, you’re not alone! You can start to develop this quality now.
So, how do we get better? Begin to build the habit by starting on a very small scale where you promise something to yourself and then follow through. 

For example, decide what you’re going to make for dinner, and then make it. Schedule a time to go to the gym this week... and show up! 

The more you do this, the more you are proving to yourself that you are a person of your word. Then, you can gradually build on this skill by making promises to other people and doing what you say you’re going to do.

You will experience incredible results in every area of your life as you continue to strengthen this skill. 

Here’s four ways to help you improve your follow through this week: 
(p.s. It will help you with more than just your tennis swing!)

• Make it a point to send a thank you the same day you meet with someone.

• Be diligent about responding to people within 24-72 hours, whether that’s text, email, phone call, etc.

• Be a person of your word—when you say you’re going to do something, do it.
  This may mean thinking twice before committing to something, but following through on your word will help you to build trust with others and strengthen your reputation as the kind of person you are.

• Follow through with your goals by creating scheduled action steps.
  Check out this podcast episode for details of how to do this!