Monday, February 23, 2009

Leadership Puzzle

I watched my kids put together a puzzle today and along with a leadership meeting the same day it all clicked.
I watched my kids as the oldest would look at the picture on the box and tell the youngest to put all the cat pieces together. She told her friend to put all the edges together and she asked me to put the sky pieces together. My oldest was the only one that knew that the final picture should look like, so each of us were just following instructions and putting out own parts together. Once we each completed our parts they all just fit together and made the pieces look like the picture on the box.
What a concept that leader knowing the end vision, telling their direct reports how each department should look and the department lead using their teams to put it together. It's how a company should work and flow, just like putting together a 1000 piece puzzle withe more than one person involved.
I know this is a common comparison but to really get it and put it to practice is the key.

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Friday, February 20, 2009

YOU CLIMB A MOUNTAIN ONE STEP AT A TIME

It's been a while since I sent out and email. It's not that I've been forgetting it's just that I do them mostly know on my laptop for myself. But sharing is a big part of moving forward and reaching your goals. And as today's daily guru says it starts with a step, so here is a step back in the right direction for myself. I watch a video from David Allen about GTD a while back and the one thing that hit me hardest was that the man himself who invented GTD said that it's hard to loose track and stop following the process. But at the same time he said that as easy as it is to fall off, it's even easier to get back on. That is so true for everything. If you find you stopped focusing on your goal for a few days or even weeks, that doesn't mean you can't just start right then and there. If you had a list of to-do's that you had to get done but you've avoided them for a while, there is no reason you can't just start working on them then and there. The key to success is moving forward and staying focused. All the powerful people of this world are the same as you and I. They all have to focus on that goal, they all have to plan the steps and they have to execute them. Some steps may require more resources than others, and maybe we all need to be a little more innovative and creative to complete them, but everything is within our means, and everything is possible as long as we keep moving. So my thoughts today are that everything takes those steps and even if you've been taking a break to relax you can just as easily take that first step again. Only now that first step is already that much closer to your dream ;)





YOU CLIMB A MOUNTAIN ONE STEP AT A TIME

Everyone who got where they arehad to begin where they were.
Your opportunity for success is right in front of you.

To attain success or to reach your goal, don't worry about
having all the answers in advance.
You just need to have a clear idea
of your goal and move toward it.

Don't procrastinate when faced with a difficult problem.
Break your problems into parts and handle one part at a time.

Develop a tendency toward action.
You can make something happen today.
Break your big plan for success into small steps
and take the first step right away.

Success starts with a first step.


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Wednesday, February 11, 2009

2009 Goals

I don't think I've ever went out and wrote myself some goals to meet for a year. I've done it for business but never personally.

  • Get into a yoga routine of 2 times per week on average
  • Learn 1 song on guitar
  • Business plan for bringing wall climbing to Moncton
  • Budget; visit a financial advisor and create a plan
  • Build meal plans for family
  • Follow a diet
  • Run 5k marathon for a good cause
  • Blog an average of twice a month (try video blogging)
  • 2 trips home. Home is St. John's, NL and only 2 times a year is a shame.

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Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Positive in Public

Being positive and happy all day is easy when you are surrounded by people like minded, or better yet when you are by yourself. The true challenge comes when you have to interact with others. People in general are all good but they mostly find comforted in negativity. People love to complain, it's the common knowledge that we can all agree on. As good as our intentions are to be positive allot of people don't respond well to it, allot of them think "they think they are better than me", but don't be discouraged. If you keep your spirits up and stay in a positive state, you'll see the little gifts and rewards that are yours to take. I always get upgraded on my flights, I always get a suite at the hotel or a nice car. These are simple things that show that my positive attitude is showing and giving me a return. Nothing feels better than getting that little reward and knowing that it was all because you said please and thank you. As I said most people want to be good, and when they see genuine kindness coming their way they'll respond the way you want.

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Thursday, February 5, 2009

FOLLOW THE PATH OF OTHERS TO SUCCESS

Using the lessons learned by others is a great key to moving forward. Not so much in learning what to do, but learning what not to do. We are always told to surround yourself with people smarter than yourself, and there are so many reasons for this. As easy as it sounds you'll find that a lot of people like to be around people that make them feel smarter, but by doing this they can never truly grow. Sure they can grow from making mistakes and always moving forward, but imagine having smart people always giving you advise and directions, then you are more likely to walk a more straighter path to your goal. I looked at this as cheating in the past, but its not. You still have to make the choices, you still have to take action, and you are the one putting yourself out there. Donald and Robert always talk about studying history because it's a tendency to repeat itself. The world and surroundings might change, but people don't. Go find yourself a mentor and learn as much as you can. Knowledge, compassion and your network are the key to your success.






FOLLOW THE PATH OF OTHERS TO SUCCESS


You can learn from other people to make up for
your lack of experience in any area of life.

Be open and receptive to the people around you.
They have things to teach you.
Take advantage of the people
that have made the journey ahead of you.

Try to pick the right role models.
Don't look for people that make you feel good or entertain you.
Look for people that can help you.
Role models are more than people you like and admire.


The key is to look for people that will help you to be more successful.
You can learn from the mistakes of others.
You can learn different approaches to overcoming challenges.

Learning "what not to do" is as important as learning "what to do."


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PLEASE SEND THIS MESSAGE TO AS MANY PEOPLE
AS YOU KNOW, TO HELP US IN OUR MISSION TO RAISE
THE CONSCIOUSNESS OF AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE

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Sunday, February 1, 2009

TIME TO THINK

I thought about the importance of removing stress to free your mind a little more this morning and last night. As a developer/BA I'm confronted with issues all day, and I have to come up with solutions. Most times we are required to get the answers right then and there and it's possible most times because there is a team of minds working together (the importance of a support team, without it we fail), but those times you are by yourself are the hardest. When you do solve it it's more rewarding to know you did it on your own, but it's a harder road to take. But the true key to solving those big issues is to walk away, and take some relaxation time. Time limits, pressure, unknowns, distractions, are all stress and negative things that block the way to the solution. I look at it like walking through the jungle. You dive right in and there are things blocking your way and keeping you from seeing the end of the path. I compare walking away from the issues and taking time to clear your head to be like using a machete to clear a path and make your walk through the jungle easier. (man this email is out there, but I'm going to keep going :). You need that time away, no matter how important things are you need to step away and take time to clear your mind. I write this because I see people that are focused on that end so much and they want to get there but they are more finding themselves just trying to keep up. keeping up is stressful, you need to find your own pace and keep it going steady. As you get more confident and comfortable you can speed up, but until then you need to just stay your own pace and your support team needs to be there to hold you hand and keep encouraging you. Just always stay focused, were focused means just thinking about your goal and having it in your mind. Even when you are slipping cocktails on the beach your goal is still in your mind somewhere and when you are in true relaxation is when you find away to to 3 times closer to your goal with one step.

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