Morning Motivator - Are You Inventing Things to do to Avoid the Important?

"We create stress for ourselves because you feel like you have to do it. You HAVE to. I don't feel that anymore."
- Oprah Winfrey

What is it each day that contributes MOST to your job? Is it balancing the books? Generating new sales opportunities? Establishing the schedule for upcoming events? And... What do you do FIRST in your day?

Interestingly, most people DREAD the primary function of the trade. Sales people hate cold calls, Accountants hate bookkeeping, HR reps hate review management. More interestingly, we often are in our trade because we are so NATURALLY skilled in it. Yet, we make 1000 reasons a day not to do what needs done first.

Do you want to get to the "next level" professionally? What is holding you back? Why don't you go tackle that task first and get it out of the way?

2 DEGREE SUCCESS STEP:
The most efficient path to success is directly through your highest value activity. The quickest way to effective accomplishment is by eliminating non-valuable tasks.

- IDENTIFY your primary value added activity (what is the most important thing you do today?)
- FOCUS on the time wasters in your daily function (emails... All emails!, phone calls that lack direction or purpose, meetings that are for reporting - not action)
- ELIMINATE the time wasters as much as possible (most "crisis" are nothing more than over reaction... Don't let the drama slow you down)
- BATCH the low level tasks (call backs, emails, follow up letters) and spend limited, specific time to accomplish

By limiting your access to time wasters, batching your low level tasks and focusing on the most valuable activity - you can expect to free up 2 hours per day (10 hours per week) that you can now use for YOUR personal development! How to leave work early is another Morning Motivator yet to come...

Have a great weekend!!

Cheers,
Zach

*To enjoy past editions of the Morning Motivator go to – http://grow-learn-lead.blogspot.com

The Morning Motivator is a copyrighted publication. The use of this article is open for print or publication with proper citations.

Morning Motivator – The One Big Thing

"Progress lies not in enhancing what is, but in advancing toward what will be."
-Kahlil Gibran, "A Handful of Sand on the Shore"

What is your ONE big thing that is keeping you from breaking through to the next level? What practice do you KNOW you should be performing, yet you continue to bypass it out of fear or pain? For some it's working out, other cold calling, for some it's getting re-enrolled in school. Now ask yourself – WHY am I waiting to overcome this challenge?

Most of us know EXACTLY what challenge we face daily and need to overcome to progress. Do you believe that you could CONQUER the world if you could "just get past this one thing"? I face the same battle and have a specific challenge that seems to haunt me daily, weekly, yearly…

Realize that you have the ABILITY and the TALENT to overcome this minor challenge that you have made much bigger in your head. By taking simple steps of ACTION you can progress through your fear and find the SUCCESS you know if waiting for you on the other side. Now ask yourself – what am I waiting for?

2 DEGREE SUCCESS STEP:

· Take an assessment of your goals and identify your DESIRES in accomplishing them (i.e. what is driving you to get there).
· Identify the action step required to start the process of moving forward on this project.
· If you "One Big Thing" requires multiple steps – just identify the first
· Set a time line for action on that first step
· Put that date in your MS Outlook calendar
· Start taking action … TODAY!!
· When you DO accomplish your goal – Celebrate! (you deserve it)


We all face challenges – only the GREAT leaders will find ways to overcome them. I KNOW you are great… I look forward to sharing in your success!

Cheers,
Zach

*To enjoy past editions of the Morning Motivator go to – http://grow-learn-lead.blogspot.com

The Morning Motivator is a copyrighted publication. The use of this article is open for print or publication with proper citations.

Morning Motivator – What to do When You Get Kicked in the Teeth

"Adversity has the effect of eliciting talents, which in prosperous circumstances would have lain dormant."
-Horace

So your client is mad at you… now what? Your event is not going off as planned…why? Your homeowners insurance company is freaking out after you bought your home… What's next? The question is WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO TO FIX IT?!

Adversity is one of the CRUELEST teachers and one of the most POWERFUL. It shows us what the OTHER side of success looks like and gives us that unfamiliar taste of real challenges. Do you believe you will NEVER face adversity? Do you think your life would be BETTER without it?

Consider this – the last GREAT accomplishment you had (I'm speaking about QUALITY, not just a size) was it laced in adversity? Was there a DYNAMIC challenge that had to be navigated, sought out and conquered? If it was a GREAT accomplishment of great QUALITY – you already know the answer is yes. Understanding this, we need to look at ADVERSITY as an opportunity for us to define our LEGACY, showcase out TALENTS and prove our RESILIENCE. Adversity is just life's way of reminding you how POWERFUL you CAN be… if you choose!

2 DEGREE SUCCESS STEP:

The most difficult facet of adversity is the pain associated with it while it lingers in front of you, reminding you of its nagging importance. What is the best way to get past a difficult situation? That's an easy answer – QUICKLY!

The BEST option you have in the face of adversity is QUICK and DECISIVE ACTION! The faster you take it on and knock it out, the sooner you will feel a release of pressure and an increase of pride. Your success is a measurement of the number of difficult discussion and situations you have taken through completion. You have the CHOICE to linger or succeed… make today a choice of EXCELLENCE!

Cheers,
Zach

*To enjoy past editions of the Morning Motivator go to – http://grow-learn-lead.blogspot.com

The Morning Motivator is a copyrighted publication. The use of this article is open for print or publication with proper citations.

Morning Motivator – The Secret to Top Executives Success… Don’t tell!

"The brighter you are, the more you have to learn."
-Don Herold

Over the past year, I have been STUDYING the commonalities in top executives, top managers and top producing sales reps. They all have many SIMILAR traits - organized, focused, optimistic. The most interesting thing I have found is that education VARIES drastically... Well, kinda.

One of the common threads binding these high ACHIEVERS together is their commitment to education – SELF EDUCATION. Their commitment to continually reading, listening to audio training CDs, etc is UNDENIABLE.

I have found the majority are reading 12-20 books and listen to another 6 audio CDs per year. Why? What is there to learn? They are already GREAT speakers, delegates, managers, sales people – what could the possibly learn? EVERYTHING!! Take any college economics course and you will learn the idea of COMPARATIVE advantage. The idea that you don't have to be the BEST ever…just slightly better than your competition. Do you think Donald Trump is "smarter" than you? Not at all – just a SLIGHT edge in learned experience. So what are you doing to educate yourself?

2 DEGREE SUCCESS STEP:

Your goal must be to become an EXPERT in your desired field. If you love architecture – know more than anyone else. If you love real estate – understand more about your favorite properties than your competitors. If you love speaking – be the expert in the psychology of learning. This is your MISSION! How you get there is by committing to:
- Read 1 book per month
- Listen to 1 audio CD per month
- Take notes in your books and use highlighters for special points of interest
- Share your knowledge with others and get their insight regarding your interpretations

The best way to ensure you have the books and CDs you need is to buy the ALL AT ONCE! Make the investment – its your SUCCESS you are buying into.

Cheers,
Zach

*To enjoy past editions of the Morning Motivator go to – http://grow-learn-lead.blogspot.com

The Morning Motivator is a copyrighted publication. The use of this article is open for print or publication with proper citations.

Morning Motivator – How Discontent Are you Today?

"Discontent is the first necessity of progress. Show me a thoroughly satisfied man and I will show you a failure. "
—Thomas Edison

What makes you excel and achieve? A good friend demonstrated to me that there is actually a mathematical theory that helps explain how progress is achieved. When PERCEIVED VALUE is GREATER than the COST OF CHANGE (i.e. work, pain, etc) then PROGRESS results. VALUE>PAIN = PROGRESS.

Interesting theory, eh? When was the last time you made a MAJOR change? Why did you make it? It is doubtful that you did it to just "see what will happen." Did you FINALLY get so frustrated that you finally had to make the change? I have done the same and ENJOYED the ease of pressure that goes with it. Most people fail to change our of FEAR and the perception that the fear is a greater OBSTACLE than the benefit from overcoming it. Like a deer in headlights – we are FROZEN in our own mind. Will you spend your life in the headlights… or is today the day you CHANGE?

2 DEGREE SUCCESS STEP:
The biggest obstacle to POSITIVE life change is FEAR. I speak a lot about this concept and yet everyday it seems fresh and new to each of us (especially me). To overcome fear – you must identify the REAL fear, segment it and conquer it. Here's a quick tip on how to go about that:

1. Take your list of goals and draw 2 columns along the right side of them
2. In the near column write down the BENEFIT from achieving your goals (internal and external)
3. In the far column write down the FEAR that is preventing you from moving forward
4. Take the MOST achievable goal and then write it down on a fresh piece of paper with the BENEFIT and FEAR
5. Carry that paper in your pocket for the next 3 days – looking at it every time you touch it
6. Write down the ways you can OVERCOME your fear and ACHIEVE your goal
7. After 3 days – pick the first OVERCOMING step and IMPLEMENT… your success is almost guaranteed!

Once you identify the FEAR, brainstorm on the many ways to OVERCOME it and IMPLEMENT the steps to ACHIEVE – you will find your SUCCESS easy to accomplish and simple to recreate. Your success is your own decision… choose to be great and fulfill your potential!

Cheers,
Zach

*To enjoy past editions of the Morning Motivator go to – http://grow-learn-lead.blogspot.com

The Morning Motivator is a copyrighted publication. The use of this article is open for print or publication with proper citations.