Where to Invest Your Time

Here's a way to help ensure you're using Vision, Action and Passion in your daily life.

List 3-5 things you love to do.
List 3-5 things you do well. (Many people do things well, that they actually dislike doing)
List 2 things that you love to do AND that you do well. (even if you're not currently doing them)

List 3-5 things that support your purpose, or if you're not sure, your organizations mission.
List 2 things that serve the mission AND that you do well.
List 2 things that serve the mission AND you love.

If you had some redundancy that's okay, in fact, it's preferable, because what you want to do is find the activity that simultaneously serves your purpose, you do well, and you love doing. This may come easy to you, or you may struggle. Don't struggle too long, if you need to make a hunch go ahead.

Once you've identified this most lucrative activity, structure your days, weeks and months to do things that most support this. Delegate, or outsource the rest whenever possible.

How to Confirm Your Purpose

How to Confirm Your Purpose

Ever have one of those days when you're stuck and wondering what you're doing with your life? Those days are clues that you are not fulfilling your purpose. Maybe you think you don't have a purpose. That's a glum outlook, but even if it's true you still have a job to do.

I'm reminded of one of the anti-success posters that depict the ruins of a shipwreck piercing through the waters surface with the caption, "Your purpose may be to only serve as a warning to others." You're probably not that person because if you were, you wouldn't have read this many words in one sitting.

So, let's start with the assumption that you have a burning in your stomach. This exercise will help you better identify that yearning or confirm the one you're pursuing is worthy of your attention.

Tools
Think about how you most often win others over to your way of thinking. How do you successfully get your way most often? It might be through humor, or telling a story. Maybe you communicate with pictures or through writing. Perhaps it's via deceit and debauchery or brute force. In this exercise I'm not going to judge your answers. I do have an opinion on pursuing a worthy purpose versus something less savory, but people have different standards of "worthy". This is a matter of influence. How is your influence most felt in your world?

Treasures
Where do you find your rewards? For many, this means money and that's fine. If profit is the applause you get for doing good work, where do you get your standing ovations? Rewards needn't be money. Yours might be measured in smiles or hugs or some other way that makes you feel happiest.  For many people, that's a check. It feels good when people pay you. For others it's intangible.  Identify what it is for you.

Teachers
What group of people do you most enjoy learning from? In school you probably had a favorite teacher. Think back as to why? If you're no longer in school, you're still learning things from people. It could be your parents or your children, your colleagues or members of your spiritual circle. You might learn something from a favored author, or the neighborhood grocer. These life instructors are all around you. Take stock of who they are and see what they have in common.

Talisman
This is the amulet you wear around your neck, figuratively, but maybe not. Think about what symbolizes you most. It's a tangible object you can look at, and preferably hold that epitomizes you. Some people can answer this very quickly. Truth is, the first few things that entered your mind were probably accurate. Some people feel compelled to combine a bunch of images into a collage, like a family crest. Some can get too complex or confounded by this, but you're the one who has to look at it with meaning. It's your symbol.

Look at your tool, treasure, teacher and talisman of choice and you'll have a good indication of your purpose. I'll run through mine as an example.

I influence people most via my writing, that's my tool. I do a decent job with public speaking, but those words first come from my writing. If I need to have a difficult conversation with someone I often script it out first to practice.

With consulting there's a wide continuum from analysis and advice to instruction, collaboration and implementation. My treasure, both figuratively and literally has always come from a variation of my consulting. My rewards come from helping people find the a-ha within and accomplish great things.

My teachers come from nearly everywhere, young and old, left and right, foreign and domestic. What they all have in common is that they are leaders or artists. That's who I learn from most readily, easily and frequently, Leaders and artists. Because those are my teachers, they are who I serve.

My talisman, the symbol that epitomizes me was a toss up between the scales (both of justice and of the zodiac sign Libra) which have always attracted me, and another image I couldn't shake, a pen. In truth I am never far from one. It is my sword; my ornamentation; my functionality. It couldn't be anything else but a pen.

When you combine writing, consulting, leaders and artists and a pen you get a pretty good picture of my purpose. When I do things that combine those elements, I'm acting on purpose. When I drift away from that foundation I'm not.

Now it's your turn. Share your tool, treasure, teacher and talisman items with me and tell me what your purpose is. If you need help, send me a note.

Goals 101

It’s been said that the number one reason people don’t achieve their goals is because they have too many. I think it’s more likely that people confuse a list of wishes with goals. Goals should give you vision and direction so you can create an actionable plan toward achieving them.

I seriously doubt people have too many goals, rather they have too many competing priorities clamoring for the A1 slot.

Here’s an exercise that will help you identify the one motivating goal that is burning inside of you.  Think of it as your Great Goal. Everyone should have a Great Goal, the one that take precedence over all others. After you achieve it you can find another one, but not before because if you work on multiple Great Goals you risk diluting your efforts and weakening your chance at success. Follow these five steps to help focus your thinking.

1. Answer these questions:

• If I won one million dollars tomorrow, what would I do?


• If I could change one thing about my body, what would it be?


• Who do I wish to be and why?


• What skill do I wish I had learned as a child?


• Where do I see my career in five years?

2. Pick One
Choose the one answer from above that provokes the greatest reaction in you.  That’s your goal; reflect on it and determine what part of it you believe you can accomplish in less than a year.

3. Pick a Time Frame
Determine, how long will it realistically take to accomplish this goal; one week, one month, six months, one year?

4. Determine the cost
What will it cost you to achieve this goal in either time, talent (effort) or treasure (money)?

5. Fill in the blanks
I resolve to (answer from step 2) in (answer from step 3) by (answer from step 4).


Now, refine your statement in a way they speaks more clearly to you.  Write it on a note card, fold it up and bring it with you everywhere you go. Read it as often as you can; certainly at least twice a day, first thing in the morning and last thing at night.

Congratulations, you’re on your way, and already have done more work on your personal development than ninety percent of the people you interact with each day.  I’d love to hear about your success.  Send me an email once you’ve achieved your goal and tell me how long it took.  You can also contact me if you want an accountability partner to help you stay on track and achieve your goal.

Part 2 - From Mission to Mantra

In part two of this three part series the Reflections on Leadership Memo continues to help you find ways to combat mediocrity.

What Are You Doing?
In the last Reflections on Leadership you learned where you find your values. I hope you've downloaded the FREE workbook, (link) titled, "Your Values Finder" and have begun prioritizing your core values. Now it's time to figure out what you're doing, or at least begin to discover what you should be doing.

Many organizations invest significant time and energy in creating their mission statements. As well meaning as they are, most screw it up for a variety of reasons like internal and external pressure to say the "right" thing, the earnest determination to get it perfect but instead convolute it, and for many it's just another going through the motions exercise. Can you imagine a team of military covert ops guys taking that approach to their mission? A laissez-faire approach to accomplishing a mission doesn't inspire much confidence. Don't you want to be confident about your purpose?

In part two of this series designed to minimize mediocrity you'll learn how to draft a mission statement for your family, organization or personal use. Then you'll reduce it to a repeatable, credible mantra that will inspire confidence.

Get your FREE starters guide, "From Mission to Mantra" and learn to focus your vision, passion and action on purpose.

Not for? That's okay, you can still help reduce mediocrity by getting this starters guide it into the hands of others.

Learn more about Karl Bimshas Consulting by visiting www.karlbimshas.com and begin to discover the a-ha within.

The "Write Advice" Online Store

The quote book, "Write Advice; Inspirations, tips and thoughts for leaders and artists" has inspired a new online store.  The name might fool you, but it's not only for writers. You will find gifts that are perfect for any writer, leader or artist in your life who's ready to make a difference!

Today is opening day for the store (which you can find here) and I'm excited to see some of the top requested quotes and thoughts come to life on the amazing Tee-Shirts and other products.

Below are a few items you'll find.

[caption id="attachment_640" align="alignleft" width="180" caption="A Confident writer is a sexy writer"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_641" align="alignleft" width="180" caption="Never Be Without a Great Goal"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_642" align="alignleft" width="180" caption="Forgiveness Journal"][/caption]

Come by and browse around, I know you'll find something for yourself or someone you care about!

The Write Advice Online Store

Solve the Damn Problem

I admit it, I can be as politically correct in my language as the some of the most ardent liberals. To me it can show sensitivity or at least tolerance if not compassion in an increasingly intolerant country.  As a writer, words matter. That’s why I believe we shouldn’t sugarcoat the things that we face as a nation and by extension as individuals.  Let’s not waste time calling things “formidable challenges” when they’re “big problems.  America used to be able to solve big problems.  As a nation we routinely lived our values.

It’s easy to be a bit romantic and forget about how horrible this nation used to be for women before suffrage or African Americans before civil rights.  How poorly we treated our elderly, the mentally ill, and non-land owners. History’s canvas is sometimes painted with a lighter touch. Recall that hangings were common in my beloved city of Boston, the carcasses of criminals left out to publicly rot.  The Son’s of Liberty tarred and feathered other human beings. A blind eye was cast in the slave trade.

We forget we were founded as a violent nation.  We picked off British Regulars while hiding in the woods.  At the time we were thought of as savages. We took pride in it as patriotic and character building. Yet when used against us in quagmires like Iraq and Afghanistan we consider it barbaric.

The American spirit will always be divided between those who look at us being here as a matter of Divine Providence and those who consider it the melting pot.  That our greatest strength is taking the best ideas from everyone.

Winston Churchill once said, “Americans will always do the right thing, after they have exhausted all the alternatives.” It’s in that vein of faith I remain hopeful for America, but today a large portion of our population is apathetic.  They might be angry, but they’re also lazy.  Or they’re active without a sense of purpose.  I’m not so sure Americans are trying everything with the spirit we are expected to.  It can be taxing, but civil debate and disagreement coupled with pragmatism and searching for common ground is what has served this nation well in the past.  The problem today is, our tries seem to be halfhearted, or we save the passion for the detestability of our opponents; political or imagined.

We are not trying hard enough.  We are thinking less, worrying more and outsourcing our leadership to other nations, or corporations. As individuals we are all responsible for the eroding spirt and grit because we are complacently letting it happen.  We celebrate the First Amendment by giving the microphones to crackpots then undermine the gesture by reporting the fear and hate they spout as fact rather than opinion. We are focused on symptoms and finding ways to coat, soothe, and relieve them rather than solving the problems that are making us ill.  We moan and complain.  We spend a lot of energy doing very little and here’s some of our results so far:

• 30% of Americans are obese


• 1 Million American High School students drop out each year


• We carry a $13.5 Trillion Debt


• We are #1 in Oil Consumption, #2 in Coal Consumption and #1 in Cocaine Consumption


• 2.3 Million of our citizens are incarcerated, giving us the largest prison population on the planet

We can do better. We must do better.  We can begin by teaching our children and each other how to dream big, think profoundly, decide pragmatically and lead courageously.

There are no shortages of serious problems yearning to be solved. Pick one.

Below is a system designed to help you begin solving the problems that are in your purview to solve.  If it looks like too much work, have someone help you.  Being defeated from within helps no one. Find a problem that’s within your power to solve and begin solving it.  Here’s how.

1. Write down the problem or challenge that you need to solve.


2. Describe the Desired State that could exist without the problem.


3. Describe WHY it’s desired.


4. Create a S.M.A.R.T. Goal to make your intention specific and real.


5. Set the Criteria on how to find solutions to the problem.


6. Generate a brainstorm list of alternative solutions.


7. Narrow the list and pick the “best few” options.


8. Assess each option’s feasibility and potential risks versus gains.


9. Reach a tentative agreement with stakeholders of the problem.


10. Put some resources on a “fall back” plan.


11. Firm up the final decision and announce it to those affected.


12. Develop an Action Plan to go forward.


13. Implement the Action Plan with confidence and passion.


14. Review, assess and celebrate progress.

Problems are often very complex. Their solutions seldom have to be.

Snooze and Lose?

Do you use an alarm clock to wake up?  Author, Ken Blanchard, a perennial optimist gifted with a positive attitude suggests it be renamed an Opportunity Clock.  Wouldn’t you prefer to be awakened by opportunity rather than an alarm?

Granted, some people like to sleep.   Just like a new vegetarian’s willpower prevents them from indulging in an artery hardening but delicious prime rib, there are those who relish their slumber.  They deeply value it.  It rejuvenates them.  They would never agree with statement, “There will be plenty of time to sleep when I’m dead.”  (To be clear where I stand, I have no problem eating a steak at 11pm, but that’s another story).

Have you seen the sobering advertisements the state of Michigan tourist board have put out, that remind us, “25,000 mornings, give or take is all the average person gets.”

What percentage of those mornings have you hit the snooze button and decided to put off the day for a little while longer?  I asked 235 people how often they hit the snooze button in the morning and here’s the results:

29% - Once

22%  - 2-3 times

9%  - More than 3 time

40% - Before it goes off

When you are living on purpose, you tend to wake up enthusiastically with the alarm, or one minute before it goes off.  Have you ever experienced that?  It’s amazing how you can program your mind that way.  Unfortunately many do not.  People who are not thrilled by the prospects of the day choose to snooze.  Inevitably they then run late and compound their stress.

ACTION: Live on purpose and find your passion.  Passion is easy to identify.  It keeps you up late at night and wakes you up in the morning.  It causes your heart to race, not with anxiety, but with anticipation.  As Wayne Dyer has often said, “You can decide to wake up and get out of bed, open the shades and mumble, good lord, it’s morning.  Or, you can wake up, get out f bed open the shades and declare, Good Morning, Lord.”  The choice is always yours.

How Much and By When?

Some people make achieving goals sound like a mysterious science.  They complicate things.  I’m not saying achieving your goals is easy, infact, often it’s easier not too.  Which is why so many don’t.  It’s easy to stay with the status quo.  It’s even relatively easier to go back the way things were.  That’s hardly progress though.

Have you even been stymied after a long meeting that didn’t seem to produce any actions?  Or received instructions from your manager or even a customer that weren’t clear?  There are two questions that will help. How Much?  and By When?

Yes, there are other elements to effective goal setting, however these two questions cut through much of the clutter. “How Much?” is your volume measurement.  It can be anything; dollars, units, customers, votes, legislation. “By When?” gives you a timeframe; a day, week, month, year.  Put the two question together and you have the immediate basis for accountably.  Which is why it’s hard for some people to answer those questions.  They want wiggle room.  They don’t want the accountability.

No one “likes” accountability yet we all thrive when it’s there.  We’re at our best when we’re accountable to ourselves, our family, customer or constituents, and ultimately a higher calling.  Accountability creates movement.  How much and by why is the lever to get things moving.  Get in the habit of asking those questions and providing the answers to projects that are important to you.

It’s hard to predict the future, so sometimes your answers will be off.  Maybe your how much was too much or too little.  Your by when too near or too far.  It’s okay.  Revise the answer and keep going.  If we can hold ourselves accountable to those two progress inducing questions we can achieve more.

As an exercise, listen to your favorite or least favorite politician speak and see how often they offer answers to those questions.  It will give you insight to the breadth of their vision.  If they have no vision, by no means follow them.

Action: Ask, How Much and By When at least once a day for a week then share your results here or on the Karl Bimshas Consulting Facebook fan page. Did your quest for accountability tick people off?  Did you feel like you moved something forward?  Were you satisfied with the answers?  A caveat: make sure you provide your own How Much and by when answers to anyone who asks you.

The First Monday

When you got up to go to work today were you giddy with excitement to start the year off fresh or were you full of dread?  Were you saddened that the holidays are over and you have to get yourself into a new routine?  Do you miss your family so much that you want to share more time with them?

In the current economy, you might be grateful just to have a job even if you don’t really like it, which begs the question; why are you investing so much time in something you don't love.  Money?  Duty?  Habit?  Fear?

Each morning you have a choice.  You can get up bleary-eyed and mumble, “Good God, it's morning.” or awake refreshed and bright-eyed and say, “Good Morning, God.”

Today, appreciate what you have.  Find, create or develop excitement, maybe even inspiration for the year ahead for yourself or better yet, for others.

If you're not happy where you are, you just found a great goal to work on.  If you’re fortunate enough to actually be happy where you are, good for you, now go help your co-workers get in that same affirming and confident place.

Have a great day.  It's up to you.

Learn more by reading reading, "How to Stay When You Want to Quit; Re-scripting your life from whiner to winner" available on Amazon.com

Congratulations, You Made It.

Congratulations, you made it.  It’s a new day, month, year, and decade.  The “first of the year” has arrived, so no more feeble excuses.  It’s time to get to work on you.

“But today?  It’s a holiday.”



Well Kid, any day you make progress on your goals is cause for celebration so you might as well get started.  Do something.  Have you written your goals down yet?  Have you shared them with a supportive person?






[caption id="attachment_111" align="alignleft" width="234" caption="Most Contributed to Success"][/caption]



In a recent survey 38% of the respondents cited Support from Others as a major contribution to their success last year.  This was second to old-fashioned Discipline and Persistence.

Of those same respondents, 55% were optimistic about accomplishing their goals in 2010.  That’s a good start, although 100% would be better.  Those who aren’t  sure may be pragmatic or they may be a little too reliant on luck.










[caption id="attachment_112" align="alignright" width="234" caption="How Likely to Accomplish 2010 Goal?"][/caption]

For the nearly 20% who are beginning the year with low confidence there are two choices; break your goal into smaller manageable pieces, or find a new worthwhile goal.  If you don’t think you can achieve your goal, how can anyone else?






Working on your goal will not always be easy so begin the habit of asking, “Does this move me closer to or farther from my goal?”  If you listen to your intuition, you will always hear an answer.  Heed what it tells you and choose to do the things that move you a little closer…everyday.  There are 365 days in this year, what you do with them is up to you.

4 Things to Experience in 2010

Here are four things I would like you to experience in 2010.



1.  Find a Great Goal. Even if you have a Laissez-faire attitude, there is a special joy in discovering some spectacular thing you want to have, do or be.  Fill yourself with that positive yearning.



2.  Set at least one Great Goal. Make it a SMART Goal and better to set three.  Short-term, mid-term and long-term goals can keep your momentum -- and if interrelated can help you achieve each of them faster.



3.  Get a Great Goal. Meaning, achieve it.  Making your goals a reality is seldom easy and that's good.  Great goals give our life a sense of personal purposefulness.  Don’t you want to live your life on purpose?  Stick with it.



4.  Celebrate. Let's get rid of the long bovine expressions that have plagued us for too long.  The good and bad things in your life are tied more to your attitude than anything else.  Want more good things?  Celebrate every positive thing that happens. If you’re the reserved type, this will feel odd.  Why celebrate things that are supposed to happen?  Because they worked!  We mourn loss we must celebrate achievement.



Have a happy, safe and enriching new year filled with meaningful goals.

Set Your Vision into Motion Too

On January 20th the United States will again demonstrate its talent for peaceful transitions as the stewardship of presidential power is passed literally and figuratively. This year of course is unprecedented, thankfully so.

Every four or eight years the world is treated to the reminder that change is inevitable and can be embraced with dignity, respect and celebration. This year's inaugural address from Barack Obama is likely to provide lofty language of hope, openness to new ideas and an urging to view a landscape full of possibilities. There will be calls for sacrifice and the somber reality that tough decisions between terrible options will be made. The spirit of America will be renewed and echoed across the Washington Mall and into the classrooms and offices, churches, synagogues and mosques across the land as unity seeks to replace past divisiveness. People of every spot and stripe will be called upon to act and to lead.

I have long believed that everyone has the capacity to be a leader. A leader is a person who knows their strengths and maximizes them while making their weaknesses irrelevant. They do the same for their followers, be they citizens of the world or members of a little league team. A leader shares their vision, passion, and action. To move an organization, family, or nation forward, they create an environment where what I call "The Four Musts" can thrive.

• A strong leader and strong, pervasive leadership
• A repeatable compelling vision and sense of purpose
• A sense of overwhelming optimism
• A regular diet of meaningful recognition

A leader also understands the value of teamwork and freely acknowledges that wherever they hope to go, they cannot get their alone. They prioritize actions by asking their followers what I call "The Power Question". "What one thing can I do for you that will most help you make a positive difference?"

On Tuesday, anyone who is listening will know the transformative vision of this nation. Some may not like or accept it. That's okay. Conscientious objections are useful because listening to those who oppose you is a great way to learn, improve and unite.

An inaugural address is like a manifesto, a way of sharing your intentions and initiatives and where you're headed. What about you? How do you emerge from your periods of darkness? What is your vision? Where is your passion? What have you put into action? Find a way of communicating it to the people who are important to you. You may be surprised at how much sooner you'll arrive.

Set Your Vision into Motion Too

On January 20th the United States will again demonstrate its talent for peaceful transitions as the stewardship of presidential power is passed literally and figuratively. This year of course is unprecedented, thankfully so.

Every four or eight years the world is treated to the reminder that change is inevitable and can be embraced with dignity, respect and celebration. This year's inaugural address from Barack Obama is likely to provide lofty language of hope, openness to new ideas and an urging to view a landscape full of possibilities. There will be calls for sacrifice and the somber reality that tough decisions between terrible options will be made. The spirit of America will be renewed and echoed across the Washington Mall and into the classrooms and offices, churches, synagogues and mosques across the land as unity seeks to replace past divisiveness. People of every spot and stripe will be called upon to act and to lead.

I have long believed that everyone has the capacity to be a leader. A leader is a person who knows their strengths and maximizes them while making their weaknesses irrelevant. They do the same for their followers, be they citizens of the world or members of a little league team. A leader shares their vision, passion, and action. To move an organization, family, or nation forward, they create an environment where what I call "The Four Musts" can thrive.

• A strong leader and strong, pervasive leadership
• A repeatable compelling vision and sense of purpose
• A sense of overwhelming optimism
• A regular diet of meaningful recognition

A leader also understands the value of teamwork and freely acknowledges that wherever they hope to go, they cannot get their alone. They prioritize actions by asking their followers what I call "The Power Question". "What one thing can I do for you that will most help you make a positive difference?"

On Tuesday, anyone who is listening will know the transformative vision of this nation. Some may not like or accept it. That's okay. Conscientious objections are useful because listening to those who oppose you is a great way to learn, improve and unite.

An inaugural address is like a manifesto, a way of sharing your intentions and initiatives and where you're headed. What about you? How do you emerge from your periods of darkness? What is your vision? Where is your passion? What have you put into action? Find a way of communicating it to the people who are important to you. You may be surprised at how much sooner you'll arrive.