“Be mindful of the future…”

Posted on August 11, 2015 by Barry

“Be mindful of the future… but not at the expense of the moment.”

– Qui-Gon Jinn, a fictional character in the Star Wars saga

Image from ompuertoviejo.wordpress.com

I’ve noticed recently that many people get ahead of themselves, living far too often in the future. See if any of these scenarios apply to you:

You are constantly thinking about the upcoming weekend.
You find yourself frequently envisioning your next vacation.
You can’t wait to retire from your job—which may be many years away.
You often anticipate your next job or promotion, or the one after that.
You can’t wait to have that next new suit, car, or bigger home.

Although I am a big advocate of having goals that spur all of us on to achieve better futures, I see far too many people missing out on the daily activities that make their journey worthwhile.

EXERCISE:

How would being mindful of the present provide you more satisfaction in your personal and professional life, as you pursue your goals and visions for the future?

“True Happiness is…”

Posted on August 10, 2015 by Barry

“True Happiness is enjoying the scenery while on a detour.”

—Author Unknown

Image from www.culpwrit.com

Over the spring and summer months, road construction in Michigan increases dramatically. Many people joke that we only have two seasons in Michigan—winter, and construction.

Unfortunately, the “happiness level” of many people drops considerably when the orange barrels and detour signs appear. These and other life detours—the things that differ from our intentions and expectations—will always be part of our lives. Today’s quote coaches us to make the most of them rather than resisting them.

EXERCISE:

How can you shift your perspective on the detours in your life, to claim a far greater helping of happiness each and every day?

The Person You Want

Posted on August 7, 2015 by Barry

“Be the kind of person you want in your life.”

—Author Unknown

Image from picturespider.com

When you got up this morning, brushed your teeth, washed your face, and looked in the mirror, who did you see? What were your thoughts about the person staring back at you? For the moment, leave out any and all references to your physical features and appearance.

Instead, focus only on those inner qualities that make you who you are. Consider the following qualities to start, and add a few of your own:

Optimistic	Dependable	Cooperative
Honest	Respectful	Creative
Integrity	Open-Minded	Courageous
Hard-Working	Caring	Brave
Loyal	Service-Minded	Bold
Friendly	Helpful	Affectionate
Trustworthy	Generous	Loving
Responsible	Productive	Kind

EXERCISE:

How will you, today and in the future, become even more of the kind of person you want in your life? Consider sharing your intentions with selective people—those you respect and admire for their wonderful qualities—to help hold you accountable for being the best version of yourself possible.

“Your smile is your logo…”

Posted on August 6, 2015 by Barry

“Your smile is your logo. Your personality is your business card. How you leave others feeling after having an experience with you becomes your trademark.”

—Jay Danzie, Success in Progress Inc.

Image from successfulandfit.com

Examine your personal and professional lives. Are the people in your communities buying what you are selling? Personal branding has been attributed to success in these domains, when it is done with sincerity and authenticity.

The quote “People do business with those they know, like, and trust” is attributed to Bob Burg, author of “Endless Referrals.” Take a look at those around you, specifically at your most trusted friends and advisors. How do their smiles, personalities, and the way they make you feel in their presence create that special enduring loyalty?

EXERCISE:

Go out of your way today to smile more often, share your most winning personality traits, and be sure to leave everyone you meet better off because of the time you spent together.

“My brain has too many…”

Posted on August 5, 2015 by Barry

“My brain has too many tabs open.”

—Author Unknown

Image from www.fastcompany.com

Have you ever noticed what happens to your computer when you have a number of applications open at once? For most of us, the system either slows down considerably, or locks up completely.

In much the same way, our brains work most optimally when they can focus on a single task at any given time. Unfortunately, society and life in general wants everything at once, which often generates considerable stress and other difficulties.

EXERCISE:

Reduce the number of open tabs in your brain by blocking out 15, 30, or 60 minute segments of your day for the most important and value-creating priorities. If possible, utilize the open brain tabs of those around you to accomplish even more by coaching them to use this technique.

“A bird sitting on a tree

Posted on August 4, 2015 by Barry

“A bird sitting on a tree is never afraid of the branch breaking, because its trust is not on the branch but on its own wings.”

—Author Unknown

Photo from Flickr by Martin Heigan

Where in your professional or personal life are you leaning too much on the help and support of others? How would you cope and adjust if their support were suddenly withdrawn? Do you have a “Plan B”?

A dual strategy to proactively address such scenarios is to sit more lightly on the branches of others, and of course, exercise your own wings to fly solo when necessary.

EXERCISE:

Where in your life could you strengthen your capacity, trust your own abilities, and operate more independently?

How could you be a branch to support others, when needed, as they develop their ability to fly on their own?

“I alone cannot change the world…”

Posted on August 3, 2015 by Barry

“I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the water to create many ripples.”

—Mother Theresa

image from www.marclangloisconsulting.com

Take a moment sometime today to reflect on your most satisfying and deeply felt moments of personal fulfillment. Make sure you look at your personal and professional worlds.

Examine what percentage of these highlights occurred as an individual versus within a larger group or community. Consider, also, to what extent you were operating in an area of strength or unique ability.

EXERCISE:

Where can you make more ripples, or even waves, in your professional and personal worlds by casting more of your special stones across the waters you come upon today?

“Give ‘em the Pickle.”

Posted on July 31, 2015 by Barry

“Give ‘em the Pickle.”

-Bob Farrell, American motivational speaker

Bob Farrell, Author of “Give ’em the Pickle!”

About a month ago, while traveling to a coaching conference, I received a pearl of advice from a flight attendant with whom I had shared The Quotable Coach daily blog.

She mentioned that the airline loves positive, affirming thinking, and that I should consider looking into today’s quote.

Turns out, “Give ‘em the pickle” is all about exemplary customer service and going the extra mile to create customer evangelists, and optimal loyalty. This is especially important given the almost unlimited choices people have as consumers.

EXERCISE:

Check out this short YouTube video. Ask and answer this question, for yourself and your organization: What represents that special, tasty pickle you can offer to more fully satisfy and delight your customers? What about those in your personal worlds?

“If there is a single lesson…”

Posted on July 30, 2015 by Barry

“If there is a single lesson that life teaches us, it’s that wishing doesn’t make it so.”

—Lev Grossman, Author and Journalist

Illustration from Flickr by Tom Simpson

Walt Disney World is a magical place that we have visited many times with our children and family. In the childhood classic, Pinocchio, Jiminy Cricket sang, “When you wish upon a star,” a song which says that anything your heart desires will come to you.

For most families, planning a six-nights/seven days vacation full of magic can cost anywhere from $1,000 per person to over $10,000 for a family of four. Given that money does not magically grow on trees, affording it takes considerable effort and sacrifice. This is especially true for the average family, whose median annual household income, according to the 2012 census data, is about $50,000.

EXERCISE:

To what extent are your most fervent hopes, desires, and wishes backed up with necessary efforts and actions, to make even more of your dreams come true?

“People change and forget…”

Posted on July 29, 2015 by Barry

“People change and forget to tell each other.”

—Lillian Hellman, American dramatist and Broadway screenwriter

Photo from onthejob.45things.com

Coaching as a profession has been around for over 20 years, and is estimated as a two billion (or more) dollar industry. Fundamental to the coaching process is the desire for both individuals and organizations to change for the better.

Rooted in this change process is the strong desire for a better future, and in particular, a high level of social support by friends, family, colleagues, and of course, coaches.

Open communication and clarity around this desire, along with some description of what behaviors are to be expected, are critical for optimal success.

EXERCISE:

Where are you currently trying to change something in either your professional or personal life? How can you communicate this intention to those around you to rally the social support necessary for this change to occur and be sustained?