Build It To Last

Do you hate following daily routines? Are you prone to resenting structure and rebelling against the idea of “having to do something”? Do you get energized and distracted by the biggest and shiniest marble in front of you?  Are you likely to race after the biggest bear in the woods before you have gathered all the tools you will need to catch the big fella? Are you likely to cut corners and rationalize your willingness to do so?

Are you as successful as you try to be, as you would like to be?

 I have worked with many professionals who claim to have traits of ADD and who have answered yes to all of the questions above except the last one.

What we have discovered through our work together is that the development and adherence to a “system” is critical to their success. What we have also learned is that following a system can be a painstakingly slow process for a good number of them.

It seems that the one critical factor in building a workable and valuable routine is the need for each person to claim it as their own.  Folks who typically resent being directed or told what to do will instinctively react by doing the opposite, finding a distraction or do nothing at all, which severely impedes their effectiveness and productivity.

Successful activity often requires persistent repetition of mundane steps that may not be fun, may require focus and concentration and may not be easy.  While these steps may not immediately lead to the shiniest marble or biggest bear in the woods they will, if adhered to consistently, lead to successful outcomes. I often hear one of my thriving business clients offer this refrain “when I follow my system everyday I do the things that grow my business and when I am distracted by that potentially huge sale (bear in the woods) my routine and business suffers”. This successful business person fought against many ideas/systems that various professionals offered to him for years. He eventually learned to embrace a routine that he identified as one that made sense to him and one that he could own as his alone.

If you want to be more successful make the challenge personal by developing your own routine and following a system that fits the way you work. Remember to be honest when identifying steps that lead to your success rather than looking for the quickest or easiest fix.

• Identify your desired outcomes.
• List all of the steps you will need to take to reach this outcome
• Prioritize these steps. What is the order they will need to follow? Which steps will need to be performed most often? How often? Which steps will offer the greatest discomfort and thus lead to the greatest resistance? When would be the best time to attend to these tasks? 
• What time of the day are you most productive? Which steps should be performed during those times? 
• What type of support/assistance will you need? Who will you turn to for that assistance? 
• What rewards will you gain from following this routine?
• Identify all of the reasons why you would not want to follow your routine?
• What outcome should you expect if you stop?
• Are you satisfied with that outcome?
• How will you know when you have stopped following the routine you have developed?
• Who do you want to share your activity with?
• Who will hold you accountable when you are getting off track?   

 Remember! Each time you join the rebel forces and attack the bastion of “you have to”, you are assailing the foundation of your own kingdom.

A Life Less Valued

How often do you embrace your life’s most cherished moments? What are the simple things in life that bring a smile to your face? What are the gifts of life that bring you the greatest sense of contentment and satisfaction?  You know those precious experiences that breathe energy into your spirit and fill your life with meaning and purpose. Our core values remain fairly constant but they can easily be misplaced or lost as we traverse through the pathways of our hectic lives.  

Would your choices be different if you were mindful of those experiences that brought the greatest value to your life? Perhaps you might start pursuing personal passions and dreams, engage in meaningful activities with family and friends more often, join a grass roots organization, extend a helping hand to a stranger you pass along the way, join a barber shop quartet, quit your job of 20 years and start that business you have always dreamed of, volunteer time and energy for a cause you embrace. How much more fulfilling would your activities and experiences be if they were aligned with your core values? 

You get the idea

It is easy to lose our connection to those internal prizes that bring us great rewards. There is the living of life that can derail us within the blink of an eye. There is so much to do, to accomplish in such a short period of time. And what do we have at the end of that time? 

There are many reasons why we end up distanced from those values and beliefs that hold great power and rewards for us?  We are driven to succeed in a frenetic and ever changing world. We are apprehensive of stepping off course, of making changes and of letting go. We are fearful of failing, of disappointing others. We are distracted by the maelstrom that is our daily life. The end result frequently leaves us feeling short-changed in satisfaction, sense of purpose and inner peace. 

There is always opportunity to reset your focus and action towards activities more aligned with what you truly value. Greater mindful awareness of what motivates the choices you make will be required.  You will need to take the time to reflect on what you do, why you do it and what your rewards are. 

• Identify and write down your core values 
• Note how often your choices are guided by these values
• List experiences that have brought you the greatest sense of fulfillment throughout your life. Record any that you have lost sight of along the way that were particularly important to you and that you would like to build back into your life.
• Develop a plan of action that allows you to maintain awareness of what you value most and identify how you will build in more experiences that follow you core values and beliefs. 
• Identify the benefits you will reap by following this action plan. You are much more likely to adhere to a new activity when the benefit is clear.
• Schedule time to review choices you make to assure that you are adhering to your action plan.  

The quality of life is determined by the choices we make and we thrive or suffer based upon them. If your choices are determined by your core values, you are destined to thrive.  

Contact Jim today for a complimentary 30-minute success coaching session.

The Power of Persistance

 I was working strenuously to build at least a semblance of a muscle at the gym the other day when I noticed a young man working a seemingly uninspiring exercise. This gym-master simply shrugged his shoulders while holding a barbell at the end of his arms. I wondered what would drive someone to do this tedious exercise even just a few times.  It wasn’t exciting. He didn’t look like the Incredible Hulk when he was finished. He looked just the same as he did before he started.

I decided this fellow would need to replicate this routine many times before any observable result would be achieved. Yet here he was repeating this movement over and over no matter how dull it appeared to me.

The thought that this man had patience, persistence and trust in what he was doing immediately crossed my mind. He persisted in this activity despite the presence of any immediate reward. He knew if he maintained this routine he would reap the reward of a stronger and healthier body over a period of time.

How many of us are willing to persist in any routine that doesn’t offer an immediate return on our investment? To trust that our replicated actions are leading to enhanced health, wealth, professional and personal performance, quality of life?

"Achieving long-term benefits takes persistence, patience and trust."

This is the era of immediate stimulation and reward. You want to feel better? Take a pill, put on your headphones and blast music into your brain, call a friend while your are driving on the expressway at 75 miles per hour, get on line and socialize with two thousand of your closest friends, gulp a Grande Mocha-Ole-Latte-Light with a Red Bull Chaser and feel the immediate rush. Everything is in the moment, with little thought about the outcome of our actions or a willingness to defer immediate gratification for a longer lasting reward. No time to think about what I am doing now. I got things to do and I want to feel a rush of energy and emotion at every turn of my life.   

Achieving long-term benefits takes persistence, patience and trust. Sometimes the activity will not be glamorous or exciting, but if it is well designed you will reap sustained benefits and rewards.  When you set your sights on the Golden Goose be ready to replicate behaviors that work, trust that what you are doing will serve your best interest and be willing to wait for the return on your investment.  

Contact Jim today to your complimentary introductory coaching session.

Keep track of your accomplishments to fuel future success

How often do you question your efforts to make any progress towards personal or professional goals you have set?  

Many professionals I have coached initially find themselves bogged down in self-doubt and negative focus.  When asked to review their progress they will list a litany of all of the things they have not done and note how discouraged they feel. 

When asked to identify what they have accomplished over the past week they struggle to recall any positive actions.

Here is a simple action that can be invaluable when you fall into this trap:

Take an inventory of your accomplishments each day.  Set aside a few moments each day to identify successes and positive steps you have taken that you find noteworthy and write them down, then review your inventory each week.

It is easy to get distracted by all of the things that go wrong in your day and week. You never want to lose sight of your accomplishments and significant efforts. Your ability to be mindful of what you have achieved will provide impetus for continued effort and ultimate success. 

Need help identifying your current and future goals? Contact Jim to learn more about how to begin living your "no-limits" life.

Write it down: Keep track of your successes each day

How often do you question your efforts to make any progress towards personal or professional goals you have set?  Many professionals I have coached initially find themselves bogged down in self-doubt and negative focus.  When asked to review their progress they will list a litany of all of the things they have not done and note how discouraged they feel. 

When asked to identify what they have accomplished over the past week they struggle to recall any positive actions.

Here is a simple action that can be invaluable when you fall into this trap.

Take an inventory of your accomplishments each day. Set aside a few moments each day to identify successes and positive steps you have taken that you find noteworthy and write them down, then review your inventory each week.

It is easy to get distracted by all of the things that go wrong in your day and week. You never want to lose sight of your accomplishments and significant efforts. Your ability to be mindful of what you have achieved will provide impetus for continued effort and ultimate success.  

Contact Jim to learn more about how to begin living your "no-limits" life.

    

But I never planned on being a hat check girl in a Chinese deli!

So how did I get here?

By luck?  By accident? By trusting in the good intentions of others?

If you believed you were going to be an astronaut and ended up working as a Hat Check Girl in a Chinese Deli, chances are you never designed and followed an action plan that was based on your skills, your values, your goals.

Mindless focus and behavior often places us at the mercy of luck, accidents and the good or bad intention of others.

Take a moment to identify a personal or professional goal. Identify the steps it would take to reach that goal. Commit to taking the initial step towards that goal and set a completion deadline. Share this deadline with someone you trust.  Periodically share your progress towards this step with that person to assure accountability.

Three questions to help you get started on the path to helping you identify and achieve a personal and professional goal.