January 2013: Full Contact Project Management

Words: Dan KamysJanuary 2013 alt Full Contact Project Management
Masonry Magazine alt alt
Your ‘Dash’ to Success in 2013: Winning Your Own Race

Right about now, everyone’s all concerned with New Year’s resolutions, what next year may hold for us, what to change, and what to repeat. A wish for this and a hope for that?Ķ Consider this instead: This is how your 2013 actually looks: Jan. 1, 2013 – Dec. 31, 2013.

The year 2013 has to be your year to succeed. Everyone, including your competitors, has been given Jan. 1 through Dec. 31. The difference is the “dash” between day 1 and day 365. That difference is you. It’s all you’ve got.

alt
John Randolph

Time is at once the most valuable and the most perishable of our resources.

Coach Gary has coaches himself. Let me tell you about Coach Kenneth, who said to me, “Gary, what are you doing with your dash, and what have you done with the dash you were given for 2012?” His questions really made me think.

Regardless of where you stand, you can expect politics to be pretty much business as usual. But the theme of my messages over the past couple of years to “hang in there” still is going to be important going forward. As an industry, and as individual contractors, hanging in there may just be the name of the game. Things likely will not get remarkably better any time soon.

As you plan your dash, what are you going to do differently this year from last year?

alt
Winston Churchill

The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity. The optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.

If you’re reading this in early-January, doesn’t it seem impossible that you are now writing the date as 2013? Where did the time go? My guess is that it went by pretty quickly – in a dash!

Life and business, even family, are a race. That new little baby is now asking for your car keys or is leaving for college, or just going out on his or her own. That new business has now been around the block a couple of times, can do more things, has more experience. How did all of that happen?

A famous old saying: If you always do what you’ve always done, then you’ll always get what you’ve always got! In other words, if 2012 wasn’t so hot (or could have been hotter), are you going to do the exact thing in the new year? Unless you are very content with things, then I hope that your answer is “No.”

alt
Bernadette Devlin

Yesterday I dared to struggle. Today I dare to win.

I can tell you this with great certainty: The people at the MCAA have no intention of doing things the same as they did last year. They are in a growth mode, and you should position your business to work along with them. They know exactly where they are going in 2013. My suggestion is to run along with them, and let them do the hard work while you follow along in their draft.

Pope John XXIII put it this way, “Consult not your fears but your hopes and your dreams. Think not about your frustrations, but about your unfulfilled potential. Concern yourself not with what you tried and failed in, but with what it is still possible for you to do.”

How big would your dreams be for this coming year if you knew that you couldn’t fail? Many of your competitors will not dream at all. But you are all about the dash!


What’s your plan for growth in 2013? Coaching will help you get there in less time, and with more success. Ask Coach Gary to speak for your group, association or convention, or even to coach your company. Coach Gary’s first book, “Get Paid for a Change!” is available at??Amazon.com. And, get his FREE scheduling seminars at?? www.MicrosoftProjectClasses.com.

Return to Table of Contents
How TMC Is Reaching the Next Generation of Masons
January 2026

Advocacy, outreach, and education have never been more important to the future of Texas masonry. As the state continues to grow, so does the demand for skilled trades. Industry leaders, schools, and organizations are working together to make sure the next

Restoring South High School: A Beaux-Arts Icon in Youngstown
January 2026

By Eric Holm, Executive Director, Jubilee Urban Development A Testament To Time And Craftsmanship In the heart of Youngstown, Ohio, stands a structure that has witnessed more than a century of history, resilience, and craftsmanship. South High School,

Case Study: Battersea Power Station
January 2026

Battersea Power Station has long held a unique place in British industrial architecture. For masonry professionals, it represents something even more specific. It is one of the largest brick buildings ever completed, a structure that demonstrates both the

Risk Management Benefits of Reviewing the OSHA Top 10
January 2026

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) Top 10 Most Frequently Cited Standards serve to keep employers aware of common risks that can have serious consequences. This annual list highlights the most frequently cited violations that inspe