Resources for Thinking, Planning, and Being Amazing

As 2010 comes to an end, it's impossible to not think about 2011 and wonder what the new year will bring. I will challenge you to believe that 2011 will bring to you whatever you focus on, plan for, and work toward.

And while I believe in the law of abundance, I don't believe you can just wish things to come true. As we all know that requires pixie dust, which is really hard to come by. Which means you need some goals, you need a plan, and you need some discipline to follow through. 

At this point, your "duh" meter is probably hitting the red zone. It sounds so obvious and simple. So does eating right, exercising, and getting enough sleep. Yet I'm still a few pounds on the heavy side, how about you?

So in the spirit of the holidays, I thought I'd share with you some resources that have really helped me and my business in our quest to adapt, create, and grow closer to the business we really want to be when we grow up. 

Oh, and in case you were wondering: I don't make a dime if you spend money on these resources. These are just resources I really, really like (yeah, Oprah, I've got my own "favorite things"). That said, if using them makes you an extra million or two in 2011, you can send me a Starbucks gift card as a thank you. ;)

To help you design an amazing 2011, check out Darren Hardy's very cool workbook: Design Your Best Year Ever

To help you get organized maybe better than ever: read Getting Things Done by David Allen

To inspire yourself every month to be your best: subscribe to Success Magazine.

To get your financial ducks in a row (i.e., get your butt out of debt, and your business, too): read Dave Ramsey's Total Money Makeover and/or attend Financial Peace University at a Church near you.

To learn how to run and grow your business with a solid, simple system: check out EOS. You can get the overview of the system in the book, Traction. If you really want to know more, check out the upcoming Get A Grip on Your Business workshop featured below.

Finally, a few suggestions that will help you in any year:

• Read at least a book a month in topics that teach you, inspire you, and challenge you to grow.
• Attend at least 2 workshops, seminars, classes, or conferences related to your industry or discipline.
• "Coffee Up": invite people you admire to join you for a cup of coffee throughout the year. Ask them a lot of questions.

There are many, many, many more resources you can tap into, however there's only one other essential tool you will absolutely, positively need in the coming year: it's called hard work...on yourself.

Remember that recession is always followed by expansion, and the expansion is usually a lot bigger than the recession was. If we want to take full advantage of the coming opportunities, we'd better make sure we're ready. Now is the time to start becoming who we need to be to rock the world in 2011 and beyond.


So, what resources would YOU recommend to help us all be more amazing? Leave a comment!

Are People Thankful for YOU?

Everywhere I look these days I see the same question: What are you thankful for? A good question for sure. Probably should ask it on a regular basis instead of just 1/12th of the year.

This holiday season I invite you to spin the question 180 degrees.

Are people thankful for YOU?

Go ahead. Answer the question. It's not arrogant or self-centered to think about. Are the people in your life thankful for YOU?

• Are your customers thankful for the amazing products and service you provide?

• Is your community thankful for the amazing effort you put in to make it a better place to work, live, and do business?

• Are your friends thankful for the amazing support and encouragement you provide to them without asking?

• Are your kids thankful for having such an amazing provider, mentor, and hero (ok, WILL they be thankful 30 years from now when they realize what an amazing parent you were)?

• Is your spouse or significant other thankful for your amazing commitment to your relationship?

If you were any of the people mentioned above, would you be thankful for you? If not, maybe now is the time to become something more. 

I think it's great -- essential, actually -- to be thankful for our amazingly abundant lives. 

But the bigger question is what amazing gifts, talents, products, and services are you giving to the world that it will be thankful for? 

By the way, receiving thanks is not the goal. Living your life, conducting your business, using your talents to their fullest, and leaving nothing on the table when you're done -- that's the goal. And it's worthy of thanksgiving.

Thank you for what you provide. Keep it up. Crank it up. 

Happy Thanksgiving!

I Dare You To Sit In The Front Row

I must start with a confession: I did not follow the challenge in this article for 2/3 of my life. If I had, I'd be a multi-gazillionaire writing this article from my beach house in Costa Rica. 

Here's the challenge: I dare you to sit in the front row every chance you get.

I deliver keynote presentations and workshops all around the country. Almost without exception I speak to an empty front row. And rows 2, 3, 4 & 5 usually have a lot of butt space as well. It doesn't seem to matter if there are 15 or 1500 people attending the event, it's just me and the dust bunnies up front.

As far back as I can remember, the back row seats have always been in high demand. In school, it puzzled me how the slackers who had zero commitment to anything somehow showed up early to class to grab those back row seats. Dang it if they didn't usually beat me there, so I usually ended up in the middle. Now I wish I had sat in front more often.

Do you remember the "losers" who sat in the front of the class? Today you know them as CEOs, heart surgeons, and multi-gazillionaires writing books from their beach houses in Costa Rica.

I started sitting in the front row (ok, sometimes in row 2, 3, 4 or 5) about 10 years ago and I've been happily amazed by the difference. Here's what happens when you sit in the front row:

- You see more.
- You hear more.
- You focus more.
- You connect with the presenter, speaker, meeting leader, etc. more
- You engage more.
- You take better notes.
- You learn more.
- You absorb more.
- You snore less (yes, I can see you nodding off, even in the back row)
- You...get the point.

I like to have people in the front row when I speak, but this isn't about me. You see, I get paid either way so it doesn't really matter to ME where you sit. But it does matter to YOU and your organization.

I almost laugh at the "protestors" that lay claim to the back row in meetings. You know who I'm talking about -- the people who "protest" every mandatory event by sitting in the back, arms folded, face reminiscent of a a pissed-off fifth grader. If that's you, it's time to graduate from the fifth grade. Or move on to another company. I'm ok with either option, really. If you're one of those people, you're not contributing much here anyway.

Why not look at every meeting, every workshop, every "mandatory" event as an opportunity to learn something, or contribute something, or at the very least to show some support to the poor schmuck standing up there running the show? If you think you can do that as well from the back row as you can from the front, you are mistaken, my friend. There might as well be an ocean between you and the presenter. And a room full of people is an ocean full of distraction. 

When you sit up front, it's just you and me. And I came to this life to get stuff done, how about you?

I'm turning into a bit of an extremist on this topic. I'm going to make my kids sit in the front row in school. And I'm gonna talk to their teachers to make sure they do it. Sure, they'll hate me now, but when they graduate from Harvard Law School or become CEO of some company that hasn't even been invented yet, they'll thank me I'm sure. I just hope they invite me to their beach house in Costa Rica once in awhile.

Get Back Up!

I'd like to say it was because of the darkness, or the leaf-covered street or the loose running pants I was wearing. Sadly, embarrassingly, I can't.

I tripped this morning while I was running because I was fiddling with my iPod instead of watching the road. One moment I was happy and aerobic and upright. Then, in about a fourth of the time it takes to say "Oh, $#%&," I was in great pain, fighting for breath, and very horizontal.

Stupid curb.

Ok, stupid me.

I rolled over, hands stinging from their sudden introduction to the sidewalk and my lungs desperate to re-fill themselves with air. I laid on my back for about eight seconds -- filling in the blanks of what had just happened -- before I realized that the approaching traffic might think that some old guy had a heart attack. I didn't want any good Samaritan to come screeching to a halt just to find out some idiot had only tripped on the curb, so I got back on my feet as quickly as I could.

Taking inventory of my injuries, I realized I hadn't done any permanent damage. That, however, did NOT diminish my instant desire to back-track to my warm house where I was sure my loving and sympathetic family would welcome me with open arms, a warm bath, and a breakfast burrito.

Instead, I took a step forward, then another, then another. Once I was sure I wasn't bleeding internally, I resumed my run. Pretty soon the stinging in my hands subsided, my breathing transitioned back into my normal running-induced wheezing, and all was right with the world again.

The lesson here? If you fall down, GET BACK UP and KEEP GOING. 

Have you screwed something up recently? Get back up! Do your best to fix it and start moving forward.

Have you missed a deadline? Get back up! Get the work done and keep moving forward.

Have you fallen off the exercise or eating right wagon? Get back up! Eat an apple or take the stairs. If you're really motivated, eat an apple while climbing some stairs.

Has something de-railed you from following your passion or calling? Get back up! Stop letting outside forces keep you from moving toward your goal.

Have you lost your job? Get back up! Develop a new skill or make another contact (or fifty or hundred).

Have you hurt a relationship at work or home? Get back up! Accept responsibility, apologize sincerely, and start rebuilding your friendship.

Very seldom do we perform fatal mistakes, yet we let our mistakes paralyze us from moving forward. We even use our mistakes as excuses to retreat to a safer, more comfortable place. Maybe one with a breakfast burrito waiting.

Here's a better approach:

When you trip and fall (even if it's not your fault), get back up, survey the damage, and then keep moving forward. By all means if something is bleeding or broken, fix it first. You can't ignore serious damage. But 96.3% of the time (totally made that stat up), the damage is not severe. Embarrassing? Yes. Painful? You bet. A reason to stop or retreat? No way, no how.

Winston Churchill said it best: "When you're going through Hell, keep going."

In other words, Get Back Up!




Have you tripped, fallen, and gotten back up? Tell us your story by leaving a comment!