Mark S. Brown

This summer vacation plan to spend the week, not only enjoying time away from the day to day work, but increasing your effectiveness. In a short seven days you can rethink your current path and make sure you are making decisions that will benefit you beyond today.

Vacations are all about rejuvenation. Most people want to relax to get the spark back that drives them through their day to day routine. So this year, kick back, enjoy the beach, but take along this bit of homework.

Monday: Most of life’s memorable experiences are because of relationships. People are what make this life interesting and exciting. Who makes a difference in your life? Today, take time to define the important people in your life. Reflect on how much time you allow for those relationships, and write out your plan to improve yourself in the area of relationships.

Tuesday: How have you grown in the last year? What skills have you improved? Adding value to yourself, allows you to add value to others with your new knowledge. Don’t let growth happen by default. Today, take time to write out a plan for the next year. Focus on making your strengths stronger.

Wednesday: Today take time to evaluate your health and fitness plan. Obesity and lack of exercise is a big problem in most of the developed world. Health is not something you can put off. It is not something that you can fix later. Health and exercise is important everyday. In your new plan, contemplate how you can stay on track. If you miss a workout, how can you make it up later in the day.

Thursday: Today we are going to take time to think about finances. I like John Maxwell’s saying on money, “Money gives you options.” On the other hand, debt provides you no options. Write down your financial goal, and think about what changes you need to make in your life to achieve that goal. Money will provide you options for the future, but will also provide you options on how you can help others.

Friday: Every day your commitment is tested. Commitment requires being focused on the outcome, the future, the goal. Today, spend time reflecting on the inspiration in your life that will help you meet your objectives every day.

Saturday: This week we have covered a lot of topics. Some of these are very big subjects, and all are important. Today, reflect on how you set priorities. Do you ever make short term decisions that are not congruent with your long term plan? Making sure we are clear in our mind with the priorities that we need to achieve will help us be effective.

Sunday: Our values are what drive our actions. If we are not making good decisions, then we are either weak in our values, or we have not linked our actions to the values. Today’s exercise, before your vacation ends, is to reflect on those values that are strong within you. What values drive your decisions? What values do you need to clarify, and make your actions reflect? Find a sense of tranquility in reviewing your values, and how they can strengthen you as a person.

Enjoy that summer break, and feel re-energized toward your goals!

“The secret of getting ahead is getting started.” – Sally Berger

Do you ever feel like starting over? Sometimes we stall out. We take a wrong path. We can’t seem to find our way. Perhaps we just don’t feel the energy that we once felt about our goal.

Here are a couple of suggestions:

1) Take a Retreat:  Take a break from the day to day routine. Sometimes we just need a break from the normal day to spark us forward.

2) Review Your Purpose: Schedule some time to reflect on your purpose, your goals, and how they are connected to what you are trying to do everyday. Sometimes we need to realign our actions or our vision.

3) Review Your Short Term Plan: Are you taking the right steps daily? Sometimes it helps to think about the long term goal, and break it down into shorter views of that goal. For example if you have a goal to be the best public speaker you can be in 5 years, think about what that would look like in 4 years, 3 years, 2 years, and 1 year. Then what steps do you need to take daily to hit the one year vision.

 “Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending.” – Maria Robinson

Good luck and enjoy a break when you need it!

I have written many times about the power of being positive. Hopefully everyone that is reading this has challenged themselves to live more positively. This morning, I was thinking about how to be more positive. How could we take the positive energy we start with each morning, and turn it up to a whole new level.

Here are some ideas:

1. Identify your highest priority action for the day and do it first. Have you ever had something you needed to do, but did not really want to do? Usually we leave it till later in the day, trying to postpone it if possible. It becomes a grey cloud hanging over you on a sunny day. Sometimes the best action is just do it. What ever needs to be done today, just do it first. Get it done. The rest of the day will feel much better.

2. In every interaction you have with another person, give them something positive. The key concept in this idea is every time. When you say good morning to someone take a moment to ask them about their day. When you meet people for work, in your community, at the grocery store, or wherever, give them positive feedback. Thank them. Recognize them. These actions will take very little time from your schedule, but will make the entire day have a positive tone with everyone you meet.

3. When you find yourself in a negative situation, turn it around. If you walk into a conversation that is not very positive. Insert yourself, and make it positive. Find a way to bring up positive results, positive actions, and positive attitudes. This may be very challenging in certain situations, but can lift the spirit of the entire group.

What ideas do you have to bring more positive energy to your life?

 

“You must love your people more than your position.” – John Maxwell

A true leader serves others. Put others before yourself, and your leadership will grow. It seems counter intuitive. You want others to look to you for guidance and advice, but the more you push your agenda, the less they respond.

To gain influence you must find a way to meet them on their ground, with their objectives. Here are four ways you can serve others.

1. Stop trying to control others. Encourage people to experiment, make mistakes, and find their own solutions. Support them in their growth, and let them be more successful than you.

2. Start listening to others. Too many times we have a message that we feel is important to be said. Others do as well. Listening more than you talk will increase your ability to make others successful.

3. Start serving others. Put time in your agenda to help others. Don’t have an agenda, but learn how you can assist them with their agenda. Make time for the projects of others.

4. Take a risk that will benefit others. Taking risks is not easy. When we take risks it is because the benefit is greater than the risk. Taking a risk for someone else’s benefit is even harder. But a true leader will find times when it is worth the effort and will jump without knowing the outcome just for their people.

When you begin to serve others, you multiply the success of everyone in many ways. You develop win-win outcomes instead of win-lose. Maybe it is time to review your agenda and think about how you can increase your dedication to your team.