Morning Motivator – Go Get What You Want!

"A little initiative will improve your luck nine days out of ten."
- Dave Thomas, Founder of Wendy's

I want to BRAG this morning on a friend of mine, Matt Manning. Matt and I have only known each other a short while, as he plays on my soccer club in Nashville. About a week ago, he approached me to ASK for help. I wondered what he could possibly need from me. He said he knew I was an owner in BarkLoud Marketing (google it!) and that he was SEEKING an opportunity to GROW professionally. Very astute!

I never told him about BarkLoud, nor did I ever mention anything about my willingness to HELP. He took his own INITIATIVE and put himself on the line to seek an opportunity. How often do you just STEP UP and try to get what you want? Are you willing to risk EMBARRASSMENT or REJECTION to get a chance at what you are seeking in your life?

Needless to say, I was so IMPRESSED by his drive to seek assistance that I met with him this morning. He was EARLY and well dressed. He had a PLAN of what he wanted to do and how he wanted to get there – SEEKING the correct pieces of the puzzle to make the bigger picture come to reality. How COOL is that?!? Needless to say, I am now spending part of my morning, emailing, calling and smoke signaling (just kidding) all the people I know that are looking for a SHARP young talent for sales and marketing. (If you are looking, let me know). Today, Matt took the INITIATIVE to CREATE his FUTURE!

2 DEGREE SUCCESS STEP:

A mentor once told me that you will win 80% of the time if you just SHOW UP, 90% of the time if you are PREPARED and 100% if you are EARLY. Interesting… I wonder how many people are taking the INITIATIVE to ask for the opportunity to even show up?

To CREATE your own success patterns, you must be willing to ask for help and have a PLAN of what you want help with. When you have CLARITY in your "ask," you provide the person helping you with distinct ACTION steps that they are able to follow. By asking for SPECIFIC items in a MEASURED time frame, you STRUCTURE the request in a way that it makes it easy for the other person to KNOW if they can assist or not…

Don't be AFRAID to ask… as my good friend Jason Denenberg says, "If you ask and they say no, all you did was BREAK EVEN. At least you gave yourself the benefit of the doubt to start."

Have a great WEEKEND… next week's Morning Motivators will be sent to you from Sunny San Diego as I will be back "home" on vacation!

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 – You Know What You Get When You Assume…

"The assumption that seeing is believing makes us susceptible to visual deceptions"
- Kathleen Hall Jamieson

Admittedly, I use the Morning Motivator as a teaching platform to others about the GROWTH and MISHAPS I experience daily. I would even say I use it for a personal THERAPY of sorts. Today, I want to speak about ASSUMING…

We have all heard the phrase, "When you ASSUME, you make an … blah blah blah." Last night, I made an assumption that started a QUARREL with someone very close to me. I ASSUMED I knew their intentions prior to even giving them a chance to let me down. As I ANALYZED the situation in my head this morning, I began to think about how many times I have been the CAUSE of challenges in my own life, simply because I ASSUMED the worst of someone.

I have DISCOVERED that most of us have a NEGATIVE mentality towards the world. We call people who are OPTIMISTIC "unrealistic" and people who always speak of "Doom and Gloom" as "realists." Consider this – in PROVEN studies, near 90% of an individuals' negative thought processes NEVER were realized. This means only 10% of what they ASSUMED would happen, actually did. With that in mind, wouldn't you consider someone who is OPTIMISTIC to be more REALISTIC too?

2 DEGREE SUCCESS STEP:
The challenge with being ASSUMPTIVE is the underlying belief that we are always CORRECT in our thought processes. How arrogant! For us to BELIEVE we will always be correct is borderline insanity if you ask me. Secondarily, you are also under the belief that somehow you have CONTROL over that others person's actions, such that you KNOW what they will do before the even take an initial action.

Give people a CHANCE to prove you RIGHT. If they make a mistake, don't chastise them for it… COMMUNICATE with them about your feelings and expectations. Give them INSIGHT into your needs and thoughts processes. Lastly, SHOULD you assume the worst of them and be proven wrong – show your CLASS and apologize. It takes a strong person to give up control and a stronger person to admit when they made the wrong ASSUMPTIONS…

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’s the Worst That Can Happen?

"If your life is free of failures, you're not taking enough risks."
-H. Jackson Brown, Jr., "A Father's Book of Wisdom"

Scenario: I am 25 years old and walk into the office of the Senior Vice President of SunTrust Mortgage to share a discussion with him the success I have just had in being AWARDED Rookie of the Year. He sits me down and says, "I am very proud of you. I know you have WORKED hard and spent a lot of time learning this system. What will you do next?" I replied, "I GUESS, just keeping doing it." His next statement was PROFOUND – "Zach, have you ever FAILED at anything?" I never have. He continues, "I know you have something SPECIAL in you and I BELIEVE that when you begin to take the RISK of failing, you will find that you have it too." Scary…

Zoom ahead… I am 30 years old. Have I FAILED yet? Nope. Have I REALLY tried anything that I could fail at? Nope.

I am someone that has always PRIDED myself on the fact that I have ALWAYS succeeded at what I do. I have never FAILED at anything I wanted to ACHIEVE. I am also starting to REALIZE that maybe my goals have just been too LOW and EASY. How can have pride in the fact that they NEVER push themselves to the point that they can be HURT or FAIL? If you do push yourself to that point… what is the WORST that can happen?

2 DEGREE SUCCESS STEP:

I read an interesting thought in one of my favorite books, The Four Hour Work Week by Tim Ferriss (highly suggested). He asked, "What is the WORST that could happen as a result of taking a major risk?" He doesn't mean jumping off bridges or robbing banks, rather starting a business or asking someone for a date. Seriously… what is the WORST thing? I did my best to find something HORRIBLE and here is what I came up with:
- I might look SILLY
- I might go BANKRUPT
- I might make a BAD DECISION
- I might LOSE my house
- I might TARNISH my good reputation

In looking at these "MIGHTS" (meaning they may never even happen), I also realized this:
- I might look BRILLIANT
- I might make a TON of money
- I might make the BEST decision of my life
- I might be able to buy a BEACH HOUSE
- I might create my LEGACY

Now, you tell me… Is it a BIGGER risk in NOT taking action or having to live with the thought that you MIGHT have missed out on the best opportunity of your life? Everything can be REVERSED… except the TIME you waste "waiting" to take action!

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 - Be Excellent

"Life doesn't require that we be the best, only that we try our best. Strive for excellence, not perfection."
- H. Jackson Brown Jr.

How much PRESSURE are you placing on yourself to perform daily? When you go to work, do you FEEL as though you must be perfect to get ahead? At what level is your PERFORMANCE strong enough to be "EXCELLENT?"

Many people are placing EXTREME amounts of pressure on themselves to be "perfect" in their daily lives and creating an expectation that may be challenging to maintain. If you "fail" to be perfect, will you be UPSET?

To me, "EXCELLENCE" is the top level of performance in a group measurement. If you are in the top 50% of performers, you can EXPECT to find success. If you perform in the top 20%, you will see that your success is VERY HIGH. When you ACHIEVE like the top 3% of performers, you will find yourself fulfilling ALL your dreams. No need to be perfect after all...

2 DEGREE SUCCESS STEP:
Learning to ALLEVIATE the pressure of excellence starts with learning to accept yourself as an EXCELLENT person.

Self-confidence and a CARING nature towards yourself will help you to realize that even if you are NOT perfect, your QUALITY as an individual does not change.

Not a single profession is expected to be PERFECT. No single person is expected to be PERFECT. The reality is... Perfect does not exist... So seek EXCELLENCE and enjoy the fact that no one else is perfect either.

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 – Staring Fear in the Face…

"Bravery is being the only one who knows you're afraid."
- Franklin P. Jones

I started a new book over the weekend titled, Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway by Dr. Susan Jeffers, Ph.D. I was CAPTURED by the title and intrigued by the IDEA that a person can simply CHOOSE not to be fearful. I wonder if FEAR is really a CHOICE or an EMOTION? Often people say that fear is the reaction to IGNORANCE – when you don't understand it, you are naturally afraid. Hmmm….

By the rationale above, one would think that the MOST EDUCATED people in the world are not FEARFUL. However, should you have the opportunity to speak to a high ranking politician or business executive, I BELIEVE you will find that they face fears daily. Am I being a good parent? Did I make the right decision for my people? Will chasing this goal be a positive move for our company?

My THEORY is that FEAR is an indicator of GROWTH. Just as when you were an adolescent, you occasionally felt pains in your joints and bones from the rapid growth your body was undertaking, to you feel similar pains when undergoing rapid EMOTIONAL growth. Think about the things that have "hurt" the MOST emotionally in your lifetime… losing a loved one, missing your success target at work, learning of someone's past that you are not comfortable with or even moving from your home town. Why were these ACTIVITIES so PAINFUL? Very few do you ever get to CHOOSE… yet the reaction to the information IS a choice and regardless of which choice you make – the emotional GROWTH is a result. The real question is – will you choose to GROW more or PROTECT your emotions?

2 DEGREE SUCCESS STEP:

Life is NOT scripted by you as much as credit card companies would like you to believe that… however, your reactions to life ARE scripted by you. Daily GROWTH opportunities are limitless. Your ability to be AWARE and WILLING to react to them is the determining activity that will be your limiting factor in your growth success.

Are you growing you MIND? BODY? EMOTIONS? SPIRIT? Where do you need ASSISTANCE in growth and where will you go to find it? Your LIFE is in your control as it is YOU that will choose to seek growth, education and assume the pains of becoming a better person. It only HURTS for a little while and the REWARDS on the backside are AMAZING! Take the road less traveled… you may find that your DREAMS are at the end of it.

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.