The Rambling Part

It's been awhile since I've posted here. I've had a lot on my mind. Usually when I have a lot on my mind I write it out, so that's weird.

The focus of this space is supposed to be on my insights, rambling and sneak peeks of new projects I'm working on. Today, I'm blogging real time, unedited so it's safe to say this one is going to lean a little heavy on the rambling part.

So let's catch up.

My Company - Since 2009 I've been self employed. This has been liberating, freeing, horrendously frightful, humbling, inspiring, stressful ... and every other adjective you can conjure. My focus has been gradually shifting to where I'm currently specializing in helping to encourage professional women to maximize their potential. There are a lot of reasons for this. You can catch up on Karl Bimshas Consulting things here: http://www.bimshasconsulting.com

My Writing - Most of my writing has been focused on non-fiction. Ghost-writing, inspiration, business communication, programs and marketing. Important stuff, though it doesn't feed the soul. Earlier in the year I published my second novel,  He Loves It When She Smiles a bittersweet and humorous romance set in 1980s Boston. I had hoped to get my next one out before summer's end, but numerous  distractions are slowing that prospect down considerably. That is a crappy excuse I would chide any writer for making, but there you have it. The cobbler's kids have no shoes.

Insights - That's a pretty arrogant heading isn't it. The belief that I have some special insight into something that you, gentle reader could glean something from. At the end of the day, that is what we all have. A point of view, colored by our values and beliefs articulated in some form or fashion provide insight. You can agree with them or not, that's your prerogative. My prerogative is sharing them or not.
So here's one.

I don't think we're trying hard enough. 

Okay Yoda freaks, I agree, there is "do or do not, there is no try" ... so, I don't think we are doing enough -- and we sure as hell can do better. In what? Everything. And you know it.

Look, I don't mind political correctness to a certain extent. There's value in being respectful and at least attempting to tolerate someone with an opposing point of view, experience, etc. It would be even better to hear them out and try to understand and then, perhaps amend or enhance your current thinking. That would be progress, show signs of intellectual curiosity, which is crucial for effective leadership, and I believe a better way to live. You don't have to agree with everything, but you don't have to be a dick either.

Let's stop deluding ourselves. Race, Gender and Class remain major problems in this country. Has there been progress? Of course. Have we regressed? Absolutely. I'm an optimist, (actually a pragmatist) I know we can fix our ills. I also know we have enough intellectual capacity and will to fix them quickly. That's more than hyperbole. We have the capacity to solve every problem we imagine. Why then, do we insist in creating future problems before we solve the ones already before us?

It is ludicrous to me, those who think we have moved beyond race, gender or class issues. I know it's not easy and today's premise could be wrong tomorrow, but do were really still need to entertain members of the flat Earth society. We have allowed our LCD to reach sub-terrarium levels. This is our own fault, but we can fix it.

First, We must stop giving air to those who refuse to acknowledge today. They are not even a funny sideshow anymore. We've allowed them into the center ring and honestly they shouldn't even be selling peanuts.

Second, after we acknowledge a problem we need to address it, not celebrate it. It's not enough to moan and groan about the way things are. Those who do that are just as bad those newly hired peanut sellers above. On and on they drone about our ills and injustices. You're preaching to the choir. Go outside and lead, dammit.

Third, as a nation we have incentives to keep growing our problems. People make money off society's ills .... a lot of money. Stop feeding them. Pick something you can fix and go fix it. Raise your own standards. Stop putting up with crap,

Okay, maybe more of a rant than a rambling. Do with it what you will.

Self Promotion #BookPush

A bit of self promotion. 

Here's list of books and journals I've written which are available for download. 

The list is in a tweetable or other postable format, should you *cough* be so inclined to share individual titles with others.

Please enjoy.

FICTION

Caffeinated Romance: Lyrics And Poems For Everyday People Who Fall In And Out Of Love: http://amzn.to/110N6o0

Three Blinks And A Sigh; A Novel http://amzn.to/18UnB9F

He Loves It When She Smiles: A Novel http://amzn.to/110Oze1

Trouble With Women: Five Short Stories http://amzn.to/114rqS7

JOURNALS

Perspectives, a 30 Day Journal to View Your World Differently: http://amzn.to/12L7G94

Disposable Journal; Write it out and let it go: http://bit.ly/10dbIsm

NON-FICTION

Write Advice; Inspirations, tips and thoughts for Leaders and Artists: http://amzn.to/10daptx

Pushing Back the Ocean; Tide Turning Leadership Lessons http://amzn.to/15XV3xq

Go Get It! Your Guide to Finding Purpose, Setting Goals and Maintaining Success http://amzn.to/10daCgb

Time for Change: A Quick Guide to Manage (Survive) Planned (Sudden) Change http://amzn.to/YS29OC

So, I've Been Thinking; Seemingly Random Thoughts on Leadership http://amzn.to/YS2fpm

Pick a Direction and Start Moving

The world is full of directionless people. There is so much uncertainty and fear and doubt - you want to just curl up tight under a blanket until better days arrive.

If you think that way, that's all you see. However, if you're open to possibilities, creative thinking and have even a teaspoon of confidence, when you ask the powers in the universe for a sign you may find one, like I did yesterday.

Clear direction spelled out on the sidewalk under my feet. Sure, it was a message meant for someone else, but it spoke to me too.

Here's what I chose to see. Pick a direction and move in that direction.

What do you see? It will tell you a lot about your mindset.

Got Dread?

You know that lousy feeling you get in the pit of your stomach every time you think about a goal you're not working on even though it's important to you?

You might be disappointed in yourself. Maybe you're dwelling on things that are, or could go wrong. You might even fear success. It can all be boiled down into one word, dread. 

The way to get rid of it can be found in another word, accountability.

Specifically, a weekly check-in system that holds you accountable and keeps you on track toward your goal.

The Goal Factory, is a method of producing an achievement mindset that churns out progress week after week.

Wouldn't it be a relief to finally get rid of that dreadful feeling associated with procrastination? Imagine replacing anxiety with anticipation and rekindling the excitement you had over your great goal.

Learn how one objective, four weeks, eighty-eight dollars and the desire to stop deferring your dreams can build success by visiting: bimshasconsulting.com/the-goal-factory/ 
or contact me directly. 

New Book / So, I've Been Thinking

“So, I’ve Been Thinking; Seemingly Random Thoughts on Leadership” is a new book I've written that’s available on Amazon today. It is a collection of 30 essays and anecdotes that capture my thoughts on leadership, creativity and America.

To help celebrate the four year anniversary of Karl Bimshas Consulting, you can grab this book for free this Saturday, April 27, 2013. Please check it out and tell me what you think. Click here for book.

For the Love of Boston

I've been madly in love with Boston my entire life. In some ways, Patriot’s Day is a celebration of our first date. Even though I'm in the opposite corner of the country, that love has never felt stronger than it has this week.

Patriot’s Day is special in Massachusetts. When I was a child, I’d wear a tri-cornered hat, pull my socks up over my pant legs to mimic a minuteman, grab a toy rifle and hold my own reenactment in the backyard. My Dad brought me to Lexington Green, and Concord Bridge several times and it was always a special treat to go into town and visit the observation deck of the Pru, or the John Hancock, where they used to have an educational presentation on Boston’s rich history. I remember tiny, white light bulbs on a huge map illuminated the route Paul Revere took on the evening of April 18, 1775. After the show, I would stare out the huge windows of the observation deck and take in the panoramic view of all the wondrous sites mentioned.

Coming from Boston, I have always felt pride in terms like ‘patriot’, ‘minutemen’ and ‘the tea party’, and it has always annoyed me when other groups around the nation co-opt those words to better market their political purpose, often sullying the name and cheapening the history in the process.

Patriot’s Day has always been one of my favorite holidays. You didn’t get presents, but you got out of school or work and into the spring air. One year we joined the masses at Hopkinton, to witness the start of the big race.  For most of my youth, if we didn’t watch on television, we’d fight traffic and find a place along Route 9, somewhere in the middle of the course. We’d stand on the roof of my dad’s brown Dodge Dart and wait along with everyone else, to cheer for the runners. First came those in wheelchairs whom you admired for their determination. Then came the elite runners, whom you admired for their athleticism. Then, mixed among neighbors and friends, were local heroes and personalities. Workers from big companies ran together, engaged in a bonding exercise. Small teams and individuals ran for a cause, raising funds for cancer, or a fallen family member. The roar of the crowd for this wave of runners was deafening. The cheers helped motivate people ever forward. Volunteers held out Dixie cups of water and orange slices amidst shouts of encouragement and the ever-present unrelenting applause. You couldn’t help but feel great after attending the Boston Marathon. By the time I was in college and beyond, I watched the final leg along Boylston Street, often a few feet from the finish line.

I’d often reminisce while walking the streets of Boston. When I was very young, and still in the suburbs, my mother and grandmother used to drag me on to a train to “go to the city” and shop at places like Jordan Marsh and Filene’s and I’m sure we had lunch at Woolworths. I’d be pulled along the cobblestone sidewalks of the Freedom Trail without complaint. We’d visit the Granary Burial ground, the final resting place of many early patriots, including my favorite, Paul Revere.

On other occasions, my older brothers and sister could always be counted on to score a few seats in Fenway at least a couple of times each season, when Lynn, Rice and Evans where in the outfield.

Although I visited many campuses in New England, when it came time for college, there was never any real doubt I would go someplace in Boston. I chose Emerson, where I lost my accent and found my voice. It’s where I grew up. Boston is where I met my best friends, had my first real kiss, learned how to lead, and how to write. Boston is where I fell in love. I proposed to my wife on the bridge in the Public Garden. We wed in the Copley Plaza Hotel, a block away from where the marathon finished. We lived in a small apartment above an art gallery on Newbury Street, a block away from the finish line in the other direction.

At that time in my life, I fully realized feeling of Boston being the ‘Hub of the Universe.’ It was the hub of my universe, particularly Back Bay.

I moved to California twenty years ago, but a big part of me never really left Boston. My wife and my young family would make it a point to visit my parents in the suburbs, and eventually down the Cape, whenever possible, but the trip wasn’t complete until we spent some time in the city.

Whenever a business trip brought me back East, I would nearly always finagle a side trip to Boston, even if just for a few hours.

I find it hard to describe the spirit of Boston to those who have never been. The city has an intimacy of scale, but an enormous vitality. Yes, there is arrogance, usually justified. Yes, there is belligerence, usually not justified. And, particularly refreshing after spending time on the West coast, there is brutal honesty and raucous humor. If you want warm memories in your life, spend a cold day in Boston. Last year my father and I went in for the day. The cosmopolitan energy was immediate. It refueled me. Once touched, you feel like you’ll never run on empty again.

I’ve learned that others who’ve spent formative years in Boston, and we’re everywhere, have all had similar experiences. This realization is not met with scarcity or jealousy over someone riding the coattails of your memory. Instead, there is an immediate palpable bond and kinship. Once you’re a Bostonian, you’re always a Bostonian.

Every time I see images of Boston, my heart flutters and I get giddy, like seeing an old crush. To see the horrific images coming out of Boston this week were heartbreaking, not only because of the carnage and the attack on the very spirit of the day, but also, and I know I’m not alone in this, because it felt extremely personal. The sidewalks soaked in the blood of innocent people are sidewalks I’ve travelled thousands of times. The pictures shown were of my old turf, my backyard, my front yard, and my living room. Those places were the inspiration and settings for my books and indeed my life in general. To see those sidewalks, my sidewalks, engulfed in destruction causes a pain that cuts in ways I struggle to articulate.

When organizations and individuals make declarations that this cataclysm changes the city, and the marathon forever, it simultaneously saddens and angers me. They misunderstand the spirit of the city and the resolve of Bostonians. Boston is the birthplace of the American Revolution. The city knows change, but it’s change that comes on our terms, not because of an act of terror, hate and a cowardly pitiful cry for attention from the forces of evil. This traumatic event does not undermine our values it strengthens them. Yes, evil is present, but it didn’t win. Witness the scores of people who instantaneously and heroically ran toward the blast, concerned only with helping others. Every time that happens, humanity wins. Bostonians in particular, do not cower or cave. Ever.

Perpetrators of evil will never win. There’s no other way to say it. You can never, ever, f*ck with Boston and expect to win. You will lose, and in time, Bostonians around the world, with sheer grit, will ultimately render you an irrelevant asterisk in the chronicle of our long history, enduring spirit and devotion to freedom and liberty. Boston is a gorgeous city and she’s never looked finer.

Advancing Confidently - 4 Year Anniversary

Although I didn't articulate it well at the time, I founded Karl Bimshas Consulting in 2009 with the belief I could help people use their own hidden talents to find the aha within.

I knew that accountability, coupled with the seemingly magical formula of vision, passion and action, could help optimistic and productive people find creative solutions to their personal or professional problems.

When people proactively improve themselves they also improve those they influence. I have always believed, given enough time and mass, that influence could positively energize our nation and contribute to greater peace, prosperity, fun, understanding, responsibility and liberty in the world.

We're not there yet, but we're four years closer.

Thank you for your support. Advance ever confidently in the direction of your dreams, help others along the way, and keep smiling.

Need help along your way? Let's talk. CLICK HERE

When it feels out of reach, stretch.

Got a Spring Goal?

Let's Eradicate Despondency

When I was in college, I returned home one Friday for a long weekend. I met my mom in the afternoon, and she told me about a troubling sight she had seen earlier in the day.  A school bus had stopped beside her, and the faces of sullen and despondent teenagers filled every visible window. 

“They’re kids,” she said. “On a Friday afternoon. Going home for a long weekend.” Her voice was soaked in sadness. “This is supposed to be an exciting and optimistic time in their lives. They shouldn’t look like they have the weight of the world on their shoulders.” 

We lived in an affluent town, and although teen angst can run deep and shouldn’t be trivialized, I doubt few on that bus had any want unmet. 

My mom reminisced over the joy she had felt as a young woman, enthusiastic over what each tomorrow held in store for her. She wistfully hinted that bringing a surplus of unbridled exuberance  into adulthood helps because it takes an increasing amount of effort to retain or recapture it after sustaining the random blows life inevitably throws your way.

A quarter of a century has passed since then, and the mournful expression on my mom's face remains seared in my memory. I couldn't articulate it at the time, but on that day a seed was planted that took root and intertwined with my mission to create a movement of leaders, artists and entrepreneurs committed to eradicating despondency from the faces and hearts of the disillusioned.

When you see the sad, slack, bovine expressions of listless figures through a window, or in your bathroom mirror, you're not looking at purposeful people motivated by an exciting and worthwhile goal. You’re seeing disillusionment, worry and fear. These are horrible expressions to have painted across anyone’s face, let alone the young. Discouragement and demoralization do not suddenly appear. They are signs of erosion, put there by constant exposure to negative elements which not only rob people of their faith and ingenuity, but also insidiously subvert fledging talents with ridicule, disdain, or worse, indifference.  

Consider now, the teens who carried those gloomy expressions my mom saw, are today in their early 40s. Some may have recaptured the joy and enthusiasm my mother spoke of, but many, dare I guess most, have not. Today they are your doctors, bankers, teachers and professors perhaps educating you or your children, police officers and city planners, elected officials, and cubicle dwellers who wait in long lines for their first cup of coffee in the morning and lean on the car horn and swear at no one in particular in the early evening.

I have always hated poor leadership, and I’m sure you’d agree, people who are disillusioned, discouraged and chronically disappointed with where they are in life make poor leaders. They can systematically erode the optimistic possibilities held by others. And if they are in a position of influence, they are, through ignorance more than intent, creating a new generation of poor leaders. That cycle must stop.

I believe happiness and purposefulness come about by the active pursuit of a worthy goal, therefore if you want to be happy you should never be without a great goal.

I believe most people know what they want to contribute to society, but lack the confidence to pursue their dreams. 

I believe great listeners create great leaders, artists, and entrepreneurs and when you learn to listen, particularly to yourself, epiphanies become common, and it’s as easy to find the aha within as it is to find a blade of grass. You simply need to know where to look.

I believe accountability raises both your game and your aim. You achieve more when you’re held accountable for your decisions and your actions.

I believe, with your help, we can eradicate despondency from the faces and hearts of the disillusioned and dissipate its corrosive effect on the world at large.

Imagine if every woman, every man, and every child you know had at least one great goal that they were actively working toward every day? The buzz of energy produced from such productivity, collaboration and purposefulness would do more than illuminate cities it would illuminate minds long shrouded under a fog of doubt. It would raise hope, lift spirits, and propel those with a success mindset ever forward. To solve what others thought unsolvable. To achieve what all but a few thought unattainable. To refuse the deferment of dreams long-held, or thoughts long held silent. To try, to fail, to try again, without stigma or scorn.

I believe such a place and time are possible. We won't ever live in a world without conflict, but we can’t call it living if it’s in a world without goals. The best we could do then is exist, and merely existing is not good enough for me, and I doubt it is for you. 

If you have a great goal, I would love to know what it is.
If you're working on a great goal, I’d love to know how it's going.
And if you need help finding or working on a great goal for yourself or your organization I’d love to talk with you.

If you can only take baby steps toward the direction I’m headed, do so by sharing this message with every woman, every man, and every child you know who needs to find one great goal. Tell them it’s possible.

Thank you and may you continue to advance confidently in the direction of your dreams, live the life you’ve imagined for yourself and help others along the way.

Yes, I’m in. Let’s Eradicate Despondency

Personal Dashboard for Writing Too ...

On the consulting business side of the house I recently wrote about the importance of a dashboard to help guide your personal life. Click here to read the specifics.

This dashboard can also help your writing life. Use it for a specific story or writing project you're working on, or to help organize multiple works in progress.

In brief;

• Use the vision section to paint your picture of success. 
• Use things like word count, or hours writing, of number os submissions or downloads for your Key Performance Measures. 
• Track holidays, contests, confrences or other relevant items on the calendar on the Forecast of Significant Events section. 
• Finally, list your improvement goals in the Personal Development Box.

How are you tracking success in your writing life?

2nd Novel - He Loves It When She Smiles

I am thrilled to announce the release date of my second novel, He Loves It When She Smiles.

You may know that I've written several business and motivation books that have helped leaders, artists and entrepreneurs to find, set and get their great goals and discover the aha within themselves. My fiction writing supports this mission in a more subtle way.

What's it about?

He Loves It When She Smiles, is a bittersweet and humorous romance set in 1980s Boston.

Determined to escape suburbia and start with a clean slate, freshman Kyle Davis heads off to Klondike College. His academic studies quickly take a back seat to the slow blooming crush he's developed on a flirty co-ed with a captivating smile. His new friends provide a glut of unsolicited dating advice but can't prevent his continually floundering. Confused, discouraged and rejected he finally hears one voice he should have been listening to all along.

You'll be hooked by the immediately likable and intriguing characters. Roommate Adam has an obsessive attention to detail. The girls across the hall, Sandy and Casey, are offbeat, hip and blunt. Classmate Pete is always ready with a terse quip laced with logic. Pete's roommate, Donny Rifkin is the campus Romeo. And Laura Ripley, is a look-alike of Kyle's favorite singer, with a smile that mesmerizes him.

They all interact through vivid dialogue so real you'll think you're eavesdropping.

I would be delighted if you bought this novel from Amazon's Kindle Store this Saturday, 03-02-13 at 4pm EST. 

How can you help?

• Download a copy of He Loves It When She Smiles
• Write a review
• Forward this message to readers you know
• Follow me on Twitter, Like my Writer Fan Page
• Encourage your friends to do the same

As always, I am grateful for your support.

A Look Inside My Writing Life

Here's what a work in progress looked like last night.

GO GET IT! Private Workshop

CLICK HERE TO GET MORE INFO

Create a Repeatable Compelling Vision

Leadership is about inspiring people and lifting them up – not tiring people and putting them to sleep.

If you're running an organization of any size, make sure it has a repeatable compelling vision and sense of purpose.

If possible you should have a clear and concise singular vision. You want to get to a point that nearly every activity the organization tackles is linked toward supporting that compelling vision. Make it memorable and repeatable so that every message, action and strategy you engage in supports the purpose with an obvious connection.

Word and promote the vision in a way that others can understand, support, be excited by, grow some passion around, and be inventive in discovering numerous ways to achieve it. 

Too often people spend too much time and energy trying to create a literary masterpiece instead of a clear, easy to follow and understand vision. It’s a terrible waste of resources.

Does your organization have a repeatable compelling vision and sense of purpose? (If it does, what is it?)

Does it excite you or anyone else?

Vision Helps You See Clearly

If you're like most folks you spent the last few weeks in a reflective and hopefully celebratory mode. Now that you’re out of the holiday haze, give some thought to next December.

What do you want it to look like? What will be different? What will remain the same? What will you intentionally get rid of? What might you find before the end of the year?

Having a vision of the future gives you direction. When you can create a compelling picture of a desired place it’s easier to marshal the resources needed to get there.

Leaders without vision are follower-less.
Artists without vision don’t create, they replicate.
Entrepreneurs without vision have no idea.

Make the time to visualize the end of the year. If you can’t visualize it - you can’t have it. Be as vivid as possible. What will it take for this to be a standout year for you?

“How” doesn’t have a place setting yet. Right now it’s just you and “what”. What do you want to have, be do or become over the next 50 weeks or so? Start with your vision - only then will you see clearly.

Achievers Tip:
Before you embark on any endeavor ask for a picture of success. If it’s not clear, how will you know if you’re on the right track or not? And when you’re the one providing the vision, make sure it’s clear to everyone. Your description of where you want to go should tantalize all the senses.

50 Book Challenge

Four years ago I was struck by the famous Charlie ‘Tremendous’ Jones quote, “You are the same today you’ll be in five years except for two things: the people you meet and the books you read.”

That sobering thought coupled with my daughter’s voracious reading, inspired me to begin tracking how many books I read over the course of a year. Fifty seemed like a good number. I’ve since learned it’s a number some scoff at as too low and others bemoan as too hard. I don’t really care, adjust it to how you see fit.

I’ve adapted to reading on my iPad and now find myself reading several books, usually non-fiction, concurrently. I also read the books my daughter deems worthy.

It’s a good habit to log what you’ve read. Use a journal, Amazon, Goodreads, or download the log I’ve created. It’s fun to see what you’ve accomplished and what you’ve learned along the way.

Even though reading is an investment in your mind, many people still find excuses not to pick up a book. Lack of time is the most common. Knock it off and make a commitment. Shave an hour off your TV time, or curb some mindless web surfing. You don’t have to be a stickler, to me, audio books count. And don’t be a snob; all books are valid, thick or thin, fiction or non-fiction alike. Maybe you’ll choose to keep track of how many books you read aloud to a child or a grandparent.

Start with fifty books. Want a few suggestions? Click Here

Happy New Year

This year,

May you wish less, yet achieve more
Conquer a fear, and strengthen your core
Feed your curiosity and find something to strive toward

Replace any anger with joy
Mix any tears with laughter
and find something elusive to chase after.

May gratitude bookend your days
and moonrise or sunsets or other vistas
hold your gaze.

May you thrive and make things better
in your world
or better still,
in another's.

A very Happy New Year to you and those you hold dear!

Season's Greetings

8 Ways You Know How to Think Differently

Leaders, Artists and Entrepreneurs think differently. That’s one of the reasons they sometimes stand out from the crowd. The crowd often settles, content with how things are, or are more comfortable lamenting about how things were. 

Leaders, Artists and Entrepreneurs like comfort too, but in smaller and more frequent doses. They know too much comfort leads to complacency and a false sense of certainty. 

Leaders, Artists and Entrepreneurs know there are at best, three certainties in life. We will all die, we will all be taxed, and we will all face uncertainty. People who like to be certain are on a fools errand. 

Leaders, Artists and Entrepreneurs are filled with uncertainty. The difference is it doesn’t immobilize them it emboldens them. The tools at their disposable are no different from those anyone else has access to. It has to do with their way of thinking. 

• They think in terms of possibility by asking, If
• They think of discernment by asking, Which
• They consider time by asking, When
• They consider place by asking, Where
• They consider the thing itself by asking, What
• They think about motivate by asking, Why
• They consider the means by asking, How
• They think about the person or group by asking, Who

Equipped with these questions, and open to what they uncover, you’ll find intriguing alternatives and new ways of facing old problems. If you haven’t already adopted this type of thinking, you ought to consider doing so. Every day. Every time you face uncertainty.

A word of caution, when you begin faithfully thinking this way, you will begin to stand out from the crowd as a Leader, Artist or Entrepreneur.