Tag Archives: success

The Swoosh

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“Just do it.” – Nike

So much easier said then done.

As I see it, the Nike swoosh (not the quote) tells the whole story. The story of the high performer. The one who knows how to dig deeper, and “just do it.”

I have no idea what the swoosh symbolizes or how it was formed, but when I look at the swoosh, I see what Seth Godin affectionately refers to as “the dip.” That bottom point of the data on a graph which forms a hockey stick (aka a Nike swoosh) is what separates those that, “just do it,” from those that don’t.

It is at this point, at the bottom of the dip, a soul-wrenching battle is fought and a moment of truth is born. It’s in this moment when we decide to take our puck and go home or skate forward toward the goal, fighting our worst demons, as we begin our ascent to success.

Don’t get it twisted. Those who say, “just do it,” understand the dip in the swoosh. They just don’t talk about it. 

Why?

Because people don’t ask about it. Everyone likes the story of the overnight success, but the truth is…great art, speeches, movements, products, entrepreneurs, authors, you name it…were not created overnight. Anything remarkable was the result of someone, who slid down deep into the swoosh and decided to diligently, patiently, and persistently keep pressing forward doing what they do regardless if anyone noticed, or even cared.

My advice to you…just do it.

If you’re scared…join the club. Even the greatest of the great still get scared, but they dig deeper, decide, and press on… and so can you. If you decide.

What have you done for you lately?

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It’s easy to get swept away in the day-to-day grind of our week. We race through the day checking items off our To Do lists with just enough energy to get home, grab a bite to eat and hit the hay. But I’m curious…as you run around all day long doing this and that for others, I just want to know…

What have you done for you lately?

Taking time out for ourselves each and everyday is essential to not just our well-being, but our overall success in work and life.

So…what will you do for you today? Walk around the block at lunch, take a mid-day nap, read a few more pages of that book you’ve been reading for the past two months, or do something as simple as take a relaxing bubble bath?

What will you do for you today?

Leave a comment and let me know.

As for me…I’ll be going for a run.

Always feels good.

What are you sowing?

Posted in How to Grow by

I awoke this morning to this question dancing gracefully around in my mind…

WHAT ARE YOU SOWING?

As I started to think about what I’ve been sowing, I began to smile.

Excited, I jumped out of bed to start my morning routine with and overwhelming sense of gratitude and a heart filled with faith. I recalled a moment late yesterday afternoon, where I was almost moved to tears talking to my dear friend and partner in crime Brandi. I said to her, “I can’t believe we’ve been called to do this work…isn’t that just amazing? I mean seriously…how good is God?”

This work that I’ve been called to do, involves me sowing seeds everyday of: love, joy, abundance, happiness, encouragement, wisdom, faith and success .

If that doesn’t make you smile or if you’re curious how to wake up excited every morning send me a message and I’ll dish the goods :-)

If you’re feeling generous…leave a comment and let me know what you’ve been sowing.

sowing

 

 

Where are my keys?

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I’m often guilty of wasting time looking for my keys. I search high and low, near and far and as time ticks on I become more and more frantic and anxious searching for them. It never fails: once I slow down and look where they belong, I am often surprised (at myself) to find my keys exactly where they’re supposed to be. In my purse.

Why is it that we often go searching everywhere for something when all the while it’s right where it belongs?

What is it about keys?

The key to success, happiness, health, wealth whatever key you’re searching for, just stop looking where it doesn’t belong. Check the place where it does, and I bet you’ll find (like a purse), it’s been hanging around or on you the whole time you’ve been searching.

Better than You

Posted in Break Free, How to Grow by

There’s no use comparing yourself to other people. Real success comes from doing the best you can.

My Grandmother used to always say, “When you do the best you can do, you’ll never have anything to cry about.”

It’s when we don’t do our best (and only we as individuals truly know what that looks and/or feels like) that we can begin to feel guilty, ashamed or not worthy. While it’s easier said than done, I know that in order for me to leave a legacy, just like my Grandmother, I have to preach what I practice.

Therefore, doing the best I can, is my only option.

Fits & Starts Fooled Us Again!

Posted in Compound Effect by

There’s something about fits and starts that fool us into believing that we are where we are because of these periods of mad sprints. We dash after our dreams, adrenaline pumping through our systems until we slowly taper down to a walk. It is during the walk, where we get our wits about us, find our breath and eventually stop.

I would like to challenge the assumption that success over time is the result of fits and starts. I am not saying that this is not how we all operate from time-to-time out of fear, deadlines, or necessity.  I’m just suggesting that we need to stick to our daily disciplines to realize great success over time. Sure fits and starts will get you somewhere…but consistently executing the fundamentals overtime will reveal unimaginable treasures not just down the road, but throughout your entire journey.

Pay attention to yourself and how you are working. Stop and ask yourself WHY you are doing what you are doing. Commit to your daily disciplines and if you spend a great deal of time on anything else, it should be:  mastering the fundamentals of your craft. This way…at the end of your successful sprint, when the reporter comes out and asks you, the “over-night” success how you did it? How you sprinted past the others in your field, leaning into that tape, securing your first place finish. You can humbly say…”I just stayed focused and executed the fundamentals.”

The secret: this isn’t your first race. You have spent countless hours practicing, breathing, training for your moment. Enough from me…go master the fundamentals of your craft.

Make Today Count!

Do What You Say You’re Going to Do

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Seth Godin calls it “shipping.” Couples call it “commitment.” Friends call it “trust.” Either way…when you do what you say you’re going to do life just feels better.

Is this something I need to work on? Absolutely!

In the past I didn’t really focus on keeping up with my commitments because while I was overextended, believe it or not, I still had the bandwidth to do what I needed to do, and do it very well.  These days, I’ve been working a ton on my passion project…you know, the work that makes me come alive. The work that I can get lost in for hours, and I’m not even getting paid to do. My calling. While this is great…the time I use on my passion project spills over into the time I have allocated for other things; and as a result,  I’ve found myself slipping.

So…to counteract this, I’ve had to whip out the “P” word. PROMISE. I have a handful of people over the last 60 days in all areas of my life that I told I would do something and I haven’t gotten to it yet. Surprisingly, they are not mad. They know what I’ve been doing in my spare time and are so understanding. However, I know that long-term success comes from doing what I say I’m going to do. Shipping the project, keeping that commitment, and honoring the trust that I have worked hard to earn over the years. So if it takes using the “P” word to course correct…I’m game. All the while realizing that in the grand scheme of things this is not a game. My word is my bond and at the end of the day…those words say a lot about my personal integrity. I want to remain whole and it will start and end with honoring my commitments. It really is that simple.

Are you doing what you’re saying your going to do?

What’s the Big Idea?

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There’s been a lot of dialogue about my fellow Gen Y peeps having issues finding a job after college. People are starting to question the value of the bachelors degree; especially, since we’ve all been told we must have one if we expect to get a decent job. One bad thing about this scenario is that the jobs many of my peers are taking post undergrad really don’t require a formal degree in order to do the work. Worst of all is the fact that many of my peers are still being fed outdated “if, then” messages like: “If you go to college and get a degree, then you’ll get a great job (with benefits)!” – Not necessarily.

So what’s the Big Idea? Why do we continue to feed one another expensive and outdated ideas for survival in this connected revolution. Why must courses on personal finance, leadership, spirituality, physical fitness, and personal development all be electives? It seems like these are a few areas where we could all use some form of formal teaching.

The Big Idea is that we need more ideas in order to survive. Simply feeding one another incorrect formulas for success is just plain stupid. Yes, it’s true that we don’t know what we don’t know; but sooner or later (hopefully sooner) you will arrive at a point where you realize that your current situation is not really working for you, and then it’s going to take a big idea- perhaps and unconventional idea, one that leads to dissension amongst you and your loved ones, and overwhelming feelings of self-doubt…this is when you know you’re on to something BIG.

Go to the mat, wrestle it out, ask God (or whomever you worship) for clarity, and get ready to play in a brand new space. It’s a new economy with new rules and skills required for success, and the sooner we figure this out, the better off we’ll all be.

Are You Afraid?

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Success and fear are both paralyzing concepts. Often we see people resort to doing nothing when they are faced with the opportunity to take on or become more. I believe people are not so much afraid of success or failure, it seems to me that people are afraid of the work. It takes a great amount of discipline to go after our dreams and it’s the continuous assessments by others, but most importantly ourselves that paralyze many people, forcing them to succumb to the tyranny of the average. But here’s the thing…the world needs your best work. YOU need your best work. The work that makes you come alive and is a constant reminder that you are living your reason for being.

“The shortcut is simple: if you’re afraid of something, of putting yourself out there, of creating a kind of connection or a promise, that’s a clue that you’re on the right track. Go, do that.” – Seth Godin