MurfMadness Basketball Tournament: May 1st

Good Friday afternoon!

I am offering a PERSONAL PAID SPONSORSHIP to anyone in your group (employees or people you serve) to play in the FirstShot Sports MurfMadness 3v3 Basketball Tournament next weekend.

I am a big supporter of the group and as part of my commitment to its success, I sponsor 10 teams each year.

If you have interested parties, please have them email me: zbarker@ansolutions.com

I will get them signed up and PAID for personally.

Event Details:
MurfMadness 3v3 Tournament
The Avenue Shopping Galleria Parking Lot (Murfreesboro, Tn)

Saturday, May 1st, 2010
8:00am-5:00pm

3 player teams (4 per roster to allow subs)

Male, female and co-ed divisions (based on ages)

Again, this is my PERSONAL invitation and sponsorship for you and the people you serve. I hope, if interested, you will give me the joy of sponsoring you...

Cheers,

Zachary Barker | Senior Account Manager
Advanced Network Solutions
M | 615.504.7062
zbarker@ansolutions.com

Past President, Nashville Area Junior Chamber of Commerce
w | www.najcc.org

Morning Motivator - Finding Your Ideal Job

"Do what you truly love and you will never work another day."
- unknown

Let's do an exercise together...

In a moment, I want you to close your eyes for one minute and IMAGINE the "perfect job." Think about your role, income, schedule, co-workers and location.

Ok, close them.

Did THAT job look like THIS job?

2 DEGREE SUCCESS STEP:
You should have had 1 of 3 visions:
1. PERFECT - you are doing what you want and should be doing
2. COMMON - you are in the field you like, but not doing what you want within it
3. DANGER - you either had NO vision (meaning you don't know what you want) or your vision is TOTALLY different from your current role

Frequently, people forego seeking the "right" job. Not necessarily a change of company, maybe just a change of role. Regardless, it is a SETTLING for comfort with acceptance that one will not fulfill their desired role. This is the most common factor in "Empty Success" also known as a mid-life crisis.

Here is your RESOLUTION: ask YOURSELF, "how could I make a GREATER impact by changing my actions or responsibilities?"

See it. Know it. Own it. NOW... 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 – The Fallacy of Hockey Coaching

"People need motivation to do anything. I don't think human beings learn anything without desperation."
- Jim Carrey 

Have you ever watched a hockey game where one team is DOWN one goal with just a few minutes remaining?  Have you NOTICED that the coach almost always removes the goal keeper in lieu of an additional attacking player?  Well… it drives me NuTs as it is such an obvious act of DESPERATION. 

The most FRUSTRATING result of "pulling the keeper" comes from the fact that it OFTEN results in the leading team winning by yet 1 more goal.  With no goal tender present to DEFEND simple attacks on the goal, attacking players are able to score from uncommon distances, not likely under traditional circumstances.  As a result of the DESPERATE attempt to add "firepower," the losing teams often yields additional goals, losing by a greater margin. 

My wonderment comes from the fact that the team was able to score goals WITH a goal keeper present.  Yet, with just minutes remaining, they BREAK their success process; increase the likelihood of being scored against with less effort, all in an attempt to score in a manner against that which has worked for them up to that point.  

2 DEGREE SUCCESS STEP:

How often have you acted out of DESPERATION achieving the results you hoped for?  How common is SUCCESS as a yielded result of desperate actions?  

In the face of chaos, you are presented the opportunity to stop, think, and act accordingly or just act in a REACTIONARY and DESPERATE fashion.  One response will CONSISTENTLY produce positive results (or at least lessen the damage, with a lower likelihood of compounding the pain)… the other, well, it is an "all or nothing" proposition. 

Allow for cooler heads to prevail.  Provide yourself an opportunity to analyze and proactively adjust actions.  And consider that if you "pull the keeper," you may just end up losing more than you would have hoped to gain… Go Preds! 

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 Book or the Lesson?

"Do we buy a book or its lesson?"
- Unknown

I was asked recently if I was planning to WRITE a book. Interesting idea. I told them I ALREADY was...

No, there will not be a big RELEASE party or flashy marketing campaign around it. Truth is, you already BOUGHT it!

In my perspective, a BOOK is a merchandising tool leveraged to create INCOME for an author, regardless of the quality of their content. Some good, some not so.

For me, the LESSON is what is most important.

2 DEGREE SUCCESS STEP:
LEARNING is a process of analyzing arguments and gaining perspective from the thought process.

Packaging a book, doesn't HELP you learn (unless you read it). CONSISTENTLY delivering a valuable insight is of GREATER value than the $20 hard back package.

Maybe one day I will "package" some learning at stock it at Barnes & Noble... But for now, let's FOCUS on the learning lessons we can get from one another! :)

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 - Winning is in the "Ask"

"You don't need to win anyone's heart... You just need to ask for it."
- excerpt from "House" TV Series

Wonderfully appropriate, the above comment is APPLICABLE to a variety of situations in our lives.

Often, we are CHALLENGED internally with the idea of perfection vs participation. We DEVALUE the simple effort of "trying" if the effort is not PERFECT in its execution.

The internal voice says, "don't call them yet, you don't know what they want." Or, "you can't ask her out, she is seeking someone who has it all together." Or even, "I can't ask for a raise... I haven't proven my worth yet."

Amazing how we SHORT SELL ourselves time and time again...

2 DEGREE SUCCESS STEP:
As noted in a recent Morning Motivator, you don't always have to be the BEST, especially if you are the only one present.

As professionals and high achievers, we EXPECT perfection of ourselves. We EXPECT to win and win and win again!

The REALIZATION we need to accept is that "winning is not ALWAYS a clearly defined goal." Sometimes, the win, is someone else's PERCEPTION of you and you will NEVER know if you "won" until you ask.

What's the HARM in asking anyhow? You either AFFIRM you are the best or get a chance to DEFINE what needs to be done to get there...

Just ask. See what happens.

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 – Like Riding a Bicycle… 

"The bicycle is a curious vehicle.  Its passenger is its engine."
-John Howard 

After a week's LAYOFF to "recharge my batteries," I find myself back at the helm of the Morning Motivator!  

Interestingly, anytime we BREAK from an activity – like going to the gym, dieting, making cold calls, etc – we are actually ENDING the process and REQUIRED to begin it again. 

It is always EASIEST to never start again, after enjoy the "down time" of a "break."  

Consider how many times you have been going to the gym CONSISTENTLY, only to pull a muscle or catch a cold… 3 months later, you haven't made it back yet.  How many times have we broken a lunch APPOINTMENT with an existing client, promising to catch up "next week," only to find 6 months pass.  It happens OFTEN. 

The beauty of a ROUTINE is that it is much like RIDING a bicycle – it is near SECOND NATURE.

2 DEGREE SUCCESS STEP:
We all FALTER at maintaining CONSISTENCY in any effort driven action.  It is our HUMAN nature to become BORED, DISTRACTED, or FORGET. 

Still, we have the INNATE ability to RAPIDLY eliminate the prior learning curve we once experienced.  We can get right back in the "groove" at the gym.  We are able "play the field" shortly after a break up.  We "remember the right things to say" when speaking with clients.  It is just like that darn bike… 

So if you wonder how DIFFICULT it was to get up today and write today's Morning Motivator… VERY!  That is until I found the QUOTE and the juices started flowing again!! 

Never QUIT as a result of your failure to start AGAIN… it is just too darn easy to get up and get that bicycle going again, once you UNDERSTAND that you are THE ENGINE that drives 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.

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