Category: Personal Growth

Are You Getting a Daily Dose of Wisdom?

Man was not born with wings, but we invented the airplane. Man was not born with gills, but we invented the scuba tank. Man was born with a creative and curious mind, and free will. Great discoveries and inventions have come to people that continued to learn and challenge the world.

I think it is a privilege to be able to learn, explore, and dream. As a life long learner, it seems easy for me.

One of my daily habits is setting aside time for learning. If you are reading this, then it may be a habit of yours as well. I often wish I had more time to learn, because there is much to discover. Here are some areas that keep me interested in growing.

Work: Increasing your work competence is always a great idea. No matter what your occupation, there are innovations that can be studied.

People: This category can be useful for everyone. You can learn about personalities, leadership, behavior, health, or even mental thought processes.

History: We have a rich world history from which to learn. You can choose specific eras, or geographical areas, or critical events. It is a great way to put things in perspective.

Nature: Do you have interest in the natural world that surrounds us? You could learn more about plants, animals, weather, and space.

Technology: Technological advances in the last twenty years have changed this world. You could learn more about information technology, science, or even medical advances.

Basic Skills: This is the category that I think helps us learn about living. It includes a wide variety of topics that make life easier, or more enjoyable. Things like plumbing repair, growing a vegetable garden, cooking, music, or a hobby.

Whatever your choice of learning in this world, consider setting aside time every day to learn and grow. Spending only fifteen minutes a day will add up to over 90 hours in a year. Invest in yourself. If you are not, who else will?

Stop the Blaming and Use These 5 Concepts to Improve Your Results

We can all get sucked into the blame game from time to time. When the results you achieve do not meet your plans, it is easy to blame something else besides yourself.

Consistently evaluating your results without blame is a process that can become a useful habit. When I am reflecting on results, here are five points I consider:

1. Preparation. We can’t rely on luck for success. We need to prepare for opportunities and actions. My favorite question: “How could I have prepared differently that would have affected my results?” 

2. Resources. We often overlook all the resources available to us. We like to accomplish things on our own. But we should consider other people, equipment, tools, supplies, and information. My favorite question: “What data could have led me to a better result?”

3. Effort. When we don’t succeed a lack of effort is the first thing that comes to mind. When we evaluate effort we need to assess the time and energy we applied to the activity. But we should not overlook other aspects of effort. My favorite question: “How could my effort been more effective?”

4. Critical Decision Points. During reflection we often second guess our decisions. Through this process we can increase our ability to develop future strategy and success. My favorite question: “What decision did I make that changed the course of my result, and why did I choose this solution?”

5. Timing. Your level of success at any endeavor can be affected by timing. Taking action at the wrong time, even if it is the correct action, can lead to disaster. We can reflect on how events unfolded, and if there would have been a better time to take action. My favorite question: “What critical action should I have delayed, or taken sooner, that would have resulted in greater success?”

These are just five different ways to help you improve your ability to reflect on results. I use them, and they work. They help me continuously improve my efforts and results. Feel free to give them a try the next time you reflect on your goals and results.

 

Are You Accepting Your Future… Or Creating It?

No one can predict the future. The future is created by the actions we take. If we change our actions, we can change our future.

The end of 2016 is quickly approaching. The plans and goals we set for this year will either be accomplished or missed. I hope your year has been as successful and great as the vision you had last January.

I like to use this time of the year to reflect on the process I use to drive my results. Before I begin to define my goals for next year, I can improve my habits that drive my results. For 2017 to be better than 2016, we can’t just do the same things. Results only improve when you take actions to improve them. Here are some questions to think about as you prepare for next year.

1. Do you have a process to set goals that will make a difference in your life?

2. Do you have a process to review your progress?

3. Do you have a process to reflect on failure and success?

4. Do you have a process to adjust your plans if needed?

5. Do you have a process to celebrate small wins during the year?

6. Do you have a process to quantitatively measure your results?

7. Do you have a process for assessing your resources and fully utilizing them?

8. Do you have a process for prioritizing your actions to align with your goals?

That list of question may seem intimidating. The word “process” in every question reflects the requirement that achievement happens through the daily and weekly effort that you expend. It doesn’t happen by a stroke of luck.

I hope these questions have given you some ideas that will help you prepare for 2017, and where your normal process can improve. If you need help getting started, send me a message.

Do You Think Integrity Is Important?

If you ask a person if integrity is important to them, almost universally they will respond, “yes”. However, at times there is a gap between our values and our actions.

Recently, Wells Fargo was fined $185 million for fraud. It was apparent in the investigation and in the fine, that their fraudulent practices were widespread.

I am glad I don’t have any accounts with Wells Fargo. If I did, I would not hesitate to close them. But I suspect, many people will not. A year from now, Wells Fargo will still exist. They will be making a profit using someone’s money.

It makes me curious whether people choose not to worry about the integrity of their bank, or if they are willing to put up with a lack of integrity for some unknown reason. It could be that they are just apathetic.

It is a great example of how people value one thing, yet live out that value very differently. If we all truly valued integrity, Wells Fargo would soon be out of business.

Do you find this value gap disturbing? How do you keep yourself living according to your values?