"Take rest; a field that has rested gives a bountiful crop."
-Ovid
Many will be off from today until 2009 and I wonder - what will they do? What ACTIVITIES will be enjoyed and what LEARNING will take place?
I hope for everyone that you take the time to REST and REFLECT on the past year - your SUCCESS, LEARNING experiences and GROWTH in relationships. Take TIME to appreciate your victories and understand your shortcomings.
REST is the key to FOCUS and the CORNERSTONE of success. It is the ACTIVITY that allows us to GROW most rapidly and fluidly. We are able to CLEAR our minds and allow for CREATIVITY to direct our actions. Remember, you are only as CAPABLE as your energy levels allow.
2 DEGREE SUCCESS STEP:
Taking time to REST is important in any facet of life. Rest of your body, mind, spirit and emotions allows you to recharge and re-engage with VIGOR!
If you do have the next few weeks OFF from work, leave work AT work! Don't carry the baggage home with you, rather enjoy time alone, with families or cozying up to a book.
By RESTING, you will find a strength and energy you may have thought you had lost!
For those out of pocket until 2009 - best wished for the holidays!
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.
Executive Team:
Zachary Barker, Publisher
Nancy Dubuisson, Editor
Morning Motivator – Pick Your Battles
"The battles are huge because the stakes are small."
- David Payne
- David Payne
I must say, I ENJOYED a wonderful discussion a few days ago with a local business owner, David Payne. We chatted about some OPPORTUNITIES in the community and well as experiences with LEADERSHIP in different capacities. I was FLOORED when he made the above comment… it is so ACCURATE!
Take a moment to CONSIDER the "big battles" you FIGHT for – at work, with loved ones, in board meetings, with friends. What are they TYPICALLY over? Be honest here. You are likely saying what I did... "I'm not sure" or "typically, garbage." When you look at your day and your capabilities… Think of your day in the terms of FINITE volumes of valuable resources – time, energy, mental capacity, etc. When you consider that you are UNLIKELY to work any day at FULL CAPACITY, why would you WASTE your resources on TRIVIAL battles? How does that help you GROW or ACHIEVE?
You SUCCESSES are found in your ABILITY and WILLINGNESS to overcome the magnetic draw of battling over issues that have little to no relevance with respect to your bigger GOALS. You must keep FOCUS on what keys are buried in the discussions you find yourself in. Additionally, you must have the BRAVERY to shut down a meaningless discussion so as to save your valuable resources (time, energy, mental capacity). You are doing a FAVOR to everyone by taking this position.
2 DEGREE SUCCESS STEP:
Moving forward… When you find yourself IMMERSED in a battle of meaningless discussion – PULL AWAY! Heighten your AWARENESS of your overall goals and quickly evaluate the impact the discussion you are engaged in with create. If it is MINIMAL – move on! If the impact is GREAT – stay as long as needed to see the discussion through to the end.
Often, we find ourselves in BATTLES OF EGO. We continue to discuss, rant, retort, etc in an effort to be the LAST one to make a "great point." Reality is, the person that speaks least, yet makes the greatest IMPACT is the most valuable mind at the table. Absolve yourself from the rants of EGO and take a direct LEADERSHIP in making sure that the overall goal is always the focus of the BATTLE.
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.
Executive Team:
Zachary Barker, Publisher
Nancy Dubuisson, Editor
Morning Motivator - What Are You Keeping?
"All successful leaders place a premium on keeping their promises and commitments."
-Steve Ventura
-Steve Ventura
This morning I enjoyed a WONDERFUL discussion with a new friend and Nashville leader, Kerry Graham. He is one of the most INTERESTING and INSIGHTFUL new people I have met recently. We SHARED thoughts around the challenges of LEADERSHIP and MANAGEMENT. Interestingly, from this I came away with a SIMPLE reassurance - KEEP your focus, your word and your options open!
Truth be told, we are all "BUSY." Maybe not PRODUCTIVE, but we are busy... What does this mean to our daily lives? It means CHALLENGES in managing commitments, expectations, relationships and growth. We are CONSTANTLY challenged to keep our "best practices" in action and deter ourselves from the work that feels "busy" yet achieves nothing. EASILY, we can be sucked into the least beneficial activities- emails, irrelevant discussions, FaceBook, etc... All of which PULL us from keeping our commitments and promises.
What makes the BEST leaders so great? Is it that they do not participate in the same behaviors as the "normal person?" Not at all... have they just known WHEN to do it. They have an UNDERSTANDING of what needs to be done, when and how to do it, while managing to KEEP their commitments along the way. They LEVERAGE their resources in ways that allow others to take OWNERSHIP of projects (with given timelines and clear action steps). They also make sure that any "pleasure" activity has an ability to parlay into PRODUCTIVE activity. Just think about the best leaders you know... they seem to LIVE their work and barely "work" at all, right?
2 DEGREE SUCCESS STEP:
What can we do to focus on KEEPING what is most important in front of us? Simple. Try TIME BLOCKING and PRODUCTIVITY ANALYSIS.
Time blocking is the behavior of SCHEDULING time for most important activities at the most appropriate times in the day. Example: In sales, you are best able to reach critical contacts before 8:30am, thus scheduling daily cold calls from 7-8:30am will yield a much higher RETURN on time investment than calling from 8:30a - 12p.
Consider this management regarding: reading/educational development, exercise and professional activities.
Productivity analysis is alluded to above as an UNDERSTANDING of your most productive hours of execution. By understanding WHEN you are at your best in certain facets, you are able to better manage your day according to STRENGTHS. Work at your best when at your best... you will do more with less!
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.
Executive Team:
Zachary Barker, Publisher
Nancy Dubuisson, Editor
Morning Motivator - Getting Into Action
"Action is always the best decision. Even movement in the wrong direction still gets you closer than standing still."
- unknown
Special thank you to my good friend and personal Realtor, Josh Anderson of Keller Williams, for sharing this story with me.
When you don't feel like doing what you know you must, that's the best time to go ahead and do it anyway. That's when you can break through your old habit patterns to a new level of focus, performance and achievement.
That first step will require you to go against your natural tendency to put it off until later and to stay comfortably where you are. So how do you get beyond that?
Use your power of visualization to do two things. First, use your thoughts to make it even more uncomfortable, even more painful for you not to take action.
Next, visualize in great detail all the positive and
desirable rewards you'll create by going ahead and getting it done. In your mind, make it so compelling to take action that you cannot avoid doing so.
Many times in the past, you've successfully avoided action by telling yourself why you can't or why you won't. Now, choose to use that same power to tell yourself why you can and why you will.
You control the awesome power of your thoughts. And with
your thoughts you can successfully visualize yourself into action every time.
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.
Executive Team:
Zachary Barker, Publisher
Nancy Dubuisson, Editor
- unknown
Special thank you to my good friend and personal Realtor, Josh Anderson of Keller Williams, for sharing this story with me.
When you don't feel like doing what you know you must, that's the best time to go ahead and do it anyway. That's when you can break through your old habit patterns to a new level of focus, performance and achievement.
That first step will require you to go against your natural tendency to put it off until later and to stay comfortably where you are. So how do you get beyond that?
Use your power of visualization to do two things. First, use your thoughts to make it even more uncomfortable, even more painful for you not to take action.
Next, visualize in great detail all the positive and
desirable rewards you'll create by going ahead and getting it done. In your mind, make it so compelling to take action that you cannot avoid doing so.
Many times in the past, you've successfully avoided action by telling yourself why you can't or why you won't. Now, choose to use that same power to tell yourself why you can and why you will.
You control the awesome power of your thoughts. And with
your thoughts you can successfully visualize yourself into action every time.
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.
Executive Team:
Zachary Barker, Publisher
Nancy Dubuisson, Editor
Morning Motivator – What is Your Choice?
"Each day you make a choice. You can choose to make a difference or chose to be indifferent."
- Unknown
- Unknown
Thank you to my good friend and unknowing mentor, Lucy Carter, for the above quote. I am not sure you have an understanding of how much I value our friendship…
PURPOSE… what is purpose? The dictionary states PURPOSE as, "the reason for which something exists or is done, made, used, etc." Now CONSIDER your work. What is your purpose? Do you work with a purpose or are you just here to make some money and hope you figure something out along the way? I love this quote, mostly because it came from a regular person - the spouse of a Nashville hospice patient. It makes you think about WHAT you are doing daily and WHY.
In the past weeks I have shared a similar DISCUSSION with multiple people. I did NOT prompt the discussion; they just arose from general chat. Each was about working with PURPOSE. What I have found is that many people have TORMENTED souls because they lack a true purpose, a reason for doing, a drive for accomplishment. They WORK their tails off all week long so they can go home on the weekend and "relax" with friends, booze and food. Not a bad life mind you, I have done it for a long time. However, WHAT is your reason for being? Do you BELIEVE that you are on this planet to make money, "have a good time" and laugh it up with friends? Is there something BIGGER you are supposed to be a part of?
Most of us do not, or will not, think about our end of days, yet, when your time is UP… what do you want to be REMEMBERED for? Wouldn't it be NICE to make a difference in a way that affects the world and its BETTERMENT? You may say, "I can't make that type of IMPACT." I tell you … you are WRONG! Consider this. What if Bill Gates parents had not supported his DREAMS of working in computers and rather FORCED him into law as they desired? What might have been IF Adolf Hitler would have had a better art teacher and became a painter, rather than a world leader? What if I had never met Justin Morrison and been SUPPORTED to start writing the Morning Motivator?
2 DEGREE SUCCESS STEP:
The PURPOSE of your life will likely not be in PLAIN SIGHT immediately. Many people drift, NEVER finding their purpose and rarely even looking for it. Very few will make the EFFORTS to seek their purpose. Even fewer will FIND it…
Be JOYFUL though. YOU have a chance to do it – starting today! Begin considering what your purpose is. Are you a mentor, a teacher, a leader, a manager? You don't have to change the WORLD in a dramatic fashion such as a President. You don't need to be famous like a movie star or athlete to make it happen. Find what you LOVE and fills your PASSION. Seek to SHARE that with others that have the ABILITY and DESIRE to make more from it… and watch the world change, just by your POSITIVE influence and DESIRE to make a difference.
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.
Executive Team:
Zachary Barker, Publisher
Nancy Dubuisson, Editor
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