I thought I had a plan for this post, but as I look at the title I realize that it applies to nearly everything. Too often we don't take a first step because we're afraid we won't be good enough or that the results won't be perfect. Heck, it's nearly the end of March. When was the last time you looked at your New Year's Resolutions or Goals?

Very rarely are we ever perfect. What's important is that we're making progress. This applies to your networking and relationship building activities as well. Maybe you're not getting to all of the events you'd planned to when the year started. Perhaps your follow-up hasn't been what you think it should be. Have you met some new people this year? Are there a couple of people who you have a stronger relationship with now then you did at the beginning of the year? Answer yes to just one of these questions and you're still making progress.

I see many people set their networking goals way too high and they just don't account for the general busy craziness of their regular lives. Even small incremental progress can really add up. This doesn't have to be about attending a different happy hour 4 nights a week.

If you met with just 1 new person you'd like to get to know each week over lunch or coffee you'd have 50 new contacts in 1 year. Make a point to call and reconnect with a friend a couple of times a week either during your commute or on your way to another offsite meeting and the quality and depth of your relationships will increase significantly.

What little things can you do to make just a little bit of progress on a regular basis? Over time you'll probably find that your small efforts make a big difference.

Like I said in the opening this doesn't just apply to your networking efforts either. Look for other areas of your life where you can take small regular actions that will make a significant difference over time.

Happy Networking!