Henry Ford said it best "Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young."
But it's not just a platitude, numerous study's show that the active mind stays "young". As you learn new things your brain is having to forge new neural pathways, that's why babies and kids are like learning machines - they have this huge capacity to learn, they have to. Every time they are shown something for the first time they have to absorb the lesson and they have to absorb it quickly - and if they don't - then you can understand why they have nicely padded rear ends - they don't care if they land on them once or twice whilst they are learning. The other amazing thing about kids and babies is this - they have no fear. To them life is one massive adventure....and boy are they going to have fun "adventuring".
When did we stop "adventuring?"
If you are a parent, did you ever tell your kids - don't do that you'll hurt yourself .... really? are you sure? How many times did your fear translate into actual accidents?
I remember as a young kid catching bumble bees - I would capture one in my cupped hands and proudly go inside to show my mum ... rather than freak out she said - make sure you don't frighten him, cos if you do you'll get stung, which meant nothing to me - but sure enough - was that a painful lesson - extracting the sting from my finger, but there are some things you do have to experience for yourself.... learning is like that. We have to experience it for ourselves for the lessons to sink in. And no I didn't catch any more bees.
I have a personal trainer - I go a couple of times a week, and I do a lot of other stuff exercise wise besides. But every time I go to see my trainer I know I will be learning something new. It may be a new exercise, it may be a variation on an old one....once I've stopped laughing long enough to say "are you sure you want me to do THAT" the exercise is broken down so I can see what my body needs to do and eventually my mind catches up. I am shown - but I only learn by doing.
Are you still learning?
* Every time you read something new
* Every time you attempt the morning cross word puzzle
* Every time you challenge your mind and body
Consider this
Every time I accept that the only thing I know for certain, is that I still have a lot to learn - I am opening my mind to new learning opportunities
Are you?
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Be your best!
It doesn't take a genius to know you can be the best you can be.
To be the best, all you need to do is "do your best, all the time, every time"
The reason it makes you the best is because other people just can't be bothered.
* Other people look for ways to get out of doing things - but not you.
* Other people don't give it their all - but you do.
* Other people give up too easily when things don't quite as planned - but you work it out and work it through
* Other people have a house full of part-finished projects - whereas you have so many ideas to move forwards and make a difference to yourself, your family and your business you just can't keep up with YOURSELF
* Other people slink off into a corner muttering to themselves when their ideas get laughed at - whereas you pull back your shoulders and do it anyway
* Other people prefer to sit down and watch the TV every night rather than read the books, do the work or go to seminars to learn new ideas - but that's what they would find you doing - if they could be bothered to get up and look for you
* Other people whine and moan they just can't get ahead, because they're not "lucky" like you - whereas you know it wasn't luck, dumb or otherwise that enabled you to be the best, it was the fact that you did the best you could, all the time, every time.
And that's pure genius.
To be the best, all you need to do is "do your best, all the time, every time"
The reason it makes you the best is because other people just can't be bothered.
* Other people look for ways to get out of doing things - but not you.
* Other people don't give it their all - but you do.
* Other people give up too easily when things don't quite as planned - but you work it out and work it through
* Other people have a house full of part-finished projects - whereas you have so many ideas to move forwards and make a difference to yourself, your family and your business you just can't keep up with YOURSELF
* Other people slink off into a corner muttering to themselves when their ideas get laughed at - whereas you pull back your shoulders and do it anyway
* Other people prefer to sit down and watch the TV every night rather than read the books, do the work or go to seminars to learn new ideas - but that's what they would find you doing - if they could be bothered to get up and look for you
* Other people whine and moan they just can't get ahead, because they're not "lucky" like you - whereas you know it wasn't luck, dumb or otherwise that enabled you to be the best, it was the fact that you did the best you could, all the time, every time.
And that's pure genius.
Our mind
"The mind is an iceberg, it floats with only 1/7th of it's bulk above water"
Sigmund Freud
Do you tell yourself you can or you can't do something?
We are constantly "speaking" to ourselves - unfortunately most of what we are telling ourselves sub-consciously is at odds with what we are saying consciously. Only when you stop the negative chatter and align the sub-conscious thought processes with the conscious thought processes will you be able to move forwards.
Don't believe me?
If I ask you to say the sentence
I achieve ALL my goals with ease
What does your mind automatically start to say?
Most of the time, we can catch ourselves saying something derogatory like "No you don't", "Don't make me laugh" "You always give up"
That's the trouble with "affirmations" they don't really work, unless you believe them to be true - and your actions back up those words. Of course we can believe something to be true without taking action - but that's the start of delusion. We can affirm that we are rich and powerful, but the bank balance never seems to catch up with the spending, so watch your "affirmations" and make sure you only affirm that which is true. You can of course affirm that you are broke, good, now you need to work out how to get out of being "broke".... You can say - I will get a better paying job OR I will create my business and I will start today by working out the market for my product / service. Once you make that kind of decision, guess what - the actions are obvious, and as you take each action step, your sub-conscious starts to catch up and becomes aligned with what you have been consciously saying.
So - What are you affirming to be true and are your actions backing those thought processes or not?
Sigmund Freud
Do you tell yourself you can or you can't do something?
We are constantly "speaking" to ourselves - unfortunately most of what we are telling ourselves sub-consciously is at odds with what we are saying consciously. Only when you stop the negative chatter and align the sub-conscious thought processes with the conscious thought processes will you be able to move forwards.
Don't believe me?
If I ask you to say the sentence
I achieve ALL my goals with ease
What does your mind automatically start to say?
Most of the time, we can catch ourselves saying something derogatory like "No you don't", "Don't make me laugh" "You always give up"
That's the trouble with "affirmations" they don't really work, unless you believe them to be true - and your actions back up those words. Of course we can believe something to be true without taking action - but that's the start of delusion. We can affirm that we are rich and powerful, but the bank balance never seems to catch up with the spending, so watch your "affirmations" and make sure you only affirm that which is true. You can of course affirm that you are broke, good, now you need to work out how to get out of being "broke".... You can say - I will get a better paying job OR I will create my business and I will start today by working out the market for my product / service. Once you make that kind of decision, guess what - the actions are obvious, and as you take each action step, your sub-conscious starts to catch up and becomes aligned with what you have been consciously saying.
So - What are you affirming to be true and are your actions backing those thought processes or not?
KYC - Know your customers
How well do you think your clients and customers know you?
Do they know you well enough to refer business to you?
A good friend and mentor of mine says that "people will do business with and refer business to those people they know, like and trust" he should know he has written (or co-written) some of the best business books on the subject. Bob Burg not only wrote Endless Referrals, but co-authored the 2 biggest business books this century - The Go Giver and Go Givers Sell More. I can't emphasize this enough - if you haven't read them and you want to launch your own business into the stratosphere, you really are missing out if you don't.
Do your clients and customers know, like and trust you to do the right thing by them? Or are you only interested in how much they have to spend this quarter?
Now I am not saying that money isn't important, if you're in business, money is extremely important. But you can make millions dishonestly - just look at Bernie Madoff if you want a very large example of that in recent times. But if you want to help your clients and customers make money as well as yourself, then you are going to have to find ways to help them - and sometimes we can do that by referring other people to them.
Think about it, if we have benefited from someone or something surely we would be willing to pass that information on to our friends, co-workers and acquaintances. To give you a very personal example, I telephoned a family friend tonight, just wanting to touch base. Not only was she full of flu, but she eventually started bemoaning the cost of air conditioning as she needed her unit replacing. As you know I had air conditioning installed a few weeks ago, so who do you think I recommended? Absolutely - not only did MY air con people give me the only genuine discount out of all the quotes going, they were spot on with every aspect of their customer service. Do they know I've referred someone to them - NOPE, will I do so again - ABSOLUTELY.
Can you say that about your own business?
What can you do to ensure you do get that kind of word of mouth referral?
Apart from being honest, polite, doing what you say you are going to do, when you say you are going to do it and genuinely being interested in the people who you serve that is?
If you haven't spoken to your clients / customers in recent times may I suggest you start picking up the telephone and talking to them. And no, not with the intent to sell, but with a genuine curiosity to find out how they are. Believe me when I say this - you will be streets ahead of your competitors who only phone when they want something.
Do they know you well enough to refer business to you?
A good friend and mentor of mine says that "people will do business with and refer business to those people they know, like and trust" he should know he has written (or co-written) some of the best business books on the subject. Bob Burg not only wrote Endless Referrals, but co-authored the 2 biggest business books this century - The Go Giver and Go Givers Sell More. I can't emphasize this enough - if you haven't read them and you want to launch your own business into the stratosphere, you really are missing out if you don't.
Do your clients and customers know, like and trust you to do the right thing by them? Or are you only interested in how much they have to spend this quarter?
Now I am not saying that money isn't important, if you're in business, money is extremely important. But you can make millions dishonestly - just look at Bernie Madoff if you want a very large example of that in recent times. But if you want to help your clients and customers make money as well as yourself, then you are going to have to find ways to help them - and sometimes we can do that by referring other people to them.
Think about it, if we have benefited from someone or something surely we would be willing to pass that information on to our friends, co-workers and acquaintances. To give you a very personal example, I telephoned a family friend tonight, just wanting to touch base. Not only was she full of flu, but she eventually started bemoaning the cost of air conditioning as she needed her unit replacing. As you know I had air conditioning installed a few weeks ago, so who do you think I recommended? Absolutely - not only did MY air con people give me the only genuine discount out of all the quotes going, they were spot on with every aspect of their customer service. Do they know I've referred someone to them - NOPE, will I do so again - ABSOLUTELY.
Can you say that about your own business?
What can you do to ensure you do get that kind of word of mouth referral?
Apart from being honest, polite, doing what you say you are going to do, when you say you are going to do it and genuinely being interested in the people who you serve that is?
If you haven't spoken to your clients / customers in recent times may I suggest you start picking up the telephone and talking to them. And no, not with the intent to sell, but with a genuine curiosity to find out how they are. Believe me when I say this - you will be streets ahead of your competitors who only phone when they want something.
Exercise!
Now it may not be the first thing you do every day, but you do need to schedule exercise into your day and your week - and you do need to treat each exercise session as THE most important appointment you have - then keep your appointments.
Get out your diary or your copy of the challenge...what day(s) are you going to exercise? Make an appointment with yourself - and keep it - that's essential. Imagine you are paying a personal trainer and you pay whether you turn up or not, it would be a complete waste of money if you paid and didn't go now wouldn't it... and if you do have that kind of money to waste, please send it my way :-)
One of the tricks that I use is this. I take my work out gear with me when I go to work, because I know that if I go home before I say I am planning to go out and exercise 9 times out of 10 I won't do back out again. Granted I will be doing other things, but it will be incidental exercise as opposed to specific training. So I take my gym gear into the office with me, and I get changed before I leave work for the day. Now I have made one commitment to myself. Of course I could still drive home without doing it, but that would be a little silly, so I go.
Incidental exercise is great - this is a wonderful way to up the overall number of calories you burn during a day and includes everything from dusting and vacuuming to gardening and ironing. But a weights session or sit ups or a run / power walk it isn't.
Make sure you have plenty of variety to your program. If you go to the gym 3 times a week and have a day of rest between each session you can work the same muscles. But if you do more than that you do need to think about which areas / muscle groups you are going to be working on. It's no good having great shoulders and arms if your legs are flabby or stick thin... you'd look odd.
Try and throw in a long walk on a weekend or a couple of evenings a week, take the kids to the park and throw a ball or a frisbee around, take a dancing lesson or a swim, play a game of tennis or ride your bike to work.
Before your eyes roll back in your head and you mutter - but I don't have time ... you have exactly the right amount of time each day / week to do what you want to do. If that means giving up an hour of television a day - great. If it means you have to get up half an hour earlier to go for a walk - so what. Do you have a lunch break? Then use it. I walk every lunch time - regardless of the weather. It may not be far, it may not be fast, but I go outside and I get some fresh air into my lungs. Given that most of us work in places where they recycle the air through machines it's a good thing to do.
Given that most of us could do with utilizing the calories we are consuming in a better way - please consider making exercise a priority. Not only will you begin to look toned, but your clothes will fit you better and the health benefits are enormous.
Get out your diary or your copy of the challenge...what day(s) are you going to exercise? Make an appointment with yourself - and keep it - that's essential. Imagine you are paying a personal trainer and you pay whether you turn up or not, it would be a complete waste of money if you paid and didn't go now wouldn't it... and if you do have that kind of money to waste, please send it my way :-)
One of the tricks that I use is this. I take my work out gear with me when I go to work, because I know that if I go home before I say I am planning to go out and exercise 9 times out of 10 I won't do back out again. Granted I will be doing other things, but it will be incidental exercise as opposed to specific training. So I take my gym gear into the office with me, and I get changed before I leave work for the day. Now I have made one commitment to myself. Of course I could still drive home without doing it, but that would be a little silly, so I go.
Incidental exercise is great - this is a wonderful way to up the overall number of calories you burn during a day and includes everything from dusting and vacuuming to gardening and ironing. But a weights session or sit ups or a run / power walk it isn't.
Make sure you have plenty of variety to your program. If you go to the gym 3 times a week and have a day of rest between each session you can work the same muscles. But if you do more than that you do need to think about which areas / muscle groups you are going to be working on. It's no good having great shoulders and arms if your legs are flabby or stick thin... you'd look odd.
Try and throw in a long walk on a weekend or a couple of evenings a week, take the kids to the park and throw a ball or a frisbee around, take a dancing lesson or a swim, play a game of tennis or ride your bike to work.
Before your eyes roll back in your head and you mutter - but I don't have time ... you have exactly the right amount of time each day / week to do what you want to do. If that means giving up an hour of television a day - great. If it means you have to get up half an hour earlier to go for a walk - so what. Do you have a lunch break? Then use it. I walk every lunch time - regardless of the weather. It may not be far, it may not be fast, but I go outside and I get some fresh air into my lungs. Given that most of us work in places where they recycle the air through machines it's a good thing to do.
Given that most of us could do with utilizing the calories we are consuming in a better way - please consider making exercise a priority. Not only will you begin to look toned, but your clothes will fit you better and the health benefits are enormous.
Motivation
What motivates some people to study and others to bunk off is often a mystery. So, the first thing we all need to remember is this - we have no control over anyone else, the only person we have any control over is us.
So, are you the kind of person who does what you say you are going to do, when you say you are going to do it, or do you find all sorts of other things to do instead? It's also interesting, there are times when we procrastinate even though we know we have things we need to do - and who cares about the consequences! And other times we are on top of our workload and can do more. It happens, it's normal.
No matter what your age, or what stage you are at in your life, the problem is the same. It's just the circumstances that are different.
So if you are a parent of school age people, bear in mind that you (we) are not perfect and neither will they be. And if you are a school aged person, bear in mind that your parents have been there and tried to wiggle out of their assignments just as much as you might think about trying to do.
Ultimately it's up to you.
But there are ways to manage your assignments and projects:
Projects and assignment can seem daunting when you receive the information from your lecturer / teacher. Where do you start and how are you supposed to complete all that by the end of the year?
* Break down the task into manageable pieces
* Assign each piece a time slot in your current calendar
* When the time comes to work on the project item, stop doing whatever else you are doing and spend the allocated time on your project. It doesn’t matter what the project is, it can be an assignment for your homework, or a major research piece for your dissertation. The principles are basically the same.
* Understand what the outcome needs to be, and
* Break down the task so that the “project” can be completed in the specified time frame.
Of course it does depend on what the project is as to how long it is going to take to complete it. But for complex projects there are usually stages that can be completed as isolated assignments and tasks. Each of these completed assignments build up to complete the major project.
For instance, a student needs to gain a particular mark or percentage in order to pass a course of study. In order to do that, students must complete small assignments and projects throughout the semester. Individually these assignments and projects comprise only a small percentage of the final years mark. However, together, they make up the final mark. On their own, the small assignments may not seem like very much – together they can make the difference between a pass and a fail.
Understand what your final outcome should be by defining your overall project. Break down the project into assignments that can be completed within a very small and specified time frame. Complete each one and build upon your knowledge, skills and abilities to reach your project goal.
Small steps completed over time equals completion of major projects.
So, are you the kind of person who does what you say you are going to do, when you say you are going to do it, or do you find all sorts of other things to do instead? It's also interesting, there are times when we procrastinate even though we know we have things we need to do - and who cares about the consequences! And other times we are on top of our workload and can do more. It happens, it's normal.
No matter what your age, or what stage you are at in your life, the problem is the same. It's just the circumstances that are different.
So if you are a parent of school age people, bear in mind that you (we) are not perfect and neither will they be. And if you are a school aged person, bear in mind that your parents have been there and tried to wiggle out of their assignments just as much as you might think about trying to do.
Ultimately it's up to you.
But there are ways to manage your assignments and projects:
Projects and assignment can seem daunting when you receive the information from your lecturer / teacher. Where do you start and how are you supposed to complete all that by the end of the year?
* Break down the task into manageable pieces
* Assign each piece a time slot in your current calendar
* When the time comes to work on the project item, stop doing whatever else you are doing and spend the allocated time on your project. It doesn’t matter what the project is, it can be an assignment for your homework, or a major research piece for your dissertation. The principles are basically the same.
* Understand what the outcome needs to be, and
* Break down the task so that the “project” can be completed in the specified time frame.
Of course it does depend on what the project is as to how long it is going to take to complete it. But for complex projects there are usually stages that can be completed as isolated assignments and tasks. Each of these completed assignments build up to complete the major project.
For instance, a student needs to gain a particular mark or percentage in order to pass a course of study. In order to do that, students must complete small assignments and projects throughout the semester. Individually these assignments and projects comprise only a small percentage of the final years mark. However, together, they make up the final mark. On their own, the small assignments may not seem like very much – together they can make the difference between a pass and a fail.
Understand what your final outcome should be by defining your overall project. Break down the project into assignments that can be completed within a very small and specified time frame. Complete each one and build upon your knowledge, skills and abilities to reach your project goal.
Small steps completed over time equals completion of major projects.
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