Reality and Hope

Beat the BTDTs

We live in a world where some of the most amazing technology becomes obsolete before many of us even know what it is. In some respects, our rapid advances are remarkable, but in other ways we are learning to be bored by things that aren’t new and flashy.

I readily admit that I take advantage of some modern technology, but I will cautiously point out that there is an odd and possibly dangerous by-product of all of this. Just as quickly as we lose interest in new technology, we can become bored with some of the simple things in our business and our lives.

We desire to move to flashier things before we have mastered the necessary basics.

Our incessant need for newness can create an environment in which we suffer from what I call the BTDT’s – “Been There, Done That.”

Planned Obstacles

We all have seasons when things are operating well, systems are playing out smoothly, and all seems right with the world. In these times, we are like a runner who is peacefully jogging around a smooth track with no obstacles in our way.

If you’re not in that place today, odds are you are trying to get there. But even when you arrive in that zone, there are inevitable barriers not far off.

Walls

When you think of a wall, what is the first thing that comes to your mind?

Do you think of a barrier? A dividing line? Protection? Boundaries?

The concept of walls has come up a lot in my coaching recently. When you build a wall around you for self-protection, it can also be a barrier that stops people from helping and guiding you. In this case, walls are not good.

Veer Right

Autumn is nearly upon us, and the smell of change is in the air. For some this is welcome, but for others change represents an uncertain and frightening new place. 

 
I don’t mean to be overly philosophical, but change is inevitable in our lives. It seems as though some people spend a great deal of energy trying to avoid the fact that they must make a change. Ironically, I can hardly think of a single person who couldn’t benefit from some change in their business or in their life.

If you are in a season that requires change for your own benefit, I want to encourage you to lean in and make the decision to go down that road….before you are dragged there by force.

Think. Act. In That Order.

In substance abuse recovery, there is a commonly used acronym – HALT – which has an application in many areas of life, including stress management and decision making.

Never make key life decisions when you are Hungry, Angry, Lonely or Tired.

In today’s fast-paced, frenetic world, many people are coming to key conclusions under stress. The decisions that they make under these conditions are far from the ones that will serve them best.

The Better You Become...

I coach some very dialed-in executives, salespeople, and leaders. I am blessed to be surrounded by some very good and thoughtful people, from whom I can learn so much.

One consistent challenge I have with this group of people is when I assume that they have their business and their lives pretty much figured out. This can cause me to inadvertently neglect asking important questions and challenging assumptions.

If you are in a season of your career or in your life where things are going quite well, I encourage you to never stop asking questions, especially the most basic questions about who you are and what you do.

A Force to be Reckoned With

It is stunning just how fast that field of “social media” has grown. Blogging, MySpace, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter… they have gone from 0 to 100 MPH faster than any car ever claimed. 

I am overwhelmed by the idea of writing a blog on this topic, because I’m not sure how to approach it in a way that hasn’t been already covered by millions of others. Social media is an indisputably amazing technological phenomenon, and there are countless ways in which these tools can serve you.

4 Ways to Mitigate Stress

Stress is a funny thing. Not funny in a “ha ha” kind of way, but rather strange in its ambiguity.

Like pain, stress is completely subjective and personal. I have always found it fascinating when a doctor asks me to rate my pain on a scale of 1-10. How would he know if my 8 isn’t someone else’s 3? Or vice versa?

Similarly, stress impacts us all so variedly. Some people do a good job of managing it, so that you may not get to see all of its ugly by-products (yet). Those who don’t manage it well may reveal all of its nasty manifestations on a daily basis.

Look at the Map

Creating a yearly plan for your business in December or January is a common occurrence. Reviewing, revising, and following that plan in August is not so common.

This is the point in the year when many people stray from their business plans. It is far enough past the beginning of the year to make it seem irrelevant, and close enough to the fourth quarter where wrapping it up for the year seems inevitable. Today, I want to remind you of the power of reclaiming your plan and getting back to what you had said you would do.

Making Time

“Time Management” is an oxymoron. No one can manage the ticking of the clock. We can, however, manage our choices during those ticking hours.

It is remarkable to me how often we get sucked into thinking that some days just happen to us, and that we have no control. How many mornings do we wake up with a plan, only to look up at 5 o’clock and wonder where the day went?

It always sounds so pleasant to talk about managing our days more effectively, but the truth is that it requires gut-wrenching intentionality. If we are going to accomplish what we set out to do, we must revisit the idea of controlling what we say “yes” to, and what we say “no” to.