Monday Motivation: 06.13.11

Nothing happens in this economy until a sale is made.

SO, what are you willing to do to make that sale, and how long are you willing to wait?

Do you know your sales cycle?  In other words, how long might it take from the moment a prospect enters your radar to the moment they are hiring you for your service?  Sure, there are the occasional, “When can you begin?” clients that drop into your lap, but what is the timeline of your typical customer?

This might seem like trivial to some, or that it doesn’t apply to others.  To the latter, chances are that you are missing out on opportunities right in front of you, and if you think just a little differently about your situation, you’ll realize that, as Executive Speech Coach and Sales Trainer Patricia Fripp likes to say, “Life is just a series of sales presentations.”

If you are in business for yourself, there is the life cycle of a prospect.  For you in your industry, when is the best time to pitch your product, service, or solution to them?  Is it early on when they are first introduced to you and most excited?  Or perhaps, do they need to be “wined and dined” with several “touch points” before it is appropriate to ask for the sale.  With my private coaching clients, I see different rules apply in different industries, but the keys to my clients’ successes is in knowing EXACTLY when to ask for the sale.

If you are an employee, who did you sell “you” to to get your position?  Now, you’re in, but who writes your review?  Are you continuing to “sell” them on your value as an employee?  Are you so good they could never get rid of you?  Could the person you report to rattle off in conversation the latest highlight you have accomplished for the company?  What is the sales cycle for a raise or promotion?  Some companies are proactive in raising and promoting, but many are not.  Are you still waiting for them to recognize your amazing talents?

You sold “you” to get the paychecks, and you have to keep selling to make sure those paychecks don’t dry up.  If you haven’t had a review in longer than 6 months, schedule it with your boss.  That way, your boss knows you take your career seriously and that you know your sales cycle, though they might not use those words.  If they aren’t impressed, maybe it’s time to fire them.

Monday Motivation: 04.25.11

When you end today physically, are you already in tomorrow mentally?

It is Sunday night as I write this.  When I was growing up, I used to watch american football on Sunday afternoons, and the afternoon went very predictably… by the 4th quarter of the late game, ads for “60 Minutes” would run.  I knew by then that Monday was just around the corner.  Thoughts of the homework that was still undone and the laundry list of tasks and assignments due would sink any level of pleasure I was enjoying by watching the game.  By the time I got to bed, I was already several hours into Monday.

I’m 38 now, and what has changed?  I don’t have homework, I just have work.  I work from home, so it’s ALL homework, you could say.  And on Sunday nights, Monday LOOMS overhead.

Now, given that today was a holiday, and we spent the afternoon and evening with family, our normal Sunday evening routine was a little off.  However, it got me thinking.  I remember hearing one of my heroes, Jim Rohn, speak about planning.  He recommended spending Sunday evening planning out the week ahead.  I thought, “Isn’t that what I do?”  Then I laughed.  No, I worry and think about next week, but I don’t plan next week.   Plan: a detailed proposal for doing or achieving something.  (that’s from the dictionary widget on my dashboard)  I would add the word systematic in there as well for good measure.  Whenever I plan something out, when I return later to the plan, I have a systematic, detailed action guide to follow.  Whenever I just think or worry about something, when I return to it, it is the same ball of yarn it was last time I visited it.

So, I can imagine that if I planned Monday instead of just thought or worried about it, that might go a little differently.  That way, when my body hits the bed at the end of a weekend, I can lay there in the present enjoying the peaceful end of a two day holiday, rather than stuck in an endless loop in my head about tomorrow.  That sounds nice.  I think I’ll stop writing now so I can plan my day tomorrow…

Monday Motivation: 04.18.11

How is your “Not-to-do” list doing?

In a culture where we have become human doings instead of human beings, the proverbial to-do list never ends.  So, how do we ever take a break from our lists?  How do we not think about what we’re not doing?

I recently read Getting Things Done by David Allen, and in his introduction, he paints a bleak picture of the 21st century knowledge worker.  All of the tasks we know we have to accomplish that are running around in our heads he refers to as “open loops.”  So, for the past month, my game has been to “close the loops.”  Any time I accomplish something from one of my lists, I mentally take a second to acknowledge that I get to close the loop on that item.  Man, that feels good!  It is as if the noise in my head just got a little quieter, like one person left the party, and it’s just a little less noisy… for the moment.

Okay, so congratulations big guy, you closed a couple of loops, but how do you deal with walking away from work and not thinking about the open loops left behind?

Just focus on a new set of loops?

Okay, this may sound like it’s getting down right goofy will all this loops business, but the reality is that I have more things on my list at work than I will finish by the end of any given week, and I have more things on my list at home than I will finish by the end of any given weekend, so what then?  There is always unfinished business!

And therein lies the answer, so simple.

Do you relate to the unfinished business like it is a problem to be solved or completed?

Folks, life IS unfinished business.  Guess what, when you are finished with the business of life, or when the business of life is finished with you, life is over.

I have lived so much of my life thinking, “When I get done with all this unfinished business, then I will really be able to start living.”  Except, there was nowhere to get to.

Nowhere = Now here        (thank you, Neale Donald Walsch for that one)

The new game is simply creating consciously where I give my attention, and moving through the unfinished business at hand, until it is time to move the gaze of my attention to another space, and in that space, my job is to simply move through the unfinished business at hand, for it is all unfinished business.  My values determine the direction of my attention’s gaze, and as long as I am giving my attention in proportion to my values, all the open loops in the world can remain open, because in THIS moment, I am closing just this loop, which is the loop that rings in my head, “IT IS SUNDAY NIGHT!  YOU MUST POST ON YOUR SIXTY MINUTES TO SUCCESS BLOG BEFORE YOU GO TO BED TONIGHT!”

Ahhh….  hear that?  It just got a little quieter…

loop…. closed.

Monday Motivation: 04.11.11

Today is my daughter’s 5th birthday.

Time to take inventory of the miracle of the mirror known as a child.

I never knew that I scowled till I had a child.  We always joke that when she smiles, she looks like her mommy and when she scowls, she looks like me.  A dubious honor, I know, but it points to something useful.  I learn more about myself every day that I observe my daughter.  Why?  Modeling is the main learning method for children, and parents are their main source.  So, when they say that the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, one of the reasons is that apple gets the majority of its behavioral cues from the tree it’s on.

Sometimes I marvel at my daughter’s resistance to following certain directions.  She knows how to ask politely for things, but doesn’t, until we say, “How do you ask nicely?”  Then, she does, and we give her what she was requesting.  Sometimes, we just ignore the original incorrect request.  What does she do?  She repeats the incorrect request again, and in turn, we ignore the second request.  This can go on, and on, and she gets frustrated.  Finally, we’ll prompt her to ask the right way, and she does, and all is well.

I think about when I ask the world for things I want.  Let’s start with a slimmer waistline.  I put on 25 pounds last year, and told myself I would lose it at the beginning of this year.  Except, something funny happened.  It didn’t come off!  The nerve.  For my body, it’s a pretty simple rule to follow – to ask correctly – for a slimmer waistline:

Eat less AND exercise more.

That’s it.

First, I ate less, but didn’t exercise.  Then, I began exercising, but stopped watching my diet.  I essentially eat whatever I want whenever I want.  Now, I don’t really enjoy junk food or fast food, but I enjoy A LOTTA food, so the shear volume of intake is what gets me in trouble.  Then, I look at myself in the mirror or (God forbid) step on a scale, and I am shocked the weight isn’t magically coming off just because I really really want it to.

For me, I know that if I exercise (weights and cardio on alternating days) 6 days out of 7, and only pig out on Sundays, the weight comes off and the muscles come on.  I know this, just like my daughter knows the right way to ask for something… but it seems that knowing something just isn’t enough.

I am grateful that my little girl gives me a glimpse of myself, if I choose to see her that way.  I wonder if I actually apply my self knowledge and work out and eat right, do you think my daughter will start asking politely the first time?  Guess I’ll have to try that one out for myself.

Quote of the Day: 03.23.11

“Conversations with others are more enlightening than conversations with your self.   They can see more of you than you can.” – Timothy Ringgold, MT-BC

In recovery circles, there is another quote that goes, “Your best thinking got you here…”  In the era of celebrating the self and its ability to change course, we have to remind ourselves that the self is not infallible, as wondrous as it may be.  The single mind, when looking at an object, sees only tiny sliver of perspective, and that tiny sliver is filtered through past experiences, judgements, and “truths” to the point where what it sees is not what is at all.

The key to breaking out from this tiny prison of singular perspective of thought?

Conversation.

Yeah, I know, big lightbulb moment.  Yet, how many times do you try to think your way out of a problem your thinking got you into?  How many times have you thought about what someone’s reaction to a move on your part would be?  How many times have you said, “Why bother? I know exactly what they’ll say…”

Getting out of your head and in to conversation with another, or THE other in the above case, makes a couple of things possible.  First, it requires you to organize your thoughts beyond the haphazard nature in which they occupy your mind.  In our over-connected, over-informed, ADD world we live in today, your thoughts are probably pretty scattered due to the endless stimuli calling for your attention at any moment.  However, when you are in conversation with another, and I really mean IN the conversation, that act automatically filters out 99% of other incoming thoughts from distracting you.  It also requires you to summarize and crystalize your thoughts so they are intelligible to someone else.  I know from my own experience in a mastermind group that just hearing my thoughts out “in the world” helps me see pathways through the issue I don’t see when they are “in my head.”

Let’s not forget the invaluable element of feedback, either.  When someone is truly listening to you, they can see, hear, and sense things you aren’t saying that may be causing some of the roadblocks you’re experiencing.  It’s almost as if you have something on your shoulder that you can’t see, but they can, and they can point it out to you.  Once you bring your own awareness to it, it transforms the situation, usually for the better.  When you have 3 or 4 others listening, then the picture they can see that you can’t becomes high definition!  They can see all the way around you and tell you about the proverbial ‘sign on your back’ that is giving the wrong message!

This is why the power of mastermind groups and support groups (different content, but similar context) has been recognized, valued, and leveraged by anyone wanting to take their game to the next level in whatever area is important to them.  Start your own group!  Schedule a weekly call, or if you’re close enough, schedule time to meet and share in each other’s journey.  You will all be made better for it.

Monday Motivation: 03.21.11

I have a theory about time.

Without getting too deep into a discussion of the nature of time, I am going to endeavor to keep this conversation as practical and applicable as possible.  Here’s the thing: we’ve all heard the phrase, “time flies when you’re having fun.”

But why?  Conversely, why is it that time seems to dr-a-a-a-a-a-g when you are either bored, or grinding through something you aren’t enjoying?

It seems our experience of the speed of time is in direct proportion to the degree of happiness we are experiencing in the moment.  Nothing new there.  However, I think there is a deeper cut.  I think that time speeds up when we are more closely aligned with what are true purpose/dharma/gift is.  For example, I knew that I needed to work in music when I co-produced a record back in the late 1990’s.  Time was my enemy, not because of how slow it went, but for how fast it went.  We worked from 7pm to roughly 5am nightly, then it was off to bed from 6-11 am, then to work from 12-5.  Hit the gym, grab dinner on the road, and start all over again.

Which part felt the longest in that 24 hour cycle?  The part where I sat in a cubicle for 5 hours trying to convince small business owners to renew their 3-year contracts on their local business telephone service.  Let’s just say that wasn’t my true calling.  Not surprisingly, time seemed to drag… because it just wasn’t me.

I notice the opposite when I am on stage speaking to groups, on coaching calls with my clients, or working with clients/patients in music therapy.  Time F-L-I-E-S by.  I don’t think it’s just because I love it.  I think it’s because those actions are my truest expressions of my Self.  It is when I am most being me.

So what is that place for you?  How do you know?  Look at your watch for starters.  If it’s crawling while you’re doing what you’re currently doing, your current gig may not be letting you be you.  If it flies by, you just might be on to something.

Happy Monday!

Quote of the Day: 03.17.11

“26 letters, 10 digits, 7 notes, 3 colors.  Here are your raw materials, now GO!” – Timothy Ringgold, MT-BC

We have all heard it said, “Nothing new under the sun.”  It has all been said before.  As a musician, speaker, author, and coach, I am quite aware it has also all been written, played, and taught before.  However, is this grounds for not attempting to catch the glimpse off a different facet of this diamond we call life, and bring it to our collective consciousness?

NO!

Can you see your TV picture more clearly in HD than in 480p?  You bet!  Why?  There is more information ‘filling the gaps’ for your eyes.  This is precisely why we should all strive to share our insights and visions, and models for best practices in all our fields of endeavor.  The more information we add to our collective bodies of literature, the clearer we can see the image before us.  Think about some of the people out there today delivering their message.  One great example is Joel Osteen.  Joel readily admits he is not the first (or the last) to preach the good news, yet millions of people resonate with his style.  When Tony Robbins hit the scene in the ’80’s, he wasn’t the first to promote his ideas, but he brought a level of fresh passion that was infectious.

Sometimes, it isn’t even the particular slant on the message that carries the day, it is simply the number of times we need to hear it before it clicks for us.  Now follow me on this one…. in biology, we learn early on that for fertilization to occur, we need one egg and one sperm.

This is not entirely accurate.

We need one egg and as many sperm as it takes to break through the cell wall of the egg.

The cell wall is thick and designed to actually keep sperm out, believe it or not.  When the sperm reach the egg, the secrete an enzyme to break down the cell wall, but researchers agree that it is rarely the first, second, third, or fourth sperm that reaches the egg that fertilizes it.  It could take thousands of sperm to ‘break through.’

Ever meet someone whose mind seems to be trapped inside a thick cell wall?  Takes quite a lot of ‘convincing,’ doesn’t it before they ‘open up?’  Said another way, it can be one message that needs as many messengers as it takes to get the word out.

So, if you have a message that you are passionate about, don’t worry if you’re not the first person to have that idea or message.   You have your own unique style, and if nothing else, you may just catch someone at that right moment when you can get in to their mind and plant the seed of new thought.  Now, take the raw materials we have been given, whether it be words, numbers, melodies, or pictures, and pollenate this world with the vision inside you!  You’ll make the world just a little bit more “high def” in return!

Monday Motivation: 03.13.11

Happy Monday!

How do you know what to fill your schedule with this week?  Our decisions in business and life are based on our values. Our values allow us to calibrate our heading, and weigh each new opportunity that comes our way. The problem is, if we aren’t clear about our values, how do we know what decisions to make? Most people internally know what their values are, but have never taken the time to distinguish and articulate them.

For example, I was working with a young dad in a workshop who was trying to balance work, family, and friends. His problem, or so he thought, was that he wasn’t successful enough at work. He felt if he could just do a little more, he’d be happy. So I asked him, “Let’s just say you did a little more, what would that make available to you?” He responded, “I would be more successful at work.”

“So what?” I said.  He looked at me quizzically.

“What will that do for you?” I continued.

“I’ll be able to focus more on the family when I’m at home.”

“If you could focus more on family when you’re at home, what would that be like?” I pursued.

“I’d be the dad and husband I’ve always wanted to be.”

Bingo. Work was the means to the end, Family. Family is what he valued, not work!

Your values are “the why behind the what.”  Know what they are, and you will know why you make the choices you make.  If your choices are causing unrest internally, you’ll be able to see what values they are at odds with.  What’s better, the clearer you know and can articulate your values, the harder it is to make choices inconsistent with those values.

Know what you value, and you’ll be able to set bomb-proof goals consistent with those values you can’t HELP but achieve!

Quote of the Day: 03.09.11

“You’ll never accomplish anything if you try to accomplish everything.” – Timothy Ringgold, MT-BC

Let me tell you about trying to accomplish too much at once.  I can speak from experience on this topic!  Have you ever found yourself overcommitted, overworked, and overextended?  If you are an entrepreneur, who did that to you?  YOU DID!  I understand, trust me.  I am easily enrollable and inspired, so I often say yes to myself on too many projects at once.

With my private coaching clients, I dismantle this habit by using a very specific model for how many projects a person can have “on the stove” at any given time.  I call it my “Burner Model of Project Management.”

It all started one day when I was at my chiropractor’s office and we were discussing life and business.  At the time, I was lamenting that I had twelve projects between two companies that I was trying to manage.  I’ll never forget his response to this…

“With that many pots on the stove, you’ll NEVER get any of them to boil.”

What a great analogy, right?  Imagine CRAMMING 12 pots on your stove.  My stove has 5 burners.  How’s that going to work out for either of us?  Not so hot… pun intended!  So, if you want a quick way to visualize whether you have too many projects running at once, just imagine each one taking up one of your burners on your personal stove.  My coaching clients know their burners, and therefore they don’t experience overwhelm.  Instead, they are fulfilled and satisfied with not only what they get done, but what they don’t get done.

How complete do you feel about what you don’t get done?

Monday Motivation: 03.07.11

Are you busy, or productive?

With all of the endless emails, projects, biz ops, seminars, conferences, network lunches, conference calls… we are all busy, but not all of us are productive.  What is the difference and what do we do about it?  This is one of the key things I teach my private coaching clients.

Busy = tactical

Productive = strategic

Busy is reacting to the next thing in front of you.

Productive is choosing what’s next in front of you based not on what is shouting for your attention, but what will deliver you one step closer to your strategic goals… TODAY.

Do you have goals?  If so, have you broken them down into attainable objectives through time?  If so, you can plot out at most three strategic actions EVERY DAY that will bring you closer to those specific goals you set.  Place those at the top of your list, so that when you check those off, regardless of what fires you fight over the course of the day, you’ll know at the end of the day that you didn’t just spin your wheels, you moved forward.

Try picking just three “To-do’s” for each day that come right out of specific goals you have.  Try knocking them out by lunch.  Half your day will get filled by unexpected items anyway, so it’s not like you’ll run out of things you need to deal with!

Here’s the thing, though… it pays to relate to these three items like it is the last day of the school year to get them done or you get NO CREDIT at all!  Relate to them like you absolutely cannot put them off till tomorrow.  Tomorrow has its own list the needs attention; you can’t be shoving today’s work into it.  Cause today’s work to get done today.  Your mind will LOVE this practice.  Why?  Because at the end of the day, you will have something concrete to show for your day’s activity.  The mind HATES when it can’t see a result after a day’s work.  Give it three little appetizers, and it will THANK YOU!

Happy Monday!