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My very wise friend Marty Wolff, (also a fabulous sales coach), mentioned something to me this week that really made a lot of sense. In our conversation we were doing the calculations of the what it takes to take water to steam. If you think about it, it is 1/2 of a degree. At 211.95 degrees you have water. At 212 degrees you have steam. Whoa, can that be?

Not to be funny, but how often do we run out of heat, meaning applying ourselves to something, just before we are about to hit it big? In others words, with another minute, half hour or hour of working on something, could it make all the difference in the world? Literally creating a whole new level of success.

Remember “The Little Engine Who Could” and get your mantra of “I think I can” going right at the point where you really want to stop. Whether it is at work, around exercise, doing your taxes, your golf game practice or cleaning the house, turn up the heat a half of degree and watch what pops!

As the theater darkened to black and the music rose I could feel the prickles on my skin and emotion in my chest. The power and magic of what I was about to see had started before a word had been said.
For the second time in two days I was privileged to watch masterful people at their craft.
The Saturday theater performance of “A Midsummer’s Night Dream” by the Denver Theater Company was off the charts! They had us laughing until our sides split. They poured every ounce of energy into their performance. We leapt to our feet in applause. We received the gift of their drive to exceed.
Friday night I saw Ruby Newell-Legner giving her heart and soul in a Speaker Academy class. She made us laugh and she made us want to be better. She exceeded all expectations and urged us to do the same. (I was so motivated by her presentation that I arose at 4:30 on a Saturday morning and worked!)
Who or what in your life demonstrates this drive to exceed expectations? How do you do that for others?

Recently I had an incredibly good experience flying from Denver to Dallas.

My flight left two hours late. So why did I say “good” experience?

Because the ticket agents at our gate did a fabulous job of letting us know- very frequently what was happening.

They swiftly managed a gate change taking us all along. THEN they handled a new seating configuration painlessly and easily. THEN they handed us each one-hundred dollar coupon for another flight, for the delay and inconvenience. THEN the flight attendants put fresh baked chocolate chip cookies in front of us on the plane.

Wow, they saw us as people, they saw the inconvenience, and they cared enough to go the extra mile.

What about you?

Do the people live with, work with, and volunteer with know that you care?

How do you do that?

“The rocket fuel to a successful life is action and execution.”
Barbara Brannen

I recently enjoyed the fabulous book “Rework” by Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson.

This is one very successful group of people. What struck me as I read this book was the incredible commitment to “act” and execute on the right things.

They very clearly knew from discussion, research, and experience what to do next. They went right to action and execution.

The result, success. The reason, execution.

Where and what do you need to be acting on?

Have you obtained good input?

Done your homework?

Is it time to act on something in your business and or in your life?

What success is waiting for you?

Figure out what needs to be acted on today by looking at what is driving your work. Call us for more information on how we can help you do that and increase your actions and execution in the right direction.

Recently I saw a CEO trying to convince an employee why they were a better company than the one she worked for before. (His company had acquired her previous employer.) To that end he told her that her benefits were 6% more than with the last company.

I was struck by her reaction; you could tell she wanted to say, “You just don’t get it, do you?” (She remained silent but with a “look” on her face.)

If you rewind to the employee first bringing up this subject to the CEO, she was pretty clear she was talking about how they were appreciated.

“Treat me well, thank me, and let me know that you know how important my work is to the company’s success.” That is what she wanted and that is what everyone wants.

Who will you walk by today and take for granted? On second thought, who will you NOT take for granted today?

Jim Wallis tells us that “calendars and budgets are moral documents.” What a powerful statement. How we spend our time and how we spend our money says everything about us.

Be a list maker.

At the end of the day,make a list of all you accomplished that day. Follow that list with three things you want to accomplish tomorrow. Big or small, work related or personal.

Do you realize that if you accomplish three things a day that are important to you, your work and/or your family at the end of this year you will have 1095 accomplishments!

If you write down one, two, or three ways you spent money each day, you will have alot of information on how to spend your money more wisely.

Start this minute by writing down three things from yesterday that you accomplished, and three ways you spent money.

Be a list Maker!

Who do you see when you look in the mirror?

Mirrors are often associated with vanity. But they also offer us a reality check. Is there something hanging out of our nose? Broccoli between our teeth? Did we forget to comb our hair?

Mirrors answer questions for us.

Last year a friend of mine started the New Year by exclaiming to everyone she talked to, “This will be a great year for me.” Then she set about doing all she could to make that happen, but really not more than just continuing to exclaim that, “it will be a great year.” Within that year she landed a new job, found a new love, and traveled to places she never imagined. The power of a few words.

Pretend for a moment that you had a talking mirror in front of you. What will you exclaim to the mirror?

What questions would you ask it about this coming year?

Will I be happy? Will I be healthy? Will things go well at work? Or, will I get a job?

Now realize that the mirror can only answer these questions if it knows what you are willing to do to get the answers you want.

For example it may answer with an answer and a question because you have a role to play in what happens to you this year.

For example:

“You will be happy if you choose to be. Are you willing to make that choice every day?”

“You will be healthy if you make the right choices around your health. Are you willing to do that?

“You will do well at work or in getting a job if you apply yourself, with no excuses. Are you willing to do that?

Mirror, mirror, on the wall……. I’ll make it happen!

There are five ones here so maybe there are five firsts you should do that day. What are some simple firsts you could mark this momentous day with? (Blog back and let us know your ideas so others can see them.)

Getting exercise 3 times in one day?
Try a food you have never tasted (pomegranates)?
Doing something wonderful for your sibling, spouse or kids you have never done before?
Sticking to a healthy diet all day?
Saying nothing but positive things all day?
A massage in the middle of the day?
Sleeping in?
Making more lead calls then ever in your life?
Sending flowers anonymously to someone?
Calling an old college or high school friend?
Sending an ecard to someone as a surprise?
Cooking authentic French food?
Not letting anything bother you all day?
The list could go on for ever.

I’m working on mine right now!

Quite often you will see a homeless person with a dog.  This is most likely a challenge for them.  Finding food for themselves may be an issue, no less a pet.

Why the dog then?

Simple.  Unconditional love.

People will go the extra mile to have that unconditional love in their lives.

Besides……..

A dog will love you no matter how badly you goof up.  No matter how rich or poor you are.  No matter how bad you smell.  No matter what you do or don’t do in your life.

No judgment, just love.

How can you be more like a dog this year?

How can you give unconditional love to yourself?

How can you give unconditional love to the people around you?

How will this make your life richer?

Be more like a Dog this year.

Woof!

CELEBRATE with Play

Don’t forget to play on New Year’s Day!

P..ause, to reflect on what you value most.
L -augh, at how seriously you have taken things that didn’t warrant it
A-ppreciate, what you have
Y-earn, to learn more every day this year that will fill your heart with joy