Morning Motivator – Did You Set a Reminder?

"If I put it in my phone, I do NOT forget to do it.  Otherwise, who knows!"
- Zachary Barker

There is a STRONG likelihood that I have made an error when the Morning Motivator quote is I.  Obviously, the Morning Motivator is a victim of becoming the "Afternoon Motivator" because the author failed to set a reminder on an atypical day.

Maintaining your RHYTHM and ROUTINE is simple on a day-to-day basis, while life is routine and consistent.  In the event that you DEVIATE from that routine, you must then create ACCOUNTABILITY measures for yourself to ENSURE you are executing the tasks you are still obligated to do.

Often, the most SIMPLE of tasks are the ones we overlook.  We tell ourselves that we do not need to WRITE IT DOWN, because we do it every single day.  Is it necessary to remind yourself to brush your teeth?  Not likely, however, OVERLOOKING sending a weekly report is easy if not scheduled with a soft reminder, such a within your PDA.

2 DEGREE SUCCESS STEP:
No one is perfect, however, there are SIMPLE executables we can implement to see that we LIMIT the failures we do have simple controls over.

FIRST:  Utilize your existing systems – Microsoft Outlook, BlackBerry calendar, email reminders from Google apps – as management is much EASIER when leveraged within a system you are already working within daily.

SECOND:  Relinquish the CONCEPTION that you are not SMART or MINDFUL if you need to always set and schedule reminders.  Your brain is going to use its RESOURCES for simple things like reminders or MAGNIFICENT things like creative conception.  Is it SMARTER to use your mind dynamically or as a Post-it note system?

Please accept my APOLOGIES for the delay, dear friends.  I have placed updates to my reminders within my new phone calendar.  I do not expect that this will happen again.

Cheers,

Zach

Morning Motivator – A Breakfast Perspective on Waffles

"Being decisive is simply the most rational way to take on any problem."
- Scott H. Young

Waffles are a WONDERFUL breakfast addition to eggs or steak on a good morning.  Sometimes, I find waffles to be EXCEPTIONAL as the lone soldier on my breakfast plate.  So, what do waffles have to do with success?

Specifically, WAFFLING, is one of the WORST things that can be done in your decision making.  (Did you like that transition?)  Waffling, commonly defined as one's inability to make a clear decision, is the root or PROCRASTINATION, thus the cause of missed opportunity.

Waffling about decisions can cause you to "over analyze" situations simply solved with action.  It causes you to place "false" PRIORITY on less important activities, thus creating a backlog of work.

Even worse, waffling can cause you to "play it safe" because it is EASIER to take no action and accept the pain of your current situation, rather than to move forward with a new opportunity – expecially when it comes to career choices!

2 DEGREE SUCCESS STEP:
If you are not a DRIVER personality type, you may need a little help in getting beyond the temptation to "waffle."  Here are a few tricks that may help:

1.  Do not to allow "over thinking" about a minor decision overwhelm you.  Almost every decision can be easily recovered from… just pull the trigger and go!

2.  Put yourself on a shot clock.  Make the first decision that you WILL make a final decision within a certain timeframe.  (Example: by 5pm today)  When the time arrives, make the decision… end of story.

3.  Zach's Mom's Method:  Make a list of PROs and CONs in the next 90 seconds.  Whichever one has more, jump on it.  That is your decision.

4.  Lastly, go with your GUT.  You are usually right anyway – why go against yourself?

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.  Use of this article is open for print or publication with proper citations.

Morning Motivator – A Lafayette Louisiana Lesson

"To be successful, you have to be able to relate to people; they have to be satisfied with your personality to be able to do business with you and to build a relationship with mutual trust."
- George Ross

This morning, I had a WONDERFUL meeting with Betty Blair, Executive Director, of Big Brothers, Big Sisters of Acadiana.  (Thanks Lowell!)  In our chat, I found something very INTERESTING to become quite apparent… RELATIONSHIPS are the key to success everywhere!

Betty mentioned that the people in my new COMMUNITY were very inviting and friendly, while very relationship driven.  "Everyone knows everyone somehow," Betty said to me.  "Perfect!" was my response.

People WANT to know people.  They WANT personal relationships.  They WANT to share in the success of others.  Whether in Lafayette, La, Nashville, TN or Bangladesh, India… people want to KNOW people!!

2 DEGREE SUCCESS STEP:
Are you WORKING on building more and better relationships?  Not just getting more names in your BlackBerry; rather REALLY making relationships!

The "game" works like this:  I know you, you know me; we each know someone else.  If you are not in our circle, you have an UPHILL battle to fight.  If you DO know them, or me then you are IN (unless you screw it up!)

You may not LIKE the way things work, however, to ENSURE your success, BUILD more, better, deeper relationships that yield the QUALITY you are seeking to provide and attain. 

Meet more people like Betty… success is sure to follow!

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.  Use of this article is open for print or publication with proper citations.

Morning Motivator- I LOVE QUITTERS!

"Anyone can give up, it's the easiest thing in the world to do. But to hold it together when everyone else would understand if you fell apart, that's true strength."
- Unknown

I must ADMIT that I secretly love quitters.  I REVEL in the joy of seeing someone finally give up after having tried achieving his or her goals.  My heart SINGS a little song each time I hear a story about WHY someone had to stop trying.

I think QUITTING is an art form.  It REQUIRES creativity and humility.  It calls upon DEPTH in critical thinking and analysis.  Quitting also has certain MAGNETISM about itself, often drawing people to the stories and rationalizations of "why."

Quitting is AWESOME!  I wish MORE people did it…

2 DEGREE SUCCESS STEP:
The BIGGEST reason I love quitters is that for every person that quits, there is one less person in MY way. 

For achievers, like you and I, we must CELEBRATE quitters.  We must ENCOURAGE their success at failure.  We should CATALOG their stories and excuses for attaining such a beautiful goal as QUITTING.

What I KNOW is that you and I WILL achieve our dreams.  As top achievers, we do NOT have "QUIT" in our vocabulary, and as a result will not cease our positive actions until we attain our goals.

So again, I LOVE quitters… mostly because I WILL NOT quit and the fewer people trying as hard as me (and you), the LESS time we have to spend to get to our end goal!

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.  Use of this article is open for print or publication with proper citations.

Morning Motivator – Become an Accountability Management Master

"Accountability breeds response-ability."
- Stephen R. Covey

Ask any controller, CFO, or manager what their COMMON experience is with SALESPEOPLE.  They often will describe an experience of EDUCATION and DEDICATION to seeing the sales move quickly.  They will also mention how upon COMPLETION of the sale… the sales person DISAPPEARS!

It is NOT that the sales person is SEEKING to leave the client high and dry after the sale.  It is NOT that their goal is to vacate their RESPONSIBILITY to the clients' happiness.  It IS that their management SYSTEMS are NOT created to INCENTIVIZE them to offer PERSONAL ACCOUNTABILITY after the sale.

The sales persons WORKFLOW is to "move on" after the sales and for the client to work with the "SERVICE TEAM" from the close forward.  Sounds good… except, "what does your client WANT?"

2 DEGREE SUCCESS STEP:
To become EXCEPTIONAL in your business, you MUST become a MASTER ACCOUNTABILITY MANAGER.

You must become the SINGLE SOURCE of accountability for your clients.  Become the one person they can call whenever the "system" FAILS to deliver the "service" it guarantees.

YOU become the person that the client calls when service is poor and they cannot find a RESOLUTION.  The billing is INACCURATE and accounting will not return their calls PROMPTLY.  When the "solution" becomes part of the clients' problem and no one will take the time to discuss "options."

Be the MASTER of ACCOUNTABILITY.  Ensure your client has a CHAMPION for THEIR cause.  Your success directly related to your ability to do so…

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.  Use of this article is open for print or publication with proper citations.

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