The Value of One Good Idea

“Ideas are the beginning points of all fortunes.” ~ Napoleon Hill. Last year I was in a meeting with a bunch of business owners and leaders from different industries and backgrounds. One guy was celebrating that his new patented surgical device adapted for premature babies for heart and brain operations had just been picked up by 3 local hospitals. Not only would this save countless babies lives by making very serious operations for such small delicate babies much safer, it was going to be very lucrative for his company. That was one good idea right?

Then, a guy who works in the veterinary field asked the question; “Do you think that your surgical device would also work on small animals?” Sure. And, a whole new world was opened up for him. How much do you think that idea could be worth over five years? My guess is millions! Do you think that a group of medical doctors would have come up with it? I doubt it.

One of the secrets to coming up with truly radical new ideas is that they typically come from someone outside your own industry. The walls of the thinking ‘box’ of your industry can be invisibly thick. You speak the same language, look at the same data, and see the same patterns. We all see through the lens of our own worldview and realities. The more we work in an industry or field, the more it defines the box of our thinking. That’s why it is so important that you have a group of people that are from a variety of backgrounds and industries to bounce ideas around with. Even though everyone will come to the table with their own filters, there will be a diversity of viewpoints.

Who do you know who comes from a different industry or field for whom you value their wisdom? What one or two people can you rely on to call with you need some ‘outside of the box’ thinking on a difficult issue, challenge or opportunity. Can you join a mastermind group or roundtable monthly to be challenged and to offer your wisdom to others?

There are some genius ideas out there for you. Diversify your input and see what can happen for you.

The Habit of Success

Habit. Yikes. For most of us, this word is associated with nail biting or smoking. We all have bad habits. And once they are ingrained in our daily routines, it is so hard to break them. Do you struggle with a bad habit that may be keeping you from succeeding in your dream business? How about the habit of putting off calling your prospects? Do you have a habit of putting off writing blog posts or newsletters to your list on a regular basis? I know that I can struggle with those two challenges myself.

Here are some wise words to inspire you:

“Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going.” ~Jim Rohn

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” ~Aristotle

“A bad habit never disappears miraculously; it's an undo-it-yourself project.” ~Abigail Van Buren

Good or bad, we do things habitually on a daily basis. Good habits lead to good results, bad ones hold us back.

What can you do about it? Here are some practical tips.

1. Focus on ONE new positive habit for 30 days. There are really two tips in this one. Working on something daily for 30 days will begin to create a new pathway in your brain and help it to become normal for you. AND only focusing on one new thing a day will help you stay on track. If you try to do too much, you will get overwhelmed and give up too quickly.

2. Enlist support. If you tell yourself that you want to make a change, only you will know if you don’t accomplish it. But, if you get an accountability partner, you are much more likely to be successful. You don’t want to disappoint them, now do you?

3. Write down the list of benefits of the new habit in a prominent place and read it several times a day. It will really help to constantly remind yourself that the new habit will give you a better reality than your present state.

4. Reward and celebrate every day that you can remain consistent with the new habitual behavior. Make sure that your reward it also good for you!

5. Create a system for making the habit easier to keep. For example; If you say you want to write a blog post every day, then give yourself a series of topics to make that easier. Then, each day, just look at the next one on the list and you are good to go. Keep it simple and it will be easier to stick with.

6. Repeat. Once you have a new habit in place, keep it up. Having the new behavior for 30 days helps you establish the habit, keeping up the activity will make it a deeply rooted habit.

So, once you have experienced the benefit of the new habit, remind yourself that the new habit is working and keep it up!

Two Different Women

“Life is full of beauty. Notice it. Notice the bumble bee, the small child, and the smiling faces. Smell the rain, and feel the wind. Live your life to the fullest potential, and fight for your dreams.” Ashley Smith

The other day I was at a meeting and there were two women. Both were in the midst of incredible health challenges. Anna and Grace both had cancer and both had been struggling with their illnesses for years. Both had been given poor prognosis, and yet, both were still alive beyond those dates.

Even though their experiences were very similar, they met their challenges with totally different mindsets. Anna had a ‘woe is me’ attitude, and Grace was grateful to be alive.

Grace looked at each day as a gift and spent her days enjoying her family and encouraging others who were in the same boat. Her purpose was clear. Bless people every day that she is alive and demonstrate grace and encouragement to others that are under difficult circumstances.

This was Anna’s third round of cancer and she was angry. She had closed herself off of her family and friends and refused to be comforted by them.

Both women were faced with difficult realities. Both were sick and tired most of the time. But, one made a choice that actually helped not only others, but herself.

Is there an attitude or a thought that is holding you back from your purpose or dream? Is there a choice that you can be making that would bless rather than bring others or yourself down?

There is so much that we have no control over in life. But, we always have control over our own attitudes and mindsets. At the end of the meeting, Grace came up to Anna and put her arm around her and said. “I used to feel like you do right now, and then I realized that I have enough around me to be grateful for, that I would be much better off focusing on that stuff. We all only have a limited number of days on this planet. I choose to live them with gratitude.”

I was inspired by Grace. I want to be more like her. How about you?

Are you LIving your Fears or your Dreams?

“Too many of us are not living our dreams because we are living our fears.” Les Brown. I know a person who just won’t go for her dream. She’s so afraid of failure that she is paralyzed to try anything. You want to know the ironic thing about that? Her fears actually CAUSE her failure. She is actually choosing failure by not trying.

Can you relate to her? Are you choosing failure by not stepping out of your comfort zone and really giving your dream a chance? Yes, there is still a chance that you will fail. But, not trying guarantees that you will fail.

What can you do today to give your dream a chance? Success is just a matter of taking one step at a time in the direction of your dream.

Take ONE step. Do ONE thing today!

Everything you Do and Don’t Do Brands You

”We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit” – Aristotle. People are watching you. You may not even be aware of how much people are paying attention to you. I got a call a while back from a man that had been “watching” me on Linkedin for about a month. He was reading my posts and looking at my website. He finally contacted me about an opportunity because he decided that he liked what I represented and it was consistent with the character of the person for which he was looking. It made my day that I had passed his test.

That encounter got me thinking about something that I learned recently. I attended a training meeting that Christine Zust had a few weeks ago where she said that “Everything you do brands you.” (The title of her impeding book). She shared that our consistent behaviors begin to communicate to our audience who we are and what they can expect from us. She challenged the audience to be thoughtful and intentional about sending branding messages. She really reinforced for me how much people pay attention and draw conclusions about people and organizations based upon consistent messages. I look forward to getting her book when she releases it.

At that meeting, I was sitting next to a wise marketing expert by the name of Larry Mattes who contributed; “Everything that you DON’T do also brands you.“ It made me think of a local organization in town. Unfortunately, because of one of my monthly obligations, I need to work with this organization. I schedule meetings that they don’t put on their schedule. They don’t answer emails or phone calls. Whenever I think of this group, I think of poor communication. If someone asked me for feedback about them, I would never recommend them. So, they have built a negative reputation that brands them to me as unresponsive, irresponsible and rude.

If someone was watching you for a month without your knowledge, would they have more to say about what you do, or what you don’t do? Would they be able to accurately describe who you are and what you do? What messages do you hope that you are sending? What can you do to be sure that those are the branding images that people have of you and your organization?
Begin by asking your clients what one word comes to mind when they think of you or your organization. If the words they use are what you had hoped they would say, then your brand is in good shape. If they answer something less than what you would hope. Ask them for more feedback and begin to say and do things consistently that will move them toward your desired brand image. Remember, your clients and potential clients are watching you!

Stop Trying Too Hard

“When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be.” ~ Lao Tzu. When I was in my 20’s I had a friend who was desperate to get married. She wanted it more than anything. She wanted it too much. She was so intense when she met guys that she scared them off. When she turned 30 she gave up. She decided that she was OK with being single. She was too weary of the ‘hunt’ and she really did seem to have peace about it. But, then the weirdest thing happened. As soon as she gave up the notion that she HAD to get married, she met Mr. Right.

Are you trying too hard for your dream? Are you desperate for it? If so, you may be sending a vibe that is unintended and undesired. Relax, enjoy the ride. Let go any unrealistic expectations of success that may be causing you undue stress. Stop comparing yourself to others and compare yourself to your yesterday self. Work daily toward your dream, but don’t let it overwhelm you.

A clenched fist cannot hold anything, so relax the grip and open your hands. Watch what happens.

Need a Little Wisdom from the Doctor?

Here are a few of my favorite Dr. Seuss Quotes to brighten your day and encourage you. Dr. Seuss Rocks!

"Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You." Dr. Seuss

"You know you're in love when you can't fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams." Dr. Seuss

"Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind." Dr. Seuss

"The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go." Dr. Seuss

"I like nonsense, it wakes up the brain cells." Dr. Seuss

"You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself in any direction you choose. Dr. Seuss

"You're on your own. And you know what you know. You are the guy who'll decide where to go." Dr. Seuss

"Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting. So... get on your way." Dr. Seuss

"If you never did, you should. These things are fun, and fun is good. " Dr. Seuss

I hope you found at least one of these to be exactly what you needed today! I know I did!