A Joy from Going Too Far

Many people have observed that the only way to have more, earn more, or do more is to first “become more.” I’ve always had a conflicted relationship with that advice.

On the one hand, none of us will ever be one bit “more” than we are right now. We each have, and have always had all the tools, brains, creativity, drive, talent, and resources we need to be fully human. We will never be even a tiny bit “more” than we are right now. So, one part of me objects to the idea that we can “become more.”

There are far too many people telling us we are somehow inadequate or less than we “should” be. I reject that! Advertisements are always telling us that to be happy or sexy or rich or powerful (or younger—I love that one!) we should buy their product, join their campaign, or learn some new skill. As an old grey hair, I especially like the ads to “color” my hair so I’ll be younger, more attractive and sexy. Right!

On the other hand. There is great truth in the idea that very few of us ever develop all the potential that lives within us. I’ve always had a dread of dying “with my music still inside me.” I hate the idea that fear or laziness or being “too busy” may keep me from exploring my world and living to the full.

One of my values is to end my life by looking God in the face and being able to honestly say, “I did it all. I used all the talent, explored all the opportunities, and experienced all the richness life had to offer.” I’ve always shared Henry Thoreau’s fear that he might die “and discover that I had never truly lived.”

Life is to be lived! We know we’re alive because we’re growing, deciding, trying, learning, exploring and yes, making mistakes. We know we’re fulfilling life’s promise by using the talents God gave us. Imagine the insult to life, to God, of “hiding our talents” or being shy about them! Rather, I suspect we honor life and God by “showing off.” We honor life by doing stuff, by reaching further, by dancing wildly, by singing (yes, even off-key) and exploring our world. There is something God-like and uniquely human about audacity. Even the “sin” of hubris, the arrogance of going much too far, has a joy that I like. Better to try too much, to reach too far, to dare the impossible than to sit quietly, waiting for death.

I’m convinced that few, if any, of us are ever fully alive, fully human, in the sense of being and doing all we are capable of. To me, that’s a terrifying, sad and tragic thought.

At the same time, I understand the fear that holds us back. No one likes to fail or be embarrassed. No one enjoys the pain of trying, only to be ridiculed or laughed at if it doesn’t work out as we hoped.

But here’s a huge secret: Only those who risk going “too far” ever discover the joy of knowing how far they can go! And here’s a deadly corollary: Those who laugh the quickest and loudest at our “arrogance” are those held most tightly in the grip of fear.

Neil Armstrong went “too far”—all the way to the moon and back. Lewis and Clark went “too far”—all the way to the Pacific Ocean and back. Maggie Thatcher and Golda Meir went “too far”—and became the heads of their respective countries. Amelia Earhart regularly went “too far”—and in the end she died, but what a life she lived!

Whatever else you do with your life, be sure to stretch your wings. Regularly, go “too far.” Live until you die. Try stuff. Push the limits, take risks, express your opinions and show the world your true colors. The world is not hungering for “average” or “safe!” We need all the greatness we can get! Show us what you can do.

If you wish, start small. Here are some suggestions:

1. Read more. In particular, read something you would normally ignore or something you’re sure you’ll disagree with. Read history or a comic book, science or one of the great novels. Just read. Learn something new.

2. Watch better television. Anyone can watch silly comedies or cop shows. But why bother?! Rent a documentary or something controversial. Watch a cooking show, or history, or science or some “talking heads” arguing politics. Let them make you mad. Let them make you think. And above all, argue back!

3. Eat something strange. Try a new restaurant you’re sure you “won’t like.” Or, how about worshiping with a friend at his or her place of worship that’s different? How about learning a new language or attending a cultural festival? You won’t die, and you might discover something about yourself.

4. Be a beginner. Try a hobby or sport you’ve never tried. Sign up for a class on a topic you’ve never considered and see what happens. Try sky-diving or square dancing or take that computer class. I double-dare you!

5. Do lunch. Invite someone you’ve never met to lunch, preferably someone who’s very successful in a field you know nothing about. Ask questions, then listen. What’s it going to cost? A few bucks? And you were going to have lunch anyway, so see what you can learn. You might gain a friend, or even a new career!

Happiness is partly about becoming all we can be. Happiness and joy are connected to discovery, exploration and daring. If you can, buy a ticket on the space shuttle, but if you prefer to start smaller, start smaller. But start. And keep on going.

A Boss’s Most Important Job

If you are a business owner or leader in your business, you wear many hats. You are probably the chief innovator, and certainly you are a role model for your team. They watch you, and they follow your lead. You are directly involved in sales, and you are responsible for finances and a multitude of other critical items. So, what’s your MOST important job?

That’s easy; to get your employees to come back tomorrow morning.

I recently saw a case-study of SAS, the software development company, and it was remarkable. On average, turn-over at similar companies runs about 20% per year. At SAS, it’s less than 5% per year! Think of the thousands of hours that saves in recruiting, training and management time! Not to mention the savings in direct costs! What’s their secret?

The boss understands that for all his land and equipment and systems, his most essential assets “walk out of the building every night, and it’s my job to see that they walk back in tomorrow morning.”

Even in this tight economy, there are jobs to be had. People can make money, or start their own company and compete with you over night. What people want, what they have always longed for, is respect, fulfillment, satisfaction and recognition. Research has shown that, in general, you cannot pay people enough to stay on the job if they don’t like the work, the environment, or their co-workers, and those things are YOUR job!

If you’re a “boss” (even if you are your only employee!), your key task is to see that your people are well served, well maintained, well trained and well respected. Without that, everything else is just a pause until they move on.

The Reverse of “All Hat and No Cattle”

One of the saddest mistakes I see professionals and businesses owners make is the reverse of the phrase, “all hat and no cattle.” This is a Texas phrase that refers to someone who has a big mouth and little or no follow-through. The reverse of that is to build a GREAT enterprise, with little or no marketing.

Every week, I work with professionals and entrepreneurs who provide a great product or service, people who have invested and taken risks to create a great business, only to watch it struggle for lack of customers. Why?

A common pattern is that they (1) are not good at marketing and (2) they compound the problem by refusing to invest in marketing!

Yes, they may throw a little money at advertising. They may have attended a workshop or even paid a consultant at some point, but they fail to understand the dynamics of marketing and they refuse to get better at it!

Remember the definition of insanity: “Doing the same thing over and over, while expecting a different result!”

Consider this scenario, which is all too frequent: a passionate professional invests many years and thousands of dollars in education. They love their work and they are very good at it. So they do a little “marketing,” then they wait, hoping their expertise and passion will attract customers. Unfortunately, it doesn’t happen.

Or I see business owners who put their life savings into a new business because to provide a great service at a fair price. But since everything’s invested in the business, there’s no money, time or energy for marketing and within a year, the business closes its doors. What a waste! The community loses a valuable service, and the owner loses the business and their life savings.

Invest in marketing! And perhaps more important, invest in learning HOW to market. There are lots of great trainings, books and manuals to help you! If you don’t have enough customers, treat it as a skill problem and master it!

My Personal Steps for Maximizing Productivity

I rarely find something that is both “instant” and the “ultimate” guide to anything. In general, I find the important things in life take some time, some effort and a bit of skill, and that while “instant” fixes may be fast, they seldom last.

This month, however, my reading and thinking have focused on something that is so fast, so obvious and so powerful, I want to share it with you. In preparing for coaching calls recently, I’ve focused on the fact that it’s what we achieve or master in life that actually endures. It’s not what we intend, or dream or hope. It’s what we do that matters and lasts.

So, with that premise, I’ve focused on productivity. I’ve been asking, “What specific conditions help us get the most done with the least effort and the most fun?” I’ve come up with five key steps:

1. Time Management. This is the most common and the least effective way to increase our results. We’re trying to manage something we don’t own and that fundamentally cannot be managed or changed. Time just is. It’s here, it flows, and it’s gone. Time management is a non-starter and if you aren’t managing your priorities, energy, physical space, and personal environment, trying to manage time is just one more source of frustration.
2. Activity Management. This at least has the virtue of being “do-able.” We can choose our priorities and manage our actions through the day. We can say no to distractions and focus our efforts. Practice “single handling” and avoid the fallacy of “multi-tasking!” Do one thing at a time and do it well. Refuse to engage in dead-end activities. Plan your activities and stick to your plan!
3. Energy Management. This is what most people are actually hoping for when they talk about time management. They want to get more done with less effort and have something left for “me” or “we” at the end of the day. Manage your energy. Sleep well, rest often, be efficient. Do your most important work when you are most awake. Put your “best stuff” into your most important priorities and let things of secondary importance get secondary effort. It’s not the quickest or easiest path to the good life, but it’s a reasonable start.
4. Space Management. Now things get interesting! Manage your environment so it’s hard (and rare) for people or things to interrupt you. Close the door, turn off the phone and focus until your most important work is complete. Eliminate distractions. Fix, replace or junk anything that annoys or frustrates you. Make your office, car, kitchen, bedroom and bathroom “perfect!” Clean them up. Surround yourself with beauty! Make everything around you attractive and inspiring. You’ll get more done and have more fun doing it.
5. Eco-System Management. This is what we’re looking for! Why “manage” chaos when you can create the life of your dreams? The key is a system that effortlessly (and inevitably) pulls you toward your most important goals and most exciting outcomes every single day. You don’t have to “think about it” or “work at it.” Design a life that simply “makes it so!”

Surround yourself with things and people that inspire you, that give you energy and support you to be your best, most productive and most joyful. Fill your life with things and people that pull you forward. No distractions! No annoyances, no break-downs, no crises. Use pro-active maintenance in every area of life so you live well and do the work you are called to do!

Fortunately, this is not hard! People say they can’t have a perfect eco-system because they can’t afford it or don’t have time, or their family or friends won’t allow it. Nonsense! Creating a great life is not hard — living with frustration is “hard!” Creating a perfect life may require some investment or learning new habits, but living well is not nearly as hard as living with problems!

A Celebration of Labor

In a couple of weeks in the U.S., we will celebrate our “Labor Day” holiday; a time when we throw a party and do our best to avoid anything that looks like work. Many will go camping, spend the day at the beach, go to a ballgame or enjoy a family picnic.

Unfortunately, almost no one will pause to be thankful for the work they do. Only a very few will take time to honor and acknowledge the joy of work, and I find that extremely sad.

Most of us believe “work” is something to be avoided, and we wish for a path to instant wealth, because “then I’d never work another day the rest of my life”. I’m convinced that’s one reason God and the universe makes sure most of us never acquire that kind of instant wealth!

I see work as a great honor and my chance to participate in the creation of a better world, although I admit there is both “good” work and “bad” work.

“Bad” work is something for which we are either not suited, or which we do for the wrong motives. For me, “bad” work would be trying to earn a living in construction. I have a very close friend who is a professional artist. He paints beautiful landscapes, village scenes and sometimes local peoples and he travels to the Peru, New England, Italy and the South West to find locations for his subject matter. My friend is passionate about his work and he would paint twenty four/seven if he could go without sleep and food. I on the other hand can possibly paint a wall in a room of a house and maybe not make too big a mess of getting paint on the ceiling or base boards, plus I wouldn’t be having fun to boot.

Doing work for which we are ill-suited, it seems to me, is a waste because it’s so stressful that it borders on the immoral. Life is meant to be lived, to be joyful, and to be productive. Doing “work” for which we have little talent or passion gives honorable work a bad name.

As I see it, work is our chance to partner with God in the creation of a better, richer, more exciting world. Work is our opportunity to build, to create, to leave our footprints in the sands of time. Work is our chance to say, “I was here, and I made a difference.”

As a business coach for almost 9 years, I’ve met wonderful people who reflected their life’s meaning and purpose in their work. Some were artists in how they drove a delivery truck; others found joy in manual labor, writing, practicing medicine, or in running a business. One of my golfing buddies loves to work with kids, and it shows in his attitude and how the kids respond to him.

I know a server at a local Starbucks who waits on people 6 days a week. She has worked there for over 3 years and for whatever reason, helping a few hundred people start their day with hot coffee and a smile is her calling in life. She’s a treasure, and is loved by hundreds of regular customers.

One of the wisest things anyone ever said to me is, “Find something you truly love to do, and you’ll never work another day the rest of your life.” This is an essential point. In our technological age, we have the greatest freedom in history to find work that is “perfect” for us.

Work is a very personal thing. “Good” work about using your time, effort, talent and skill to achieve something unique and magnificent. It’s about making a difference. It’s about making your contribution, and making things better.

This Labor Day, give thanks for the work you do, and the difference it makes. Celebrate your contribution to your community, and our world. And, if you are not doing the “perfect” job for you, pledge that by next year, you WILL be doing the right work. You owe it to yourself (life is short) and to the world. We need your best stuff, your best effort, your passion and your unique genius. We need Vicki’s smile at breakfast.

Strictly Business: Plan for Success!

Remember the saying that those who fail to plan are planning to fail? We have all heard it at one time or another and we know it’s true, even though many of us act as if it doesn’t apply to us. Well, it does apply!

Last month I had the opportunity to talk with a group of unusually successful young entrepreneurs and the thing I noted was their attention to detail. This particular group is part of a network marketing organization, and they know exactly where they are going. Specifically, they have written goals and strategies related to:

1. Identifying their key niche. They know WHO to contact.
2. The number of prospects to contact each week.
3. A strategy and budget for reaching those prospects.
4. A detailed, documented sales presentation.
5. A follow-up strategy and a system to track it.
6. A training and mentoring program to nurture new members.
7. Clear, written long-range goals that are measured in revenues, profits, investments, number of “associates” and productivity per member.

No wonder this organization is growing and making money! They have a plan that guides their daily activity and gives them feedback about their performance.

Every business needs a plan, and this particularly applies to self-employed professionals. It simplifies your daily activities, automates your priorities, and lets you know what’s working and what isn’t.

Have a plan. Write it down. Review and fine-tune it. Then, every day in every way, work your plan! It’s a proven path to success.

Empowerment of Self Control, Influence and Acceptance

I’ve been thinking a lot about the degree to which we control our own destiny. Are we really in charge of our lives, or do heredity, the environment, other people and luck play a larger role than we like to admit?

When it comes to free will, it seems like we make our own decisions. But we also know the power of habits and influence. We know advertisers can manipulate us by changing the packaging of a product. Every now and then I find myself saying something and realize “that’s my Dad’s voice!” (How strange!) Or, how about decisions to start or stop some behavior, decisions that often seem to be ignored in the rush of life? How do we account for this?

It seems we give ourselves a huge advantage if we are clear about the things we control, the things we influence, and the things over which we have little or no control.

For instance, it’s tremendously empowering to accept and use the control we have over our thoughts and attitudes. Viktor Frankl noted that our ability to choose our attitude in any situation is the “last human freedom.” No one can take that away from you, not even in a Nazi concentration camp!

We can, to a remarkable degree, choose our thoughts. Right now, as you read this, take a moment to picture a big pink elephant. Go on! You can do this! (Silly, right?) But not so silly if you then choose to think about something more useful. How about choosing to think about time with your child, or success at work, or achieving your most important goal? You can choose to worry about taxes or celebrate how rich we are. Your choice.

Other things we can influence, but our control is much less direct. My influence over government policy is pretty minimal, but in a democracy I can vote (or not). I can call or email my representatives, or not. My influence may be minimal, but it is not zero!

I can influence my family, my friends, and I certainly influence the environment in my home and office. Can I control every detail? Of course not. But my words, my attitude and my behaviors absolutely make a difference.

And that’s vital! When I fail to exert my influence, I lose my power. When I refuse to “play the game” I become, to some degree and in some ways, power-less. And that’s not good! By persuasion and example, we have tremendous influence. We can often make a huge difference, and success and happiness in life depend on exerting our influence for the best possible outcomes.

Finally, there are many things over which we have no control. I cannot control or influence the weather. I have little or no influence over the laws of nature or other people’s choices, attitudes or behaviors. And the sooner I accept that and learn to live with it, the more successful I can be.

Fighting against or resenting things we cannot control is a mark of immaturity. Successful people refuse to fight against things that simply “are.” I love the saying that “reality never lies.” It simply is. Successful people learn to use everything that is — natural resources, their time, their talent, their skills, and the strengths of other people — to their advantage. When life puts a wall in front of you, learn to go around, over, or through it. But never beat your head against it!

Success begins with clear distinctions about the things I can control, the huge number of things I can influence, and accepting the things that simply “are.” High achievers insist on controlling their thoughts, attitudes and behaviors. They attend the seminars, read the books and listen to audio programs. They hang out with positive people and surround themselves with models of success. Control the things you can! Go where it’s good.

And extend your influence where you can. Encourage others. Teach them. Invite or challenge or coach for peak performance. Some will decline or choose something different and that’s alright. But where you can, be an influence for good. It may be a small thing, but together let’s use our influence for a better world!

Finally, accept the things you cannot control. Some things just “are.” Leave them alone, or use them to your advantage. Admire their beauty or marvel at their stubbornness, but do not get caught up in the drama of trying to move the immovable object. It doesn’t work out well.

These are some of the tools for a World Class Life. In many ways they are “simple” but no one teaches us and even if we know about them, we are rarely encouraged to apply them.

Selling Your Best Stuff

Almost every week, a professional just starting out, or an entrepreneur with a small company will consult with me about “specializing”. Some guru has convinced them that in order to grow their business, they have to identify a specific product and market that as their “specialty”.

Well. There is both truth a grain of truth, and a gross over-simplification in that advice.

In most cases a small business need not put “all their eggs in one basket” and sell only one service or provide only one (or a few) products. In fact, the huge advantage of a small business is its ability to provide personal service, custom solutions, and innovation, far easier, faster and cheaper than a large company.

In a small business, the owner can respond personally and find the perfect solution for a customer with an unusual request or a special need. Never under-estimate that tremendous advantage!

The grain of truth in the “you must specialize” motto is that to grow your business you MUST focus on what you do best. Some products or services, or some aspects of the business simply “suit” or fascinate you more than others. Talents show up in different ways. Even things like the location of your business, or the gender, age and training of your staff will create certain strengths, while also creating a parallel set of weaknesses.

To build your business, focus on what you do best. Specialize and advertise the things you enjoy most, or that you feel passionate about. Make a virtue of your natural advantages and specialize in those things.

Our Celebration of Independence

For any of you who live outside the US and are not a US Citizen, I suspect all of you know that July 4^th is when the United States celebrates our Independence Day. Obviously it’s a day of great national pride for Americans, but I think it should also be a day of introspection and celebration for each of us as individuals.

It’s a day for taking stock, for reviewing our progress and affirming the life we want to live.

It’s a day for affirming our values, our goals, and the steps we are taking to create the life we desire.

235 years ago, American revolutionaries declared that all people are and must be free to pursue their personal goals, based on their private, personal definition of happiness. Most of us vigorously agree with that, and yet too few of us ever reflect on the kind of life we truly want or list the specific action-steps we will take to create it.

So here is the challenge: This month, take time to define the life you truly want, and the steps you will take to make it a reality.

Here are four simple but profound steps that may help:

1. Review what you already LOVE about your life!

There is nothing like the power of gratitude. We don’t pause often enough to note how well we are doing, how far we’ve come, how much we have. Before talking about what you want to change, pause to notice what’s already working well in your life. Who do you need to thank? Who do you need to hug?

What talents, skills, freedoms and resources do you celebrate in your life? We are the richest, most educated, most blessed people in history. Let’s begin the revolution by giving thanks for that!

2. What do you want LESS of in your life?

Before we can add more, we probably have to dump some of the “stuff” that clutters our busy lives. Be honest! Most of us are already doing about as much as we can. We have stuff cluttering our closets, our garages, our attics, and we have “stuff” cluttering our calendars, too. Before we can make room for “more” we may have to do some house-cleaning.

3. What do you want MORE of in your life?

This is often where we begin and most of us have a laundry list of things we want, from more money to more time, to a new car or another vacation. So let’s dig a bit deeper. What do you REALLY want in your life?

What brings you joy? What will fulfill you, use your potential and make you happy? What, exactly, would you like to change or add or do differently? We live in a time when you can have just about anything you truly want (and are willing to work for), but until and unless you define it, it will be hard to get it. What do you truly WANT?

4. What can you do THIS MONTH to move toward it?

In 1776, a group of Americans wrote a Declaration and staked their fortunes, their reputations and their very lives on the outcome. Most of us will not do anything that risky or dramatic, but you will have to do SOMETHING. What will you do to declare and demonstrate your independence?

Who will you call? How much will you budget? Will you change your schedule or your habits? Will you enlist friends and partners to help you? What step, big or small, will you take to make things better this week?

Our national Independence Day is typically celebrated with picnics and fireworks, and that is wonderful! But I think it is best celebrated as a call to action in our own lives.

Freedom is a precious thing, but too often we take it for granted and fail to use it! Use your freedom to build the life you want! You have the liberty to make something magnificent of your life. Don’t waste the precious freedom that so many died to give us.

The truth about “Stinking Thinking”

The Importance of Understanding the Cycle of ‘Stinkin Thinkin’.

Click on the link below to watch this video to learn how it gets in the way of your success and what can you can do about it?

The “How To” for Connecting Well with Others

How well do you read other people? Do you know how to determine the best way to connect well with an individual based on what you observe?

In order to connect well with others, especially on first impressions, you need tools to help understand what their comfort style of communication is. Check out my Communicating with Style discussion on CelebrityU Radio/TV to hear how to improve your ability to connect effectively.

Become More to Achieve More

Is there “more” that you want?

More money, More happiness, More relationships, More time, More travel… the list can go on and on.

Maybe there’s a deeper question that would be worth seeking first. Check out my discussion on CelebrityU Radio/TV.

What Makes You Come Alive?

“Man is so made that he can only find relaxation from one kind of labor by taking up another” – Anatole France

If you had so much money right now that you never had to worry about it anymore, what would you do; retire… Then what?

The retired and ultrarich are often unfulfilled and neurotic for the same reason: too much idle time.

But wait a minute… Isn’t that what we’re all after? Isn’t that our ultimate goal; to be able to work really, really hard now so we can kick back later in life and “relax”?  Oh, it might be fun, even exciting at first, but eventually you wil get very board. Too much idle time creates fertile ground for seeds of self-doubt and fear to germinate.

So, why wait until later to begin searching for your passion and purpose? Why wait, until “retirement” to find out “what’s next”? If you aren’t sure what stirs your passion ask yourself, what makes you cry? What stories, movies, songs or places touches your heart and brings a lump to your throat? What moves you deeply? Begin taking notice of those things and listen closely to that inner voice inside you that we all have and you’ll begin to hear something deeper calling you out.

As you begin to identify more deeply your passion and purpose, ask yourself who are the people you can impact in a positive way by living out your purpose.

The following is a quote I heard several years ago and it had a significant impact on my decision to follow my passion. “Don’t ask what the world needs, ask what makes you come alive and go do that, because what the world needs is people who have come alive”.

When is enough ENOUGH?

“We create stress because we feel like we have to do it. You HAVE to. I don’t feel that way anymore.” – Oprah Winfrey

SLOW DOWN!!!

Try this thought experiment. If you took tomorrow off and spent it by yourself, what would your day be like? How would you feel? For this experiment you’ll do nothing of practical value. You won’t use it to get things done.

The above is only a thought experiment. Just thinking about your day, what will the early morning be like? Where will you be at mid-day? Can you describe the place you imagine yourself to be? How do you anticipate your feeling at being alone?

Now try thinking about how you would spend half a day. Remember, this is not time to achieve a goal. You can spend your half-day by yourself and work on learning how to be still and breath. You can spend your half-day with other people doing anything you like. How would you feel during this time, and how would you feel afterward?

Do not miss the truly important parts of life by being too preoccupied and busy. Slow down! Resolve today to:

• Look for the beauty around you
• Begin to read a book for pleasure
• Spend some quiet time alone
• Listen better
• Spend some time visiting with family and/or friends

Finding Your Place

“When I was younger… I didn’t want to be pigeonholed… Basically, now you want to be pigeonholed. It’s you niche.” – Joan Chen

After more than 25 years in corporate and 8 years of experience coaching business owners, one thing I’ve noticed is there are some business owners that have defined their niche market and have a clear picture of whom it is they are marketing to and there are others that tend to waiver or be unsure.

Often business owners view a niche market as narrowing their sales or cutting into a profit margin, so they fear it. The truth is, a niche market could be defined as a component that gives your business power. A niche market allows you to define who you are marketing to.

When you know who are you are marketing to it’s easy to determine where your marketing energy and dollars should be spent.

Conclusion; narrow your scope of potential clients and/or the product or service you provide and commit to staying focused and see how your business grows.

Increase Your Brain Power

“I not only use all the brains that I have, but all that I can borrow”. –  Woodrow Wilson

No matter what technique or methodology is being used, the tools you have available, the industry you work in, it is more about people.

Finding experienced and knowledgeable business people to work with and learn from is important. They can help with ensuring the right language is used, and agreement on requirements is reached. They also will play a part in developing the solution.

Finding that expert or group of experts to help make the right decisions is truly worthwhile.

Become More to Achieve More In 2011!

There is an old observation that achievement is a combination of having more, doing more and becoming more, and the challenge is to get those three in the right order.

Traditionally, most people assume that if they had more, they would achieve more, and of course, they would then become more. Unfortunately, it rarely works that way. We almost never get “more.” Certainly, we never get “more” time since time just “is” and goes by, day by day. Sometimes a venture capitalist will invest in our ideas or we discover a skill we never knew we had, but those things are rare and hard to predict in advance.

The major opportunity available to each of us is to “become more.” Indeed a friend and mentor of mine has said that “to have more, we must first become more,” and I believe he is correct.

So the question becomes, how do we “become more”?

As I prepare material for a seminar that I plan to lead in the future, I’ve been focused on the idea that ALL achievement begins with personal foundation. A child develops her abilities by learning to walk, to talk, to tie her shoes and put away her toys. Later, in adolescence, a young man learns to drive, do algebra or get his first job. As young adults, we learn to pay our bills, buy a home or pursue a career.

All of these milestones represent our ability to “become more” than we were previously.

Philosophers may argue about the details, but as a practical matter, to do more and have more, we must first BECOME MORE. I think that is an essential piece and we must get clear about it.

If you have goals for 2011, the first fundamental question is, “Who must you become to achieve those things?”

We all know that temporary changes can be made by brute force and sheer will-power. Anyone can lose a couple of pounds by following the latest fad diet for a few days. Anyone can stay on a budget for a day, perhaps even a week or two. We know we can make TEMPORARY changes by setting external goals, getting instruction or increasing our self-discipline. But unfortunately, we also know what usually happens after that first blush of enthusiasm.

The truth is that PERMANENT change happens when WE change. When that kid learns to drive, he “becomes” a driver!

The first step to growth, achievement and joy in 2011 is to set your targets and define exactly what you want to achieve in the new year. But the primary key to actually GETTING those things is to focus on personal development. As you become more in 2011, the “doing” that leads to “having” becomes easy.

Unfortunately, too many people never figure this out. They set goals. They dream and perhaps they attend the workshops, read the books or follow the latest guru, and they achieve some success. They reach some of their goals and hit some of their targets, and that is wonderful!

But the key to lasting success, joy, fulfillment and true achievement begins with personal development. As you “become more in 2011″, your life will inevitably expand. You will do more. You’ll meet new people. You’ll learn new skills, get more done, and end up having more of the life you always wanted.

To have and do more, we must first become more. If you first set that as your theme for the New Year, everything else will be much, much easier. To reach your goals, “Become more in 2011!”

The Truth About Hugs

I thought the month of Christmas is the perfect time to pass them along. Remember the old “research” that said we need like 15 hugs a day to maintain optimum health? I never did find the documentation on that, but I’m absolutely sure it’s true! Hug someone today!

Hugs are non-fattening and they don’t cause cancer or cavities.

Hugs are all natural with no preservatives, artificial preservatives or toxic residue.

Hugs are cholesterol-free, naturally sweet, 100% wholesome and a renewable resourceHugs are easy to care for, they don’t require batteries, tune-ups or day-care.

Hugs are non-taxable, fully returnable and energy-efficient.

Hugs are safe in all kinds of weather.

Hugs are especially good on cold or rainy days.

Hugs are exceptionally effective for treating problems like bad dreams, disappointments and blue Mondays.

Hugs are good for people of all ages, shapes and sizes.

Hugs may be considered “politically incorrect” (which makes them even more delicious) but on the positive side, they are FUN!

Give someone a hug today – you’re almost sure to get one right back!

CelebrityU Internet Radio/TV 11/11/2010 Show

CelebrityU internet talk radio/TV. Click on the link below to watch and listen to my continuing series of Turning Unemployment into Self-employment – career transition to entrepreneur and starting your own business.

http://justin.tv/celebrityu/b/273687037

On 11/11/2010 I interviewed Catherine Cates. She is an entrepreneur who has a successful internet business Around Town Kids that provides busy working parents with all of the interesting and fun kids activities in a one stop and shop format. She explains what inspired her to create her internet business, what it took to build the business and how she wants to grow the business.

From Corporate to Self-Employment – Part II

CelebrityU internet talk radio/TV. Click on the link below to watch and listen to my continuing series of Turning Unemployment into Self-employment – career transition to entrepreneur and starting your own business.
http://www.justin.tv/celebrityu/b/272266496On 10/14/2010 I talk about “who” are you trying to reach (target market), “what” is your niche going to be — specific result or benefit is your client going to receive and “how” are you going to provide it.