You're Missing A Great Game

“You’re missing a great game!” This is something you often hear yelled at officials by displeased basketball fans from the heights of their seats. Somehow they believe the screaming of insults to people in stripes will make the calls better. I am still puzzled by this logic.

It actually makes no sense at all.

Being wrong doesn’t make you miss a great game; not showing up does.

Did you catch that truth?

Missing a great game starts when you don’t show up.

In the same way, enjoying the great game of life means we show up. We play. We are open to discovering the lessons and principles that will help us along the way. We learn, we keep going, and we fall in love with life.

You have plans for your life. Plans to accomplish your dreams, goals, and passions. What will be the difference between you enjoying the great game of life or missing it?

Here is what I know to be true:

Once you decide to take something on, to go after something that matters, to make a difference, this is the biggest step you must take to enjoy the great game of life:

Start!

Simply begin.

Take one step, even if it is small.

It is amazing how experiences become far less monumental than we think when we just put one foot in front of the other.

What step will you take today to make progress in your professional and personal life to ensure you don't miss a great game?

3 Places to Start Your Spring Cleaning

It is time for spring cleaning!

There are certain projects we work on each spring, and depending upon where you live, those tasks vary. Maybe you will get the pool ready, clean out the garage, wash the windows, weed and feed the yard, break out the golf clubs, or have a long list of projects both inside and outside the home that are long overdue.

Whatever your version of spring cleaning and getting ready for the new season, the time is here!

So is the time for you to do some spring cleaning on your leadership and your life. Here are three categories to take some inventory and do some clean up:

1. Your Goals

What goal(s) have you set this year and how are you doing in hitting them? You have some goals, whether from the beginning of the year or new ones that have come about, how are you doing? What steps need to be taken this week to move the needle?
What will you do today to be productive on what is important to you?

2. Your Health

How is your health? Are you at the weight you desire? Are you sleeping well? How about your energy level? Take inventory on your personal health and take steps to improve your life by improving your health.

3. Your Personal Development

How many books have you read this year? How many more will you read? Reading is so key to increasing your mental approach and critical thinking. Read, read, and read.

Have you signed up for a seminar, conference, or other event to develop your skills? If so, great! If you haven't, its' not too late. Go research options and sign up for at least one event this year.

We can get so focused on new activities, baseball, housework, kids graduating, work projects, and more that we lose sight of what makes all those good things great....

YOU, YOUR BEST YOU!

Take some inventory, do some spring cleaning now on your leadership and your life. Make it a great day, a great spring and you will be on your way to your best year ever!

Why I Choose Not To Be Thankful for Things

What are you really thankful for?

Each year as we roll into the holiday season, we are bombarded with so many lures and enticements for “the finer things in life.” We are led to believe that certain things will bring us more joy and thanksgiving.

Advertisers work tirelessly to show us what we should do or purchase to have a better life. Countless retailers try to get us to buy into the hype about the car we wish we had, the jewelry she will love, the phone that will pull us out of the dark ages, and the drink that will somehow surround us with better friends. The answer to every problem we could have, right?

No.

Now, let me be clear, I’ve purchased plenty of new cars and have enjoyed the luxuries they provide. We might be able to start a new jewelry business with all the beautiful jewelry my wife has and loves to wear, and she looks great doing so I have to say. I use the newest smartphone from Galaxy and love having a glass of wine with friends.

These luxuries are not bad. They can actually be necessary and helpful. As a speaker, I need reliable transportation to get to events, and I need communication to handle business needs while on the road. My doctor says red wine is good for me, so I follow her instructions. :) In the end, I am grateful for all of these things, but they are nowhere near the top of the list.

I choose not to be thankful for things.

As Thanksgiving approaches, I choose not to spend my time focused on those things. I will not spend my time being thankful for things. The advertisers want to sell us on this year's 'must-have' items, that is their job, and I respect that. But what they have to offer will not determine my happiness or provide lasting joy.

This Thanksgiving, I’m thankful for my son being home from college, for health in my family, for food on the table, and a warm home. I am thankful for great friends, for life, for my God who provides hope and joy. I am thankful to simply be able to write this message.

A simple challenge for you.

Write down what you are truly thankful for. This list defines what you value most in life. And if it is people, tell them you are thankful for them.

Happy Thanksgiving my friends!

5 Steps To Reduce Your Stress In 5 Minutes or Less

Stress, we all have it. We all can’t stand it. The more we have, the less productive we are, the more irritable we are, and ultimately, our fulfillment and success level drops. There are many strategies out there to reduce stress, but it can be hard to find the time to implement them in the midst of a stressful season. Here are 5 simple steps that can help reduce your stress in 5 minutes or less.

1. Just do the basics.

It is no surprise that most stress reduction strategies include exercise, sleep, and eating well. And it is probably because we cannot function well for a sustained period of time without them. This first step can feel impossible when you are stressed, but just take one step in the right direction today. Take a break and go for a walk, set a reminder to head to bed a few minutes earlier, keep healthy snack options around instead of heading to the vending machine. You will be shocked how each small decision can help reduce your stress.

2. Find a way to laugh out loud.

 Whether at yourself, at a joke, or at a video of something/someone funny, laughing amazingly makes you feel better. Some of the most wonderful moments in life include laughter. So the next time you are feeling stressed, hit the pause button, and find something to make you laugh.

3. Breathe, just breathe. 

Sounds simple, but there is a technique to this. Breathe with your eyes shut, in through your nose (for a count of two) and exhale through your mouth (for the same count). Do this while saying a number out loud (from 1 to 10) on each breath out. Simple, yet effective.
 

4. Do something else.

Just stop doing what you are doing for a period of time and go do something else. Maybe you can break for a day, an hour, or just 5 minutes. This is not an excuse to procrastinate, but sometimes taking your mind of the root of the stress for just a few moments, is exactly what you need to reduce your stress and clear your mind.

5.  You decide.

 We all have our go-to tactics and activities we turn to when we are stressed. Whether it is spending time with a friend, grabbing a cup of coffee/tea, or listening to music, do something you enjoy and share it with others. We want to hear from you! I’d love for everyone who reads this to reply to the post or newsletter to share your go-to stress reducer. We would love to hear from you, so please, interact on social media and let the world know your secret to reducing stress.

Remember, we are better together than on our own, and by sharing ideas we help one another reduce stress, increase performance, and find fulfillment in our lives.

Thanks for what you do to change the world!

Do You Know What Matters Most?

You may hear people say, “Don’t sweat the small stuff!”

How? Might be your reply.

I saw a great quote recently (not sure who gets the credit), “One of the most important things in life is to know what is most important.” It is easy to say, much tougher to do. In the end, it is about keeping our focus on the bigger picture with confidence that we are on the right path.

So what is most important to you? What are your core values?

If it’s been awhile since you looked at them or if you’ve never created a list, now is the time!

Your challenge is to spend some quiet time alone and develop your list. These values help frame where you spend your time and attention because these are the things that matter the most to you. Once you know what matters most, it is easier to identify the "small stuff."

Here’s how you go about that process:

1. Identify approximately 10 words that describe the things (in large buckets) that matter to you in your life (personal, professional, recreational, etc.)
2. Then narrow down your list to the absolutes, the top 3 – 6. These values are your core values.
3. The final step is crucial. Put them in number order. Something must be number 1 and always take precedence over number 2, 3, and 4.

This process is a necessity in the path to success. Defining your own core values brings clarity in times of tough decisions and prevents you from being distracted by the wrong things. And in the end, it keeps you from sweating the small stuff because you now know what really matters.

Let Resistance Be Your Wind

Flying is intriguing. It is such an amazing invention. While standing on the ground, I peer up towards the sky and watch as the thousands of pounds carrying so many valuable lives are
thrust across the sky at speeds over 500 miles per hour. I see the stream of white that trails and reveals the path in which the plane has come.

I am in awe.

And secretly, I want to be up there.

It doesn’t matter where the plane is heading; I am just enthralled with the concept of being in the sky.

Interestingly enough, that is somewhat how we perceive those that have reached great heights in their lives. Whether it is success in business, a beautiful family, or other wonderful accomplishments, we all want to soar?

However, to take flight, you must first take off. You need to lift off from where you are to get to where you want to be.

Ask any pilot, and they will tell you that the most critical moment in a flight is take off. Sure you need speed and mechanics and a well-built plane with a well-prepared pilot (leader) at the helm, but none of that matters if you don’t have resistance.

You need wind!

Planes take off into the wind. They use the resistance to climb. They charge the resistance as fast and hard as they can in order to soar.

As you face challenges, failures, and difficulties in your own life, check your perspective and keep going.

The resistance and opposition you face are your wind. Go at them, not around them, and certainly not away from them.

Use the resistance to get better and to grow. And prepare yourself because you are about to fly!

5 Ways To Deal With Unmet Expectations

Want to know a major component to achieving results, maximizing your potential, having a high-performing team, and being fulfilled in your life?
 
Sure you do.
 
You have to know how to deal with unmet expectations.
 
You have been and will be frustrated. Things don’t always go as planned. Someone has let you down, and others will in the future. Results may not be what you hoped for. You will have times in your life that what you want and dream of doesn’t come to fruition.
 
Simply put, we all have unmet expectations.
 
Here are the 5 strategies to effectively dealing with unmet expectations:

1. Manage your expectations. Make sure you set realistic goals and expectations. Stretch yourself, sure, but set a course that is attainable. Know that you will do your best, but the final outcome will have many variables.
2. Realize and accept you are not in control of everything. Accept that fact. You cannot control everything, or everyone, so stop trying to do so…but read number three.
3. You are in control of many things. Know what you can control. You can control your emotions, your words, your actions, your thoughts. You can control how you respond and rebound to situations. Stop being a victim. Take ownership and get back to work on what you can do to make a difference in a situation and your life.
4. Look in the mirror. Learn from your mistakes and unmet expectations. Ask yourself, “What can or could I do to change this outcome moving forward?” Sometimes, we see new methods and opportunities when we take the time to reflect on the past.
5. Move on to greener pastures. If in the end a situation or person is cancer in your life, then the solution may be to remove it. No time for stinkin’ thinkin’. Surround yourself with positive, uplifting people that are interested in you, your goals, and your success. Not only will you feel better, but you will do better, and you will have way more fun along the way.

Alignment isn't just for your car

It’s Sunday afternoon, sunny skies, glasses on, open road, tunes playing so loud you could sell tickets. You hold the stitched leather on your steering wheel at a perfect 10 and 2. That beautiful logo (that you paid too much for) in the center just beams right back at you. You’re loving every minute of it... 

Just one problem, your car keeps veering off the road!

An alignment issue.

Good leaders should set the destination and clearly define what success looks like.
Good leaders should guide their team in important conversations to generate ideas.
Good leaders should make decisions on vision to set the team into action.

But let’s be clear here; you don’t want to be good, you want to be GREAT!

As we know from driving a car, holding the wheel straight guarantees us nothing if our alignment is off. The same holds true in your leadership and for your team. This critical step is one many good leaders and teams miss.

Great leaders understand that finding victory once isn’t enough. Great leaders know you need to sustain victories month after month, quarter after quarter, and year over year. You need to cement your dynasty. You need alignment to be great. 

Alignment: the process of securing buy-in from those that need to execute the WIN.

There is no quick fix when it comes to alignment. You need to put in the time to develop real relationships that focus on trust, transparent dialogue, and mutual respect. 

Alignment isn’t about being right; it is about getting it right.

You wouldn’t drive a car with your alignment so messed up that it takes you off the road. So be the great leader that makes alignment a priority. Make sure you focus on the opportunities, have real discussions about the issues, and secure alignment as a team before you leap into action.

When you do this, I promise you, the road will be smoother, straighter, and ultimately more enjoyable as you find your way to your destination. 

What's your "Why"?

Why do you do the work you do?

Really. What is it that fuels you each day to do the work you do? We aren’t talking about the money or the benefits of the job here. We are talking about the why you do what you do.

We tend to spend too much time on the negative aspects or the things that frustrate us with our jobs. The challenge for you is to take a moment and reflect on the things you love about your job/career. Write them down or type them out, but make them real, tangible reminders of the reasons for what you do.

This type of action, and a list to remind you each day, will help propel you through the tough days.

Now, this is important, if you cannot list at least 5 awesome and passionate reasons why you love your work, then you may have to make another list. That list will contain what you love to do, period. Not related to your current work, but just what you love to do for work. Then, this may serve as a beginning to new opportunities for you to make a move you’ve been hesitant to make.

Life is too short, your gifts are too great, and the impact you can make on the world is too essential for you to stay stagnant. This mantra is simple:

Love what you do. 

Remind yourself of all the why’s, all the reasons you took this job in the first place. Why do you love what you do?

You will be amazed at how focusing on the positive attributes of your career can produce a more productive, joy-filled, and rewarding life.