Daily Thought Archives: October 2009

October 1
OWN YOUR BEHAVIOUR
How many times have your heard people say, "Those people make me so angry!". It is like we blame others for the way we then behave. The people, who get along with others and get ahead in life, take the view that they own their behaviour, and it is their decision how they respond to others. You can too, when you own your behaviour.

October 2
SEPARATE THE IDEA & JUDGING IT
One of the biggest problems of generating ideas in meetings is that everyone is to quick to judge the idea. That always stops to creative flow of ideas, and the result is that best ideas are always never heard. Separate the idea from judging it, and don't start judging ideas until all the ideas have been expressed.

October 3
WAITING FOR OTHERS TO HELP?
They say that life is what we make of it. At times, we seem to forget this, and expect others around us to help make our lives better. Everything great, that has ever happened to us or will happen to us, always comes from us and not others. Our actions are what creates the energy for others to help us.

October 4
EVERYTHING WAS FIRST A THOUGHT
Everything that happens in your life was first a thought. That being so, it is only logical that you can change the direction and pace of your life by changing your thoughts. Thinking alone will not change things, but it is thing that gets everything (your actions) started.

October 5
SEEING WITH NEW EYES
People who get the most out of life are always seeing everything with new eyes. Their constant personal development is always helping them to observe more of their world, and it is also drives their curiously to know more and see more. Why not create a life around seeing with new eyes.

October 6
YOUR ATTITUDE CAN BE AN ASSET
Some say attitude is everything. However, it is the starter for many things, and having a great attitude can help you accomplish your goals faster than without one. Everyone wants to be around people with great attitudes, so your help is always close at hand.

October 7
MAKE YOUR DECISIONS EARLY IN LIFE
Life is really about making decisions, and some decisions we make have the power to shape the rest of our lives. In order to get the most out of life, it is then important to make our key decisions as early in our life as possible. That way we get to enjoy the benefits of those decisions longer.

October 8
HAVING THE BELIEF NO MATTER WHAT
Successful people have the belief in themselves that is far greater than others. It is so strong that they believe they will accomplish what they set out to do no matter what. Also, they do everything they can to keep that belief strong, and always surround themselves with people who believe in the same way.

October 9
TWO VIEWS OF CIRCUMSTANCES
There are two view of circumstances. The successful people view that circumstances are something that they create based on their actions, while the unsuccessful people have got into the habit of just accepting the circumstances they have been given.

October 10
UNDERSTANDING THE "ONE" THING
Take a look at very successful people, and you will notice that they built their success around that "one" thing they were both great at and was also unique. Investing time to understand your "one" thing could be the best investment you could ever make.

October 11
EXCUSES TO OURSELVES
Excuses are like a cancer in our lives, and it eats away at our ability to use our potential. The biggest trouble is when we start making excuses to ourselves. When we start making excuses to ourselves, it becomes far easier to make excuses to others; and suddenly there goes our reputation.

October 12
REFLECTION LEADS TO INNOVATION
People who run from one thing to another and don't take time for reflection are often the least innovative. Reflection often drives us to think that "there must be a better way", and fuels the creativity inside us to find it. Invest in reflection time, as it is where breakthroughs often start.

October 13
SELF DISCIPLINE LEADS TO LIKING YOURSELF MORE
In life, we always accomplish more and use more of our potential when we discipline ourselves to go beyond just what we like to do, and do what is necessary. This self discipline helps us to accomplish more and helps us like ourselves more. We are always "proud" of ourselves when we do what we know we should do.

October 14
SAYING EVERYTHING IS OFTEN SAYING NOTHING
Whenever we want to influence others, we often try to tell them all the information we have in order to convince them of it. However, when we say everything, we overload them of information, and they often don't remember the most important points. What's important is saying a little, and making it memorable!

October 15
CHALLENGED VERSUS OVER-COMMITTED
One of the biggest balances leaders need to make is finding the right level of challenging their people. It is often the range of responsibilities that help us to grow. However, there is a fine line between being challenged and over-committed. The best leaders are aware of that line when delegating outcomes to their people.

October 16
VISIONS ARE NEVER COMPLETE
You can never make a vision complete, as you can never make a complete picture of the future now. Leaders who try to create a "complete" vision run the danger of providing too much information and losing the "motivational" power to make it happen. Visions need to drive direction, not the details.

October 17
IN OUR FACE OR TO THE SIDE
Our emotions are what drive our lives, and how we engage them can make all the difference. It all comes down to what we choose to put "in our face". We need to keep those positive emotions in our face and develop the self discipline to put those negative emotions to the side. Give your positive emotions the "face" time.

October 18
THE COMMITMENT MULTIPLIER
Very often, the people with the best skills and abilities are not the people that achieve the most success. Talent alone cannot create success, and the commitment to use whatever talents you have is the key. Commitment is what multiplies the impact you can make with your talents.

October 19
STORIES STEER NOT TELL
Stories are powerful ways to communicate with others, as they engage people's emotions while sharing information. Also, stories help show others a way forward on a problem or an opportunity, and without specifically telling them the answer.

October 20
NOT MORE THEORY, MORE EXECUTION
We need to keep learning in order to keep growing. However, we can move forward faster in our lives by just by "Doing" what we already know. Remember, we often say to others, "I knew that" but do we "DO" that? Just by doing what we already know, not more theory; can move us forward faster.

October 21
BOTH DECISIVE & CONSULTATIVE
Balance is a very important concept in everything, and is also important in leadership. The most successful leaders understand when to be very decisive and when to be consultative in driving forward their initiatives. They are great at using their past experiences (their judgment) to guide their behaviour.

October 22
FAILURE IS A PART OF WINNING
If you were to study the winners in both sports and business, you would find that their failures have played an important role in their ultimate success. They learned more about themselves through their failures, and also gained that inner strength that powered them to success.

October 23
INFORMATION SHARED BECOMES MORE POWERFUL
Information flow is like good plumbing to an organisation. When it is flowing to the right people, things are happening. When it is not, the silos and turf wars are created. Successful business leaders know that information only has power when it is shared, and encourage information sharing all the time.

October 24
OUR RESPONSE MAKES IT GOOD OR BAD
How we respond to what happens either makes the situation good or bad for us. We cannot always control what life brings. However, we can always control our response, and we can even turn a bad situation into something good.

October 25
HEARING FROM THEM FIRST
Observe great communicators in action and you will notice one common trait. They all listen first to others before talking. They understand that by listening to others first, others will reveal to them how they want to be communicated to (their interests and in what style). Remember to listen first.

October 26
"EVEN IF" VERSUS "IF"
You often hear people say, "if" a certain condition is in place, then they can be successful. These types of people are always placing responsibility on someone else for their success. The people who achieve great success have an "even if" mindset, and will make it happen no matter what.

October 27
IS YOUR GOAL, YOUR GOAL?
Many people often struggle to define the right goals in their lives as thinking it through is just too hard work. This drives some people to then adopt goals that others think would be best for them. This is not a great road to take, as you can never create the right passion behind a goal that is not truly yours.

October 28
PAIN GOES, BUT ACHIEVEMENT STAYS
We all have those critical activities that we sometimes avoid because of the feeling we might get or the pain we might experience. While the unsuccessful always avoid these activities, the successful embrace them as they know that the pain always goes, but the feeling of achievement stays with them.

October 29
NOT AFRAID OF THE ANSWERS
You can spot successful people doing this all the time. They are constantly asking others for their advice on how they can improve, and know that getting constant feedback will help them grow faster. Unsuccessful people are often afraid to ask for this feedback, as they are afraid of hearing the possible "uncomfortable" answers.

October 30
CHANGE NEEDS A CHAMPION
Driving change in companies is always the most challenging thing to do, and the best leaders understand that they need to find champions for all their change initiatives. Successful change always needs a champion who will use his or her personal passion behind the initiative to help explain the "why" and power through the resistance.

October 31
CONFIDENCE COMES FROM PREPARATION
There are many people who look to others to help them boost their confidence, and are always searching for that positive feedback. However, the great achievers are always boosting their own confidence with the way they prepare for what they need to do. The "prepared" always go through their day with more confidence than others.