Are you struggling with strategy?
In today’s world of artificial intelligence, ChatGPT, peer groups, podcasts, consultants and strong publications like Landscape Management, building a strategy for your business isn’t hard. With the right tools available, you can sit down for 20 minutes, unload your thoughts into ChatGPT and walk away with a 10-page plan that covers vision, finances, operations, people and growth. There are also affordable operating systems and frameworks that teach business owners how to implement those plans step by step. Information is everywhere.
And yet, as I talk to landscapers about how 2025 went for them, I continue to hear the same story. The plans were solid. The goals were ambitious. The intentions were real. But the execution fell short. Great strategies were created, but they were never fully accomplished.
Formulate and execute
The most common mistake I see is that people create a plan and then go right back to living the same life, yet they expect a different outcome.
This challenge is hard enough on a personal level. Think about how often people set goals around fitness, finances or personal development and fail to follow through. Now imagine applying that same challenge to a small team. Then expand it to an entire organization. As more people become involved, execution becomes more complex, and misalignment becomes more costly.
For the last 10 years, I have been studying and applying how goals are achieved. I have accomplished major bucket list items like becoming a pilot and helping grow a landscape company from $1 million to more than $20 million in revenue. At the same time, I have failed at things that should have been simple, such as working out consistently or protecting time for personal hobbies.
Recently, while doing deep planning work for the year ahead, I was reminded of something that has been true for a long time. Most of us do not need more education. We already know what to do. We need to be reminded of what we already know and what already exists within us.
3-S framework
That realization led me back to a simple but powerful framework that reshaped how I think about execution. It is called the 3-S framework, introduced to me by Tony Robbins. It explains why even the best plans fail and what it takes to bring them to life.
The first “S” is strategy. Strategy answers the basic questions of what you want to accomplish and how you plan to get there. However, this is where most people stop, and that is the problem. Strategy is the least important part of the model.
The second “S” is story. Your story is the narrative you tell yourself about who you are, what you are capable of and what is possible for your future. If you are creating goals and strategies without addressing your story, you may be working toward outcomes that you do not truly believe are possible.
On an individual level, this shows up as hesitation, procrastination or self-sabotage. On a team level, it shows up as misalignment, lack of ownership and quiet resistance. If your team does not share a clear and compelling story about where the company is going and why it matters, even the strongest strategy will struggle to survive.
The third “S” is state, and this is the most overlooked part of the framework. State refers to your physiological and emotional condition. It is your mindset and the way you feel in your body. Think about a recent moment when you felt confident, energized and unstoppable. Maybe it was after a great conversation with a team member, a meaningful client win or a personal accomplishment.
Don’t ignore state and story
When you are in the right state, challenges feel manageable, decisions feel clearer and action feels natural. When you start with state, then reinforce your story, and finally set your strategy, your goals become anchored at a much deeper level. When this happens across an entire team, the effect multiplies through shared energy, shared belief and shared direction.
The final piece is sustainability. Getting into peak state is important, but staying there is what drives long-term success.
Execution is not about working harder or building more complex plans. It is about designing your life and your business so that progress becomes the default. Even the best plans fail when state and story are ignored. When they are aligned, strategy finally has something solid to stand on.
