MENUA Tip to Improve the Accuracy of Your Decisions
One of the best ways to consistently make great decisions is to follow what your internal instincts tell you. I call this “going with your gut.” It’s a voice inside of you that says, “Go for it!” or “Be careful.” or “No way should you do that.” This method of making good choices is so effective that I can’t recall the last time I made a bad decision when I went with what my gut was telling me.
Here’s the key point to understand: what your gut tells you is limited to your experience and knowledge on a given subject. The more you know about something, the more accurate your gut will be when looking to it for your final decision.
Hypothetically, if you were involved in a meeting with a group of microbiologists discussing a complex subject and it came time for some key decisions to be made, your gut wouldn’t offer you much value unless you had experience and knowledge in this area.
If, on the other hand, you were part of a meeting with a group of people where you viewed yourself as an expert, your odds of making the right decision by following your gut would be greatly enhanced.
So, the more knowledge and experience you have on a given subject, the more accurate your gut will be in telling you what’s the right decision. The less knowledge and experience, the less accurate your gut will be.
How to Accurately Follow Your Gut When Making Decisions
1. Look at the facts of the situation. Make sure you are crystal clear about the circumstances concerning the decision at hand.
2. Being honest with yourself, consider whether you have the knowledge and experience to make an accurate decision by yourself. If it’s an important decision and you don’t have the experience and knowledge to accurately make it on your own, form a mastermind team of one or more people with experience in this area to assist you.
3. Be creative and make a list of ALL available options.
4. With respect to each option, list the pros and cons, and don’t leave anything off the list.
5. Based on the information you have gathered at this point in your decision-making process, ask your gut, “What are the best two options?”
6. Carefully consider the pros and cons of these final two options, paying extra attention to the cons. In that list of cons, evaluate where your potential roadside bomb sits.
7. After going through this process, remove all positive and negative emotions you may feel about the subject and ask, “What does my gut tell me is the right decision?” If there are others on your team, ask them what their gut is telling them.
8. Based on only the facts with the removal of all emotion, make the decision to go with your gut.
If you will follow this simple process for making decisions, you will improve the number of good decisions you make and you will begin to enjoy the benefits that come from living a life built on good decisions.
Your ultimate success and happiness in life will be in large part determined by the choices and decisions you make. It’s for this reason I have made four blog posts and one video about the subject. If you have not already read or listened to my previous three lessons, I strongly encourage you to do so. The links to these posts are below.
“Success comes from a series of good decisions made over time, while failure comes as a result of a series of bad decisions made over time.” Jim Rohn
10 Rules for Social Media Marketing
If you’re not a business owner, don’t let the title keep you from reading this post. Remember, we are all entrepreneurs marketing our services to the marketplace. This lesson has application to all of us who communicate online.
While I have been involved in the social media world for only a short time, picking up on its culture has not been hard to do. In my opinion, social media has brought transparency to every person and business.
The people and businesses that really care about their friends and customers are standing out like a lighthouse at night. At the same time, those who are solely focused on themselves and promote their own agenda are stinking like three-day-old fish.
Here is the biggest takeaway in today’s lesson: while the social media world is a relatively new one, it actually serves as an age-old model for everything we do and say in our offline relationships. If you want to succeed personally and professionally, here are some simple rules to follow:
1. You Better Really Care About People—We have gone from a society where consumers valued price, quality, and service to a society where consumers first want to know that you care about them. If deep down inside you only care about yourself and your selfish desires, you can be assured your intentions will be obvious in the transparent online world.
2. Don’t Wear People Out—The people who have agreed to connect with you, whether they are friends, family, or acquaintances, don’t want your messages to fill up their news feed. The people who are pounding their followers with tweets, direct messages, and Facebook posts are losing their influence, even if their messages have nothing to do with their business.
3. Do Unto Others as You Would Have Them Do Unto You—While the golden rule has always been a great ethical code, it is even more important today. As a result of the painful collapse of our economy, people are more skeptical and careful about whom they trust. If you want to enjoy long-term success in the business world, both online and offline, treating others how you want to be treated is an absolute must.
4. Focus on Service—The people and companies who will be the big winners in the new economy will be those who are “sold out” on customer service. Those who simply say they focus on customer service but really don’t are standing there with their pants down and the whole world can see they don’t mean what they say.
At the same time, companies that take great pride in their customer service are building a large loyal following.
5. Show an Interest in Others—People have always preferred to do business with people they like and trust, but over the last couple of years, this sentiment has grown stronger. If you don’t FIRST show an interest in others and the things that are important to them, don’t expect them to show an interest in you or the things that are important to you.
6. Determine Your Online Brand/Culture—If you want to be successful in the social media world, you need to determine how you want the world to see you. If you don’t consciously make this decision, then you will be leaving it up to the world to decide your brand.
I love what Zappos is doing through their social media efforts. You won’t find ONE post from them that discusses anything about their products. While most companies are using social media to dump sales content on their followers, Zappos made the decision to focus on building relationships and communicating their culture; and it’s working!
7. Don’t Post a Sales Message on Someone’s Page—This is the ultimate of sleazy sales tactics. Every day I have to remove 5 or more of these types of spam messages from the Little Things Matter Facebook fan page and in most cases, I report them to Facebook. Let me also encourage you to not include a link to your website as part of any comment you post, unless you are absolutely convinced it is appropriate to do so.
8. Give Value First—If you want people to do business with you, focus on first giving them something of value. I am certainly more inclined to do business with those who have first given value to me. Do you agree with that principle?
In social media, value may mean content or connection opportunities or a sense of community. What can you do to give value to your target market? If you make providing value a priority, then you can bet you’ll be the first one they think of when they need your products or services.
9. Be Creative in Your Messages—With respect to product marketing, rather than simply dumping your sales content on people, look for creative ways to share your message and engage your audience. Check out the Little Things Matter fan page as an example of how I am trying to be creative and engage the community. While I don’t market a product or service, I am trying to build a large, loyal following of people who have a desire for self-improvement.
10. It Takes Time—It’s critical to understand that doing business in the social media world is an art and not a task or set of activities. Building relationships on a foundation of authenticity, mutual trust and respect, and great service takes time. If you need to make money this week, do it offline, because it won’t happen in the social media world.
If you fully embrace these 10 simple rules, you can be assured of being one of the winners in the new economy.
You can achieve anything that is important to you if you will focus on the little things that matter.
Playing the Odds to Win
One of life’s greatest lessons came to me fairly early in my career. I would often get feedback about the things I said or did that caused offense or people found objectionable. My first reaction was, “If you don’t like it, tough.” But then I thought to myself, “What kind of attitude is that?”
It was then that I learned I should play the odds. In other words, make the decisions that give you the greatest possibility of success.
As I reflect, I always had a choice. I would ask myself, “Will my actions or my words cause a problem?” “Will I turn someone off?” “And if so, is there an alternative?” As a result of seeking feedback and criticism, I am now very intentional about not doing or saying things that others may find offensive.
I realize there are many people who take the position that you can’t make everyone happy, so why try? While I agree, you can’t make everyone happy, I have found it best to avoid the things that I KNOW some people could find distasteful or objectionable.
Using Inappropriate Language
One of the things I observe so often is the use of inappropriate language.
According to a 2001 IRIS study, 81% of all adult Americans identify themselves with a specific religion, and 76.5%, or 159 million adult Americans, categorize themselves as Christians. While many of these people use inappropriate language, there are also many others who are offended and turned off to foul language, including the use of God’s name in vain.
So, here’s my point: if using inappropriate language could turn people off, then why say things that others could find offensive? What is the upside? Could it be that people like to hear you swear and as a result of your profanity, they’ll be attracted to you? I doubt it.
I shared this post with my daughter last night and she immediately went and looked up the top-grossing movies of all time. What was interesting was not one of the top 25 was R rated.
Turning Off Your Social Media Friends
Another example that illustrates playing the odds was raised on my Little Things Matter fan page. I made a post about the wisdom of NOT using your personal Facebook page to market your products, services, or business. Based on my experience and research, engaging in this activity will likely turn off your friends.
Here is a quote from Copyblogger, one of the top bloggers on the internet: “It’s really hard to sell products and services in social media, mostly because this audience hates salespeople worse than they hate Microsoft. You may be able to get some limited success out of it, but more likely you’ll be banned, blocked, shunned, and abused.”
Gary Vaynerchuk, the #1 most recognized social media expert, is a little more blunt. He says it is like “prostituting yourself.”
Over 50 comments quickly appeared in response to my post. Some felt it was acceptable to use their personal profile page to market their products, services, or business. To this group of people, I have the same question: “Why would you do something that you KNOW is going to turn off your Facebook friends?” Are the potential sales worth ruining your personal reputation and online brand?
Others who responded felt that an occasional update to their friends about a new business or a new product line they represent was perfectly acceptable. After all, this is consistent with why we use social media. We want to know what’s going on in our friends’ lives, and I agree. The problem results when people CONSISTENTLY pitch their business, products, or services through their social sites.
These are just two examples where I believe the upside is not worth the downside. My guess is that if you think about all the decisions you make in any given week, there are hundreds where we must ask, “Is my doing this or saying that worth the risk of offending someone?” You always have a choice.
I want to encourage you to be thoughtful of what you are doing and saying, and avoid the things that you KNOW some people may find offensive. As I sit here today typing this post, I can’t recall any instance where I felt turning off my friends, business colleagues, or acquaintances was worth any potential upside.
I encourage you to play the odds. Make decisions that will give you the greatest chance of being a person worthy of respect. Avoid doing things that will unnecessarily offend people. In every situation, you can choose the option that won’t have an adverse effect on your personal reputation.
“The foolish and wicked practice of profane cursing and swearing is a vice so mean and low that every person of sense and character detests and despises it.” -George Washington
11 Ways to Increase Your Discipline
While having lunch with a friend last week, he told me how impressed he was with one of the speakers at a conference he recently attended. Sabriye Tenberken became gradually visually impaired and eventually completely blind by the age of 13.
Ms. Tenberken overcame her handicap and went on to achieve great success. During her speech, she said, “If you are going to be successful, your goal must be bigger than your greatest obstacle.” Wow, how true! Think about it.
My mind immediately went to my lesson about discipline in Your Greatest Obstacle post, as I am convinced that DISCIPLINE is the greatest obstacle in preventing most people from achieving their goals. Just think, if you had the discipline to do everything you knew you should do, even when you did not feel like doing it, would you be more successful in achieving your personal and professional goals?
As I pointed out on the Little Things Matter Facebook fan page this past Sunday, if I were to assign a dollar value to each of the 643 little things on my list, discipline would carry a higher value than any other thing. It’s the hardest one to do consistently and, therefore, the marketplace rewards it more than any other.
In today’s lesson, I am going to highlight 11 things you can do to increase the intensity and consistency of the discipline required to achieve your goals.
1. Make a Personal Commitment That You Will Become a Disciplined Person—If you really want to achieve your goals, then you must make the commitment that you will become more disciplined.
2. Focus on Your Goal—To help you become more disciplined, review your goals every morning before you start your day. Pick a quiet place where you can concentrate and visualize. Put yourself in a state of mind where you have achieved your goal and imagine the feeling you will have. If possible, find pictures or images of your goals to help you better visualize what your life will be like when you have achieved them.
3. First Do What You Don’t Want to Do—As you plan your day, make sure you block out time to first do the things that require the most discipline. Whether it’s prospecting, exercising, or cleaning up your home, do it first. I have learned throughout my life that the best time to do the things I don’t want to do is first thing in the morning. If you will commit to doing the things that are the hardest for you to do first, not only will you do them with greater consistency, but also you feel great the rest of the day.
4. Get Your Rest—One of the keys to employing discipline with consistency is maintaining a high level of energy. When I’m tired, it is VERY hard for me to be disciplined. How about you?
5. Eat Right—When you eat right, you will feel better and have more energy. Start your day with a breakfast high in protein and low in simple carbs. For lunch, avoid eating the foods that make you tired so you can keep your energy high throughout the day.
6. Don’t Drink Too Much—I know firsthand that if you drink too much alcohol at night, it is very difficult to have any discipline the next day. Use your discipline to drink in moderation so you can use your discipline the next day to achieve your goals.
7. Start Doing the Little Things—One of the best ways to become more disciplined is by doing the little things you know you should do, like making your bed, keeping your car clean, taking the garbage out, and picking up after yourself. As you become more disciplined in doing the little things, you will become more disciplined in doing the big things.
8. Make The Decision in Advance—If you make the decision to exercise every morning at 6:00 AM, then don’t allow yourself to question your decision every morning. If you are going to take on that important project in the morning, then don’t second-guess your decision in the morning. The decision is made, now follow through with it!
9. Make It a Routine—Set up a routine for doing the things you don’t want to do. As an example, if you are in sales, set up a routine to prospect for new business every morning from 9:00-11:00. When you make things part of your daily routine, it’s much easier to employ the discipline to get them accomplished.
10. Consume Energy Drinks—I have found drinking coffee and other energy drinks increases my ability to be more disciplined, especially those double-shot iced lattes in the afternoon.
11. Reward Yourself—When you do the things that require discipline, recognize and reward yourself when you are done. If you just finished a big project, take yourself out to your favorite restaurant. If you have been disciplined over an extended period of time, then perhaps a weekend getaway would be an appropriate reward.
Let me challenge you to become aware of the role your personal discipline will play in the achievement of your goals. Adopt the “do it now” mentality, and when there is something you need to do, say to yourself “If I don’t feel like doing it, then I must do it now,” and without further delay, ATTACK it with vengeance and get it done.
As I said in The Hidden Benefit of Discipline, when you employ self-discipline, not only will you be more likely to achieve your goals, but you will also feel great about yourself.
Will you accept my challenge to be more disciplined? Make your commitment public by sharing it in the comments section below this post.
One of the most important keys to success is having the discipline to do what you know you should do, even when you don’t feel like doing it.
Accelerating Your Success
The #1 reason for my success as an entrepreneur is that I have consistently strived for excellence at the little things that matter in both my personal and professional life. As I have continued to get better day after day, month after month, and year after year, the compounding effect of this pursuit of excellence has rewarded me beyond what I could have imagined.
Whether you want to be the best mom in the world, the top salesperson in your company, or the most successful CEO, it is critical to understand that the level of success you achieve will be determined by how hard you push yourself to grow and improve DAILY.
The Little Things Add Up
As you begin to focus on the little things that can bring you greater personal and professional success, remember everything adds up. Going the extra mile brings great rewards because so few people are willing to do what it really takes to accomplish their goals. Once you begin to focus on the little things that matter, you will immediately see improvement. But your ultimate success will come as a result of the compounding effect of doing the little things that matter over a period of time.
My Son’s Quest for Success
I remember a conversation I had years ago with my son Gerrid about this subject. At the time, he was 20 years old and was just launching his own internet marketing business. He was excited about owning his first business and anxious to achieve great success.
In this conversation, I explained that the success he saw me enjoy as an entrepreneur did not come easily or quickly. I worked hard day in and day out, not only on building value in my business, but increasing my value as a human being. And over time, my efforts were rewarded.
I wanted him to understand that achieving a high level of success at anything takes time and that the fastest way to go from where he was to where he wanted to go was to consistently focus on striving for excellence.
Gerrid is a good listener, and he took my advice to heart. Since our conversation, his business revenue doubled every year and he eventually made a six-figure income. While he is proud of his accomplishments to date, he understands that he must continue to focus on self-improvement if he wants to enjoy a higher level of success.
Gerrid is a student of personal development. On a recent trip we took together, he was listening to a book about social media in his car and reading a book by Jay Abraham, one of the world’s foremost business experts. The average person, according to Nielsen Ratings, watches five hours of TV a day and lives paycheck to paycheck. I am proud to say that my son spends his time refining his craft. As his dad, I am excited to watch his career and marriage develop.
Accelerating the Process
Think about something that’s truly important to you and specifically a goal you would like to achieve. Today, you are at point A and your goal is to get to point B. The fastest way to go from point A to point B is to be consistent in your daily growth.
To understand the power of consistency, consider this illustration: if you double a penny every day for 31 days, it turns into more than 10 million dollars; if you double it every other day for 31 days, you’ll only have $163.00. Ten million dollars versus $163.00. The difference is the result of DAILY and CONSISTENT action.
This same lesson applies to your personal and professional growth. If you are consistent in growing every day as you strive for excellence, you will achieve your goals in the shortest possible period of time. If you are inconsistent, it’s unlikely that you will ever achieve them.
Enjoy the Journey
While you may be anxious to get to point B, learn to enjoy the journey. It is the journey that brings great joy and fulfillment into your life. While I love the life I have today, I have also enjoyed the journey and the relationships I have built with people who have helped me become the person I am today.
I urge you to make the commitment to push yourself each day to grow and develop as a person. If you want to really accelerate the time it takes to achieve your goals, then start striving for excellence in EVERYTHING you do. Strive to increase your personal performance with a sense of URGENCY! Don’t settle for giving anything less than your very best. Be consistent and don’t allow yourself to go to bed tonight without having worked on a little thing that matters.
“You have to put in many, many, many tiny efforts that nobody sees or appreciates before you achieve anything worthwhile.” -Brian Tracy
The Value of Feedback and Criticism
I have made it a priority throughout my career to seek feedback from people who can help me improve on a personal and professional level. By being open to constructive criticism and people’s suggestions, I have learned a great deal.
My Experience as a Realtor
I recall a particularly helpful, although humbling, experience when I was a Realtor in the Chicago area. After an elderly couple chose another realtor to sell their home, I called them to ask for their reason. I did this as a matter of course when people declined my services. Their feedback enlightened me. They said, “Todd, you were very professional. You had an impressive presentation and offered lots of unique services, but you did not take the time to listen to us or to show that you cared about us.”
I realized that while I offered a long list of great services, I failed at one of the basic principles of doing business: you must first build a relationship with someone before they will trust you enough to buy your product or service.
From that day forward, I never failed to gain the trust and respect of an elderly home-seller—my closing rate for elderly sellers was 100%. This is just one of the many lessons I learned by calling prospective clients who chose someone else instead of me.
Seek the Advice of Experts in Your Field
Another means to obtain reliable opinions and suggestions is to seek the advice of experts in your field. I have always made this a part of my action plan in starting a new business or strategy.
In preparing to launch my blog, I learned a lot of the “little things” about how to set up and run a blog from the experts in the field. When my blog went live, I wanted to get feedback from Gary Vaynerchuk, the most recognized social media expert in the country.
As you can see from the image at the top of the post, I sat down with Gary and went through my blog with him, page by page, to determine what refinements I could make. We took it a step further and he reviewed all of my recent posts on the Little Things Matter Facebook fan page. I was receptive to any and all pearls of wisdom he could share. It was a great experience.
If one person complains, there are 100 others who feel the same way.
Based on a lifetime of experiences, one of my personal beliefs is that when someone complains about something, there are 100 other people who feel the same way, but for whatever reason don’t say anything. Think about yourself…what percentage of the time do you complain or give criticism when someone has turned you off or when a business has failed to meet your expectations?
To illustrate this point, on March 3rd over a period of 15 hours, the post 10 Ways to be a Better Listener was accidentally sent three times to my newsletter subscribers. Needless to say, I was upset and embarrassed because that error was a reflection of my brand. What was interesting was only one person out of every 200 subscribers said something and each of these were family members.
One of the HUGE mistakes people make when they hear feedback and criticism is they think to themselves: if only one person complained, then only one person had a bad experience. Even if it were true that only one person had a negative impression or encounter, why should you discount the feedback? If it can make you a better person or make your company better, who cares if you heard it from one person or 101 people?
Learn From Everyone, Including Those Whose Feedback is Harsh
Have you ever heard people say “Don’t listen to those who are overly critical or negative because you can’t make everyone happy”? I agree with the principle that you can’t make everyone happy, but I also think that you should still listen to the feedback, despite the manner in which it was given.
Could it be this one person just didn’t have the personal communication skills to give their feedback with love and grace? Even if you believe their intent is to hurt you, so what? If you can grow and learn from the experience, accept it and move on.
Look For Subtle Signs of Feedback
Not only have I learned from the direct feedback I have been given, but I have also learned a lot by picking up on the little things people say and do. Quite often, people won’t give you direct feedback because their inclination is to avoid a confrontation; but if you listen carefully, you can pick up on their true feelings by the things they say and do.
Please Give Me Your Feedback
I want each of you to know that I would really value your feedback today, tomorrow, or in the future. If you ever have any ideas or suggestions about how I can improve this blog, please tell me. I want to know because more than likely there are 100 other people who feel the same way. And if you have suggestions about how I can grow as a person, I am open to that as well.
Start to look at feedback and criticism differently. Rather than trying to run from it, seek it out; be hungry for it; because only then can you really refine what you are doing and improve. If you show your appreciation to those who take the time to offer feedback, people will become even more comfortable in helping you develop personally and professionally.
Remember, what may be logical to you may not be logical to others!
Six Ways to Avoid Misunderstandings
Early in my career, I found myself involved in countless situations that resulted in misunderstandings. My natural reaction was to blame others, rather than accept responsibility. I used to think it was the other person’s fault if he or she did not understand something or explain something properly. After all, how could it be possible that I was at fault?
Then the day came when I made the decision that I would accept 100% responsibility for all misunderstandings in which I am involved. While there have been some painful, costly, and frustrating lessons, I have learned something from every misunderstanding and it has made me a better communicator.
This decision to accept responsibility for all my miscommunications forced me to not only focus on clear communication, but it has also improved my ability to identify warning signs where there may be a breakdown in communication.
If you will strive for excellence and take pride in the clarity of your communications, your value to the market will increase, people’s respect for you will grow and you will become a more effective leader.
Let me share with you six lessons I’ve learned about how to avoid misunderstandings.
1. Make Sure Your Written Communications are Clear—Always proof messages after you type them and ask, “How could this message be misunderstood?” This effort will require a little more time spent thinking about each message, but I’ve learned the extra time is worth the investment in your brand. Like anything, the more you focus on the clarity of your communication, the better and faster you will become in the process.
2. Evaluate the Clarity of Your Oral Communications—Whether you’re having a casual conversation with a friend, giving a dinner guest directions, leaving a voicemail message, or providing instructions to a business colleague, focus on the clarity of your oral communications. I often have to remind myself people aren’t mind-readers and they only know what I tell them.
3. Write ALL Things Down and Repeat Them —Make a commitment that from this day forward that you will write all instructions down which are given to you. Whether you are going to the grocery store for your parents or spouse, ordering take-out food for the family from your favorite restaurant, or working on an important project, always write things down.
Writing things down helps you remember what was asked of you and reduces stress in the process. If you repeat the instructions back to the person who gave them to you, you’ll avoid any misunderstandings. This extra effort is one of the things that distinguish those at the top of the pay scale from those at the bottom. It’s one of the key differentiators between those who are responsible and irresponsible.
4. Watch for Potential Misunderstandings—If you choose to accept 100% responsibility for all misunderstandings, something interesting will happen. You will begin to see warning signs that you have previously overlooked. It may be the look on someone’s face, a comment they make, a distraction in the background, or something else that will give you pause to wonder if there is a potential miscommunication brewing.
5. Confirm All Details and Put Them in Writing—When I am responsible for an event or task, I have learned to confirm all the details and put them in writing. As an example, if I have a call scheduled, I will confirm the date of the call, the time of the call, the time zone if appropriate, and who is responsible for initiating the call. Once it is confirmed, I put it on my calendar. Sure, this requires a little extra effort, but if it avoids misunderstandings, I have found it to be worthwhile.
6. Ask Others to Repeat What They Heard—Another way to avoid misunderstandings is to ask people to repeat your instructions back to you. You might ask someone, “Bob, before we wrap up this call, can you please confirm your responsibilities as part of this project?” When you ask people to repeat what they heard, not only does it force them to articulate what you said in their own words, but it also significantly reduces the risk of a misunderstanding.
I hope today’s lesson motivates you to take notice of the clarity of your communications and the potential for misunderstandings. Watch for those red flags to avoid conflict or unpleasant situations. Consistent clearness of expression will have a lasting impact on all of your interactions.
When you accept personal responsibility for all miscommunications, the lessons you learn will increase your value to the market and make you a better person in the process.
10 Reasons Why It’s Okay to Prosper
As the son of a clergyman, I am familiar with the Bible phrase “the love of money is the root of all evil.” The phrase has been widely quoted by authors, speakers, and religious leaders to warn us about what can happen when we place too much emphasis on money.
Yes, I believe the love of money can be the root of evil for some people, but let’s face it: there is a lot of evil that has nothing to do with money.
I certainly realize you can have all the money in the world and not be happy, and I’m aware that success is not measured by money alone. But prosperity is an admirable goal. The real issues are people’s reasons for acquiring money and what they do with it, not whether having it is right or wrong.
In this lesson, I want to bring your attention to 10 reasons why prosperity should be viewed positively.
1. Who You Become—A favorite quote of mine by my mentor Jim Rohn, “When you become a millionaire, it’s not the million dollars that makes you valuable; it’s who you become in the process,” speaks to the importance of personal growth. When you consistently stretch yourself to do your very best, you grow, your value to the market is increased, and your self-worth, as well as your self-confidence, become treasured realities.
2. Help Those in Need—One of the greatest joys in life for my wife and I is to help those who are less fortunate in our local community and in third-world countries. We particularly feel an aching in our hearts for orphans, and today our family sponsors a community of more than 50 children in Swaziland. How would you feel if you had extra money to help those who break your heart?
3. You Will Become More Respected—As you grow and develop your skills, habits, and personal character, those around you will look to you with respect and admiration. As people’s respect for you grows, so will your influence and usefulness as a leader. I have to believe the life of someone who is deeply respected is better than the life of someone who is not.
4. You Will Be an Example for Your Children—If you will strive for excellence in doing the little things to help you advance up the pay scale in your chosen occupation, you will be a great example for your children. After all, your example is likely the #1 influencing factor in their lives.
5. Your Influence on People’s Lives—As your influence grows, people will look to you and follow the example you set, which can be very rewarding and fulfilling. Remember, as a leader, when you do the little things to get better, everyone you lead gets better.
6. Children’s Education—The cost of education in America is on the rise each year. The more money you make, the better able you will be to provide educational opportunities for your children. Would providing the best possible education for your children bring greater satisfaction to your life?
7. Reduces Financial Pressure—How would you feel if you never had to worry about your finances? Would your stress level be different? The number-one source of tension in a marriage is finances. Would you be able to improve your relationship with your spouse? For those of you who are struggling financially, what would an extra $100,000 do for your peace of mind?
8. Better Health—There are countless studies that show a clear link between money and health. Affluent people tend to eat better foods, take nutritional supplements, and exercise with greater consistency (using the same discipline that allowed them to succeed in their business or occupation).
9. Retire Early—If you can save enough money to live off the income of your investments, you can choose to retire early to travel, enjoy life’s experiences, and pursue your passion. While early retirement is not for everyone, having enough money to make the choice is attractive.
10. Quality of Life—Money can afford you a better quality of life. I am typing this post in my home office overlooking the Gulf of Mexico. It is beautiful! There is no doubt the beauty of the gulf and the sounds of the waves crashing on the beach bring me great enjoyment and remind me of the gratitude I have for the quality of life I am able to experience.
I believe thinking negatively about money is an unproductive belief, and as long as you think that way, so will go the course of your life. I believe God wants us to give our very best to what we do and who we become, and if we earn a lot of money in the process, so much the better. We can use that money to improve our lives and the lives of our family, and through our charitable giving, we can impact the lives of those who are less fortunate.
I challenge you to make a commitment that you will stretch yourself to become the person who will attract more money into your life through your hard work, discipline, and wise decisions.
“Formal education will make you a living; self-education will make you a fortune.” -Jim Rohn
10 Simple Ways to Show Your Sincere Interest in Others
One of the keys, if not the most important one, to building successful relationships is your ability to show a sincere interest, both in the person and things that are important to that person. By expressing genuine interest in someone’s qualities, background, stories, hobbies, career, family, or anything else closely connected to that person, you will give them a gift, a sense of importance, well-being, and value.
And the law of attraction will draw people to you like a powerful magnetic force.
Let’s assume you are out at a social gathering and meet Sue. Sue gives you her undivided attention, asks questions about your family, and concludes the conversation with a warm smile and firm handshake. How would you feel about her?
Now let’s assume you meet Joe at the same event. Joe barely acknowledges your existence, looks around for other people to talk to, and can’t remember your name five seconds later, even if he were paid $100,000! How would you feel about him?
In this lesson, I will highlight 10 ways to express interest in others. It is critical to recognize your ability to build meaningful relationships will play a gargantuan role in both your personal and professional success.
1. Make Your Greeting Stand Out—When you meet people for the first time or greet them for the 10th time, you have an opportunity to make a positive impression on them. The key here is to take 10 seconds and make them feel like the most important person on this earth. Look them in the eyes with warmth and authenticity and offer them a friendly greeting. If appropriate, give them a firm handshake or hug.
2. Use Their Name— In all of your communication, written or verbal, first time or repeated, make it a point to use a person’s name.
In Dale Carnegie’s timeless book How to Win Friends and Influence People, he wrote, “If you want to win friends, make it a point to remember them. If you remember my name, you pay me a subtle compliment; you indicate that I have made an impression on you. Remember my name and you add to my feeling of importance.”
3. Listen With Interest—There is a difference between simply listening to people and listening with deep interest. Listening with interest signifies that you really care about what they are saying, in contrast to simply listening because it is the polite thing to do. If you question whether people can tell the difference, DON’T. They can and they will readily make judgments about you if they sense you are pretending to listen.
4. Ask Questions—A great way to demonstrate interest is to ask questions. It could be as simple as striking up a conversation with a co-worker about what they did over the weekend. Or perhaps asking something about the person’s family. Asking questions generally stimulates a person to talk about their interests and themselves.
5. Acknowledge People—When you acknowledge people, you recognize their value and importance. How about hugging your children before they go off to school? Or saying “good morning” to your co-workers as you walk through the office? Or saying hi to an acquaintance you see dining at another table in a restaurant? When you go out of your way to acknowledge people, you will make a positive impression on them.
6. Show Respect—When you show people respect, your actions express your interest in them. Think about it: when people show you respect, how does it make you feel about them? On the other hand, when people DON’T show you respect, how do you feel about them? For more about giving and getting respect, read To Earn Respect, You Must Show Respect.
7. The Old-Fashioned Way—One of the best ways to demonstrate the importance of a relationship is to call someone just to see how they’re doing. I receive very few calls from people who don’t have a self-serving agenda. Those who call because they genuinely care about me stand out in my mind. Think about it: how frequently do people call you just to say hi or find out what’s going on in your life?
8. Offer Genuine Compliments—When people take the time to offer you a sincere compliment, how does that make you feel about them? Are you naturally drawn to people who speak positively of you? When you take an extra 10 seconds to offer people a genuine compliment, your interest in them can have an impact far bigger than you know.
9. Encourage People—When you encourage others, you lift their spirits, enhance their self-confidence, and add fuel to their motivational fire. Perhaps more than anything, you give them hope and inspiration. Wow, if simple words of encouragement can do so much to enhance someone’s life, why don’t we all do more of it? How long could it take? 10 seconds?
10. Acknowledge Special Events in People’s Lives—When you make the effort to remember important dates in people’s lives, such as their birthdays, anniversaries, religious holidays, or perhaps even the anniversary of a loved one’s death, your efforts will be noticed. I feel awful when I read this point because I get an F on it. Ouch! The good news is my wife gets an A+. Does that count?
Let me encourage you to do exactly what I am committed to doing. I am going to go back over each of these points, grade myself, and make some notes as to how I can improve. If showing an interest in others is perhaps the most important key to building valued relationships, then why wouldn’t you take the time to review this list one more time and see what you can do better?
When you show an interest in others and the things that are important to them, they will show an interest in you and the things that are important to you!
The Power of the Written Word
Have you ever considered that you are communicating your personal brand through your daily emails, text messages, and social media posts? Since I launched the Little Things Matter fan page and this blog, I have found myself instinctively forming opinions about people I’ve never met, solely based on their written communication.
The cool thing is that these impressions have been positive for the most part. I always knew that professional and friendly communication comprised an important part of your overall image, but now I recognize its significance more than ever.
How about you? Do you form opinions about people you’ve never met based on their written communications with you? If you question whether this is true, have you formed an opinion of me based on these blog posts? If you were to tell your friends about me, what would you say?
Whether we realize it or not, we are making an impression on people through our written messages, which in today’s electronic world include much more than the old-fashioned letter.
Our daily interactions present numerous opportunities to make an impression with the written word. How many emails do you send in a day? How many texts? How often do you comment on a Facebook post? These written messages can influence a person’s opinion of you. Will that opinion be positive or negative?
Let me share with you a few things you can do with your communications to make a positive impression.
Be Friendly—There’s no doubt about it: I notice communication from people who take an extra few minutes to add a friendly phrase or comment. And it’s so easy. Start with your next email. It could be as simple as opening your email with: “Hi, Kathy. It’s great hearing from you”; and closing it with “I hope you have a great weekend. Please tell Bob I said hi.”
As someone who thinks about time management every day, I have learned spending an extra few seconds to be friendly is worth the investment of time.
Be Appreciative—Some of the people who stand out most in my mind are those who have taken an extra few seconds to express their appreciation for the time I have invested in writing my posts on the Little Things Matter Facebook fan page and the lessons in this blog. When we take the time to express our gratitude, people notice. They feel valued and respected and will generally return the sentiment.
Be Authentic—I believe authenticity is more important today than anytime I can remember. The recession has caused people to be less trusting and more skeptical. As a result, I believe people are instinctively drawn to those who are authentic and humble in all of their communications.
Watch Your Tone—Do you notice the tone people convey in their written communications? Can you tell when they are aggravated, overly firm, short, or hurt? The overall tone of a written message affects the reader just as one’s tone of voice affects the listener. So before you send an email, it’s a good rule of thumb to re-read it and ask yourself “Am I proud of the tone of this message?”
Be Direct—As someone who reads and responds to many messages each day, I must admit that when people ramble on in their communication, I think to myself “Come on; get to the point!” Poor sentence structure, wordiness, and disorganized thoughts combine to make a negative impression. One of the things I try to focus on in ALL my communications is to be clear and say what needs to be said using the fewest number of words possible.
Use People’s Names—Just as people notice when you say their name, they are also aware when they read their name. Writing “Hi, Joe” or “Hey, Sue” or “Thanks, Karen” just takes a few extra seconds and makes the person feel important.
Show an Interest in Others—One of the best ways to build new relationships with people through social media is to comment on their posts. It can be as simple as clicking the “Like” button on someone’s Facebook comment. By doing so, you show an interest in them. Remember, when you show an interest in others and the things that are important to them, they will reciprocate.
Proof What You Type—Make it a habit to proof everything you type before sending it. I NEVER send an email or text without proofing it at least once. Before posting on Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn, I proofread the copy at least three times. And even then, I have made mistakes. Look for obvious misspellings, missing words, and grammatical errors. Use an online dictionary for assistance.
Make a Positive Impression
Begin to focus on your written communication. Think before you write. Pause before you “send.” Consider the impression you are making with the written word. Starting TODAY, implement these simple tips to create a lasting positive impression on all those with whom you communicate.
Success comes from the compounding effect of small, daily improvements.
To Earn Respect, You Must Show Respect
I recently posed this question on the Facebook Little Things Matter fan page:
“What are the things you notice about people that make you respect them?”
Reading the responses was interesting, and when I compared the fans’ comments to my list, one common theme stood out: everyone agrees that you earn respect by showing respect. Said another way, if you take the time to demonstrate respect for people, they will show you respect.
Think about it: when people show you respect, how does it make you feel about them? On the other hand, when people DON’T show you respect, how do you feel about them?
While there are other factors that influence your ability to gain respect, such as work ethic, personal character, and attitude, one thing is for sure:
If you don’t show people respect, it is unlikely they will respect you.
Let me share with you a few of the comments from the Little Things Matter Facebook fans. This is just a small sampling of the responses I received.
Remember My Name—Jason respects a person who is intentional about remembering people’s names. I agree, Jason. When you remember a person’s name, you demonstrate sincere interest and respect.
Check out my post The Value of Remembering Names for my top tips about how to be more effective in remembering people’s names.
Be Consistent—Lonnie and Kelly said their respect for people grows when they are consistent. Kelly said she respects people who are consistent in their attitudes and business dealings. When she observes someone on top of the world one day and then portrays doom and gloom the next, she feels he or she has self-image issues. Kelly and Lonnie, I had never thought about this point before, but it does make sense. Thanks!
Be On Time—Dianne said she respects people who respect her time by being on time. Dianne, not only do I agree, but I strongly agree. When people are late, their actions indicate that they don’t respect your time. When I asked myself if I could truly respect someone who does not value my time, my answer is NO!
For more on this topic, read or listen to The Importance of Being on Time.
Be Reliable—Deb said she respects those who are reliable and dependable. When I think of being reliable and dependable, I think of people who are on time for their appointments, who meet deadlines, who do their work with excellence, and who return calls, emails, and text messages. I think of people who are in control of their lives.
What traits come to your mind when you think about people who are reliable and dependable?
No Gossiping—Debbie indicated that she respects those who don’t gossip. I would agree. It is hard to respect people who speak poorly of others behind their backs. If you find yourself engaging in gossip, try using some self-control and keep your comments to yourself. It’s hard to do but when you do it, you will be proud of yourself and your ability to gain respect will grow.
Greet People With a Firm Handshake and Look Into Their Eyes—Tiffany said, “For me, it’s when I meet people for the first time and they look into my eyes and shake your hand.” I highlighted the words, “look into my eyes” for emphasis. Could this mean that Tiffany notices the people who look into her eyes with warmth, authenticity, and a genuine interest in her? This is different than just simply making eye contact.
I am going to work on this small distinction when I greet people. Will you?
Be Real—Geoff said, “I respect people who have faced challenges, had bad days but aren’t afraid to be open about their emotions – and still remain generally positive – I think that means they’re ‘real’.” I think the underlying message here is that Geoff respects people who are authentic and vulnerable. I agree 100%.
People like people who are genuine.
I agree there are times to be vulnerable, but I would also say there are times when you should use discretion in who you open up with and in what you say.
Do Unto Others as You Would Want Them to Do Unto You—Linda referred to what’s known as the Golden Rule and said, “Treat people with the respect you would want to be shown.” Linda, thanks for being one of the people who influenced the theme of this lesson.
After spending hours studying this lesson, I am convinced that showing respect to people is a little thing that directly influences people’s respect for you.
I want to thank the Little Things Matter Facebook fans for all your insights and contributions. You have given me new perspectives. Thanks for making my life better.
What are you going to do differently?
Being honest with yourself, on a scale of 1-10, how would you rank your ability to demonstrate respect? Do you show a genuine interest in others? Do you listen effectively? Do you value someone’s opinion, even if it’s different than yours?
While typing this lesson, I engaged in some self-evaluation. I must admit that I gave myself a 7, room for improvement. I am committed to making changes in this area because I can do better. Will you join me?
A sure way to offend people and lose their respect is to be disrespectful.
Is Your Attitude Helping or Hurting You? (Part 3)
Read Part 1
Read Part 2
Today, I want to share with you some ideas to help you maintain a positive attitude despite the presence of negative people or circumstances…
Expect Things to Get Better—When you expect things to improve, not only will you be happier because of your attitude, but also your positive expectations will allow you to see opportunities you would otherwise miss. I have said for years that when you expect things to go well, they generally do, and likewise, when you expect things to turn out poorly, they generally do.
I realize there are times when it’s very hard to have a positive attitude. I’ve been there many times, but I also know I am ultimately the one in charge of my emotions and attitude. I am keenly aware that if I allow myself to moan and groan and wallow in self-pity, I will lengthen my period of pain. I just don’t see how things can improve if I have a bad attitude. Think about it…how can things improve if you don’t expect they will?
When you are faced with difficult challenges, keep in mind that your expectations will in all likelihood determine the outcome.
Avoid Speaking Poorly of People—There will be occasions when people exercise bad judgment or display inappropriate behaviors. It is certainly within your prerogative to offer constructive criticism to these people, but it’s in poor taste to talk behind their backs to their friends or co-workers. If you allow yourself to be consumed with negative thoughts about a person, your unconstructive attitude will be obvious to others.
I am always impressed with people who don’t speak poorly of others, especially if they have the right to do so.
Maintain a Good Attitude Even if It’s Bad News—One of the things that really stands out in my mind is when people handle themselves with class in the face of bad news. For instance, if you are laid off from your job, lose a big sale, or are denied a well-deserved promotion, be intentional about how you handle yourself.
I even noticed this when watching the Academy Awards recently. You can bet those who did not win were extremely disappointed, but they did everything they could to hide their disappointment.
As a sales professional and entrepreneur of 29 years, I have been on the receiving end of a lot of bad news. But I have learned to focus on handling myself like a professional. I know it’s the right thing to do and I have observed that how I respond makes a big impression.
I can recall numerous occasions when a prospective client told me that I did not get their business but they later reconsidered because of the way I responded to their decision and handled myself during the conversation.
Next time you hear bad news, respond in a way that makes you proud of yourself and creates a positive impression.
Learn to Respond Rather Than React—In the course of our daily lives, so many things occur that challenge our natural emotions. It could be the driver that cuts you off on the highway or an aggressive e-mail or perhaps a co-worker’s sarcastic comment during a meeting. When we get upset or angry, the key is to not lose control of our emotions by reacting, but rather to stay in control and respond thoughtfully.
Since this is a weakness of mine, let me tell you what I am doing to correct this. First, I acknowledged to myself that I have a weakness in this area and I am committed to working on it. Second, when I get frustrated or angry, I say to myself, “Stay in control, Todd; be thoughtful about how you respond.” I often have to repeat this several times.
I have also started modeling my wife’s behavior as I admire her ability to respond rather than react. When she is upset, she focuses on speaking in love. When I think about speaking with love in my heart, it transforms my state of mind faster than anything I have tried before. Try it next time and see how it works for you.
Break the Habit of Finding Fault With People—I must confess I went through a period of time where I was guilty of this very point. I suppose that I found fault with everything because I was so focused on striving for excellence that I constantly noticed what I perceived to be people’s mistakes.
This changed for me when I heard Napoleon Hill speak about this subject on one of Success Magazine’s CD inserts. His words had a huge impact on me, and I immediately started working on my attitude. I still notice all the little things people do right and wrong, but the difference today is I don’t let it bother me.
How about you? Do you find yourself overly critical? If so, let me encourage you to start being aware of these circumstances and work on your attitude. Have a little more patience; be a little more understanding. People are not perfect, and for many of them, they are doing their best. It’s also important to recognize that what may be logical to you may not be logical to others.
As I wrap up this three-part series, I want to encourage you to be aware of your attitude at all times and be intentional about controlling your emotions.
I would love to hear about your personal experiences. What helps you to have a positive attitude? In what circumstances do you find yourself challenged to maintain this attitude? If you have found value in this series, I would enjoy reading your comments.
“There is little difference in people, but that little difference makes a big difference. The little difference is attitude. The big difference is whether it is positive or negative.” – W. Clement Stone
Is Your Attitude Helping or Hurting You? (Part 2)
Read Part 1
Read Part 3
The benefits of positive thinking and positive attitudes are well documented. Researchers have found that people with positive attitudes are happier, healthier, and live longer than those with negative attitudes. So….
If You Are Going To Do Something, Do It With a Good Attitude – Think of the last time you were asked to do something by your spouse, employer, or friend, but you really didn’t want to do what was requested. How would you describe your attitude in this type of situation?
Yesterday, my wife asked me to do something while I was deep in thought about a project. Because I was in the middle of something, my immediate reaction was negative. I then had a choice: I could be grumpy and do what she requested or I could do it with a good attitude. Because I am personally working on doing everything with a positive attitude, I interrupted what I was doing, put a smile on my face, and happily helped her. It made the experience better for both of us.
The next time you have to do something you don’t want to do, let me challenge you to do it with a great attitude and see how it makes you feel. You will stand out!
Don’t Worry About What You Can’t Control – Here’s an interesting statistic I heard years ago: 92% of the things people worry about are beyond their control. If you are troubled about something you CAN control, like whether you are going to lose your job, then step up your game. Come in early, stay late, offer to work on a weekend, volunteer to take on additional responsibilities, and everything else you can think of to increase your value. If you end up losing your job, you can bet you’ll get a good reference.
If, on the other hand, you find yourself worrying about something you can’t control, like the safety of your son in Iraq, then you must use your self-control and not allow yourself to worry about his safety. Worrying about things you can’t control will not only affect your overall attitude, but it will have a negative effect on your health.
Here’s a tip. Make a list of the things you worry about. Then divide that list into two categories: the concerns you can do something about and those you can’t. Take control of those where you can have an impact and put together a plan to attack them. Then make a commitment to yourself that you will be intentional about not worrying about the things you can’t control. Deal?
And lastly…
Challenge Yourself To Be Positive During Difficult Times – Bad things happen to all of us. It’s a given. But the key to maintaining our perspective and ultimately our longevity is our attitude during these tough periods. I cannot imagine one positive thing that can come from having a bad attitude during challenging times. Can you? Even if you lost your job, lost your home in foreclosure and were forced to sleep in your car, what good would come from having a negative attitude? The truth is that a negative attitude would compound your problems.
Ninety-nine percent of the people I have met in my life have a negative attitude during difficult times. I suspect it’s because their thoughts are consumed with their problems and they’re not consciously aware of their negative attitude. The next time you find yourself dealing with something challenging, be aware of your attitude. Choose to remain positive. You will stand out like a bright light in a dark room.
You Are In Control of Your Attitude
Challenge yourself to do EVERYTHING you do with a positive attitude. Not only will this bring more joy and happiness into your life, but it will also build self-esteem and self-confidence.
Starting this very minute, stop worrying about the things you can’t control and start attacking the things you can. This is a choice you control. Don’t allow yourself to think differently.
When times get tough, be the person who stands out from the crowd with a positive attitude. If you are going through a difficult period right now, then be strong, be bold, and read It’s a New Day.
Tune in on Monday for the final installment of this series.
Happiness is an attitude. We either make ourselves miserable or happy and strong. The amount of work is the same. -Francesca Reigler
Is Your Attitude Helping or Hurting You? (Part 1)
Read Part 2
Read Part 3
Your attitude is a powerful sentiment. It affects every part of your life: self-image, relationships, business, and even your health. There’s just no way that I can cover the subject effectively in one post and so today, I am launching a three-part series dedicated to YOUR ATTITUDE.
Definition of Attitude
A simple definition of attitude is a person’s feeling or emotion toward a fact or situation. It’s a person’s mental outlook on circumstances; one’s temperament, mood, or viewpoint. People tend to think that there are only two kinds of attitudes: positive and negative; but really there are many.
Here are just a few: friendly or reserved, confident or insecure, cheerful or depressing, compassionate or callous, determined or indecisive, peaceful or destructive, appreciative or ungrateful. It’s easy to see that all can be classified as either positive or negative and that they will truly identify who you are.
Attitude is a key component in defining one’s personality. Your attitudes affect how people see you—whether they like or dislike you, whether they want to be around you or avoid you. It affects their viewpoint about you—how they respond to you—whether you gain or lose influence with them.
Your attitude is reflected through the tone of your voice, the expression on your face, your body language, and the courtesy or lack thereof extended to others.
Good and Bad Attitudes
Think of someone you know who always seems to have a good attitude. Who immediately comes to mind? How do you feel about this person? Is this someone you enjoy being around? Is this someone you would hire if you were an employer? Is this someone you would buy something from if he or she were selling something you needed?
Now think about someone who always seems to have a bad attitude. Who do you immediately think about? How do you feel about this person? Is this someone you enjoy being around? Does this person give you energy or draw energy from you? If you were having a party, would you invite this person? How likely would you be to embrace any idea that comes out of his or her mouth?
Your Attitude is a Choice
Your attitude is a choice, and that choice is 100% within your control. Just know that the choice you make will influence every aspect of your life. Let me encourage you to begin looking at what’s good in your life and not what’s bad. If you are going through a difficult period, remember your attitude can make your life even worse or it can be the catalyst to turning your life around.
Learn From Your Failures
If you have experienced some recent failures, learn what you can and then force yourself to stop thinking about them. Continuing to think about mistakes you’ve made will affect your self-esteem, self-confidence, and ultimately your attitude. We all make mistakes. I’ve made hundreds of them. Everyone slips and stumbles somewhere along the way. But your success does not depend on how often you fall. It depends on how often you get up and try again and on how much you learn from each experience.
Stop Complaining
Perhaps most importantly, stop complaining. What do you gain by complaining? You certainly do not attract others. Most people don’t want to be around those who complain. You can’t change the situation by whining. You don’t make any progress or improve your circumstances by moaning and groaning. I can’t think of one positive result that comes from complaining.
Begin to Enjoy Doing What You Don’t Enjoy
If you find yourself struggling to keep a positive attitude at your job, begin to enjoy doing what you don’t currently enjoy. Make it fun. Look for the positives. Look at how you can grow yourself through what would normally be unpleasant experiences. People’s respect grows for a person who has a positive attitude when it would be easy to have the opposite.
Self-evaluation
So let me ask you to be honest with yourself and evaluate your attitude. If your family, friends, and co-workers were to describe your attitude, what would they say? Starting NOW, I want to challenge you to become aware of your attitude and its effect on your life and those around you.
In tomorrow’s lesson, we will look at several other situations that can challenge your ability to have a good attitude. By the end of this three-part series, you will have learned the strategies you need to be the first person people think about when they are asked, “Who do you know who always seems to have a great attitude?”
Increase Productivity by Batching Tasks
For the past 29 years, I have been a student of time management and know that it has been one of the major keys to my success as an entrepreneur. I consistently look at how I can be more productive with my time. In fact, there is not a workday that goes by that I am not focused on maximizing how my time is spent.
Being productive with my time is part of my DNA and plays an important role in my everyday decisions. Today, I want to teach you a simple tip to be more productive, achieve greater success, and enjoy a better quality of life.
Batch Your Tasks
Effective time management is essential to achieve your career goals. My top time-management tip is to use a daily prioritized to-do list to plan your time. If you have not read My Top Time Management Tip, it is a must. In this lesson, I will share with you my second-best tip: batch your tasks.
Batching your tasks is not really difficult or complicated but requires a conscious effort. Basically, batching tasks entails the combination of responsibilities into one category and the completion of them at the same time. As an example, run all your errands at one time, rather than scattering them throughout the day.
Often, it’s the little tasks that add up and steal all our time. For instance, each time I have to pay bills, I open my mail, paperclip each bill with its return envelope, enter the information on the computer, print out the checks, sign the checks, get my backup thumb drive out of my fireproof safe, backup the system, put the thumb drive back into the safe, tear off the return part of each invoice and insert it along with the check into each envelope, lick the envelope, put a stamp on it, put it in the mailbox and file the remaining paperwork. Sure, there are bills you can pay through online checking or automated methods, but in my world, I have a lot of checks I have to pay manually.
If I went through this process with every invoice I received, it would take me ten times as long as my current process where I only pay my bills on the 25th of each month. For 20 years, I paid bills twice a month, but by moving to once a month, I am increasing my productivity even more. In moving it to once a month, I contacted my credit card companies who changed my billing cycle so they are all due at the same time. I did the same thing with my other vendors.
Other Examples of Batching Tasks
Returning Emails—I return emails three times a day. I may scan them between projects in case something is requiring my immediate attention, but I try to remain disciplined to only return them three times a day. When I am working on an important project or running behind on my responsibilities, I will then only return them twice a day.
Opening Mail—I put all my mail in a stack or box and only open it once a month when I pay bills. When I go through my mail, I throw all magazines, junk mail, and anything without a first-class stamp in our recycling container. Then, on the day I have designated for this task, I open the mail that remains.
Social Media—I have learned that social media can be time-consuming if you are not careful. Like everything I do, I had to establish my rules of engagement for this task. I review and respond to comments on Twitter and the Little Things Matter Facebook fan page once a day and make three posts a day that appear on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
I realize if I invest more time using social media to promote my blog, I would have more subscribers, but I just don’t have the extra time. (So, will you help me spread the word?)
My Daily Blog Posts—I block out every morning from 8:00-11:30 to write my daily blog posts. This is the time of day when I am at my best, so I use it to write my posts. When I was in the sales industry, I used it to prospect for new business. Throughout my career, I have tried to protect my mornings to do my highest-valued work. Identify your most productive time of day and use it to do your most important tasks.
Returning Calls—I try to return all my calls when I am in the car, because, other than listening to self-development CDs, it is the best use of my time in the car.
Scheduling Calls—I try to schedule all my calls in the afternoon back to back with each other, rather than scattering them throughout my afternoon. Scheduling them back to back also gives me a reason to conclude a call when the time I have allocated to it is finished. I have also learned that when people know I have blocked out 15 minutes for a call that should only take 15 minutes, everyone gets right to the point. You could use this same strategy for your meetings.
An added benefit to batching tasks is the reduction of errors, as you will be more focused and systematic in what you are doing. When undertaking tasks I don’t enjoy, it allows me to get on a roll and get them all done at one time.
These are just a few examples of how I batch tasks throughout the day to increase my productivity. Please share with me some examples of how you batch your tasks below this post. We can all learn from each other.
If you don’t currently batch your tasks, begin by making a list of everything you do and determine how you can do a better job at batching your everyday responsibilities. If you are already batching your tasks, what improvements can you make to be even more productive?
Learning to batch your tasks is one of the most important time-management lessons you can master.
10 Tips to Balance Your Career and Family
While I have been far from the perfect husband or father, I have always been a great believer of leading a balanced life. I take pride in being a successful entrepreneur, as well as being a family man. Married to my high school sweetheart, together we have raised and home-schooled four remarkable children.
I realize there are components to living a happy and successful life beyond your family and career, but finding the right balance between these two is where most people struggle. I’ve learned first hand, if the proper balance between your family and career is not achieved, every part of your life will likely suffer from the consequences.
For those of you who are high achievers, it is absolutely critical that you maintain the appropriate balance in your life. If you neglect to invest time in your relationships with your spouse and children while in pursuit of your career goals, you will likely regret it during the later years of your life.
For those of you who are spouses of high achievers, just know that 40 hours a week is a “break even“ in life. If you want to have the nice things life can offer and enjoy a better-than-average quality of life, there are sacrifices you must make. If you aren’t making these compromises, be careful. I have never seen a marriage last when someone’s spouse is holding him or her back. Have you?
My Top 10 Tips to Enjoy a Successful Career, Marriage, and Family Life
1. Set Your Family and Business Goals—I believe the first step to achieving anything important is to begin by identifying your goals. If you have not already done so, pull out a pad of paper and write down your career, marriage, and family goals.
2. Get Support From Your Spouse—The only way you are going to achieve these goals is with the support of your spouse. Just as it would be unwise to think you can build a successful business without the support of your business partner, you won’t build a successful marriage, family life, and career without the support of your spouse.
3. Create Blocks of Time For Work and Family—One of the first things my wife and I did when we got married was to put together a work and family schedule. What started out years ago as a simple schedule where we blocked out time for my career and for us to be together has transitioned into a plan for our entire family. We delineate blocks of time to spend time with each of the children and together as a family. This one tip has made a HUGE difference in my life.
4. Review Schedule with Family—After you and your spouse have negotiated the blocks of time you will allocate for your career, spend together, and be with your children, then review the schedule with your children and get their buy-in. After you have discussed the schedule, establish the boundaries highlighted in the next three tips.
5. Make Sure Your Work Time is Respected—During the blocks of time you have allocated to work, you are not to be interrupted unless there is an important reason. Of course, there will be exceptions when either your spouse or kids need to talk to you about something, but you must make those times the exceptions and not the norm.
6. Don’t Conduct Business During Family Time—This means not doing ANYTHING work related during family time. I respect and value my family time and, therefore, I rarely schedule calls or appointments during this time. My phone seldom rings during family time because everyone knows when I am with my family, I don’t answer my phone or respond to messages. I’ve set boundaries and people I associate with on a regular basis respect those boundaries.
7. Make Your Family Time, Family Time For Everyone—No texts, no emails, no phone calls! This applies to you and your family members. Make your family time a sacred time that is valued by everyone.
8. Be Present—When you are with your family, try to stop thinking about everything going on in your life and focus on your family. Resist the temptation to talk about your work and instead concentrate on topics of interest to your family. Use your time together to ask questions and discuss what is going on in their lives.
9. Dates with Kids—If you have children, let me encourage you to block out times to spend time with them on an individual basis. There is no better way to connect with someone than one-to-one. Whether it’s a bike ride, a one-night camping trip, playing dolls, a cup of tea, or whatever it is they enjoy doing, block out time each week to spend with each of your children.
10. Weekly Date With Spouse—This is the number one marriage tip I give to newlyweds. Every week throughout my marriage, with a rare exception, my wife and I have a date. Our dates may be dinner at our favorite restaurant, a boat ride, or a campfire on the beach cooking hot dogs. The key for us is blocking out time when we can focus on each other without any distractions. This allows us to catch up on everything going on in our lives and to show our love to each other.
I want to challenge you to take steps to improve the balance between the time spent pursuing your career, building your marriage, and pouring into your children’s lives. Print out this lesson and discuss it with your spouse. I am convinced if you will implement these 10 tips, you will live a happier, more successful, and fulfilling life.
Your example is what your children will remember when they have a family.
Make a Positive Impression With Your Personal Voicemail Greeting
Whether you recognize it or not, your recorded voicemail greeting makes an impression on everyone who hears it. A professional greeting can make a positive impression; a goofy greeting can make a negative impression; and an automated greeting could be viewed as impersonal and inconsiderate. In this lesson, I will share some basic things you can do to record an impressive voicemail greeting.
One of the skills I have developed over my 29-year career is a unique aptitude to quickly and accurately read people. My ability to select the right people with which to do business has played an important role in my professional success.
There are many little things I instinctively look for and notice, and one of them is a person’s voicemail greeting. I often conduct initial phone interviews, and when someone’s personal voicemail greeting turns me off, the interview process is over. It’s their first and last impression.
Identify Yourself—I believe identifying yourself through your voicemail greeting shows respect to everyone who calls you. It allows your callers to confirm they have dialed the right number. When people don’t include their names in their greetings, it leaves me wondering if they have something to hide. I have seen this to be true far too often.
You can identify yourself with only your first name on a personal cell phone or home voicemail. If it is a business voicemail, I suggest including your first and last name. I would also include your title.
Have Energy in Your Voice—When you record your voicemail greeting, make a positive impression. Speak as though you are enjoying a successful life. People are instinctively drawn to people with positive attitudes. If you sound like you just woke up, you will likely make a negative impression.
Don’t Get Creative With Your Voicemail Messages—Many high-profile sales trainers advise you to leave all kinds of crazy messages on your voicemail as a way to stand out. What I find is that most of the people who try to do something creative with their voicemail messages end up sounding corny. In fact, seldom do creative off-the-wall voicemail messages make a positive impression on me. If you want to be viewed as a professional, then make sure your greeting presents you as one.
Tell People What You Want Them To Do—Here’s my voicemail greeting: “Hi, you have reached the voicemail for Todd Smith. At the tone please leave your name, phone number, the purpose of your call, and the best time to reach you, and I will return your call as soon as possible. Thank you.”
The voicemails I receive in response to this greeting allow me to use my time most productively. I learn the purpose of the call and when they are available for a return call. This allows me to prioritize when I need to return calls and helps me be better prepared for the ensuing conversation.
Oftentimes, knowing the purpose of their calls allows me to respond to their messages by sending them emails. As an example, when people have a question, I can send them an email answering their question. Knowing the purpose of the call also allows me to continue the communication through their voicemail if we end up playing phone tag.
Don’t Use The Computer-generated Greeting—I get aggravated when I hear a computer-generated message like, “The person you are calling at 9-4-1-5-5-5-1-2-3-4 is not available to take your call. Please leave a message at the tone.” Even if the number repeated by the system is the same one I have for the person, it requires extra work on my part to confirm I’ve dialed the right number, and even then I am still left wondering if this is the right number for the person I am calling.
Since I pride myself in being responsible, if I don’t receive a return call, I have to assume I wrote down the wrong number. If I were irresponsible, I would just blow it off and not care. But if I wrote down the wrong number, I have a responsibility to get a hold of this person. This extra work combined with wondering if it’s the right number leaves a bad taste in my mouth.
If you will follow these simple tips, you will make a positive impression through your voicemail greeting. If you have any additional tips, please share them in the comments section below this post.
Your voicemail greeting may be someone’s first impression of you. Make sure it is a positive one.
The Most Important of All Human Qualities
Of all human qualities, I would argue that integrity is the most important. Why? If people don’t trust you, it doesn’t matter how many great attributes you possess, they won’t respect you nor will they follow you.
How about you? When people have been deceptive, misleading, or cheated or lied to you, do you still respect them?
You can build a relationship of 20 years and destroy it in 30 seconds by crossing the line and doing something that causes someone to question your integrity.
When people have given me a reason to question their integrity, I can forgive them; I can even love them; but it’s painfully hard to ever trust them again.
Trust is one of those rare things that when it is lost, it’s almost impossible to regain.
If you want to achieve long-term success in your career, you must absolutely be a person of integrity. Sure, people can get to the top without integrity, but all we need to do is turn on the news or read our local paper to see that they don’t stay at the top. Those people who lack integrity will eventually be exposed, and when they are, their world will come tumbling down.
I listened to an interview with Dave Ramsey on the Success Magazine monthly CD. Dave talked about best-selling author Tom Stanley’s books, The Millionaire Next Door and the sequel, The Millionaire Mind. Stanley’s research demonstrates that first-generation deca-millionaires (those with a minimum net worth of 10 million dollars) statistically had 38 behaviors or traits in common. The number-one value was integrity. Their vendors, friends, and even their fierce competitors commented that they had fanatical levels of integrity.
Dwight D. Eisenhower said, “The supreme quality for a leader is unquestionably integrity. Without it, no real success is possible… If a man’s associates find him guilty of being phony, if they find that he lacks forthright integrity, he will fail. His teachings and actions must square with each other. The first great need, therefore, is integrity and high purpose.”
Not only is personal integrity critical to achieving wealth, but it is also significant in building a strong self-image. After all, how can you feel good about yourself when you are doing things you shouldn’t be doing?
Integrity is equally important in our personal relationships because it is the foundation from which all great friendships and marriages are built. Nothing will destroy a friendship or a marriage faster than a lack of trust.
Not only do you want to be viewed as a person of integrity, but over time you want to be viewed as a person with unquestionable or, as Tom Stanley says, “fanatical integrity.”
Unquestionable integrity means people who know you won’t ever question your integrity because you’ve never given them a reason to do so. This level of integrity is built over time by being authentic, forthright, and always doing what’s right.
Let me encourage you to never, not even once, for any reason, do something that could cause people to question your integrity. No matter what it is, it isn’t worth it in the long term. Few things spread faster than the fact that someone can’t be trusted. And besides, when you always tell the truth, you never have to remember what you said.
“Have the courage to say no. Have the courage to face the truth. Do the right thing because it is right. These are the magic keys to living your life with integrity.” –W. Clement Stone
12 Attributes, Values, and Skills of a 360-degree Leader
Years ago, I attended a leadership conference and heard Bill Hybels give an inspiring presentation. His words still resonate with me today. When we think of leadership, we normally think of guiding people who fall under our area of responsibility. The concept of 360-degree leadership takes it a step further.
A 360-degree leader is someone who guides and influences their immediate team members and becomes so respected and admired that they have influence with everyone in the organization. These “out of the box” leaders are the most valuable leaders in the marketplace because their contribution to an organization goes beyond their area of personal responsibility.
Let me share with you 12 of the attributes, values, and skills that comprise a 360-degree leader.
Never Allow Anyone to Question Your Integrity—True 360-degree leaders are those whose character is NEVER questioned. NEVER means NEVER EVER!
Do Your Job With Excellence—In my lesson, Becoming a Respected Leader, I suggested that respect comes as a result of taking pride in your work and striving for excellence in all that you do. Adopt the following personal philosophy: “If my name is going to be attached to something, it will be accomplished to the absolute best of my ability.”
Don’t Say You’re a Team Player; Be One—If you are not viewed as a true team player, you will never be a 360-degree leader. Selfishness speaks loudly and defeats any possibility of being recognized as a leader.
Do What is Expected of You—This means returning all calls, texts, and phone calls in a timely manner. It means being on time and prepared for all appointments and finishing ALL projects and tasks on time.
Show Respect to Everyone in Meetings—It goes without saying that demonstrating respect for people in all circumstances is critical if you want to be viewed as someone likable and valued. But it is especially relevant in a business setting. For instance, if you start a side conversation in a meeting or consistently interrupt someone, not only will this person lose respect for you, but it’s also likely you will be viewed poorly by everyone in the room.
Don’t Complain Without Making an Effort to Improve Things—If you feel the need to complain about something, make sure you are prepared to present a well-thought-out solution. And even then, be careful about how you position your complaint. 360-degree leaders are problem-solvers, not complainers.
Try to Understand the Other Person’s Point of View—If you will master the 10 Ways to Be a Better Listener and show people that their opinions are valued and appreciated, their respect for you will grow. No one likes a know-it-all.
Look For Opportunities to Stand Out—If someone is running behind on an important project, volunteer to help him or her out. If there is a problem with something, volunteer to get to the bottom of it. Be willing to come in early, stay late, and work on a weekend if something needs to get done. Look for things you can do to get noticed for going above and beyond your normal responsibilities.
Volunteer to Lead—If a project needs spearheading, be the first to volunteer. The more you do to step into a leadership role, the more likely it is that you will be viewed as one who leads. And ultimately, you’ll have the ability to impact decisions and influence others.
Build a Great Team—The brand of the people under your leadership affects your personal brand. If you want to be respected as a 360-degree leader, then lead by example and build a great team of people who individually strive for excellence. Great leaders challenge people to perform at higher levels than they normally would without the benefit of the leader.
Maintain a Positive Attitude—Let’s face it: we all like to be around people who have a positive attitude. It’s easy to have this outlook when things are going well. But it’s the people who can maintain a positive attitude during stressful times or when handling negative situations that are the ones who are admired most.
Focus on Your Goal—If you want to be a 360-degree leader, then you must be intentional about building meaningful relationships with the people who have influence in your work environment. The more these people like and trust you, the more they will be drawn to you.
When you incorporate these strategies and the other little things highlighted in my daily blog posts, people’s respect for you will grow. As this happens you will not only have influence with those under your leadership, but you will have influence with everyone who knows your name. You will then become a 360-degree leader!
I want to encourage you to become a student of leadership. Read all you can about the subject. If you are an auditory learner, listen to CDs and podcasts. I also recommend a subscription to Success Magazine. Each month, you will receive the magazine along with a CD recording of interviews with some of the most influential leaders in their fields.
People follow those they respect and admire regardless of their title or position.
10 Ways To Be A Good Listener
Being a good listener is one of the most important skills you can master if you want to advance your career and build meaningful relationships. When you REALLY listen, you demonstrate your interest in what is being said and you show your respect for the individual saying it. Listening is a magnetic force that draws people to us.
Have you ever talked to someone and noticed he or she wasn’t really listening to you? How did it make you feel? Unimportant? Disrespected? Insulted? Remember those feelings and work diligently to ensure that people never feel the same way when they talk to you.
In this post, I will highlight 10 things I have learned throughout my career in addition to some lessons my dad taught me. My dad is the best listener I know. Everyone who meets him forms an instant bond with him and I am convinced that the number one reason for this immediate connection is his genuine and sincere interest in others. It all starts with him being a good listener.
1. Make Eye Contact—The first step in being a good listener is to make eye contact with people while they are talking. Good eye contact demonstrates genuine interest in the person and the conversation.
2. Be Present—I must admit I have been accused at times by my wife of not being present when she is talking even though I am looking into her eyes. These are times when my mind is thinking about something other than what she is talking about. I can only assume others have noticed, but perhaps at the risk of offending me, they have not said anything. The key here is to be aware that people do notice if we are not really listening. And so we must focus on the discussion and not allow our minds to wander.
3. Give NO Sign You are Ready to Respond—When you are listening, don’t give any clues that you are ready to respond. Don’t point your finger and don’t open your mouth. When I talk to people and I see that they are waiting on pins and needles to respond, I know they are no longer listening because they are more concerned with how they are going to respond than with listening to what I have to say.
4. Wait Two Seconds to Respond—During a conversation, wait two seconds after the person finishes speaking to make sure they have finished their thought. This is especially important when talking on the phone because you can’t see their facial expression. Oftentimes they are just pausing to gather their thoughts and are not really finished speaking. If you find yourself talking at the same time someone else is talking, then use that opportunity to remind yourself of the “pause two seconds” rule.
5. Let Them Go First—If you start talking at the same time someone else is trying to finish their thought, STOP and say, “I’m sorry, please continue,” and let them finish before responding. Even if what you have to say is important or it’s an answer to the question they raised, show them your respect by letting them finish. I certainly notice when people allow me to complete my sentences without “over-talking” or interrupting. Do you?
6. Care About What’s Being Said—This is where my dad stands out from most people. When he listens, he really cares about what is being said, even if it’s a subject that doesn’t interest him. He tells me that this is his way of showing people that what they say is important and that they are valuable individuals.
7. Listen For The Message Within The Message—Another one of my dad’s skills is to listen for the message within the message. By listening intently, he is able to grasp the topic and move more effectively into the conversation. He says that most people are looking for encouragement, answers, or insights into the subjects they discuss. By listening in this manner, he is able to connect more effectively.
8. Don’t Change The Subject—When you are engaged in a conversation, don’t change the subject unless the discussion is finished. I observe people who do this all the time in small group settings, business meetings, and social encounters. If you change the subject of a discussion prematurely, you demonstrate a lack of interest in the discussion and indicate that what you have to say is more important.
9. Respond by Asking Questions—When you ask people questions during a conversation, you show a sincere interest in the topic. My dad says that most people operate at “the feeling level,” rather than “the thinking level,” even if they are good thinkers. I agree! My dad’s favorite question is to ask how they FEEL about the subject they have raised.
10. Don’t Start a Side Conversation—When part of a group conversation, never start a side conversation, even if the person talking is not making eye contact with you. Yes, they should be including you in the conversation by sharing eye contact equally with each person in the group, but don’t allow their mistake to prevent you from being a good listener.
Like many of the other thoughts I have shared with you, instinctively, I know the right thing to do. But doing it consistently is the hard part. Being a good listener requires an intentional effort and above all, a sincere interest in other people. It is a skill worthy of mastering.
I am committed to working on being a better listener. Will you commit to showing you care about people by incorporating these ten tips into your daily routine? On a scale of 1-10, what’s your commitment?
“You can make more friends in two months by becoming interested in other people than you can in two years by trying to get other people interested in you.” Dale Carnegie
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