The true definition of the word rest: Rest is the joy, peace and satisfaction which comes from doing your duty and making a difference. S. Kimball
Despite the “entertainment society” we live in real rest has nothing to do with play, sleep, leisure or recreational activities. Entrepreneurs know that sitting around doing nothing can lead to feeling sluggish or irritable. (Not that a good nap isn’t a good thing from time to time.)
Nothing gets the endorphins kicking more than making a difference. When we add value to others, whether that is to a customer or client, neighbor or colleague, loved one or friend – we experience that adrenaline rush of excitement, joy and satisfaction. Studies continue to show that when employees consistently feel they are truly serving customers directly or they are delivering for the good of the team - their satisfaction, commitment, focus and loyalty go up in significant ways.
There are many ways to make a difference. Being able to make a difference in various areas of your life (business, personal, community, etc.) can often be the difference between burning out as an entrepreneur and having an abundance of energy.
So if you are feeling a bit tired or worn out as an entrepreneur, get some rest – go serve someone, help with a cause, make a difference – do this, and you will experience that rejuvenating joy, peace and satisfaction which is sure to follow.
Enjoy your weekend and by all means, “Get Some Rest!”
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Monday, December 14, 2009
Are you Working Or Playing?
The master in the art of living makes little distinction between his work and his play, his labor and his leisure, his mind and his body, his information and his recreation, his love and his religion…
He hardly knows which is which…
He simply pursues his vision of excellence at whatever he does, leaving others to decide whether he is working or playing!
To him he’s always doing both!
James Michener
Truly there can be no better description of an entrepreneur than that. When your passion and your purpose become one, when your work and your play are inseparable, then you know you are on YOUR entrepreneurial path.
As you head into your weekend may you leave those around you guessing whether you are working or playing – enjoy!
He hardly knows which is which…
He simply pursues his vision of excellence at whatever he does, leaving others to decide whether he is working or playing!
To him he’s always doing both!
James Michener
Truly there can be no better description of an entrepreneur than that. When your passion and your purpose become one, when your work and your play are inseparable, then you know you are on YOUR entrepreneurial path.
As you head into your weekend may you leave those around you guessing whether you are working or playing – enjoy!
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Time For You
He was completely infatuated with her. It was all that he could think and talk about. Yet, every time that he asked her on a date, he received the same reply. She told him that she would love to go out with him, but her schedule of work, school and other commitments was just too hectic and it wasn’t possible.
In his frustration, he came to me and asked me for advice. He wanted to know how he could creatively help her with some of her responsibilities and free up some commitments so that they could spend time together. When he made this suggestion to me, I sighed deeply and bit my lip. I was searching for a tactful way to break the news to him. I have never reached tremendous success in my efforts to be tactful, so I just let him have it.
“Man, when she tells you that she doesn’t have time, what she means is that she doesn’t have time for YOU. I suggest that you dress in black for a week and pretend as if she’s dead because it isn’t going to happen.”
My words seemed to have been a kick to the gut that knocked all the air out of his lungs. After a few seconds of silence, he raised his head as he came up for air. “Thanks, buddy—I needed to hear that” was his beaten reply to me. After our conversation, he left. I do believe that, although he didn’t dress in black for a week, he did take my advice and move on. I am sure that both he and the woman are grateful for that.
You see, I have never seen a woman (or a man) who is head over heels attracted to someone, yet just can’t find the time to be with that person. If the interest is there, the time will be there.
In life, you often hear the excuse “I just don’t have the time” when someone wants to spend more time with family, start their own business, chase a goal, travel or volunteer. You have the time. You are simply spending it somewhere else. You are a human and will make time for what you see as a priority. The question is: Are you prioritizing the correct things?
You have the exact same amount of time in a day that Albert Einstein, Marie Curie, Copernicus and Leonardo da Vinci had. You have the exact same amount of time in a day that Michael Dell, Bill Gates and Oprah Winfrey have. The question is not, Do you have the time? The question is, How are you spending the time that you do have?
Begin to keep a journal and log the time you spend doing things every day. Do this for at least two weeks. Track the time you spend getting ready for work, driving your car, working at the office, eating out, reading, watching television, surfing the Internet or simply doing nothing. You may be surprised at the amount of time that you spend on unproductive matters. It is very often shocking the amount of time each day that we squander and will never get back.
Zig Ziglar penned the term automobile university. It is the answer for everyone who says they don’t have time to learn a new skill, a foreign language or gain an education on the mysteries of the day. Ziglar suggests that if you simply listen to audio programs as you drive every day, you can successfully use the time to gain a new skill or improve your education. This is effective time management.
Life can often become so overwhelming that, as we get caught up in the rat race, we are not aware of how we are spending our time. It may be time for a time inventory of your life. First, begin by journaling what is most important to you in your life. Then, track how you spend your time for two weeks. It could be very eye-opening.
Remember, you have the same amount of time in a day that Einstein, Henry Ford and Leonardo da Vinci had. The question is: Are you using your time as effectively as they did? You have no cause to complain for your lack of time, only your management of that time. Time plays no favorites. You make time every day for what you value. What do you value?
By Ron White
In his frustration, he came to me and asked me for advice. He wanted to know how he could creatively help her with some of her responsibilities and free up some commitments so that they could spend time together. When he made this suggestion to me, I sighed deeply and bit my lip. I was searching for a tactful way to break the news to him. I have never reached tremendous success in my efforts to be tactful, so I just let him have it.
“Man, when she tells you that she doesn’t have time, what she means is that she doesn’t have time for YOU. I suggest that you dress in black for a week and pretend as if she’s dead because it isn’t going to happen.”
My words seemed to have been a kick to the gut that knocked all the air out of his lungs. After a few seconds of silence, he raised his head as he came up for air. “Thanks, buddy—I needed to hear that” was his beaten reply to me. After our conversation, he left. I do believe that, although he didn’t dress in black for a week, he did take my advice and move on. I am sure that both he and the woman are grateful for that.
You see, I have never seen a woman (or a man) who is head over heels attracted to someone, yet just can’t find the time to be with that person. If the interest is there, the time will be there.
In life, you often hear the excuse “I just don’t have the time” when someone wants to spend more time with family, start their own business, chase a goal, travel or volunteer. You have the time. You are simply spending it somewhere else. You are a human and will make time for what you see as a priority. The question is: Are you prioritizing the correct things?
You have the exact same amount of time in a day that Albert Einstein, Marie Curie, Copernicus and Leonardo da Vinci had. You have the exact same amount of time in a day that Michael Dell, Bill Gates and Oprah Winfrey have. The question is not, Do you have the time? The question is, How are you spending the time that you do have?
Begin to keep a journal and log the time you spend doing things every day. Do this for at least two weeks. Track the time you spend getting ready for work, driving your car, working at the office, eating out, reading, watching television, surfing the Internet or simply doing nothing. You may be surprised at the amount of time that you spend on unproductive matters. It is very often shocking the amount of time each day that we squander and will never get back.
Zig Ziglar penned the term automobile university. It is the answer for everyone who says they don’t have time to learn a new skill, a foreign language or gain an education on the mysteries of the day. Ziglar suggests that if you simply listen to audio programs as you drive every day, you can successfully use the time to gain a new skill or improve your education. This is effective time management.
Life can often become so overwhelming that, as we get caught up in the rat race, we are not aware of how we are spending our time. It may be time for a time inventory of your life. First, begin by journaling what is most important to you in your life. Then, track how you spend your time for two weeks. It could be very eye-opening.
Remember, you have the same amount of time in a day that Einstein, Henry Ford and Leonardo da Vinci had. The question is: Are you using your time as effectively as they did? You have no cause to complain for your lack of time, only your management of that time. Time plays no favorites. You make time every day for what you value. What do you value?
By Ron White
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
How good is your Presentation Skills?
How lousy are you? You probably don't even know! BY J. Gitomer
Having spent the last 55 or so odd years watching local television commercials, and the last 30 years listening to speeches at meetings, training sessions, and thousands of sales pitches, the one thing (almost all) presenters and speakers have in common is lousy presentation skills.
BIG QUESTION: How important are presentation skills? Maybe a better question is: How important are YOUR presentation skills?
BIGGER QUESTIONS: How excellent are your presentation skills on a scale of 1-100? Do people WANT to listen to you? Or do they HAVE to listen to you?
BIGGEST QUESTIONS: How are you improving your speaking and presentation skills? What are you doing to increase your ability to persuade and convince? How transferable is your message? Are people moved to take action after you present?
These questions not only beg answers, they are a report card on, and a window to, your present situation.
Funny, if you got a bad report card in grade school, high school, or college, your parents would have made you study harder, taken remedial classes, done more homework, and even gotten you a tutor.
Now that your business cards are printed, and you're out of school, you have ignored the success strategy that made you a better and more successful student. And now is the time that superior presentation skills really count. If you improve your speaking skills at work, you can easily measure the outcome and results - in money.
Here's a short list of why presenters and presentations fail:
* Lousy choice of words
* Lousy vocal variety
* Lousy gesturing
* Lousy body language
* Lousy smiles
* Lousy sincerity
* Lousy choice of structure
* Lousy passion stemming from a poor belief system.
There are many other sale-killing elements in a presentation. At the top of the list is lousy, boring, crowded, PowerPoint slides. (Maybe like the ones you have?)
There are a few other points of understanding that create a negative atmosphere during a talk or presentation:
* Condescending hand gestures
* Inability to relax
* Having to read or memorize from your head, rather than giving your presentation from your heart
OK, that's the bad news. Here's the remedy!
The key points of a great presentation are:
* Knowing what you want to say.
* Believing what you say.
* Being believable and convincing.
* Being compelling in how you say it.
* Providing valuable information.
* Providing useable information.
* Providing timely information.
* Presenting non-emailable information.
* Being completely prepared and rehearsed.
DUH: If you're not that good, let others speak for you. Why does every car commercial have a bad announcer or an equally bad owner, giving the hype about how low the price is, how great the deal is, or how much you'll save? Why not let five customers talk for ten seconds each?
In my Little Green Book of Getting Your Way I state that joining Toastmasters should be mandatory, and that a Dale Carnegie course should be offered by every company. Those are starting points to becoming more professional.
Here's the STRATEGY: Make your message transferable. The audience, whether it's one or one thousand, must say to themselves, "I get it, I agree with it, I think I can do it, I'm willing to try it." OR, "I get it, I like it, I understand why I need or want it, my risk tolerance is low, I'm willing to buy it."
Here's the SECRET: Record yourself. If you make a VIDEO recording of your presentation and watch it twice, you will see for yourself just how good or bad you are. Personally I have found this to be the ONLY way to determine your strengths and flaws. It's also your opportunity to make an improvement game plan.
Many sales professionals and corporate executives are suffering from poor presentation skills, and it is costing them sales, loyalty, morale, and reputation. If you're looking to excel, great speaking and presentation skills are the weapons of mass introduction.
Having spent the last 55 or so odd years watching local television commercials, and the last 30 years listening to speeches at meetings, training sessions, and thousands of sales pitches, the one thing (almost all) presenters and speakers have in common is lousy presentation skills.
BIG QUESTION: How important are presentation skills? Maybe a better question is: How important are YOUR presentation skills?
BIGGER QUESTIONS: How excellent are your presentation skills on a scale of 1-100? Do people WANT to listen to you? Or do they HAVE to listen to you?
BIGGEST QUESTIONS: How are you improving your speaking and presentation skills? What are you doing to increase your ability to persuade and convince? How transferable is your message? Are people moved to take action after you present?
These questions not only beg answers, they are a report card on, and a window to, your present situation.
Funny, if you got a bad report card in grade school, high school, or college, your parents would have made you study harder, taken remedial classes, done more homework, and even gotten you a tutor.
Now that your business cards are printed, and you're out of school, you have ignored the success strategy that made you a better and more successful student. And now is the time that superior presentation skills really count. If you improve your speaking skills at work, you can easily measure the outcome and results - in money.
Here's a short list of why presenters and presentations fail:
* Lousy choice of words
* Lousy vocal variety
* Lousy gesturing
* Lousy body language
* Lousy smiles
* Lousy sincerity
* Lousy choice of structure
* Lousy passion stemming from a poor belief system.
There are many other sale-killing elements in a presentation. At the top of the list is lousy, boring, crowded, PowerPoint slides. (Maybe like the ones you have?)
There are a few other points of understanding that create a negative atmosphere during a talk or presentation:
* Condescending hand gestures
* Inability to relax
* Having to read or memorize from your head, rather than giving your presentation from your heart
OK, that's the bad news. Here's the remedy!
The key points of a great presentation are:
* Knowing what you want to say.
* Believing what you say.
* Being believable and convincing.
* Being compelling in how you say it.
* Providing valuable information.
* Providing useable information.
* Providing timely information.
* Presenting non-emailable information.
* Being completely prepared and rehearsed.
DUH: If you're not that good, let others speak for you. Why does every car commercial have a bad announcer or an equally bad owner, giving the hype about how low the price is, how great the deal is, or how much you'll save? Why not let five customers talk for ten seconds each?
In my Little Green Book of Getting Your Way I state that joining Toastmasters should be mandatory, and that a Dale Carnegie course should be offered by every company. Those are starting points to becoming more professional.
Here's the STRATEGY: Make your message transferable. The audience, whether it's one or one thousand, must say to themselves, "I get it, I agree with it, I think I can do it, I'm willing to try it." OR, "I get it, I like it, I understand why I need or want it, my risk tolerance is low, I'm willing to buy it."
Here's the SECRET: Record yourself. If you make a VIDEO recording of your presentation and watch it twice, you will see for yourself just how good or bad you are. Personally I have found this to be the ONLY way to determine your strengths and flaws. It's also your opportunity to make an improvement game plan.
Many sales professionals and corporate executives are suffering from poor presentation skills, and it is costing them sales, loyalty, morale, and reputation. If you're looking to excel, great speaking and presentation skills are the weapons of mass introduction.
Monday, December 7, 2009
20 Years From Now!
“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." - Mark Twain
The success of your life and businesses ultimately stems from what your give your time and your attention to. This is why it is of the upmost importance to determine what matters most and then to commit to spend your days doing it. This doesn’t mean you won’t have seasons of sacrifice where you will spend a huge amount of time on just work or building your business or career. Far too many, however, end up spending their days, by default, on things that aren’t truly important to them. Work can be important, it can be irrelevant or it can become a means to a greater more fulfilling path. It is simply a matter of choice. It is the path not taken, the opportunity left unexplored, the friend not visited, the idea not pursued that create the greatest disappointments in life and business. Ask yourself this weekend, "What is holding me back or tying me down to a harbor of hesitation and even regret?" Decide today to throw off the bowlines of worry, fear and discouragement. Get out of the safe harbor with its comfort zones of mediocrity and the safety of skills already acquired. You and your business were designed to set sail for a greater success yet unseen which is to be found on the seas and distant shores of extraordinary places. You will never know how far you can go or what you can achieve until you commit to go – and go far. Begin your journey today – it is the journey of a lifetime. Set sail. Explore. Dream. Discover. Do!
The success of your life and businesses ultimately stems from what your give your time and your attention to. This is why it is of the upmost importance to determine what matters most and then to commit to spend your days doing it. This doesn’t mean you won’t have seasons of sacrifice where you will spend a huge amount of time on just work or building your business or career. Far too many, however, end up spending their days, by default, on things that aren’t truly important to them. Work can be important, it can be irrelevant or it can become a means to a greater more fulfilling path. It is simply a matter of choice. It is the path not taken, the opportunity left unexplored, the friend not visited, the idea not pursued that create the greatest disappointments in life and business. Ask yourself this weekend, "What is holding me back or tying me down to a harbor of hesitation and even regret?" Decide today to throw off the bowlines of worry, fear and discouragement. Get out of the safe harbor with its comfort zones of mediocrity and the safety of skills already acquired. You and your business were designed to set sail for a greater success yet unseen which is to be found on the seas and distant shores of extraordinary places. You will never know how far you can go or what you can achieve until you commit to go – and go far. Begin your journey today – it is the journey of a lifetime. Set sail. Explore. Dream. Discover. Do!
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Leadership Lesson: Always Know the WHY
WHY
I have a suitcase for you. In that suitcase there is $1 million in cash. The suitcase is sitting in a building that is about an hour’s drive from where you are now.
Here is the deal: All you have to do is get to this building in the next two hours. If you get there before the end of the two hours, I will hand you the suitcase, and you will be a million dollars richer.
There is one catch, however. If you are even one second late, our deal is off, and you will not get a dime. No exceptions! With that in mind, what time would you like to leave?
Most people would respond to that scenario by saying that they would leave right now. Wouldn’t you?
So off you go. You jump into your car and start driving for the building. You are excited and are already starting to plan how you are going to spend your million dollars. Then, suddenly, the traffic comes to a complete stop. You turn on the radio and find that there has been a series of freak accidents between you and the building and there is no way to get there!
Now what would you do? Would you give up and go back home? Or would you get out of your car and walk, run, hire a helicopter, or find some other way of getting to the building on time?
Now let’s suppose for a minute that you are driving to an appointment at your dentist’s office. The traffic again comes to a stop. Amazingly, there have been freak accidents between you and your dentist’s office. What would you do then? Probably give up, go home and reschedule!
What is the difference between these two situations? It all comes down to why. If the why is big enough; the how is usually not a problem. This compelling why is connected to your personal objectives, mission statement or magnificent obsessions. It is the basis of your motivational support beam. Truly motivated people are able to identify and tap into the power of a compelling why in everything they do.
I have a suitcase for you. In that suitcase there is $1 million in cash. The suitcase is sitting in a building that is about an hour’s drive from where you are now.
Here is the deal: All you have to do is get to this building in the next two hours. If you get there before the end of the two hours, I will hand you the suitcase, and you will be a million dollars richer.
There is one catch, however. If you are even one second late, our deal is off, and you will not get a dime. No exceptions! With that in mind, what time would you like to leave?
Most people would respond to that scenario by saying that they would leave right now. Wouldn’t you?
So off you go. You jump into your car and start driving for the building. You are excited and are already starting to plan how you are going to spend your million dollars. Then, suddenly, the traffic comes to a complete stop. You turn on the radio and find that there has been a series of freak accidents between you and the building and there is no way to get there!
Now what would you do? Would you give up and go back home? Or would you get out of your car and walk, run, hire a helicopter, or find some other way of getting to the building on time?
Now let’s suppose for a minute that you are driving to an appointment at your dentist’s office. The traffic again comes to a stop. Amazingly, there have been freak accidents between you and your dentist’s office. What would you do then? Probably give up, go home and reschedule!
What is the difference between these two situations? It all comes down to why. If the why is big enough; the how is usually not a problem. This compelling why is connected to your personal objectives, mission statement or magnificent obsessions. It is the basis of your motivational support beam. Truly motivated people are able to identify and tap into the power of a compelling why in everything they do.
Things to Ponder
Thinking with Charlie “Tremendous” Jones
• People who know the most, know they know so little, while people who know nothing want to take all day to tell you.
• Self-improvement can be harmful if you are doing it to look better. If you live your life in helping others look better, you’ll be better without trying.
• If you give to get something, you’re not really giving; you are trading. Giving is never to get, because you have it and are not aware of how much you have until you give.
• Big people are always giving someone credit and taking blame; little people are always seeking credit and giving blame.
• Don’t worry about having to make a right decision. Make it and then work to make it right.
• An attitude of gratitude flavors everything you do. Learning to be thankful is the golden thread woven through every truly successful life.
• People who know the most, know they know so little, while people who know nothing want to take all day to tell you.
• Self-improvement can be harmful if you are doing it to look better. If you live your life in helping others look better, you’ll be better without trying.
• If you give to get something, you’re not really giving; you are trading. Giving is never to get, because you have it and are not aware of how much you have until you give.
• Big people are always giving someone credit and taking blame; little people are always seeking credit and giving blame.
• Don’t worry about having to make a right decision. Make it and then work to make it right.
• An attitude of gratitude flavors everything you do. Learning to be thankful is the golden thread woven through every truly successful life.
The Champion Within
Power from Empowerment by Dr. Denis Waitley
A good way to think of leadership is the process of freeing your team members to do the best work they possibly can. I have followed NBA basketball coach Phil Jackson’s career for some time.
In his career, Jackson has gone from coaching the record-setting champion Chicago Bulls to the present NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers. He says his principal task is creating an environment in which his players can flourish. In communicating with his championship teams, Jackson convinced them that they had the talent to win championships and that the main goal of the coach was freeing them to use that talent.
Today’s business team members say they want, more than anything else, the autonomy to do their jobs without the boss’s interference. Nearly a decade into the new century, it’s already clear that the CEOs of our best-run companies believe that the more power leaders have, the less they should use.
The job of the team leader is to set a mission, decide upon a strategic direction, achieve the necessary cooperation, delegate authority and then let people innovate. To do that we all could take a hint from the late football coach Paul “Bear” Bryant. Before his retirement as one of the leading coaches in college football history at Alabama, Bryant observed:
I’m just a plowhand from Arkansas, but I’ve learned how to put and hold a team together. I’ve learned how to lift some individuals up and how to calm others down, until finally they’ve got one heartbeat, together, as a team. To do that, there are just three things I’d ever have to say: If anything went wrong, I did it. If it went semi-good, then we did it. If anything went real good, then you did it! That’s really all it takes to get other people to win for you.
The key to authentic leadership is to listen to your followers, and then open the door for them to lead themselves. The secret is empowerment. The main incentive is genuine caring and recognition.
The five most important words a leader can speak are: “I am proud of you.”
The four most important are: “What is your opinion?”
The three most important are: “If you please.”
The two most important are: “Thank you.”
And the most important single word of all is: “You!”
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