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In the mail today, I received the author’s complimentary copy of my new book, Leadership by Invitation. I was being interviewed earlier in the week about the book and was asked the question; “What is the one thing you would tell someone who is writing a book to help them reach their goal of actually getting it published?” Great question!
Simple answer. START WRITING.
I spend a lot of time thinking about what I write. I blog multiple times every week, create content on a regular basis, and am already working on my next book project. You might find this hard to believe, but do you know that until I actually start writing, nothing gets written? I can spend all day thinking about it, I might even have a pretty good idea on what to write. But until I start pounding the keyboard, nothing gets done.
You have to Start before you can Finish!
I think there are a lot of similarities between this thought on writing and just about anything else you might want to achieve. We have to START. At some point in time, we need to decide that we are done getting ready and just go for it.
There are also similarities on what happens after you start. I have found that in writing, it is only after you start writing the words that the story really starts to come to life. One thought leads to another and “whaddayaknow” a few months later you have a book.
It’s no different in anything else. You want to lose 30 pounds? Well, you have to lose one before you can lose the other twenty-nine. You want to make a million dollars? You have to make one before you make the other … you get the picture!
The Power of Knowledge comes through Action.
The point is, you have to START. If you are reading this, I will make the assumption that you are fairly well educated and have acquired a significant amount of knowledge over the years. But what are you doing with that knowledge? I used to think knowledge was power. NOT! The power of knowledge does not come from simply possessing it, you must act upon it.
This gap between what we know and what we do is the gap that will lead us not only to success, but to significance. Everyday should be a day of closing that gap. But it takes action. Yoda said it best; “There is no try, there is only do and do not.” [Tweet This] So which is it going to be?
In order to close the gap we need to “DO.” The way we do anything is to START. I have found that it is much easier to start something small as compared to something big. It much less intimidating and much easier to achieve. I have seen so many people take on large tasks and fail because they did not identify the small steps along the way.
Every Great Accomplishment has been Achieved One Step at a Time.
Writing is a great example. The idea of writing a book may seem too much for you to ever accomplish. But how about a chapter, better yet a paragraph and if you still think it’s too much, just write out a sentence. To my knowledge, there are no books out there that were not written “one letter” at a time.
Today’s Challenge: Choose something in your life that you want to do but have been putting off because “it’s just to big” and break it down into small steps and START. That is how you will close the gap between what you know and what you do.
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This month in The Platform Builders mastermind group we are working our way through “The Power Of Urgency – Playing to Win with Proactive Urgency” by William Keiper. John Maxwell teaches that the greatest gap is the gap between what we know and what we do. I believe the Proactive Urgency that Keiper is talking about can close that gap.
In Part two of The Power of Urgency, Keiper takes a deep look into the idea of Playing to Win with The Power of Urgency.
“Your current state is a perfect reflection of your prior decisions.” – William Keiper (Tweet This / Post to LinkedIn)
In this, the final of three posts, I want to offer up Keiper’s thought provoking take on the idea of Proactive Urgency. Keiper ends each of the 17 chapters with an “Urgency Rule” and I want to highlight a few to set the frame for Part 2 of the book.
Urgency Rule #12 – A purposeful commitment to acting with pro-urgency is a sustained, continuously renewed promise manifested in your bold actions. This ongoing promise leaves no room for fakery, conformity or false consensus.
I love this quote from Keiper, “The path of least resistance will always be crowded with those who occupy half-numb, half-lived lives.” Commitment never follows the path of least resistance. Commitment will require you to step outside of your comfort zone and do the things you have never done before to become someone you have never been before.
Urgency Rule #14 – An initial decision, no matter how good, immediately becomes a prospect for an adaptive decision based upon new inputs. Be the best challenger of your own decisions.
How often do you challenge your own decisions? Be honest! In almost everything we do, we can do better. There are very few decisions that we make in life that would not benefit from asking these challenging questions:
- What do I need to start?
- What do I need to stop?
- What do I need to do more of?
- What do I need to do less of?
- What am I missing?
If we made better decisions and became just 1% more productive each week, we would increase our productivity by more that 50% every year.
Urgency Rule #17 – Proactive urgency is personal. If pursued with clarity and commitment, it will transform your work, your life and the lives of those around you.
There is that word clarity again. If you have heard me speak, you know how important I believe clarity is in everything we do. Lack of clarity brings confusion and lack of focus. Focus is what keeps you on the right path. Knowing where you are and where you are headed are the keys to getting there.
The question: Have you really committed to reaching your goals or are you still playing small and working through the path of least resistance?
The challenge: Choose a goal you are working towards and fully commit. If you are not struggling, you are not growing.
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]]>This month in The Platform Builders mastermind group we are working our way through “The Power Of Urgency – Playing to Win with Proactive Urgency” by William Keiper. John Maxwell teaches that the greatest gap is the gap between what we know and what we do. I believe the Proactive Urgency that Keiper is talking about can close that gap.
As soon as I write and publish this post, I will start on the final chapter of my new book, Leaderhip by Invitation – How to RSVP and Embrace Your Role as a LEADER, that will be available in April. I wish I would have practiced pro-urgency a little sooner in getting by draft completed.
Procrastination, or lack of pro-urgency as I understand more clearly, has plagued me all my life. Start a project and then start a project and then, you guessed it, start another project. But never getting any of them done. My greatest accomplishments always seem to come when I am under the gun.
I used to think that this was a strength, and I guess it can be at times, but the truth is that pro-urgency eliminates a lot of the “unknowns” that can creep up while attempting anything. Life happens fast, and sometimes what happens comes at us so fast we have to go on the defense just to protect our end of the field.
The recent Super Bowl was an example of a great defense resulting in victory. But that defense was calculated, well thought out and well planned. That defense used pro-urgency to prepare and produce.
The lack of pro-urgency results in a defense that is fighting for it’s life. This defense is reacting instead of responding and it shows. My experience has been that although this type of defense can function, and even function well, they forfeit the opportunity to make adjustments for the unknown and unplanned events that happen. Basically, it limits your ability to stay in control and be flexible.
“It is important that you get clear for yourself that your only access to impacting life is action.” – Werner Erhard (Tweet This / Post to LinkedIn)
In this, the second of three posts, I want to offer up Keiper’s thought provoking take on the idea of Proactive Urgency. Keiper ends each of the 17 chapters with an “Urgency Rule” and I want to highlight a few to set the frame for the rest of the book.
Urgency Rule #9 – There is power, clarity and efficiency in creating and consciously attending to distinctions. You can see what you need to see, when you need to see it.
The noise and clutter that we face everyday overwhelms our senses and numbs our ability to focus. Pro-urgency provides the clarity to cut through all that noise because we know what we want before we need it. That way, when the time comes that we need it, we already know what it is.
Urgency Rule #10 – The future of a moment ago has arrived. You bring it your perfection along with your uniqueness. Make it your mission to leverage your uniqueness starting immediately.
You should be using your uniqueness as an advantage over everyone else. The things that make you different are exactly the things that will let you stand out in the crowd. All you need to be is 1% better or faster than the next guy to have an advantage.
Urgency Rule #11 – Security is mainly illusory. Remember Helen Keller’s words: “Avoiding danger is typically no safer in the long run than outright exposure.” Practice leaving your comfort zone.
If you want to do something you’ve never done before, you need to become someone you’ve never been before. The only place you will find that is outside your comfort zone. And the time to leave is now!
The question: What is it that you know you need to do, but haven’t because it will require you to step outside your comfort zone?
The challenge: STEP!
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Here we are … “What I Learned This Week” Friday. Along with the usual stuff this week, I spoke with a handful of corporate executives, attended a few webinars and participated in a few mastermind groups. The theme this week in just about everything I did was CLARITY.
For me personally, clarity was the difference maker in my transition out of the construction industry. I mean it’s hard enough as it is to try and stay clear and focused when you only have one job. Going from one to another, and one that is completely different, produced a lot of fuzz in my vision for a really long time.
I think the most significant thing that was missing early on was guidance. I was trying to do it all myself and well, you can probably guess how that turned out. When I became part of the John Maxwell Team, I not only was connected to John himself and an incredible roster of teammates, but a mentorship team that has been invaluable in my successful transition.
One of my teammates, Kary Oberbrunner, who was coaching and mentoring in his own business took me a step further by introducing me to a framework that included an Overarching Vision, Purpose, Unifying Strategies and a Scorecard for Significance. If you want to know more about that framework, let me know, but the end result was gaining the clarity that I had been lacking that brought my world back into focus.
I said clarity was the theme this week, but it came in different forms and I offer these up to see if your world currently resonates with any of them.
I’m not sure where I am so how can I possibly know where I’m going?
You have to start somewhere, right? Well it only makes sense to start where you’re at. I have found that if you find yourself in this situation it’s because you’re lacking a benchmark, nothing to define your current condition. I love the idea of starting with the end in mind. Do you have a vision for your future?
Look, I will be honest, if you don’t know where you’re going then it doesn’t matter where you are. Knowing where you want to go allows you to establish what the difference is between the destination and where you currently are. A destination provides the clarity to map the course to get there.
I’m too busy to figure out where I want to go. I can barely take care of today.
I know some of you are in this category. I won’t pretend to minimize your current workload or responsibilities, but this I know – if you don’t know where your going, it really doesn’t matter where you end up. If you don’t have a plan, someone else will make one for you and if you didn’t know this already, they don’t have much planned for you.
Clarity doesn’t just happen. It comes from strategically planning out the steps you need to achieve a desired result. And it only starts there. Once you have that plan, you need to work it. Clarity is the glue that holds a plan together and makes it stick! (Tweet This / Post to LinkedIn)
I’m not quite ready for clarity, I need to take care of a few things first.
Really? Doesn’t that, in itself, suggest that clarity is needed? The time for clarity is now. Remember earlier when I said BEGIN with the end in mind. Last time I checked, the beginning is usually the first part. My point is that the next move is your most important because it sets the stage for the rest.
Don’t fool yourself into thinking that you need to take care of a few things before you create and implement a plan. Those “things” should be part of your plan. Start now with the plan you want to execute. Be strategic and specific with every move.
My guess is that you fit into at least one of these three scenarios, maybe more. This week I mentioned the gap between what we know and what we do. Clarity can close that gap.
The Question: Which of these scenarios are you currently in?
The Challenge: Before going back to whatever it was you were doing, take just 15 minutes and come up with one action item you can take immediately to improve your current condition or circumstance.
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As a coach, speaker, trainer and author, I strive to get results for my clients. My biggest challenge – it’s not up to me to get them. It’s not up to me to choose the goals or achieve them. It’s not what I want, it’s what the client wants.
My role is to provide a path to get there. In other words, I bring the tool box and we collaboratively figure out which tools to use and how to use them. Any project will require tools to complete. So which tools do we need?
A conversation I had recently with a client pushed me to take a look at the toolbox I carry with me and figure out which tools are required for any effort. A few thoughts crossed my mind. Do I have the right tools? Do I have too many tools? Am I offering the right tools for the project?
After reflecting on this idea for a while, I came to the conclusion that there are 3 tools needed to achieve success in any project we take on. I am certainly not suggesting that these are the only tools you will need but these 3 tools are the ones you better take out of the toolbox before you even look at the blueprint.
You Can Only Get Here From There!
TOOL 1 – AWARENESS
When I speak to people and ask them about their goals, I get all kinds of responses. Some are simply the “one-liner conceptual type” and others are full of detail and very specific. I love to follow this up with a question. Where did you come up with that idea? This is where it get’s interesting. “I don’t know, I just think that would be real nice to achieve that.” Or, “Well I want more than what I have now and that is more.”
Most people set their goals upon only that which they know. They never even consider that there might be options that they have not even thought about. That conversation I had allowed that person to enter into the awareness of possibility she had never thought about before. All it took was a few curious questions she had never asked herself.
Stepping To The Line Of Intention Is Only The Beginning
TOOL 2 – INTENTIONALITY
Nothing happens without setting the intention for it. Sure, life happens but I’m not talking about life happening to you, I’m talking about “intentionally” happening to life. Peter Drucker said; “The best way to predict the future is to create it.” (Tweet This / Post to LinkedIn)
Drucker is spot on. If you want to achieve anything of significance in life, you need to be intentional about it. Do you think the Seattle Seahawk defense figured because they were the #1 rated defense this year, they could just show up to the Super Bowl and perform? Not hardly. I know enough about the game of football to know they were very intentional about everything that happened on the field in New Jersey on Sunday.
Who Are You When Someone Else “Is Watching?”
TOOL 3 – ACCOUNTABILITY
You need the awareness and you need to set the intention but without the tool of accountability you are simply rolling the dice on whether or not you will be successful. I am not saying you can’t accomplish great things on your own but let’s be real. If you could do it on your own, it would already be done and it wouldn’t be on your list anymore. Make sense?
The simple fact is we perform better when someone else is watching. If they are going to watch, they might as well call us out when we need it. Quit fooling yourself by saying “this time will be different.” The only way it will be different is if you make it different.
So I have a little different type of challenge for you today. Think about these 3 tools and then think about someone that you know that carries these with them. Go talk to that person and ask them how they use those tools to find success in their endeavors. You never know, they just might make a pretty good accountability partner as well!
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One of my mentors, Scott Fay, challenged me earlier this week to expand my thinking by focusing on one specific thing I learned throughout the week and take action upon it. This was a “double-dog-dare” so backing down was not really an option.
So here is the plan … Friday’s post will be dedicated to “What I Learned This Week” (WILTW). I hope you will join in with me on this. Friday’s I will deliver my take-a-way for the week and give a call to action as we head into the next.
As I look back on this week, there were several times when I was involved in some type of interaction – training, webinar, coaching, conference call and so on – that brought to light the “greatest gap.” The greatest gap is the gap between what we know and what we do.
It Takes Results To Get Results
Earlier today I was on a call with Paul Martinelli, President of the John Maxwell Team, and he made the comment “Doing Nothing Is Not A Result” and proceeded to explain, in detail, how we can’t expect any kind of result without taking action.
I made similar comments to two groups of John Maxwell Team members that I am leading through a 90 Day Success Program. We will finish this 90 Day journey next week and I told them all that after we attend one of the bi-annual Maxwell Certification events next month, I want to reconnect and discuss their “action plan” in moving forward. You know … that accountability thing!
Are You Still Getting Ready To Get Ready!
All too often, we get hung up on the “getting ready” piece of accomplishing goals and when you think about it – getting ready has everything to do with what we know and nothing to do with actually doing it. Don’t get me wrong here, preparation is a huge part of success, but you could be the most prepared person on the planet and if you don’t execute your plan, it’s all for not.
Here is where I think a lot of people get stuck in this. They set a date to accomplish something knowing that they need to prepare. The problem is that we assume that just because preparation comes before execution, the chronological order of things will take care of itself. The net result is that we hover in the “getting ready” phase and the deadline slips by because we are still getting ready.
Quit Doing Something That Get’s You Nothing!
So what did I learn this week? I learned that somewhere between knowing and doing there is an point where preparation stops and execution starts. Yes, I realize that most things in life continue to evolve and that we will always need to be preparing for what’s next, but that CAN’T be a reason to live in get ready world. I know that doing something that get’s you nothing is not the result you are looking for.
So here is what you need to do. There is something you are working on right now that has you getting ready and you probably have some idea of when you need to actually do it. Break up this omelette of activity into it’s original ingredients and put a date on each step. Write this down ==> On (fill in the date), no matter what state of readiness I am in, I am going to start. And them make any necessary course corrections needed along the way.
If nothing is what you are getting from your something, it’s time to make a change. (Tweet This / Share on Facebook / Post to LinkedIn)
C’mon people – It’s time to close the gap and start getting results!
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Well here we are, a new year and a new plan, right? I know this – the Platform Builders have some new plans for 2014 and this year we are starting our Mastermind study with a little twist.
This month we are masterminding through The Men Who Built America, a DVD produced by the History Channel along with Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill to compliment the mini-series built around some of the great early leaders and entrepreneurs that help build the United States into a world power at the end of the 19th Century.
If you don’t know the back story on how these two connect together, Napoleon Hill was commissioned by Andrew Carnegie to study the most successful people and find out what resulted in their success. The men who built America were among many of the 20,000+ that Hill interviewed over the twenty year period it took him to write the book.
This month we are going take a look at Andrew Carnegie, Thomas Edison, JP Morgan and Henry Ford. In this, the final of four posts, we will take a look at Henry Ford.
Ford set himself apart from the other men who built America buy focusing his efforts on the people. He paid twice the average wage and wanted the average working man to be able to afford an automobile. Amazed at how machines worked, Ford used his vision to transform the auto industry.
So how did a man that began his business career under the challenges of poverty, illiteracy, and ignorance become “one of the men who built America?”
I Think I Can, I Think I Can, I Think I Can
AUTOSUGGESTION
“If you think you can do a thing or think you can’t do a thing, you’re right!” – Henry Ford
Ford Motor Company was actually Ford’s third automobile venture. The first two failed miserably yet Ford refused to give up. He continued to believe that he could successfully manufacture automobiles at a profit and at the same time, do what no one else had done, make them affordable. His vision was strong enough to become reality. He refused to give in to negative talk and literally convinced himself that it could be done through the power of autosuggestion.
1+1=3 … Sometimes More
POWER OF THE MASTERMIND
“If there is any one secret of success, it lies in the ability to get the other person’s point of view and see things from that person’s angle as well as from your own.” – Henry Ford
Ford’s most outstanding achievements began when he formed acquaintances with Harvey Firestone, John Burroughs, and Luther Burbank, well known thought leaders at that time. Ford realized that not only could he gain knowledge from spending time with big thinkers but the interaction in itself, was increasing his ability to retain information and think better himself.
If Only I Would Have Known Before It Was Too Late!
SPECIALIZED KNOWLEDGE
“Coming together is the beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success.” – Henry Ford
Ford had great vision but lacked the knowledge, in multiple areas, to make his vision a reality. What Ford did know, was that by surrounding himself with the right people – the people that had that knowledge, he could achieve anything he wanted. He continued to do this throughout his career and when faced with the issue of not knowing, simply found someone who had the specialized knowledge he was looking for and added them to his team.
Napoleon Hill said; “Strength and growth come only through continuous effort and struggle.” (Tweet This / Share on Facebook / Post to LinkedIn)
Hill was right, our success will come from continuous effort and struggle. The difference comes in how we take on the struggle. Ford found ways to reduce the struggle by bringing those to his team that could provide the “right” kind of effort.
Here is an important question: Are you trying to do it all on your own or are you enlisting the help of others through collaborative relationships? The answer might just predict your success or failure in that endeavor. Who can you add to your team that will take you to the next level?
- Click here to read Part 1 on Andrew Carnegie
- Click here to read Part 2 on Thomas Edison
- Click here to read Part 3 on JP Morgan
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If you are like most people, there are one or two things that you put on your list of goals every year and every year you fall short.
I have spent much of the past two or three years studying what separates those who succeed from those that don’t. I have come to the conclusion that it comes down to not what they are trying to do, but why they are trying to doing it.
Back to my opening statement. For me, that lingering item has been my health. I have never been able to figure it out. My wife Michelle sets a great example for me. She eats good, sleeps 8+ hours a night and runs five days a week. Beyond that, I want to be in good health. Even though I am 48, I feel like I am younger than that but at the same time, feel time catching up – if you know what I mean!
A couple of friends of mine, Chemae and Eric, are Take Shape For Life coaches and after years of listening to stories about success they have been having with their clients, I decided to put some of the health principles that they teach to the test.
About six months ago, I started eating smaller meals and cut way back on sugar and carbs. Boom! Instant results. By early November I had hit my first benchmark. I had dropped twenty pounds and thought I had this health thing all figured out. After all, I am a professional coach. Should be easy, right? Maybe not.
A month later and no more progress. So I did what I should have done to begin with. Reached back to Eric and Chemae and said “Help!” Three words made a huge difference. Here they are and why they are so important.
STOP
When things are not going the way you want. When you just aren’t getting the results you are looking for – STOP! I didn’t say quit, I said stop. I know you have heard the saying “If you keep doing what you’ve been doing, you’ll keep getting what you’ve been getting.” So if this is the case – stop and take a minute to figure out why things are not working out. How do you do this? Simple …
CHALLENGE
If you are not getting the results you were looking for, challenge the thought process that you have been using to get them. Challenge your why. Most of all, challenge what you know about what you want and why you want it. (Tweet This / Share on Facebook / Post to LinkedIn) Knowledge is power and sometimes even when our why is the right one – we don’t understand it enough to make it strong enough to provide the strength to succeed. OK, then what?
CHOOSE
Now you are a little bit smarter. Now choose a new path. The destination might still be the same but now you can make the needed course corrections and get back after it. Life is about choices and usually, the better informed we are, the better choices we make. Clarity also makes the decision making process much easier. Eliminate the things that didn’t or won’t work and then you have less to choose from.
So does this work? Well, one week into following the Take Shape For Life program and I was down 5 more pounds and getting more sleep. In reality, the process impressed me so much that it struck me that this would be a great addition to be able to provide the same support and resources to my own clients. Most of them have health related issues on their list anyway so why not add a plan that actually works into the services I provide.
So I have added health coach to my resume. I joined the Take Shape For Life team earlier this month and am looking forward to sharing a path to Optimal Health with my network of clients and colleagues. If you are interested in finding out more about the TSFL program I would encourage to visit my TSFL page by clicking here and contact me if you think it makes sense for you and I will help you get started.
There is also a great opportunity that you can sign up for through March 1st. If you are interested in finding your own path to Optimal Health, join along with thousands of others and sign up for the STOP CHALLENGE CHOOSE (sound familiar) 12 Week Health Transformation. No cost. No strings. Simply an email a day full of great content and tools that can really make a difference for you in your journey to getting healthier.
Just click here and you will be redirected to the Stop Challenge Choose webpage. Click on the I Know / Have a Coach button and put in my name “Barry Smith” and that’s it. Starting on the next Monday, you will receive a daily email full of great value related to improving your health. If you have any questions along the way, just let me know.
A question today that you may have never asked yourself before – What does Optimal Health look like to you?
You might have already guessed my challenge – Sign up for the STOP CHALLENGE CHOOSE 12 Week Health Transformation and find out what Optimal Health might look like for you.
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]]>Well here we are, a new year and a new plan, right? I know this – the Platform Builders have some new plans for 2014 and this year we are starting our Mastermind study with a little twist.
This month we are masterminding through The Men Who Built America, a DVD produced by the History Channel along with Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill to compliment the mini-series built around some of the great early leaders and entrepreneurs that help build the United States into a world power at the end of the 19th Century.
If you don’t know the back story on how these two connect together, Napoleon Hill was commissioned by Andrew Carnegie to study the most successful people and find out what resulted in their success. The men who built America were among many of the 20,000+ that Hill interviewed over the twenty year period it took him to write the book.
This month we are going take a look at Andrew Carnegie, Thomas Edison, JP Morgan and Henry Ford. In this, the second of four posts, we will take a look at JP Morgan.
Morgan, most recognized a revolutionizing the way America deals with finance never settled for “good enough.” He partnered with Edison and became a major player in the power industry and later became a master of consolidating organizations to create bigger profits and greater impact.
So why did a man who was born into wealth and never knew what it was like to be in need, risk it all and become “one of the men who built America?”
I Don’t Know Why, But It Just Doesn’t Feel Right.
THE SIXTH SENSE
“Go as far as you can see; when you get there, you will be able to see farther.” – JP Morgan
It would be hard to argue that Morgan “had it all” from day one, yet he was never satisfied. Driven by the success of Carnegie and Rockefeller, Morgan worked off what he believed could be done.
Even through great opposition from his father, he risked the family wealth to pursue the development of electrical power. Even when successful organizations already existed, Morgan’s sixth sense helped him to realize that by combining forces, an even greater business could be developed as seen in General Electric and US Steel.
You Don’t Know What You Don’t Know.
DECISION
“A man typically has two reasons for doing anything: a good reason and the real reason” – JP Morgan
Time and time again, Morgan was faced with difficult decisions. His father was against much of what he did and his vision often included the success of others such as Edison. That being said, he always stood behind his decisions and maintained a forward movement. Why? Because he made a decision. Right or wrong, a decision was made to move forward. If an adjustment needed to be made, he made it. The point is, that Morgan never let the details or fear hold him back. It was not a matter if it was going to be done, simply how.
Plan Your Work And Work Your Plan!
ORGANIZED PLANNING
“No problem can be solved until it is reduced to some simple form. The changing of a vague difficulty into a specific, concrete form is a very essential element in thinking.” – JP Morgan
No one better exemplified the art of organized planning than Morgan. Early on, he successfully planned many activities related to the family financial business. Some actually helped to keep America on it’s feet. Realizing that he could be more powerful by partnering with other individuals and corporations, Morgan put together the necessary plan to take both successful and struggling businesses to new levels of success. This was done by creating a plan that worked and then working that plan.
Tony Robbins said; “It is in your moments of decision that your destiny is shaped.” (Tweet This / Share on Facebook / Post to LinkedIn)
The men who build America made both good and bad decisions along their way to power and wealth. The difference – they always made a decision. They all realized that doing nothing would produce exactly that – nothing.
We are faced with decisions every day. Fear has a tendency to keep us from making the difficult ones. My challenge today – choose something you have been struggling with in making a decision and make one. No progress will be made by standing still. There is no neutral in life – you are either moving forwards or backwards. (Tweet This)
What difficult decision will you make today?
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Barry Smith 1/22/14 photo courtesy of Amazon © Building What Matters 2014
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National Quit Day has come and gone. My hope is that the “why” behind your 2014 goals was strong enough to keep you on course and that you continue to productively pursue the goals that will make 2014 your most successful year yet.
If you are still on track with your goals – good on you. That being said, it takes about 30 days to start a new habit or become consistent in the transformation you are seeking. It will probably get a little tougher before it get’s easier.
I don’t want to jinx the future, but I believe this post will help you through the tough times as you take on these new challenges. One of my mentors taught me that failure won’t ruin you, it will reveal you. What does that mean? What I believe it means is that as you begin to slip from your commitment to heading to the gym, writing 500 words a day or whatever else it might be, challenge yourself to understand what is being revealed in that failure.
Sometimes You Win, Sometimes You Learn!
Remember what John Maxwell says; “Sometimes you win and sometimes you learn.” You see, failure won’t ruin you. You have attempted many goals in the past and like all of us, have failed almost as many times. That doesn’t have to be the end. But here is the deal – you won’t achieve every goal you set out to. Sorry – simply speaking the truth here. I am more concerned with why we fail. More specifically – what is revealed in the process.
It has been said that; “When you have a strong enough WHY, the how will take care of itself.” (Tweet This / Share on Facebook / Post to LinkedIn)
So put your why to the test. When you fall short you have two choices. You can look at it as failure or you can see what is revealed during the process.
Plan Your Work And Work Your Plan!
Maybe your why is strong enough, but you have failed to set yourself up for success and left out a key ingredient to success. Maybe the environment you are in is not conducive to your success. Achieving goals is much more than simply the desire to change or start something new. You need a game plan – and one that will work.
I think the biggest reason people don’t achieve their goals is because they don’t put enough thought into the way to achieve the goal. They simply write down on a piece of paper what they want to achieve, tape it to the refrigerator and hope that looking at it a few times a day will give them the motivation they need to achieve it.
The Fifteen Minute Miracle
I know many of you are killing it so far. On track and feeling strong. Some of you may be struggling or have already given up on one or more of the goals you set for 2014. There is nothing wrong with the idea of “don’t fix it if it’s not broke” but if there is an opportunity to get better, why not consider it? Don’t give up! There is still time to get back on track – maybe all you need is a little more clarity and a slight course correction.
15 Minute Miracle
I lead a group of new members to the John Maxwell Team through a 90 Day Success Roadmap and one of the resources we use is called the 15 Minute Miracle. This very simple and highly powerful tool almost guarantees success – if you use it right – and will make you much more productive immediately.
All you have to do is break down your day into 15 minute increments. What? That’s it? Yes! I know what you’re thinking … it can’t be that easy. Well it’s not – it’s not because you have to actually do it and do it consistently. Give it a shot and tell me I’m wrong.
A simple but very important question for you today. Have you created the right plan to achieve your goals? Remember – set yourself up for success! When you face failure, ask yourself what is being revealed – what has contributed to the failure and how can I change it.
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