Morning Motivator – What is Your Plan B?

"Plans change."
- Common phrase

The simplest phrase has created a SPAWN of new thought for me today.  "Plans change."  I agree.

When was the last time your "prefect plan" went according to plan?  Have you found that more often than not, the best solution was one you NEVER saw coming?  If PLAN A crashed and burned today… what would you do to ENSURE your success?

While NO ONE plans for failure, the most SUCCESSFUL people do plan for change.  They often have a PRIMARY and SECONDARY approach to success.  The FLEXIBILITY exhibited allows them to seek the path of least resistance and be nimble with their decision-making ability.  Think SMALL business vs. BIG business… A small business has multiple ways to skin a cat.  The big company has very few as the BUREAUCRACY associated with change is overwhelming.

2 DEGREE SUCCESS STEP:
When planning your success, ACCEPT the fact that your "ideal plan" may never be accepted or implementable.

By RETAINING focus on END GOAL success, you will allow yourself to maintain creativity and flexibility in the path to achieving your goal.  By allowing yourself to have alternate pathways to achievement, you will provide yourself with AWARENESS that most others are not able to attain.

Lastly, by ACCEPTING a flexible approach to success, you will be able to MAINTAIN a positive mindset and focused strategy as "hiccups" are found along the way.  Attitude is CRITICAL to success.  Yours is the only attitude that matters in YOUR success.

Stay flexible.  No one cares how you got there… they just recognize it when you ACHIEVE!

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 – Go Meet a Stranger!

"It is not what you know, but who you know."
- Common business saying

A buddy of mine asked me about MEETING strangers the other day and what the best strategy was.  First, CONGRATULATIONS for being willing to go meet new people...  You are ahead of the game already!

In an age of technology and "invisible networks", meeting new people SHOULD be easy.  Yet, our social filters and general skepticism towards people keeps us from making POSITIVE connections more often than not.

"They must WANT something", we think.  "I don't know this guy.  Who is he to call me randomly", we note pompously (as if we were a King or Queen).  "It is probably a waste of time", we contemplate as we spend an hour on FaceBook learning about a friend that bought their dog a sweater.

DAMNIT PEOPLE… go meet someone NEW! (this especially goes for me).

2 DEGREE SUCCESS STEP:
How MANY people did you know when you were born?  How did you meet your BEST friend?  How did you find your JOB, your BEST client even your SPOUSE?

I would contend to say that MOSTLY it was by meeting someone NEW.  Connections are critical to interpersonal success as well as business.  Look at SUCCESSFUL people and you will find they have a MULTITUDE of quality connections (other than their 4 friends from high school).

These people work DILIGENTLY to make new acquaintances.  They attend meetings, support philanthropic causes, they volunteer.  Sure, they get a lot of people that WANT SOMETHING from them, but BUCK UP… you are an adult.  You CAN say no to a salesperson if what they offer is not a good fit.

Take a RISK.  Meet someone NEW.  The next person that asks to meet – AGREE.  Tell them you will let them take you to coffee (or a brew).  See what happens… it may even be FUN!

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 – Accept the Challenge

"Life's challenges are not supposed to paralyze you, they're supposed to help you discover who you are."
- Bernice Johnson Reagon

The best challenges are the ones you NEVER saw coming.  They are the result of an idea you had that went a completely DIFFERENT direction, yet left with the opportunity to still be GREAT!

CHALLENGES are NEVER problems.  They are tests that you are given to SHARPEN your skills and prove your worth.  They are your "on the job" training you never asked for, but DESPERATLY need. 

When facing a challenge, what is your INTITIAL reaction?  DO you freak out?  Do you pause to think about what happened?  Do you spring into ACTION?

2 DEGREE SUCCESS STEP:
When FACING a challenge – ACCEPT IT!  Never back down from an opportunity to showcase your RESILSINCE, GRIT and NIMBLE nature. 

Here are a few quick steps on reacting to unforeseen challenges:
1.  Breathe Deep – things rarely go as planned, so plan on them being altered from the beginning
2.  Assess Your Situation – are in a position of power or weakness, how do you ensure power?
3.  Seek Support – immediately contact and align yourself with strategic partners.  Seek people in the most powerful positions to assist (and mutually gain)
4.  Don't Wait! – action will always yield results.  If you are unsure of which option to choose, go with your gut.  It rarely steers you wrong.
5.  Follow Up – never close the door on a failed opportunity.  The new challenge may be a matter of bad timing, so leave your options open.

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 – Taking On One More Thing…

"It's not so much how busy you are, but why you are busy. The bee is praised. The mosquito is swatted."
- Mary O'Connor

Technology is SUPPOSED to save us time, right?  Since we can microwave dinner, we can spend an extra hour DOING something more important.  With email on my phone, I won't have to work as MUCH.

Be HONEST.  You don't DO more because you have more time… you just take on more.

Effective EXECUTION is more important than volume of work. 

If you had the choice between doing ONE thing all day long at which you could be EXCEPTIONAL versus doing MULTIPLE things at which you do PRETTY GOOD, which would you choose?

2 DEGREE SUCCESS STEP:
Most people WANT to be excellent.  Very few have the AWARENESS to understand that "pleasing everyone" is not the way to go about doing it. 

Rather than say NO to a new project, many people VALIDATE their self by the volume of work they have taken on and the level of "busy" at which they maintain.  But what does that ACHIEVE?

If you KNOW you are at CAPACITY already with family, work, social and church… why would you start a business?  Why would you captain a team?  Why would chair a fundraiser?

People RESPECT effective execution.  The GUISE of "busy" will soon be discovered to be false. 

Keep it SIMPLE.  Be GREAT.  Bite off only what you can chew… EFFECTIVELY!

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 About a Partner?

"In this new wave of technology, you can't do it all yourself, you have to form alliances."
- Carlos Slim Helu

I have been STUDYING varying cultures and the manners in which they conduct business.  Most interesting to me is the Indian (Asian) culture and their "small group" success strategies.

Have you NOTICED that many people of Indian decent own hotels and other service industry businesses?  Would you believe that the ONE person that "owns" that business is actually working for a small group?

As I understand it, the business culture is FOCUSED on the success of one, within a small group, which then feeds the success of others.  The group finances and supports a single individual that BUILDS his (or her) wealth, then using it to aid in the financing and wealth building of the NEXT in the group until all have sustainable businesses.

Whoa… not many North Americans would be willing to even consider that type of DYNAMIC PARTNERSHIP.

2 DEGREE SUCCESS STEP:
The challenging thing about business is that we often have the SINGULAR vision for success, but need the COLLECTIVE skills of others to achieve it.

A rare, few people can CREATE success on their own.  For the rest of us, we better find some GREAT partners.  Maybe you are a MARKETING whiz and you need admin SUPPORT.  Or you are very well connected, yet are not very ORGANIZED.

There are plenty of people in the world that SHARE your shortcomings.  The BEST ones are found in people having SIMILAR visions with OPPOSITE skill sets.

Partnership takes TRUST and a lot of DISCUSSION.  If you are willing to IRON OUT the details, you may find that someone out there can help CREATE your DREAM!

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.