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Don’t make a “Goal” instead make a “Promise”

January 17, 2012 By

This is the time of year that many of us start to think about ‘setting goals’.

I try to pull out my “Goal Plan” (a sheet of paper I wrote them on) to see where I am on their achievement on a regular basis.

I end up ‘hitting’ some and not others.

I started to give this more thought and study this month in anticipation of the New Year (Resolution). I came across a Bill Bateman video on iLG where he was talking about his “10 Step Goal Setting” process. It was all really good information – much that I had already learned, but it was good to revisit. He said ‘one thing’ that completely changed the way I’m looking at my personal and business ‘goal setting’.

He said to replace the word ‘Goal‘ with the word ‘Promise‘ when we go about this task. He offered up a study by Harvard that indicated that people “miss their Goals” 76% of the time – but “achieve their Promises” 98% – and that got me thinking about how my own mind interprets the difference between the two words.

First off, I am rare to make ‘Promises’ – I completely understand on a very “Conscious‘ level what that means and I always remember both Mom and Dad teaching ‘how you never make Promises you can’t keep’. Which explains on my subconscious level how I feel about this same word… It is to be taken very seriously!!!

As to ‘Goals’ – for some reason I seem to have an entirely different internal perspective about that word. I’ve made them most my life and if I did not achieve them I would refine either the goal or the time frame and simply forgive myself – or hit a mulligan (do it over).

This year I intend to do this one simply thing; I intend to create my ‘Promise Plan’ for 2009 and in it I intend to make some real ‘Promises’ on what I ‘will do’ both Personally and Business wise this coming year. So far the list is already much shorter as it forces me to ‘filter’ things better and interestingly it also ended up covering the ‘most’ important things.

Maybe this will help you as well. Best to you and yours in 2009 – I ‘Promise’ :)
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The Golden (Platinum) Rule = The Social Networking Rule

January 17, 2012 By

We speak of it and we try to live by it – “treat others as you would like to be treated.”

To me it’s the main rule one needs to follow within Social Networking.

The Golden Rule was a common principle in ancient Greek philosophy.

A few examples:

“Do not to your neighbor what you would take ill from him.” (Pittacus)

“Avoid doing what you would blame others for doing.” (Thales)

“What you wish your neighbors to be to you, such be also to them.” (Sextus the Pythagorean)

“Do not do to others what would anger you if done to you by others.” (Isocrates)

“What thou avoidest suffering thyself seek not to impose on others.” (Epictetus)

A couple snippets from different world views…

Christianity:

Matthew 7:12
“So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.”

Luke 6:31
“Just as you want others to do for you, do the same for them.”

Judaism:

“That which is hateful to you, do not do to your fellow. That is the whole Torah; the rest is the explanation; go and learn.”

Buddhism:

“One who, while himself seeking happiness, oppresses with violence other
beings who also desire happiness, will not attain happiness hereafter.”

Confucius:

“Never impose on others what you would not choose for yourself.”

Hinduism:

“That man who regards all creatures as his own self, and behaves towards them as towards his own self, laying aside the rod of chastisement and completely subjugating his wrath, succeeds in attaining to happiness.”

Islam:

“Woe to those . . . who, when they have to receive by measure from men, exact full measure, but when they have to give by measure or weight to men, give less than due”

Taoism:

“Regard your neighbor’s gain as your own gain, and your neighbor’s loss as your own loss.”

The “The Platinum Rule” adds a nice addition to the “Golden Rule”…

“The golden rule is a good standard which is further improved by doing unto others, wherever possible, as they want to be done by.”

You’ll see lot’s of “Top 10 Rules of Social Networking” – pick any of the above and I think you’ll have it covered.
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24 Words That Can Change Your Business

January 17, 2012 By

One of my best experiences traveling this past month came in Durban, South Africa at the guest house of Don and Barbara Atkinson, owners of the Acorn B&B.

I truly believe it is because Don is a long-time Rotarian who runs his business by its simple principles, the Four Way Test.

The Four Way Test is

“Of all the things we think, say or do

1) is it the TRUTH?

2) Is it FAIR to all concerned

3) Will it build GOODWILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIPS?

4) Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned?”

The power of these four simple ideas is profound. Here is a story from the recent Rotarian Magazine about the origin of the Four-Way test

“In the midst of the Great Depression, a Chicago businessman stares bankruptcy in the face. Behind on his payments, creditors knocking at the door, he know the fate of his 250 employees and their families rest on his shoulders and he’s running out of time, answers and cash.

Business and the economy aren’t going to be improving, so he turns to his Christian faith for guidance and comes up with 24 words, which he hopes will change the future of his company. He runs these words, his ‘test,’ past co-workers of different religions to make sure they don’t contradict their faiths.

The company adopts this ethical test as an official policy for conduction business.

Within a few years, all debts are paid off, and the Club Aluminum Products Company is paying stockholders huge dividends. The application of the Four-Way Test helped Club Aluminum win the friendship and goodwill of its customers and vendors and proved essentials to the businessman’s success.”

Herbert J. Taylor, the writer of the Four-Way Test was an active Rotarian and his test was eventually adopted by Rotary.

One of the reasons I am a Rotarian is that I know no matter where I go in the world, I’ll meet other Rotarians whom I know I will become friends with. We all have the same belief in the Four-Way Test and it is a bond that links us all.

Even if you decide not to join Rotary, would you consider implementing the Four-Test in your own business?
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What Do You Do At 3:15am?

January 16, 2012 By

It is dark and rainy outside. I can hear the storm pounding the windows as I lie in bed unable to sleep. My dog is happily curled up next me and dreaming her doggie dreams of chasing (and catching) squirrels.

But I’m wide awake.

Whether it is because I’ve been traveling so much and my internal clock needs to be reset, or maybe my mind just has too many ideas that are pushing my eyelids open, it is 3:15am and I can’t sleep.

So what do you do when that happens?

Lying awake in the wee hours is a lot like many of the situations we face in life. We can either fight against the current situation or we can give in and go with the flow, even if that flow seems odd or out of the norm.

One of the lessons I’ve learned in the past few years is to go with the flow, or put another way, accept opportunities as they come. That means being open to new ways of seeing things, taken unknown paths and allowing myself to do things that aren’t the way I’ve done them in the past. It means moving outside my comfort zone and shaking up my routines.

At 3:15am that means getting up and starting my day at a different time than usual.

What I have found is that when those mornings strike, I am unusually creative or productive or reflective or insightful. In those quiet hours of the morning, I’m able to tap into a deeper place mentally and do some of my best work. When I take the opportunity I am presented with, I am rewarded with new and better results each time.

What opportunities are going to walk across your path this week? Are you ready to seize them, even if they are a bit outside the lines of your comfort zone? Instead of pushing back against things that are “different” for you, accept one of them this week and see where it takes you.

You just might find a whole new path to success.
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Making Fitness Fit

January 16, 2012 By

The demands on our time are endless these days. Family, work and social obligations seem to relentlessly chomp away at our precious time. It is so easy to allow these obligations to take over our lives until we leave ourselves, our very health, last in line for time and attention. The last twelve months have worsened the situation. Concerns over finances have increased stress levels, shortened or pre-empted vacations, and left us depleted of energy and vitality. I know this because I’ve been right there with you. “But you work in a health club!,” you might say. Well, yes, but you’d be amazed at how easy it is to put off your workouts for the end of the day until you suddenly realize a month has gone by since your last good sweat.

I learned the hard way that especially in tough times, your relationship with exercise is a lot like your relationship with a significant other. It takes work– not always the physical kind, but the mental kind can be just as hard. The first step (as usual) is the hardest. That is, you must first decide that fitting exercise and wellness into your life is important–as important as a client, a soccer game, or paying the light bill.

That begs the question, why? Why is exercise that important to you? It has to be more than fitting into smaller jeans or showing off at your next college reunion. If you are ready to make fitness fit, try the following exercise: Take out a pen and paper and begin writing the answer to the question, “why is exercise/ wellness/ a healthier lifestyle so important to me?” As you write your first answer, add the words, “so that…” on the end of the sentence, then expand on it. Continue this exercise until you are satisfied that you have the real answer–something so good that you will actually stick with it this time. Not sure you have found the real answer? Ask a friend, a spouse or a professional fitness/ wellness coach to help you in the exercise.

This first step is pivotal and sets you up for the second step. Work on this one for now and check back soon to learn the next step: creating your fitness and wellness vision.
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Are Your Arms Wide Open?

January 16, 2012 By

Do you ever have one of those weeks that just knock you for a loop? The kinds where it feels like you are a roller coaster? High as a kite on Monday, wondering where your next check is coming from Tuesday, feeling a little like you got kicked in the head by a mule on Wednesday, just doing your best to endure Thursday and then flying again on Friday?

This has been one of those weeks for me. Here’s what I learned.

They say life is all about balance but does that mean simply that the highs and lows cancel each other out? Or is it deeper than that?

What I found this week is that balance has a lot to do with keeping your arms open wide. Sure, from a physics standpoint that will keep you from falling over but it is more than that.

Keeping your arms open wide allows you to let get of things that are trying to pull you to the ground as well as allowing you to receive all the things other people are wanting to give you. In some cases, keeping your arms open just puts you in the right position to give some who needs one a hug.

By keeping my arms wide open this week I was able to partner with a company that is going to bring enormous technological experience to a project I’m working on in exchange for a piece of the revenue the project produces. It’s a great deal for my partner who is going to make more than they would if they just got a check from me. It’s also wonderful for me because it preserves cash, gets a much higher quality of work done and frees me from having to do things I’m not completely competent at. If my arms hadn’t been open, I couldn’t have accepted their gracious offer.

It has also happened that not one, but two, of my dear friends really needed big hugs this week. Luckily, I was prepared to give them.

Finally, just when a project I was working on looked doomed to failure, I let go of some foolish pride and let the world take me in another direction. Suddenly I got a new inspiration and turned the whole thing around in a matter of hours. Yep, arms wide open again.

As you start this week, what are you open to receiving from your prospects and clients? Are you prepared to wrap your arms around another human being and offer unconditional comfort or love? Spend a few hours this week being completely open to whatever comes at you, accepting it just as it is. You might find you get more than you ever expected.
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What is Better Than BOGO

January 15, 2012 By

What is better than buy one, get one free? Toss up Tuesday.

At participating Qdoba’s Mexican Grill on Tuesday nights you get to flip a coin to see what you pay. Heads, they pay. Tails, you pay.

Statistically, it should even out and be about a 50% price reduction or the same as BOGO.

From a marketing perspective, it is so much better. What a fun idea to get folks in the door and have a chance to engage each of them. I can just imagine a group standing around cheering for or commiserating with the next customer in line. Just like at the craps tables in Vegas.

Brilliant.

So what good marketing ideas do you have up your sleeve?
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You CAN Teach An Old Dog New Tricks

January 15, 2012 By

My friend, Cristina, is staying with me for awhile and her one-year old Lab puppy, Thora, is visiting too.

If you know Gracie, then you know that on a good day she can be idiosyncratic and on a bad day she can be, well, evil.

If she sees another dog on the street or in the alley she goes ballistic. She barks and acts like she is going to kill them.

Enter Thora.

Thora is your typical Lab puppy – part floppy lover of everything and part Sherman tank. She took to Gracie right away and has a tendency to run up to her, snap in her face and then body slam her before taking off again.

Miraculously, Gracie just stands there. She is kind and patient and gentle with Thora.

On our walk this morning, Gracie stood patiently as I unwrapped Thora’s leash from around her neck for the 10th time.

Even at breakfast when Thora stuck her head in Gracie’s bowl (and Gracie has freshly cooked chicken with her dog food), Gracie just kept eating and ignored her.

I was waiting for G to rip Thora’s face off but she didn’t. Amazing.

Kudos to Cristina for working hard to keep Thora from tempting fate and doing it repeatedly.

It is simply stunning to me that GP can be so sweet with Thora. I kind of expected her to be grumpy and testy like she is most of the time.

Maybe you can teach an old dog new tricks. At least if the trainer is young and cute enough.
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Now is the Time to Buy!

January 15, 2012 By

Don’t miss the great opportunity to buy a home now – rates are unbelievably low – if you’re waiting on the fence for, say, 2% mortgage interest rates, well, that is unlikely. But look at today’s great rates in Richmond: http://tinyurl.com/ykw5lna

With low rates, high inventory and low asking prices, along with 4 straight months of slight price increases, Richmond’s housing market may well have hit bottom already. If you are a first time home buyer, or have not owned in 3 years, you must ACT NOW to take advantage of the federal tax credit for up to $ 8000 in tax credit – not a deduction but an actual tax credit! You must close by November 30, 2009 to receive your stimulus tax credit. When you get that money back from the IRS, invest it in “green” home improvements to get even more tax credits for energy efficiency! Plus, you’ll receive the mortgage interest deduction on your 2009 tax return. There may never be a better time to buy than now! Leverage your dollars by investing in a home now. Your home, unlike stocks or savings accounts, can be seen, felt and enjoyed by you, your family and friends. A home is one of the best investments you can make. Please don’t miss out on this great opportunity. The average closing can take 30-45 days, so time is dangerously running out for this opportunity. Don’t miss the chance to own – act now! In ten years, you will not be sorry you invested in a home!
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Getting By With A Little Help From My Friends

January 14, 2012 By

I’m relatively new to the Twitterverse, and I have to admit, at first I was a bit nervous about this new landscape of interaction. So I dipped my toe in cautiously.

I created a profile…it wasn’t that hard.
I tracked down a few people I knew that I could follow…so far so good.
I posted my first tweet…and was grateful that nothing exploded.
Then, a few people began to follow me…WOOT! I had an itty bitty Twitter posse.
At this point, I was starting to get a little pumped!

Then, suddenly, panic set in as I started encountering unfamiliar and curious things:
What does RT mean? What the heck are these hashtags? Who is this scantly clad person in my follower list?

So I pulled back and shifted into my old standby way of functioning: “researcher mode”. I bought a book, Googled for information, and experimented with posts. I learned two important facts very quickly: (1) The premise of Twitter wasn’t too complicated, and (2) It’s all about building relationships. But here’s the thing: I am a busy person and I just simply didn’t have time to figure it all out. I knew that I needed some fast reinforcement on the social media front to keep my momentum. I wanted a solution, fast.

So I made a rash decision: I tossed my self-reliant ego out the door and decided to embrace the new universe of connectivity. Like most successful journeys, I knew that a great tour guide would really expand my world. So I chose a few trusted tweeters and started asking questions. The knowledge, tips, and advice graciously poured in – 140 characters at a time. Soon, I had learned how to retweet, abbreviate, send a direct message, shrink links, find cool people to follow, and block anyone that offended my sensibilities.

A few short months later, I enjoy being a part of the Twitter conversation every day. To my amazement, I even occasionally share tips to those who join the party. The lesson?, Asking for help is not only a great way to learn, but also to build relationships and find opportunities to give back to others. So don’t be surprised if you hear from me as we explore these new frontiers together – I hope to hear from you too.
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