Your Someday Starts Today

May 22, 2013 — Leave a comment

1378002_16584036

One day you will wonder what was so important that you put off doing the most important things. Someday can be a thief in the night. | Deborah Brown

Have you ever said, “Someday I’m going to…?” Do you remember what was at the end of that statement? Maybe you dreamed about starting your own business, writing a book, traveling, going back to school, or relaxing with a cup of great coffee and wonderful friends. Though we all aren’t dreamers, we all dream. So, what happened on the way to your someday?

Your someday could be connected to the inner drives and passions that motivate you and bring out your best. Remembering your someday statement might help unlock your why and get you on the right path headed in the right direction. Your someday probably isn’t a momentary interest because it has stood the test of time. It resonates with your soul and makes your eyes sparkle when you talk about it. When you replay the image in your mind, you see the best possible you.

No matter how young or old you are, you can’t ignore your someday statement. It developed at a time when you thought anything was possible. It was fueled by your belief that you could accomplish anything you set out to do. It was more than wishful thinking; it was a vision that still can become a reality.

It’s not too late for your someday. In fact, now might be the perfect time for it. You might be going through a struggle right now. You have tried different jobs, but they leave you empty and frustrated. Rather than do what you’ve always done and hope it turns out differently this time, why not give your someday statement a try? You might discover exactly what you’ve been looking for all along. Think about it.

What is your someday statement? What will it take to bring it to life?

In motivation, Thinking, writing , , ,
permalink

Living for Dreams or Trophies?

May 21, 2013 — Leave a comment

401203_7541

I used to play sports. Then I realized you can buy trophies. Now I am good at everything. | Demetri Martin

Trophies represent something that previously happened. They commemorate experiences in the recent or distant past. Dreams, on the other hand, are those things that we hope to achieve someday. So, what’s between trophies and dreams? Today.

We can get so focused on our trophies that we live life in reverse. People and organizations do that all the time. They remember days when things were better and they try to recreate those experiences. They believe that recreating the past is better than moving toward an unknown future.

We also can get so focused on our dreams that we overlook our present realities. We have a picture of the future that we believe can become a reality someday. People in this frame of mind can easily ignore today’s responsibilities because their hyper-focus on their dreams is distracting them.

Somewhere between our trophies and our dreams is a reality in which you and I must live. We can’t escape it. We can’t go back and alter past experiences. Neither can we fast forward to the future to avoid the present. We must live it one moment at a time.

So, what are you doing with the moments you have? It’s great to learn from experiences and to develop goals that motivate you, but what about today? Are you investing your life in someone else? Are you looking for ways to motivate someone to achieve his or her goals? Are you cheering on others or listening for applause?

You’ll never become something in the future that you aren’t becoming right now. Live your purpose today and you’ll get to live your purpose in the days to come. Put off living your purpose until later and you’ll never live it. Life has taught me that later never arrives early. Think about it.

What are you doing to live your why today?

Tired of wondering what you want to be when you grow up? Live Your Why can help. This book and discovery guide will help you identify your purpose and develop a plan to live it. You can learn more about it by clicking here.

In motivation, Thinking , ,
permalink

Are You On the Lazy List?

May 20, 2013 — 1 Comment

lazy+river+2

People are not lazy. They simply have impotent goals – that is, goals that do not inspire them. | Tony Robbins

The list of America’s laziest cities came out last week and the deep south was well represented! Jackson, Mississippi topped the list. Also on the list are the place I most recently lived (Nashville) and my current home (Birmingham). This probably explains why it is so hard to keep a fitness center in business around here!

Of course, the lazy list measured the physical activity of residents. What if we measured the creative thinking activity of people? Would you make the lazy list? Many people would because thinking creatively is hard. It’s easier to keep doing what we’ve always done with hopes that the outcome will be different this time. That’s simply another way to say, “I’m too lazy to think differently.”

How many individuals and organizations are paralyzed by a fondness for strategies they inherited from previous generations? How many people believe that doing what people did forty years ago will produce similar results today? When I was young, my father was a milkman. I remember riding with him and delivering milk in glass bottles to Styrofoam coolers on front porches. That business died with the advent of the supermarket. When I was in the Navy, every mathematical calculation performed in Nuclear Power School was done on a slide rule; calculators were not allowed. Some things needed changing.

If you want to achieve something different, set goals that motivate you to get in the game. Powerful goals will force you to reevaluate your priorities. Powerful goals will cause you to take control of your life. Powerful goals will allow you to say no to something good so you can say yes to something great. Powerful goals will take you somewhere you’ve never been. Laziness leads to the same place over and over again.

Take a look at your life. Are you at the starting line waiting for the gun or are you floating along in an inner tube? If you keep coming back to the same place, you might be on the lazy list. There’s a reason water parks call it the “Lazy River.” Think about it.

What keeps you on the lazy river?

In motivation, Thinking , , ,
permalink

How to Save Money for Your Organization

May 17, 2013 — Leave a comment

1384591_96122427

The importance of money flows from it being a link between the present and the future. | John Maynard Keynes

One of the characteristics of a great organization is its commitment to lifelong learning. Today, however, the cost of maintaining a training department can be prohibitive. Every time a trainer leaves the office, the organization incurs substantial costs including…

  • Round trip airfare
  • Car rental
  • Meals
  • Training equipment and resources
  • Lost productive hours for trainees
  • Rescheduling training for any absentees

These are just a few of the training-related expenses your organization pays every time you send someone to conduct training. Wouldn’t it be great to offer training that saves your organization money and saves you time? Would you like to offer training that ensures 100% completion? Would you like to know that your training accomplished its intended purposes?

Many traditional trainers argue that elearning isn’t as effective as live training. There is a difference in effectiveness… and research shows that elearning is MORE effective than live training. The changing face of American corporate training supports this research.

Before now, elearning has been reserved for big organizations with a development team dedicated to learning technology. Today, elearning can be leveraged by entrepreneurs and non-profit organizations. It can be used to make money and train employees. For example, elearning can be used to help…

  • churches train small group leaders and other volunteers.
  • businesses introduce new products to their sales teams.
  • entrepreneurs reach more people through seminars and training events.
  • you teach your craft or skill to paying customers.

You don’t have to be an elearning expert to leverage this technology. You only need to know an expert. That’s where I come in. With a long history of elearning development in a variety of educational and business settings, I can help you decide the best approach.

If you’d like to know more about elearning and how I can help you, visit my elearning page. You don’t have to use elearning. You can be a naysayer. That’s OK. Naysayers didn’t think Apple would survive. Think about it.

How can elearning help you extend your reach?

In elearning, Thinking ,
permalink

How to Change Your Mind

May 16, 2013 — Leave a comment

70313_1154

The greatest revolution of our generation is the discovery that human beings, by changing the inner attitudes of their minds, can change the outer aspects of their lives. | William James

Few things are as foundational to our existence, yet as misunderstood as our thinking processes. How we think affects everything. Therefore, changing our minds can, in fact, change our lives. So, how do we do it?

Over the past few decades, researchers have concluded that adults and children learn differently. Most of us wonder why it took so long to validate something so obvious. The resistance was a collective effort of educators who were very well-established in their teaching methodologies. The suggestion that children, adolescents, and adults learn in different ways put their classroom practices at risk. Those responsible for teaching people to think were, in fact, reluctant to embrace a new way of thinking. Ironic, huh?

What we know about how adults learn helps us guide adults who want to change their minds. Though the process is far more involved than this post will allow, here are the basic steps to changing your mind.

  • Identify what you know. When you lay aside speculation, second-hand information, and personal opinion, you’ll quickly discover that what you know about most subjects is limited. What do you know about a new job opportunity? Focus on verifiable facts only.
  • Identify three to five things you need or want to know. Listing what you know will reveal some holes in your knowledge base. Highlight three to five key pieces of information you need to know.
  • Research the things you need or want to know. Finding accurate information can be tricky, so learn how to validate information. The Internet is a great source of truth and myth.
  • Connect new information to existing information. This linking process is foundational to adult learning. As new information mingles with existing information, your baseline knowledge shifts and your mind changes.

Changing your mind about anything can be hard. That’s why so many adults refuse to learn. Laziness is the enemy of knowledge. Think about it.

Why do you need to change your mind?

In elearning, Thinking , , ,
permalink

Five Words That Will Change Your Life

May 15, 2013 — 1 Comment

519706_12612994

Words are, of course, the most powerful drug used by mankind. | Rudyard Kipling

You’ve probably heard someone say that women speak about five times as many words as men per day. That comparison probably was manufactured and, over time, has been edited to achieve the author’s or speaker’s desired results. More recent research reveals that men and women use about the same number of words per day–approximately 16,000. So, of the 16,000 words you speak per day, are there some that have the capacity to change your life? Yes, but only if you put these words into action.

  1. Purpose. You were created with a purpose and your best life will be found only when you choose to embrace your purpose and live with intentionality. You can take all kinds of tests and attend all sorts of seminars, but if you keep doing what you’ve always done, you’ll get nothing more than what you already have. If your life lacks meaning, find your purpose.
  2. Responsibility. You are responsible for the decisions and the difference you make. When you fail to fulfill your responsibility, someone else must step in and fulfill it for you. If you leave a shopping cart in the middle of the parking lot, someone has to retrieve it. In the words of Andy Stanley, “Your irresponsibility becomes someone else’s responsibility.”
  3. Celebration. When we live with an attitude of celebration, we will inspire others to purse excellence. Celebrate the people around you who do thankless jobs. Take time to engage the cashier in conversation about her. Thank the package delivery guy for getting your packages to you on time. Celebrate what others are doing and you’ll find new appreciation for those things you have the opportunity to do.
  4. Remarkable. Dan Cathy says that every experience is remarkable–people will remark positively or negatively. In every situation, strive to create experiences that make a positive impression. When people walk away from you, they will remark. What will they say?
  5. Excellence. I was on the commissioning crew of the USS Carl Vinson. Our pre-commissioning slogan was, ‘Do it right the first time.” Excellence has become so rare that people blog about it when they experience it. The world is satisfied with good enough. If you pursue excellence, you can set yourself and your business apart from those who are fine with mediocrity.

These five words–purpose, responsibility, celebration, remarkable, and excellence–will make the difference between being average and being exceptional. Average in America isn’t worth pursuing unless you enjoy living paycheck to paycheck, being $30,000 in credit card debt, owing more on your car than it is worth, and anticipating a future funded by a struggling government entitlement program. That’s not my definition of a good life. Is it yours? Think about it.

How can these five words make a difference in your life today?

In how to get out of a rut, motivation, Thinking , , ,
permalink

Why Everything Is Not Important

May 14, 2013 — 1 Comment

98196_3068

We like to pride ourselves on our ability to multitask. Too bad our brains don’t cooperate. Johh Medina in his book Brain Rules says:

Multitasking, when it comes to paying attention, is a myth. The brain naturally focuses on concepts sequentially, one at a time… We are biologically incapable of processing attention-rich inputs simultaneously.

Medina goes on to say that people who are constantly interrupted take 50% longer to complete a task and make 50% more errors. Simply reaching for something while driving a car dramatically increases the possibility of an accident.

So, what’s this got to do with anything? I often put it this way— When everything is important, nothing is important. If we are going to get the most out of our lives we must do three things:

  1. Understand what’s most important. You can’t live out other people’s dreams; you must identify your purpose and claim it without hesitation.
  2. Identify those things that zap your time and attention. Start tracking the amount of time you spend engaged in activities that distract you from your real purpose—your why.
  3. Create a plan that assigns blocks of time to activities related to your why. Remember, the more you “change channels” the more likely you are to waste time and make mistakes.

As a writer, I understand this concept. I know how important it is to give quality time to my most important tasks. When I do that, I have extremely productive days. When I don’t, I reflect on my day with more concern for what could have been done.

Whether in our personal lives or at work, when we try to make everything important, nothing is important. This is a characteristic of a chaotic life and chaotic business. Think about it.

How do you decide what’s really important?

In help for writers, Thinking , ,
permalink

Avoid the Path of Least Resistance

May 13, 2013 — Leave a comment

1300927_56638749

The path of least resistance and least trouble is a mental rut already made. It requires troublesome work to undertake the alternation of old beliefs. | John Dewey

Liquids always follow the path of least resistance. Place a large bolder in the middle of a stream and the water will find a way around it. The bolder will remain until moved by an outside force.

Many people also follow the path of least resistance. They look for the quickest and easiest solutions to their life situations. They avoid anything and everything that requires them to reconsider their beliefs or preconceived perceptions. They are locked into a way of life with very predictable outcomes. This, to them, is normal.

Normal in today’s culture is often viewed as stressed, broke, and trapped. This is the natural result of following the path of least resistance. I don’t know about you, but I’m really not interested in being normal.

Obstacles in our lives do three things.

  1. They sharpen our vision. An obstacle will force us to work harder to see the destination.
  2. They reveal our weaknesses. Obstacles always help us identify those areas of life in which we lack mastery. They show us areas in which we need to learn and grow.
  3. They strengthen our faith. When life is going as planned, we seldom acknowledge our dependence on God. When life presents us with challenges, we quickly recognize how small we are and how big He is.

Following the path of least resistance will keep leading you to a quality of life you’ve already experienced. If you want more out of life, face the obstacles with courage. Your best life is yet to be discovered. Think about it!

How has your life been shaped through the obstacles you’ve encountered? What would you say to someone who wants to follow the path of least resistance?

In how to get out of a rut, motivation, Thinking , ,
permalink

Why You Need An Elearning Strategy

May 10, 2013 — Leave a comment

1362248_32612682Businesses and organizations can save 50-70% when they replace instructor-led training with elearning.

Did you realize that 4,600,00 college students are currently taking at least one of their classes online and by 2014 this number will increase to 18,650,000. By 2019, half of ALL classes will be done online. Online learning and blended learning are becoming more common in high schools. Many elementary and intermediate schools are incorporating this technology into their teaching strategies. So what?

Businesses, organizations, churches, and schools that fail to develop elearning strategies will grow more and more irrelevant as the current generation moves into adult roles. Students today value the efficiency of elearning because it accomplishes the same educational goals in less time than traditional classrooms. Blended learning is a standard in many educational institutions. Colleges offer more online courses each semester. The rise of MOOCs (massive online open course) has introduced online learning to people around the world.

With online learning solutions being more affordable and effective than ever, now is the time to make your move. If you don’t know how elearning can benefit your business, organization, church, or school, let me help you. I have twelve years experience in online learning in almost any setting you can imagine. I understand learning management systems and the most popular technologies. As an educator, I know how to develop effective lessons that leave students wanting more.

Leaders already are using elearning to extend their reach and strengthen their businesses. You can be a leader or you can choose not to be a leader. It’s your choice. It’s your future. Think about it.

How might elearning make your business, organization, church, or school better?

In elearning, how to get out of a rut, Thinking
permalink

Don’t Be a Settler

May 9, 2013 — Leave a comment

944806_85483972

Age wrinkles the body; quitting wrinkles the soul. | Douglas MacArthur

Our nation was founded by brave men and women who faced the unknown with confidence. They moved across the land uncertain about what was on the other side of the next ridge. When conditions seemed favorable or the uncertainty grew too great, they settled. What they knew was good enough.

It’s easy for individuals and organizations to settle for what they know rather than stretching for what could be ahead. We rely on old strategies that produced acceptable results rather than working hard to develop strategies that might produce exceptional results. In our thinking, we settle for good enough.

Mediocre efforts yield no better than mediocre results. We will never experience extraordinary results by doing what we’ve always done. I’ve worked with organizations led by intelligent people who never understood this truth. They wanted a dramatic change in their effectiveness but they didn’t want to change anything. How did these people get to be in charge?

Settling is quitting. When that happens, our conversation is more about the past than the future. Our strategies look like those that everyone else is using. Our best days are behind us. This is the birth of organizational (or personal) decay. We might as well go sit in one of the rocking chairs in front of Cracker Barrel and watch the world go by.

We don’t have to settle. We can keep looking for new ways to do familiar things. We should ask “Why?”… a lot! We don’t have to do what we’ve always done. We don’t have to replicate the past. We can be original, unique, and innovative. Or, we can settle. You get to choose. Think about it.

In what areas of life do you need to resist the urge to settle?

In how to get out of a rut, motivation, Thinking , ,
permalink