A bias for action

Thursday February 4, 2010 #192

“Develop a bias for action, a sense of urgency, to get things done.”

~Brian Tracy

The successful, the powerful, the happy people among us all have one thing in common:  A bias for action.  Contemplation, consideration, meditation are all critical to our ability to take smart action.  But you’ll never achieve your goals by thinking alone.  Act!

The real secret

Tuesday February 2, 2010 #191

“If you can imagine it, you can achieve it; if you can dream it, you can become it.”

~William Arthur Ward

Thank you to JAMmer BD for sharing today’s quote.  Ward only has part of the answer, imagination and dreams are just that – until we take actions to make real what we imagine and dream.  So dream away, but don’t expect anything to happen until you take action.  That is the real secret.

Reflecting on failure

Thursday January 28, 2010 #190

“Success is the ability to go from a failure to another trial with no loss of enthusiasm.”

~Winston S. Churchill

Thank you to JAMmer MS for sharing today’s quote which reminds us that failure is just a by-product of the efforts toward achievement.  Embrace and celebrate failures as an opportunity to learn what does not work in a particular circumstance.  Reflect, learn, and take a new action.

Riding the wave

Tuesday January 26, 2010 #189

“The only constant is change. You can’t step into the same river twice. The constant is the flow and change itself.”

~Heraclitus

Heraclitus knew the truth centuries ago:  Change is truly the only constant.  It is amazing how much time we waste trying to control change rather than simply embracing it.  Learning to ride the wave of change is one of the single most powerful things you can do to reduce stress and improve your sense of well-being.

Your power

Thursday January 21, 2010 #188

“I know of no more encouraging fact than the unquestioned ability of a man to elevate his life by conscious endeavor.”

~Henry David Thoreau

Never allow yourself to fall into a victim state regarding your job, your relationships, your finances, etc.  Your great gift is the ability to right now, without delay, take action to move forward and change your situation.  Don’t blame others or circumstances.  Don’t try to change someone else.  Get to work now on you, on your situation.  Act.  The power is immense and it is all yours.

Experience life!

Tuesday January 19, 2010 #187

“We do not remember days; we remember moments.”

~Cesare Pavese

A simple reminder to get your head out of your iPhone, Blackberry, etc., and pay attention to the sights, sounds, smells, and human interactions flowing all around you.  You’re missing potentially powerful memories in every moment.  Wake up from your walking dream and experience life!

6 impossible things

Thursday January 14, 2010 #186

Sometimes I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.”

~Lewis Carroll

From long-time JAMmer HO, today’s quote reminds us not to take life too seriously.  Spend a bit of time everyday in a playful activity.  A little break from all the serious aspects of work and life will recharge your mental batteries and increase your effectiveness.

Our greatest teacher

Tuesday January 12, 2010 #185

“Never let the fear of striking out, keep you from playing the game”.

~Babe Ruth

New JAMmer SM shares today’s quote and reminds us that failure only exists when no attempt is made to succeed.  When honest effort is made, failure is our greatest teacher.  We learn what not to do and can then make our next attempt – eventually succeeding.  So yes, you will strike out – probably often.  But never allow that fear to stop you from trying.

Work on yourself

Thursday January 7, 2010 #184

“We could learn a lot from crayons. Some are sharp, some are pretty, some are dull, some have weird names, they are of many different colors, some are more popular than others — but they all have to learn to live in the same box.”

~Robert Fulghum

Thank you to JAMmer KH for sharing today’s quote.  I challenge you to use it as a reminder to focus on your own development rather than attempting to change others.  The most common and unnecessary cause of conflict is our desire to convince others to believe what we believe, to behave the way we want them to behave, to agree with our politics, our religion, even to root for our team.  STOP!  Appreciate the differences of those around you and work on yourself.  You know as well as I do that there is enough work to do on ourselves to keep us fully occupied for a lifetime.

Embrace the new day

Tuesday January 5, 2010 #183

“The plan starts simple: Embrace the morning. Morning dictates everything, including mood, scope, and pace of the day.”

~Eric Dane

I have JAMmed before about the gift we have every day to start anew.  No matter the successes or failures, excitement or monotony of the previous day, each morning challenges us to neither rest on success nor to be bent by adversity.  As this is the first JAM of 2010, I also challenge you to apply this idea to years.  No matter what 2009 brought you – joy or sadness, wealth or poverty, today I ask you to approach 2010 as you can a new day:  with gratitude for the opportunity to be alive today and for the awesome opportunity to take actions that will bring positive change to you, your family, your workplace and your community.

Happy New Year!