by Helena Escalante | Goals, Growth, Mindset, Miniseries, Opportunity, Resources, Tools
Estimated reading time: 3 minutes, 21 seconds.
TODAY’S IDEA: Believe you can succeed and you will – Part 2
— From The Magic of Thinking Big by David J. Schwartz, Ph.D. (Read an excerpt here.)
Yesterday we started talking about the importance of having a deeply rooted belief in our capacity to make our goals happen. Yet when we think of that, it’s natural for our lizard brain to pay a visit and remind us of our disbelief and all those times when we have failed.
Schwartz also talks about disbelief: “The ‘okay-I’ll-give-it-a-try-but-I-don’t-think-it-will-work’ attitude produces failures. Disbelief is negative power. When the mind disbelieves or doubts, the mind [comes up with] ‘reasons’ to support that disbelief. Doubt, disbelief, the subconscious will to fail, the not really wanting to succeed, is responsible for most failures.”
“Think doubt and fail. Think victory and succeed.”
Mankind has been to the moon and back. Mankind has built a tunnel under the English Channel. Mankind has built the Great Wall of China. Mankind has been able to connect all of us via the Internet. Mankind has developed nanotechnology. And the best part is that mankind is made up of normal people, just like you and I, who deeply believed they could achieve their goals.
Ok, so we’re at a point where we want to believe or, at least, we’re willing to give it a try, right? Schwartz gives us the following three steps to develop the power of belief:
1. Think success, don’t think failure. “At work, in your home, substitute success thinking for failure thinking. When you face a difficult situation, think, ‘I’ll win,’ not ‘I’ll probably lose.’ When you compete with someone else, think ‘I’m equal to the best,’ not ‘I’m outclassed.’ When opportunity appears, think ‘I can do it,’ never ‘I can’t.’ Let the master thought ‘I will succeed’ dominate your thinking process. Thinking success conditions your mind to create plans that produce success. Thinking failure does the exact opposite.”
2. Remind yourself regularly that you are better than you think you are. “Successful people are not supermen. Success does not require a superintellect. Nor is there anything mystical about success. And success isn’t based on luck. Successful people are just ordinary folks who have developed belief in themselves and what they do. Never—yes, never—sell yourself short.”
3. Believe big. “The size of your success is determined by the size of your belief. Think little goals and expect little achievements. Think big goals and win big success. Remember this too! Big ideas and big plans are often easier—certainly no more difficult—than small ideas and small plans.”
In closing, I’ll leave you with a quote from one of my favorite success authors and sales guru, Zig Ziglar:
“I believe success is achieved by ordinary people with extraordinary determination.”
ACTION
TODAY: Think about your goals today, and determine what is stopping you from achieving them. Fear? Resistance? Disbelief? Doubt? Bring to mind the memory evoked yesterday about a time when you attained a goal because you firmly believed you would. The goal could be finishing school, finding a job, getting married, turning in a project on time, taking your niece to the circus, flossing… big or small, we’ve all committed to something in the past because there was no doubt on our minds that we would do it, and we did.
With that memory in mind, firmly commit to believe in yourself as of this moment, and figure out what you will tell your lizard brain when disbelief and doubt show up (they will, but you can tame them and make them go away: thank them for wanting to participate and tell them there is no room for them). Here’s a great post by Seth Godin on Quieting the Lizard Brain.
FUTURE: Whenever you’re hesitating, remember that you have everything within you to succeed. Your belief and your determination will help you find the ways to achieve whatever you need to reach your goals. It may not be easy, but your belief will bring about the resolve and find the resources to make it happen.
Know someone who could benefit from reading this post? Please share! You can do so via email, Facebook or Twitter, thank you.
by Helena Escalante | Goals, Growth, Mindset, Miniseries, Opportunity, Resources, Tools
Estimated reading time: 3 minutes, 22 seconds.
TODAY’S IDEA: Believe you can succeed and you will – Part 1
— From The Magic of Thinking Big by David J. Schwartz, Ph.D. (Read an excerpt here.)
The dedication of The Magic of Thinking Big is one of the most beautiful ones I’ve ever read: it tells the story of David J. Schwartz’s son, Davey, feeling “mighty big” when he graduated from kindergarten. Schwartz asked Davey what he wanted to be when he grew up, and he responded, “I want to be a professor.” When Schwartz asked what kind of professor Davey wanted to be, he responded, “a professor of happiness.” And so the author dedicated his book to “a fine boy with a grand goal.”
And the reason why this is relevant to today’s idea is because we’ve previously talked about quitting (here, here, and here), but we haven’t talked much about the mindset of success itself and the importance of setting of grand goals.
Success means different things to different people, yet they’re all good, wonderful, and positive things. “Every human being wants success. Everybody wants the best this life can deliver. Nobody enjoys crawling, living in mediocrity. No one likes feeling second-class and feeling forced to go that way.”
Schwartz goes back to the old adage that says that faith can move mountains. “Believe, really believe, you can move a mountain, and you can.” Not many people believe in themselves and in their grand goals, and thus, not many are able to move their mountains.
The author is quick to point out that some people will think, “It’s nonsense to think you can make a mountain move away by just saying ‘Mountain, move away.’ It’s simply impossible.’ People who think this way have belief confused with wishful thinking. And true enough, you can’t wish away a mountain. You can’t wish yourself into an executive suite. Nor can you wish yourself into a five-bedroom, three-bath house or the high-income brackets. You can’t wish yourself into a position of leadership.”
But, Schwartz says, “You can move a mountain with belief. You can win success by believing you can succeed. There is nothing magical or mystical about the power of belief.”
The belief—the deeply entrenched belief—that Schwartz is talking about is the “I’m-positive-I-can attitude [that] generates the power, skill and energy needed to do. When you believe I-can-do-it, the how-to-do-it develops.”
Let’s remember the quote by Goethe that says, “Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness. Concerning all acts of initiative and creation, there is one elementary truth the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then providence moves too.” That act of definitive committing is nothing but the belief that we can do it. And we’ve all experienced—in major or minor ways—how providence moves with the opportunities, coincidences, chance encounters, ideas and the myriad resources that present themselves to help us forge a path towards achieving our goals once we’re fully committed.
“Belief in great results is the driving force, the power behind all great books, plays, scientific discoveries. Belief in success is behind every successful business, church, and political organization. Belief in success is the one basic, absolutely essential ingredient of successful people. Believe, really believe, you can succeed, and you will.”
Stay tuned: tomorrow’s Part 2 will share three steps to develop the power of belief.
ACTION
TODAY: Think of a few times in the past when you’ve fully committed to something (big or small) and made it happen. Do you remember the deeply-entrenched belief you had in yourself to complete your goal? There was zero hesitation as to whether you’d complete it — it was a given that you would. That is what we’re aiming for here. If that belief is not readily available to you now, take a walk down memory lane and dig it up, it’s inside you, believe me. Keep that memory handy, as you will revert back to it when you need to evoke this feeling.
TOMORROW: Come back to read Part 2 of this miniseries.
Please share this post! You can do so via email, Facebook or Twitter, thank you!
by Helena Escalante | Accountability, Goals, Growth, Mindset, Planning, Time, Tools
Estimated reading time: 2 minutes, 15 seconds.
TODAY’S IDEA: Decisions are temporary
— From REWORK: Change the way you work forever by Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson
“Don’t make up problems you don’t have yet,” say Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson in their book Rework. “But what if…?” “What happens when…?” “Don’t we need to plan for…?” These are not problems until they become real problems, “Most of the things you worry about never happen anyway.”
Decisions are temporary, and “the ability to change course is [a] big advantage. […] So pay attention to today and worry about later when it gets here. Otherwise, you’ll waste energy, time, and money fixating on problems that may never materialize.”
As you start planning a project or a startup, keep in mind that the decisions you make don’t need to last forever. “It’s easy to shoot down good ideas, interesting policies, or worthwhile experiments by assuming that whatever you decide now needs to work for years on end. It’s just not so [especially for nimble projects and businesses]. If circumstances change, your decisions can change.”
As a child, my mom always told me that it was OK to change my mind after I had tried and given something my best. Today’s idea is the grown-up and business version of that philosophy. Recognize that the decisions you make today are the best ones you can make based on the information you have and the tools and resources at your disposal. If times and circumstances change in the future, trust that you will make the best decision(s) then for you/your team/your business, even if they involve changing everything that you had decided previously.
“If you never change your mind, why have one?” – Edward de Bono
ACTION
TODAY: Is there something bugging you about a decision/policy/procedure that was made a long time ago and that has continued “just because it’s always been that way” but is no longer working for you? Make a new decision that will make it better to adapt to your current circumstances.
FUTURE: Keep in mind the importance of making decisions that go with the times, circumstances, and foreseeable future. Don’t be afraid of making new decisions, if they don’t work out, you can always revert to the previous one—but it’s worth trying out, as you may be pleasantly surprised by the circumstances that the new decisions bring. This reminds me of an old business joke: The CFO and the CEO are talking about making a decision to train the employees. The CFO asks, “But what if we train them, and they leave?” To which the CEO responds, “Yes, but what if we don’t train them, and they stay?”
Know someone who would benefit from realizing that decisions are temporary? Please share this post with that person via email, Facebook or Twitter, thanks!
by Helena Escalante | Collaboration, Goals, Growth, Leadership, Mindset, Opportunity
Estimated reading time: 1 minute, 47 seconds.
TODAY’S IDEA: Idea incomes
— From: Steal Like An Artist: 10 Things Nobody Told You About Being Creative by Austin Kleon
“You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with,” said Jim Rohn, personal development guru. This idea reflects in all we do, as author Austin Kleon points out in Steal Like an Artist: “if you take the incomes of five of your closest friends and average them, the resulting number will be pretty close to your own income.”
Further, Kleon points out: “I think the same is true of our idea incomes. You’re only going to be as good as the stuff you surround yourself with.” And he recalls how it drove him crazy when his mom used to tell him “Garbage in, garbage out.” Fortunately, that’s a thing of the past and now he understands and appreciates what she meant.
If you are reading this blog, it means that you are a professional and a lifelong learner. As one myself, I wholeheartedly agree with Kleon when he says, “Your job is to collect good ideas. The more good ideas you collect, the more you can choose from to be influenced by.” The more you do this, the more your idea incomes will rise.
Collect your ideas selectively, and share them with the people who surround you so that their idea incomes can go up as well. Remember the quote by President John F. Kennedy, “A rising tide lifts all boats.” Let your ideas be the rising tide.
ACTION
TODAY: Make a list of the 5 ideas you most like and share it with a loved one or a colleague. Ask them to do the same with you.
FUTURE: Ponder the ideas you have and the new ones you come across and create a list. Share it. Repeat as often as you’d like. Make it a habit of expanding your mind and thus raising your idea income with at least one new idea every day… By the way, I know of a blog that can help you with that! 😉
Let’s lift the boats in your circles today: please share today’s idea with someone! You can do so via email, Facebook or Twitter!
by Helena Escalante | Goals, Growth, Mindset, Opportunity, Planning, Tools
Estimated reading time: 2 minutes, 35 seconds.
TODAY’S IDEA: Quit before you start
— From The Dip: A Little Book That Teaches You When to Quit (and When to Stick) by Seth Godin
Dick Collins, the ultramarathon runner, said, “Decide before the race the conditions that will cause you to stop and drop out. You don’t want to be out there saying, ‘Well, gee, my leg hurts, I’m a little dehydrated, I’m sleepy, I’m tired, and it’s cold and windy.’ And talk yourself into quitting. If you are making a decision based on how you feel at that moment, you will probably make the wrong decision.”
In life and business, just as Collins did it with his sport, it’s important to figure out what the conditions are for quitting before you get started. In The Dip, marketing guru Seth Godin says that this is tool number one: “If quitting is going to be a strategic decision that enables you to make smart choices in the marketplace, then you should outline your quitting strategy before the discomfort sets in.”
Godin goes on to say, “quitting when you’re panicked is dangerous and expensive. The best quitters… are the ones who decide in advance when they’re going to quit. You can always quit later—so wait until you’re done panicking to decide.”
The problem with the way we quit is that, barring emergencies or life-or-death circumstances, the decision is made at a moment of great pressure or great discomfort, without much time to think and truly analyze the consequences of our actions.
“When the pressure is greatest to compromise, to drop out, or to settle, your desire to quit should be at its lowest. The decision to quit is often made in the moment. But that’s exactly the wrong time to make such a critical decision. The reason so many of us quit in the Dip is that without a compass or a plan, the easiest thing to do is to give up. While that might be the easiest path, it’s also the least successful one.”
The hardest part, Godin says, is to have the perspective to know when you are in a Cul-de-Sac to quit, and when you are in a Dip to continue. That is why setting your parameters before you get started is very powerful, because once you’re in pain, frustrated or stuck you may just want to get out, but that may deter you from reaching your goals.
ACTION
TODAY: Are you about to start something? Set your parameters for quitting before you get started. Or if you are already involved in something but have never set up your criteria for quitting, do it today. Remember that quitting is not a bad thing and we all need to do it. Here are two posts to expand on this: Selective Quitting and Understanding When to Quit and When to Stick.
FUTURE: Make it a habit of setting your quitting criteria before you start something. That way you won’t have to make a decision that you might later regret because your mind was under much pressure.
Know someone who needs to set his or her criteria for quitting? Please share this post via email, Facebook or Twitter!
by Helena Escalante | Accountability, Goals, Growth, Habits, Leadership, Mindset, Planning, Time, Tools, Wellbeing
Estimated reading time: 3 minutes, 4 seconds.
TODAY’S IDEA: 100% Commitment: The “no-exceptions rule”
— From The Success Principles™: How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be by Jack Canfield
“There’s a difference between interest and commitment. When you’re interested in doing something, you do it only when it’s convenient. When you’re committed to something, you accept no excuses, only results.” – Ken Blanchard
Being 100% committed to something is much easier than being 99% committed or less, says personal development and business guru Jack Canfield, author of The Success Principles. This is a very simple concept, “yet you’d be surprised how many people wake up every day and fight within themselves over whether or not to keep their commitments, stick to their disciplines, or carry out their actions plans.”
Why the fight?
Because they haven’t yet made the full commitment. There is no need to spend the mental energy wrestling with ourselves every day as we decide whether to do something or not. “Once you make a 100% commitment to something, there are no exceptions. It’s a done deal. Nonnegotiable. Case closed! Over and out… [You] never have to think about it again. There are no exceptions no matter what the circumstances. It ends the discussion, closes that door, permits no other possibility.”
This is tremendously liberating and it makes life much simpler and easier because there is no internal debate as to whether you’ll do something or not. “It’s like brushing your teeth before you go to bed. You always do it, no matter what. If you find yourself in bed and you have forgotten, you get out of bed and brush them. It doesn’t matter how tired you are or how late it is. You just do it.”
Eliminating choice and making 100% commitment can free up much time and energy that can go into other things to bring about excellence in your life and business. Canfield powerfully makes the case for why 100% commitment is so important and necessary, as he points out why the “no-exceptions rule” is critical in many areas, such as in our health and the workplace:
A commitment to just 99.9% quality would mean:
- One hour of unsafe drinking water every month.
- Two unsafe landings at [Chicago’s] O’Hare International Airport each day.
- 16,000 lost pieces of mail per hour.
- 20,000 incorrectly filled drug prescriptions every year.
- 500 incorrect surgical operations performed each week.
- 50 newborn babies dropped at birth by doctors every day.
- 22,000 checks deducted from the wrong account every hour.
- Your heart failing to beat 32,000 times each year!
“Can you see why 100% is such an important percentage? Just think how much better your life and the whole world would work if you were committed to 100% excellence in everything you do.”
ACTION
TODAY: Think of an area in your life or business where you have not made a 100% commitment. What does that look like? Where does it fall through the cracks? Where do you wrestle with yourself to do it or not do it? Think of the benefits of committing 100% and having no exceptions: how could this benefit your life and/or your business? Make a list of benefits vs. remaining as you are. Once you are convinced, commit yourself. And as part of that commitment, set a time to review in a near future how you are doing. The further you move along the 100% and the more you review its benefits, the more you’ll want to continue. It’s all about building the habit.
FUTURE: Stay committed to your 100%. Once you have built the habit in one area and it’s firmly entrenched, then move on to another area. The disciplined pursuit of your commitments will lead you to your goals.
Know someone who could benefit from 100% commitment? Please share this post via email, Facebook or Twitter, thanks!
by Helena Escalante | Creativity, Growth, Leadership, Marketing, Mindset, Opportunity, Resources, Tools
Estimated reading time: 2 minutes, 18 seconds.
TODAY’S IDEA: Emulate chefs
— From REWORK: Change the way you work forever by Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson
What do the names Emeril Lagasse, Julia Child, Paula Deen, Bobby Flay, Rick Bayless, Giada De Laurentiis, and Ferran Adriá have in common? They are all famous chefs. Yet, with the enormous amount of restaurants that exist today, why do we know these names better than others? What makes these chefs so special?
While they are indeed gifted, that is not the reason why they are famous. They have achieved fame and success “because they share everything they know. They put their recipes on cookbooks and show their techniques on cooking shows.”
Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson, authors of Rework, invite us to share everything we know too. “This is anathema to most in the business world. Businesses are usually paranoid and secretive. They think they have proprietary this and competitive advantage that. Maybe a rare few do, but most don’t. And those that don’t should stop acting like those that do. Don’t be afraid of sharing.”
If chefs make a living from their recipes and their cooking, why would any of them create a cookbook with the recipes? Why would they go on TV and show you, step-by-step, how to cook those recipes to perfection? Then anybody could replicate them!
But that’s not how it works, say the authors. The chefs know that the recipes, techniques, and tricks are not enough to beat them at their game. “No one’s going to buy [the] cookbook, open a restaurant next door, and put [the chef] out of business. It just doesn’t work like that. Yet this is what many in the business world think will happen if their competitors learn how they do things.”
Fried and Hanson’s advice? “Get over it.”
And they go on to say, “Emulate famous chefs. They cook, so they write cookbooks. What do you do? What are your “recipes”? What’s your “cookbook”? What can you tell the world about how you operate that is informative, educational and promotional?”
Virtual-knowledge empires are being built online with people and companies sharing what they know. What do you know that you could teach? The world needs you.
ACTION
TODAY: Think about your business. What do you do? You obviously know how to do that very well. How about teaching it to those who are interested? Emulate chefs!
FUTURE: Share your gift of knowledge with those around you. Even if you don’t go outside your company, you can share the know-how with new hires, for example. Or you can set up an internal program for professional growth and development and share your experience and expertise. The more you share, the better you’ll feel and the more of an impact you’ll have on those that surround you.
Know someone who needs to emulate chefs and write a “cookbook”? Please share this post with that person via email, Facebook or Twitter, thanks!
by Helena Escalante | Goals, Growth, Habits, Mindset, Resources, Tools, Willpower
Estimated reading time: 3 minutes, 46 seconds.
TODAY’S IDEA: The elements of grit
— From The Icarus Deception: How High Will You Fly? by Seth Godin
The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines grit—in a behavioral sense—as “firmness of mind or spirit.” Psychologist and author Angela Duckworth describes grit as “passion and perseverance for long-term goals,” according to her awesome book: GRIT: The Power of Passion and Perseverance.
Marketing guru Seth Godin, in his book The Icarus Deception, defines grit as “the attitude of someone who realizes he has the power to care and is intent on doing something with it.”
Regardless of the definition that you like best, grit is real, albeit hard to describe and quantify. Many authors have racked their brains to figure out what constitutes grit and how to develop, nurture, and grow it. Godin says, “Grit is our future. Our best and brightest future.”
How so?
Because, “Grit is the unexpected bump, the decision that cannot be changed, the insistence on a vision, or the ethics of a creator. Grit stands in the way of the short-term compromises of the industrialist.” Godin goes on, “The grit in your spinach is precisely the same grit that we seek out in a leader or a hero. We measure sandpaper and grindstones in terms of grit—their ability to stand up to resistance. Someone with grit will grind down the opposition, stand up in the face of criticism, and consistently do what’s right for their art.”
So, if grit is so important, what are the elements that we must grow within ourselves? Here’s a list that Godin outlines as a compilation of the work of many authors including, of course, Duckworth’s.
Perseverance: “Many people mistake perseverance for grit. Grit includes perseverance, but it comes before the need for perseverance arrives, because grit includes goals and a passion for those goals. Some people will persevere merely because they are instructed to do so. Those with grit will persevere because they believe they have no choice, not if they wish to be who they are.”
Hardiness: “If the grind is wearing you down, then you may be viewing the grind as the enemy, something apart from the work itself. The person with grit, on the other hand, understands that the grind is part of what makes the work interesting, a challenge worth doing. If there were no grind, you’d need no grit.”
Resilience: “As the marketplace continues to create obstacles and deal setbacks, bringing grit to the problem (as a process, not a single event) turns every obstacle into a learning process, not a momentary hassle to be dealt with. […] The endless emergency of getting it over with is replaced by the daily practice of doing the work. This shift in attitude transforms the work and the worker.”
Ambition: The desire for accomplishment, power or superiority has nothing to do with grit, except that people committed to a goal and a way of being are often given credit for having those things. […] Grit exists whether or not it leads to measurable external success. Grit is its own reward.”
Commitment: “People with grit consciously set long-term goals that are difficult to attain and do not waver from these difficult goals, regardless of the presence of feedback.”
Flow: “Something extraordinary happens when we are swallowed by our passion, focused beyond all reason, deep into something we care about. […] What you are engrossed in isn’t nearly as important as the fact of being engrossed.”
And I would add a sense of meaning and belonging to the list above. A sense of meaning: because we must be aware of the positive outcome that our actions will create, and that must be important for us. And belonging: because we must feel that we are part of the change we are seeking to make.
ACTION
TODAY: Do you have grit? Take this quiz and find out where you stand on the grit scale.
FUTURE: Remember that all the elements of grit are internal, that is, they come from within you (vs. the outside from your loved ones or colleagues, for instance). Make it a habit to examine in which of your long-term goals you exhibit passion and perseverance. And if there are any that are falling through the cracks, look at the elements above and figure out which one you need to inject into the project to make it come back to life again (that is, of course, if you want to continue with said project; if not, focus your energy and your grit to where they will yield the best results).
Please share this post with someone you admire for his or her grit. You can do so via email, Facebook or Twitter, thanks!
by Helena Escalante | Accountability, Celebration, Collaboration, Goals, Growth, Leadership, Mindset, Networking, Opportunity, Resources, Time, Tools
Estimated reading time: 4 minutes, 21 seconds.
TODAY’S IDEA: 46 strategies for businesspeople to deal with tough times
— From The Little BIG Things: 163 Ways to Pursue EXCELLENCE by Tom Peters
Excellence guru Tom Peters started his blog in 2004. Shortly thereafter, he started publishing “success tips” and this book, The Little BIG Things, is a compilation of them. It’s an easy read, and it’s full of great advice. (Any advice from Tom Peters is golden!)
Peters is a famous author (In Search of Excellence and many more books) and a sought-after speaker. For a seminar in Finland in 2009, he developed these 46 “Secrets” and “Strategies” for Dealing with the Severe Downturn of 2007. However, after reading through them, I realized that they easily apply to both good and bad times. And as it relates to rough times, they may be of any kind, not just economic. Personally or professionally, whether you find yourself in the midst of real turmoil or just having a bad hair day (see #13), I’m sure you’ll find some words of wisdom and guidance that can help. Here are the 46 secrets and strategies verbatim:
- You come to work earlier.
- You leave work later.
- You work harder.
- You may well work for less; and, if so, you adapt to the untoward circumstances with a smile—even if it kills you inside.
- You volunteer to do more.
- You dig deep, deeper, deepest—and always bring a good attitude to work.
- You fake it if your good attitude flags.
- You literally practice your “stage face” in the mirror each morning, and in the loo mid-morning.
- You give new meaning to the idea and intensive practice of “visible management.”
- You take better than usual care of yourself and encourage others to do the same—physical well-being significantly impacts mental well-being and response to stress.
- You shrug off sh*t that flows downhill in your direction—buy a shovel or a “preworn” raincoat on eBay.
- You try to forget about the “good old days”—nostalgia is self-destructive. (And boring.)
- You buck yourself up with the thought that “this too shall pass,” but then remind yourself that it might not pass anytime soon; and so you rededicate yourself to making the absolute best of what you have now—character is determined, virtually in full, by one’s reaction to adverse circumstances.
- You work the phones and then work the phones some more—and stay in touch with, and on the mind of, positively everyone.
- You frequently invent breaks from routine, including “weird” ones—”change-ups” prevent wallowing in despair and bring a fresh perspective.
- You eschew all forms of personal excess.
- You simplify.
- You sweat the details as never before.
- You sweat the details as never before.
- You sweat the details as never before.
- You raise to the sky and maintain—at all costs—the Standards of Excellence by which you unfailingly and unflinchingly evaluate your own performance.
- You are maniacal when it comes to responding to even the slightest screw-up.
- You find ways to be around young people and to keep young people around—they are less likely to be members of the “sky is falling” school. (Naïveté can be a blessing.)
- You learn new tricks of your trade.
- You pass old tricks of the trade on to others—mentoring matters now more than ever.
- You invest heavily in your Internet-Web2.0-Twitter-Facebook-“cloud”-computing skills.
- You remind yourself, daily, that this is not just something to be “gotten through”—it is the Final Exam of Competence, of Character, and, even if you’re not a boss, of Leadership. (People often make great leaps in a short period during difficult times.)
- You network like a demon.
- You network like a demon inside the company—get to know more of the folks who “do the real work,” and who can be your most dependable allies when it comes to getting things done seamlessly and fast.
- You network like a demon outside the company—get to know more of the folks “down the line,” who “do the real work” in vendor-customer outfits. (They can become, and will become, your most avid allies and champions.)
- You offer thanks to others by the truckload if good things happen—and take the heat if bad things happen.
- You behave kindly, but you don’t sugarcoat or hide the truth—humans are startlingly resilient, and rumors are the real spirit-killers.
- You treat small successes as if they were World Cup victories—and celebrate and commend people accordingly.
- You shrug off the losses (ignoring what’s going on in your tummy), and get back on the horse and immediately try again.
- You avoid negative people to the extent you can—pollution kills.
- You read the riot act to the gloom-sprayers, once avoiding them becomes impossible. (Gloom is the ultimate “weapon of mass destruction” in tough times.)
- You give new meaning to the word thoughtful.
- You don’t put limits on the budget for flowers—”bright and colorful” works marvels.
- You redouble and re-triple your efforts to “walk in your customer’s shoes.” (Especially if the shoes smell.)
- You mind your manners—and accept others’ lack of manners in the face of their strains.
- You are kind to all humankind.
- You keep your shoes shined.
- You leave the blame game at the office door.
- You call out, in no uncertain terms, those who continue to play the “office politics” game.
- You become a paragon of personal accountability.
- And then you pray.
ACTION
TODAY: Keep this list handy: you can print it directly from Tom Peters blog.
FUTURE: Keep coming back to this list whenever you need quick and helpful advice. It works wonders as a pep talk too.
Know someone who is having a bad day? Please share this post via email, Facebook or Twitter, thank you!
by Helena Escalante | Celebration, Collaboration, Creativity, Goals, Growth, Habits, Leadership, Mindset, Resources, Tools
Estimated reading time: 3 minutes, 40 seconds.
TODAY’S IDEA: The Celebration Principle
— From Mentoring 101: What Every Leader Needs to Know by John C. Maxwell
Happy 4th of July! Today we are celebrating Independence Day in the United States. And it’s a great day to talk about celebration.
In his book Mentoring 101, leadership guru John C. Maxwell talks about what he calls The Celebration Principle: “the true test of relationships is not only how loyal we are when friends fail, but how thrilled we are when they succeed.”
Why does this even merit writing about? Shouldn’t this be a given?
Yes and no.
Yes, because we should all celebrate success, whether our own or someone else’s. And, no, because not everybody feels that way. Oscar Wilde said it best: “Anybody can sympathize with the sufferings of a friend, but it requires a very fine nature to sympathize with a friend’s success.”
Maxwell wrote a book called Failing Forward: Turning Mistakes Into Stepping Stones for Success a few years back, and quickly found out that everyone identifies with failure. “Everybody has failed, so [sharing failure is] a great way to connect. The problem is that because people so readily identify with failure, they sometimes have a hard time connecting with success. And if they don’t identify with success, they may resent it.”
Maxwell goes on to say that the same qualities that prevent people from succeeding (insecurity, jealousy, etc.), prevent them from celebrating the success of other people. “They constantly compare themselves to others and find themselves wanting. As a result, they have a hard time getting beyond themselves.”
“Beware of the green-eyed monster,” warns Maxwell. “If most people were honest, they would admit to feelings of jealousy or envy when they witness others’ success—even when the people succeeding are close friends or people they’ve mentored.”
So, how to avoid feeling this way? The author suggests doing the following four things:
1. Realize it’s not a competition. “It’s very difficult to achieve success without help. […] Life is better in a community of people you love and who also love you.” Maxwell offers the following reflections to keep in mind and to “be the rare kind of person who is happy when others succeed.”
My success can be achieved only with others.
My lessons can be learned only from others.
My weaknesses can be strengthened only by others.
My servanthood can be tested only under others’ leadership.
My influence can be compounded only through others.
My leadership can be focused only on others.
My best can be given only to others.
My legacy can be left only for others.
So I should commit myself to and celebrate with others!
2. Celebrate when others see success. “Not everyone views success the way you do… look at things from other people’s point of view. What are their dreams? What goals have they set? What battles are they fighting?” Celebrate with them when they accomplish something that is important to them!
3. Celebrate successes others don’t yet see. “Sometimes people make great strides and aren’t even aware of it. [… Have you ever] worked on a project and felt discouraged by your progress, but had someone else marvel at what you accomplished? It is inspiring and makes you want to work that much harder.” Same goes for you, celebrate the successes of the people that surround you, especially those that they may not see.
4. Celebrate most with those closest to you. “The closer people are to you and the more important the relationship, the more you ought to celebrate. Celebrate early and often with those closest to you—especially with your spouse and children if you have a family. It’s usually easy to celebrate victories on the job or in a hobby or sport. But the greatest victories in life are the ones that occur at home.”
ACTION
TODAY: Look at the people who surround you and look for things to celebrate that they don’t see. It will be a nice surprise when you point those things out! Celebrate with a nice word, an email, a handwritten note, a cupcake, a full party (if you have time to plan it), or however you see fit. The goal is to start celebrating!
FUTURE: Make it a habit to celebrate and share the successes of others. Be genuinely happy for them and your life will be all the better for it. And don’t forget to share your success with others too, so that they can celebrate with you.
Celebrate someone’s success by sharing this post! You can do so via email, Facebook or Twitter, thanks!
