Daily Thought Archives: May 2010

May 1
CHOOSE NOTHING LESS THAN "I WILL"
If you think about it, anything less than "I WILL" is equal to not really making a commitment. An "I'll try" is always saying I will do it unless something else comes up (and isn't it that something else always comes up). "I WILL" means you will do it regardless of the circumstances (regardless of what comes up).

May 2
ACHIEVEMENTS ARE REFLECTIONS OF CHOICES
What we achieve in life has roots in the choices we have made. Our choices determine how we use our time, and that drives the people we meet and the actions we take. Most people surrender their choices to others, while successful people make their own choices.

May 3
START WITH A SPECIFIC QUESTION
One of the reasons people don't take as much action as they would like is that they are usually not "specific" enough. It's the questions we ask ourselves that drives our actions, so the more specific our questions, the clearer we see the action we can take. Always start with a specific question.

May 4
WE GET WHO WE ARE
It is who we become that determines what we will get. Therefore, a great predictor of our success is our self development, and growing to be the person who can achieve it and get the rewards of achieving it. If you are not achieving to the level you would like, look first to your own self development.

May 5
KNOW WHAT YOU DON'T KNOW
The weak don't ever want to admit they don't know something, and thus don't get the help they need to take the right action & move forward; while the strong are never afraid to ask questions of others. They understand what they don't know, and then seek out the "best" in order to get the best advice.

May 6
THE POWER OF RELATIONAL CAPITAL
When most people think of capital, they think of money. However, the most important capital is not money, but our relationships (relational capital). The quality of our relationships enable us to deliver more value to others (gaining more money), and enrich our lives to also enjoy more the journey of life.

May 7
IMPRESS WITH RESULTS, NOT WITH TALK
Successful people have understood what it is that impresses others the most. It's what they achieve, versus the unsuccessful who think it is what they say. In fact, if you focus on action & achievement and speak less, it brings more power to what you say.

May 8
LEARN TO HANDLE AMBIGUITY
A "lived" life is full of changes, and change means that everything cannot be perfectly clear at the beginning of the change. Successful people get successful by embracing change and the ambiguity that comes along with it at the start. They focus on removing that ambiguity and making things clearer for themselves and those around them.

May 9
QUIET YOURSELF TO GENERATE IDEAS
We seem to always be in a fast pace, and trying to pack as much into each day as we can. That drives us to be in an "action" mode all the time, but maybe little time for generating ideas. We need to set aside some quiet time to think in more depth on what we want to accomplish, and in those times we see ideas that can help us move faster to it.

May 10
A CRISIS REVEALS THE LEADER
Have you noticed that with a crisis, certain people step up and take charge, while others just look around for someone else to take the responsibility. A crisis reveals the leader (or lack of leadership) within people, as some embrace problems to find solutions, while others simply want to run from them.

May 11
UNDERSTANDING PRECEDES INFLUENCE
Influence is a key attribute of successful people, and as with everything in life, it's how we invest our time that grows our power of influence. The investment with the best return is always taking the time in understanding other people's situations, as understanding precedes influence.

May 12
HIRE FOR ATTITUDE, TRAIN FOR SKILLS
With teamwork being so important in today's organisations, just having the skills for the job is not enough. A person's value to an organisation is not just the value from their own work, but also the value they bring to others. Good attitudes are the glue that brings people together.

May 13
INVITE AN EXPERT TO LUNCH
We can't really grow fast enough by just relying on our own life experiences. It's learning from the experience of others that helps us move faster towards our goals. Why not invite someone who has been there and done it to lunch, and ask their advice. We'll always leave with more inspiration and at least one idea to action.

May 14
BE INTERESTED VERSUS INTERESTING
Everyone likes to be popular, and often focus on being interesting to others. However, people with the power of influence focus on making others popular versus themselves. They focus on being interested in others versus making themselves interesting to others.

May 15
THE RIGHT PEOPLE IN THE RIGHT ROLES
Leadership is about people, and management is more about organisation. The two come together when we focus on getting the right people in the right roles. There are always pivotal roles in every organisation where the person in the role can make a big difference to the whole organisation.

May 16
ASKING OURSELVES DIFFERENT QUESTIONS
We often judge others by the level of questions they ask us. Do their questions make us think, or challenge us. We should also judge ourselves too, and consider the questions we ask ourselves. Every change in our lives was preceded by asking ourselves different questions than before.

May 17
DEFINE BALANCE FOR YOU
Everyone has a different attitude and approach to finding the right balance in their life. The people who get it right have invested time to decide what's most important and look to create the right "quality" time in all parts of their life. The happiest people focus on "quality" versus quantity.

May 18
WINNERS DO WHAT OTHERS DON'T
People who achieve success (win in life) get there by doing what others are not willing to do. The interesting thing is that it is almost never the difficult things, but the very simple & repeated actions that others just don't have the discipline to do. It is the discipline that has made them winners.

May 19
THINK "BEING" VERSUS WILL BECOME
There's a big difference between people who change and don't change. The people who don't change are always wishing they would become a different person. The people who change begin by thinking like a different person first, and then their actions create that person. Think already "being" that person and you will become him or her soon.

May 20
RESPONDING TO THE UNEXPECTED
Life is full of the unexpected, and how we respond to these events can make a big difference in our lives. The people who respond better than others have done their preparation. When you think ahead of the possibilities, you are always able to think more clearly and quicker "in the moment".

May 21
FOCUSING ON FINDING COMMON GROUND
All good relationships have been built upon some common ground. The differences between people always make our relationships more interesting, but the common ground of shared values and experiences are the foundation for creating and keeping great relationships.

May 22
LIGHT BULB OR A LASER
There's one trait that helps people become more successful, and it's the ability to focus. These people are like lasers and focus all the energy on what they define as important. The unsuccessful are more as light bulbs, never understanding what's most important, and spreading their focus across too many things. Be a laser.

May 23
EVERYONE IS WORK IN PROGRESS
Some people are always looking to the point when they "arrive". In fact, that point never comes, as we are always a work in progress. Life has meaning when we are growing, so if we stop growing, the meaning of our life stops as well. The happiest people always consider themselves a work in progress.

May 24
WILLING TO LISTEN TO FEEDBACK
The people who grow the fastest are those who are constantly asking for feedback. They want to improve, and know that constant feedback gives them a focus for their improvement. However, there are some people who avoid feedback, as they treat it as criticism versus their "fuel for improvement".

May 25
ABILITY TO HIRE GREAT PEOPLE
Success in business is all about the people, and the start of every successful business is with the hiring of great people. That's why the most important process in any company is the hiring process, and the most important skill for a leader is the ability to hire great people.

May 26
SEEING YOUR VISION IN THE PRESENT
Some people really treat a vision as a dream. They think of it as something in the future, and wouldn't it be nice if I was living that dream. However, you have other people who see their vision in the present, and begin taking action as if they were already living the vision. Remember, our future is created from our present actions.

May 27
COMPETITIVENESS IN YOUR PEOPLE
Some leaders are not comfortable with competitiveness in their people, as they don't really know how to control it. Strong leaders want it, as it means everyone is striving to get better, and they know that their role is to make sure the right behaviours are reinforced.

May 28
REAL PROGRESS
Some people are really confused about what progress means, as they view it as continued activity. Real progress is about continued achievement, and achievement towards a clear target. It's the difference between looking at life as a set of enjoyable activities or enjoyable achievements.

May 29
IGNORE YOUR AWARENESS AT YOUR PERIL
Self-awareness is the key to influence, and our ability to get along with others. However, self-awareness means being aware of both the good and the bad. Some people avoid the bad, because of the way it makes them feel, and they don't ever see the way for themselves to improve. Ignore your awareness at your peril.

May 30
GO WHERE THE SMART PEOPLE ARE
A great way to grow faster is to be around people who are smarter than you. That takes confidence in yourself, as it means you won't be the centre of attention. However, you will be in the centre of learning & development and it will not be so far into the future when you will be considered one of those smart people.

May 31
FEELING OF BEING INCOMPETENT OR COMPETENT
To grow, we need to try something new, and we will never be competent at first. The feeling of being incompetent is what stops many from starting and others from quitting too soon. Success is often about taking action and moving from incompetent to competent as quickly as you can.