by Helena Escalante | Goals, Growth, Habits, Leadership, Mindset, Miniseries, Planning, Productivity, Resources, Time, Tools
TODAY’S IDEA: 12 Books of Greatness – Day 6
The 12 days of Christmas refers to the period of celebration (secular and religious) from December 25 through January 5. And because it coincides with the period of time that I’m going to be out on vacation visiting my family, I thought I’d make a miniseries for you during this time with posts from 12 Books of Greatness.
I strongly believe that greatness starts within us, so all of the posts that I chose for these 12 days come from books that are tremendously insightful. My hope is that reading these posts will give you plenty of ideas and “a-ha!” moments to end 2018 strong and start 2019 on a high note!
12 Books of Greatness – Day 6
From Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones
By James Clear
Links to other posts in this miniseries: Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4, Day 5.
Know someone who would like this book or this miniseries on 12 Books of Greatness? Please share it with them via email, Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn, thank you!
by Helena Escalante | Growth, Leadership, Mindset, Miniseries, Planning, Productivity, Resources, Time, Tools
TODAY’S IDEA: 12 Books of Greatness – Day 5
The 12 days of Christmas refers to the period of celebration (secular and religious) from December 25 through January 5. And because it coincides with the period of time that I’m going to be out on vacation visiting my family, I thought I’d make a miniseries for you during this time with posts from 12 Books of Greatness.
I strongly believe that greatness starts within us, so all of the posts that I chose for these 12 days come from books that are tremendously insightful. My hope is that reading these posts will give you plenty of ideas and “a-ha!” moments to end 2018 strong and start 2019 on a high note!
12 Books of Greatness – Day 5
From Two Awesome Hours: Science-Based Strategies to Harness Your Best Time and Get Your Most Important Work Done
By Josh Davis, Ph.D.
Links to other posts in this miniseries: Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4.
Know someone who would like this book or this miniseries on 12 Books of Greatness? Please share it with them via email, Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn, thank you!
by Helena Escalante | Creativity, Goals, Growth, Mindset, Opportunity, Planning, Tools
Estimated reading time: 3 minutes, 52 seconds.
TODAY’S IDEA: 30 Questions to Ask Before Setting Business Goals
— From Marketing: A Love Story: How to Matter to Your Customers, by Bernadette Jiwa
As this year comes to an end and we think of what new and wonderful things await for us in the New Year, it’s only natural to plan ahead. However, when setting business goals—or general goals—for something completely new, the limitations of knowing “how-to” do something, tend to scare us, or even stop us on our tracks, as the uncertainty befuddles us. Yet these limitations are actually a gift, even though we may not see it at the time.
“There is no one right answer” when starting something new, says marketing guru Bernadette Jiwa in her wonderful book Marketing: A Love Story. Whether you’re setting a goal of starting a business or creating something new for your business, “There is no one way to get to where you want to go, and that’s a GREAT thing. If there were a how-to guide, then everyone would have the formula and nothing we created would be unique.”
“Nobody told Jobs and Wozniak how to build a computer company [Apple], let alone how to make it one of the most loved brands in the world; and Howard Schultz didn’t get the Starbucks’ magic from a manual. Nobody can tell you what to stand for or how your values, wants and needs should intersect with those of your customers and then manifest as a business, an idea, or an experience. Figuring out the destination is hard, but recognizing it is more valuable than knowing exactly how you’re going to get there.”
Jiwa says, “Until you do the hard work of understanding the why? and the who for? every tactical how-to has the potential to take you down the wrong track. The most useful answers are the ones we take time to figure out by ourselves, not the ones everyone can find in a handbook.” And to figure this out, she shares 30 questions to ask before setting business goals: the answers will bring much clarity and will turn into a roadmap to follow. While she geared these questions to startups and entrepreneurs, I believe they are also helpful for any businessperson who is setting a goal of starting a new project that hasn’t been done before.
30 Questions:
- Why are we doing this?
- Why are we the people to do it?
- Why is now the time to start?
- What will happen because this idea exists?
- How will this change how people feel about x?
- Who is it for?
- Why will they care?
- What do the people we hope to serve want?
- What do they believe?
- How do they feel about the problem we solve?
- What do they do—where, when, why and with whom?
- What will customers say to their friends to recommend this product or service?
- How can we make customers feel good because they recommend it?
- What are we really selling beyond the utility of the product or service?
- How can we add more value?
- What happens because our business or project exists?
- How will people find us?
- Where are they already looking, or not looking?
- What’s our greatest strength?
- What weakness might get in the way if we don’t address it?
- What does success look like, today, this year, next and five years from now?
- What do we value?
- What do we want to change?
- What promises do we want to make and keep?
- What matters most right now?
- What’s going to matter more three, six or eighteen months from now?
- What’s our difference?
- What do we need to do today, to make sure that we can keep doing the things we want to do tomorrow?
- If we could do anything today would this be it?
- If not this then what?
Jiwa points out that “Having your own map is more powerful than having someone else’s directions. Once you have the map, you’ll always have a way to get from where you are to where you want to go.” It’s worth putting in the time and effort to answer these questions before setting your goals: the answers will turn into the actual goals and help you draw your own map to accomplish them.
Cheers to you finding your own path!
ACTION
TODAY: As you are setting business goals for the New Year, and especially if you are starting something new, make some time in your calendar whether today or over the next few days to answer these questions. Create your proverbial roadmap so that it can take you to your desired destination.
FUTURE: Even if it’s not for the New Year, whenever you are setting business goals and/or starting something new, come back to this list and go over it again to paint a clear path for your success.
Know someone who would like these 30 questions? Please share them via email, Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn, thank you!
by Helena Escalante | Accountability, Goals, Growth, Habits, Leadership, Mindset, Planning, Tools
Estimated reading time: 2 minutes, 35 seconds
TODAY’S IDEA: Commitment: Failure vs. Fallure
— From The 12 Week Year: Get More Done in 12 Weeks than Others Do in 12 Months by Brian P. Moran and Michael Lennington; and “Leadership Lessons of a Rock Climber,” post on Fast Company by Jim Collins on December 1, 2003.
One of the ways to guarantee that we will accomplish a goal—any goal—is by making a commitment. Easier said than done.
Brian P. Moran and Michael Lennington, authors of The 12 Week Year say, “The first key to effective commitment is a strong desire.” So true. However, life happens, and sometimes the initial desire may wear off when faced with the actual hard work of making the goal happen.
“Because commitments will require you to sacrifice, in addition to learning to say no, you will need to train yourself to think about and connect with the longer-term benefits versus the short-term inconvenience and discomfort.”
In other words, delayed gratification is the mindset to adopt.
Further, the authors advise, “With commitments, and anything you are serious about for that matter, don’t give yourself a psychological out.” And they point to a great article that Jim Collins (renowned author of books such as Good to Great and Built to Last) wrote for Fast Company called “Leadership Lessons of a Rock Climber,” where he talks about failure vs. “fallure” a new term he coined.
Here’s an excerpt of the article as it appears in the book:
Failure and fallure. The difference is subtle, but it is all the difference in the world. In fallure, you still do not get up the route, but you never let go. In fallure you fall; in failure you let go. Going to fallure means full commitment to go up–even if the odds of success are less than 20%, 10%, or even 5%. You leave nothing in reserve, no mental or physical resource untapped. In fallure, you never give yourself a psychological out: “Well, I didn’t really give it everything. … I might have made it with my best effort.” In fallure, you always give your full best–despite the fear, pain, lactic acid, and uncertainty. To the outside observer, failure and fallure look similar (you fly through the air in both cases), but the inner experience of fallure is totally different from that of failure.
You’ll only find your true limit when you go to fallure, not failure.
Moran and Lennington then conclude, “Commitments by definition demand you ‘go to fallure, not failure.’ Set it in your mind right now that the process is more important than the result. You don’t control the result; what you control are your actions.”
In thinking about the New Year, what are you committing to? Let me know in the comments here.
ACTION
TODAY: Take some time to think about the commitments that you will undertake next year. Are you willing to go to fallure and then start “climbing” again if need be?
FUTURE: As you are working towards your goals, remember failure vs. fallure. Sometimes that may be the push you need to get through that one uncomfortable action that you need to take.
Know someone who would like to read this? Please share this post via email, Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn, thank you!
by Helena Escalante | Goals, Growth, Mindset, Opportunity, Planning, Productivity, Tools
Estimated reading time: 2 minutes, 51 seconds
TODAY’S IDEA: Four Stages of Achieving a Goal
— From The 12 Week Year: Get More Done in 12 Weeks than Others Do in 12 Months by Brian P. Moran and Michael Lennington
“The best visions are big ones,” say Brian P. Moran and Michael Lennington in their wonderful book The 12 Week Year. And they go on to say, “All of the great accomplishments of mankind from medicine to technology to space travel to the World Wide Web were first envisioned and then created” via the four stages of achieving a goal.
At this point, you’re probably wondering what are those four stages are…
Impossible. Possible. Probable. Given.
Every single big goal goes through these four stages of accomplishment.
When we dream big, sometimes feels very uncomfortable, as we don’t know how on Earth we will be able to achieve such a thing. That is the impossible stage. Asking How? at this stage is the wrong question because it’s too early in the process.
“The fact that you don’t know how to do it creates the perception that it is impossible, at least for you…” But if you think it’s impossible you will get stuck on that thought. Thus, the authors advise not asking How? and, instead, changing the question to What if?
“By asking What if?, you give yourself permission to entertain the possibility and begin to connect with the benefits… [Thus] you begin to shift from impossible to possible thinking.”
So, ask What if? at this initial stage, and imagine the possibilities: “What would be different for you, your family, your friends, your team, your clients and your community?” It’s a very powerful question!
Once you start seeing and believing that your goal is indeed possible, “Then you begin the shift from possible to the next level: probable. You make this shift by asking the question we avoided earlier: How might I? How is not a bad question; in fact, it’s a perfectly good question, but the timing is critical. Ask it too early and it shuts down the whole process, but once you see your vision as possible, the question of how is an essential one.”
The last stage to fulfill a vision or a goal is moving from probable to given. “This shift happens naturally as you begin to implement the planned actions. Given is a powerful state of mind where any question of doubt is gone and, mentally, you are already standing in the end results. As you see the results start to materialize, your thinking shifts almost automatically to given.”
And there you have the four stages of achieving a goal. I’m sure if you think back to something that is a given in your life now and trace it back to its original thought you can see how you went through these four stages. Keep that in mind the next time you think something is impossible, because nothing is.
Cheers to you accomplishing your goals!
ACTION
TODAY: Dream big! Set a goal for yourself that seems impossible. The authors’ challenge is to “dream big and imagine true greatness for yourself. Your vision should be big enough that is makes you feel at least a little bit uncomfortable. […] All of your big personal accomplishments must also be preceded by big visions.”
FUTURE: When envisioning your future, set big, hairy audacious goals and then go through the four stages to turn them from impossible to given.
Know someone who might be interested in this post? Please share via email, Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn, thank you!
by Helena Escalante | Accountability, Goals, Growth, Habits, Mindset, Planning, Productivity, Time, Tools
Estimated reading time: 3 minutes, 5 seconds.
TODAY’S IDEA: Include this One Key Element for Success When Planning Your Day
— From The Perfect Day Formula: How to Own the Day And Control Your Life by Craig Ballantyne
“If you fail to plan, you plan to fail,” is a quote attributed to Benjamin Franklin, a master of productivity. A modern-day master of productivity is fitness and personal development guru Craig Ballantyne, who teaches us how to plan our days in his book The Perfect Day Formula.
Ballantyne says, “The average person lives a reactive life. They get up. They fight to make it to work on time. That’s the extent of their planning. They haven’t looked any further ahead. They figure that when they get to work, then they’ll figure out something to do, or worse, a way to simply get through the day.”
“A lack of preparation handicaps us in all areas of life,” points out Ballantyne. And he goes on to say that, besides a schedule, the one key element for success when planning your day is a script.
Without scripting your day, the author states, “it’s impossible for you to be as effective, efficient and productive as you can be.”
A script is a simple tool but it’s incredibly effective. It works in tandem with our schedule, and it requires us to set start and end times for all tasks, phone calls, and meetings. “This avoids time vampires from sucking your schedule dry,” says Ballantyne.
More importantly, the script works wonders with Reverse Goal Setting. This is when you set a goal and work backward, breaking down the steps to achieve it into doable daily tasks. Then you can script and schedule them in your calendar to get them done. In other words, Reverse Goal Setting is when “You start at the finish line and run your race in reverse.”
“For many people, the finish line is about family. You want to be home for dinner. […] Start by setting a deadline for your workday. If you want to be home by 5:30 p.m. and your commute will take thirty minutes, then that means you must leave the office at 5 p.m. To leave the office at 5 p.m., you’ll need to stop working on big tasks at 4:30 p.m. so that you can tidy up, prepare for the next morning… and dash off any last emails or notes to colleagues about important projects or meetings for the next day.
You must prepare for your mornings so that you start the day organized, and are able to attack the number one priority in your life first thing in the morning. Your daily script is easy to follow when you build it around your number one priority and you have your NOT-to-do list in place to keep you out of temptation. […]
Your least important tasks should be scripted for the time of day when you have the least mental energy.”
“Your script is vital to your success,” Ballantyne emphasizes. “You must plan your days so that you know what you will get done.” (More on lists here.)
Now that you know about the script, I hope you will see why I think—and agree with Ballantyne—that it’s an awesome tool for success when planning your day.
Happy planning!
ACTION
TODAY: At the end of your day today, create your script for tomorrow. Planning your day ahead of time will give you a leg up. Try it out and let me know how it goes!
FUTURE: Apply the reverse goal setting method for your goals and once you have them broken down into daily tasks, script and schedule them for your success. Remember to keep them and treat them as you would any other appointment!
Know someone who would like the idea of scripting their day? Please share this post with them via email, Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn, thank you!
