Red light, green light

Image - Flickr Vizzzual

One of the items in Jennifer Lee’s Right Brain Business Plan that I love is Start, Stop, Continue. I actually do this exercise with my team and myself regularly.

What are the three things right now that you would like to start, three things you would like to stop, and three things you would like to continue?

In late January, Chris Brogan wrote about “quitting” in his newsletter. It was around that time that I started to think about the things that I needed to quit. So over the course of the last couple of months here are the three things I have been stopping/quitting:

1. communities that no longer serve me

I belonged to two communities that although I fully support their vision and mandate, were no longer serving me. By letting it go, I freed up my time and mental space to focus on other things including other communities that are serving me right now.

2. fear

I think many of us, maybe even most of us, are run by fear. We make choices out of fear. We limit our Selves, our dreams, our lives because of fear. Fear is the egos way of keeping control over us.

3. compartmentalization

I tend to keep my life very compartmentalized. I have work, I have my spiritual practice, I have my interests and hobbies, and I keep them all very separate. I think I believe that it isn’t possible for these things to exist happily outside of me. That they don’t mix. I am learning to embrace all parts of me as a whole. Bringing a little of each into the other. It is still an experiment in practice.

What do you need to quit or stop doing to give you the room to do something else?

Take Courage on Your Hero’s Journey

“When everything seems to be going against you, remember that the airplane takes off against the wind, not with it.” Henry Ford

I’m used to physical discomfort. After a car accident, my physical body was broken, bruised and traumatized. It has taken years to get it back into reasonable shape. I have given up on the idea that I will be the person that I was before the accident. It’s often like that in life changing events. There is your life before the event and your life after the event.

But that kind of discomfort is not the focus on my post today. Recently, my discomfort surrounds change and transformation. I am trying to change my life; to release my fears and thoughts of inadequacies that are holding me back, keeping me from living my best life. These are not external factors. It is all within my own mind. I am the only thing holding me back. Sometimes it takes external forces to force us to acknowledge it.

I have been feeling very uncomfortable these past few months, so much so that at times I wiggle in my seat. I can feel myself getting “antsy”.  What’s going on that’s making me so uncomfortable? I’m scared. I worry. “What people will think. I’m going to fall flat on my face. Fail. People will think I am a fraud, that I’m not good enough.” I let that inner voice go through its spiel. Then I sit quietly. I connect with my own Truth. I take a deep breath. And I remember. I have nothing to fear.  have been doing this work for a long time and I am very good at it. This I know. Everything is going to change, it always does. That’ s life. Change is inevitable. So, isn’t it better to control the direction of the change? To make it a change that brings into reality a life that you love to live?

We are all on our hero’s journey, whether we want to be or not. Some of us are just more aware than others.  Two movies come to mind (both of which I recommend), Finding Joe and May I Be Frank. Finding Joe is about the Hero’s Journey and how all great stories regardless of culture or language are about this journey. It talks about the great work of Joseph Campbell and how we all can live our bliss. And May I Be Frank is a documentary of one man’s hero journey to transform his life not only on the physical plane but the emotional and spiritual planes as well. It centers on Frank Ferrante, a man that is transformed on many levels. It is a powerful story of hope and love.

Transformation and living our bliss takes courage. It takes diligent and persistent attention to our thoughts, words and actions. It is about constant vigilance to ensure that we don’t allow our egos or inner critics to get the better of us. Sometimes we must close our eyes, take a deep breath, and connect with our inner Truth. Then we must move forward regardless of the fear that we may be feeling.

Take courage.

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Published at Creative Dream Journals

Planning for Success: Lessons Learned

“Good thoughts are no better than good dreams, unless they be executed.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

I am in the process of writing an e-book on planning. It will be a project management 101 book for small business owners.

I’ve managed hundreds of projects over the years. Small, large, complex, simple. Projects of all shapes and sizes. Projects that succeeded, some that failed, many that fell in between. You learn from them all.

My day job is managing the marketing and communications for a national project management firm that manages large facility projects. So, you can imagine the firm is pretty good at planning. It has to be.

One of the quality control measures that are in place is lessons learned. The idea is simple. After a project is completed, you write down what you learned. Was there a specific challenge that you had to face – what did you do? In hindsight, what would you have done? This is then available for anyone else who might be working on a similar project or facing a similar challenge.

My Lessons Learned

• When you are running a business it is extremely important to plan effectively. Take the time out to plan your year, your month, your week, your day. Life is busy and it can quickly get away from you if you don’t.
• Plans don’t have to be fancy, long, beautiful, or anything else that you think it should  be. A plan could be: a well thought out mind map, a diagram,  or three key words or phrases.  Whatever it is, it should provide meaning, motivation, and sufficient direction to move forward.
• “Failing to plan, is planning to fail.” A great idea is great, but it is about execution. And if you don’t plan out how you will make it happen (execute) more often than not, it won’t result in success.

Too often I have seen people come up with great ideas and start to forge ahead, but the lack of upfront planning results in critical details being overlooked. And the devil is in the details. The smallest details are often what makes the difference between good and great.

Now sometimes it is part of the discovery process to take an idea and play with it. Start to work on it and see how it will play out. That’s okay. It’s an important part of the process, but at some point at a grand level or a tactical level you need to plan things out. Even planning to play with an idea is part of a plan.

So, before you close out the last project for good, take a few minutes and write down some notes. What are the key lessons that you learned on the project that can be applied to another future project? What have you learned personally or professionally? What would you do differently the next time around?

At the end of the day planning is meant to help you manage the risks and try to foresee the obstacles or challenges that you may face, it is also an opportunity to build in efficient ways to manage your resources. But all the planning in the world doesn’t take the place of actually doing something. Don’t let planning stall you in moving forward.

Plan and act.

Compliments and Kindness

Gwen Bell wrote about this in January and it really struck me. So much in fact that I emailed her about it.

Have you ever provided a compliment to someone that compared them to another – e.g. you are the best barista ever? Consider this as an alternative: I am appreciative of the care that you took in creating my beverage. Thank you.  It is specific to the person and their actions without comparing them to others.

I recall walking in the mall one day after an event. A woman was walking towards me. Without slowing down she looks at me and says “That jacket looks fabulous on you.” I smiled. It made me stand a little taller. It was considerate. I recall that comment and how it made me feel on occasion.

We should give compliments to anyone and everyone when we think of it. Don’t think a stranger will think you are odd – people like to feel good and a compliment makes you feel good.

This is especially true with your team members and staff. I have been considering how this impacts them since I read Gwen’s email. How should I be composing a compliment for full effect and impact?

How often do you give compliments, especially to those that you work with or that work for you? Today, I challenge you to give compliments out freely to all that you meet.

Let me know how it goes.

Mastery

How many hours would you be willing to commit to something?

Did you know that it takes 10,000 hours to master something.
That’s 416 days
Or if you do something for 2 hours every day it will take you 13.69 years to become a master.

That is commitment. Discipline.

Let’s face it, that’s why not everyone is an NHL all-star, or a concert pianist, or a rock star. The best actors aren’t reality TV stars, they are the ones that put in the work. Their work will be remembered long after they have left this plane.

“Gather in your resources, rally all your faculties, marshal all your energies, focus all your capacities upon mastery of at least one field of endeavor.”  John Haggai

–

Being a good Canadian I will use a hockey analogy, and being from Edmonton I will use The Great One as the reference. You can insert Tiger Woods. Yo Yo Ma. Whoever.

The story is as legendary. He started playing when he was barely able to stand. He skated in the backyard rink (yes, Canadians are crazy and build rinks in their backyards even today). He played hockey almost, if not, everyday.

Okay so he was gifted, talented, yes. But it was more than that. He loved playing. It was his bliss.

He could anticipate where the game would go. He could skate. He could shoot with precision. Others could perhaps do any one of those things better than him, but few could beat him at the game overall. His famous quote: I don’t go where the puck is, but where it is going to be.

What made him even more amazing was not only for his love of the game, but his ethics and sportsman-like conduct on and off the ice.

He was creative in his approach to the game. A true master.

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Is there anything that you would like to master?

Something that you would be willing to commit 10,000 hours to mastering?

Do you know where your strengths lie and how those might manifest into your superpowers?

In order to become a master of your domain, what habits do you need to cultivate?

What’s your superpower?

I figured out my superpowers recently.

I’m pretty excited about this new discovery.

Of course, I’ve always had these powers. I just didn’t realize that what I have been doing this whole time is in fact unique to me. These strengths that make me… well me, that’s my superpower.

Powers aren’t unique. Other people have the same powers, but the mix of powers are different and how they manifest in each of us is different. That’s what makes it unique.

My superpowers include: creative ideas with grounded execution combined with my love of learning, dance and music and supported by my empathy and compassion.

Knowing your superpowers is liberating. It’s causes an “aha” moment when things just click. You realize how you can take these powers and make them superpowers by manifested amazing things for yourself and others.

When you are using your superpowers you are in bliss! You are in the flow. You need to do it. You need to use your powers.

Here’s what I think you should do:

Find out your superpowers – find your strengths. Think about what you love to do and how does that relate to your strengths? Ask your close friends what they think you are good at? What do people come up to you at work and ask you about? Think about it this week, take notes, watch and listen.

Then consider:

How do your superpowers help with your business – are your superpowers being used fully in your business? How can you add or change some of your services to take full advantage of your superpowers?

How can your superpowers be of service - are your superpowers valuable to not only yourself, but to others? How? How can you use your superpowers for good and for others?

Find your superpowers and then grab a cape or mask and launch them on the world.

I dare you!

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I watched the movie Finding Joe this past week. I highly recommend it. You can watch it online. It’s about the Hero’s Journey and the work of Joseph Campbell.  Here are a few of my favourite of his quotes:

Follow your bliss and the universe will open doors where there were only walls.
Opportunities to find deeper powers within ourselves come when life seems most challenging.

Are you on your (s)hero’s journey?

Rules are made to be broken. Or are they?

You know the saying: “rules are made to be broken” or maybe “rewrite the rules”. Well, I was reading a post by Alexandra Frazen recently where she says: “And not every rule yearns to be broken.”

Which begs the question: what rules to break, what rules to rewrite, and what rules to follow? Do you know where you stand; where your line in the proverbial sand is?

Rules are for the obedience of fools and the guidance of wise men. Douglas Bader

What’s a rule? Why are they important? 

A rule is a set of explicit or understood regulations or principles governing conduct within a particular activity or sphere. While law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible.

Have you ever been in a situation where you (who plays by all the rules) are left behind in the workplace because someone else didn’t play fair? Or maybe you are the one that creates your own rules and gets ahead on the backs of others (note: karma has a way of righting some wrongs)?

I always find it odd that as a society we love sports and competitive games that have a rule book. We have referees and umpires to oversee the game and ensure that the rules are followed. We don’t like teams that win by not playing fair and scream at the injustice.

We teach our children to follow the rules. To learn their manners. To play nice with others.

They go to school and learn more rules. They get punished if they don’t follow the rules. Detention, suspension, letters home to the parents.

If you cheat or plagiarize you can be expelled. Yet, how often do you see, or hear about, someone at work taking credit for the work of others?

Yet, after all of that, we don’t see it the same way at the workplace or in our day to day lives as adults. Who is the referee? And why aren’t they calling foul?!

What rules do you follow in your life, in your business? What rules do you expect others to follow?

The truth is that many people set rules to keep from making decisions. Mike Krzyzewski

Let’s assume that corporate culture dictates the rules within an organization aside from the standard societal rules (e.g. don’t steal, kill, etc). What corporate culture are you creating in your organization as a business owner?

Do you create rules that keep you from fully expressing yourself and flourishing?

Do you enforce the rules to ensure that it becomes common knowledge and guides behaviour and influences the culture?

In order to build and influence culture, you need to be consistent and diligent in the enforcement of rules. And that is where the “rules are made to be broken” comes in so often. Aren’t there always exceptions. But you don’t build rules, a culture, or an organization on the exceptions. 

A few rules that I think should be broken regularly

You HAVE to do this or that in order to be successful.

You should know your market and customers and you should deliver what they need in order to be successful. Over and above that, there really are no rules. You do not HAVE to join Facebook. You do not HAVE to be the first to market. You do not HAVE to grow exponentially year over year.

Sales should never supercede good sense and customer service

So often organizations, especially those focused on growth, focus so much on the sales numbers that they lose sight of the delivery. They also look the other way more often in order to make that sale. When you focus on your client’s needs, while maintaining your own integrity and values, you will make different choices.

A rule that can be rewritten or bent on occasion

Fashion rules.

Wear what makes you feel great about yourself. Where you exude confidence. Those outfits that when you put them on and feel fantastic. Wear what contributes to your style and brand.

I know people who judge others based on what they wear to the office. And they have rules around the proper suit, shoes, and accessories. Some offices and sectors are more likely to have these rules – lawyers, accountants, doctors, etc.

But the rules are changing. I had a doctor’s visit in November and my doctor was in jeans, button-down shirt and white coat. I didn’t think less of him and I didn’t assume he couldn’t be a good doctor because of his attire. He was still the doctor regardless of what he was wearing.

A rule to live by: The golden rule: treat others like you would most like to be treated.

My mantra or golden rule is stated in Lokah Samastah Sukhino Bhavantu: May all beings everywhere be happy and free, and may the thoughts, words, and actions of my own life contribute in some way to that happiness and to that freedom for all.

The world would be a much different, and better, place if everyone followed the golden rule.

Things to consider:

• What type of corporate culture are you creating?
• Are you enforcing the key rules to support and build that culture?
• How can you ensure that the people that work with you (e.g. consultants) and the ones you hire align with your vision?

Motivation

“People often say that motivation doesn’t last. Well, neither does bathing – that’s why we recommend it daily.” Zig Ziglar

What motivates you to great heights?

Motivation is the psychological feature that arouses a person to action toward a desired goal or the reason for the action.

So, what’s your daily motivational ritual?

Do you have a visual reminder of your goal around your house and office? Have you made changes in your life to support this new goal? Have you talked to your friends and family about it so they can support you? Do you have the partners you need to be successful? You have to first have the elements of success. You then have to remind yourself of your goal daily or weekly to keep it top of mind. The goal has to be intrinsically linked to something important to you. And you have to keep positive about it as there will be times when fear, anger, and other negative emotions will try to take over.

Do your rituals change when you are riding the creative high to the dragging your behind low?

It’s easy to stay motivated when you are pumped up and things are going well – think first two weeks of January at the gym. It’s packed because everyone has made New Year’s resolutions and are still motivated by the resolution itself to keep going. But those that go to the gym regularly know, by mid to late January it starts to peter out and by February it’s back to normal. You do have a few new faces who have stuck it out though. They have managed the highs and lows and have remained committed.

What is it that keeps those few people motivated long enough to make a new habit with the behaviour?

It’s always a WIIFM (What’s In It For Me) state of mind. You won’t be truly successful if your motivation is about  someone else and not you. Remind yourself of the why: why are you doing this? What will it do for you personally or professionally? Why is that important to you?

Besides commitment to the goal, those that are successful are motivated intrinsically or extrinsically by other factors. Most would say that extrinsic factors are the easiest but not always long lasting. If I … go to the gym, lose weight, insert goal here – I can get a … new outfit, indulgence, trip, insert reward here.

This is a great idea for those times when you are just dragging and don’t want to do something, but you know you will feel better if you do it. It won’t necessarily help maintain long term motivation if you haven’t made other changes intrinsically, but it can help you out in certain situations.

Consider that it takes:

• 40 days to change a bad habit into a positive one;
• 90 days confirms the new habit in you;
• 120 days allows the new habit to become who you are;
• 1,000 days ensures you have mastered the habit

Ideas for visual reminders:

Big calendar with the X’s through the days to show how far you have come while keeping an eye on the ‘deadline’. This is good when there is a deadline. If you don’t have one you can create one. Take the 90 days as a deadline.

Make sure to put time in your schedule for the activity and protect it. Learn to say no. You don’t need to explain yourself, feel guilty, or anything else you feel compelled to do. If this is a major goal in your life, carve out the time and protect that time like nothing else. Make sure you find a time that works with your schedule. If you get really busy at work and end up working late a lot – go in the morning. Get up 30 minutes earlier than normal and do what you need to do – exercise, write, read, paint, etc.

I started to get up at 5:30 am to run a few mornings a week. It was fine in the fall and I was making a regular habit out of it, but then winter arrived and my motivation dropped. It has been hard since it is cold and dark out. I had to find new ways to keep myself motivated. I have a sign on my clock so when I roll over to turn the alarm off I see it. It reminds me to get my butt out of bed and go running.

Have your visual cards/index cards near where you get up in the morning so it is the first thing you see. On the cards include not only your goal but a visual representation of what it will be like when you reach that goal.

What other visual reminders could you create that will help you stay motivated?

Published at Creative Dream Journals

Giving and Receiving

Tis the season where this is at the forefront. But I have been thinking of it in a different perspective over the last few weeks. It has been coming up in discussions with others about our life’s purpose, our businesses, and our dreams.

We all have special talents and gifts that we are meant to give to the world. That’s what they mean when they say to live your life’s purpose.

It’s essential we are open to receive those gifts from the universe and others as well. Remain open to the lessons that others will share with you, to their gifts that can help you and support you on your journey, and to giving of your gifts as the opportunities arise (and they will arise).

Considering your strengths and talents, your plans for 2012, and your business dreams, what is your gift to others this holiday season? What do you most need to receive to see your dreams realized?

Strengths

Assuming you know what your strengths (read about how to do that here) are, how do you cultivate them? How do you manage your weaknesses?

Realistically, we all have gaps between our strengths and the things we are required to do everyday.  How do we round out our capabilities to do what is required of us?  This is even more important if you have a “day job” where someone pays you to do a job. Not all the aspects of that job are going to be aligned with your strengths. What do you do?

1. Awareness. Understand where your strengths are, areas for development, and areas where you are weak.

2. Understand your colleagues/team-mates. What are the strengths of your colleagues? What are they really good at and love to do? What drives them everyday?

3. Understand how a team approach can be better. When are you required to just get something done? Working together is balancing act.

4. Alignment of strengths to position requirements.  When can you draw upon the strengths of the team? You can’t always be going to someone else to get your job done. Everyone on a team wants to feel they are contributing and they want to see that other team members are also contributing their fair share.

Is your current job/position aligned to take the best advantage of your strengths and skill set? If not, perhaps a conversation is in order with your supervisor or it’s time to look for another job. If you are a owner, perhaps it’s time to augment your team by hiring someone to assist you in those areas where you aren’t rocking it.