June 2009

I was speaking on the phone with a friend today, when he asked my opinion about a concern of his.

He happens to be associated with a twelve-step program, and membership isn’t growing like he thought it should.

So, I asked him three questions.

First, what is the range of years in the program among active members? The answer was three years on the low side to nearly thirty years on the high side.

Second, what percentage of newcomers come back every week for three months in a row? He didn’t have an exact figure… but assumed it was less than 5%.

This led to my third question… what expectation were they giving the new attendees at their first few meetings? The answer, not surprisingly, was complete and total abstinence… beginning today!

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Okay, so I admit it… that led to one more question… the kind where the rubber meets the road.

“Did YOU give up (whatever it was) on day one and remain 100%, completely and totally abstinent all these years… without ever slipping yourself?”

“Of course not!” he said… “It was a process!”

Okay, so we have a new person… who is addicted to, and abusing whatever it is they’re addicted to and abusing, and doing it for more years than they can remember… and ALL we’re asking them to do (at their first meeting, mind you), is to give up whatever it is… for the REST OF THEIR LIFE!

And they’re not coming back..? Hmm…

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I see the same thing go on in churches… and in weight-loss programs. With music lessons… and with extra-curricular school or work activities.

An expectation of near-perfection is set… usually by people who could not and did not initially meet such a standard themselves… and they set it without regard to what near-perfection would actually require.

That is, doing what you CAN do each day to move CONSISTENTLY toward such a goal… all the while being WILLING to fall flat your face REPEATEDLY in the process, if necessary.

It’s how ALL talent is developed into practical skills… and how innate ability is converted into the type of real-life experience that can benefit others.

Please know that it is my sincere hope that you failed at SOMETHING today, and I look forward to speaking with you soon.

Questions:

What are three abilities that you are seeking to hone into areas of real strength?

What is required each week to develop them to a high level?

Have you reached out and completely “failed” this week?
If so, congratulations.
If not, why not?

Photo Credit:

foxypar4

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As we discussed recently, when it comes to goals that are truly WORTHY of our time, energy, and expense… most WILL involve personal growth or some serious testing of our metal.

They are also usually TOO BIG to be accomplished on our own. We must build a team, and attract others to the VISION… one powerful link at a time.

In most cases, this means… no, scratch the first part… This means that true missions, if they’re BIG enough to make a real impact, are not going to be accomplished overnight.

So the question then becomes… is the vision clear enough… and is the mission important enough… to hold our commitment, focus, and activity at the levels they need to be… for however long it takes to succeed?

For consideration:

What goals are you working on in which you are measurably moving the dial EVERY day?

Are they written down? Are they a part of your day… or… are they a part of your being?

What is the best case scenario if you achieve them fully? What is the worst case if you don’t move forward? How wide is the gap?

I look forward to speaking with you.

Photo Credit:

Ella’s Dad

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I answered my phone the other day, only to hear that a dear friend was calling to apologize.

Okay, I thought… apologies are good, especially when warranted. But for the life of me, I couldn’t think of ONE THING that they needed to apologize for.

In the next two or three seconds of silence, every conversation we had over the previous month flashed through my mind, and I came up blank.

“I feel bad because I took your ideas…” came their next words. “I’m sorry.”

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Ideas make the world go ’round.

In fact, the world is really just one BIG set of ideas. Everything that people do or think or talk about is rooted firmly in ideas of one sort or another.

Every job or career or hobby is just a bunch of ideas that are being literally and practically worked out. Someone had an idea, and now many others are working to make it so.

No, there’s no shortage of ideas… and few that are genuine originals.

So those ideas of mine which were “stolen”, were not really mine to begin with. Oh sure, they had my twist… based on my own personality, experience, and point of view. Yes, they had a definite uniqueness in application that came from my goals, purposes, and missions in life.

But mine?

No, they were simply a sum of everything I’ve ever read, seen, or heard. An outcome of thousands of years knowledge… and things I’ve learned… from my own experiences, or others.

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Great ideas solve problems. They add value or convenience; they make life better, faster, easier, or less costly. Great ideas eliminate pain, make us more productive, and bring our goals more firmly within reach.

And they rarely happen in a vacuum.

Principles are principles… laws are laws. Some ideas just work because they work. Others don’t… and never will. But either way, ideas are meant to be used. Every book, every keynote… every blog, podcast, seminar, or webinar has at its core a set of ideas… the purpose of which is to make a difference.

Imagine an author who writes a book, but doesn’t want her ideas to influence your future thoughts or actions!

Take them… improve them… make them your own. Use them, share them, and then give back. The highest form of praise for a thought-leader is to have our ideas manifested in the successful results of others.

So, welcome to the conversation… no apologies necessary… now go, and grow.

Questions:

What ideas are you sitting on right now that need action?

What can you do by the end of this week to move the dial?

Will you do it?

Photo Credit:

Sir Mervs

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