Effectivity

Count your chickens before they hatch

If you are a chicken farmer you would do well to pay attention to the old saying:

Don’t count your chickens before they hatch

If you are not a chicken farmer, then maybe this wisdom isn’t always so wise.

This worn out old saying is all about not presuming success.  It tells us that before an event has finished we should not assume that it will turn out favourably for us.  If you are hatching chicken eggs, then maybe this advice is wise, because the number of eggs that actually hatch are, at least partly, out of your control.  The same could be said of growing a field of wheat, speculating on the foreign exchange market or even applying for a promotion.  You can do whatever you like, but the final result is, at least partially, out of your control.

So when should you count your chickens before they hatch?  Whenever you feel satisfied that you are in control of the result.  When you feel secure in your ability to make a desirable situation come about, then it is to your benefit to presume on success.  Situations like this are under your control because they are made up of specific actions that you can carry out.  Doing, saying, thinking.  These things can be presumed on.  Wherever you have control, you can afford to count in advance.  This is where optimism comes to life.

Of course this leaves you open to disappointment when you count in advance but fail to fulfill your own expectations.  These situations happen from time to time, but they are less significant when you remember the benefits of counting in advance.  This afternoon I spent some time working on my next set of running goals.  You might say that I am getting ahead of myself and counting my chickens in advance because I am over 4 months away from needing a new program.  In reality, all that separates today from the end of the 4 months is a string of continuous and progressive effort.  If I do exactly what I have decided then the results will come.  I am that certain of success that I treat it like a foregone conclusion and work on what happens next.  I presume on success and now I am even more careful not to disappoint myself. 

By now I have a string of interdependent goals reaching forward through the next 3 years and beyond.  Each step depends on success in a great number of little actions and so I am particularly careful to make each of the actions a success.  I am so sure of my future success it is almost like I have met my goals already, like I have logged the performances I seek.  Some people think this sort of thinking is arrogant and presumptuous.  It is definitely presumptuous but I believe it is productive.  It leads to a few disappointments along the way when things spoil my plans, but on the whole, counting my chickens before they hatch leads to determination and success.

Why not give it a try?   Next time you face a situation that is made up of a number of steps that you control why not assume that you will succeed.  Get really bold and plan the next step, or even organise a celebration to lock in your determination.  Counting your chickens before they hatch is the best thing you can do to motivate yourself when you are in control.  Make sure you don’t let yourself down and watch as your goals are steadily and reliably achieved.

Thanks

Tom