How Big Is Big?

Posted on by Christina

Nugget

“Success… it’s what you do with what you’ve got.”~ Leroy Van Dyke

Reflection drill

Build Inspirational Detail into Your Dreams & Visions…

Why it matters

When you dream, dream big. When you picture results, picture great results. And when you visualize your future, visualize the most magnificent future you can.

Spend some time at the canvas of your dream before you go to sleep tonight. Paint with a flourish!

Thinking drill

When you dream, how grand is the vision you create?

If you had NO LIMITS, what would you envision for yourself and your family?

What really big and meaningful dream would you like to visualize achieving next?

What’s your take away?


 

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Do You Complete Jobs with a Minimum of Effort?

Posted on by Christina

Nugget: “The world cares very little about what a man or woman knows; it is what a man or woman is able to do that counts.”
~ Booker T. Washington, educator, author and leader

Reflection drill
Create efficient routines for your recurrent tasks. There’s no need to recreate the wheel every time you initiate the routine actions that are part of every day. Setting a routine for these will save you valuable time that could be better spent on higher level problems.

Commit to proactively carve out the time you need to think all the way through your routine actions each day. Maybe it’s simply planning the day, reviewing your cash flow, or proposing a project timeline. These ‘same actions everyday” are what you want to visit just once (vs. every time you do it), and create a game plan/tool solution/or online structure to make it a habit. After a while, your routines will become automatic and you can breeze through them using only a minimum of thought and energy. That’s freedom!

Why it matters
It saves energy. You can maximize your productivity by becoming a creature of habit for your recurrent tasks.

Thinking drill

What are the routine jobs you do every week?

Which of your recurrent jobs take longer than they need to?

When will you invest the time to create new systems for your recurrent tasks?

What’s your take away?

 

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Do You Bring Your Dreams Into The Light Of Day?

Posted on by Christina

Nugget: “My philosophy of life is that if we make up our mind what we are going to make of our lives, then work hard toward that goal, we never lose—somehow we win out.”
~ Ronald Reagan

Reflection drill
Share Goals with Others for Mutual Success…

Why it matters
Dare to live your dreams and share them with others. Combine your dream with those of others and you’ll create an unstoppable reservoir of energy.

Don’t settle for achieving your goal alone when you could be leading a dream team!

Thinking drill
What’s your dream, your passion, the thing that keeps you inspired?

What pumps you up and gets your motor humming? Are you doing it? Alone? Why?

What can you do to bring more of your dreams into others’ schedules this week?

What’s your take away?

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Remember—You’re a Person, Not a Machine

Posted on by Christina

Nugget:  “The first requisite for success is the ability to apply your physical and mental energies to one problem incessantly without growing weary.”  ~ Thomas A. Edison, inventor and businessman

Reflection drill
You’re a person, not a machine. Don’t expect your body to go nonstop without proper care and maintenance. Ok, so a machine needs those, too. But a car’s engine can run on oil alone. A human requires much more complex levels of fuel to sustain high level thinking and productivity. A healthy lifestyle makes you more productive. Eat the right foods, get sufficient rest, work out regularly, keep a positive outlook and don’t overindulge.

I know this is all easier said than done, but it all comes down to one of my favorite personal mantras: Promote Energy Gainers, Eliminate ALL Energy Drainers.

Why it matters
Nothing fuels achievement like personal energy. The healthier you stay, the better you perform.

Thinking drill
What’s keeping you from being healthy today?

Do you wake up rested and full of energy? If not, what can you change to make it so?

What can you do today to prepare your body and mind for peak performance?

What’s your take away?

 

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Vision + Guidance + Delegation = Success

Posted on by Christina

Nugget: “Leadership is the wise use of power. Power is the capacity to translate intention into reality and sustain it.”
~ Warren Bennis, American scholar and pioneer of the contemporary field of leadership

Reflection drill
Leaders are vision holders. Their ability to see the “big picture,” communicate it, and rally others around it is one of their main tasks. What is your vision? How does it relate to your goal or mission? As a leader, it’s your job to paint the picture and help your team see the crucial role they play in achieving it. Work together with your team to get their input and buy-in, and then give them the room they need to execute.

Remember that it’s your team’s project, right? Delegation is critical. Whenever you can, delegate entire projects rather than individual tasks. A leader’s job is not to do it all yourself, but to provide guidance, a system for measuring and tracking, and above all, to hold your vision banner high. Remember, the vision contains the description and purpose of the work at hand. Refer to it often as you use the talent and brain power of your team to move the project ahead.

Why it matters
Multiply your productivity this month by delegating larger and larger amounts of responsibility and authority to others.

Thinking drill

Will delegating an entire project create more motivation or less for your team member?

Which areas of your work could benefit by delegating entire blocks of responsibility?

Are there any new projects you could start if you delegated entire jobs more often?

What’s your take away?

 

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Anybody Got the Road Map?

Posted on by Christina

Nugget: “Be ready when opportunity comes. Luck is the time when preparation and opportunity meet.”
~ Roy D. Chapin Jr., Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of American Motors Corporation

Reflection drill
Anybody Got the Map? Yes – you do, whether you know it or not! You have a daily road map called your “To-Do List.” Use it throughout your day to keep you on the right path. Think of distractions as detours – veer off on an unnecessary one and you’ll waste valuable time. Add those detours to the bottom of the list and get right back on the road.

A weekly time map will help you define your daily to-do lists. Think of this as a bigger road map. Building this map requires a careful review of the week you’ve just finished and plotting out the schedule for the week ahead. This is mission critical work. Complete this process with your financial goals in mind to help you best balance the time you need to spend working “in” your business versus “on” your business.

A well thought-out plan will put you in a better position to be a good decision maker as the week unfolds. Your weekly and daily roadmaps will help you when distractions appear. Consult them to know whether you should stick to plan or make a new move – with intention. Good planning puts you in the best position for being a good decision maker.

Why it matters
During those times when you get distracted, it’s a whole lot easier to stay on track when you have a prioritized roadmap to get back to!

Thinking drill

Where’s your list right now?

Will a well laid-out-plan reduce your distractions today?

When you do become distracted, how do you get back on track?

What’s your take away?

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Less Distraction = More Action

Posted on by Christina

Nugget: “There are only 3 colors, 10 digits, and 7 notes; it’s what we do with them that’s important.”
~ Ruth Ross

Reflection drill
Prevent Interruptions BEFORE They Occur…

Why it matters
When you reduce interruptions and eliminate distractions in your day, you’ll have more time to spend on more productive activities.

If you want to have a very productive day, prevent interruptions before they occur.

Thinking drill

What keeps interrupting you from what you most want to do today?

Is anything interrupting you right now? What? Why?

What action would put a distraction to sleep right now?

What’s your take away?

 

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When Is Your Finest Hour?

Posted on by Christina

Nugget: “A strong positive mental attitude will create more miracles than any wonder drug.”
~ Patricia Neal, American actress of stage and screen

Reflection drill
When Is Your Finest Hour? What time of day are you personally at your best? For many it’s early in the morning, for others it’s late at night. Whenever it is for you, schedule your most important tasks around this productive time and keep out interruptions. This is your productivity time – cherish it.

Why it matters
It brings power to your priorities. It’s easy to reserve the hour in your day when you feel the most productive. Enter it as a standing appointment and then keep it!

Thinking drill
Knowing the demands on you, when would be the best time of the day to schedule an hour for intense production time?

How can you make sure that you have one quiet, productive hour per day without interruptions?

What important projects or tasks do you never seem to have the time for?

What’s your take away?

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