Incremental Progress is the Path

Welcome back to the 32nd issue of Disrupting Conversations!

How do you feel when you don't see immediate results from your efforts?

If you’re like most professionals, the answer is “frustrated and disappointed.”

In a world where instant gratification has become the norm, it's easy to lose sight of the power of small, consistent steps forward. But real, lasting success comes from incremental effort and gains. There is great truth in taking one step forward at a time.

Oddly enough, most of us hold ourselves back by avoiding the short-term discomfort that comes from new efforts and routines, only to experience a different type of discomfort down the road. One defined by regret and disappointment because we didn’t stick to the actions needed to really create what we want.

This week, we're diving into why high performers understand and embrace this concept—and how you can apply it to transform your approach and overall performance in prospecting and beyond.  

Breaking Sales is my podcast to connect with those who are ready to break free from the chains of old sales methodologies that don’t work.

Title of Episode: Prospecting: The Missing Link

🎙️Though it may seem counterintuitive, true wins—in sales and elsewhere—are earned one step at a time. At the end of the day, it’s our processes that help us take the incremental steps that add up to big-picture progress. With that in mind, are your prospecting processes propelling you forward, or is the lack thereof causing you to waste energy and time playing pipeline catch up? This episode will help you evaluate your approach for real progress in prospecting and beyond.

The Myth of the Overnight Success

We've all heard highly compelling stories of "overnight successes"—the startup that explodes onto the scene, the celebrity who captures the media’s hearts in what feels like the blink of an eye, or the salesperson who lands a massive deal out of nowhere. But these narratives often mask years of behind-the-scenes effort, learning, and persistence.

High performers know this. They understand, whether innately or through experience, that sustainable success is built from small, consistent improvements over time.

They embrace incremental gains and growth, with the knowledge that this approach leads to more robust, lasting results than chasing quick wins.

Let's break this down in the context of sales prospecting, where burnout is common:

Reframe Your Mindset

👉 Instead of viewing prospecting as a burdensome task you "have to do," especially in big, labor-intensive bursts, shift your perspective. Label it as "finding my next great client" or "creating valuable relationships." This simple reframe can transform a dreaded chore into a promising opportunity. Your next best client is out there and finding them is something you “get to do.”

Focus on Process, Not Outcomes

When you dedicate 10–15 hours a week to prospecting with no immediate results, it's easy to feel discouraged. But if you're fixated on outcomes, that disappointment can be crushing—making it harder to stay consistent day after day or week after week. It’s like looking in the mirror after a hard—ass workout—gains are often too small to see over a short period of time.

Instead, commit to the process and what you are trying to create and achieve. Celebrate completing your designated prospecting hours, regardless of the immediate results. This approach builds resilience and consistency, the true foundations of long-term success.

Embrace the Power of Compounding

Small gains might seem insignificant in the moment, but they compound over time. A 1% improvement each day leads to a 37x improvement over a year. This is the magic of incremental growth—it may not be flashy, but it's incredibly powerful.

Discomfort is the Path

👉 Remember, when you feel frustrated, annoyed, or unsure, it’s not because you’re failing or falling short. It’s because you’re moving. You're moving through old norms on your way to creating or experiencing something different. Instead of pulling back, embrace it. The math is straightforward—embrace the discomfort and you will achieve something new and different.

Incremental gains and growth aren't always pretty or exciting in the moment. But by committing to this approach, you're building a foundation for lasting success that far outweighs any short-term gratification.

So this week, I challenge you: identify one area where you can focus on incremental improvements. How can you reframe your approach to embrace small, consistent gains? Remember, it's not about perfection—it's about progress.

Thanks for reading!

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