Daily Thought Archives: April 2006

April 1
GET REAL TURNED ON ABOUT THE JOURNEY
Goals are extremely important, especially if you want to be successful. However, it is really the journey towards those goals that is "your Life". Why not get as turned on about the journey as you are about your goals.

April 2
ALWAYS WORK ON CONTINGENCIES
The very best managers always create plans that include contingencies. They want "what if" options in case some problems are encountered along the way. Basically, an "all success" plan is never very successful. Therefore, always build contingencies into your plans.

April 3
THE QUESTIONS WE ASK OURSELVES
What we achieve in life is really connected to the quality of the questions we ask ourselves, and often we spend all our time avoiding the right questions we know we need to answer. The sooner we start asking ourselves the questions, the sooner we move to the life we want.

April 4
THE MORE SUCCESS YOU HAVE, THE MORE CRITICISMS YOU WILL RECEIVE
One thing is true, the more success you have, the more criticisms you will receive. However, when you use objectivity both on the praise and criticisms you receive, you will never let the criticisms of others affect you in a negative way. Just remember, it is just part of the deal that comes along with success.

April 5
NEVER MISTAKE ACTIVITY FOR ACCOMPLISHMENT
Time management is a hot topic these days. However, there's a real danger that people get so concerned with packing their day with more activities, that they lose sight of what they want to accomplish. Remember to focus first on what you want to accomplish (the outcome), and then work on the activities to make it happen.

April 6
PRIDE IS A GREATER MOTIVATOR THAN FEAR
You see so many leaders today trying to motivate their people to create better performance through fear. It often works in the short-term and leaders then keep using it. However, over time it is counter-productive and suddenly the leader has created a culture of "mistrust". Pride is the best motivator. Nothing provides more motivation that pride in one's work.

April 7
FAILURE TO CHANGE IS FATAL
The biggest failure in life is the failure to change, and the world is changing at a faster and faster pace, driven by communications capabilities and new technologies. We all need to change in order to grow and become the person we are capable of. What is your rate of change, and are you keeping pace with the changing world?

April 8
MOVE FROM "HERE I AM" TO "THERE YOU ARE"
Have you ever noticed that some people only want to talk about themselves? They are always saying to themselves "here I am", as their favourite subject is themselves. They need to move their internal dialogue to "there you are", and change the focus to others. It is really much more interesting to you to "know more about others", as you already know about yourself.

April 9
INFORMATION HAS POWER - SHARE IT
In today's world more than ever, information has power. However, it's only powerful if it is shared and people use it to "make things happen". Ask yourself today: Am I sharing all the information I can to both attract the help I need and to make others in my team more productive? Why not share more information this week.

April 10
COMMUNICATIONS - SAY IT, EXPLAIN IT & SAY IT AGAIN
Being a good communicator is a key skill in life, as everything we do involves communications with others. A good 3 steps to remember in communicating with others are the following: First, say it - What do you want to share? Then, explain it - Provide more details and why it's important. And finally, say it again - Repeat your key message. Follow these steps and you will be a more effective communicator.

April 11
CAN I MAKE A DISTINCTION?
When you are talking to a person who may take the opposite side of an issue that is important to you, why not ask permission to express your own thoughts (but in a very polite and non-confrontational way). You could say, "Can I make a distinction for you?" It's a great way to be able to introduce your own thinking. Then, you could follow-up and say "This is what others have found" as well. Try this in the coming weeks when the situation arises.

April 12
EMPOWERMENT LEADS TO "OWNERSHIP"
Empowerment is talked about a great deal these days. It is important to empower your people to take their own initiative and make decisions. However, the real "power" in empowerment is that people then take "Ownership" for their areas of responsibility. Ownership, now that's the "Real Power".

April 13
POWER OF SUSTAINED EFFORT
Some people think that to become successful you need some type of magic or luck (or even be super intelligent). However, the difference is that successful people put in the sustained effort. Day in and day out, they do all that's necessary for them to reach their goals. Keep a sustained effort from today.

April 14
VALUES ARE EXPRESSED IN OUR ACTIONS
Values become visible and are expressed by the actions we take, especially when we are under pressure and some stress. If you really want to know someone's values, watch how they act when they are under stress, as people usually cannot mask their true values when stressed.

April 15
MOVE AWAY FROM "MAYBE"
The word "Maybe" has no power. Saying maybe means that you are either avoiding a decision or avoiding taking an action, and this leads to a sort of paralysis. The next time you hear yourself saying maybe, immediately clarify in your mind what you need to think through "now" in order to move way from a maybe to either a firm yes or no.

April 16
GOOD LEADERS KNOW WHO THEY ARE
Good leaders know who they are. They know their strengths and their weaknesses, and surround themselves with people who have strengths in their areas of weakness. This helps both the leader and his or her team accomplish more, and it all starts with them knowing their own strengths and weaknesses well.

April 17
LEARN FROM THE EXPERTS
No one can advance quickly in life by relying on what they can learn on his or her own. All the successful people have sought out experts or mentors who can help speed their learning. Are you using experts or mentors to help speed your learning? Is there someone who could be a good mentor for you? Learn from the experts and grow faster.

April 18
THAT WHICH YOU RESIST PERSISTS
Ever notice that the problems you resist addressing always persists and get even bigger. A good phrase to remember and motivate you to action is "that which you resist persists". Take one of those problems you are resisting today and take some action on it. Nothing changes unless some action is taken.

April 19
THE POWER OF "FOR EXAMPLE"
Have you noticed that people understand new concepts faster when you provide them examples? You can also get other people's attention very quickly by using the words "for example" in presentations and meetings. People begin to listen more closely when they hear the words "for example", as examples are always more interesting to listen to than just information.

April 20
STAND UP AND SMILE WHEN ON THE PHONE
It really works, so you have to try it. The next time you need to make a call or receive a call, why not stand up first and smile. You will talk with more energy and even in a more positive way, as you are putting yourself in a more active state than just when you are sitting down. People will say to you, "you have a great way on the phone." Try this today.

April 21
I'D LOVE TO______, BUT I HATE TO ______.
Ever hear yourself saying the above statement. I'd love to ______, but I hate to ______. Nothing in life worth achieving is without effort, and we always get out of life what we put into it. The difference is successful people will do the things they hate to do in order to get the things that they would love to do. (Common Examples: I would love to be in good shape, but I hate to exercise. I would love to speak a foreign language, but hate studying.). Do something you hate in order to get that something you really love.

April 22
THINK BEFORE YOU PRESS SEND
It's really crazy, but it happens everyday. People are sending emails saying things they would never like to say to the other person face-to-face. Email is a less personal medium. However, people make comments in a very personal way sometimes. On your next email, "Think before you press send."

April 23
SELL YOURSELF ON YOURSELF FIRST
Before you can sell yourself and your abilities to others, you need to sell yourself on yourself first. Affirmations are a good way of reinforcing the good things in yourself and what you can accomplish (and have accomplished). Why not practice affirmations daily, and you will begin to sell yourself to others in a much more powerful way.

April 24
MAKE EVERYONE FEEL IMPORTANT
You all have noticed people who, when you are around them, always make you feel good about yourself. They make you feel important, and they are doing couple key things. (1) They give you their 100% attention in your conversation, and (2) They listen and comment positively on what's important to you. Why don't you do the same for others this week?

April 25
IS THIS THE SIMPLEST WAY?
We are often in a hurry these days and sometimes go forward with the first solution we think of. Now, we need to keep our speed, but it's worth asking one question before going forward with a solution. "Is this the simplest way to do it?" This quick question might save you time in the long run.

April 26
INSPIRATION IS A CONSEQUENCE OF TAKING ACTION
Too many people wait to take action until they feel inspired or are pumped up, and feel they need to feel inspired first. However, they have it backwards. The truth is that inspiration is a consequence of taking action. Don't wait for the inspiration. Take the action and the inspiration will follow.

April 27
REWARD THE DOERS
You see it all too often in large organisations. People are being rewarded for strategies & plans, but not the doing. This is changing now, but the best way to change an organisation and its culture is to "reward the doers". How are your reward structures set up in your company?

April 28
CONTROL EXISTS ONLY IN THE PRESENT
There are a great number of people who always like to be in control of everything they do. However, they often take it too far and worry (like to control) the past and the future. Control only exists in the present. For all of us to be productive, we need to concentrate all our energies on the present. The past is gone, and our future depends on what we do in the present.

April 29
RETURN TO YOUR VALUES
Whenever you have an important & difficult decision to make, the best advice is to "return to your values." You cannot be successful long-term unless you live your life in a way that is consistent with your values. Therefore, the next time you have that difficult decision to make, "return to your values."

April 30
BUILD RELATIONSHIPS
A successful life is really based on the relationships we have. They are key for business, as people like to do business with people they know and like. Relationships are key in our private lives, as they help us grow and we get energised by the people we interact with. How strong are the relationships in your life?