What’s the GAP, why should you care, and why do you need to close it?  Great questions.  As a business owner, executive or professional, we all have a performance and satisfaction GAP … it’s the distance between where you ARE NOW (current reality) and where you truly want TO BE (ideal future).

Unless you have a perfect business and personal life … and few if any do … then you most definitely have a GAP. Welcome to the human race. But if you’re honest, you already know that in your heart and gut.  You know there is much greater potential locked away in your business and personal life.  More success and fulfillment could be seized. Maybe things are broken a bit.  Or out of whack.  Or maybe you have settled somewhat over time.  Without question, there is a GAP.  And the larger the GAP, the larger the level of dissatisfaction.

The real question is are you ready to do something about the GAP? If so, there’s  good news.  As your virtual business coach, please know that your performance and expectation GAP is merely a current and temporary condition that can be changed.  It’s not fixed or permanent.  You don’t have to remain stuck, out of balance, or under-performing.

Own up to your GAP and make the decision to do something about it. You can absolutely close that GAP and achieve greater success, satisfaction and fulfillment in your business and life.  However, for conditions to change, YOU must be willing to change.

Can you close the GAP on your own?  Perhaps … but highly doubtful unless you have real discipline and carefully follow the five-step Growth Coach process below. But be warned, most owners, executives and professionals are too busy to slow down and think, too close to their own situation to be objective, and lack the discipline, process, and on-going accountability to make the transformation happen.

Here is the five-step Growth Coach process for closing your performance GAP:

1. Face reality about your current situation … where your business and personal life are right now (the good, bad and ugly) and take 100% responsibility for those current conditions and results.  Greater success tomorrow starts with taking full responsibility today.  Blame no one else, make no excuses, and allow for no justifications.  Step one is to own up to your circumstances, conditions and results.  See the truth and accept it.
2. Establish clarity about your ideal future … where you want your professional and personal life to be and how you want them to look.  Establish a vivid picture.  With quiet and uninterrupted time, sit down with a pad of paper and pen to do some soul searching and dreaming.  Don’t hold back, go big!  Paint a picture of your ideal future, including all facets of your professional and personal life.  How does your business look in 1, 3 and 5 years?  Your personal life?  Use words and images to create a better world.  A proven business coaching process can help you through this process and help you establish real confidence and clarity of direction.
3. Acknowledge and accept the GAP, the distance between #1 (your current reality) and #2 (your ideal future) and know with certainty that you can close that GAP with focused action.   Unlike step #1, however, you now have to take ownership for not only what is, but what COULD HAVE been.  There will be a pain associated with “falling short of your dreams and expectations”.  And you will most likely be disappointed with the size of your performance GAP.  That’s perfectly normal and will serve as great motivation to change and close the GAP.  Simply channel those emotions into the constructive actions below.
4. Put a focused plan of action together for the next 90 days to move you and your organization toward your ideal future.  Review and update your strategic planner every 90 days without exception and without end.  Get feedback and make adjustments along the way.  With the help of a business coach, objective and honest observation/feedback will make a huge difference.  After all, you need the on-going TRUTH to advance, progress, and make changes.  With a coach, there will be no playing games and no blind spots, excuses or delays.
5. Allow yourself to be held accountable for executing on that focused plan of action.  This is the final and often over-looked critical step.  It’s the missing ingredient for greater success, satisfaction and true transformation.  Here is where most business owners and executives fall short.  Chose to be different … give yourself the gift of accountability.  Hire an objective business coach to help hold your feet to the fire … to drive implementation.  Accountability and repetition will allow you to change your mindset and behavior and get the superior and sustained results you desire.  Without accountability, your GAP will most likely remain wide and you will remain unsatisfied.

You can try to tackle the process on your own or can elect to get some professional, objective and year-round business coaching and accountability assistance. Your call.  To help you begin your journey to close the GAP, here are some additional resources.

• Click to download a free copy of our highly popular business coaching book called, “Becoming a Strategic Business Owner”.
• Click for additional information about our Quarterly Coaching Workshops.
• And finally, click to locate a certified Growth Coach near you.

Summed up … we all have a GAP.  The real question is are you ready to do something about it?