Move The Needle

Move The Needle

Kelly Kennedy: Most people start their week reacting to emails, to fires, to whatever the world throws at them. But what if you started it differently? What if every Monday morning you took 10 minutes to decide what truly matters? The five to 10 things that will Move The Needle for your business, your clients, and your life.

That's what today's episode is all about. It's about focus, not perfection. The truth is science shows that when you write down your goals, you're twice as likely to achieve them. Combine that with the Pareto principle. The idea that 20% of your actions drive 80% of your results, and you've got a simple, unstoppable framework for progress, even if you only complete one to two items each week, you'll still be miles ahead.

Because Move The Needle isn't about getting it all done. It's about doing what matters most. Stick with us. You are not. Gonna wanna miss this episode.

Intro: The great Mark Cuban once said, business happens over years and years. Value is measured in the total upside of a business relationship, not by how much you squeezed out in any one deal, and we couldn't agree more This.

Is the Business Development podcast based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. In broadcasting to the world, you'll get expert business development advice, tips, and experiences, and you'll hear interviews with business owners. CEOs and business development reps. You'll get actionable advice on how to grow business.

Brought to you by Capital Business Development CapitalBD.ca. Let's do it. Welcome to the The Business Development Podcast, and now your expert host, Kelly Kennedy.

Kelly Kennedy: Hello, welcome to episode 287 of the Business Development Podcast. I hope that everybody had an absolutely incredible Halloween. As some of you may have already guessed, I am a huge fan of the spooky season.

Even though this is a business focused show, I do like to have a Halloween special, and in case you missed it, this year, I had the pleasure of interviewing the great, the one and only Jim Harold for episode 285. Guys, Jim Harold is a legend, a literal legend in the podcasting industry. He has actually been in this space for 20 years, founded the original Paranormal Podcast, and basically created the entire genre.

It was an honor and a privilege, and the cool thing about that was, guys, I wouldn't even be a podcaster without Jim Harold. He was the very first show I ever listened to way back in 2015. So it was a full circle moment for me guys. It was my fanboy moment. I was like, oh my gosh, I get to speak to the great Jim Harold.

It was so cool. So if you do like a good, spooky story. I highly, highly, highly suggest that you check that episode out. It's episode 285 with, like I said, the great Jim Harold and also inside the Catalyst Club guys. We had an absolutely incredible Halloween edition of Coffee with Rock Stars. And we told ghost stories.

It was a massive, massive hit, like the whole community participated. It was incredible, absolutely incredible, and I am proud to say that it will now be a Catalyst Club Halloween tradition from this point forward. If you are a member or you are a new member, or considering joining when you join, make sure you check out that past recording for the Halloween episode of Coffee with Rock Stars.

Trust me. You won't regret it. It's incredible. All right. Let's just get into it. Every week on Monday, guys, I sit down and I write out a list of five to 10 tasks that if I do them, will Move The Needle for me personally, professionally, or for my family. The truth is I've been doing this consistently, guys, since about 2015, but I've doubled down on it over like the last five years since I started Capital BD, and I consider it a major contributor to my success.

And my goal after this episode is to help you guys also reap the benefits of my Move The Needle lists for yourself. Today I wanna walk you through my weekly framework, the benefits of writing goals down, and the science and statistics behind it. See, it turns out that writing things down has a powerful effect on the human mind and the probability of achieving goals I use Move The Needle to great effect, both personally.

Inside the Catalyst Club and hopefully today with you. So grab your notepad, grab a pen, and let's get into it. Let me take you back. The year is 2015. I was a couple of years into my BD career and things were going pretty good, but truth be told, I had no systems, no real priorities, and most of my day was driving around industrial areas of Edmonton and Calgary, dropping brochures, grabbing business cards, and calling the next week for meetings.

At my discretion, this may seem a bit strange, but before the LinkedIn and CRM systems that we now have today, this was pretty well how most people did BD and truth be told. It was wildly inefficient when I was not driving around. I was scouring the web for information, trying to learn what projects were happening, who had them, and where I should drive next.

During this time, I was averaging between 50,000 and 100,000 kilometers per year. And yes, I listened to a ton, a ton of audio books, guys. This was like the crazy time of my career. I would get back to my office after about a week of brochure drops with a pack of 50 business cards of people to follow up with, and then.

Something would be needed at the office. I would put up what I was doing, run to put out little fires and then get back to it. See, at this time, I was not only a business development manager, but I was also the operations manager for the entire organization. It was not unusual at that time to have 20 to 30 field staff who needed various things from me, not to mention a fleet of trucks that seemed to break every second Tuesday.

I was always busy. I was spinning my tires and going nowhere fast. All these business cards would sit on my desks for days, weeks, and sometimes even months. Does this sound familiar to anyone? Yeah, me too. Turns out it's pretty easy to get stuck in the day-to-day grind, but unless we focus on tasks that Move The Needle for us.

We end up spinning our wheels and going nowhere. It was during this time, the president of the company turned me onto Brian Tracy, and specifically his book, Eat That Frog. It's an awesome book, guys, if you haven't read it yet. The book's premise was on boosting productivity by tackling your most important and high impact tasks first.

To achieve a massive boost in productivity due to the Pareto principle. Now you're likely asking, what the heck is the Pareto principle? Let's dig into it. The principle is named after Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto, who in 1896 observed that 80% of the land in Italy was owned by only 20% of the population.

He also noticed a similar pattern in his garden. Where 20% of the peapods produced 80% of the peas. The concept was later applied to quality control in the 1940s by management consultant Joseph M Juran, who named it the Pareto principle and the law of the Vital Few and the Useful Many. The Pareto principle is now used across various fields.

To identify and prioritize the most impactful factors in business and sales. 80% of a company's profits tend to come from 20% of its customers or products in productivity and time management. 20% of daily activities tend to produce 80% of valuable results. Identifying these high impact tasks can help professionals focus their time and energy more efficiently.

And this is what Brian Tracy's "Eat That Frog" book was delving into in quality control by fixing the top 20% of reported software bugs. 80% of system crashes and errors can be eliminated. In healthcare, approximately 20% of patients incur 80% of healthcare expenses, often due to chronic conditions in safety, focusing on the 20% of hazards that cause 80% of the workplace injuries.

Significantly improves overall safety and accident prevention practices. And I just wanna cite the sources for that, guys. That's a blog by digi gate.com and the writer is Kunal Jet. The advantage of the Pareto principle. That it allows for a focus strategy to achieve the greatest possible impact with the most efficient use of time and resources by identifying the vital few tasks or causes leading to clearer priorities.

Increased productivity and more efficient resource application. Now, keep in mind, guys, that the 80 20 rule is not a fixed mathematical law. It could be a 70/30, a 60/40, or even a 90/10, but it holds true either way. There is a small percentage of the tasks you do weekly that have the greatest impact on you, your business, and your family, and that is the truth.

I regularly get asked, how do I do so much? How do I run Capital Business Development work with clients, do coaching host, and produce this podcast and then lead the Catalyst Club? The answer is effective time management and leveraging the Pareto principle in my weekly move, the needle lists. See in business development, 80% of the results come from doing 20% of the job, the calls and direct outreach.

This also happens to be the part of the job that so many people struggle with. So they put this part off the 20% for the 80% of the job that has the easier tasks. If we commit to doing the 20% of tasks that Move The Needle, even if they are hard, we achieve 80% of the results that we want. See, here's the thing.

We have this like. We have this thing as humans where if it's hard, we procrastinate, we put it off, we put it to the side. It's the same reason that when I talk about business development and account management, I know that so many people in the business development roles are also being asked to do account management.

But if you're doing account management, right, you're probably hanging out with clients. You're probably at client offices most of the day. How can you be meeting new companies, booking new meetings? Taking that time to do the research and the calls that it takes to book those meetings. The funny thing is account management is a pretty awesome job.

Like what other job can you just get to hang out with people all day, go golfing, you know, just basically make friends. Obviously if you're stuck doing account management or business development, and you have to choose. You're probably gonna choose account management. That's why business development and account management don't mix.

I always say they're two different positions. If we commit to doing the 20% of tasks that Move The Needle, even if they are hard, we achieve 80% of the results that we want. Now, that sounds good in theory, but how do we do it in practice? And how the heck do we stack the odds in our favor? And that's the thing guys.

Knowing what you need to do alone isn't enough. Turns out it's actually pretty easy though, and this is where your pen and paper are going to come in. Once you understand which 20% of tasks make the biggest impact in your business, your personal life, and your family, well, this is where the fun really begins.

See, once I understood the Pareto principle for the past 10 years, I've been doing a list that I call Move The Needle. At the start of the week, I write Move The Needle on the top of a blank sheet of paper, and I write between five and 10 things that will move me. My clients, my family, and my business forward this week.

These things tend to fall into the 20% of tasks that would have the greatest impact in my life, my business, my family, and by writing them down. There is another powerful force at play that is backed by science. In 2007, a study was conducted by Dr. Gail Matthews at the Dominican University of California.

This study had a powerful outcome for goal setters worldwide. Turns out that writing down goals makes them about 40% more likely that you will achieve them. Writing them down and sending them to a friend or a group for accountability can increase your likelihood of success by up to 70%, up to 70% more likely of accomplishing a goal by simply writing it down on a piece of paper.

And then telling someone about it. Powerful. When you combine the Pareto principle with Dr. Matthew's research on goal setting, something magic happens. Number one, you focus your efficiency. You eliminate 80% of wasted effort by focusing on the 20% tasks that really Move The Needle for you. Number two, you get follow through effect.

You double your odds of completion by simply writing it down. And number three, you build a consistency engine, a cycle that you can repeat week after week, month over month, and year over year. Together. This powerful combination suggests you can double your performance without doubling your workload.

Instead, we focus on the tasks that matter most, but here is the deal. You have to have to have, to have to physically write your goals down. Cue your pen and paper, and here is why. When you write something by hand, you are doing more than writing a list. You are actually programming your brain. Writing activates your reticular activating system.

It's the part of your brain that filters what gets your attention. In other words, it tells your brain, Hey, pay attention. This matters. You need to look for it. It also forces clarity. It's pretty hard to write a vague dream. You have to give writing structure and structure creates focus. The moment ink hits paper, your goal goes from an abstract idea to actionable.

A written goal also forces accountability. It exists outside your head. It's visible, measurable, and readable. You can look at it, review it, and track progress. That alone massively increases your follow through. So when I talk about Move The Needle, don't just think about your five to 10 priorities, write them down.

Because science tells us that is the difference between wishing for change and actively building momentum. So how do we put this into practice? Here are five steps to help you implement, Move The Needle in your weekly routine. Number one, choose your moment every Monday morning before the noise of the week begins.

Take 10 quiet minutes to reset. This is your intentional moment to step out of reaction mode and into direction mode. You're not making a to-do list. You're choosing your impact list for the week. Number two, write down five to 10 things that truly Move The Needle. Think about your life, your family, your customers, your business.

Then ask yourself, what actions will create the most progress or momentum this week? What conversations follow ups or projects truly move me forward? What's been sitting on the back burner that would make a major difference if I did it? Then write them down by hand. This locks them into your focus and sends a signal to your brain that these are the priorities.

Number three, create accountability publicly or privately. Once you've written your list, don't let it live quietly in your notebook. Share it somewhere. Accountability turns your goal from a thought to a commitment. You can do this a few different ways. If you're a member of the Catalyst Club, post your list inside the community.

Each Monday, you instantly get encouragement, support, and accountability from leaders walking the same path as you. If not, share it with a trusted peer mentor coach, or even post it publicly on LinkedIn. The goal is the same. Let your goals be seen when someone else knows what you're aiming to do. It adds just enough positive pressure to follow through.

We are wired to keep our promises, especially the ones that we say out loud. Number four, focus on progress, not perfection. Here's the secret guys. This is the secret to doing this consistently. You don't need to finish all 10 goals. Let me repeat that. You don't need to finish all your goals, even if you only complete one to two truly meaningful items.

You've moved the needle over 52 weeks. Even one to two weekly consistent wins leads to exponential progress. Exponential progress, guys. Number five, reflect, reset, and repeat. Consistency is everything. At the end of each week. Take a moment to look back at your list, celebrate what you accomplished, even the small wins, because all these wins matter.

Carry forward anything unfinished to next week's list. The real power of Move The Needle isn't one great week. It's in the consistency. This only works if you stick with it week after week, the habit compounds. Some weeks you hit five goals. Some weeks you'll hit one, but if you keep showing up, you will always be moving forward.

And momentum is built through rhythm, not perfection. Remember, Move The Needle isn't just about business, it's about life. Put family goals on your list too. Play a board game with your kids. Have coffee in a real conversation with your partner. Get 30 minutes in at the gym or tackle the big projects that truly move things forward at work.

This isn't about being busy, it's about being impactful. You only get so much time and so much life. None of us know how much we have left, so we have to make every week count. And let's be honest, work life balance is a total myth. If your home life is struggling, your work life will reflect it. If your health is off, everything else is about to follow.

If work is overwhelming, it spills into your personal life too. It's all connected. There is no work life split. That's why Move The Needle matters. It's about creating progress in all the areas of your life by focusing on 20% of the actions that create 80% of your results. Small, intentional wins that keep you moving forward in the places it matters most.

You've got this, guys. You can do this. And if you want support from a group of incredible leaders who are doing this work together every week. Come join us in the Catalyst Club where leaders truly find belonging. Visit www.kellykennedyofficial.com to join today, and I promise it'll be one of the best decisions that you make all year.

Shout outs this week. Colin Harms, Rodney Lover, Carmen Leibel, Karli Grove, Nate Simpson, Gary Noseworthy, Micah Dixon, Adam Kimmel, Steven Langer, Jamie Moffat, Mario Hernandez, Brandon Fuchs, Chris Friesen, Tonya Zee, Lesse Jorgensen, Mike Hayes, Salvatore Manzi, Julian Pistone, Cruz Gamboa, Corina Taban, Tatsiana Zametalina and Susan Poseika.

Until next time, you've been listening to the Business Development Podcast and we will catch you on the flip side.

Outro: This has been the Business Development Podcast with Kelly Kennedy. Kelly has 15 years in sales and business development experience within the Alberta oil and gas industry, and founded his own business development firm in 2020.

His. Passion and his specialization is in customer relationship generation and business development. The show is brought to you by Capital Business Development, your Business Development Specialists. For more, we invite you to the website @ www.capitalbd.ca. See you next time on the Business Development Podcast.