Daily Thought Archives: March 2009

March 1
YOUR ATTENTION: YOUR MOST PRECIOUS ASSET
Everyone likes to increase their assets (their money). However, your most precious asset - your attention - is what enables you to get those other assets. Your ability to focus your attention on what you want and what needs to be done is what powers your success. Remember, your attention is your most precious asset.

March 2
HELP MORE, JUDGE LESS
Many people go through life judging others versus helping others. Why not try this the next time your catch yourself judging others. The minute you catch yourself making a judgment, ask yourself this question: "How can I help them"? Everyone achieves more when they help versus judge others.

March 3
IT'S WHY POWER, NOT WILL POWER
At the beginning of every year, people make those new year's resolutions. They want to make a change, and there's one key factor that drives whether that changes sticks or not. That is whether they are using "why" or "will" power. When the "WHY" is clear and big, then any "HOW" is doable.

March 4
EVERYONE DOESN'T HAVE THE SAME VALUES
One thing that drives a person's behaviour in a powerful way is their values. When putting a team together, you will often have people who don't share the same values. However, the best teams include people who share the same core values, and this is what creates the foundation for their teamwork and their ultimate success.

March 5
BEING RELAXED IN THE BIG MOMENTS
There's one trait that all great athletes have in common. They have the ability to be relaxed in the big moments, and you see the same trait in successful business people as well. They have learned that their preparation enables them to feel relaxed when they encounter the big moments in their lives. Remember, your preparation is important.

March 6
START WHERE YOU ARE NOW
Many people tell you, "if only I started years ago!"; The past is gone and the only way things will change for you is if you start where you are now. Decide to live your life "your way" from today, and each day from now on.

March 7
NOTHING BRINGS RELIEF LIKE ACTION
In almost every area of our lives, when we have fear or indecision; nothing brings relief more than taking action. If you were to think of a particular situation in your own life, you will recall that you began to feel better the minute you decided to take an action. However small the action may be, it would always bring relief from fear and indecision.

March 8
WHY POWERS HOW - ALWAYS!
Most people go through life trying to use "will" power to get things accomplished or to make changes in their lives. "Will" power is really a push power. Now "Why" power is a pull power. "Why" power creates the motivation and emotion inside you to make you want to do it.

March 9
THE STORIES THEY TELL ABOUT YOU
A leader's behaviour communicates more to his or her people than any of the formal communications they do. How a leader behaves, as he or she goes about their workday, is providing the stories their people will tell about them, and those stories travel fast. What stories do your people tell about your behaviour?

March 10
ENERGY IS A PRODUCT OF INTEREST
Your energy in any particular activity is a product of your interest in it, and your "interest"; is really providing the fuel behind that activity. If your energy is low, the first thing to do is to build up your interest in getting it done. When you build the "WHY"; behind it, the energy always follows.

March 11
OVERCOME SELF-BELIEFS AND OTHER'S BELIEFS
One of the best things you can do to be more successful is to overcome your own self-beliefs and the beliefs others have in you. Too often, we tell ourselves that we cannot do it, and when others say it as well, we say to ourselves: "You see, I was right." Successful people develop positive self-beliefs (overcoming the negative ones) and don't let others influence them.

March 12
HOLD PEOPLE ACCOUNTABLE FOR OUTCOMES
The most important outcome of a leader is to hold their people accountable for their outcomes that need to be delivered. Too often an inexperienced leader will be afraid to do this, as they want to be friends with their people. However, it is only fair to everyone in the organisation that people need to deliver to their commitments, and that those who don't are held accountable (and those who do are rewarded).

March 13
YOU CHOOSE HOW YOU RESPOND
You hear this all the time: "That environment at work has made me so negative." Your environment (or circumstances) does not have the power to impact you unless you let it. It is always, how you respond to what hits you in life that makes all the difference; and it is your "choice" how you respond.

March 14
TRUST IS BUILT, NOT FOUND
Trust is not something that we just stumble on. it is something that we have to consciously take action on to build. The most successful people set as one of their most important goals, building trust in all the key people in their life. When you surround yourself with people who trust each other, that is when the "magic" can happen.

March 15
YOU CANNOT COMMAND SOMEONE TO UNDERSTAND
I guess there are a few managers who don't understand this one. You cannot really command someone to understand. Leadership is all about influencing, and pulling your people along with you, not trying to push them there. Leaders develop the understanding in their people through sharing and listening, and this creates the "pull".

March 16
NOT GETTING BETTER, THEN GETTING WORSE
Most people stop learning once they leave school. However, the most successful people know that learning should never stop. They have set a plan for their own development and take action on it every single day. Remember, if you are not getting better, you are getting worse; as the world has just went right by you.

March 17
WHAT ONE CAN DO, ANOTHER CAN DO
The concept that powers all successful people is: "What one can do, another can do." By studying the habits of successful people, you can then replicate those habits in your own life as well. Every major accomplishment has as it's seeds the habits that have enabled it. Remember, what one can do, another can do.

March 18
TRY A LITTLE BRAIN SOAKING
People who maintain a positive attitude and approach do not keep it without some effort. What they do is practice "brain soaking". They are constantly filling their head with positive input (friends, books, etc) and this "soaking" leaves no room for the negative. Try it for yourself, and with no room for the negative, you will naturally stay more positive.

March 19
INFLUENCING IS ENERGY TRANSFER
A great way to think about influence is that it is energy transfer. When you want to influence others, you are trying to transfer your passion and energy about the topic to them. Think about influencing is this way, and you will become much better at it. Focus on transferring your passion, and they will be more receptive to you and your ideas.

March 20
WHAT DO YOU DO IN PRIME TIME?
Look at all successful people and you will see something different. During "prime time", that TV slot from 8pm to 10pm each night, unsuccessful people are always watching TV. The successful people are either investing time on their own development or the development of their business. What do you do in prime time?

March 21
NOT BEING AFRAID TO CARE
One of the biggest issues in the corporate world today is that the leadership is afraid to care. It is often seen that caring is not giving the right impression, and that the leader is soft. However, it takes being "tough to show you care, and you get more involvement and support from your people when you do.

March 22
SECURITY COMES FROM TAKING ACTION
People often look for security in their lives, with the biggest one being job security. In looking for security, people often start to avoid risks, play it safe, and this results in them taking less and less action. In life, more security only comes from the actions we take, than the actions we avoid. Remember, security comes from taking action.

March 23
THERE ARE SOME NECESSARY LOSSES IN LIFE
I think we all have experienced this. We have had friends in the past where we just grew apart. Sometimes, when we make changes in our lives and get re-energised, it might make some of our friends uncomfortable (as they want things to remain just the same). To move forward and create the life we aspire to, we often need to lose some old friends in order to enjoy the company of new ones.

March 24
OPPORTUNITIES ARE DISGUISED AS PROBLEMS
Think back in your life, and you will always be able to remember times when you had a big problem, but solved it. That problem also brought along with it an opportunity at the same size as the problem, and a great learning for you as well. Remember, opportunities are often disguised as problems.

March 25
CHOOSE OR OTHERS CHOOSE FOR YOU
Life is about making choices, from how we use our time, to the key decisions that direct our lives. Those who become successful and happy take personal responsibility for their life and choose before others choose for them. Remember, you choose or others choose for you.

March 26
NEVER PUT YOUR DREAMS ON THE BACK BURNER
Many people have given up on their dreams, and have settled for the life they live today. Settling is never good, as it means that you have given up on using your potential. People who have settled have an emptiness inside that will never be filled. Remember, never put your dreams on the back burner.

March 27
IF YOUR HEART IS NOT IN IT
Our passion and drive in our lives is driven by our emotions. You see so many managers trying to make the intellectual arguments why the direction is the right one, and their people are not buying it. Their people need to make the emotional link in order to put their heart into it. Successful leaders know they need to make both the intellectual and emotional links.

March 28
FOCUS YOUR ENERGY TO THE HIGHEST PAYOFF
Life is full of responsibilities and opportunities, and very often they come so fast at us that we don't have time to do everything. The best way to decide what to do is to take a few minutes to figure out the payoff for each opportunity. Then, choose the ones with the highest payoff.

March 29
INFORMATION AND KNOWLEDGE ARE POTENTIAL POWER
What we learn (both information and knowledge) are really only potential power. It is only when you put it to use and take action, that it is "real" power. Focus on the action and you will always be turning potential power into real power.

March 30
LOOKING FOR EVIDENCE OF OUR THOUGHTS
There is tremendous power that either works for you or against you. Whatever you constantly think about goes into our sub-conscious mind and is treated as a blueprint for what we want. Then, as you go about your day, your sub-conscious mind looks for ways to create that blueprint. Therefore, use your power in the right way by constantly thinking of what you want (versus what you don't want).

March 31
NOT NEEDING "THINGS" TO FEEL GOOD
There are many people going through life just focusing on getting more money in order to buy more "things" to make them feel good (happy). The truly successful and happy people understand that feeling good is never driven my things, but by their friendships and how they are growing to reach their potential.