Author: Mark S. Brown

I have facilitated many mastermind groups on leadership principles. One of my goals is to help people become aware of the difference that can occur in their life when they begin to apply self-leadership.

People always enjoy the sessions, but most don’t change their daily actions. They are excited about the learning, but get stuck. Focused on the learning and not the application.

To be successful, you need to turn information into action. Results are based on action, not what is in your head. The five steps I have outlined for action are simple. But the desire to follow through has to come from within you. Here are the five steps that need to become a habit.

1. Reflect on your learning. Learning cannot be applied unless it is evaluated. How does this information impact the the world, other people, people around you? How important is this information in respect to your goals?

2. Evaluate how it affects your life. What does this learning mean to you? How can it impact your life? How can it help you achieve your goals?

3. Define an action you want to take. What are you going to do with the information? What do you know you need to do? What new action can you take that will help you achieve your goal?

4. Take the action. Do it. This is the stumbling point for many. If you have taken the time to learn, to reflect, to define the action, then why would you consider stopping before you take the action? Get over any fears within your head.

5. Repeat. It is a never ending process. These five steps need to become a part of your daily routine if you are going to live what you learn.

Do you struggle with accountability? Let’s discuss how you can improve your abilities.

Most people find it difficult to hold themselves accountable for major objectives in their life. It is not for lack of desire, commitment, or knowledge. Most people fail to be accountable to themselves only because they are the sole negotiator within their own mind. It becomes easy to let things slip when you only answer to yourself.

A coach or an accountability partner can help you develop the habit of being accountable to yourself. Coaching is becoming more and more common. It is moving from sports, to the board room, to business owners. It is about successful people becoming more successful.

What is the impact of not holding yourself accountable?

1. Lost Opportunity. Our path to success is never clear. If we delay our actions, then we are also delaying the failures, and the learning that will be required to reach your ultimate objectives. The opportunities that will lead to success are discovered in the doing, not in the planning.

2. Lost productivity. Failure to act on your initiatives in a timely manner delays your ability to reach your objectives. Being accountable means following through on your initiatives as planned, and on time. It requires overcoming obstacles as they are encountered.

3. Impact to Attitude. If you continually miss your own targets, it will degrade your morale. Your objectives will slowly transform from defined plans to just a dream. Your long term self-esteem may be in danger of deterioration if your behavior becomes chronic.

If you feel you are not accomplishing all that you can, and you need some assistance, let’s grab a coffee and decide how you can reach your goals.

If you spend more time organizing your work than the actual work itself, then you may need some productivity help. We need to be very aware of the time we spend actually working versus the time we spend preparing to work. Being effective is not the same as being organized. A person can be organized, but get very little accomplished.

Here are three things to consider if you want to increase your effectiveness, and not compromise your preparation and planning.

1) Stop procrastinating! Organizing work is easier than the work itself. We can find ourselves putting off the work because the planning is easier. If you find yourself procrastinating, change your planning time to the end of your day. Tackle the hardest work first thing in the morning, and delay more of your routine tasks until later.

2) Make organization a habit! If you are spending too much time on organization, then it is possible that you have not yet converted these tasks to habits. Habits are usually done quickly and without much thought. You don’t plan or spend much time brushing your teeth. That is how your organizational efforts should feel.

3) Keep It Simple! Using the latest software and gadgets may be more efficient, but they may also come with a huge learning curve. That learning curve is likely to be repeated as new features and versions are released. You have to decide what is the best balance for you. Sometimes the best solution is the simplest solution, a pencil and a piece of paper.

There are days I struggle in all three of these areas. But most days I can overcome these shortfalls with simple solutions converted to habits and a focus to achieve my commitments. If you need more help in these areas, I would be glad to grab a cup of coffee with you and learn about your obstacles.

 

Don’t do it! Well that is my opinion. Vacation is all about getting away from work. So why do so many people take their laptop, or read their work emails while they are away? My vacation experience has always been better when I did not stay in contact with my work.

Perhaps you are like me, and you scramble to finish projects and tasks before you leave. It creates a little bit of stress, but don’t let that entice you into taking work with you. Your vacation provides a perfect opportunity to get away from emails and projects.

You can have a productive and relaxing vacation with just a little bit of preparation.

1) Plan time for thinking. A new environment and a bit of relaxation will provide an opportunity to receive new and fresh ideas. Take an empty journal and capture your thoughts. Find a beach chair, a park bench, or a comfortable sofa to take some time just thinking.

2) Plan time for reflection. A vacation is also a great time to reflect on past successes and current challenges. Being in a relaxed frame of mind will provide an opportunity to see the past in a new light.

3) Re-energize your attitude and perspective. Many people talk about recharging their batteries when they are on vacation. For me it is not so much about energy as it is about resetting my attitude, having a chance to see things from a bigger perspective. When you re-energize you can let your mind take you to a new level of performance.

I hope you have enjoyed, or getting ready to enjoy, your summer vacation. I am looking forward to setting my mind free for a few days!