Stretching Out of Your Comfort Zone

comfortIt was the psychologist Abraham Maslow that said, “If you plan on being anything less than you are capable of being, you will probably be unhappy all the days of your life.” Yet, forty-two percent of college graduates in the United States have never read another book after completing school.

I have reflected on the key changes in my life, and how I have stepped out of my comfort zone. I never made decisions to stretch myself and grow. I made decisions based on opportunity, and being aware of the opportunity at the right time.

I don’t think it is by coincidence that the experiences that gave me the most growth and personal reward are the experiences that were outside my comfort zone. This fact has made me start to examine how I can leave my comfort zone. For my own growth, not for a company, or someone else. I want it for myself, to stretch to my potential.

What about you? What experiences have shaped your life? How many of them required you to be out of your comfort zone? What actions should you be taking today to stretch yourself?

Beware of Your Strengths

strengthsVic Braden has said, “Learn to think like a winner. Think positive and visualize your strengths.” Most of us will be more successful if we focus on our strengths and delegate to others in areas we are weaker. But we should be cognizant of both our strengths and weaknesses.

We can over use our strengths to the point that we begin to lose our flexibility. As leaders we need to maintain a level of versatility which allows us to better assess our current situation.

How do you play to your strengths but still not lose your edge?

1. Know yourself. Constant reflection, personal development, and learning will help you be fully aware of your capabilities in different situations. It will help you learn how to change the intensity in which you use your strengths.

2. Accept yourself. Being humble will allow you to stay in your weak zone on those occasions when it is required. Accept your limitations, and learn from others.

3. Serve others. Use your strengths to help other people. If you are only helping yourself, then you will probably be viewed as a domineering, selfish, control freak.

So the best advice is be aware of your strengths, not beware of your strengths!

Celebrating One Hundred

achieve“I look at victory as milestones on a very long highway,” said Joan Benoit Samuelson. This post represents my 100th post. I have published one article a week for the last 100 weeks. I never had a specific goal or milestone when I started, other than consistently posting information that can help others.

As I reflect on what I think this site has provided, and how it should it should look in the future, I have these thoughts.

1. Embrace video as a delivery method. In the last two years, video has grown as the most popular method to publish a short message. I should record and post short videos as well as written messages.

2. Increase the email frequency to my subscribers. A newsletter once a month can easily be lost in the deluge of mail each of us receive. A short weekly newsletter might better serve you and I.

3. Make the content easier to search. I did not use search tags when I started 2 years ago, and I have never added them. I did not realize at the time how it would help find articles on specific topics.

Those are three thoughts that I have. If you have a suggestion for an improvement, please send me a message. Thank you for reading, and keeping me motivated. One hundred articles was not a goal, and it is not something I have achieved so I can stop and be done. It is just a achievement that motivates me to keep on writing!

Help Others to Help Yourself

helpRalph Waldo Emerson once said, “It is one of the most beautiful compensations of this life that no man can sincerely try to help another without helping himself.” Helping others also increases your influence. As your influence increases, so does your leadership.

If getting better was as simple as helping someone, there would be many more great people. Making a habit of helping others will allow you to grow and improve. Creating consistent behaviors that drive success, and working with passion and diligence will allow you to succeed where others fail.

We get better at doing when we get better at teaching. We get better at teaching when we truly have a desire to help and teach.

Do you have a desire to help others? What action do you need to take today? What change do you need to make to increase your ability to help others? What lesson is here that you can teach?