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Make No Mistakes

Over the weekend, my lovely wife Sam and I did a bit of handy man work up at our shed.

Sam was operating the drop saw and … well … the picture says it all. Drop Saw 1, Sam 0.

The good news is that it was only a minor incident with a small graze on her hand. As the Black Knight said, “tis but a scratch.”

In a recent episode of the Get More Success show, guests Sonya and Sacha said that they make no mistakes. They are purely learning experiences. When something doesn’t work, they now know what NOT to do so they do something different.

This is what Sam did.

I guarantee she will not put her hand under a rotating blade again. She has learnt how little effort is needed to break the skin. I also know she will be a lot more focussed on where her hands are in relation to all the tools she is using.

What about you?

Whether it is using tools, dealing with your kids or dealing with customers and colleagues in the work place, do you make mistakes or is your experience purely focussed on learning what will move you forward?

 

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Are You In Control?

Are you in control?

There are so many people in the workplace who continually quest for control. Unfortunately for them, control is an illusion.

It seems to be that just when you think you’re in control something will happen to show you that it is clearly not the case. For example, my year was starting very well. I had my marketing and sales process is all down pat. I was firing on all cylinders … and then I broke my leg! Spending four months sitting in a chair definitely had an impact!

This weekend I got to see Australia’s premier improvisations troop, Impro Melbourne, in action. While watching the show, it made me think that the only way to stay in control is to be aware that you truly never have control. Rather than fighting for control, it’s all about being able to influence the situation that you’re in.

Watching the Director’s trying to influence a situation, giving the actors the freedom to do what they think best within some loose guidelines, created some amazing performances. It is the willingness to trust others and understand that they are all working towards the larger goal that gives both freedom and a sense of control.

You never know what someone else will do with the words that you say, the emails you send, or the input you give. All you truly have control over is your reaction to it.

So the purist form of control is understanding that you have no control whatsoever. Simply being in the moment and being willing to take responsibility for the situation and your response to it is enough.

Are you in control?

 

 

 

 

 

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Are You Flexible?

Image: ShutterStock

If you stop and listen to any management consultant or coach, they will tell you about “Change”.

Change in the technology age is considered “Normal”. Just as you get comfortable with Facebook they change how it operates. You no longer buy software with your computer, you pay an annual fee and get continual updates. You don’t need to perform your own computer backups anymore because anything you store on the cloud is backed up regularly.

Technology shifts so fast that new phones only have an effective life of about three years, and we are ok with that because the latest and greatest does more, has more and IS more. Some technology is so awesome, we can’t imagine life without it. I mean, what did you do before Google Maps?

So change is happening and all this technology and process “out there” is changing but what about you?

You may be willing to embrace new technology but are you able to let go of old ways that no longer serve you? Are you able to shift your thinking and admit you were misinformed, confused or simply, plain old WRONG?

Flexibility is more about letting go of old ways than it is embracing new ones.

It is about maintaining an open mind and using that gap between the stimulus and the response described by Dr Viktor Frankl, to give a considered response rather than a gut reaction.

So with how you see life, yours as well as those around you, are you Flexible?

 

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It Takes Time

Image: ShutterStock

Are we there yet?

It feels like I have been on the road to recovery from this broken ankle for eons, but it has only been a matter of months. I have had the screws and metal work out for a little while now but still I am not cured.

It seems that sitting on your backside, doing no physical activity and not putting any weight on your leg means that for that leg, the ligaments and tendons have all constricted. So that now when I walk I look a little like Quasi Modo!

I am frustrated.

I had plans. When that metal work was out and I stopped using the boot, I had stuff to do. But it turns out that it takes time.

Too much physical exertion exhausts me. My fitness (the little I had) has left me so that even when I am singing with my choir, I am out of breath on songs that didn’t use to affect me. Regaining that fitness takes time.

While my mind is ready for my body to be better, my body needs more time. A lot more time. There will be stretching, gentle exercise and plenty of positive self talk to get me there.

It is frustrating but it is also my reality.

Do you find that as well? Maybe you aren’t getting the sales results you are after, the promotion you know you deserve hasn’t been realised or even after all your workouts, your fitness hasn’t improved yet. It takes time.

You are on the path. Keep doing the work and know that sometimes it just takes time.

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It’s Done

There is nothing like seeing your name in print.

It is even better when it is on a body of work that contributes to the lives of others.

The book above, Mortgages Demystified, has been a labour of love for one of my mentoring clients, Andrew Larcombe. After months of work, years of experience and a lot of fine work detail, the book is DONE!

Now naturally as a mentoring client of mine I want to rave about how good the book is (and it is really good!)
I also want you to make sure that you know there is a really good first release deal which includes postage, a finance audit and audio program on the Negative Gearing Trap (you can check out the deal here).
As an avid property investor myself, I also want to make sure that you learn some of the basic finance principles and ideas in this book that will have a significant impact on your financial future.

Most importantly, I want you to experience the feeling of “It’s Done”.

That feeling when you have finally achieved something you have been striving for. All the hard work, inconvenience, and effort finally turning into the outcome you are after. The look that Andrew had on his face holding the copy of his book that he had been talking about for years and finally had been able to put together. It’s Done!

Andrew willingly admits that I have been his “fluffy slipper”. It was easy for him to get sidetracked on more “urgent” issues in his business and his life (he got married, had a honeymoon, hired new staff, doubled his mortgage broker mentor program all while writing this book). Knowing I was around to give him a kick in the backside with the “fluffy slipper” and focus on what was “important” made all the difference.

Where do you need the “fluffy slipper”? What is happening in your life where you want to feel “It’s Done!”

 

 

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Can You Help Me?

Image: ShutterStock

Like all businesses, you need to constantly monitor your marketing activities and see what results you are getting. If it is working, keep doing it. If it is not working, stop and look for something else to do that will bring better results.

As part of my marketing, I am putting together a new portfolio document. Now while I could write many things about how good I think I am and what elements of what I do that I think my clients get value from, it is far too insular to be accurate.

If you are reading this, we have a relationship.

Maybe you saw me speak, host an event, listened to my podcast or an interview I did. Maybe you read my book or participated in an online session.

No matter what it was, I am wondering if you can help me?

I am putting together some thoughts or ideas that others have about me and what I do. So if you have a word, a statement, a sentence, a quote of mine you like, or simply a reason someone should hire me, I would appreciate you emailing that to me. You can make it anonymous or I am happy to attribute your comments. Just let me know what you would like.

This way I can put some genuine client commentary into my marketing portfolio document and not just padding and made up marketing tosh!

Don’t worry, I will let you know when it is done so you can see what I did with your comment.

Thanks so much for your help. I appreciate it.

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Isn’t It Enough?

Image: ShutterStock

As someone who shares the stage with many speakers, I have heard a lot of messages (inspirational and otherwise) over the years. An underlying them seems to be “you are not enough”. If only you did more of this, that and the other thing your life would be better.

Along comes social media. Again we are bombarded with images and messages from people many of which seem to say or imply that you should eat this, do that, exercise this much, work harder, achieve more, make more, parent better, be more creative… There is no end to it.

TV is loaded with fearful and guilt laden messages of “if you were a good parent/sibling/child/grandparent then you would buy this product/service”. Even the TV shows and movies set an unrealistic example. Compare the class of the tv show The West Wing with what is currently happening in the White House.

Here’s the thing. I am all for self improvement and creating a better life for yourself but at what cost?

I love the concept of learn from the past, plan for the future but live in today.

Too often many people (myself included) forget to enjoy the day and celebrate all you have achieved because their focus is in the future on what they want or “should” have.

Personally, I am spending a lot less time on social media as it does not serve me well. I have refocussed on the amazing things I already have in my life. Yes I have plans and goals but I am enjoying my life as I live it and not just waiting for the day that I have achieved everything I think I should.

Life as I am living it is great. It is enough. In fact, it is more than enough. How about yours?

 

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Have You Got The Right Person?

As we were shopping on the weekend, I spotted this young man putting up that sign. It is the sort where you spray the glass, apply the sign and then squeeze all the air bubbles out.

He was doing a crap job of it and I suspect it was not his fault.

To me, he looked like he was 15. The is a chance he is older and because I am an old fart everyone just looks young but the reality is, his age should not matter. It is the outcome that counts.

The outcome was ordinary!

If you look at the sign, it is on an angle and not square with the window. If this angle or skew is part of the decoration, I can live with it, but when something is slightly off, I notice it and it becomes a barrier. A small one, but a barrier none-the-less.

After he had finished, there were still air bubbles in it. During the process of applying the poster, he was scrapping all over the place. I would have thought a systemised approach starting at the middle and then moving out would have worked well. Maybe his technique is the store approved one, but the results were still ordinary.

It felt like they had the wrong person for the job.

Maybe he is the right person for the job and he is just learning. Then why not have someone who knows what they are doing be standing there advising, training, and guiding him to excellence.

Maybe he got it wrong and it needs to be re-done. After he finished, nobody came out to review his work, advise on corrections or ask him to re-do it.

Maybe because it is the end of the lease, they just don’t care. This is what it felt like.

I have said it before, you have to make it easy to be the customer. There are so many things that can act as a barrier to your customers. Your shop or business decor is one of them. Posters on the wrong angle, not set up correctly or not conveying the brand appropriately are not major issues. Most of the time you won’t know what’s wrong, you will simply know something “doesn’t look right”. This becomes a barrier and it can easily be enough to stop you entering the store or doing business.

Make it easy for your customer and for you team. Get the Right Person doing the Right Job at the Right Time.

 

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Sometimes You Need A Distraction

Image: The view from the west wing in the Shed looking to the North.

 

The worst spot for me to be is in my own head.

I have thoughts that circle around so much that sometimes I find it hard to tell what is the truth and what is just an opinion.

My broken ankle has exacerbated this situation. For the last three months or so, I have been unable to walk, drive or leave the house. I so need a distraction. For the last couple of weeks my gorgeous wife has been in Sri Lanka to become a God Mother so I have felt this isolation more keenly.

Luckily I have some amazing friends. After a couple of phone calls, my fabulous friend Anne said she would happily drive me the 90 minutes to see our farm, hang around for 30 mins or so and then drive the 90 mins back.

During our drive we both agreed that we had stuff and thoughts we needed to be sidetracked from and a days adventure was just the trick.

The Australian countryside is amazing. Having a drive with a good friend, chatting about life (including the beauty of the Oxford comma) and enjoying the world what just what I needed. Then to spend about an hour foofing around at the Shed while Anne went and had a chat to the horses and strolled around the farm, was brilliant.

Today I feel refreshed, invigorated and have a lot more clarity around what is truly important. I have a renewed focus and connection with the world. All this from a simple distraction.

Where is your head at? What would a distraction do for you?

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How’s Your Perspective?

Image: ShutterStock

One of the great things to come out of having a broken ankle/leg has been the shift of perspective.

At different stages I have had to use different mobility aids: crutches, wheel chair and even scooting down the hallway on an office chair. While using these different ways to get around, I realised how much I don’t consider anyone who is not able bodied.

For example, my gorgeous wife took me to Coles Supermarket to do some shopping with the trusty wheelchair. As we wheeled up and down the aisles I saw people do something weird and then realised that I usually do the exact same thing.

You know when you carry the basket around, it has a few things in it so it’s a little heavy, and then you can’t find the thing you want on the shelf. So you put the basket down, take a step back and peruse the whole shelf looking for it. Unbeknown to you, you have effectively blocked the entire aisle!

A simple “excuse me” had the person looking a little embarrassed and quickly moving out of the way.

I also found that now having a height in the chair of 1.2 metres (about 4 feet) rather than my usual 1.9 metres (about six foot three), I couldn’t what was on the top shelf. While I could see the stuff on the bottom shelf it was difficult for me to reach. Nothing wrong with that, it’s just a different perspective.

Another time I was wheeling into an electronics retailer and I couldn’t fit down half of the aisles. I wanted a portable hard drive and I could barely squeeze past the display to see them. They also had plenty of “specials” piled around the place. They looked great and effectively blocked me from passing.

I must stress the staff at all of these stores were happy to help me and make some special accomodations for me but it reinforced how we rarely consider those with needs different to our own. Whether they be physical, emotional or otherwise.

When you are dealing with your customers and prospects have you truly considered their perspective? Is there something particular that they need? Do you need to ask them more questions to find out what is really going on for them?

Hopefully you won’t need to fall off your motorbike to shift your perspective. A few simple questions and a willingness to step out of your ordinary situation should do it!

PS If you want some excellent perspective shifting and funny tv, I highly recommend watching Speechless.

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Winners are Grinners

Image: Deep Storage Facebook

This is Susan Earl.

She is an artist, a designer and an award winning director.

Her short film, Deep Storage, won the only award for short films at Geena Davis’ Bentonville Film Festival in Arkansas, USA.

Notice the grin. Winner are grinners.

You know when you wouldn’t have noticed the grin? Most likely during the scripting process, the finance raising, location scouting or the 20 years of foundation work she did before winning the award. Now there most certainly would have been some grins along the way (Susan is a naturally happy woman) but there was a lot of effort, uncertainty, and doubt as well.

This is not the first film win for Susan. A previous animation project, Valmay the Visitor, won Best Animation Short at Paris Independent Film Festival. She has also done a lot of work on other projects, some that were hers and some belonging to others.

What helps make the grin so big is that there is a lot that has gone into this win. She didn’t start out to win an award, she started to tell a decent story with two ideas in mind. What makes a home feel like home and why are storage facilities so prevalent? Why do we have so much stuff and why does it mean so much to us?

So a huge congratulations to Susan and a question for you dear reader. What are you working on today that will have you grinning like a winner in the not to distant future? You don’t have to win an award but your achievement or contribution will make you a winner.

That’s got to be something worth grinning about doesn’t it?

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Why Would You Do That?

Last week i was fortunate enough to share the day with the other members of the Professional Speakers Association Board as well as our Past National President representative. It was a full on day which had some great outcomes.

Following my recent announcement that I had taken on the position of President for Professional Speakers Australia, several of my contacts asked, “why would you do that.”

It’s a great question.

Let’s be honest, in an Association President position, there is little kudos, a lot of extra work, distraction from your business, time away from family, many people advising you on what you “should” do and a ringing question of “is it worth it?”

My experience in being of service to an organisation is that it pays back in multiples, just never in the way you thought it would or should. I have been on the board several times, served at several chapter positions and even been the organiser of the national convention. This has added up to a lot of time and energy.

The benefits from all of this service continue to be delivered to me.

  • I have had tens of thousands of dollars worth of business referrals from members
  • I have been asked to speak at Global Speakers Federation sister associations in the USA, Singapore and New Zealand
  • I have met some of the top speakers in the world
  • Some of the best speakers have donated their time to me to help grow my skill sets
  • Event industry experts have sought me out for my opinion on Event issues the industry is facing
  • I have seen blossoming speakers create significant businesses
  • I have made some fantastic new friends
  • Big name speakers make themselves available for my projects like the Get More Success show and Get More Inspiration
  • I have made new friends all around the world

Too often the focus is “What’s in it for me?” But being of service to your industry and association pays off in ways you cannot begin to imagine, financial and non-financial.

So if you are wondering, that’s why I would do that.

What about you? Do you perform acts of service?

 

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What Is It Good For?

During my state of recovery and rest I have revisited some of the classic films we have. One that appeals to me greatly is the original M*A*S*H film.

The film is very clever in showing the intensity and futility of war. The series that followed continues that message.

Fortunately, we live in a time when deaths from war are at an historic low. Having said that, the damage from war is still way to high. The recent episode of “You Can’t Ask That” on recently returned war veterans is a strong indication of the damage that war does.

While the recent activities with USA, Russia, China, Syria, and North Korea seem to hint at the ghoulish nightmare of increased military conflict, it is not just there that we should be concerned.

Sometimes the war is not a military action but a disagreement between departments, companies, friends, family members or even with your customers. The best way to win a war is not to be in it.

In some situations you can be Right or you can be Happy and you get to choose.

Help stop a futile situation from escalating and sacrifice your desire to be Right. Look at the big picture, ask “how important is it” and come up with a solution that both parties can live with. Sometimes it is not that easy but the cost (financial, emotional, and of your reputation) is far lower than outright war.

You always have to ask yourself; War – What is it good for?

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What CAN You Do?

broken leg in jeans

Today marks the last day of the fifth week of my broken leg and ankle (not that I am counting).

When I talk with my friends, family and customers they are quite surprised how positive I am.

Now don’t get me wrong. The cast is uncomfortable, it is hard to get around, crutches are no where near as much fun as my childhood memories, I can’t do anything around the house, making myself a cup of coffee is almost impossible and I have started to dream about walking.

To stay positive, I am firmly focussed on what I CAN do and not on what I can’t.

If I started to focus on what I can’t do, I would enter a spiral of self-pity, depression and self-loathing that would help no-one. While it is not easy, I am choosing to focus on what I CAN do.

Focussing on the simple things of being able to go to the toilet by myself, pat my dog, being able to put on jeans and go out for a coffee (like the Werribee Mansion where we went on Sunday as per the photo), take phone calls, write blogs, record podcasts, keeps me positive.

Coupling that with gratitude for all the positive things I have in my life means that my attitude stays healthy while my body heals. Yes it is inconvenient not being able to walk for the next 10 weeks but I know from personal experience how fortunate I am to have such a minor accident. My reason to be in hospital for four days was a simple one with a known answer. I have some brilliant friends, family and colleagues who have been visiting and keeping me fed. I am relatively independent on my crutches and I have experienced hardly any pain.

What about your situation? If you are stuck, feeling blocked, impacted by external factors just ask yourself, “What CAN you do?”

Then simply start doing that.

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What Are You Working On?

Image: ShutterStock

Do you spend much time working on yourself?

There are many people in this world who think they are pretty magnificent. All you need to do is ask them and they will tell you how good they are!

I love the concepts of “If you don’t grow, you go” and “once you are ripe, you rot“.

Simple statements that position how important it is to continually work on yourself.

Now before you thank, “I don’t have time”, “I’m too busy” or “what the? Something ELSE to do?” you need to understand that working on yourself doesn’t have to be a formal education process or something ADDITIONAL you need to do.

Here are some simple ideas that have a positive impact on you and can help you grow:

  • Read a book (it doesn’t have to be a business book, novels add new ideas and perspectives too)
  • Attend an industry convention
  • Join a mastermind group
  • Attend a networking function
  • Listen to a podcast (Naturally I recommend the Get More Success Show)
  • Spend time with friend talking about challenges you all face
  • Write a gratitude journal
  • Join your Professional Association
  • Sing in a choir
  • Join a charitable organisation
  • Create something
  • Ask someone else what they would do in your position and truly listen to their answer
  • Watch a foreign film (some classics you can start with include Amelie, Cinema Paradiso, Babette’s Feast and Mon Oncle)
  • Play with some kids and some Lego or building blocks to see what they create
  • Attend a trade show
  • Have a hobby

The trap of thinking we know enough is that the world keeps moving on and we can get stuck in our own way of thinking.

So what are you working on?

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