My Thinking Box | equipping you to think for a change

Don’t Be a Settler

May 9, 2013 — Leave a comment

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 change, innovation, settle

The Law of Perpetual Discomfort

May 8, 2013 — 2 Comments

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Do you remember when gas was only two dollars per gallon? Today, three dollars per gallon would be a bargain. This is because of The Law of Perpetual Discomfort. Let me explain what I mean.

In 1958, a house cost $18,200, a gallon of gas was 30 cents, and the minimum wage was $1.00 per hour. In 1968, a house was $26,600, gasoline was 34 cents, and the minimum wage was $1.60. In 1978, a house was $62,500, gasoline was 65 cents, and the minimum wage was $2.65. In 1988, a house was $138,300, gasoline was 96 cents, and the minimum wage was $3.35. In 1998, a house was $181,900, gasoline was $1.12 per gallon, and the minimum wage was $5.15.

What’s the point? There hasn’t been a 10-year period in which consumers haven’t been pushed to new levels of financial discomfort. I call this The Law of Perpetual Discomfort. It describes the social conditions in which we have been living for more than fifty years.

The Law of Perpetual Discomfort applies to more than just finances. Living by The Law of Perpetual Discomfort allows us to run from one activity to the next with little regard for the cumulative effects of seemingly insignificant activities. We push ourselves to the point of discomfort and call that our new “normal.”

This way of life robs us of the opportunity to enrich our minds, stretch our imaginations, and restore our energy. We become exhausted, stressed, and bitter. We tell our life stories as if we are victims of an uncontrollable force.

We are victims of little more than our own choices. You and I have a limited amount of time we can invest each day. For everything we feel compelled to say “yes” to, there is the opportunity to say “no.” Saying yes is easy; no takes courage.

The Law of Perpetual Discomfort is probably a new way to describe the way many of us live each day of our lives. It doesn’t have to be that way. Think about it.

What are some things you need to remove from your schedule or list of responsibilities? Why is it so hard to say no?

In motivation, Thinking busyness, consumer prices, discomfort

Three Things You Can’t Do Today

May 7, 2013 — Leave a comment

Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. The important thing is not to stop questioning. | Albert Einstein

I’ve had the opportunity to spend time with some of the most brilliant people walking the planet. Their names are not recognizable. They aren’t universally famous. They don’t perceive themselves as brilliant. They aren’t all older than me. I’m married to one of them. A couple of them were raised in my home. A couple more joined the family through marriage. One is only fifteen months old and he’s probably the most brilliant of them all. He likes rocks and dogs and juice. Brilliance has nothing to do with formal education.

Brilliance erupts in innovative thinking and optimistic dreaming. Brilliance is a thinking process that must be cultivated through meaningful conversation and occasional goofiness. My dad wasn’t well-educated, but he was brilliant. He could fix anything because he had to. Necessity often precedes brilliance. My wife is the same way. She is creative, thoughtful, and inspirational. Many of my good ideas started in a conversation with her!

I’ve learned a great deal by hanging around with brilliant people. They taught me about these three things you can’t do today.

You can’t get back time that’s already been spent. Time, once spent, is gone forever. We can’t go back and do yesterday again. I don’t regret playing catch or going to the park. I look forward to the morning walks with my wife. I’d rather invest in the people I love than grow old wishing I had.
You can’t duplicate the opportunity you have right now. A day is a long string of interconnected opportunities to reveal our character. Our responses–good or bad–tell the world who we really are. Missed opportunities are the fabric of mediocre lives.
You can’t control tomorrow, but you can prepare for it. Tomorrow will present a unique set of opportunities. What you do tomorrow will affect those you love. It will affect your future. It will set the stage for the weeks and days to come. Are you building a future or squandering the present?

Today will be tomorrow’s yesterday. You will reflect on what you did, you might regret what you did, but you will not be able to change what you did. Make every moment count because every moment is a gift. Think about it.

How will you spend your day today?

In help for writers, how to get out of a rut, motivation, Thinking brilliance, family, how to think, time wasters

Why One of Us Isn’t Necessary

May 6, 2013 — 4 Comments

The principle mark of genius is not perfection but originality, the opening of new frontiers. | Arthur Koestler

Be original. We’ve been told that for much of our lives. Yet, duplication is the limit of some people’s creativity. When we set our sights on being like someone else, we trade our potential for an imitation. All the while, we believe we are being unique.

How many times have you seen leaders attempt to duplicate the culture of an organization they admire? How many artists have tried to paint like Picasso? How many writers are pounding away on Harry Potter knock-offs? How many musicians are trying to sound like _____________ (fill in the blank with whomever is popular today)?

Some say imitation is the greatest form of flattery. I disagree. Imitation is the greatest confession of lethargy. Imitation simply means I’m too lazy to be original. What would happen if you allowed your creativity to express itself? You might decide to skip the chapter numbers, sew with a thread that doesn’t match, paint with a toothbrush, or decorate a birthday cake with basil.

Great ideas are the work of those who were brave enough to express their creativity without fear of rejection or criticism. If you’re a thinking person, you will be criticized. If you are a creative person, you will be rejected. Those aren’t bad things; they simply help identify the audience that values your work. Those are your people. Create for them and leave the naysayers behind. Imitation is their highest achievement.

If you play to the crowd, your creativity will be limited by what’s already been done. If my goal is to copy you, one of us is unnecessary. Think about it.

How are you expressing your creativity? How do you deal with rejection or criticism?

In how to get out of a rut, motivation, Thinking creativity, innovation, originality

How to Make Dreams Come to Life

May 3, 2013 — 2 Comments

I wonder if there’s a moral obligation to start. | Seth Godin

I’m a starter. I love the challenge of bringing something to life and seeing it function at its full potential. Not everything I’ve started has been successful. But failure is part of the learning process. It teaches us some questions to ask when we get to the next project.

Doubt is the enemy of initiative. It causes us to delay taking action. It can cause us to backtrack completely. Doubt makes us over-analyze things we haven’t yet done. It’s one thing to anticipate the future, it’s another thing to get paralyzed by it.

If we believe we were placed on this earth for a purpose (and I certainly believe that), then we have a moral obligation to get started doing what we were put here to do. Every moment we spend doing things that are outside our purpose is a moment stolen from the One who put us here in the first place. When we fail to start, we steal from God. So, what can you do today to get started?

Be a spark plug. Spark plugs provide the initial spark needed for an internal combustion engine to work. You don’t have to have all of the answers, just be the spark plug.
Leave a mark. Think about the environments with which you interact. What difference do you make in each of them? Are you a giver or a taker? Do you make people think or make people thankful you’re gone?
Challenge the status quo. If we keep doing what we’ve always done, we can predict the results with amazing accuracy. Someone needs to stop the madness…why not you? Some people won’t like the idea of doing something differently. Some people won’t like you for making the suggestion. That’s OK. At least you’re thinking!

Being an initiator doesn’t come without risks. Traditionalists don’t like initiators. Organizations that are more excited about their pasts than their futures quickly eliminate initiators. Trust me. I know!

Dreams, however, never become reality unless you start. Think about it.

What is one thing you can start today?

In help for writers, motivation, Thinking dreams, reality, start

How to Prepare for a Job Loss

May 2, 2013 — Leave a comment

Recession is when a neighbor loses his job. Depression is when you lose yours. | Ronald Reagan

Parachutes have a specific purpose—they are designed to control the speed with which a person or object reaches solid ground. Military pilots always pack their parachutes, though they anticipate not needing them.

Life is unpredictable and can deliver unexpected opportunities for us to seek solid ground. People with parachutes will land safely on their feet. Those without parachutes will probably make a mess. The difference isn’t in the experience; the difference is in the advance preparation. There are a variety of studies about job loss in the United States that all point to a common truth–most people will experience at least one unexpected job loss during their careers. Many will go through the process more than once.

Change is inevitable. Escaping it is impossible. Our only choice is to prepare for it. In the past few years, we’ve seen car manufacturers go out of business and layoff thousands of employees who thought their jobs were secure. Retailers have eliminated jobs and put well-qualified salespeople out of work. College students are finishing their degrees with thousands of dollars in student loan debt and few job openings in their areas of expertise. The list goes on and on.

I once worked for a corporation that chose to eliminate people in order to make the bottom line. I saw friends vanish without any explanation. At one point, I thought I was immune to the madness, but reality changed my thinking process. I packed my parachute with additional sources of income. I was an adjunct professor at a university and wrote Bible studies on the side. Though I never thought I’d have to jump, that day finally came. When it happened, the shock was tempered by the fact that my parachute was packed. I pulled the cord and gently floated to the solid ground of the next opportunity.

It’s too late to pack your parachute after you’ve jumped. You need to start right now planning for your future. If you don’t take control of it, someone else will. Think about it.

What would happen if you lost your primary source of income? What “parachutes” do you need to pack?

You can begin preparing for your future by enrolling in the Live Your Why Online Seminar. For only $19, you can work through six audiovisual sessions with Dr. Terry Hadaway and begin discovering your purpose in life. The course includes a digital copy of the very popular Live Your Why book, the workbook pages that are used in the live seminars, and the audio and slides from the seminar. Begin packing your parachute today! Learn more.

In motivation, Thinking career change, employment, job loss

Are You Stuck In the Frustration Cycle?

May 1, 2013 — Leave a comment

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Laughter and tears are both responses to frustration and exhaustion. I myself prefer to laugh, since there is less cleaning to do afterward. | Kurt Vonnegut

Does it feel like your life is going in circles? Welcome to the club. Researchers tell us that the average American adult changes jobs every 27 months. Why? Take a look at the diagram above and you’ll understand.

We begin new adventures with optimism. We believe this job or situation will be better than the last. The commute is shorter, hours are better, pay is increased, or benefits are superior. Something about this opportunity leads us to a state of optimism.

The fires of optimism meet the cold water of reality. OK, so coworkers don’t welcome your ideas, supervisors really don’t need your input, the environment feels tense and oppressive. There is either a rash of alien abductions or your new employer doesn’t have a problem disposing of employees. This place is starting to look a lot like the last place.

Reality turns optimism into frustration. What were you thinking when you accepted this opportunity? How could you be so wrong? You start watching the clock, doing the bare minimum, and exclaiming, “It’s just a job.”

Long-term frustration leads to abandonment. You update your resume and begin looking for a new opportunity with an organization that will really be different. You try to hang on, but each day gets tougher. You wait to hear from someone at the “perfect” situation. Or, you quit. Either way, you abandon the dreams you had when you started and, if all goes as planned, you get the phone call and accept the new opportunity and…

The cycle starts all over!

Each cycle represents 24-30 months of your life. Do that five times and you will invest 10-12 years going in circles. Is this a recipe for a life that matters or are you getting dizzy?

The diagram above comes from my book, Live Your Why. Though it’s not a book designed to help you find a better job, your job search will be more focused when you understand your purpose as it is expressed through your personality, passions, and present reality. My goal is to help you discover your God-given purpose in life and then set you free to pursue it. When you do, the lines between work and play will blur. You’ll live a life that inspires others. Also available for Kindle.

Do you want to live your life waiting to quit doing something you hate or do you want to love your life? You get to choose. Think about it!

In twenty-five words or less, state your purpose in life. Are you loving life or living to quit?

Join the Creative Thinking Network now and save $100. Learn more.

In how to get out of a rut, motivation, Thinking career, change, frustration, new job

Help Your Brain Think Big

April 30, 2013 — Leave a comment

Nothing is so embarrassing as watching someone do something that you said could not be done. | Sam Ewing

Our lives are full of the byproducts of big thinking. Stop for a moment and survey the environment around you. Big thinking has led to all sorts of things we take for granted. Our big thinking can do the same for future generations.

Unfortunately, many people and organizations inadvertently limit their big thinking by allowing their preconceived notions to limit their creativity. It’s a vicious cycle that exchanges our propensity to do great things for a halfhearted celebration of mediocrity. Rather than pursue excellence, we grade on a curve and celebrate insignificant tweaks of exhausted strategies.

In 1975, George Lucas started talking with special effects experts and movie producers about an idea for a new science fiction movie. After explaining his vision, Lucas was told his special effects ideas could not be brought to life. John Dykstra, however, caught the vision and partnered with Lucas to create the special effects company, Industrial Light and Magic. The two worked together, failed a lot, and in 1977 released Star Wars. To date, the Star Wars brand has grossed billions of dollars. And it all began when a young man had big thoughts and never gave up.

Here are some reasons you should think big.

Big thinking produces big possibilities. If you limit your thinking to what you’ve already experienced, your future experiences will look very familiar.
Big thinking attracts other thinkers. If you’re stuck in 1982, you don’t need fresh ideas. Big thinkers are magnetic.
Big thinking helps others. When your ideas come to life, you’ll need the help of people who have skills and abilities that are relevant to your dreams.
Big thinking produces even bigger thinking. Seeing one dream materialize inspires you to dream bigger dreams.
Big thinking separates you from the crowd. The world gravitates toward average. When you think big, you distance yourself from those who are satisfied to think old thoughts and use old strategies.

If you want to be a big thinker, you need to make some changes. In his book, Thinking For a Change, John Maxwell suggests the following:

Stop focusing on what you believe is impossible. Negative self-talk is the enemy of big thinking.
Stay away from “experts.” Experts are quick to shoot down big thoughts… probably because they didn’t come up with the idea.
Look for possibilities in every situation. Connect things that are usually disconnected. Give thinkering a try.
Force yourself to dream one step higher. Maxwell says, “If you push yourself to dream more expansively, to imagine your organization one size bigger, to make your goals at least a step beyond what makes you comfortable, you will be forced to grow.”
Question the status quo. You can’t improve and stay the same. If you want greater things later, you can’t settle for what you have now. People who crave the status quo will do everything they can to stop you from thinking big. When your thinking bothers them enough, they will dispose of you. That’s OK. You can always think like them, but they will never be able to think like you.
Be inspired by great thinkers. We are aware of people who persevered against the odds because doing so is rare and newsworthy. Average never makes the headlines.

In what area of your life do you need to think big?

In help for writers, how to get out of a rut, motivation, Thinking creative thinking, John Maxwell, possibilities

Would You Like Fries With That?

April 29, 2013 — Leave a comment

Some rules are nothing but old habits that people are afraid to change. | Therese Anne Fowler

Have you ever stopped to think about the number of things you habitually say or do? The workers at fast food restaurants are conditioned to upsell the fries, no matter what you order. One chain is famous for having employees say “my pleasure” in response to a customer’s “thank you.” Is it really their pleasure? Just wondering.

Habits are powerful forces and have the ability to short circuit our thinking processes. Habits remove the need for thinking and allow our minds to rest. That’s why we gravitate toward habitual activities and thoughts. It’s hard to change our habits because our minds keep telling us that the habit is the best way.

We can get our minds moving toward our dreams if we will learn to overcome debilitating habits. Here are some suggestions:

Pay attention to your habits. Learn to recognize when they are most present and/or powerful.
Write down you habit and your commitment to overcome it. This almost sounds like a 12-step idea, but it works.
Replace your habit. Now that you recognize your habit and are determined to overcome it, fill the void with one or more new thoughts or activities.

Overcoming habitual ways of thinking can be a challenge because how we think affects how we behave. It’s easy to change a behavior without changing your ways of thinking. This leads to inconsistencies in your character. Then you become one of those people who pander to the crowd. There already are too many of those people. Let’s not add to the supply. Think about it.

What habitual ways of thinking do you need to break?

In Thinking change, habits, innovate

Every Question Isn’t a Good Question

April 26, 2013 — Leave a comment

Judge a man by his questions rather than his answers. | Voltaire

If you’ve ever watched a press conference, you’ve probably heard reporters ask some excellent questions. You’ve also heard those occasional questions that were so absurd they made you laugh. I once heard a reporter ask a campaigning politician if he thought he could win the election. I wanted to politician to say, “No, I have no chance of winning, but I’m real excited about my concession speech!”

Every question isn’t a good question. This is a foundational truth when teaching or communicating with adults. However, many teachers and communicators still miss the mark when it comes to asking questions. So, here are some tips to keep you from becoming one of “them.”

Ask questions. Research shows that adults rank lecture as their least-preferred teaching style. With an attention span of about 14 minutes, adults will zone out when you ramble on and on. The number of people engaged is directly proportional to the number of people talking. If you aren’t asking questions, you quickly become background noise for daydreamers.
Avoid asking yes/no questions. Questions that can be answered with yes or no don’t contribute to the conversational atmosphere in which adults learn. If you ask yes/no questions, follow up with a question that encourages participants to explain their response or viewpoint.
Avoid questions that have specific informational answer. These come across like test questions and raise the anxiety of people in the room. If possible, avoid questions that begin with “What.” Those tend to be focused more on information, which is a foundational step in the cognitive process.
Allow time for participants to respond. Silence is extremely valuable because it allows people to process their response. If you answer your own questions, the people in the room become observers of your self-talk.

When it comes to evaluating your life, you must learn the art of asking yourself good questions and providing honest answers. If you aren’t honest about where you are, you will never get where you want to be. Think about it!

What questions are you asking yourself right now? Are your answers moving you toward achieving your goals?

Get a copy of my eBook, An Everyday Guide to Teaching Adults for only 99 cents (regularly $5.99).

In Bible study, motivation, Thinking andragogy, learning styles, questions, teaching adults

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