I've heard it said, "We do not see the world as it is. Rather we see it as we are."
What exactly does that mean?
To me, it means that each of us sees the world a little differently.
As such, I think the answers to the most important questions in our lives are less based on the opinions or ideas of others and more on how we see it all and who we are.
If you ask anyone that you meet what makes them happy . . . or what makes them sad, you will undoubtedly hear as many different things as there are people on this earth. Sure there are some consistent themes, family, health, and success, but everyone has their own wants and desires.
I would argue the mistake many of us make is that we look for the answers to life's toughest questions outside of ourselves. We turn to books. We turn to religion. We turn to inspiring leaders. We turn to anything that will give us the meaning and purpose we seek.
But everywhere we turn, everything we read, every story we hear is shaped by our own presence. We are less influenced by the ideas and thoughts of others than we think. But rather the ideas of others that "inspire" us are reflections of who we are and what we seek.
Each thing we read, hear or experience is shaped by the perceptions we have stepping into the situation. We aren't observers in life, we are participants.
When you read a story, it's not the first story you have ever read (or experienced), you bring to the story your own perceptions and you take away from that story only the memories that you choose to take away - usually those that align with what you already believed and accepted.
When sitting in a church, everyone is listening to the sermon that is being spoken, but not everyone is hearing and understanding the same thing. We'd like to think these things are all the same, but they aren't. Each of us is only hearing and absorbing into our consciousness, the elements that align with what we believe. If we are hopeful and happy, we will hear hope and happiness. If we are sad and wanting to feel self-deprecation, then we will find it in the words spoken before us. If we are looking for salvation, then we will find salvation. But none of these ideas came from outside of ourselves, they came from within us - because of who we are, not what was said.
The answers aren't in the sermon, they are in our own hearts.
If you wonder about this, see for yourself. Stop any two people who have listened to the same preacher, witnessed the same event, or read the same book, ask them what they took away from it. I suspect they will be stronger reflections of who they are than what was said.
So stop looking elsewhere for answers - they are inside of you already. You just haven't found them yet. But make no mistake, they are there.
Some people are able to find their own voice . . . their own vision. Others struggle with it. It's not an easy task and it often takes quiet solitude to hear your own voice. Truth is, many people can never stand the isolation or silence long enough to hear their own voice and have to hear it or see it in others to find it themselves. That's ok, but give yourself the credit you deserve - accept inspiration, but own your own vision and ideas.
Just because you might need inspiration from great writers or artists to be able to verbalize it or visualize it, doesn't mean your answers came from those individuals, only that you found your answers through their words and images.
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Four years ago, I started coaching because I wanted to help people - I wanted to change the world one person at a time. But as I learned very quickly and have been reminded time and again, coaches (be it executive coaches, life coaches, or any type of coach) don't provide answers, they help people find their own answers. They ask questions that will help others find their voice and help them use their voice to be who and what they want to be.
I know it's been about nine months since I last wrote anything in this blog, but tonight I felt inspired to write down these thoughts.
As it turns out, my last entry was actually about writing a vision - what I believe is the guiding light of who we are and the source of most of our answers. I truly feel that our vision holds the answers to most any tough question we face.
Every time I see a client struggle with what to do next, how to take the next step, and they want me to provide them answers, I ask them to look inside themselves - tell them to look at their vision and see if there answers are somewhere there, staring them straight in the face.
Below, I share my personal vision with anyone who is reading this. I share it as part of my growth and invite those in my life to challenge me to become everything that I have set out to become. I wrote it nearly nearly seven years ago and, except for a very few, small changes, it still holds truth for me. With everything that has gone on in my life, it still guides me and gives me purpose. I share it because I can't be my vision without doing so.
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- I will be trustworthy and I will be impeccable with my word.
- I will love Garret and Turner always – being the best Dad that I can be. I will honor their spirits as they grow and mature – providing both roots and wings for the rest of their lives.
- I will live a loving life – caring for those whose lives I come in contact with, today, tomorrow and forever.
- I will be open and honest in the way I conduct my life and invite others to open up to me through the establishment of trusting relationships.
- I will be a better leader for myself and a better leader for all whose lives I touch.
- I will focus on maintaining spirit in my life – focusing on the energy that spiritual thoughts bring to my life.
- I will live an honest life – honest with myself and those around me – and I will work everyday to stamp out the lies that hurt me.
- I will treat others as I wish to be treated. I will respond to others actions the way that I wish they respond to mine.
- I will live in the now – I will live for today – not focusing on the past or worrying about things out of my control in the future.
- I will be open to trusting those that I choose to be a part of my life.
- I will grow – taking the time necessary to develop the whole me – physically, emotionally, intellectually, and spiritually.
- I will treat each day like it is the first day of the rest of my life – and live it like it could be my last.
Showing posts with label vision. Show all posts
Showing posts with label vision. Show all posts
Monday, April 18, 2011
Monday, September 7, 2009
Become Stirred By Your Vision
We are all stirred by our vision. We are driven to action by our goals.
As I stated yesterday, it's pretty easy to get caught up in your own life - caught up in the drama around you and let it start affecting where you are going and what you are willing to do about it.
When you are struggling with your life and not sure what to do, how to take action, where to go next, the one place (the words and images) that you can always count on for your guidance and direction is your Vision - whether it is the professional vision you have for your business or the personal vision you have for your life.
So, the questions you should be asking yourself are:
"What do I want to be?"
"Who do I want to be?"
"What do I want my life to be about?"
If you have the answers to these questions. Then look for them to be the guide each and every day forward. In them lie your destination and the compass - all you need to do is find the map.
However, if you don't have the answers to these questions, then that is the first task at hand.
And don't just answer these questions in your mind. WRITE THEM DOWN!!
Face them!!!
Look at them every day, religiously.
Don't ever turn away from them.
Drink them into your spirit and embrace them.
Make them more than just words, make them your Personal and Professional Constitution.
As I stated yesterday, it's pretty easy to get caught up in your own life - caught up in the drama around you and let it start affecting where you are going and what you are willing to do about it.
When you are struggling with your life and not sure what to do, how to take action, where to go next, the one place (the words and images) that you can always count on for your guidance and direction is your Vision - whether it is the professional vision you have for your business or the personal vision you have for your life.
Periods of tranquility are seldom prolific of creative achievement. Mankind has to be stirred up.
Alfred North Whitehead
Alfred North Whitehead
So, the questions you should be asking yourself are:"What do I want to be?"
"Who do I want to be?"
"What do I want my life to be about?"
If you have the answers to these questions. Then look for them to be the guide each and every day forward. In them lie your destination and the compass - all you need to do is find the map.
However, if you don't have the answers to these questions, then that is the first task at hand.
And don't just answer these questions in your mind. WRITE THEM DOWN!!
Face them!!!
Look at them every day, religiously.
Don't ever turn away from them.
Drink them into your spirit and embrace them.
Make them more than just words, make them your Personal and Professional Constitution.
Saturday, August 8, 2009
Are You A Micromanager?
According to Wikipedia, Micromanagement is a management style where a manager closely observes or controls the work of his or her subordinates or employees.
Why is it that no one thinks they are a Micromanager, but yet everyone thinks they work for one?
Are all managers that ignorant to their style?
Are You A Micromanager?
Since the first step in improving anything in your life is recognizing and accepting that problem, let's first start with self analysis and facing the truth about yourself.
Here are seven questions that all managers should ask of themselves?
Six or seven times - You are a real leader - others will follow you through fire.
Four or five times - You are pretty good manager and a burgeoning leader. Your employees are committed, but the talents are still untapped.
Two or three times - You are average, but quite honestly, not getting as much from your people as you could.
Less than two times - You are a quintessential micromanager and your people hate working for you. They are more committed to their pay than to you.
Take It One Step Further
So now that you know where you stand in your own mind, how about asking your employees the same questions about you and your style of management?
Their answer maybe the same as yours, but if you are like most, they probably won't. But if you want to be the best manager you can be, then first you have to know what your direct reports think of you, as well as every other measure of success you have.
Once you know how you see yourself and how others see you, you are ready to take the steps you need to take to become a better manager and get more out of everyone that works for you. Throughout the next week, this blog will be dedicated to helping Managers and Leaders take small steps to becoming more effective. Join me and learn the little things you can do to make a difference in your office - both for yourself and for everyone that works for you.
Why is it that no one thinks they are a Micromanager, but yet everyone thinks they work for one?
Are all managers that ignorant to their style?
Are You A Micromanager?
Since the first step in improving anything in your life is recognizing and accepting that problem, let's first start with self analysis and facing the truth about yourself.
Here are seven questions that all managers should ask of themselves?
- Is the mission more important to you than control over the situation?
- Do your direct reports know what is expected of them?
- Do you provide guidance more than you impose direction?
- Do you set goals for your employees and empower them to achieve them?
- Do you delegate day-to-day routine functions so you can look up and out to more important things?
- Do you tolerate failures and allow mistakes to happen or do you castrate your staff for even the slightest hiccup?
- Do you praise more than you criticize?
Six or seven times - You are a real leader - others will follow you through fire.
Four or five times - You are pretty good manager and a burgeoning leader. Your employees are committed, but the talents are still untapped.
Two or three times - You are average, but quite honestly, not getting as much from your people as you could.
Less than two times - You are a quintessential micromanager and your people hate working for you. They are more committed to their pay than to you.
Take It One Step Further
So now that you know where you stand in your own mind, how about asking your employees the same questions about you and your style of management?
Their answer maybe the same as yours, but if you are like most, they probably won't. But if you want to be the best manager you can be, then first you have to know what your direct reports think of you, as well as every other measure of success you have.
Once you know how you see yourself and how others see you, you are ready to take the steps you need to take to become a better manager and get more out of everyone that works for you. Throughout the next week, this blog will be dedicated to helping Managers and Leaders take small steps to becoming more effective. Join me and learn the little things you can do to make a difference in your office - both for yourself and for everyone that works for you.
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
It's Not The Knowledge That Makes The Difference
I've spent the better part of the last three years of my life completely immersed in learning about Business. From marketing to operations and finance to human resources, the focus of my effort has been to learn and to understand how to help small businesses grow.
In my search, I have read hundreds of blogs and dozens of books, watched countless videos and listened to hours of speeches. And in spite of all the great advice out there, the single most important thing that I've learned in all of that, has little to do with any of the published knowledge and everything to do with whether or not people actually act upon the knowledge they learn.
That's right, I'm saying it matters less what you know, and more that you act upon what you know.
I know there are a lot of people that are going to get frustrated with that statement. Because if people actually listen to me, they will stop spending the hundreds of millions of dollars they are currently spending on finding out the answer, and actually begin doing what they need to do to make their businesses grow. . . take action.
It's What You Do, Not What You Know
People rarely get rich based on what they know. They do, however, get rich based on the actions they take based on what they know.
It's not necessarily having the best marketing plan. But instead actually having one and acting on it.
It's not having an MBA from a prestigious University that makes you successful in business, some of the best business men and women in the world don't even have Bachelors degrees. Instead, it's what you do, with the knowledge you have.
So, stop looking for the "silver bullet" answer out there - the one piece of education, one book, one blog, or one story that will shine the light on you. Instead begin implementing what you have learned, and make adjustments as you go and as you learn, practically.
Don't just spend all of your time learning. Start doing.
Start living!
In my search, I have read hundreds of blogs and dozens of books, watched countless videos and listened to hours of speeches. And in spite of all the great advice out there, the single most important thing that I've learned in all of that, has little to do with any of the published knowledge and everything to do with whether or not people actually act upon the knowledge they learn.
That's right, I'm saying it matters less what you know, and more that you act upon what you know.
I know there are a lot of people that are going to get frustrated with that statement. Because if people actually listen to me, they will stop spending the hundreds of millions of dollars they are currently spending on finding out the answer, and actually begin doing what they need to do to make their businesses grow. . . take action.
It's What You Do, Not What You Know
People rarely get rich based on what they know. They do, however, get rich based on the actions they take based on what they know.
It's not necessarily having the best marketing plan. But instead actually having one and acting on it.
It's not having an MBA from a prestigious University that makes you successful in business, some of the best business men and women in the world don't even have Bachelors degrees. Instead, it's what you do, with the knowledge you have.
So, stop looking for the "silver bullet" answer out there - the one piece of education, one book, one blog, or one story that will shine the light on you. Instead begin implementing what you have learned, and make adjustments as you go and as you learn, practically.
Don't just spend all of your time learning. Start doing.
Start living!
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Just Go For It!!!
Have you ever had a great idea for a business or a new product and then let it slip away?
Only to read about it 3 years later when someone else got rich actually bringing your great idea to the market.
It's a cliche we hear a lot. But in this case, it is so true.
He Who Hesitates Is Lost
Unfortunately, if you are like many out there, you hesitate, get scared, over-analyze or simply say to yourself, it's just not worth it.
Well, if you want my opinion, that's an absolute crock. If you have the skills, knowledge and support to pull it off, then simply take the chance and go for it.
Don't Get Analysis Paralysis
According to many great leaders, don't wait for the 100% solution, it will almost always be too late. In fact GEN Colin Power (Ret), Former Secretary of State, actually felt that once you were about 70% confident of success, go with your instincts.
Too often when we get a great idea or we get a "wild hair", we sit back, and either over analyze or simply wait for "a sign" to tell us NOW is the time.
The truth is, you need to do your due diligence - figure out what you want to have happen, your steps to make it happen and then the possible hiccups that could get in the way, as well as potential unintended consequences. But once you have done that work, and you are reasonably confident in the outcome, then it's time to take action.
Share Your Idea Only With People You Trust
One of the biggest mistakes you can make when you have a burgeoning idea, is to share it with the wrong people. When you aren't fully confident yourself in an idea, quite often sharing it too quickly or sharing with the wrong people can cause enormous, insurmountable damage. The reason this is so dangerous, is because when you are just beginning to believe in something new, your subconscious mind is often feeding your conscious mind negative inputs trying to maintain the status quo, so when you get a reflection of those inputs from outside sources, your conscious mind is very susceptible to believing them.
Find A Way To Take The First Step
One of the ways to avoid falling into the trap of hesitation / analysis paralysis or getting stifled by sharing with the wrong person too quickly, is to take the first step. This means commit some time, money, and / or energy to the project to get it moving forward. Make the first step be something that you can both feel good about and is going to generate a feeling of commitment that will force you to stick to it.
But the bottom line, when it comes to turning great ideas into reality, JUST GO FOR IT!!!
Only to read about it 3 years later when someone else got rich actually bringing your great idea to the market.
It's a cliche we hear a lot. But in this case, it is so true.
If you believe in something, Just Go For It!!!
He Who Hesitates Is Lost
Unfortunately, if you are like many out there, you hesitate, get scared, over-analyze or simply say to yourself, it's just not worth it.
Well, if you want my opinion, that's an absolute crock. If you have the skills, knowledge and support to pull it off, then simply take the chance and go for it.
Don't Get Analysis Paralysis
According to many great leaders, don't wait for the 100% solution, it will almost always be too late. In fact GEN Colin Power (Ret), Former Secretary of State, actually felt that once you were about 70% confident of success, go with your instincts.
Too often when we get a great idea or we get a "wild hair", we sit back, and either over analyze or simply wait for "a sign" to tell us NOW is the time.
The truth is, you need to do your due diligence - figure out what you want to have happen, your steps to make it happen and then the possible hiccups that could get in the way, as well as potential unintended consequences. But once you have done that work, and you are reasonably confident in the outcome, then it's time to take action.
Share Your Idea Only With People You Trust
One of the biggest mistakes you can make when you have a burgeoning idea, is to share it with the wrong people. When you aren't fully confident yourself in an idea, quite often sharing it too quickly or sharing with the wrong people can cause enormous, insurmountable damage. The reason this is so dangerous, is because when you are just beginning to believe in something new, your subconscious mind is often feeding your conscious mind negative inputs trying to maintain the status quo, so when you get a reflection of those inputs from outside sources, your conscious mind is very susceptible to believing them.
Find A Way To Take The First Step
One of the ways to avoid falling into the trap of hesitation / analysis paralysis or getting stifled by sharing with the wrong person too quickly, is to take the first step. This means commit some time, money, and / or energy to the project to get it moving forward. Make the first step be something that you can both feel good about and is going to generate a feeling of commitment that will force you to stick to it.
But the bottom line, when it comes to turning great ideas into reality, JUST GO FOR IT!!!
Monday, July 13, 2009
Do you want a better life or do you just want to dream about a better life?
Here's a tough question for you . . .
Do you want a better life or do you just want to dream about a better life?
Which is it?
If you want happiness and peace in your life, then you must choose one . . . or the other. Because in my humble opinion, it is wanting and not doing that causes more stress and unhappiness in peoples lives than anything else.
Choosing Makes a Difference
Happiness comes from living in the moment - regardless of whether or not that moment is born out of purposefulness or purposelessness. But when you live in the past or dwell on what might happen in the future, happiness is illusive - and you tend to struggle - struggle with regret and worry.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that happiness isn't hard work. Of course it is. But I also believe there is nothing harder in life than commitment to happiness. Because happiness is something that you must be create each and every day, by staying present and committed to the moment at hand.
Which Choice is Right For You?
If you make the choice and commit to "having a better life", then stop talking about it and JUST DO IT. Stop regretting the past or worrying about the future. Simply create a plan of action for YOUR BETTER LIFE and take each step as it comes to you - in the moment. Sure there will be hard times - on that you can depend. But if it is your dream life that you are creating, isn't it worth any hardship you might endure along the way?
Of if you find yourself choosing to just "dream about having the life you want" - then stop taking actions that are going to create it for you - simply live it in your dreams. Spend the rest of your time simply accepting the life that you have. And so long as you accept that your dream is just that, a dream, then there can be no regret in the past, or worry about the future. . . simply allowing life to happen as it plays out before you.
So, Which Is It?
So it comes down to this - either defining and creating your vision or simply letting circumstances dictate your destiny. Either way . . . it is up to you!
Make the choice. Live in the moment. And find your happiness.
Do you want a better life or do you just want to dream about a better life?
Which is it?
If you want happiness and peace in your life, then you must choose one . . . or the other. Because in my humble opinion, it is wanting and not doing that causes more stress and unhappiness in peoples lives than anything else.
Choosing Makes a Difference
Happiness comes from living in the moment - regardless of whether or not that moment is born out of purposefulness or purposelessness. But when you live in the past or dwell on what might happen in the future, happiness is illusive - and you tend to struggle - struggle with regret and worry.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that happiness isn't hard work. Of course it is. But I also believe there is nothing harder in life than commitment to happiness. Because happiness is something that you must be create each and every day, by staying present and committed to the moment at hand.
Which Choice is Right For You?
If you make the choice and commit to "having a better life", then stop talking about it and JUST DO IT. Stop regretting the past or worrying about the future. Simply create a plan of action for YOUR BETTER LIFE and take each step as it comes to you - in the moment. Sure there will be hard times - on that you can depend. But if it is your dream life that you are creating, isn't it worth any hardship you might endure along the way?
Of if you find yourself choosing to just "dream about having the life you want" - then stop taking actions that are going to create it for you - simply live it in your dreams. Spend the rest of your time simply accepting the life that you have. And so long as you accept that your dream is just that, a dream, then there can be no regret in the past, or worry about the future. . . simply allowing life to happen as it plays out before you.
So, Which Is It?
So it comes down to this - either defining and creating your vision or simply letting circumstances dictate your destiny. Either way . . . it is up to you!
Make the choice. Live in the moment. And find your happiness.
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Separate Yourself From Your Competition
What a surprise . . . another great post today by Seth Godin, Taking The Leap. His blog this morning is about how market leaders tend to be head and shoulders above their competition with insulation that provides a considerable safety net.
In his words, Godin speaks of large market domination, siting examples that dominate the national / world scene. But the points he makes don't just apply to Big Conglomerates, but also to small "Mom and Pop" businesses in what ever market they define to be their market.
- If you are small Hair Salon in a small suburban town, it is possible to dominate YOUR geographic, demographic market.
- If you are small growing coffee shop chain in the Midwest, find out what separates you from your competition and build on it to grow and eventually dominate your market.
- Or if you are a Industrial Thread distribution company, it's possible to develop your systems in such a way that you grow and surpass your competition in such a powerful way that you build a chasm between you and them in your market.
Specifically, Godin offers three ways to separate yourself and build insulation:
- Spend your way to the top (Nike pulled this one off)
- Build an empire quietly, so that by the time any one notices you, they can't catch up (Build-a-Bear is a model for this).
- "Network Effect" (as he calls it), some markets are ready for one intermediary company to show up and be the default winner. (Twitter is an example of this).
Of the three ways to separate yourself from your competition, the one that you have the most control over is the second - build slowly and smartly under the radar (that is unless you are independently wealthy and / or just want to take the risk of being in the right place at the right time). And therefor the one that you should be focused on from a strategic perspective.
Unfortunately, building slowly under the radar requires consistency, discipline and focus - three things I find most small businesses lack.
The good news is that you don't have to be an MBA to pull this off. In fact, if you have formal training, you often tend to do what everyone else is already doing - which never leads to an enormous market advantage. Instead all you need to understand is three key points.
The essence to domination comes down:
In his words, Godin speaks of large market domination, siting examples that dominate the national / world scene. But the points he makes don't just apply to Big Conglomerates, but also to small "Mom and Pop" businesses in what ever market they define to be their market.
- If you are small Hair Salon in a small suburban town, it is possible to dominate YOUR geographic, demographic market.
- If you are small growing coffee shop chain in the Midwest, find out what separates you from your competition and build on it to grow and eventually dominate your market.
- Or if you are a Industrial Thread distribution company, it's possible to develop your systems in such a way that you grow and surpass your competition in such a powerful way that you build a chasm between you and them in your market.
Specifically, Godin offers three ways to separate yourself and build insulation:
- Spend your way to the top (Nike pulled this one off)
- Build an empire quietly, so that by the time any one notices you, they can't catch up (Build-a-Bear is a model for this).
- "Network Effect" (as he calls it), some markets are ready for one intermediary company to show up and be the default winner. (Twitter is an example of this).
Of the three ways to separate yourself from your competition, the one that you have the most control over is the second - build slowly and smartly under the radar (that is unless you are independently wealthy and / or just want to take the risk of being in the right place at the right time). And therefor the one that you should be focused on from a strategic perspective.
Unfortunately, building slowly under the radar requires consistency, discipline and focus - three things I find most small businesses lack.
The good news is that you don't have to be an MBA to pull this off. In fact, if you have formal training, you often tend to do what everyone else is already doing - which never leads to an enormous market advantage. Instead all you need to understand is three key points.
The essence to domination comes down:
- Focus on and grow towards your vision - not just trying to beat the competition
- Innovation and the development of a culture of constant improvement - where you examine your systems and how they work and improving them to better serve your needs and the needs of your customers.
- Long term relationships with all your stakeholders built on mutual benefit: employees, shareholders, customers, suppliers, and local communities.
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Are YOU Willing To Risk YOUR Life For Your Vision?
By putting their names on the Declaration, the 54 men might well have been signing their own death warrants. Had the Revolution failed, they would have been high on the list of traitors to the Crown, certain to be imprisoned or more likely executed. Their commitment to a higher ideal despite their differences and the danger of their situation prompted John Hancock to say, "There must be no pulling different ways: we must all hang together." Benjamin Franklin added, "We must indeed all hang together, or most assuredly we will all hang separately."
I share these words with you because real commitment to a vision is that serious. It could cost you your life. Not the physicality of your life (as it could have for these men). But instead, the essence of your life - what you know it as today.
Living your dream takes risk . . . a risk that very few people are willing to take. You must be willing to do what it takes and be willing to give up who you are today for who you want to become.
These men signed a document with each other to show their commitment to their vision. They were willing to give up everything they had to create what they believed could be possible.
The amazing thing is that when you commit and take action, you can do anything . . . even give birth to a new Nation.
When I work with a new client. The first thing I have them do is to figure out what they want to create . . . and then I ask them if they are willing to commit to it.
I ask them if they are willing to give up their life as it is now (without their dream) so they can have the one that is their dream.
I ask them if they are willing to commit to their Vision.
As you go about your day today . . . think about that. Think about what this day means. It's not just the birthday of our nation. It's the day people committed to what I consider to be the most powerful vision ever conceived by man - the VISION of Independence and Freedom - the VISION of Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.
Powerful Quotes
Below are a few select quotes from our Founding Fathers. Sure, the words are over 200 years old. But don't kid yourself, the meaning is just as strong and powerful today as it was the moment they were uttered.
And to be honest with you, I think we could all benefit from reading the words of our Founding Fathers on occasion.
I share these words with you because real commitment to a vision is that serious. It could cost you your life. Not the physicality of your life (as it could have for these men). But instead, the essence of your life - what you know it as today.
Living your dream takes risk . . . a risk that very few people are willing to take. You must be willing to do what it takes and be willing to give up who you are today for who you want to become.
These men signed a document with each other to show their commitment to their vision. They were willing to give up everything they had to create what they believed could be possible.
The amazing thing is that when you commit and take action, you can do anything . . . even give birth to a new Nation.
When I work with a new client. The first thing I have them do is to figure out what they want to create . . . and then I ask them if they are willing to commit to it.
I ask them if they are willing to give up their life as it is now (without their dream) so they can have the one that is their dream.
I ask them if they are willing to commit to their Vision.
As you go about your day today . . . think about that. Think about what this day means. It's not just the birthday of our nation. It's the day people committed to what I consider to be the most powerful vision ever conceived by man - the VISION of Independence and Freedom - the VISION of Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.
Powerful Quotes
Below are a few select quotes from our Founding Fathers. Sure, the words are over 200 years old. But don't kid yourself, the meaning is just as strong and powerful today as it was the moment they were uttered.
And to be honest with you, I think we could all benefit from reading the words of our Founding Fathers on occasion.
“Do you want to know who you are? Don't ask. Act! Action will delineate and define you.”
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson
“He that is good for making excuses is seldom good for anything else”
Ben Franklin
Ben Franklin
“If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.”
John Quincy Adams
“The greatest ability in business is to get along with others and to influence their actions.”
John Hancock
John Hancock
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Leveraging The Talents of Moms (Part IV)
The past three days, I have walked you though different elements including: How Moms are An Untapped Marketing Resource, How the relationship can be a Win / Win for All Concerned, and how it is important to understand the uniqueness of being a Mom and that it's important to help them with A Balancing Act / Releasing the Guilt.
The final blog of this four part series, Leveraging The Talents of Moms, is about Flexibility and Support - what can be done to help Moms get themselves out into the workplace and what employers can do to help them become the best employees they can be.
So, to wrap up this series and blend all the ideas together, it is important to understand and apply the most important concept of all - Moms need flexibility and support.
For Business Owners:
As I have spoken about in the past couple days, life as a Mom is complicated - more so than the average "non-Mom". Rather than just caring for themselves, Moms are always caring and nurturing others - at a minimum, they are caring for their child(ren) and often their husband.
They give and give, and quite often get little in return.
Let's face it, as I spoke about in part three, you, as a business owner / employer play second fiddle to Mom's first priority - her kids. But that doesn't mean that she can't give you as much if not more than anyone else. In fact, I have found it is exactly her commitment to her children that makes her such a wonderful asset to any business.
However, there is a cost. That cost is that you should build into your business model flexibility and support for the Moms on your staff - and the returns you gather from it will be amazing.
What does this mean:
- Plan ahead - This applies with just about any employee, but more so with Moms. Their life is very hectic and time is limited. In fact, I haven't met a Mom yet that wouldn't love to slow down the earth's rotation enough to get them 2 more hours every day. This means that the more time you can give them when there are changes to their schedule or you need more time from them, the better. It's not to say they can't or won't support you, its just that while you and I might be able to stay late to finish a very important project, Moms have someone that needs to be picked up or attended to. It's just not that easy to flex.
- Give them the ability to work from home - If you can manage it, giving a Mom time to work from home, can be the greatest gift you can give them. Even, if they might still need to get a babysitter, just knowing they are close to their children, gives them a strong feeling of strength and power. And that gives them focus to perform at a whole other level for you.
- Be understanding when they can't get in - Let's face it, kids get sick far more often than adults - and 99% of the time, the person who is going to stay home with their kids is Dr. Mom. This goes back to the statement above - give them the ability to work from home, empower them and they will surprise you with their commitment. It's not every employer that is so understanding of their situation - they will do everything they can to make it work and not blow your trust.
- Sit down with them at least bi-weekly to discuss how things are working - This isn't just something you should do with your Moms on staff - but with all your employees. It's just good management. Get to know the situation and work together to solve issues that are preventing them. A lesson I learned a long time ago, as a Ensign in the Navy, is that a manager's job is to remove the barriers preventing their employees from being able to do their best work. No where does this hold true more so than with Moms in the workplace. But as I've said before, the pay off is amazing.
For Moms:
Having tools or systems that help you balance your life is key. In fact, it's key to anything in life - finding ways to remain able to consistently deliver, even in the face of adversity and / or "unexpected" situations - which is daily in the life of all the Moms I know.
Sure, when the kids wake up on time, get dressed, eat and make the bus on time, everything is grand. But how often do things go "as planned" with kids involved. Someone always has a belly ache, has peanut butter in their hair, needs their diaper changed, or is just crying, just when you are on your last nerve. It's Murphy's Law. And you KNOW you can count on it.
So, what can you do? How do you live your life spontaneously (as so many of us love to do), but still make sure that you are able to deliver on promises - the essence of both being a Mom, a Wife, an Employee, a Business Owner, and a Woman?
You stop trying to live your life trying to manage the time in your days. Instead you need to start managing your life around your priorities, day-to-day, week-to-week, and month-to-month, etc. And that starts with first understanding and writing down the priorities in your life - what matters to you today and where you want to be 1 yr, 5 yrs, 10 yrs and for the rest of your life.
Call it a Personal Vision, a Vision Board, a Mission Statement, I don't care. In truth it doesn't matter what you call it - so long as you have one.
Once you have a Vision to guide you, it's time to figure out goals to support that vision. Goals that will drive your actions each and every day, instead of just running from crisis to crisis.
Your goals need to be built with the realization that it isn't HUGE short term goals that make a difference in your life - as much as we want it to be. But instead, it's long term, lifestyle goals that enable and encourage you to take small steps, every day to create lasting change in your life.
Too often, Moms (as well as everyone else out there) take on way TOO much when they try to change their lives - or get back the ones they use to have. Summer is coming up, and they want to get back into a bikini to sit by the pool. Their two year is learning to potty train - and they see a great window of opportunity. And they decide to take on a part time job in the afternoon for a friend to help their store.
So they change their diet, begin the arduous process of potty training a toddler and go back to work all at the same time - all while still being a stay-at-home Mom, managing the household and trying to be a good wife.
Something has got to give, and if you don't think about it ahead of time, it won't be want you want it to be. It will most likely be everything at once.
Ughhhh!
It's not that you can't do all these things, its just that you can't do them all EVERY DAY. You have to plan out change if you really want it to hold. And if you really want the change to be permanent, the key isn't doing it all at once, but instead working into one step at a time - making sure that each step you take is one step forward, and not two steps back.
This isn't easy - because if you don't stay grounded, you WILL try to run forward as fast as you can at some point - putting short term wants ahead of long term goals. It takes patience and consistency. It takes daily commitment to the long term and integrity. But, in my opinion what it takes more than anything is someone, an outside objective observer, who is committed to your goals and your system, even when you feel like giving up. It takes an accountability partner who will how you to your word and keep you moving forward, even when you don't feel like you can anymore.
It doesn't matter who you find, but find someone that you can talk to every day . . . that won't judge you. Won't get emotional about your situation. Won't let you make excuses. But . . . will stand beside you and help you, when you need it most and do so because he / she is committed to you and your goals as much if not more than you are.
Find yourself a coach / mentor / guide that no matter what . . . will be there every day, keeping you on track and moving forward.
Bottom line, for both employers and Moms, there is a symbiotic relationship that can exist here - one that will benefit EVERYONE. It can be a relationship that can and will make a difference in both of your lives as well as the business. But it takes flexibility and support - and real commitment. And you either need to find a way to support each other, working dynamically to work towards and achieve both of your goals, or find someone who can help you both do just that.
------
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at coach.jj@impossiblefutures.com.
The final blog of this four part series, Leveraging The Talents of Moms, is about Flexibility and Support - what can be done to help Moms get themselves out into the workplace and what employers can do to help them become the best employees they can be.
So, to wrap up this series and blend all the ideas together, it is important to understand and apply the most important concept of all - Moms need flexibility and support.
For Business Owners:
As I have spoken about in the past couple days, life as a Mom is complicated - more so than the average "non-Mom". Rather than just caring for themselves, Moms are always caring and nurturing others - at a minimum, they are caring for their child(ren) and often their husband.
They give and give, and quite often get little in return.
Let's face it, as I spoke about in part three, you, as a business owner / employer play second fiddle to Mom's first priority - her kids. But that doesn't mean that she can't give you as much if not more than anyone else. In fact, I have found it is exactly her commitment to her children that makes her such a wonderful asset to any business.
However, there is a cost. That cost is that you should build into your business model flexibility and support for the Moms on your staff - and the returns you gather from it will be amazing.
What does this mean:
- Plan ahead - This applies with just about any employee, but more so with Moms. Their life is very hectic and time is limited. In fact, I haven't met a Mom yet that wouldn't love to slow down the earth's rotation enough to get them 2 more hours every day. This means that the more time you can give them when there are changes to their schedule or you need more time from them, the better. It's not to say they can't or won't support you, its just that while you and I might be able to stay late to finish a very important project, Moms have someone that needs to be picked up or attended to. It's just not that easy to flex.
- Give them the ability to work from home - If you can manage it, giving a Mom time to work from home, can be the greatest gift you can give them. Even, if they might still need to get a babysitter, just knowing they are close to their children, gives them a strong feeling of strength and power. And that gives them focus to perform at a whole other level for you.
- Be understanding when they can't get in - Let's face it, kids get sick far more often than adults - and 99% of the time, the person who is going to stay home with their kids is Dr. Mom. This goes back to the statement above - give them the ability to work from home, empower them and they will surprise you with their commitment. It's not every employer that is so understanding of their situation - they will do everything they can to make it work and not blow your trust.
- Sit down with them at least bi-weekly to discuss how things are working - This isn't just something you should do with your Moms on staff - but with all your employees. It's just good management. Get to know the situation and work together to solve issues that are preventing them. A lesson I learned a long time ago, as a Ensign in the Navy, is that a manager's job is to remove the barriers preventing their employees from being able to do their best work. No where does this hold true more so than with Moms in the workplace. But as I've said before, the pay off is amazing.
For Moms:
Having tools or systems that help you balance your life is key. In fact, it's key to anything in life - finding ways to remain able to consistently deliver, even in the face of adversity and / or "unexpected" situations - which is daily in the life of all the Moms I know.
Sure, when the kids wake up on time, get dressed, eat and make the bus on time, everything is grand. But how often do things go "as planned" with kids involved. Someone always has a belly ache, has peanut butter in their hair, needs their diaper changed, or is just crying, just when you are on your last nerve. It's Murphy's Law. And you KNOW you can count on it.
So, what can you do? How do you live your life spontaneously (as so many of us love to do), but still make sure that you are able to deliver on promises - the essence of both being a Mom, a Wife, an Employee, a Business Owner, and a Woman?
You stop trying to live your life trying to manage the time in your days. Instead you need to start managing your life around your priorities, day-to-day, week-to-week, and month-to-month, etc. And that starts with first understanding and writing down the priorities in your life - what matters to you today and where you want to be 1 yr, 5 yrs, 10 yrs and for the rest of your life.
Call it a Personal Vision, a Vision Board, a Mission Statement, I don't care. In truth it doesn't matter what you call it - so long as you have one.
Once you have a Vision to guide you, it's time to figure out goals to support that vision. Goals that will drive your actions each and every day, instead of just running from crisis to crisis.
Your goals need to be built with the realization that it isn't HUGE short term goals that make a difference in your life - as much as we want it to be. But instead, it's long term, lifestyle goals that enable and encourage you to take small steps, every day to create lasting change in your life.
Too often, Moms (as well as everyone else out there) take on way TOO much when they try to change their lives - or get back the ones they use to have. Summer is coming up, and they want to get back into a bikini to sit by the pool. Their two year is learning to potty train - and they see a great window of opportunity. And they decide to take on a part time job in the afternoon for a friend to help their store.
So they change their diet, begin the arduous process of potty training a toddler and go back to work all at the same time - all while still being a stay-at-home Mom, managing the household and trying to be a good wife.
Something has got to give, and if you don't think about it ahead of time, it won't be want you want it to be. It will most likely be everything at once.
Ughhhh!
It's not that you can't do all these things, its just that you can't do them all EVERY DAY. You have to plan out change if you really want it to hold. And if you really want the change to be permanent, the key isn't doing it all at once, but instead working into one step at a time - making sure that each step you take is one step forward, and not two steps back.
This isn't easy - because if you don't stay grounded, you WILL try to run forward as fast as you can at some point - putting short term wants ahead of long term goals. It takes patience and consistency. It takes daily commitment to the long term and integrity. But, in my opinion what it takes more than anything is someone, an outside objective observer, who is committed to your goals and your system, even when you feel like giving up. It takes an accountability partner who will how you to your word and keep you moving forward, even when you don't feel like you can anymore.
It doesn't matter who you find, but find someone that you can talk to every day . . . that won't judge you. Won't get emotional about your situation. Won't let you make excuses. But . . . will stand beside you and help you, when you need it most and do so because he / she is committed to you and your goals as much if not more than you are.
Find yourself a coach / mentor / guide that no matter what . . . will be there every day, keeping you on track and moving forward.
Bottom line, for both employers and Moms, there is a symbiotic relationship that can exist here - one that will benefit EVERYONE. It can be a relationship that can and will make a difference in both of your lives as well as the business. But it takes flexibility and support - and real commitment. And you either need to find a way to support each other, working dynamically to work towards and achieve both of your goals, or find someone who can help you both do just that.
------
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at coach.jj@impossiblefutures.com.
Monday, June 22, 2009
Another Life Lesson I Learned From My Children
Life happens.
Embrace it.
Enjoy it for all that it gives you each day.
Learn from your past - don't dwell on it.
Live today as you are - as if there will be no tomorrow.
And for tomorrow, do your best to take one small step closer
To being the YOU that you dream of becoming.
Embrace it.
Enjoy it for all that it gives you each day.
Learn from your past - don't dwell on it.
Live today as you are - as if there will be no tomorrow.
And for tomorrow, do your best to take one small step closer
To being the YOU that you dream of becoming.
It is truly amazing how life happens - even when we do our best to try to control it. We set goals and define our vision for the future - but what we sometimes forget is that LIFE is what happens as go about trying to fulfill our goals and our vision.
Too often, we take that message as a sign that we shouldn't try to define our future. Nothing could be further from the truth.
We must know what we want to become, and then start being that person today.
Funny how I was reminded how to live life once again, by my two children. They look at things so simply. It's amazing to me, how we so often overlook their ageless wisdom. Too often, we think we get wiser as we get older. But in my ways, as we mature and become institutionalized by society, we bury the wisdom that is naturally within us - part of our genetic code. We forget that life is a gift and meant to be lived every day.
This past weekend was an amazing weekend for me - it is always good to connect with what matters most and have your vision appear in the eyes of our children - reflected back upon you.
One of the most important things to me is that my two children, Garret and Turner, feel that I am there for them (often a tough thing being a part-time Dad, who lives halfway across the country). I really do my best, but sometimes forget that in order t
o become that man, I must be that man today. This weekend I was reminded to live my vision TODAY, not wait for someday. I can want something very wonderful, but if I don't live it today - it won't come true. I learned that life is what happens while I am there with them: holding their hands walking in town or hiking in the woods, helping them with their homework, having a catch with a baseball, or helping them build mock shelters in their back yard.
Summer is upon us. With the warmth and beautiful weather, it is a wonderful season to look at your life and what you want. The time to begin removing the excuses that limit you from living the way you want to live. And just start doing!!!
So do something different today. Find one small thing that is preventing you from being who you want to be - and eliminate that excuse - what ever it is. And live one step closer to who you have always dreamed of becoming . . . TODAY.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Motivate Yourself And Your Employees
Some people work with pride and integrity simply because they believe in what they are doing, believe in the vision of the company and love that they GET to do it every day.
While others work only for the pay they receive with the attitude that they HAVE to do it - often with hate for the company they work for dislike for the team they a part of.
Which are you?
And more importantly, which is the best description for the people that work for you?
Attitude is everything. I don't care what you do for a living, if you enjoy what you do, and look forward to doing it everyday - it will show. You will work harder and be more productive than those who don't care.
And believe it or not, attitude towards our jobs, whether you are flipping burgers for local fast food restaurant, piloting 747s for a major airline, or CEO of a Fortune 100 Business, can be predicted, relatively accurately, based on how people respond to a few specific questions. These questions are:
1. Do I understand and believe in the vision of the business I'm working for?
2. Do I clearly understand my role in the organization, including the responsibilities I have and how I will be judged / rated in performing this job?
3. Do I believe the rewards (compensation) are fair throughout the business - based on performance and not something arbitrary, like color of skin, age, sex, or personal / familial relationships? And that you are being fairly compensated for what you do?
4. Do I have the training I need to do my job properly?
5. Do I have all the tools and procedures I need to fulfill my responsibilities?
6. Are my talents recognized and understood by my superiors?
7. Am I encouraged to use my individual talents to fulfill my daily activities or through some other process?
8. Is it clear to me how I can improve myself and am I given full capacity to do so?
The more questions you can answer above with a resounding YES, the more likely you enjoy what you are doing, the more positive your attitude will be every day and the more motivated and committed to the job you will be. However, conversely, the more NOs, that you answer, the more likely you will feel discouraged, disenfranchised, and simply working for the pay, and not because you enjoy it.
Ask yourself these questions and ask them of your employees. Don't just do it once, make it a system that you rely on to understand the state of your business as much as any financial or sales analysis.
Do your best to encourage everyone to answer honestly. Work not just to make yourself and them happy and to give them more pay, but instead to turn your and their NOs to YESes. Figure out where you and your senior team lack in leading those who do the hard work everyday.
And watch your business grow in ways you wouldn't have expected, with such simple, "soft" techniques. Because when you have motivated employees and motivated leaders, who GET come to work everyday to do what they enjoy doing, and not HAVE to come to work in order to pay their bills, you will reap the benefits of Higher Customer Satisfaction, Larger Market Share, Better Employee Retention and More Productive Employees. Oh and let's not forget, more money in the bottom line - and cash in your back account.
While others work only for the pay they receive with the attitude that they HAVE to do it - often with hate for the company they work for dislike for the team they a part of.
Which are you?
And more importantly, which is the best description for the people that work for you?
Attitude is everything. I don't care what you do for a living, if you enjoy what you do, and look forward to doing it everyday - it will show. You will work harder and be more productive than those who don't care.
And believe it or not, attitude towards our jobs, whether you are flipping burgers for local fast food restaurant, piloting 747s for a major airline, or CEO of a Fortune 100 Business, can be predicted, relatively accurately, based on how people respond to a few specific questions. These questions are:
1. Do I understand and believe in the vision of the business I'm working for?
2. Do I clearly understand my role in the organization, including the responsibilities I have and how I will be judged / rated in performing this job?
3. Do I believe the rewards (compensation) are fair throughout the business - based on performance and not something arbitrary, like color of skin, age, sex, or personal / familial relationships? And that you are being fairly compensated for what you do?
4. Do I have the training I need to do my job properly?
5. Do I have all the tools and procedures I need to fulfill my responsibilities?
6. Are my talents recognized and understood by my superiors?
7. Am I encouraged to use my individual talents to fulfill my daily activities or through some other process?
8. Is it clear to me how I can improve myself and am I given full capacity to do so?
The more questions you can answer above with a resounding YES, the more likely you enjoy what you are doing, the more positive your attitude will be every day and the more motivated and committed to the job you will be. However, conversely, the more NOs, that you answer, the more likely you will feel discouraged, disenfranchised, and simply working for the pay, and not because you enjoy it.
Ask yourself these questions and ask them of your employees. Don't just do it once, make it a system that you rely on to understand the state of your business as much as any financial or sales analysis.
Do your best to encourage everyone to answer honestly. Work not just to make yourself and them happy and to give them more pay, but instead to turn your and their NOs to YESes. Figure out where you and your senior team lack in leading those who do the hard work everyday.
And watch your business grow in ways you wouldn't have expected, with such simple, "soft" techniques. Because when you have motivated employees and motivated leaders, who GET come to work everyday to do what they enjoy doing, and not HAVE to come to work in order to pay their bills, you will reap the benefits of Higher Customer Satisfaction, Larger Market Share, Better Employee Retention and More Productive Employees. Oh and let's not forget, more money in the bottom line - and cash in your back account.
Friday, June 5, 2009
Push Yourself To Leverage The Power of Positive Stress
Let's face it, setting goals and trying to achieve them causes stress - and it's usually stress we can handle. . . most of the time. And so, we take on more and more every day, not realizing the toll it's taking on us, until it's too late. The stress stops being a positive influence on our lives and begins to destroy the very thing we are striving to achieve.
At first it feels good - you are making things happen and completing your goals. You feel good about yourself and the energy it brings to you. Unfortunately, it's very easy to push yourself too hard and too fast to achieve what you want - because you want everything . . . right now. And by going too far, we almost always end up losing all the gains we made in the first place.
So the key is to set goals that drive you forward, but not so fast that you can't handle the stress and that pace.
The Difference Between Eustress and Distress
The difference between your current reality, your day-to-day life, and your dreams causes stress - good stress (eustress). It is this stress that drives you forward to achieve your goals and make your dreams come true. It causes you to take actions and do the things that you must do, to change your current reality.
Eustress is a good thing. But as we know, too much of any "good thing" always turns bad.
When we push ourselves too hard, or a crisis comes up that we didn't anticipate, that eustress can quickly turn into distress (the bad stress in our lives) - the stress that comes from feelings of inadequacy, overburden, and failure.
While eustress will give you the energy every day to make your dreams come true - when you feel distress, it is destructive. You will do just about anything to make it go away. Change the condition that is creating it - as fast as you can.
What Happens When Good Turns To Bad
Without constant monitoring and self awareness, it is very easy to push yourself over the top and go from the positive of eustress to the destructive of distress.
When this happens, it's important to make a decision - either work through the distress, knowing it's short lived, or relieve it. In order to relieve the "distress" caused by chasing your goals and dreams, you have two options:
1. Change your current reality and make your dreams come true
2. Change your goal to ease the stress.
So, do you really have a choice? Not really - because you CAN NOT change current reality. Life, right this minute, is what it is. It takes time to change your current reality. It takes daily action and focus over time to change your current reality.
However, you can change your goals, making them easier to achieve or removing them completely from your life. Literally, you remove the stress, by eliminating what you want from your life - because it's easier (less stressful to live without the pressure of growth burdening you with pressure to perform.
Unfortunately, that is exactly what most people do. They simply lower their goals and begin down the dark side of life - a life void of drive / personal development.
When you lower your goals and ease your stress, you give up on living.
Think about this as you go through you day, today. Is the stress you are feeling, eustress or distress? It is a fine line - even when it's coming from your efforts to achieve your goals. You want create enough stress that you feel uncomfortable being where you are, but not so much that you give up or breakdown.
Your goals will drive your actions moving forward. There will be days when you push yourself too hard. And others when you barely push at all.
Be the Willow, not the Oak when Dealing with Stress
The key to growing day-to-day is to first being honest with yourself with where you are - your current reality. And then setting and analyzing your goals each and every day. When unforeseen, uncontrollable events begin to build up, and the eustress goes over the edge, you have crossed a threshold that you must reign in. Either you power your way through it (because you know its short lived) or you make some adjustments to your goals. Be a Willow Tree here not an Oak Tree (bend but don't break). Stick to your goals, but give yourself a little more time or energy to make them happen - be flexible enough to allow yourself to keep moving forward.
Push yourself - but do it in a healthy way.
The truth is if you land in the "world of Distress" too long, not only will you not reach your goals on time, but will most likely give up on them completely.
I'm sure you can even tell me of times when you broke the threshold of eustress to distress. And may have even broken it recently a bit. That's ok - you need to know where the threshold is - but make sure you come back quick.
Come back and give yourself room - to bend like the willow in the wind - is very important.
What's amazing about life though, is the more eustress you can handle and work with today - the more capable you are of increasing that in the future (you adapt and grow). It's like a muscle that grows stronger with exercise. But there will always be a threshold - be careful and make sure you have a system (often times an objective outside observer) to remind you to bend / not break when you get to close.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Relationships Last As Long As There Is Shared Vision
Interesting thing I've noticed about people. They can endure nearly anything and overcome any obstacles as long as they have a vision of something better in the future. Ask any POW or read the stories from Viktor Frankl, and the message is the same – vision of a better future is what will carry you forward.
Unfortunately, without that vision of a brighter future, people can hardly endure even the slightest struggle.
As a coach, I find this holds true as much in relationships (business or personal) as it does on an individual level. But in relationships, unlike personal vision, lost shared vision can and usually mean the beginning of the end of the relationship.
When two or more people come together to create a shared vision of the future they are trying to create, no obstacle or struggle will get in their way. They look at barriers as opportunities and revel in working together to solve the problems they face. But if they don't have a shared vision or if their personal visions begin to deviate too far from the shared vision, even the smallest obstacle can spell the doom for the relationship.
Partners in business see this all the time. One partner begins to see the future differently as circumstance or his life changes, and the decisions that need to be made jointly become more and more contentious. They struggle as the day-to-day dealings which were tolerable in the past, become down right impossible when you know that you want different things for the future. And sadly, it is precisely at the moment when one or all of the partners can no longer see how they will ever be able to want the same things again, that the partnership is over. It might take days, weeks or years to consummate the end, but nothing can undo what has been done.
So what can you do about this? People change. What they want evolves and their visions of the future they want morph. How can this be avoided?
In some cases, it is inevitable. The relationship must come to an end - the parties are just too far apart. But those are honestly rare - and with ample attention to these principles at the beginning of the relationship and throughout the life of the team, a lot of heartache and pain can be avoided.
What it takes is a little work and focus at the beginning of the relationship. That work is clearly defining a shared vision - taking it from implied to stated. It means writing down the words that every one agrees on and doing your best to honor the personal vision of all the participants.
Ahh, but the work doesn't end there, simply because life doesn't end there! Shared vision requires all parties to not only commit to the vision, but to also commit to communicate if they begin to feel they don't agree with it any more - even slightly.
It's about sharing when you begin to feel that you want something different - communicating the difference to all involved. Sometimes this may be a big deal, but I find that's rarely the case - if communicated promptly.
The truth is (and we all know it), it's not that small differences will destroy the relationship. But small differences show a trend of deviation - a widening gap. The good news is that regardless of the issue, a trend if caught early enough can be remedied - by altering the vision slightly for the evolving dreams of the individuals involved.
However if the deviation of one's personal vision begins to grow too far from the shared vision, a rift begins to form. This split will often result in resentment and disillusionment about the partnership.
So if you want to have a great partnership - business or personal, take the following steps:
1. Write a shared vision with all involved.
2. Plan to review the shared vision periodically to evaluate its relevance and make changes as necessary to keep all actively engaged.
And actively commit to both the vision and the promise that it represents.
Saturday, May 16, 2009
What, If Anything, Do You Have Control Over?
There are very few things you ACTUALLY have CONTROL over in your life or in your business. In fact the list of things you control is much shorter than the thousands that you don't.
- You don't have control over the economy.
- You don't have control over your customers - current or perspective.
- You don't have control over your employees.
- You don't have control over your suppliers / vendors.
- You don't have control over your competition.
I could go on for ever, but I think you get the point.
However, in spite of your lack of control over external forces, you do have complete control over you, your business, and how you respond to each change in any of the above listed factors. YOU can decide how much you will allow each of the complex forces effect you and your business.
So the only control you have in any situation actually stems from your response to the situation - not the ability to actually change the situation.
For example, you can't control whether a customer is happy with your services - that is their choice. But you can control how you handle it - how you treat that customer - how you go about deciding if you want to change your promise to the market so that you don't have that problem again.
And, you may not be able to "fix" or motivate your current employees, but you don't have to keep them either. And you can change the processes in your hiring so as to minimize the likelihood of having unmotivated employees.
As you start examining at your current situation, stop blaming your circumstances for your position, your sales, or your market share. Instead, accept that your status is what it is because of how you choose to respond to the circumstances in the past.
Rather than blaming, or lamenting your current market position, it's time to figure out how your decisions (or lack of decisions) have contributed to current situation. Ask yourself the following questions:
- What have I done or not done, given the changing economy?
- How have I changed my business to demonstrate to my customers how important they are?
- When was the last time I talked to my customers and asked them what they need from my business?
- Rather than blaming my employees for all my problems, how can I change my management style to produce the results I want?
- What is my competition doing that I'm not doing? What could I do or say differently that would give me a competitive advantage over my competition?
It is through the process of asking these questions that we find the answers to our business problems. It is through the process of querying your methods and motives that you will remove the illusion of control over your business and take control of the only element you do have control over - your response.
- You don't have control over the economy.
- You don't have control over your customers - current or perspective.
- You don't have control over your employees.
- You don't have control over your suppliers / vendors.
- You don't have control over your competition.
I could go on for ever, but I think you get the point.
However, in spite of your lack of control over external forces, you do have complete control over you, your business, and how you respond to each change in any of the above listed factors. YOU can decide how much you will allow each of the complex forces effect you and your business.
So the only control you have in any situation actually stems from your response to the situation - not the ability to actually change the situation.
For example, you can't control whether a customer is happy with your services - that is their choice. But you can control how you handle it - how you treat that customer - how you go about deciding if you want to change your promise to the market so that you don't have that problem again.
And, you may not be able to "fix" or motivate your current employees, but you don't have to keep them either. And you can change the processes in your hiring so as to minimize the likelihood of having unmotivated employees.
As you start examining at your current situation, stop blaming your circumstances for your position, your sales, or your market share. Instead, accept that your status is what it is because of how you choose to respond to the circumstances in the past.
Rather than blaming, or lamenting your current market position, it's time to figure out how your decisions (or lack of decisions) have contributed to current situation. Ask yourself the following questions:
- What have I done or not done, given the changing economy?
- How have I changed my business to demonstrate to my customers how important they are?
- When was the last time I talked to my customers and asked them what they need from my business?
- Rather than blaming my employees for all my problems, how can I change my management style to produce the results I want?
- What is my competition doing that I'm not doing? What could I do or say differently that would give me a competitive advantage over my competition?
It is through the process of asking these questions that we find the answers to our business problems. It is through the process of querying your methods and motives that you will remove the illusion of control over your business and take control of the only element you do have control over - your response.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Act Today As If Your Vision Has Already Come True
What do you want in your future?
Who do you want to be?
What ever you want to be, the best way to make that happen, is to ACT as if you are already that person, right now. And you will become that person, simply out of habit.
You see, your subconscious mind is not that smart - it can't tell the difference between what's real and what's a dream. It receives inputs from your senses and looks for patterns. And it just loves patterns of behavior that it can repeat again and again.
In fact, once there is enough repetition of a behavior, our subconscious mind will stop at nothing to try to repeat it - even at your own detriment.
So, the best way to change behavior - change who you are is to simply act that part. Act like you want to become - and act it all the time. It can't tell the difference between what you are and what you are pretending to be. So start pretending what you want to be and your subconscious mind will begin to make the your ACTING become who you really are.
That may sound silly, but it's how all or our minds work.
If you want to be a Coach, then you need to act as if you already are a Coach right now. Dress like one, hang around other coaches, do what other coaches do.
If you want to be a Cab Driver, then all you need to do is act like one - it will be happen.
Likewise if you want to be a Millionaire, then act like Millionaires act. Think like one, hang out with other Millionaires, dress like one, spend money as if you are one already, and make it part of who you are . . . every minute of everyday.
WARNING: You have to truly BELIEVE who you are trying to become is real, or you subconscious won't believe it. Commit to it and you will create it.
If you want to be anything in this world, then start being it RIGHT NOW. Live the life! Surround yourself with others who are successful in what you want to do and act like they do. Find mentors, create masterminds groups and emulate everyone who has what you want. Not because you want "their life" but because you want to know what being who they are is all about.
However, there is one final note . . . when you start acting as you want to be, you will stop being who you are today. This is something you have to be willing to give up, if you want to grow into the YOU that you have always dreamed of being.
Who do you want to be?
What ever you want to be, the best way to make that happen, is to ACT as if you are already that person, right now. And you will become that person, simply out of habit.
You see, your subconscious mind is not that smart - it can't tell the difference between what's real and what's a dream. It receives inputs from your senses and looks for patterns. And it just loves patterns of behavior that it can repeat again and again.
In fact, once there is enough repetition of a behavior, our subconscious mind will stop at nothing to try to repeat it - even at your own detriment.
So, the best way to change behavior - change who you are is to simply act that part. Act like you want to become - and act it all the time. It can't tell the difference between what you are and what you are pretending to be. So start pretending what you want to be and your subconscious mind will begin to make the your ACTING become who you really are.
That may sound silly, but it's how all or our minds work.
If you want to be a Coach, then you need to act as if you already are a Coach right now. Dress like one, hang around other coaches, do what other coaches do.
If you want to be a Cab Driver, then all you need to do is act like one - it will be happen.
Likewise if you want to be a Millionaire, then act like Millionaires act. Think like one, hang out with other Millionaires, dress like one, spend money as if you are one already, and make it part of who you are . . . every minute of everyday.
WARNING: You have to truly BELIEVE who you are trying to become is real, or you subconscious won't believe it. Commit to it and you will create it.
If you want to be anything in this world, then start being it RIGHT NOW. Live the life! Surround yourself with others who are successful in what you want to do and act like they do. Find mentors, create masterminds groups and emulate everyone who has what you want. Not because you want "their life" but because you want to know what being who they are is all about.
However, there is one final note . . . when you start acting as you want to be, you will stop being who you are today. This is something you have to be willing to give up, if you want to grow into the YOU that you have always dreamed of being.
Monday, May 11, 2009
People Want To Be Part Of Something Bigger Than Themselves
In his blog today, Seth Godin asked the question, "Do you have Customers or Members?" It's short, sweet, and to the point - as he always is. The article is basically pointing out that if you are good enough to get customers to sign up to become members of your "world" they will become more than just customers - they will become members of your coalition.
Sorry, I'm neither short nor sweet, but I will get straight to the point.
The reason people want to join memberships (especially on the web) is that deep down they ache to be part of something bigger than themselves. They want to feel like they belong to a group of individuals that believe what they believe, act the way they act and feel the way they feel.
We all belong to some group or another. You have your family (rooted in your name or your lineage), you have the school you attended (and the year you graduated), you have your Generation (Baby Boomers, Gen X, Gen Y, etc). You have your Ford truck owners, your Chevy truck owners, GMC truck owners and now, you have your Toyota truck owners. You have your Apple computer users and your PC computer users. The list goes on forever. Some of these memberships are formal - others aren't so. But don't kid yourself, the allegiance is often stronger than you can imaging.
What memberships do you have?
Takes Customer Loyalty To A Whole New Level
When your customers begin to treat you as if they are in a group - because they believe in what your business or product is all about - you have reached a new level of loyalty. You have moved from just having customers to cheerleaders and raving fans.
So, how do you turn your customers from thinking of themselves as only customers to thinking of themselves of members of an elite group. Simple, create the elite group - and make it worth being in. If you envision it and communicate that vision to the world, others will follow. It may not be a million or even a thousand, but I'll bet it's more than one. But even one is a start.
People will subscribe - they will join. Not because you created it. It's not a "If you build it, they will come" thing. It's a lot more than that. They will join because they want to be a part of something bigger than themselves. They want to FEEL like they aren't alone in the world - even know they know consciously they aren't.
People aren't actively looking for things to join, but when your words or ideas appeal to them, and you give them a chance or even invite them to become a part of future dreams - they will join you.
And when they become a member of your group - you will gain a level of commitment and support the likes you've never seen before.
So, set a goal today to build a subscription based club in your business. Think about what you can provide to make it worthwhile to them to join - what separates you and your vision from the rest of your competition.
And of course, most importantly, just make it so!
Sorry, I'm neither short nor sweet, but I will get straight to the point.
The reason people want to join memberships (especially on the web) is that deep down they ache to be part of something bigger than themselves. They want to feel like they belong to a group of individuals that believe what they believe, act the way they act and feel the way they feel.
We all belong to some group or another. You have your family (rooted in your name or your lineage), you have the school you attended (and the year you graduated), you have your Generation (Baby Boomers, Gen X, Gen Y, etc). You have your Ford truck owners, your Chevy truck owners, GMC truck owners and now, you have your Toyota truck owners. You have your Apple computer users and your PC computer users. The list goes on forever. Some of these memberships are formal - others aren't so. But don't kid yourself, the allegiance is often stronger than you can imaging.
What memberships do you have?
Takes Customer Loyalty To A Whole New Level
When your customers begin to treat you as if they are in a group - because they believe in what your business or product is all about - you have reached a new level of loyalty. You have moved from just having customers to cheerleaders and raving fans.
So, how do you turn your customers from thinking of themselves as only customers to thinking of themselves of members of an elite group. Simple, create the elite group - and make it worth being in. If you envision it and communicate that vision to the world, others will follow. It may not be a million or even a thousand, but I'll bet it's more than one. But even one is a start.
People will subscribe - they will join. Not because you created it. It's not a "If you build it, they will come" thing. It's a lot more than that. They will join because they want to be a part of something bigger than themselves. They want to FEEL like they aren't alone in the world - even know they know consciously they aren't.
People aren't actively looking for things to join, but when your words or ideas appeal to them, and you give them a chance or even invite them to become a part of future dreams - they will join you.
And when they become a member of your group - you will gain a level of commitment and support the likes you've never seen before.
So, set a goal today to build a subscription based club in your business. Think about what you can provide to make it worthwhile to them to join - what separates you and your vision from the rest of your competition.
And of course, most importantly, just make it so!
Saturday, May 9, 2009
Take Advantage of Opportunities but Maintain Discipline
The most successful businesses maintain focus on their core mission and how it serves their clients. Your core business should be a combination of what you do best, what you are most passionate about and what pays the bills and makes you lots of profit. When opportunity comes knocking, and it will, you must have the discipline to make sure that it is aligned with your core mission and your strategic vision before you jump on it - always think carefully before you commit your company resources to what may turn out to be a costly endeavor that takes your time, money and assets from what you do best.
Unbelievably sage advice that is easier said than done.
Everyday, business owners are bombarded with "opportunities" that will make them "more money". And since owning a business is about making money, most small business owners jump at the opportunities.
Although these opportunities may appear to benefit the company in the near-term, they often distract us and stretch us so thin that we begin to deviate from the path that we set out on - the path to our vision.
This is why we should always work hard at the beginning stages of creating a business to build a strong foundation. And it's why in my coaching practice, I spend the entire first month working with my clients to help them understand the importance of Mission, Vision, Commitments and long-term Goals.
As it turns out, at least once a week, I have a client, either in a coaching session or over the phone, ask me if an opportunity that has "popped-up" is worth pursuing. They ask me, as if I have the answers for them. And much to their dismay, I often answer their question with more questions - the same questions every time.
How does that fit into your Mission, Vision and Commitments?
How will it help you reach your Goals?
How does that fit into your Business Plan?
And it's funny, even though they knew that's what I was going to say and they knew my answer before the words come out of my lips, they had to ask. They just needed to be reminded of what the are really trying to do - they needed to be reminded of what their Goals are and what their current plan is to reach those goals.
It's not that they don't or shouldn't pursue new opportunities, it's just that by staying focused on their long-term goals and vision and not being distracted by every "short-term" opportunity that comes up, they will actually always be working towards reaching the goals that they set out on - whether the journey started yesterday, six months ago or ten years ago.
And it's not to say that you can't redefine what you are about and take on opportunities that come up. I would never advise a client to turn down an opportunity. But they need to look at the decision - not within the context of what it will bring into the company today, but instead what it will do to help and cost the company in the long term.
Discipline and focus are very difficult for most of us. They don't come easy, because they are usually lost in everyday life. Simply stated, we forget about the future and focus only on the present (or near-term future). But, it is those that are able to keep the long term in the fore front of their mind that seem most equipped to actually make it happen.
So stop and look around at those that are most successful in every walk of life - sports, business, music, art, and school. They are nearly always the ones who seem to stay more focused on the outcome, even the in face of every day distractions. They don't compromise their vision to accomplish their long term goals for short term gain - no matter how inviting it is.
So ask yourself the following questions:
- How disciplined are you?
- How focused on your goals are you?
- If you are easily distracted from what you want in the long term, what are you
going to do different tomorrow?
© Copyright,
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Your Life Is Defined By The Choices You Make Every Day
A death or severe illness in your family.
Getting let go from your job.
Your spouse cheating on you.
A devastating natural disaster hits - destroying your world.
Physical abuse from a loved one (or even a perfect stranger).
What do all these things have in common? They are devastating events that will shake the foundation of your life, often changing who you are - permanently.
Let's face it - bad things happen to every one. Whether it is one of these events or something else. And unfortunately, they usually come at the most inopportune time (or so it feels). But can you ever think of a "good" time to have your day / your life interrupted by bad news?
Truth is though, it's not the bad news that knocks you off kilter - it's how you respond that sends you for the loop - changes who you will become. But it doesn't have to be that way - you can either choose to allow this event to define who and what you are, or you can make it just another event in the course of who you are going to be.
It's said that our only real freedom exists in the moments between the stimulus and response. I believe that. Simply stated, it means that life is DEFINED by the choices we make with our lives - with our actions and our thoughts. And those aren't the always the big choices, but also the small ones that occur each and every day - between the instant that an event occurs (good or bad) and the time you respond.
No one can define that choice for us - except us!
There was a movie that Tom Cruise was in a few years back that typified this idea - the idea that life is a choice (that we choose our own destiny). That movie was Minority Report. The movie's underlying theme was Freedom to choose your own destiny - and whether or not it really existed.
In Minority Report (set in the future), the Police Force had a new tool at their disposal. They had "Precogs" that could predict violent crimes before they actually occurred. With this information, they were able to "see" when and where a murder was going to take place and act on the intelligence to stop the crime. They would arrive on the scene, just prior to the act of violence, and arrest the individual before the act actually took place.
The interesting part of the plot was the early supposition that the Hero, Chief John Anderton, played by Tom Cruise, had about "choice". He believed, as most did in the movie, that people had no choice / will in their lives - that they acted as they did, because it was fated. But as the movie progressed, roles were reversed and the hero was placed in the position to choose his own destiny. He had to make a choice to either follow what the future predicted for him, or choose his own destiny.
Too often we fail to recognize this God-given freedom that is CHOICE. It's there every day, whether we realize it or not. Every thing you did and will do today is your choice - don't forget that. Yeah, bad things happen (you can count on that), but how you respond is ALWAYS your choice.
There are two simple things that you can do to keep you moving forward and keep you on track in spite of the events that occur around you:
1. Take your time in responding - especially when you see the criticality of the choice. Give yourself time - very few decisions need to be made right here and now. You always have time to think.
2. Review you Vision regularly - to keep your choices consistent and guiding you to the end you wish to create, review that end (your Personal Vision) at least daily if not more often. Treat it like your personal constitution, making sure that all the decisions (or at least most of them) are leading you to that place you wish to be - when it's all said and done.
Choose wisely!
Getting let go from your job.
Your spouse cheating on you.
A devastating natural disaster hits - destroying your world.
Physical abuse from a loved one (or even a perfect stranger).
What do all these things have in common? They are devastating events that will shake the foundation of your life, often changing who you are - permanently.
Let's face it - bad things happen to every one. Whether it is one of these events or something else. And unfortunately, they usually come at the most inopportune time (or so it feels). But can you ever think of a "good" time to have your day / your life interrupted by bad news?
Truth is though, it's not the bad news that knocks you off kilter - it's how you respond that sends you for the loop - changes who you will become. But it doesn't have to be that way - you can either choose to allow this event to define who and what you are, or you can make it just another event in the course of who you are going to be.
It's said that our only real freedom exists in the moments between the stimulus and response. I believe that. Simply stated, it means that life is DEFINED by the choices we make with our lives - with our actions and our thoughts. And those aren't the always the big choices, but also the small ones that occur each and every day - between the instant that an event occurs (good or bad) and the time you respond.
No one can define that choice for us - except us!
There was a movie that Tom Cruise was in a few years back that typified this idea - the idea that life is a choice (that we choose our own destiny). That movie was Minority Report. The movie's underlying theme was Freedom to choose your own destiny - and whether or not it really existed.
In Minority Report (set in the future), the Police Force had a new tool at their disposal. They had "Precogs" that could predict violent crimes before they actually occurred. With this information, they were able to "see" when and where a murder was going to take place and act on the intelligence to stop the crime. They would arrive on the scene, just prior to the act of violence, and arrest the individual before the act actually took place.
The interesting part of the plot was the early supposition that the Hero, Chief John Anderton, played by Tom Cruise, had about "choice". He believed, as most did in the movie, that people had no choice / will in their lives - that they acted as they did, because it was fated. But as the movie progressed, roles were reversed and the hero was placed in the position to choose his own destiny. He had to make a choice to either follow what the future predicted for him, or choose his own destiny.
Too often we fail to recognize this God-given freedom that is CHOICE. It's there every day, whether we realize it or not. Every thing you did and will do today is your choice - don't forget that. Yeah, bad things happen (you can count on that), but how you respond is ALWAYS your choice.
There are two simple things that you can do to keep you moving forward and keep you on track in spite of the events that occur around you:
1. Take your time in responding - especially when you see the criticality of the choice. Give yourself time - very few decisions need to be made right here and now. You always have time to think.
2. Review you Vision regularly - to keep your choices consistent and guiding you to the end you wish to create, review that end (your Personal Vision) at least daily if not more often. Treat it like your personal constitution, making sure that all the decisions (or at least most of them) are leading you to that place you wish to be - when it's all said and done.
Choose wisely!
Sunday, March 29, 2009
The Difference is DOING!
There are people that will tell you that you need more knowledge or more money before you can start to pursue your dreams.
Sad thing is that we believe them.
And because of that, all too often, we give up our dreams long before we ever took a single step to achieve them. We see the enormous list of things that must be accomplished before we can have what we want and we freeze in our tracks - unable to take even the very first simple step or the journey.
It just doesn't need to be that hard.
From every story I can find about great people throughout history, their journeys all started with a small step - followed by another, and yet another. In fact they would all tell you that their greatness wasn't in the result of their lives - it was the daily practice of creating it - in LIVING EVERY DAY.
Sometimes the daily steps are in the right direction - sometimes they're not. Sometimes you will stumble and even get lost for days, weeks or even years of your life. And when you stop and re-focus, you find your way back to your vision.
However, this I know for sure, if you focus on what you want - EVERY DAY - and commit to taking one small step each day that will move you closer to those goals, you will get there. You can't help but get there. It may take your entire lifetime, but you will get what you want. And more importantly you will have lived the life that you choose - each day of your journey. And for that you will have achieved true greatness.
So rather than coming up with the million reasons not to take the first step, or the second. Just take it. Just live your life by DOING what you can today!
And start the process anew tomorrow.
Sad thing is that we believe them.
And because of that, all too often, we give up our dreams long before we ever took a single step to achieve them. We see the enormous list of things that must be accomplished before we can have what we want and we freeze in our tracks - unable to take even the very first simple step or the journey.
It just doesn't need to be that hard.
From every story I can find about great people throughout history, their journeys all started with a small step - followed by another, and yet another. In fact they would all tell you that their greatness wasn't in the result of their lives - it was the daily practice of creating it - in LIVING EVERY DAY.
Sometimes the daily steps are in the right direction - sometimes they're not. Sometimes you will stumble and even get lost for days, weeks or even years of your life. And when you stop and re-focus, you find your way back to your vision.
However, this I know for sure, if you focus on what you want - EVERY DAY - and commit to taking one small step each day that will move you closer to those goals, you will get there. You can't help but get there. It may take your entire lifetime, but you will get what you want. And more importantly you will have lived the life that you choose - each day of your journey. And for that you will have achieved true greatness.
So rather than coming up with the million reasons not to take the first step, or the second. Just take it. Just live your life by DOING what you can today!
And start the process anew tomorrow.
Monday, March 23, 2009
What's On Your To Do List?
I read an interesting Tweet this morning, "I've got a lot of things to get done this week, I better make a To Do List".
Have you ever noticed that when you really want to get things done - not just say you want to get them done - you create a To Do list? Why is that?
Because it WORKS!!!
Most of us, at one time or another, don't get things done that we had planned to get done. But it's rarely because we were blowing them off or ignoring them, it's usually because we simply forgot about them.
Hence, the invention of the "To Do List" and the little yellow sticky to put it on (boy I wished I would have invested in 3M back then).
You see, I am big on accountability. In fact, I believe, more than anything else "Accountability" is what a coach brings to his clients. But not everyone has, wants or thinks they can afford a coach - so we try to create methods or systems that will help us fulfill our need for accountability on our own. The "To Do List" is a silent piece of accountability that we create to help us face our successes and failures in accomplishing what it is we want to do.
So if they work so well, why don't we use "To Do Lists" for everything that we need or say we want to get done? The answer is as simple as it is obvious - because there are a lot of things that we say we want to do, but really don't want to do or don't know how to do. And we don't want to waste the magic of getting things done on these lower priority items.
What's on your "To Do List" says a lot about YOU. It reveals "what" and "who" are important to you. You can see whether you are focused on changing your circumstances or maintaining the status quo. And at a very basic level, when viewed over a stretch of time, your "To Do List" reflects your Mission, your Vision, and your Commitments in both business and life - because it reflects what you find "most important" in your life.
So as you look at YOUR "To Do List", what do you see? What is most important to you? And does it reflect what you want it to reflect? Are there things that you say are important to you, but aren't quite making it on your list. Why is that?
So, let me re-phrase my initial Title question. Maybe you shouldn't just be looking at what's on your "To Do List" - maybe you should be looking at what's not on your "To Do List".
And WHY!
Have you ever noticed that when you really want to get things done - not just say you want to get them done - you create a To Do list? Why is that?
Because it WORKS!!!
Most of us, at one time or another, don't get things done that we had planned to get done. But it's rarely because we were blowing them off or ignoring them, it's usually because we simply forgot about them.
Hence, the invention of the "To Do List" and the little yellow sticky to put it on (boy I wished I would have invested in 3M back then).
You see, I am big on accountability. In fact, I believe, more than anything else "Accountability" is what a coach brings to his clients. But not everyone has, wants or thinks they can afford a coach - so we try to create methods or systems that will help us fulfill our need for accountability on our own. The "To Do List" is a silent piece of accountability that we create to help us face our successes and failures in accomplishing what it is we want to do.
So if they work so well, why don't we use "To Do Lists" for everything that we need or say we want to get done? The answer is as simple as it is obvious - because there are a lot of things that we say we want to do, but really don't want to do or don't know how to do. And we don't want to waste the magic of getting things done on these lower priority items.
What's on your "To Do List" says a lot about YOU. It reveals "what" and "who" are important to you. You can see whether you are focused on changing your circumstances or maintaining the status quo. And at a very basic level, when viewed over a stretch of time, your "To Do List" reflects your Mission, your Vision, and your Commitments in both business and life - because it reflects what you find "most important" in your life.
So as you look at YOUR "To Do List", what do you see? What is most important to you? And does it reflect what you want it to reflect? Are there things that you say are important to you, but aren't quite making it on your list. Why is that?
So, let me re-phrase my initial Title question. Maybe you shouldn't just be looking at what's on your "To Do List" - maybe you should be looking at what's not on your "To Do List".
And WHY!
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