Changing Your Thinking

Tuesday December 30, 2014 #691

“You are where you are right now because of your best thinking. If you want something different, change your thinking.”

~Tony Rush

You are an amazing talent. You are driven to succeed and keep yourself in action daily toward achievement of your professional and personal goals.  And yet…  You’re not satisfied with your progress or achievements.  What is happening?

Today’s quote asks us to stop, reflect, and rethink both our goals and our actions.  Take the time today to assess the goals you have laid out for your personal and professional life.  What have you experience and learned this last year?  How have your capabilities grown or changed?  Who has come into your life, or left it?

Does any of this require rethinking your goals?  If so, make the change today and begin altering your actions to move toward your revised goals.  If not, but you are still not satisfied with your progress, it is time to change your thinking – about your goals, about your capabilities and resources, and about the very actions you have been taking.

Experience, reflect, learn, change, repeat….

Intentional Activity

Tuesday December 16, 2014 #687

“Determine never to be idle…It is wonderful how much may be done if we are always doing.”

~Thomas Jefferson

We are coming in to the last days of 2014 and I would like you to take this moment to reflect on one question:  As you look back on the year, how much of your idle time was intentional?  Being idle is not being lazy or wasting time, if the decision is intentional and tied to your goals.  We must give ourselves space and time to reflect, recharge, and assess our personal and professional activities.  Going full-out, 100% of the time only proves you are always moving, but not necessarily for the right reasons.  So, if you look back and determine that the time you were idle was usually intentional and spent in quiet contemplation, congratulations!  You have probably been far more productive than those who never paused to recharge their batteries and ensure they were on the right track.  If your idle time has been more a case of laziness, or if you never paused at all, I suggest you determine how you will schedule appropriate down time in 2015 – purposefully and designed to keep your times of activity the best they can be.

Commitment to Excellence

Tuesday November 18, 2014 #679

“Desire is the key to motivation, but it’s the determination and commitment to an unrelenting pursuit of your goal – a commitment to excellence – that will enable you to attain the success you seek.”

~Mario Andretti

Success begins with the desire to achieve a worthy goal or outcome, and I don’t know of a worthy goal that lacks significant obstacles requiring determination and persistence to overcome them.  So if you find yourself languishing in mediocrity, check first if you have the desire to achieve something great in the work or the environment you are in.  Without that desire, you’ll lack the motivation necessary to push through the inevitable challenges and achieve your worthy goal.

Starting Now

Tuesday October 21, 2014 #671

“Your future is created by what you do today, not tomorrow.”

~Robert Kiyosaki

Procrastination is such a dangerous game.  We all know the power of compound interest:  The earlier we start to put a little away each day into our savings account, the earlier we attain wealth.  The same is true for moving toward your personal and professional goals.  The earlier you start, the more likely you will succeed.  Don’t wait another moment.  Take action today, and tomorrow!

The Power of Imagination

Tuesday September 2, 2014 #658

“An idea is salvation by imagination.”

~Frank Lloyd Wright

In every day we are challenged on our progress toward our personal, professional, and spiritual goals.  What gets us through these challenges are ideas – our own, and those inspired or offered by others.  Our real task is to keep our minds and hearts open to our own ability to ideate and to the ideas of others, so at the moment of challenge we have vast resources to call upon for just the idea we need in that moment.  Are you open to your own genius and the genius of others?  Open up!

Inspiring Excellence

Tuesday August 19, 2014 #654

“We are going to relentlessly pursue perfection knowing full well it is unobtainable, because in that relentless pursuit of perfection, we will achieve excellence.” 

~Vince Lombardi

I have long admired and tried to emulate people who are positive, inspirational and always seem to drive toward seemingly unattainable goals.  It is this combination of positivity and relentless drive to achieve the unachievable that I find so attractive.  You just can’t help believing in the mission and wanting to be a part of achieving their inspirational goal – even if it appears crazy.  By creating this environment, they almost always achieve more than if their goal was “realistic”.

There is the flip side:  the negative or nasty person who also is trying to push for the impossible – but since their approach is mean-spirited, they become repulsive and only lead by fear or intimidation.  They may achieve a few wins, but in the long term they lose.

Choose to be the positive person who creates the environment to achieve great things together – even the “impossible”!

Over Thinking

Tuesday June 17, 2014 #636

“A man of knowledge lives by acting, not by thinking about acting, not by thinking about what he will think when he has finished acting.” ~Carlos Castenada

Before taking action on important goals, it is important to take the necessary time to determine your preferred path.  This can include contextual analysis, building competencies, gathering necessary resources, seeking expert or stakeholder input, considering alternatives, etc.  But this can’t go on and on.  Decide.  And once your decision is made, act.  Many an opportunity is lost when we fail to act; when we fail to begin.  Thinking about it won’t get you there.

Looking for a Sign

Thursday June 12, 2014 #635

“Failure is a signpost to turn you in another direction.” ~Oprah Winfrey

We all fail.  In little ways and in big ways.  The question is never, “will I fail?”  Of course I will.  The question is “what will I do when I fail?”  Reflection is always the important first step. Did I fail because I haven’t yet found the way through an obstacle, and therefore must keep trying different ways?  Or because I need to move in a different direction altogether?  The reflection will help determine the next action to take.

What failure is not, is a sign to give up on a worthy goal.  It may, however, be a sign to rethink whether your goal is indeed worthy.  If it is, don’t let anything stop you from taking actions, even when most fail.

Enjoying the Journey

Thursday June 5, 2014 #633

“Great results cannot be achieved at once; and we must be satisfied to advance in life as we walk, step by step.” ~Samuel Smiles

It is common to get discouraged on the long path to achieving our dreams.  Anything worth achieving is going to be challenging and may result in many failures as we attempt to move forward.  To not only achieve our goals, but more importantly to enjoy the journey, we must allow ourselves to recognize the many small victories along the way.  This is the definition of the joyful, happy life – the ability to enjoy the journey.  We do this be recognizing the steps taken, and being grateful for the people and the experiences we are fortunate to have along the way.

Stepping Stones to Success

Tuesday April 29, 2014 #622

“Failure is not the opposite of success, but a stepping stone to success.”  

~Arianna Huffington

There are no easy paths to achieving worthy goals.  Any success worth achieving is going to be difficult.  Of course no one enjoys failing, and initial disappointment is natural.  The trick is to recognize these stumbles as an important part of the journey and allow yourself to learn from them, gaining the wisdom you will need to ultimately achieve your goals.