Saying Yes, often seems like the right thing to do in business.
After all, it makes us seem nice, open, accommodating, optimistic and agreeable.
But saying Yes can also be a trap.
It can dilute our focus.
Stretch our resources too thin.
Put us at the mercy of other people’s agendas.
The fact is, one of the defining characteristics of top performers in business is the ability to say No.
In our world of dynamic complexity, there are literally hundreds of opportunities each month to say Yes to new projects, meet with new people, investigate new sectors and begin new strategies.
You are probably tempted right now to say Yes to all kinds of things that aren’t part of your core business.
But it’s really important you resist.
For two primary reasons.
Firstly, I believe, and many different research studies show, that the people who become successful persistently do one thing well over a long period of time.
They don’t chop and change.
They don’t stop when work gets boring.
They don’t look for the next shiny new sector, fad or industry.
They grind it out, getting a little more skilled at their area of focus every day.
It’s not a glamorous way to live, but it gets results.
And secondly, every time you say No to a distraction from your main mission, you remind yourself about what’s really important- what your key focus is.
You get stronger, both mentally and strategically.
This week, why not make it a rule to say No to the unimportant, the distracting, the trivia masquerading as the urgent.
Saying No to distractions is ultimately saying Yes to greatness.
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Saturday, November 20, 2010
A Quality Life Demands Quality Questions - Dr. John F. Demartini
The quality of your life is based partly upon the quality of the questions you ask yourself daily. If you are not inspired about your life or if you are not living the life you truly dream of, it just may be because you are not asking yourself the highest quality questions. The moment you do is the moment your life begins to change. Most people who struggle through life ask themselves such uninspiring questions that their lives become exactly that, uninspiring. Asking yourself low-quality questions leads to a low quality life, but asking yourself high quality questions is one of the keys to living the more self-actualized life you dream of and deserve.
Below are seven high quality questions you could begin asking yourself daily. I have been asking myself these seven questions for many years and have been able to fulfill many of my dreams through this method. Many of my friends and students have also done the same. These questions have already been demonstrated to increase the quality of many people's lives around the world. Let's now take a look at these seven high quality questions.
1.What would I absolutely love to do in life?
This question helps bring clearly into your conscious mind one of your heartfelt and meaningful dreams or objectives.
2.How do I become handsomely or beautifully paid to do it?
This question helps you awaken your creativity and helps you reward yourself in return. It helps make your vocation your avocation. Why not get financially rewarded for doing whatever you love?
3.What are the seven highest priority actions steps I could complete today that would enable me to do it?
This question helps you see how possible it is to accomplish this or any other meaningful dream or objective. It helps you organize your actions.
4.What obstacles might I run into and how do I solve them in advance?
This question helps you plan more effectively and prepares you for the challenges you might face in advance. It enables you to act more than react along your journey.
5.What worked and what didn't work today?
This question helps you refine your actions and keep them on priority. All great endeavors require such feedback.
6.How do I do what I would love more effectively and efficiently?
This question helps you consistently think of more effective and efficient ways of accomplishing your meaningful dream or objective.
7.How did whatever I experienced today - whether positive or negative, serve me?
This question helps you realize that all great endeavors come with both supportive and challenging consequences both of which act as feedback mechanisms to assist you along your accomplishment journey.
Yes, there is a bit of thinking involved in asking and answering quality questions, but with a little effort and refinement you can certainly accomplish a great number of objectives and fulfill a greater number of dreams. Don't you deserve to live your dreams? Begin asking yourself the same quality questions and see what answers they lead you to. Be as specific and concise as you can. Watch how your creativity begins to soar. The quality of your life is based partly upon the quality of the questions you ask yourself daily and the quality and quantity of actions you take for yourself daily. Begin to ask higher quality questions and begin to act on your dreams today.
Below are seven high quality questions you could begin asking yourself daily. I have been asking myself these seven questions for many years and have been able to fulfill many of my dreams through this method. Many of my friends and students have also done the same. These questions have already been demonstrated to increase the quality of many people's lives around the world. Let's now take a look at these seven high quality questions.
1.What would I absolutely love to do in life?
This question helps bring clearly into your conscious mind one of your heartfelt and meaningful dreams or objectives.
2.How do I become handsomely or beautifully paid to do it?
This question helps you awaken your creativity and helps you reward yourself in return. It helps make your vocation your avocation. Why not get financially rewarded for doing whatever you love?
3.What are the seven highest priority actions steps I could complete today that would enable me to do it?
This question helps you see how possible it is to accomplish this or any other meaningful dream or objective. It helps you organize your actions.
4.What obstacles might I run into and how do I solve them in advance?
This question helps you plan more effectively and prepares you for the challenges you might face in advance. It enables you to act more than react along your journey.
5.What worked and what didn't work today?
This question helps you refine your actions and keep them on priority. All great endeavors require such feedback.
6.How do I do what I would love more effectively and efficiently?
This question helps you consistently think of more effective and efficient ways of accomplishing your meaningful dream or objective.
7.How did whatever I experienced today - whether positive or negative, serve me?
This question helps you realize that all great endeavors come with both supportive and challenging consequences both of which act as feedback mechanisms to assist you along your accomplishment journey.
Yes, there is a bit of thinking involved in asking and answering quality questions, but with a little effort and refinement you can certainly accomplish a great number of objectives and fulfill a greater number of dreams. Don't you deserve to live your dreams? Begin asking yourself the same quality questions and see what answers they lead you to. Be as specific and concise as you can. Watch how your creativity begins to soar. The quality of your life is based partly upon the quality of the questions you ask yourself daily and the quality and quantity of actions you take for yourself daily. Begin to ask higher quality questions and begin to act on your dreams today.
Lessons from a Great Baseball Player! - Siimon Reynolds
I just heard Cal Ripken give a speech.
For those who don’t follow the sport, he’s one of the greatest baseball players of all time.
Astoundingly, he played in the major leagues for almost 17 years straight without missing a single game.
He was voted Most Valuable Player in the entire league twice.
He knows a lot about succeeding.
So I thought I’d put down my summary of Cal’s thoughts on what it takes to be highly successful:
1. The right approach – right attitude, a personal mission statement, and an honest and simple approach.
2. Strong will.
3. Passion – it is critical you choose to love what you do.
4. Love to compete – you must set yourself challenges constantly, both internal and external.
5. Consistency – constantly adjust and re-adjust to solve problems.
6. Conviction – thick skin, be stubborn, see things through to the end.
7. Strength – physical and mental. Constantly get new information to improve.
8. Life management – seek to create control in each area.
9. Personal life – nobody can say they have it all worked out, but it demands daily attention.
For the next month, I’ll have Cal’s points posted up on my bathroom mirror as a reminder.
It could be worthwhile for you to do the same.
For those who don’t follow the sport, he’s one of the greatest baseball players of all time.
Astoundingly, he played in the major leagues for almost 17 years straight without missing a single game.
He was voted Most Valuable Player in the entire league twice.
He knows a lot about succeeding.
So I thought I’d put down my summary of Cal’s thoughts on what it takes to be highly successful:
1. The right approach – right attitude, a personal mission statement, and an honest and simple approach.
2. Strong will.
3. Passion – it is critical you choose to love what you do.
4. Love to compete – you must set yourself challenges constantly, both internal and external.
5. Consistency – constantly adjust and re-adjust to solve problems.
6. Conviction – thick skin, be stubborn, see things through to the end.
7. Strength – physical and mental. Constantly get new information to improve.
8. Life management – seek to create control in each area.
9. Personal life – nobody can say they have it all worked out, but it demands daily attention.
For the next month, I’ll have Cal’s points posted up on my bathroom mirror as a reminder.
It could be worthwhile for you to do the same.
Saturday, November 06, 2010
Act like a Start Up Business! - Siimon Reynolds
I believe one of the most powerful ways to succeed in any business is to always behave like you’re a start up business.
Why?
Because founders of start up businesses usually have these characteristics:
1. They have white hot desire.
Their founders just don’t want to build something, they are DESPERATE to build something great.
That kind of desire makes things happen. Gets things done. Cuts through the red tape and bureaucratic inertia.
As Harvard Business School professor John Kotter recently wrote, “When people have a true sense of urgency, they think that action on critical issues is needed NOW, not eventually, not when it fits into a schedule. Now means making real progress every single day.”
2. They are scavengers with money.
As businesses get bigger, the purse strings loosen. So often, we stop watching the dollars as much. Start ups watch every penny. They don’t hire unless they have to. They outsource. They bargain down suppliers and buy cheap furniture. They’re cheapskates and damn proud of it.
3. They really value clients.
To a start up, every client matters. So they treat them like royalty, even when they are asked for more than they should. They respond fast to problems and indeed look to solve potential issues before they occur.
They over service, even when it’s not necessarily ‘cost efficient’ to do so.
4. They keep improving their systems.
Start ups know good enough isn’t good enough. When your firm’s survival is at stake, you just have to get better. Founders of start ups are always questioning their processes, living and breathing Kaizen, making constant incremental improvements. Doing the little things that often end up being big things.
5. They have a wildly huge vision for the business.
Start ups are powered by dreams. Big dreams. Few people set up a business to make a little more money. They are fueled by grand ambitions to change their lives and change the world. Anything seems achievable in the first 6 months of opening a business. People who run start ups live on a higher plane of possibility.
So, has your business still got these characteristics?
Or have a few of them been lost as your company got larger and more established?
I believe that the longer you can maintain a start up culture the stronger your growth will be.
Act small and you’ll grow big.
Why?
Because founders of start up businesses usually have these characteristics:
1. They have white hot desire.
Their founders just don’t want to build something, they are DESPERATE to build something great.
That kind of desire makes things happen. Gets things done. Cuts through the red tape and bureaucratic inertia.
As Harvard Business School professor John Kotter recently wrote, “When people have a true sense of urgency, they think that action on critical issues is needed NOW, not eventually, not when it fits into a schedule. Now means making real progress every single day.”
2. They are scavengers with money.
As businesses get bigger, the purse strings loosen. So often, we stop watching the dollars as much. Start ups watch every penny. They don’t hire unless they have to. They outsource. They bargain down suppliers and buy cheap furniture. They’re cheapskates and damn proud of it.
3. They really value clients.
To a start up, every client matters. So they treat them like royalty, even when they are asked for more than they should. They respond fast to problems and indeed look to solve potential issues before they occur.
They over service, even when it’s not necessarily ‘cost efficient’ to do so.
4. They keep improving their systems.
Start ups know good enough isn’t good enough. When your firm’s survival is at stake, you just have to get better. Founders of start ups are always questioning their processes, living and breathing Kaizen, making constant incremental improvements. Doing the little things that often end up being big things.
5. They have a wildly huge vision for the business.
Start ups are powered by dreams. Big dreams. Few people set up a business to make a little more money. They are fueled by grand ambitions to change their lives and change the world. Anything seems achievable in the first 6 months of opening a business. People who run start ups live on a higher plane of possibility.
So, has your business still got these characteristics?
Or have a few of them been lost as your company got larger and more established?
I believe that the longer you can maintain a start up culture the stronger your growth will be.
Act small and you’ll grow big.
Wednesday, November 03, 2010
Are You A Rich or Poor Millionaire? - Dr. John Demartini
According to a Survey of Consumer Finances, the average wealthy American has $1,400,000 in assets, and $275,000 in debts, for a net worth of over $1.1 million. Of those assets, they are fairly equally split between 'financial' assets (stocks, bonds, mutual funds and cash), and 'non-financial' assets (real estate, personal business equity, collectibles). Even then, most believe that they cannot afford to buy everything they really need. These results suggest that money is not the only determinant of real life wealth.
Dr. John Demartini defines a ‘poor' millionaire as someone who is living just to make money. On the contrary, Demartini believes a rich millionaire is someone who values the fullness of his or her life while making a profit doing what they love or loving what they do. He goes on to explain that doing what you love and making millions does not have to be mutually exclusive.
"If an individual is truly doing what they love to do they cannot help but feel prosperous and grateful for where they are and what they have. You cannot put a monetary value on being in love with life," says Dr. Demartini.
A multimillionaire in his own right, Dr. John Demartini does not deny he is an advocate for building tangible wealth and learning the fundamental laws of financial wellness.
So how do you make one hell of a profit and still get to heaven according to Dr. Demartini?
1.Make your spiritual life a business and your business life a spiritual experience
2.Do not try to receive something for nothing, or try to give something for nothing
3.SAVE 10% OF ALL YOU EARN - The more you have, the more you can attract
4.If you want to retire then you are in the wrong business
5.Anything you do consumes time. To maximize the value of your time, prioritize your interactions
6.Organize and lead your inner parts purposefully
7.Desperate people do desperate things, while inspired people do inspired things
Dr. John Demartini defines a ‘poor' millionaire as someone who is living just to make money. On the contrary, Demartini believes a rich millionaire is someone who values the fullness of his or her life while making a profit doing what they love or loving what they do. He goes on to explain that doing what you love and making millions does not have to be mutually exclusive.
"If an individual is truly doing what they love to do they cannot help but feel prosperous and grateful for where they are and what they have. You cannot put a monetary value on being in love with life," says Dr. Demartini.
A multimillionaire in his own right, Dr. John Demartini does not deny he is an advocate for building tangible wealth and learning the fundamental laws of financial wellness.
So how do you make one hell of a profit and still get to heaven according to Dr. Demartini?
1.Make your spiritual life a business and your business life a spiritual experience
2.Do not try to receive something for nothing, or try to give something for nothing
3.SAVE 10% OF ALL YOU EARN - The more you have, the more you can attract
4.If you want to retire then you are in the wrong business
5.Anything you do consumes time. To maximize the value of your time, prioritize your interactions
6.Organize and lead your inner parts purposefully
7.Desperate people do desperate things, while inspired people do inspired things
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