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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Barry Smith    1/13/14   photo by author   © Building What Matters 2014

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I have had my share of challenges just like everyone else, but for the most part, things have worked out for me and I never had to discipline myself to achieve some major goal or overcome a significant challenge.  To be honest, I think this has hurt me more than help me.  I think a lot can be learned from being disciplined to do something consistently and once completed, I think it empowers you to achieve even more.

The last few years I have had high expectations of myself and have set many goals. Many I achieved and some I did not.  Why did I fail in some areas?  I think I can point to one common theme – Discipline.

Now I’m a pretty smart guy (most of the time) and it didn’t take me too long to realize that if I am going to accomplish the goals I set for myself, I need discipline.  So I did the smart thing – I asked for some help.  I now have a few people holding me accountable to be disciplined.  End of story – mission accomplished – right?

Well sort of.  This is where I think I have been messed up in my thinking.  I know other people that are disciplined.  They run so many miles a week.  They go to the gym so many days a week and so on.  We all know these people.  They seem to accomplish whatever they set out to do.  What makes the difference?  How come they get it done consistently?

Well here is what I think.  They get it done consistently because they START consistently.  Starting is the key to finishing.  Here are some helpful ways to get you started.

STORY – If you are attempting to be disciplined, there is a story behind why you are doing it.  What is your story?  Are you clear on the reasons you are attempting to start, stop, do more or do less of something?  A strong story will provide the strength to succeed.

TELL SOMEONE – I mentioned it earlier, have someone hold you accountable.  Make sure they know exactly what it is that you are trying to accomplish.  No one can do as much by themselves as they can with the help of others.

ACTION – Actually doing the work is what will accomplish the goal.  Starting is the first step to finishing and starting takes action.  Wanting to do something is great, but that intention, by itself will accomplish nothing.

RISK – Let’s spin it a little bit.  We usually look at doing something new based on what it will add to our lives.  How often do you evaluate the risk of not doing something?  Sometimes the real risk is in deciding to do nothing at all.

TIME MANAGEMENT – What is the best way to start something?  Get it on your calendar.  This has been the best tool I have found to help me reach my goals.  My calendar does half the work for me.

So back to the question posed in the title of this post.  Is discipline the hard part or the easy part?  In my opinion, it is the hard part.  Doing the work is really pretty easy once you start.  When was the last time you gt in your car to go to the gym and turned around half way to go back home?  When was the last time you went for a walk and turned around at the end of your driveway?

A month from now, everyone will be talking about New Year’s Resolutions.  My challenge for you today – START NOW!  Unless of course, you can tell me why January 1st is a better day than today to start doing something you need to do now.

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Barry Smith   12/2/13   photo by author   © Building What Matters 2013

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Have you ever wondered how many people actually base their decisions at election time on the platform of the candidate they vote for or simply to change who will be in office?  I have.  No political statement here, I think this way of thinking impacts both parties.

Here is the problem.  These vote are not voting for something, they are actually voting against something.  That something is the way things have been.  Doing this is no more productive than rolling the dice.  50/50 chance right?  So is a fifty percent chance good enough for you?  I am sure most would answer am emphatic “NO!”

Let’s take a look at this from the personal perspective.  How intentional are you about making changes in your life?  I was working with a client recently who has a difficult challenge ahead of him.  We sat down and went through the entire situation and game planned it out step by step, IN WRITING.

By the end of the session, the client had the clarity and self-confidence to tackle the challenge head on.  This is what happens when there is intentionality added to the equation.

So let’s revisit something that I have talked about before when it come to change.  When you plan to change something, it usually helps to have goals to do so.  These goals should be SMART goals.  Some of you already know about SMART goals so for you this is simply a reminder to make them SMART.  If you don’t know about them, your are about to receive the golden ticket to success.

SPECIFIC

Make your goals specific.  When you are very clear on what it is you are trying to change, you will have a much better chance to succeed.  Be as specific as you can eve if it adds sub-goals to reach the desired outcome.

MEASURABLE

Make your goals measurable.  If you can clearly identify whether or not you are accomplishing what you set out to do, you won’t get results you are looking for.

ATTAINABLE

Make sure that your desired change is realistic.  If you plan it out step by step, you should be able to identify whether or not you can actually achieve it.  The more you break it down, the easier it becomes to see if each step is doable or not.

RELEVANT

So often we simply desire change for the sake of change.  Your goals should be relevant to achieving your purpose of following your passion.  If the goal is not, you may want to questions why you are seeking it.

TIME BOUND

Set a specific date or time period to the change you are looking for.  This not only creates accountability to the process but also allows you to measure progress along the way.

I think everyone is looking for some type of change in their life.  So a simple question for you today friends:

“Are you tired of the results you’ve been getting?  If you are, maybe it’s time to change what you’ve been doing.  And if you are going to change, be SMART about it!”

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Barry Smith    7/5/13   photo by amazon   © Building What Matters 2013

The post If You Really Want To Change, Be SMART About It! appeared first on BUILDING WHAT MATTERS.COM.

I believe that it is not how we balance our time that leads to success and happiness but more specifically, what we are balancing.

Turn back the clock three years.  My idea of balance used to be adding more of the important things like family, relationships and fun to the other side of the scale to offset the weight of the “work” that was always keeping that side of the teeter-totter firmly on the ground.

I don’t know why it took me so long to figure out that no matter what I did, work was always winning out.  Somehow I believed that it was possible to simply add more to the other side and eventually things would balance out. Funny thing – they never did.

Then the light bulb came on and I realized that the solution was not adding things on the important side, but eliminating things from the “not so important” side.  My original logic, had it actually worked, would have only broke the seesaw in the middle bringing both sides crashing to the ground.

I have a new theory now and it actually seems to be working.  Now some of you may disagree but it makes sense to me.  I have heard many say that we need to keep our work and personal lives separate.  I disagree.  I actually think this makes the challenge more difficult.  Now understand both my wife and I are self employed so this may not work for you but it is definitely worth considering.

Let me start by saying that there is definitely a need to totally unplug from work every once and a while to simply recharge your batteries and clear your mind.  But for the most part, it is unrealistic to think that your work and personal lives can be separate.

So if you buy into my logic so far, here is how it works.  The key to balance is to keep the amount of things you are balancing at a limit that you can control.  The more control you have, the closer all those things are to the middle of the plank that they all rest upon.

Think of it like this – we all remember when we were kids and were on the teeter-totter (or seesaw), right?  If you were on one end, it took an equal or greater weight on the opposite end to move up and down.  In other words, 100% or greater to your weight to balance.  When the weight is close to the center, it takes less movement to bring it into balance.

My point – I have now removed those heavy objects that were all the way out at the end, those objects that required a lot of added weight on the other side to bring things into balance.  Now I have control over most of my list, and my life, and it takes less movement on my part to keep things balanced.

Yes, I still deal with the occasional lopsided crash, but all in all I hit the ground much less than before.

So my question for you today is this – “Is your life filled with things that hang on the far ends of your control or are most of them close to your core set of priorities allowing you to keep them in balance?”
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Barry Smith    7/1/13   photo by author   © Building What Matters 2013

The post The Key To Life Is Balance … Or Is It? appeared first on BUILDING WHAT MATTERS.COM.

The 5 Pillars is a project that I have been working on for almost two years and had a great time with the official launch of “The 5 Pillars of Influential Leadership” Coaching program on May 23th.

Why the 5 Pillars?  I have spent more than 30 years in the business world and although it has been primarily in the Construction world, the 5 Pillars philosophy works across all industries.  In fact, while developing this program I realized that it can have a significant impact on your personal life as well.

I will break down each Pillar into three sections, personal, business and community. Any growth or improvement needs to start within, with the end goal of influencing the community you live in.  In this post we will take a look at BUSINESS COMMUNICATION.

Whoever said “Communication is the key to everything” was right.  John Maxwell dedicated an entire book, Everyone Communicates, Few Connect, to connecting with others when we communicate.  Never forget that it takes two to communicate.

ACCOUNTABILITY

My two words that are required to achieve almost anything … intentionality and accountability.  Being held accountable is the one thing that will get you over the hump.  The simple fact is that very few of us can successfully hold ourselves accountable.  Make your goals known and have someone hold you to them.

CONFLICT RESOLUTION

Some people are good at it.  Some people are bad at it.  Most people simply run from it.  The longer you put off resolving conflict, the more difficult it will become.  Communicate early and often and although conflict is inevitable, it can also be a great way to come up with new ideas and concepts.  The key is to remain calm, rational and respectful.  Right or wrong, everyone’s opinion matters.  Approach conflict with any other mindset than that and you will struggle.

TIME MANAGEMENT

Funny that I include this, when I actually don’t believe it is possible.  I believe that we really can’t manage time.  We can only manage ourselves.  The best way to manage time is to schedule out your time (in writing) and follow the plan.  If you want to call it time management, fine, but you better be clear on what it is that you are managing.

RECOGNITION

Recognizing the accomplishments of others will not only provide the accolades they deserve but will help fulfill the human desire to feel wanted.  Recognition for a job well done actually rates higher on the list of what keeps employees loyal and engaged than monetary compensation.  Interesting … how much does it cost to say Thanks?

PROBLEM SOLVING

Solving problems can be done much easier when there are many hands involved in the process.  When faced with a problem, make sure everyone knows exactly what it is and more importantly, the expected outcome upon solving the problem.  You would be amazed at how many times two people are working on the same project, headed in completely different directions.

DECISION MAKING

Making a decision requires saying “NO” to something.  You have to say no in order to say yes.  “Keeping your options open” only makes the decision that much more difficult when you finally make it.  Most of the time we know the answer, we are just afraid to say no.

ENCOURAGEMENT

Everyone needs a little encouragement now and then, right?  Wrong!  Most people need a lot of encouragement a lot of the time.  Never assume that all is good.  Be positive and encouraging even in the best of times.  We can always do just a little better and sometimes all it takes is a little nudge.

PLANNING

Do you have a plan?  Is it a good plan?  Life doesn’t happen by accident and if you want to be in control of your life, you better have a plan. Plan your work and work your plan and you will have all the time you need to succeed.

AFFIRMATION

I believe that what most people want is to be valued.  That happens through affirmation. Even though many people could not answer the question “What is your purpose” they want to feel like they are serving one.  Use every chance you get to make someone feel like they matter.

The 5 Pillars coaching program will take each topic to a much deeper level.  We will explore open ended questions and how they are directly impacting your life and more specifically in this segment, will allow you to evaluate and understand your role in growing your business.

In the mean time, start asking the type of questions that will result in better answers. When you ask “How can I”  you get an answer that will move the needle.  “What can I do today to improve the way we communicate together?”  Answer that question, act on it, and you will succeed.

RELATED:

• Click here to see Part 1
• Click here to see Part 2
• Click here to see Part 3
• Click here to see Part 4
• Click here to see Part 5
• Click here to see Part 6
• Click here to see Part 7
• Click here to see Part 8
• Click here to see Part 9
• Click here to see Part 10
• Click here to see Part 11
• For more on The 5 Pillars of Influential Leadership and to view my video click here
• To view my guest post in the 2013 International Leadership Blogathon click here

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Barry Smith    6/27/13   photo by author   © Building What Matters 2013

The post The 5 Pillars Of Influential Leadership – Part 12: Our Communication appeared first on BUILDING WHAT MATTERS.COM.

One of my favorite quotes by John Maxwell is “People don’t care about how much you know, until they know how much you care.”
I believe that the best way to let people know how much you care is to communicate in a way that tells them you do.

One of the biggest challenges I have had to overcome in an ongoing effort to improve my communication skills is active listening.  In the past, I have had a tendency to respond with my opinion before the other person had even finished their thought.  My guess is that if you are willing to be honest with yourself, you have been guilty of the same act.

It takes effort to be a great communicator and we all know the importance of communication.  The problem lies in the fact that we are typically more concerned about adding value with our “opinion” then we are will simply listening to someone else’s.  OK guys, I know we are “fixers” and have some strange desire to save the world by solving every problem that comes along.  Guess what?  Most of the conversations we are involved in, don’t require any fixing.

Have you ever wondered why women speak more words per day then men do?  It’s because they are more concerned about the relationship and less concerned about “fixing things.”  Intentional or not, women are better communicators.  Their genetic makeup allows them to care more about what is being said.

Alright, this post is not about a battle of the sexes, it is about being a better communicator and how that can improve our lives and raise our level of success in whatever we are doing.

The thing that people want more than anything is to feel valued.  The best way we can do this is to validate their feelings.  I know … guys don’t talk about feelings, right? Well, that is right to a certain extent.  Remember when I said that women are better communicators?  This is why – their focus is on the relationship.

Again, this has statistically been shown to be true so it’s not just me saying it.  The fact is, women are better at validating the feelings of the person they are communicating with.  So let’s all take note here, not of the gender issue, but of the simple fact that validating a person for how they feel, regardless of how you may really feel, opens the door to interject what you believe and creates an environment that is conducive to better “two-way” communication.

Are you being HONEST and AUTHENTIC when communicating?  Do you practice PATIENCE when LISTENING?  Are you ENTHUSIASTIC and CHARISMATIC about the things that matter to you?

Do you use words that AFFIRM and ENCOURAGE?  Does your DECISION MAKING help in PROBLEM SOLVING and CONFLICT RESOLUTION?  Are you being held ACCOUNTABLE for your PLANNING and TIME MANAGEMENT practices?

Are you clear on your MISSION and your VALUES?  Is MANAGEMENT being RESPONSIBLE in protecting your REPUTATION and in providing CUSTOMER SERVICE?

We need to let our conversations focus on the person that we are communicating with and allow them to write us into the conversation.  Until that happens, they are not going to care what we know anyway.

So today’s encouragement is this:  The next time you want someone to care about what you know, you better let them know how much you care!

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On May 23rd, at 8:00 pm ET, I will be hosting a free call introducing “The 5 Pillars Of Influential Leadership” Coaching Program.

This will be a content filled call that will not only teach you about influential leadership but also about leading an intentional and successful life.  The words in capitals above are topics within Pillar #4 – COMMUNICATION.

This is the fourth of five posts related to the 5 Pillars that will go out prior to the call on the 23rd.

For more information and to register for the free call CLICK HERE.

To see the first video on Pillar #1 – AWARENESS click here

To see the second video on Pillar #2 – ENVIRONMENT click here

To see the third video on Pillar #3 – GROWTH click here

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Barry Smith    5/20/13   photo by author   © Building What Matters 2013

The post Do Your COMMUNICATION Skills Tell People You Care? appeared first on BUILDING WHAT MATTERS.COM.

Part 1 addressed goals and working with the Impact Equation. Posts 2,3 and 4 will discuss the acronym CREATE. Contrast and Articulation in Part 2. Reach and Exposure in Part 3 and Trust and Echo in Part 4.

Brogan and Smith recognize that people are building platforms all across the electronic highway but most are just making noise. If you really want people to care about what you have to say, you need more than just a good idea, trust among your audience and plenty of followers.

Understanding the impact equation will allow us to maximize the impact of what we have to say. So lets take a look at the Impact Equation.

In this post we will look at Reach and Exposure.  Brogan and Smith describe the Platform that we need to get our message out.  As they put it “We’re talking about the combination of tools you use to reach others and communicate ideas.”

REACH

Reach is the amount of people that you have a way to get your word out to.  This does not necessarily mean success, only that a lot of people will see your message.  For anyone to care about it, it must be good enough that people will pay attention.  Brogan and Smith suggest that it has to be well written enough or compel with it’s story enough that it will cause the reader to think thoughts such as:

• this is an interesting new voice;
• I’ve been  thinking this forever; finally someone is saying it; or
• I’ve never thought about this before!

In short, you need to have a way to deliver, an audience to deliver to, and content that will keep them interested.

EXPOSURE

In it’s purest form, exposure is the frequency in which your message is delivered. Understand, it is good to repeat the distribution of your idea, but Brogan and Smith remind us that if it stinks, it won’t matter how many times someone sees it.  Here is the checklist they provide:

• Your material is something someone would be delighted to come across.
• You, your department, your company, or your clients look forward to what you send them.
• Your content is like a television show (not an advertisement)

One of my favorite quotes from the book “Be there before anyone even know who you are.”  In other words, even if you have a great product, you need a platform to get it out into the public.  You need the Reach and Exposure to connect to the people.

I think they sum up the entire book when they state “The name of the game is to penetrate the noise and clutter and to build impact and value.”  Let’s face it,  the world we live in is full of noise and clutter and without a way to penetrate it, you better just as well figure on being a spectator.

So what do you think – do you have the platform you need to have to get your word out?

In the next post, we will look at the “T” and “E” – Trust and Echo.

• Related Posts:
• Click here for Part 1 on The Impact Equation
• Click Here for Part 2 on The Impact Equation

• Find out more about Chris Brogan at www.chrisbrogan.com
• Find out more about Julien Smith at www.inoveryourhead.net

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Barry Smith www.buildingwhatmatters.com 4/3/13 photo courtesy of Amazon

The post The Impact Equation – Part 3, Platform: Reach & Exposure appeared first on BUILDING WHAT MATTERS.COM.

For me, happiness is loving what you do and being fulfilled from whatever it is.  Yes, whatever it is.  In my opinion, it has nothing to do with money and it has nothing to do with fame.  It has everything to do with success.  Defining success is what makes the difference.

Saturday was a happy day for me and it didn’t cost a nickel.  It is the simple things in life that sometime bring me the most happiness.  What happened Saturday?  I went for a walk.  It was more than just a walk.  It was a walk on a beautiful spring day (almost 70 degrees where I live and that is a beautiful spring day) on the road I live on in a rural area east of Portland, Oregon.

The best thing about it though, was I got to take this walk with my wife.   We are both busy with our careers and savor the moments like these that are too few and far between.  I love our community that we live in because it sort of feels like a throw-back to the old days.

Walking where we live, you will typically see more animals than cars.  Horses, cows, llamas, chickens, ducks, geese and of course dogs and cats to name a few.  The most noise is from the airplanes flying overhead on their way to the Portland airport but that just serves as a reminder that I don’t live where that plane is going to land.

Oh, sorry, I kind of got caught up in my story.  The point is that what makes one person happy may not make another happy and all too often I think many of us forget to do the things that really make us happy.  Worse yet, you may have completely forgotten what those things are.

I was riding with a friend the other day and he had just hung up from a negative phone call.  I knew he was frustrated, so I asked him to tell me five things he was happy about.  Instant attitude adjustment!  See how simple that was!  So why do we have such a hard time doing the things that truly make us happy?  Maybe because we are too caught up on someone else’s definition.

I am planning on taking more of those walks with my wife.  I think they make her happy too.  We like to spend time together and we both like where we live.  Only makes sense to do something that we both like together.

I don’t know what makes you happy but I do know this.  You are not doing enough of it. You remember that silly song when we were kids (when we were almost always happy) “If you’re  happy and you know it clap your hands …”  Well maybe it’s time to start clapping your hands again.

If you’re not happy and you know it, quit waiting for something or someone to come along so you can be happy.

My encouragement for today:  Figure out what makes you happy and go clap your hands!

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Barry Smith   www.buildingwhatmatters.com      4/2/13            photo by author

The post Happiness: More Than It’s Made Out To Be! appeared first on BUILDING WHAT MATTERS.COM.

I have learned (and am still learning) the hard way, when to say yes and when to say no.  I think many of the mistakes I have made over time really come down to the fact that I was not very intentional about the decision I made.

One of my mentors recently told me that he always waits 24 hours before giving a yes or no answer.  I acknowledge that some times this is not possible but if you really think it about it, most of the time you have the opportunity to say “let me get back to you.”

Taking the time to give the answer allows you to review your schedule and determine whether or not the yes is actually going to help or hurt your big picture.  Let’s face it, most of us feel like we already don’t have any extra time so how can we even fit one more “yes” into the equation?  Simply put, saying yes to something is saying no to something else.  A quick yes does not allow time to determine who or what will get the no.

Here are some thoughts on what intentionally taking that 24 hours will get you:

• BALANCE – When you have more yes’s than no’s the scale will be tilted to heavy to one side.  Evaluating the commitment that goes along with the yes may, in itself, provide you the answer.
• CREDIBILITY – Which would be more credible, the person who always says yes and completes half the things he commits to doing or the person who often says no but completes all the things he says yes to?
• FOCUS – Taking the time to answer yes or no will allow you to focus on the entire picture.  There may be much more to yes that you originally thought about.  The time to focus may enable you to clarify exactly what “yes” means.
• PROBLEM SOLVING – Sometimes there is an easier solution to the question.  Taking some time may produce and answer to problem that does not even require you to say yes.  I like this one – it makes me look smart and doesn’t use up much of my time!
• RESPECT – Following through when you say yes helps you to gain respect.  Saying yes and failing to come through breaks down trust.
• PRODUCTIVITY – Do you ever find yourself starting something and then jumping onto your next yes before you finished the last one?  Too many yes’s usually results in too many “I’m not done yet’s.”
• PLANNING – By now I hope you all realize that your life should be lived by a specific plan.  Your personal GPS for life.  Saying yes too often is like taking a trip and stopping at every store along the way.  You will never reach your destination.

OK, is that enough reasons to call a timeout next time someone wants to add you to their agenda?  It takes discipline to be intentional about when to say yes or no.  The next time you have the choice to say yes or no, ask yourself this question …

“What will I be saying no to by saying yes?”  The answer to that question just might give you the answer whether to say yes or no.

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Barry Smith   www.buildingwhatmatters.com      3/25/13            photo by author

The post Intentionality: You Can’t Be Everything To Everyone appeared first on BUILDING WHAT MATTERS.COM.

As I have gone through my own growth journey over the last few years, I have learned (many times the hard way) that quality is better than quantity and that quantity only matters if it is productive and relevant.

This has been a very hard lesson to learn and honestly, I am still working on it.  I have probably set the most aggressive set of goals for myself in 2013 that I ever have.  That being said, I have the confidence to achieve them because of what I have learned from my studies and training.

I have found that it all starts with the expansion of our thinking and when we properly apply this thinking into action, we find a level of growth never achieved before.  John Maxwell in his book The 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth gives us six things to consider when expanding:

HOW TO INCREASE YOUR THINKING CAPACITY

1.  STOP THINKING MORE WORK AND START THINKING WHAT WORKS

Eight percent of your productivity is done in twenty percent of your time.  Take a hard look at what is working and focus more time on it and less on what is not working.

2.  STOP THINKING CAN I? AND START THINKING HOW CAN I?

We usually answer the question asked.  When you use “Can I?” you only have a 50/50 chance.  When you use “How Can I?” you simply need to determine the way to succeed.  The accomplishment is already acknowledged.

3.  STOP THINKING ONE DOOR AND START THINKING MANY DOORS

Consider that there is more than one answer to the question.  Put the time into looking at different options but don’t feel like you need to wait for the perfect one.  Proceed strategically and intentionally as soon as possible.

HOW TO INCREASE YOUR CAPACITY FOR ACTION

1.  STOP DOING ONLY THOSE THINGS YOU HAVE DONE BEFORE AND START DOING THOSE THINGS YOU COULD AND SHOULD DO

If you keep doing what you have been doing, you will keep getting what you have been getting.  The only way to get different results is to change what you are doing.

2.  STOP DOING WHAT IS EXPECTED AND START DOING MORE THAN EXPECTED

If you want to set yourself apart from all the rest and achieve great things you need to raise the bar.  Under-promise and over-deliver and you have paved the road to success.

3.  STOP DOING IMPORTANT THINGS OCCASIONALLY AND START DOING IMPORTANT THINGS DAILY

Understanding what is important is crucial to achieving your goals.  A written plan to track your progress is a critical element in your achievement.  Someone holding you accountable will increase the likelihood of achievement even more.

I appreciate what Pablo Picasso said, “I am always doing that which I cannot do, in order to learn how to do it.”  My challenge to you today is to think new thoughts and do something new.  It might just lead to a place you never even knew existed.  How cool would that be?

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Next Up:  Law #15  The Law of Contribution.

Don’t miss any of these Invaluable Laws by subscribing at the upper left of this page.

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Barry Smith   www.buildingwhatmatters.com   1/9/13       photo by author

The post The Law Of Expansion – Growth Always Increases Your Capacity appeared first on BUILDING WHAT MATTERS.COM.