August 25, 2014 Focus Point

Success is not Perfection but Persistence

"Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection we can catch excellence." ~Vince Lombardi

"Success is the result of hard work, learning from failure, loyalty, and persistence." ~Colin Powell

"Strive for continuous improvement, instead of perfection." ~Kim Collins

Society may tell us that if we are not perfect we are not good enough. Have you ever heard the following? "You will never make it." Or "You don't have what it takes." Progress in life is not a matter of doing something perfectly, it is a matter of doing something consistently and with persistence and not giving up even if the results of our first attempts are not what we hope it to be eventually. I love the following statement. "That which we persist in doing becomes easier, not because the nature of the thing has changed, but because our ability to do it has increased." Often people can overwhelm themselves by feeling responsibility for circumstances out of their control. Investing our attention in something out of our control always ends up in a disappointed defeat.

Effective people I believe focus on things they can control and work for improvement, but do not force themselves into an unrealistic doom of perfection. They do not take the desire for improvement over time and turn it into an obsession to be perfect now, because they know that this type of insanity would drive them to feel worse about themselves and actually lower self image. The problem with perfection is that if a person never attains it they are then left feeling deflated, or defeated, and as if they cannot accomplish their goals. This week let's think about persistence and excellence, and forget about any expectations of the impossible weight of perfection.

August 18, 2014 Focus Point

Experience It to Know It!

"If you know, yet do not do, you do not know." ~Oie Osterkamp

"The only source of knowledge is experience." ~Albert Eintein

"Experience is the teacher of all things." ~Julius Caesar

Many people proclaim that they want to do certain things because of what they know it will bring to their life. Take exercise for example. Everyone knows that physical exercise on a regular basis will bring more health, longer life, higher level of energy, etc. Yet what percentage of people actually take the intellectual knowledge of exercise and apply it and make it experiential? It is fact that even most New Year's resolutions only last 17 days.

It is easy to talk the talk and so much harder to walk the walk. However until the talk becomes walk the fruitful reward will not be realized. As a coach and a trainer I hear people say things like: "Yeah, yeah, I know that already". I do not question that they know it intellectually, but what a vast difference it is to know the same thing from actually experiencing the benefits. This experience comes only from the doing and nowhere else. Wisdom is the proper use of knowledge, or knowledge applied in positive action.

My challenge this week is to pick one good thing that you would like to do, and know you should do but just have not been fully committed yet, and try it for 30 days. Go for it and put your heart and commitment into this new discipline and eventually a habit will develop and you will begin to realize the benefit that it brings.

August 11, 2014 Focus Point

Live with Hope. Expect Success. Expect Abundance!!

"You begin by always expecting good things to happen." ~Tom Hopkins

"Hope is a waking dream." ~Aristotle

"Let your hopes, not your hurts, shape your future." ~Robert H. Schuller

It may seem a bit strange to talk about hope and positive expectations in a world where we know that bad things happen. But as I have given thought to this subject, why not expect and hope for good things to happen? Why not believe that good things will come our way? Certainly we should prepare ourselves for times of difficulty. Nothing can take the place of proper planning and preparation. But when I see people actually expecting bad things to happen to them it is as if they bring it upon themselves. Then they wonder why life is so hard and why they continue over time to spiral out of control.

I once heard a saying: "We do not get in life what we deserve, we get what we expect." We get what we believe about ourselves. We get what we hold on to in our hopes, desires, and aspirations. I believe that although there are many things in life that we cannot control completely, if we choose to focus within the areas that we can control, it gives us power over most of our future circumstances in life. As such we can begin to direct our life through positive expectation and action. In other words we choose to see and go after the good things and give the bad things very little attention. We focus our thoughts and energy on what we can control rather than on what we cannot control. Stephen Covey taught this concept as the locus of responsibility or control. It is true and it works.

August 4, 2014 Focus Point

What Time Is It?

"Time management is beyond our control, and the clock keeps ticking regardless of how we lead our lives. Priority management is the answer to maximizing the time we have." ~John C. Maxwell

"I am definitely going to take a course on time management...just as soon as I can work it into my schedule." ~Louis E. Boone

"Yesterday's the past, tomorrow's the future, but today is a gift. That's why it's called the present." ~Bil Keane

Psychiatrist and author M. Scott Peck said: "Until you value yourself, you won't value your time. Until you value your time, you will not do anything with it." We do not pay for things with our money, we pay for things with our time. The question then becomes what value do we place on our time and what are we willing to trade for it?

A great way to manage your priorities is to think DO, DELEGATE, or DUMP. Is it something you have to do yourself? For instance, if you are a parent, you are the only one who can fill that particular role. If it is work related maybe you would do well to learn the art and skill of effective delegation. If it is something that eats away at your time you may determine that life would be better served if you dump it.

July 28, 2014 Focus Point

Everyone Benefits from Effective Leadership!

"Don't find fault, find a remedy." ~Henry Ford

"If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more, and become more, you are a leader." ~John Quincy Adams

"A good leader takes a little more than his share of the blame, a little less than his share of the credit." ~Arnold H. Glasow

The most effective leaders I know, help other people before they help themselves, they think of others more than they think of themselves, they ask for forgiveness, they include and involve everyone they can, and when their team wins they give the credit to their team mates. So what is leadership to you?

Maybe for a high school student it would be to treat others with respect and help them see and feel of the value they have as a person. That being different from everyone else is a good thing. With this mindset, can you imagine how bullying would decrease?

Maybe for a department head or a leader in a higher level management position it would be recognizing the different talents and strengths of those on your team and to do your best to make sure that they are able to have fulfillment in their work. Maybe for a midlevel manager or someone with no position at all, it would be choosing to come to work with a positive attitude that would lift and build those around you, and in turn help improve morale and effective work. It may include going the extra mile to fulfill the requests and demands of the job, proving to add excellent value to working associates, customers, and to the company. This is called 360 Degree Leadership, beginning with leadership of self.

No matter the position or lack of position, no matter the station in life, true leadership is influence with other people for good or for bad. A leader driven by confidence will help people. A leader driven by ego will hurt people. Leadership is more a learned skill than it is natural talent. Leadership is not a position or title but rather the attitude that we choose to carry.

July 21, 2014 Focus Point

Yesterday Ended Last Night!

"I can accept failure, everyone fails at something. But I can't accept not trying." ~Michael Jordan

"It's fine to celebrate success but it is more important to heed the lessons of failure." ~Bill Gates

"Do not fear mistakes. You will know failure. Continue to reach out." ~Benjamin Franklin

I am convinced that our success and overall happiness in life will greatly be determined upon our perception of and our response to failure. We all have failure situations in life or circumstances that are tough to get through. They may happen as a result of poor judgment on our part, or they may come as a result of someone else's actions or behavior, or they may come all on their own. In any case, having the correct perception and response will make the outcome far more effective and turn a potential stumbling block into a future building block of opportunity.

John Maxwell lives his life by particular guidelines in order to remain effective and on track. One such guideline is that he will only allow himself, after a failure to give attention and feel awful about the situation for a period of 24 hours and no more. After that time has passed it is time to get up, dust off, and get moving again.

My challenge to you this week is to identify some situation that you would otherwise like to feel yucky about, and choose rather to work out a positive solution. As far as the ugly things in the past, well, do not let bad things that happened in the past control your future opportunities, because yesterday ended last night and today is a brand new start.

July 14, 2014 Focus Point

Set Goals the SMART Way!

"Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishment." ~Jim Rohn

"What you get by achieving your goals is not as important as what you become by achieving your goals." ~Henry David Thoreau

"Setting goals is the first step in turning the invisible into the visible." ~Tony Robbins

Set your goals high and do not stop until you get there. Stick to your work until it sticks to you. I love those statements because they work with our minds in creating the goal as well as reminds a person to work hard in order to accomplish it. Goal setting is the way to turn your hopes, dreams, and desires into reality. It is the movement from a lower level of potential to a higher level of actuality. I remember a lesson Stephen Covey did where he said: "Make a commitment and keep it." Goals are commitments we make to ourselves. Goals are how we grow to become better, rather than just grow to become older. 

Goals should be:

Specific: This is about having a clear picture in your mind what it is you desire and the picture in your mind is then written in detail on paper.

Measurable: This part of your goal is so that you can track progress. If I were to set a goal to become a better father to my children, well.... how do I know if I am improving? Instead what if I set a goal to do two activities this week with my kids, of their choice? At the end of the week I will certainly know if the goal was met or not.

Attainable: This is about keeping a balance of what is within your ability, but also to not limit yourself because of your current reality. Keeping goals attainable suggests that we take life on in bite sized pieces.

Relevant: Does it pertain and lead to the bigger picture you have of yourself? I often ask people: What is the next step in the direction of your success?

Time-Bound: A specific date should always accompany a specific goal. This reminds you to check in with yourself, be accountable, work hard, and re-adjust where needed. When the date arrives simply ask: Did I meet my goal? If the answer is yes, then celebrate. If the answer is no, then rework the goal. This is where most people give up and the determined successful people push through.

July 7, 2014 Focus Point

Increase Your Confidence!

"To walk around with an ego is a bad thing. To have confidence in yourself is a great thing." ~Fred Durst

"If you have no confidence in self, you are twice defeated in the race of life." ~Marcus Garvey

"Confidence is contagious. So is lack of confidence." ~Vince Lombardi

Decide to be more confident. Confidence is such a great word and a tremendous attribute that really adds to the quality of life. How would your life benefit from greater confidence? You do not need a reason to be more confident. You don't need to have someone compliment you on the way you look or compliment you on a job well done to have more confidence. You don't need someone to say that they believe in you in order to be more confident. Successful people make it a habit to show all of these courtesy's to others, but their success and confidence is not dependent upon someone else showing the same courtesy to them. They simply take control and decide to be more confident. To increase your confidence starting right now and immediately, all you have to do is decide that: "Today I am going to be more confident." That's it. Decide that today I choose to take control. It is not about being someone or something you are not, but rather being your better self, your best self. What if the hero that you are looking for is already inside you and will develop as you start living more of your potential?

Speak words that give life. Don't base the opinion you have of yourself on what someone else said or did. Don't let past mistakes define your future. Never let the negative opinions of someone else control who you will be. Negativity kills confidence, so learn to speak words that give life. In Proverbs 18:21 we learn that: "Death and life are in the power of the tongue." We must learn to use our words to speak life into our own situation in order for improvement to happen. I believe that any person will perform better if they have confidence and a healthy self image.

June 30, 2014 Focus Point

Give a Compliment or Two!

"Everybody likes a compliment." ~Abraham Lincoln

"I can live for two months on a good compliment." ~Mark Twin

"The greatest compliment that was ever paid me was when one asked me what I thought, and attended to my answer." ~Henry David Thoreau

Do you remember the last time someone gave you a compliment? It's like a shot of energy and motivation that can keep you going all day. In John Maxwell's book 25 Ways to Win With People he teaches on the 30 second rule, which is simply to practice saying something positive within the first 30 seconds of a conversation.

To practice is to repeat an exercise for the purpose of acquiring proficiency. It suggests that you will work with it and try it, with the intent to get better. Eventually enough practice will develop a natural habit and become a part of who you are.

What kind of affirmation, appreciation, and attention can you give someone today or this week? Practice giving more compliments to people. Make them real and sincere. Compliment people in front of other people. Compliments help other people feel like a million bucks and truly begin to help you and others win in a bigger way.

June 23, 2014 Focus Point

You Are Unique!

"No two men are just alike. Every new life is a new thing under the sun; there has never been anything like it before, and never will be again." ~Henry Ford

"Today you are YOU, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is youer than you." ~Dr. Seuss

I remember a quote I saw recently that said: "Be yourself, everyone else is already taken." I worked last week with almost 300 individuals in different training settings learning and understanding personality information with what we call the Model of Human Behavior. This information helps us begin to understand how everyone is wired with a different blend of the four main personality traits. This unique blend that each person has, when understood and developed become strengths that add value to any relationship, task, project, and to the world.

The society we live in tries to get us to conform and be the same; however it is our job to discover the unique gifts and talents we possess and develop them in the best ways in order to reach our full potential. Not someone else's potential. There is only one YOU and facts show that YOU can do at least one thing better than ten thousand other people. Think of what amazing things you can bring into this world by being the best you that you can be. Reaching your potential is not about being someone else, or being better than someone else, but being better than you were yesterday.

June 16, 2014 Focus Point

A Ship is Safe In The Harbor!

"Your mind will answer most questions if you learn to relax and wait for the answer." ~William S. Burroughs

"Don't mistake activity with achievement." ~John Wooden

"Life is what happens while you are busy making other plans." ~John Lennon

"I feel like I'm too busy writing history to read it." ~Kanye West

"The time to relax is when you don't have time for it." ~Sydney J. Harris

A ship may be safe in the harbor but it is not built to sit in the harbor and it will never fulfill its purpose by sitting in the environment where it is safe. It must go out into the rough unprotected water in order to accomplish anything. But after a long voyage it also needs the harbor in order to get proper cleaning and maintenance. We to must go forward in order to move forward, success is yet to be found within our comfort zone. To make a good living or to reach higher and bigger goals, to fulfill more of our potential, it may take everything we can give. But in the process of all the work and giving, we must also receive. Not receive as in take away from someone else who we think "owes us" but rather receive as in give to ourselves the proper balance of rest along with all of the work.

Someone once asked Zig Ziglar which of all of the words is most important. Zig thought for a moment and he said "balance". The most important word is balance. In order for a ship to make use of its purpose it must leave the harbor, but what if it never came back in and got cleaned or maintained? I am sure you would agree that eventually without the proper care it would become less able to fulfill its purpose and begin to wear down and deteriorate. We to must take the time to reflect, recharge, reboot, and refresh. Most people would not think of going even a day without charging their smart phone, but do we charge our minds and bodies? 

This message is more for me than anyone else. I have always been of the opinion that you can accomplish just about anything with hard work and discipline. But I am becoming more aware of the growing body of evidence which shows that taking regular breaks from mental and physical tasks actually improves productivity and creativity and that skipping this kind of proper care can lead to stress and exhaustion. Just like a muscle is developed from hard work followed by proper rest, so it is in life. The key here is balance.

June 9, 2014 Focus Point

Doubt Your Doubts Before You Doubt Your Faith

"Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase." ~Martin Luther King, Jr.

"Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies." ~Mother Teresa

"Faith consists in believing when it is beyond the power of reason to believe." ~Voltaire

"We are twice armed if we fight with faith." ~Plato

My 11 year old son inspired me with a quote that he came up with: "Have faith that it will be a good day. Have faith that there will be fun and easy times, but when there is a trial, God has not left you, he is simply teaching you life." I believe that there are circumstances in life that we cannot control, but I also believe that there are many things that we can control and working within the space of what we can control brings more freedom and success.

In 1952 Florence May Chadwick attempted a 26 mile rough water swim between Catalina Island and the California coastline. After about 15 hours of swimming, a thick fog set in. Florence began to doubt her ability and if she could complete the swim successfully and told her mother who was in a nearby boat that she didn't think she could make it. She swam for another hour but the fog was keeping her from seeing her destination and she asked to be pulled out. As she sat in the boat she found that she had stopped swimming only a mile away from her destination. Two months later Florence tried again, but this time was different. Several hours into the swim the same thick fog set in, but she made it this time because she kept a mental image of the shoreline in her mind while she swam. This mental visualization on her end goal helped her to doubt any doubts of being able to make it before she doubted her ability and faith that she could.

If visualizing the shoreline in a long distance swim can help a person make it, I am most confident that it will also help us achieve big things in life. I hope that this week we can believe in ourselves, that we can feed our faith and starve our fears. Whatever you are working to accomplish in your life just remember, you may be closer than you think.

June 2, 2014 Focus Point

2 Things That Will Ramp Up Your Success In Life!

"The greatest battles of life are fought out daily in the silent chamber of our own soul." ~Stephen R. Covey

"Every choice you make has an end result." ~Zig Ziglar

"The man who does not read has no advantage over the man who cannot read." ~Mark Twain

"Knowledge is power. Information is liberating. Education is the premise of progress." ~Kofi Annan

Here they are, two powerful things that anyone can do and every successful person does do.

First, have a high willingness to learn new information. Information has such power and influence in your life and my life. The right information will actually start to give shape and direction to our daily circumstances. Information leads to knowledge, knowledge leads to wisdom, wisdom implies the proper use of knowledge. The right idea will change your life, if you let it. Success in life is a balance of holding on and letting go, the trick is knowing what things to hold on to and what things to let go of.

The question to consider is: What can you begin to do on a daily basis that will produce fresh ideas, more information, better skills, and higher knowledge? Maybe it is listen to positive audio messages from successful leaders in your field or industry. Maybe it is read good books that compliment your line of work or areas of interest. For some maybe it will require getting off the "plug in drug" such as TV and other electronics in order to buy back lost time for something more productive.

The second thing that will ramp up success in life is having a high willingness to accept change. Change will always be required in order to put new information into practice. Without changing aspects in life to grow in potential, we will most certainly stagnate and live life, maybe even live and die with untapped potential. Like the saying goes: "Don't die with your music still in you".

On a scale of 1-10 what is both your willingness to learn new information and your willingness to accept change? Most people are in a routine in life with many habits that do not serve them. Successful people are able to take a step back and examine what new information they need and what changes will move them forward. These two areas of willingness I call the training balance scale. We need to work in both areas and we need proper balance.

May 26, 2014 Focus Point

A Time to Reflect, Remember, and give Thanks!

"At the end of our lives we may ask ourselves. Did I live, did I love, did I matter?" ~Brendon Burchard

 

 "In the truest sense, freedom cannot be bestowed; it must be achieved." ~President Franklin D. Roosevelt

"I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country." ~Nathan Hale

"I don't have to tell you how fragile this precious gift of freedom is. Every time we hear, watch, or read the news, we are reminded that liberty is a rare commodity in this world." ~President Ronald Reagan

Memorial Day is a US federal holiday wherein the men and women who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces are remembered. The holiday, which is celebrated every year on the final Monday of May,  was formerly known as Decoration Day and originated after the American Civil War to commemorate the Union and Confederate soldiers who died in the Civil War. By the 20th century, Memorial Day had been extended to honor all Americans who have died while in the military service.

What a blessing it is to live in America, the most free of all Countries in the world. My thoughts this week are two fold. First, that we will do well to give thanks to God for the men and women who have fallen to provide, ensure, and keep America free. To remember that all gave some, but our fallen fellow Americans truly gave all that they had to give. I am so thankful that they lived. That they lived well and brave. That they loved America, other people, and freedom itself enough to give the ultimate contribution.

Secondly, I believe it is an opportunity to reflect on the purpose and direction of our own life. Are we living life fully with energy and enthusiasm? Are we loving those around us with sincerity and openness? Are we making a difference in someone's world? Are we leaving a mark that is worth noticing?

May 19, 2014 Focus Point

Change Is A Good Thing!

"Change your thoughts to match you values, change your attitude to clarify your perspective, change your priorities to sharpen your focus." ~John Maxwell

"Change starts with you, but it does not start until you do." ~Tom Ziglar

"When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change." ~Wayne Dyer

"You cannot become who you need to be by remaining who you are." ~Maxwell Maltz

"Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do." ~John Wooden

In late 1999 as the turn of the century was approaching, there was much debate on who may have been the top 100 most influential people over the past one thousand years. The list was selected and then worked down to one person. That's right, the number one most influential person who lived over the past one thousand years. Any guesses? The name is Johannes Gutenberg the inventor of the printing press.

Just think of it, the invention of the printing press would change the world and every person who ever lived upon it from that time forward. This was the beginning of the era of enlightenment which meant that the use of books, reading, and gaining knowledge would be available to the common man and woman. Up until this time the important papers and documents were held in the hands of the powerful religious and powerful political. The result of his work changed the entire world, but the result only happened after many changes to his method which led to the end result. If he had not made change, how could he ever effect change?

I am a dealer in hope, ideas, and concepts. When the "light turns on" in the human mind there is no limit to the possibilities. When we make the necessary changes in our thinking, action, and habits, it leads to making positive changes in the lives of others, just like the printing press.

May 12, 2014 Focus Point

Thoughts Become Things!

"I refuse to make agreement with limitations." ~Paul Martinelli

"You don't go anywhere until you decide where you want to go." ~John maxwell

"Thinking is the hardest work there is, which is probably the reason why so few engage in it." ~Henry Ford

"You were born to win, but to be a winner you must plan to win, prepare to win, and expect to win." ~Zig Ziglar

"Poverty is attracted to the one whose mind is favorable to it. Just as money is attracted to him whose mind had been deliberately prepared to attract it, and through the same laws." ~Think & Grow Rich

Last week I mentioned success as being a scale, one side action, and the other side thought. When I think of the power of thought in our lives, I think of the law of gravity and how it is a constant in our lives. It is at work every moment of every day. Even if we do not understand it or agree with it, it is still alive and well. To have a proper channel for our efforts, we must have a goal and a point of destination. If there is no aiming point we can work all day long but the effort is more of a wasted energy and has little purpose. But with focus and as Napoleon Hill describes, a clearly defined purpose with a burning desire for its accomplishment, now our efforts become inspired action.

People can argue that hard work alone can get you anything, but to be in proper balance and to turn action into inspired action, we must have clearly defined purposes for the hard work. The statement think and grow rich to me not only refers to money or material wealth, but also to becoming rich in mind, body, spirit, and friendship as well.

Just because we know something, it does not mean we understand it. Just because we understand something, it does not mean we apply it. It is the understanding and application together that moves a person forward. There is a relationship between passion and potential. Therefore I maintain that a person will fulfill more of his or her potential in life if they take the time to think about and plan what it is they really want. Set goals that point to it and then work like crazy to receive. And if you are doing what you really love, you'll never work a day in your life. You do the work, but it does not feel like work.

May 5, 2014 Focus Point

Work and Persistence Pays Off

"Nothing will work unless you do." ~Maya Angelou

"The only place success comes before work is in the dictionary." ~Vince Lombardi

"By working faithfully eight hours a day you may eventually get to be boss and work twelve hours a day." ~Robert Frost

"All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance and should be undertaken with painstaking excellence." ~Martin Luther King, Jr.

Do you love work? I love work. You do not have to look very far to see that hard work is becoming a lost art, a thing of the past. Something that many, many people appear so much to be afraid of. Like I always say, "A little work won't hurt you", and so far it has held out true. I am convinced that those who are afraid of rolling up their sleeves and diving in will never receive the reward of the satisfaction that only comes after the sweat breaks the forehead. If success is a scale that suggests balance, one side would be thought or the goal setting, which includes vision and direction. The other side would be action or the mechanics of doing the thing. Buckling down and working hard, causing something to move. After all nothing works unless and until you do. You hear people say, "I don't feel like it". Well the truth of it is that you are much more likely to act yourself into feeling like it, then you are to feel yourself into any sort of action.

In a 1903 Labor Day speech, Theodore Roosevelt said something about work in such a powerful way that we still remember it and quote him to this day. "Far and away the best prize that life has to offer is the chance to work hard at work worth doing." The key is doing what you love. Work hard at a job you love and you will never work a day in your life.

Successful people are not afraid of work, they are willing, able, and capable of doing what it takes. They expand their capacities and become more capable by just going for it. They do not however work in hectic fashion but rather with purpose, direction, and specific goals. Having a goal is like going on a hike in the mountains with a specific aim and destination and the work of course is hiking down the trail. No goal or direction would be like setting out on a hike with no destination in mind. You can hike all you want and put tremendous effort in, but you will never get there. It is impossible to get to somewhere that is nowhere. If you don't know where you are going, any road will take you there.

April 28, 2014 Focus Point

4 Things that will Increase your Daily Performance

"An ounce of performance is worth pounds of promises." ~Mae West

"The reward of a thing well done, is to have done it." ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do." ~John Wooden

"The best way is always to stop when you are going good and when you know what will happen next. If you do that every day…you will never be stuck." ~Ernest Hemingway

I recently read an article that gave great ideas of how to be more productive each day. I believe this information has just as much value for the student in high school as it does for a business owner. Just as much value for a mother in the home as it does for the corporate America fast track guy or gal running to complete that next big project.

1. Rework your to-do list.

Limit how many things you put on your to-do list and put two or three things at the very top that are the most important, and then do the most important items with the most productive part of your day. Identify when you start to become distracted and move from task to task and begin to waste time. This kind of discipline helps you to do the most important items regardless of how you feel at the moment. 

2. Measure your results, not your time.

The concept behind this is to help you work smarter rather than harder. Putting in more hours does not mean you will get more results. Successful people are able to learn how to develop habits and methods of getting more done in less time thus becoming more productive and working at a higher level of performance. This particular article also suggests keeping a done list. Once something is done, put it on the done list and you will be amazed how that will motivate and energize you.

3. Build habits to help you start working.

To start building successful habits and remove procrastination from your life you may find it very helpful to build routines for your work during different times of the day. A routine is a good way to stay on track and remind your mind and body when it is time to go to work. Adding physical exercise to your routine can certainly increase blood flow to the brain and help you to feel more engaged. Routines are a sign of people who have goals and are serious about accomplishing them.

4. Build habits to help you stop working.

Some people do not like to start working while others can't seem to ever stop working. If you are like me and you are so in love with your work that you could do it all day long, then it is important to learn how to stop. In order to not steal precious time that should be allocated to family, friends, community, and proper rest, etc., be sure to set a firm cut off time for work. Sometimes we tend to think that if we work longer hours we will get more done, when really we simply need to become more effective and prioritized with our time.

The Model of Human Behavior

A Powerful Way to Understand People

 

 

 

An introduction of the DISC concept

By Robert A. Rohm, Ph.D.

“If I understand you, and you understand me, doesn’t it make sense that we can work more effectively together?”

Each Person has a Unique Personality

Each person's perspective is built in to who they are. Some people call it personality. Some refer to it as temperament. I am sure that some of your family and friends are VERY different from you. If you are like me, you have often asked yourself, "Why did they do that?" or "What were they thinking?" or "What were they NOT thinking?"

The starting point of understanding people is to realize and accept the fact:

Everyone is not like you!

Have you ever said something to one person, and received a certain response, then said exactly the same thing to another person, and received a totally different response? The basic reason they respond differently is that people have different personality styles! You said the same thing, but what they "heard" was not the same. Wow, can that be confusing!

Different is not bad, it's just different! A lack of understanding of ourselves and others can lead to real problems such as tension, disappointment, hurt feelings, unmet expectations and poor communication. As you know, it is hard to work with a problem, especially if you do not understand what is going on inside the mind of another person.

Here is the Good News

There IS a way to understand people – if you know the model of human behavior! There is a simple key to understanding how people behave and how they are motivated. This key will allow you to unlock the mystery of motivation. It will teach you the power of good relationships! It will also show you how to reduce conflict, improve productivity and relate with others in ways that are more effective.

A Little Background

Twenty-four hundred years ago, scientists and philosophers, most notably Hippocrates, began to recognize differences in behavior that seemed to follow a pattern. Many psychologists and scientists have explored behavioral patterns over the years. In 1928 Dr. William Marston wrote The Emotions of Normal People after earning his doctorate from Harvard University. Marston theorized that people are motivated by four intrinsic drives that direct behavioral patterns. He then used four descriptive characteristics represented by four letters to describe a person's behavioral tendencies. The letters he used were D, I, S and C. Since that time, the "DISC" concept has been used and applied in many ways.

Building on a "Wellness" Model

Many behavioral models focus on what is wrong with a person to identify "disorders." The DISC model is based on normal behavior, not abnormal behavior. DISC is a "wellness model" that is objective and descriptive rather than subjective and judgmental.

The DISC wellness model is a good starting point for understanding people, but, as you might guess, DISC can easily be used inappropriately to label someone or point out another person's "weaknesses." We approach the DISC model with two perspectives that allow it to be used appropriately as an effective and encouraging tool for understanding others:

We use a POSITIVE approach to highlight STRENGTHS.

(we believe your strengths should "carry you")

We use a POSITIVE approach to address BLIND-SPOTS.

(we believe your blind-spots should "concern you")

The bottom line is that healthy, positive relationships come from having an accurate, healthy, constructive view of yourself and others. So, now that you know where the DISC concept came from and the importance of having a positive, realistic approach, let's take a look at the Model of Human Behavior using the DISC overview.

The Model of Human Behavior

The model of human behavior is based on 2 foundational observations about how people normally behave:

Observation #1: Some people are more outgoing, while others are more reserved.

You can think of this as each person's "internal motor." Some people always seem ready to "go" and "dive in." They engage their motor quickly. Others tend to engage their motor more slowly or more cautiously.

Observation # 2: Some people are more task-oriented, while others are more people-oriented.

You can think of this as each person's compass that guides them. Some people are focused on getting something done; others are more tuned-in to the people around them and their feelings. With both observations, we want to emphasize that these behavioral tendencies are neither right or wrong or good or bad. They are just different. We are simply identifying normal behavior styles. People have different styles, and that is okay. We represent these 2 observations in the diagrams below.

Thus, we have 4 behavioral tendencies to help us characterize people:

• Outgoing

• Reserved

• Task-oriented

• People-oriented

Everyone has some of all 4 of these tendencies at different times and in different situations. However, most people typically have 1 or 2 of these tendencies that seem to fit them well in their everyday behavior. And, on the other hand, 1 or 2 of these tendencies usually do not fit them well, and these tendencies may even seem "foreign" to their approach to life. The balance of these 4 tendencies shapes the way each person "sees" life and those around them.

Describing Each Personality Style

(4 Different Types - 4 Different Priorities)

The Dominant "D" type - An outgoing, task-oriented individual will be focused on getting things done, accomplishing tasks, getting to the bottom line as quickly as possible and MAKING IT HAPPEN! (The key insight in developing a relationship with this type person is RESPECT and RESULTS.)

The Inspiring "I" type - An outgoing, people-oriented individual loves to interact, socialize and have fun. This person is focused on what others may think of him or her. (The key insight in developing a relationship with this type person is ADMIRATION and RECOGNITION.)

The Supportive "S" type - A reserved, people-oriented individual will enjoy relationships, helping or supporting other people and working together as a team. (The key insight in developing a relationship with this person is FRIENDLINESS and SINCERE APPRECIATION.)

The Cautious "C" type - A reserved, task-oriented individual will seek value, consistency and quality information. This person focuses on being correct and accurate. (The key insight in developing a relationship with this individual is TRUST and INTEGRITY.) To summarize the DISC Model of Human Behavior (in clockwise order) :

D stands for the DOMINANT Type which is OUTGOING and TASK-ORIENTED.

I stands for the INSPIRING Type which is OUTGOING and PEOPLE-ORIENTED.

S stands for the SUPPORTIVE Type which is RESERVED and PEOPLE-ORIENTED.

C stands for the CAUTIOUS Type which is RESERVED and TASK-ORIENTED.

What Is Your PQ?

We spend years in school developing our intelligence to effectively use our mind. Developing our unique personality to effectively use our behavior is just as vital to successful living. Your Intelligence Quotient, or IQ, measures your intelligence. Your Personality Quotient, or PQ, refers to your ability to understand yourself and others for effective communication and teamwork. Studies have shown that technical skill, beginning with intelligence and developed through education and experience, accounts for only 15% of success in the workplace. The other 85% of workplace success comes from people skills! These skills are developed through learning better ways to behave and interact.

The Elevator Test: Which Type Are You?

The elevator doors are about to close on an eager rider who is trying to get on the elevator. Four people are already inside the elevator. One of the people in the crowded box is in a hurry and does not want to wait (outgoing and task-oriented). There is also a bubbly, energetic passenger who holds the door open while greeting the newcomer (outgoing and people-oriented). A third rider is happy either way and smiles while waiting patiently (reserved and people-oriented). The final passenger is concerned as she calculates the weight to see if the elevator can handle another person (reserved and task-oriented). While not perfectly scientific, this scenario depicts in broad brush strokes the Dominant (outgoing/task-oriented) person who is focused on getting somewhere fast; the Inspiring (outgoing and people-oriented) person who is energized by all the interaction; the Supportive (reserved/people-oriented) person who reacts calmly and tries to get along regardless; and the Cautious (reserved/task-oriented) person who wants to make sure the added person doesn’t exceed the weight limit! As you can see, there were four different people who responded to the same event in four very different ways!

You Are Off To A Good Start!

One of the dangers of learning about DISC is that you may think you already understand all there is to know about it now. Did you know there are not just 4 personality styles? We identify 41 specific personality blends that they are all very different. Even within the 41 blends, there can be a wide variety of nuances.

The Next Step Is …

There are 4 basic steps in learning how to work with other people. Learn about the

1. Learn about the Model of Human Behavior

2. Take a personality profile assessment to learn about yourself.

3. Study material that teaches you how to read the personality of another person

4. Study material that teaches you how to adapt YOURSELF to work better with others.

April 21, 2014 Focus Point

Perception Drives Reality!

"When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change." ~Wayne Dyer

"Whatever you focus on expands. Don't focus on what is. Focus on what will be." ~C.S. Hughes

"Once you say you're going to settle for second, that's what happens to you in life." ~John F. Kennedy

"The book ends of success are on the front end initiative, the ability to start something. The back end, the ability to close or finish. In the middle is the discipline of consistency." ~John Maxwell

The brain is powerfully equipped with the ability to imagine things that could be, as well as remember things that have been. The brain and the power of thought is possibly the most powerful thing we possess and can be used to lead to a life of happiness and success, or on the other hand a life of doubt, worry, confusion, and a path that is unknown. And it all happens by what we choose to hold on to. If we choose past memories and future possibilities that are negative in nature, that is what we will get more of. On the other hand, when we select positive memories and positive future possibilities then we will begin to develop ideas to act upon to bring those things into reality as well.

Therefore, what we think about and focus on, positive or negative, fact or fiction, and if we perceive it to be true, it becomes true for us. It may not be true for somebody else but it becomes the truth for us, to lead to a positive situation or a negative one. Henry Ford said "Whether you think you can or you can't. Either way you're right." Napoleon Hill in his all time famous book Think and Grow Rich "Whatever the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve."

Our minds, our perceptions, and our belief systems that we embrace literally create our future lives, and affect the environment around us. Let's you and I be the change that we desire to see in our lives, schools, communities, and in the world.

April 14, 2014 Focus Point

Don't Settle for Mediocrity!

"Excellence matters." ~Chris Rollins

"In a sea of mediocrity, just knowing what you want to do and then making an effort to pursue it distinguishes you from almost everybody." ~John C. Maxwell

"Do what you know, not what you feel, no excuses." ~Les Brown

"Effort only fully releases its reward after a person refuses to quit." ~Napoleon Hill

I was at a leadership training this past week and one of the speakers asked the question: How many of you would like to have an exceptional life? As you can imagine everyone raised their hands. Then he asked how many of you would like to achieve simply mediocre results and have an average life? Of course, no one responded.

I have never met a person who does not desire a better life with more purpose and direction. Teenagers desire to get better grades in school, to qualify for scholarships and college opportunities that will eventually lead to a solid career. Parents desire better results and response from their children. Business owners want to see the results of more customers, clients, and profits. CEOs and executives desire more productive employees and so forth. You get the idea.

To settle for the average requires no talent and no goal setting. But to rise above and become more accomplished is what separates average people from those who practice excellence. And the more you practice, the more you become. Set yourself apart from the rest. Think big, work hard, become more excellent, get clear on what it is you desire. Do these things and certainly you will rise above mediocrity, achieve greater success in your life, and influence those around you as you go.

April 7, 2014 Focus Point

Motivation! Your Source of Energy and Movement 

"You can focus on all kinds of techniques, strategies, and learn things by the book, but it comes down to HOW YOU SHOW UP." ~Anthony Robbins

“You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. ~Dr. Seuss

"Success itself is not some big mystery, it's already been figured out." Brendon Burchard (visit How Successful People Think)

"If the majority of your days are not days where you are ready to disturb the world in pursuit of whatever it is you want (your goals) then you are settling for mediocrity." ~ Unknown

"I don't think that the prize of success goes to the fastest or most brilliant, but the person who consistently day by day keeps on keeping on." ~John Maxwell

Everyone likes to listen to something, see something, or be around someone that motivates them. I have never met a person who wants to be de-motivated, have you?

The question is, what is it that motivates you into action and progress and are you able to stay motivated? Successful people are able to maintain a balance of the thinking part of success along with the action part, whereas most people overdose on one or the other and do not keep a balance. The quote by Dr. Seuss is a great reminder that we need to use the "brains in our head" (the thinking part) along with the "feet in our shoes" (the action part).

Chris Widener said it this way on motivation: "I'm sure you have heard the quote, 'where there is no vision, people perish.' We need a vision! Something that drives us forward. In fact, I always say that successful people are willing to do the things that unsuccessful people aren't. I believe, just like companies have a vision statement, successful people need a personal vision statement."

Four things that will motivate and move you forward:

1. Set goals and write them down for your own well being that include areas of physical health, social, mental, spiritual, and finance.

2. Think about them in the quiet of morning and evening. Visualize having met your goal.

3. Develop a desire to accomplish them. If you lack desire, you may need to adjust the goal.

4. Control your environment and only let books, music, events, and people into your life that motivate and encourage you towards your goals.

Motivation gets you going. Personal discipline keeps you going! What is your next step in the direction of your own success?