Take control of your office workload before it takes control of you.
Anyone can appreciate the sight of a busy, high-level executive, seated behind a large desk without so much as a piece of paper -- let alone a speck of dust -- in sight. Appearances belie reality, for that executive is probably just as busy as you are but he has found a way to organize his office workload. You can, too, as long as you develop a system that works for you. This might mean employing some "tried-and-true" techniques while dismissing others. Like that high-level executive, remember that you're in charge and that it behooves you to seize control of your workload before it seizes control of you.
Instructions
o 1
Establish a filing system -- electronic and paper -- so that you can promptly dispense with information once you are done reviewing it. Many business professionals are "master stackers," meaning that they tend to accumulate piles of paper that eventually overwhelm them. Make a commitment to work on a project and then, when you're done, promptly file it away. For paper files, establish a color-coded file system, with each color denoting a message meaningful to you. For example, implement a three-color hierarchy system in which green means "high priority," yellow means "moderate priority" and red means "low priority. Or, to reduce the number of files on your desk, use a two-color system. Follow the same logic to create a computer filing system.
o 2
Create a daily to-do list and keep it with you at all times to keep you focused and on track. Cross off tasks as you complete them. Likewise, keep a calendar with you at all times, cross-referencing the two as necessary. Review your to-do list at the end of each day and the beginning of every new day to cement your daily obligations in your mind.
o 3
Establish time limits and deadlines for each of these tasks, being optimistic but also realistic. Be particularly vigilant about the time you allot to reading and replying to emails, as it is incredibly easy to get sucked into the time-consuming "email vortex." Tag your emails with "high priority" messages to help focus your efforts -- and then decide whether or not to respond accordingly.
o 4
Your goal is an uncluttered desk at the end of every workday. Begin phone calls and meetings with an estimate of their duration -- and then watch the clock and stick to the plan. People will respect your discipline if you say something like: "As I know we are all busy, let's try our best to keep this phone call or meeting to 30 minutes."
o 5
Set boundaries for coworkers who may try to ensnare you in a prolonged lunch or a protracted conversation about their awful blind date the night before. While some social interaction is important to building relationships among coworkers, be careful that it doesn't get out of hand and throw a curveball into your otherwise well-structured workday.
o 6
Reconsider multitasking. You may think that talking on the phone, writing an email and reviewing a marketing proposal makes you a super employee but, in fact, you may be diffusing your attention and are instead being counterproductive. If you must, force yourself to focus your attention on one task at a time and compare the results to the multitasking mode of organizing your workload.
o 7
Assess your present workload before agreeing to assume new responsibilities. Although many employees assume that they should step up and never say no to such requests, carefully consider whether you have time to complete the tasks and if they can be accomplished according to your own high standards.
o 8
Consider the possibility that multitasking is highly overrated. Consult with your supervisor to ensure that you are on the right track with your plan to organize your office workload. Review your "plan of action" and ask for feedback.
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Saturday, August 27, 2011
When your best client ia actually your worst!
Ever worked in a business where one customer is viewed as the most important and precious to the company and everyone treats with kid's gloves? Yet this customer seemingly pays later than all the others, demands special terms, takes up all the managers and staff's time and never seems satisfied?
When asking about how it works that one customer can seem to dominate the firm, the reply is often along the lines of: 'they're our longest serving customer' or, 'they're are biggest customer' or even 'they're a personal friend of the owner'.
Bottom line; is this customer adding to the growth and well being of the firm or, actually detracting from it. This is particularly acute when a customer's business represents greater than 40% of the overall turnover. This benchmark indicates that the customer has so much influence in effect it runs the business not the owner.
For a SME it's easy to accept large orders or, to grow on the back of one customer placing more business that lead to this position. Indeed I've both been in a business where this has been in the case and worked with clients in this position. The key point though is that if this large customer starts to dictate how the business operates, what markets it's in, products offered and crucially pays late, then the business owner is in real trouble.
How to get out of this? In the short term, work towards educating the customer about the terms of business you want to have. Easier said than done you may say, yet when explaining what you want, need, and why, to many people, it often does produce the change you're looking for. In the long term, work towards expanding your customer base and even, towards exiting doing business if desired. Again if a customer doesn't pay on time, not matter what their size, are they really a customer? And how much time could be freed up to handle those that do pay with better margins. Remembering to work this plan in alternative customer sources and cutting of ties when the time is right for you.
In ActionCOACH we call this getting rid of 'D' Class customers (from grading all customers A to D). Therefore, review your customer base and does your 'best' customer upon inspection really live up to this premise- or if you had a choice, you'd rather not to have taken the order and would prefer to have other customers?
Sam
When asking about how it works that one customer can seem to dominate the firm, the reply is often along the lines of: 'they're our longest serving customer' or, 'they're are biggest customer' or even 'they're a personal friend of the owner'.
Bottom line; is this customer adding to the growth and well being of the firm or, actually detracting from it. This is particularly acute when a customer's business represents greater than 40% of the overall turnover. This benchmark indicates that the customer has so much influence in effect it runs the business not the owner.
For a SME it's easy to accept large orders or, to grow on the back of one customer placing more business that lead to this position. Indeed I've both been in a business where this has been in the case and worked with clients in this position. The key point though is that if this large customer starts to dictate how the business operates, what markets it's in, products offered and crucially pays late, then the business owner is in real trouble.
How to get out of this? In the short term, work towards educating the customer about the terms of business you want to have. Easier said than done you may say, yet when explaining what you want, need, and why, to many people, it often does produce the change you're looking for. In the long term, work towards expanding your customer base and even, towards exiting doing business if desired. Again if a customer doesn't pay on time, not matter what their size, are they really a customer? And how much time could be freed up to handle those that do pay with better margins. Remembering to work this plan in alternative customer sources and cutting of ties when the time is right for you.
In ActionCOACH we call this getting rid of 'D' Class customers (from grading all customers A to D). Therefore, review your customer base and does your 'best' customer upon inspection really live up to this premise- or if you had a choice, you'd rather not to have taken the order and would prefer to have other customers?
Sam
Monday, August 22, 2011
Dedicate Yourself to Educate Yourself
By Tom Hopkins
To become and remain a professional in this business of selling, you must recognize that you are in charge of your own training and act on that fact. Build on your strengths and correct your weaknesses. If you aren’t sure of what to work on first, there is certainly someone in your life who will gladly assist you—your manager, your spouse, your children, a trusted friend. Here are six skill areas that I strongly recommend you consider developing or strengthening:
Negotiation
Do you consider yourself a trained negotiator? Trained negotiators can quickly and effectively analyze the details of situations and determine the best route to resolution. If that brief description doesn’t fit you, make an effort to find a book, tape or seminar on the subject, and then schedule the time to learn from it.
A Second Language
Consider the part of the country in which you live and those people you do business with. As our country continually redefines itself by its people, be aware of the advantages of being able to communicate with others in their native tongues. Today’s projections show that both Hispanic and Asian portions of the population are on the increase. To be able to offer your fine services to more people, you must learn more about them, their language and their cultures.
Voice
Since your clients choose to ‘own’ your products or services based on what you say and how you represent it, doesn’t it make sense that you train your voice to give the highest level of professional presentation? If you’ve never considered voice training before, tape yourself giving a portion of your presentation, then listen to it. Most of us hate the sound of our voices on tape. Just imagine how our clients must feel when listening to us. To project your message with clarity and power, consider at least one session with a voice coach. They can be found in your local yellow pages.
Public Speaking
Many sales professionals find that giving short speeches in their communities helps build their name recognition and their business. Public speaking is also a great way to build your confidence. Try your skills out by speaking to your child’s class about what you do or a hobby you have. Teachers love it when the students can learn firsthand about careers. Join Toastmasters International. There are local chapters in just about every city. They provide excellent opportunities to hone your skills and meet other business professionals with whom you might do business or share referrals.
Memory
Having a good memory is critical to anyone in today’s world, but especially so to those of us who meet many new people every week. I have learned to make a game of it in my career. I challenge myself to remember as many people and their stories as I can. There are some great courses and books written on this subject. Even if you learn and use only one small strategy, I guarantee you’ll see the benefit of having done so.
Math
Don’t cringe on me here. I know a large percentage of people hate math. However, in business, you need to know some basic math skills really well. How does it look when you take a client to lunch and you have to think real hard to calculate the tip? Do you think that will raise any doubts about your competency in the client’s mind? Of course it will. Also, when clients toss out figures in their projections, you have to be quick on the uptake in understanding what that means in your business—quantities of supplies they’ll need, projecting delivery dates and times, etc. Practice your math skills. Every time you hear or see a number in a conversation or even in a bit of advertising, take a moment to work with the number and see what it means. Compute unit costs for grocery items—$1.29 for 12 ounces. How much is that per ounce? I know the favorite computation of every salesperson who works on a fee basis is to determine their percentage of every sale. Don’t stop there. Play the numbers game often and you’ll get better at winning.
Choose just one of these six areas and dedicate yourself to improving in it this month. Then, next month, choose another. Once you get started on this journey of self-education, you’ll be amazed at what you learn and how simple things can have a powerful impact on your overall success in life.
To become and remain a professional in this business of selling, you must recognize that you are in charge of your own training and act on that fact. Build on your strengths and correct your weaknesses. If you aren’t sure of what to work on first, there is certainly someone in your life who will gladly assist you—your manager, your spouse, your children, a trusted friend. Here are six skill areas that I strongly recommend you consider developing or strengthening:
Negotiation
Do you consider yourself a trained negotiator? Trained negotiators can quickly and effectively analyze the details of situations and determine the best route to resolution. If that brief description doesn’t fit you, make an effort to find a book, tape or seminar on the subject, and then schedule the time to learn from it.
A Second Language
Consider the part of the country in which you live and those people you do business with. As our country continually redefines itself by its people, be aware of the advantages of being able to communicate with others in their native tongues. Today’s projections show that both Hispanic and Asian portions of the population are on the increase. To be able to offer your fine services to more people, you must learn more about them, their language and their cultures.
Voice
Since your clients choose to ‘own’ your products or services based on what you say and how you represent it, doesn’t it make sense that you train your voice to give the highest level of professional presentation? If you’ve never considered voice training before, tape yourself giving a portion of your presentation, then listen to it. Most of us hate the sound of our voices on tape. Just imagine how our clients must feel when listening to us. To project your message with clarity and power, consider at least one session with a voice coach. They can be found in your local yellow pages.
Public Speaking
Many sales professionals find that giving short speeches in their communities helps build their name recognition and their business. Public speaking is also a great way to build your confidence. Try your skills out by speaking to your child’s class about what you do or a hobby you have. Teachers love it when the students can learn firsthand about careers. Join Toastmasters International. There are local chapters in just about every city. They provide excellent opportunities to hone your skills and meet other business professionals with whom you might do business or share referrals.
Memory
Having a good memory is critical to anyone in today’s world, but especially so to those of us who meet many new people every week. I have learned to make a game of it in my career. I challenge myself to remember as many people and their stories as I can. There are some great courses and books written on this subject. Even if you learn and use only one small strategy, I guarantee you’ll see the benefit of having done so.
Math
Don’t cringe on me here. I know a large percentage of people hate math. However, in business, you need to know some basic math skills really well. How does it look when you take a client to lunch and you have to think real hard to calculate the tip? Do you think that will raise any doubts about your competency in the client’s mind? Of course it will. Also, when clients toss out figures in their projections, you have to be quick on the uptake in understanding what that means in your business—quantities of supplies they’ll need, projecting delivery dates and times, etc. Practice your math skills. Every time you hear or see a number in a conversation or even in a bit of advertising, take a moment to work with the number and see what it means. Compute unit costs for grocery items—$1.29 for 12 ounces. How much is that per ounce? I know the favorite computation of every salesperson who works on a fee basis is to determine their percentage of every sale. Don’t stop there. Play the numbers game often and you’ll get better at winning.
Choose just one of these six areas and dedicate yourself to improving in it this month. Then, next month, choose another. Once you get started on this journey of self-education, you’ll be amazed at what you learn and how simple things can have a powerful impact on your overall success in life.
Do you Delegate well?
Free Your Genius and Success Will Follow by Jack Canfield
There are things that you do incredibly well. There are things that you love to do so much you hardly feel like you’re working when you do them. It is your purpose, your core genius, and if you got paid to do it you would make it your life’s work. You have been developing your core genius and defining your purpose and formulating steps to take to achieve success with it. It is time to evaluate how much time you actually spend doing what you love to do.
Successful people believe in their core genius. They believe it holds tremendous value and they put their purpose first. They find as much time to focus on it because they know it is what they are meant to be doing in the world. In order to find more time, they learn to delegate!
Are you one of those who does everything yourself? You’ve got a household to keep in order, groceries to get, food to make, phone calls to make, bills to pay, perhaps you’ve got kids to take to school and all of their extracurricular activities, a yard to take care of, laundry to wash; in your non-working life alone you have got a full time job with daily chores! You might have a job to go to or a business to run, accounting to keep in order, mailings that need to go out, phone calls that need to be made, files that need to be organized, reports that need to be read, and people you need to meet with. There is so much of your day that you spend doing the things that need to be done, but they don’t have anything to do with your core genius. Time spent doing tasks that you don’t really want or like to do is time taken away from doing what you love. Free up your time so you can be focusing on your purpose!
Delegating is not easy sometimes. You might be afraid to delegate because it means giving up control. But why waste your time with these tasks that you don’t even like doing when you could double the amount of time you spend developing and practicing your genius? There are people who love to do what you hate to do, and they do it much better than you because they love it!
When you know your core genius, you’ve got to find a way to devote yourself to perfecting it. You have got to spend as much time with it as possible. So learn to delegate and delegate completely! When you have found someone to accomplish the tasks that take up your time, let them know exactly what you want and then give them the freedom to accomplish it. There is no sense in micromanaging! Find someone you trust to do the job and do it well, and then leave them alone unless you are not happy with the results.
What are some things that you don’t particularly care doing? How much time do you spend every week doing those things? Imagine spending that time doing what you love to do while someone else is enjoying doing what you used to be doing. It’s a win/win situation!
There are things that you do incredibly well. There are things that you love to do so much you hardly feel like you’re working when you do them. It is your purpose, your core genius, and if you got paid to do it you would make it your life’s work. You have been developing your core genius and defining your purpose and formulating steps to take to achieve success with it. It is time to evaluate how much time you actually spend doing what you love to do.
Successful people believe in their core genius. They believe it holds tremendous value and they put their purpose first. They find as much time to focus on it because they know it is what they are meant to be doing in the world. In order to find more time, they learn to delegate!
Are you one of those who does everything yourself? You’ve got a household to keep in order, groceries to get, food to make, phone calls to make, bills to pay, perhaps you’ve got kids to take to school and all of their extracurricular activities, a yard to take care of, laundry to wash; in your non-working life alone you have got a full time job with daily chores! You might have a job to go to or a business to run, accounting to keep in order, mailings that need to go out, phone calls that need to be made, files that need to be organized, reports that need to be read, and people you need to meet with. There is so much of your day that you spend doing the things that need to be done, but they don’t have anything to do with your core genius. Time spent doing tasks that you don’t really want or like to do is time taken away from doing what you love. Free up your time so you can be focusing on your purpose!
Delegating is not easy sometimes. You might be afraid to delegate because it means giving up control. But why waste your time with these tasks that you don’t even like doing when you could double the amount of time you spend developing and practicing your genius? There are people who love to do what you hate to do, and they do it much better than you because they love it!
When you know your core genius, you’ve got to find a way to devote yourself to perfecting it. You have got to spend as much time with it as possible. So learn to delegate and delegate completely! When you have found someone to accomplish the tasks that take up your time, let them know exactly what you want and then give them the freedom to accomplish it. There is no sense in micromanaging! Find someone you trust to do the job and do it well, and then leave them alone unless you are not happy with the results.
What are some things that you don’t particularly care doing? How much time do you spend every week doing those things? Imagine spending that time doing what you love to do while someone else is enjoying doing what you used to be doing. It’s a win/win situation!
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Why Have a COACH?
PUT ME IN COACH by M. Katz
All teams, in all games, in all sports, always have a coach.And it's not just teams either. Sprinters, boxers, golfers, even chess players have coaches.
In fact, according to research that if conducted would probably be true, every professional athlete of any merit in the world has a coach.
So why don't you?
Why is it a given that top performing athletes have professional guidance from people whose sole
responsibility is to help them perform better, and yet when it comes to running our businesses – we think we've got it covered?
I have no idea. However, as someone who's worked with a coach for a few years now, I can tell you without question that it's been worth every penny.
Here's what it's given me:
• An objective point of view. Particularly if you're just starting a new business, having someone who can help you sort through the ins and outs, the opportunities and the fears is tremendously helpful. You can't watch yourself working any more than an athlete can watch himself playing; a coach sees what you can't.
• A trained, constructive listener. Like me, you may be lucky enough to have a spouse who's supportive, but I've come to see that good coaching is a lot more than that. My coach's understanding of when to push back, when to encourage, and when to remain absolutely silent (one of her most annoying skills) is something I've found invaluable again and again.
• A paid professional. Although your friends and/or spouse may be willing to go deep (gratuitous football reference) on important issues, your relationship with them requires give and take; it can't be all about you. The nice thing about having a coach, on the other hand, is that it can. Your time with the coach – as with any professional you hire (attorney, doctor, etc.) – is dedicated to your success.
• A time to refocus. I have to admit, there are weeks when I'd rather just keep working and not take 30 minutes out of the day to call my coach… those tend to be the days where I find the session most valuable. My weekly coaching call forces me to stop running and make sure I'm headed in the right direction to begin with.
Bottom Line: I speak with my coach once a week, 50 times a year. And while most sessions don't result in any immediate business breakthrough, every six months or so I gain an insight or develop a new idea that more than pays for an entire year's worth of sessions.
If you think coaching is only for people with "problems," you're looking at the wrong side of the equation. If you want to be among the best, and maybe even play in The Big Game, find someone who can help you get there.
"A strong, successful man is not the victim of his environment. He creates favorable conditions. His own inherent force and energy compel things to turn out as he desires." — Orison Marden
Call Me TODAY to get Started!
All teams, in all games, in all sports, always have a coach.And it's not just teams either. Sprinters, boxers, golfers, even chess players have coaches.
In fact, according to research that if conducted would probably be true, every professional athlete of any merit in the world has a coach.
So why don't you?
Why is it a given that top performing athletes have professional guidance from people whose sole
responsibility is to help them perform better, and yet when it comes to running our businesses – we think we've got it covered?
I have no idea. However, as someone who's worked with a coach for a few years now, I can tell you without question that it's been worth every penny.
Here's what it's given me:
• An objective point of view. Particularly if you're just starting a new business, having someone who can help you sort through the ins and outs, the opportunities and the fears is tremendously helpful. You can't watch yourself working any more than an athlete can watch himself playing; a coach sees what you can't.
• A trained, constructive listener. Like me, you may be lucky enough to have a spouse who's supportive, but I've come to see that good coaching is a lot more than that. My coach's understanding of when to push back, when to encourage, and when to remain absolutely silent (one of her most annoying skills) is something I've found invaluable again and again.
• A paid professional. Although your friends and/or spouse may be willing to go deep (gratuitous football reference) on important issues, your relationship with them requires give and take; it can't be all about you. The nice thing about having a coach, on the other hand, is that it can. Your time with the coach – as with any professional you hire (attorney, doctor, etc.) – is dedicated to your success.
• A time to refocus. I have to admit, there are weeks when I'd rather just keep working and not take 30 minutes out of the day to call my coach… those tend to be the days where I find the session most valuable. My weekly coaching call forces me to stop running and make sure I'm headed in the right direction to begin with.
Bottom Line: I speak with my coach once a week, 50 times a year. And while most sessions don't result in any immediate business breakthrough, every six months or so I gain an insight or develop a new idea that more than pays for an entire year's worth of sessions.
If you think coaching is only for people with "problems," you're looking at the wrong side of the equation. If you want to be among the best, and maybe even play in The Big Game, find someone who can help you get there.
"A strong, successful man is not the victim of his environment. He creates favorable conditions. His own inherent force and energy compel things to turn out as he desires." — Orison Marden
Call Me TODAY to get Started!
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
The Formula For Change!
Could There be a formula for change? Well, Here it is:
D x V + F > R Let me explain!
Dissatisfaction multiplied by Vision and having a First Step to start will overcome Resistance!
Why am I saying this? Because in In today’s fast-paced life, the wins usually go to those with exceptional skills and abilities. The old quote is true, “The race is not always won by the swift and the strong, but that is the way to bet.”
With this in mind, and with your desire to become increasingly successful, here are some ways to accelerate your abilities, thus enabling you to achieve greater and greater things.
D: Dissatisfaction:
Become dissatisfied with your current state. Growth for growth’s sake is good. Those who will achieve much are those who say to themselves, “I want to grow. I want to be better. And I am willing to do what it takes to get there. This current state is not enough!” This dissatisfaction will create for you an insatiable drive to do what it takes to get your abilities to the next level.
V: Vision:
Visualize the benefits of increased abilities. Put them at the forefront of your mind. This will saturate your mind with the motivation that it will take for you to do what it takes to increase your abilities. What good will come out of my increased ability? How will I be better off as well as the others around me? The answers to these questions act as the carrot before the horse, moving you forward.
F: First Step
Understand your weaknesses. If you want to improve, one of the best ways is to start with some area that you aren’t particularly good at. This is the “shoring up method.” Sometimes it is easier to improve something you aren’t good at than something you are. And the gains will still look great for your overall situation! Take some time to consider what areas you are weakest in and focus in on them for a while. The results will obviously be much more pronounced than getting better at something you have already somewhat mastered.
Attempt greater levels of what you are already good at. Another tack to take would be to stretch yourself in an area that you already have some skill and ability in. What areas do you excel in? Now understand that when you leave the weaker areas weak and make extraordinary gains in one area, then you will be moving more toward “specialist” rather than “generalist.” That is okay, but needs to fit in with your overall goals.
Commit time each day to improvement. Steady improvement is the way to go. In fact, you may not see improvement for days or weeks. You may feel like you are failing each time. But alas, eventually you will get it and your skill will increase to the next level. The key is day in, day out, spending time working on improving. Even five minutes a day equals a half hour a week, 2 hours a month. That adds up! Remember, Practice, practice, practice.
Seek out and spend time with someone who has greater ability than you. One of the best things to do to increase your ability is hang out with people who are already more skilled than you. Watching, them, studying them, interacting with them, even competing with them will make you better. As in sports, to improve, you play with people better than you, not worse. They will raise you to a new level. Who around you can you get involved with who will help you with your ability?
Take a class or hire a coach. Go to school my friend. Take a course at a local college or vocational institute. Take a class online. Hire one of the many coaches available today. Pick a specific skill you would like to improve upon and find someone who is a specialist in that area. At the very least, pick up some audio or videotapes to help you grow.
Be the tortoise, not the hare. Slow but sure. Take your time, do it right. Keep going in the right direction. Learn your craft correctly. Don’t give up quality for speed. The whole idea of acceleration is this way: Slow start, work up to high speeds, go the distance. Luckily life isn’t a sprint but a marathon!
Remember, when you get the resistance to make positive change, ask yourself if you have enough dissatisfaction, strong Vision and the steps to move forward!
sam
D x V + F > R Let me explain!
Dissatisfaction multiplied by Vision and having a First Step to start will overcome Resistance!
Why am I saying this? Because in In today’s fast-paced life, the wins usually go to those with exceptional skills and abilities. The old quote is true, “The race is not always won by the swift and the strong, but that is the way to bet.”
With this in mind, and with your desire to become increasingly successful, here are some ways to accelerate your abilities, thus enabling you to achieve greater and greater things.
D: Dissatisfaction:
Become dissatisfied with your current state. Growth for growth’s sake is good. Those who will achieve much are those who say to themselves, “I want to grow. I want to be better. And I am willing to do what it takes to get there. This current state is not enough!” This dissatisfaction will create for you an insatiable drive to do what it takes to get your abilities to the next level.
V: Vision:
Visualize the benefits of increased abilities. Put them at the forefront of your mind. This will saturate your mind with the motivation that it will take for you to do what it takes to increase your abilities. What good will come out of my increased ability? How will I be better off as well as the others around me? The answers to these questions act as the carrot before the horse, moving you forward.
F: First Step
Understand your weaknesses. If you want to improve, one of the best ways is to start with some area that you aren’t particularly good at. This is the “shoring up method.” Sometimes it is easier to improve something you aren’t good at than something you are. And the gains will still look great for your overall situation! Take some time to consider what areas you are weakest in and focus in on them for a while. The results will obviously be much more pronounced than getting better at something you have already somewhat mastered.
Attempt greater levels of what you are already good at. Another tack to take would be to stretch yourself in an area that you already have some skill and ability in. What areas do you excel in? Now understand that when you leave the weaker areas weak and make extraordinary gains in one area, then you will be moving more toward “specialist” rather than “generalist.” That is okay, but needs to fit in with your overall goals.
Commit time each day to improvement. Steady improvement is the way to go. In fact, you may not see improvement for days or weeks. You may feel like you are failing each time. But alas, eventually you will get it and your skill will increase to the next level. The key is day in, day out, spending time working on improving. Even five minutes a day equals a half hour a week, 2 hours a month. That adds up! Remember, Practice, practice, practice.
Seek out and spend time with someone who has greater ability than you. One of the best things to do to increase your ability is hang out with people who are already more skilled than you. Watching, them, studying them, interacting with them, even competing with them will make you better. As in sports, to improve, you play with people better than you, not worse. They will raise you to a new level. Who around you can you get involved with who will help you with your ability?
Take a class or hire a coach. Go to school my friend. Take a course at a local college or vocational institute. Take a class online. Hire one of the many coaches available today. Pick a specific skill you would like to improve upon and find someone who is a specialist in that area. At the very least, pick up some audio or videotapes to help you grow.
Be the tortoise, not the hare. Slow but sure. Take your time, do it right. Keep going in the right direction. Learn your craft correctly. Don’t give up quality for speed. The whole idea of acceleration is this way: Slow start, work up to high speeds, go the distance. Luckily life isn’t a sprint but a marathon!
Remember, when you get the resistance to make positive change, ask yourself if you have enough dissatisfaction, strong Vision and the steps to move forward!
sam
Your Automatic Pilot to Goal Achievement by D. Waitley
Every living organism has a built-in autopilot to help it achieve its goal, which is, in very basic terms, to live. In more primitive forms of life, to live simply means physical survival for both the individual and the species. This built-in mechanism or instinct in animals is limited to finding food and shelter, avoiding or overcoming enemies and procreation to ensure the continuation of the line.
Humans have intelligence and emotional and spiritual needs and capabilities, which animals do not have, and we often overlook the fact that human beings have a success instinct. Animals cannot select their goals; their success mechanisms are limited to those inborn goal images that are called instincts. The success instinct in the human being, however, has something that animals will never possess: the creative imagination. The human being is the only creature on the earth that can direct his or her future by choice. You are more than a creature; you are a creator. You choose what your reticular activating system in your brain gives credit to. And you choose what you are looking for in the future through the repeated use of your creative imagination. The way you perceive your world defines the world in which you live. To see it in its unlimited range of possibilities is to see with the Quantum mind.
The perceptions we hold of ourselves, or our self-images, determine the kind and scope of people we are; our self-images are our life, controlling mechanisms that dwell at the subconscious level of thinking. Responsible for autonomic body control, such as breathing and heartbeat, and also for storing conditioned reflexes (repeated skills or images), the subconscious can be compared to a navigational guidance system or automatic pilot. The conscious level of thinking, responsible for collecting information from the environment, storing it in the memory and making rational decisions, can be compared to an attorney or judge.
Guidance systems can be programmed to seek an image or target. They are installed in missiles and spacecraft, which are then guided by these highly sophisticated electronic systems to seek a target through the use of electronic data feedback. The homing torpedo, for example, is a self-propelled system that makes every correction necessary to stay on target and score a hit by constantly monitoring feedback signals from the target area and adjusting the course setting in its own navigational guidance computer. Programmed incompletely or nonspecifically, or aimed at a target too far out of range, the homing torpedo will wander erratically until its propulsion system fails or it self-destructs.
So it is with each of us. Set a goal or an image and this self-motivated system, which constantly monitors self-talk and environmental feedback about the goal, adjusts the self-image settings in our minds and makes every decision necessary to reach the goal.
Most of the information fed into your subconscious memory stays there. The billions of separate bits of input stored over a lifetime are all there awaiting retrieval, and can never be willfully erased by you. They can be overridden or modified over a period of time, but you are stuck with them for life. While performing brain surgery on patients who were conscious under local anesthesia, Dr. Wilder Penfield of the Montreal Neurological Institute stimulated certain brain cells with a weak electrical current. Incredibly, he found his patients remembering experiences that had happened to them many years before; it was as if each person had a videotape recorder in his or her head. One thirty-five-year-old woman recalled her fifth birthday party in vivid detail. She saw all the children around her in party hats; she saw herself opening her presents, including a Dutch doll with wooden shoes, and she blew out the candles on her cake and made a wish. On the basis of this work, Dr. Penfield theorized that every experience, sight, sound, smell, taste and touch registers a pattern in the brain that stays long after the actual experience is consciously forgotten.
Recent research suggests that the brain can function like a holographic projector, which uses laser beams to project and reassemble three-dimensional images. If you’ve been through the delightful experiences of Disneyland, Walt Disney World or Epcot Center, you’ve been startled and amazed at the “real-life” ghosts and characters. Though they are just an assembly of light waves, they appear so solid that you could reach out and touch them! It is this holographic capability of the brain that makes your mind such a potent force.
Scientists agree that the human nervous system cannot tell the difference between an actual experience and one imagined vividly, emotionally and in detail. Many of your everyday decisions are based upon information about yourself that has been stored as truth but is just a figment of your imagination, shaded by your environment.
During every moment of our lives, we program our self-image to work for us or against us. It strives to meet the objectives we set for it, regardless of whether they are positive or negative, true or false or safe or dangerous. Like a videotape recorder playing its cassette, its sole function is to follow instructions implicitly, based upon previous inputs/
Humans have intelligence and emotional and spiritual needs and capabilities, which animals do not have, and we often overlook the fact that human beings have a success instinct. Animals cannot select their goals; their success mechanisms are limited to those inborn goal images that are called instincts. The success instinct in the human being, however, has something that animals will never possess: the creative imagination. The human being is the only creature on the earth that can direct his or her future by choice. You are more than a creature; you are a creator. You choose what your reticular activating system in your brain gives credit to. And you choose what you are looking for in the future through the repeated use of your creative imagination. The way you perceive your world defines the world in which you live. To see it in its unlimited range of possibilities is to see with the Quantum mind.
The perceptions we hold of ourselves, or our self-images, determine the kind and scope of people we are; our self-images are our life, controlling mechanisms that dwell at the subconscious level of thinking. Responsible for autonomic body control, such as breathing and heartbeat, and also for storing conditioned reflexes (repeated skills or images), the subconscious can be compared to a navigational guidance system or automatic pilot. The conscious level of thinking, responsible for collecting information from the environment, storing it in the memory and making rational decisions, can be compared to an attorney or judge.
Guidance systems can be programmed to seek an image or target. They are installed in missiles and spacecraft, which are then guided by these highly sophisticated electronic systems to seek a target through the use of electronic data feedback. The homing torpedo, for example, is a self-propelled system that makes every correction necessary to stay on target and score a hit by constantly monitoring feedback signals from the target area and adjusting the course setting in its own navigational guidance computer. Programmed incompletely or nonspecifically, or aimed at a target too far out of range, the homing torpedo will wander erratically until its propulsion system fails or it self-destructs.
So it is with each of us. Set a goal or an image and this self-motivated system, which constantly monitors self-talk and environmental feedback about the goal, adjusts the self-image settings in our minds and makes every decision necessary to reach the goal.
Most of the information fed into your subconscious memory stays there. The billions of separate bits of input stored over a lifetime are all there awaiting retrieval, and can never be willfully erased by you. They can be overridden or modified over a period of time, but you are stuck with them for life. While performing brain surgery on patients who were conscious under local anesthesia, Dr. Wilder Penfield of the Montreal Neurological Institute stimulated certain brain cells with a weak electrical current. Incredibly, he found his patients remembering experiences that had happened to them many years before; it was as if each person had a videotape recorder in his or her head. One thirty-five-year-old woman recalled her fifth birthday party in vivid detail. She saw all the children around her in party hats; she saw herself opening her presents, including a Dutch doll with wooden shoes, and she blew out the candles on her cake and made a wish. On the basis of this work, Dr. Penfield theorized that every experience, sight, sound, smell, taste and touch registers a pattern in the brain that stays long after the actual experience is consciously forgotten.
Recent research suggests that the brain can function like a holographic projector, which uses laser beams to project and reassemble three-dimensional images. If you’ve been through the delightful experiences of Disneyland, Walt Disney World or Epcot Center, you’ve been startled and amazed at the “real-life” ghosts and characters. Though they are just an assembly of light waves, they appear so solid that you could reach out and touch them! It is this holographic capability of the brain that makes your mind such a potent force.
Scientists agree that the human nervous system cannot tell the difference between an actual experience and one imagined vividly, emotionally and in detail. Many of your everyday decisions are based upon information about yourself that has been stored as truth but is just a figment of your imagination, shaded by your environment.
During every moment of our lives, we program our self-image to work for us or against us. It strives to meet the objectives we set for it, regardless of whether they are positive or negative, true or false or safe or dangerous. Like a videotape recorder playing its cassette, its sole function is to follow instructions implicitly, based upon previous inputs/
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