Reality and Hope

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.

Step Six

A while back, I created a tool entitled "The 6 Steps of Implementation.” It is based on my coaching observations of people who really implement well – and what it is that causes everyone else to struggle.

As I worked through the first five steps, I laid out what I believe are very tangible and practical instructions that will help you take big ideas to completion. Perhaps in a future blog I will cover those five, but today I just want to talk about Step Six.

The last step is simply entitled, "Execute."

Intangible Action

I spend my days at Building Champions coaching clients to take specific, tangible action in their businesses and lives. There are countless quotes, quips, and anecdotes about the power of taking action. I can’t think of a single person who would deny the fact that taking action would positively impact their life.

It would be easy to blog about tangible action.



Just a little more than 200 years ago, Sir Isaac Newton gave us his 3 physical laws. While they were meant to explain motion, we can easily see how “to every action there is an equal and opposite reaction” applies to life as much as to our physical surroundings.

The New MBA Program

When economic times get tough, many people look to higher education to take their vocations in a new direction. Business people often spend a great deal of time and money getting a Masters of Business Administration – AKA, MBA. To be certain, this degree can open doors and help you in numerous ways.

I would like to propose a new meaning for the letters MBA. If we all adhere this acronym, it could be as life-changing as actually going back to college.

From hence forth, I declare that MBA stands for MEASURED BY ACTION.

Get Back

I continue to notice recurring themes in my coaching sessions. It is my hope that, as I reflect these themes back to you, they may resonate with you or even reveal the truth of your own circumstances, and provide some context to your world.

One thing I am noticing is the need to get back to the place we started from.

It doesn’t matter how seasoned you are - there are some basics that you did at the beginning of your career that were instrumental in getting you to where you are now. You made calls, wrote notes, knocked on doors, and executed on a series of activities that brought you success.

True Value

For many people I know, this season is so incredibly hectic, so wrought with doubt and uncertainty, that it can feel as though we are just making it through the days.

We need to remember our worth.

I have been accused lately of erring towards the cynical – too much Reality and not enough Hope. But my intent in this blog is to simply try and reflect what I am hearing and seeing in my coaching. And right now, there seem to be a mass of people caught in a cycle of fear, anxiety, and even hopelessness.

Battling Forgetfulness

It seems like many mornings I wake up to find that the night has swiped some of the truths of life that I thought were so ingrained in my heart and soul. I have found that I need to remind myself daily of the thoughts, ideas, and strategies that I believed were going to be a natural part of my daily thinking.

I know I’m not alone.

Half the time when I write a blog and I re-read it, I think to myself, “Well this is going to make people go ‘DUH!’” But then I remember that even the most convicted of us need reminders of some of life’s deepest truths.

One Eye Up

It is challenging to think you can write a blog that is going to reach the masses. Our lives have become increasingly complex, and it isn’t as if we all move at the same speed.

Some of my clients right now are doing very well, and others are in the struggle of their life. Perhaps this is the way it has always been, but the current economic conditions and legislative constraints are causing consternation for many people. You may thinking that is the understatement of the decade.

Starting All Over Again

An amazing client of ours just sent out a broadcasted message about how this week, the first week in July, represents the beginning of the second half of the year. She capitalized on an idea that we all need to embrace: starting over.

I coach many people who are sick and tired of starting over. I must admit that from time to time it fatigues me, too. However, we need to embrace the idea. If we don’t, we are in danger of getting beaten down, beleaguered and burned out.

Justifiable

Who you are and what you do when no one is watching makes a difference.

There has been a recurring theme in my coaching, where the concept of ‘character’ is being revisited. It is difficult to write about because it is a complicated topic and it can come across sounding judgmental. But here I sit, ready to give it a go.

Stop for a moment and consider your own character. There are countless components, and some are probably very positive. You may be a kind and generous person. You may be thoughtful and intelligent. It is worth reflecting on the good characteristics that help make up the complex individuals that we are.

The most successful people, however, are always digging for those areas that they need to improve.