“I have an idea.” This is pretty much my favorite phrase. I use it nearly everyday. It’s possible that I have a problem. I love dreaming…envisioning how things could be. Change is something that I, like many people, hate and love, all at the same time. When I see a problem, though, I want to fix it. In the end, I want to leave this world a better place. One of the ways this plays out is in career ideas. Whether it be in the nonprofit realm or for friends not happy with their present employment situation, I love coming up with ideas. If I had a bunch of money…
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Blogging Tip #3: Feed Yourself
I still have a lot to learn in regards to this whole blogging thing. As I am working on consistency and narrowing down my social media, I have found there is yet another key component…great content. Not that I have arrived, but it is definitely and underlying goal to produce better content. How does one do this? Consistency is step one for this. Step two requires one to be feasting on great content. As the old adage goes, Garbage In Garbage Out. If I want to produce writing worth reading, I need to be feasting on the good stuff. There is more though. In our information age, we are not lacking…
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2015 Goals: Get Specific
Have you started moving toward your goals for 2015? Previously I posted getting started with your 2015 Goals and making those goals SMART. Alright, time to get specific with some next steps to get from A to B. Goal: Lose 20 lbs by October 1st, 2015. 2014 Current Reality Very light morning exercise daily for 15 minutes. Limited desserts. Mostly drink tea (no sugar) and water. Drink some smoothies each week for lunch/dinner. 2015 Changes Continue morning exercise as is. Run 3 times a week. Start light on this and build up. No desserts. Only drink tea (no sugar) and water. Drink 3-5 smoothies a week for lunch/dinner. March 1st, see…
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When Words Fail Anyways: The Language of Pain, Suffering and Healing
Recently I had the opportunity to take a faith tour through Turkey. Many great stories to share. I’ll just pick one. First thing you have to know is that Turks are extremely hospitable people. Their kindness and generosity knows no bounds. It is not uncommon to meet a Turk and find yourself staying in their home that evening. This actually happen to me on this trip! Back to the story. I was walking with a friend down the streets of a small Turkish city. We came upon an old Turkish couple who spoke no English (and neither of us spoke Turkish). They invited us in for tea. The man was…
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Now Make Your Goals SMART
Previously I shared my plan to start my goals for 2015 this week. I left you with the assignment to narrow down to 1-3 of your own. Did you do it? Here is one of my 3 goals: Lose Weight. I have another personal goal and just one professional goal. I’ll stick to talking about losing weight for the purposes of this post, though. I have a good goal, but it has a couple problems. How will I actually accomplish this goal? Also, how will I know I have accomplished this goal? When will I know I’m done? I need to make my goal what Michael Hyatt calls SMART. Specific Measurable Actionable…
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Let’s Get Started Today
New Years Resolutions…they are coming. You know you are going to come up with something. Then a week later, you will have already fallen off the wagon. Let’s try something different. Instead of starting January 1st, let’s start today, December 1st. What are some goals you might have for the next year? Why not get started on them now before all of the pressure of New Years gets here? I’m starting today because I actually want to achieve my goals, not just be part of some manufactured experience that last a few weeks or days. Are you with me? Okay, here are 3 steps to get you started. 1) Decide…
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Don’t Just Be Honest
“I’m just being honest.” Have you ever heard someone say this? In some cases this is good. It is difficult to work in an environment where you have to guess what people are thinking. A bit of honesty goes a long way. As leaders however, we must do more than just be honest. In fact, I have met people who state their opinions openly, without regard for others feelings or opinions. They seem to be lacking a filter. I am not criticizing them on this point, but I have found one thing particularly fascinating about some of these people. Somehow I know very little about them. How is this possible?…
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I’m Back on Social Media
Well, I am back from my Social Media Pause. It was good to take a break. I was traveling the last two weeks and despite the time change, I slept quite well. I think this could be attributed to the break from social media. It was also nice to be able to better focus on the people in front of me. Although I absolutely love social media, I look forward to these breaks from time to time. I was at a leadership conference a few years ago and Jim Collins, author of Good to Great (and some other excellent books),was one of the speakers. I was taking copious notes. He was…
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Social Media Pause
For the next two weeks I am taking a break from social media. I’ve been told there are many benefits to doing this and I hope to experience a few. Some include: Greater focus Sense of peace Restfulness Increased productivity I will not be blogging much either. Well, I will be writing, but not posting as much. Would you like to join me? Maybe you can’t do two weeks right now. Try 1 day. What benefits can you see to taking a break from social media?
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What To Do When Things Go Wrong
“I didn’t do it.” This is a common response for me when something goes wrong. Whether it be at home or at work, I want to throw up my hands, shift responsibility and even complain about someone else. I didn’t do it, after all. When I do this, I become a victim with no course of action. If I had nothing to do with the problem, I can do nothing about it. In reality, usually I play a role in the situation and some (or all) of the responsibility is mine. What I need to do, is to own up to my part and learn from my mistakes. Some good…