Years ago as a teenager, I learned a lesson about doing my best. You don’t have to do everything by yourself. Take advantage of every available resource for outside learning, encouragement, and help.
One-Minute Motivators
These short messages from our company president, Bill Mansell, are filled with timely principles of success and motivation. (We call this our company blog.) They are designed to help you and your team stay motivated and to sharpen your success skills and attitudes. Each takes only one minute to read, but the profound principles could fill an entire seminar. Why not take a weekly one-minute break from your hectic schedule to read and internalize each message.
Organize a Sprint Week
Organize a “Sprint Week” in your company, your organization, or just by yourself. Plan in advance to make it the most productive week of the year. Give your supreme effort — sprint! Then celebrate your amazing successes.
Get Started
We all know things that we could do right now that would make a huge difference in our lives. I challenge you to begin now and start. The story is told about three frogs sitting on a lily pad. Two decided to jump off. How many were left?
Keep the Wind at Your Back
Why is procrastination so damaging to your productivity? Stop the headwind of procrastination by planning out important tasks, staying on schedule and getting them done on time. Several days ago, I took my golden retriever on his customary walk. The wind was blowing pretty hard and I found myself leaning forward a little and planting my steps deliberately in order to keep moving…
Invest in You!
What is the best investment you can make? It’s not an investment in stocks or bonds or gold. It’s an investment in you. Don’t wait to get started. The life you dream about is waiting for you to take action now. Self-improvement training not only pays financial dividends, it can help to improve your relationships, boost your confidence, reduce fear, hone your skills, and increase your health and happiness.
The Value of Underselling
Today, with desperate retailers and sensationalistic advertising, too many companies promise more than they can deliver, with disastrous results.
Give Encouragement!
Our world is starving for something of which you have a potentially unlimited supply. You can get it by simply deciding to have it. You can give it away freely to thousands of people and still have plenty to give yourself. In fact, the more you give away, the more you will be surrounded with it. This illusive, yet potentially unlimited substance is simply “an encouraging word.”
A Strong Foundation
When I was a teenager, I visited the Sears Tower (now known as the Willis tower) in Chicago, Illinois. At that time, it was the tallest building in the world. In some ways, we are like a skyscraper. We work every day to achieve higher and higher levels of achievement. At the same time, we are susceptible to conditions that surround us. The foundation for the Sears tower is a massive cement structure that is 100 feet deep. If we are to stand strong, we too must have a solid foundation.
What Today’s Customers Want
Today’s customers crave to be treated like people and to get real value. The more you can provide a personal touch, and the more value you offer in the form of exceptional service, selection, convenience, price, and integrity, the more customers you will have. These efforts may seem like backwards steps in a world of increasingly impersonal technology. But, they will win today’s customer–and tomorrow’s.
Think About Breathing
There is immense value in taking a few minutes a day to just be alive and pay attention. It fosters clarity, perspective, and awareness. A great way to do this is to stop whatever you’re doing and focus on your breathing. Every day, take a few minutes to just focus on your breathing. Be totally aware and alive in this moment. Suddenly, the cares of the day will be swept away and you will wake up and notice your surroundings. Make this a daily habit for greater clarity, perspective, and confidence in your life.
Get Crystal Clear
Before you can reach your goals, they have to become crystal clear in your mind. Ask yourself: What, How, Who, Where, When, and Why. The more clearly you define your objectives and the more frequently and intensely you review them, the faster they will be yours.
Be a Leader, Not a Boss
What is the difference between a leader and a boss? It boils down to the person’s attitude. Whether you are the company president or working in the mail room, adopt the attitudes of mutual respect, teamwork, and commitment to the company vision. As you do, you will become a true leader.
Add Variety to Your Presentations
Do you tend to lull your listeners to sleep when you stand before a group? Make your presentations more engaging and captivating by adding variety to your speech. Loud, soft, fast, slow, humorous, serious, tone, and stress—all these add interest and impact.
Jump In!
I’ll never forget the day our swim instructor said it was time to do the high dive. I immediately got at the back of the line, where I watched all of my class mates climb the stairs and jump off the high dive. Fear is a thief that robs us of enjoyable experiences and future success. Take a lesson from my swimming instructor and “Just jump in!” Do the thing you fear.
Take a Personal Inventory
Regularly schedule quiet time for a personal inventory where you can reflect on the highest priorities in your life and evaluate how well you are allocating your time and energy toward accomplishing them. Worthwhile goals will naturally flow from this type of introspection.
Has Civil Society Come to an End?
While it’s true that civility is decreasing, while violence and degeneracy are increasing, we have by no means lost our society. Yet. Let us choose to promote positive virtues in your personal actions and to focus on the good in others. It will improve your attitude, your happiness, and ultimately improve our world.
Are You In the Garage?
Sometimes life hands us difficult challenges. There are times when we are figuratively in a cold, dark, lonely place–like my garage. As unpleasant as these times are, they are necessary for us to learn and grow and bloom into the person we are meant to become. The truth is, everyone has their times in the garage as well as their moments to bloom in the sunshine.
Challenges Build Strength
The woman or man who overcomes the most strife is also often the one who makes the greatest contribution to this world. The poem “Of Trees and Men” clearly articulates this principle of the power of overcoming adversity.
Cultivate Charisma
People with charisma have amazing influence over others. They pass through life inspiring greatness, uplifting spirits, and planting seeds of excellence. They are a valuable part of any team and command higher salaries. The truth is, whether you are in management or not, you need to cultivate charisma. It will help you at work, in your family, and your social life.
Disadvantaged Childhood? Succeed Anyway!
If you think that you had a disadvantaged childhood, listen to the story of Mario Andretti. Mario was born in Northern Italy the same year that World War II broke out. When the war finally ended, borders had shifted and his family found themselves in communist-controlled Yugoslavia. They decided to leave their homeland as refugees[Read More]
Give Yourself a Second Chance
As much as we strive for perfection, we all fall short. The truth is that making mistakes is the very way that we learn and grow. We strive, we fall down, we get up again
Choose to Be Happy Anyway
Has something happened to you that wasn’t your fault? Is there some unfairness in your situation in life? Take a lesson from Jason and just “let it go.” Choose to be happy anyway. Choose to be grateful for what your challenges have taught you. Choose the abundant life.
The Vanishing Art of Casual Conversation
Make it a point to develop the art of casual conversation. You’ll begin to enjoy social situations, expand your business opportunities at networking events, and improve your personal charisma.
Just One Little Thing
You never know when changing one little thing can make a major difference in your life. Identify one little thing that you can do to improve right now. Then do it.
The Customer Signs Your Paycheck
One of the benefits of the economic downturn from which we are emerging is a revitalized emphasis on customer service
Pluck, Not Luck!
Next time you feel that adversity has beaten you down, think of James Cash Penney. Don’t worry about luck, just put a P in front of it and forge ahead.
Take Action to Overcome FEAR
Fear is the greatest enemy of any professional. Fear of looking silly prevents many from giving enthusiastic effort.
Give Yourself a Pep-Talk
When we are discouraged and down, nothing helps more than a pep talk from someone you love and respect.
What is Your Excuse, Today?
My son and I are going on a backpacking trip with his scout troop. Yesterday, a backpacking expert came and spoke to our troop and their parents about how to prepare for this trip.
Plan to Succeed
The more time you have to do something, the longer it takes. Don’t just hope you’ll have time to get something done. Plan it, schedule it, then do it. That is a recipe for success.
