I read the quote nearly every day. It dangles at the bottom of his emails. Each time I read it, I feel a flush of regret of the inertia in the past and present; the dread of a future where the truth of the quote compounds with interest. The quote reads: "Every day you don’t do something, it makes it less likely that you will ever do something." What gets in the way of the doing something is either a lack of clarity of purpose or a lack of faith. Some may be uncomfortable with the … [Read more...]
4 Types of People, 2 Get Things Done – Which are you?
February 17, 2014 by
There were two girls climbing concrete ramps that run along the side of a set of stairs. They were 7 to 10 years old. One asks the mom to join her. The mom said, "No, that's for children." Doing silly things that might be a little dangerous, fun and/or make you stand out as a fool is for children? What's for adults? Being serious, fitting in, avoiding danger, risk or fun? I battle the urge to control my kids. I try not to tell them not to do things. Constantly, I see … [Read more...]
The Key To Going From Try to Do
October 28, 2013 by
Give someone 24 choices of jam... They'll taste a lot of them. They'll enjoy them. More often than not, they won't commit to them. They don't buy. 6 choices of jam and the commitment rate jumps. Many more buy with fewer choices We've bought into the lie that choice equals freedom. A diner offers a 12 page menu. You can choose from Hungarian goulash to spanikopitas to bagels and lox to burgers. It takes long to decide and you're likely to second guess your choice - - - … [Read more...]
The Rule of the Exception
October 18, 2013 by
I just wrote an email of encouragement to my wife, Jen. We started this habit 8 years ago. Once a week, on Wednesday, we email each other encouragement. There's enough encouragement to make a book. The encouragement is a great way for us to refocus on what we like about each other, love about each other and want for each other. It's a great way ... until that day that's too busy. Those times when I say to myself, I can't right now ... I'll get to it later. The days when I lay … [Read more...]
What’s the Best Time of Day to Water Tomatoes?
June 27, 2013 by
We pulled into the driveway. We got out of the truck and went to visit with our neighbors, who were in their driveway. Jen said, "The tomato plant is drooping. Looks like it needs water." I went to the hose, turned it on, dragged it over and started watering. It was the middle of the day. Heat was at peak. A new conversation started. "Is this the best time to water the tomatoes?" "It's pretty hot." "I think you're supposed to water it in the morning or night." I … [Read more...]
Lost in Distraction: Do you have blinders on?
June 11, 2013 by
Donald asked me a question. He's working on a project scheduled to complete in the next 5 weeks. I started to answer his question. Then I went on. I told him about stuff happening in 8, 10, 16 weeks from now. Don asked a follow-up question ... he was confused. Don was thinking only in terms of the June project. I screwed up. I confused him by showing him a picture broader than he was looking for. The only thing he cared about was the June project delivery. Don had blinders … [Read more...]
Are you qualified?
May 23, 2013 by
We are all in sales. Whether it's selling our idea of a great vacation to our wife or selling a Ford Pinto to a bizarre classic car enthusiast. We are all buying something, too. It can be your 3 year old's proposal to have a cookie before dinner or the ill-advised, 3,000 calorie loaded potato skins at Hooligans. Qualifying is the key to make the most of our time (and effort) for selling and buying. A key goal is to get to 'No' quickly. So you can know whether the prospect … [Read more...]
This Test Is Pass/Fail. Do You Pass This Test?
May 22, 2013 by
I've asked a lot people if they want a more significant and meaningful life. Every person I ask says 'Yes'. They may be lying. After all, it's a loaded question. Who really wants to tell someone, "Eh, I really don't give shit ... I'm good enough." Or they may be answering from the core of their soul. Looking at how people live tells me it might be somewhere in between. Or they just don't know how. At least not consistently. What about you? How do you qualify yourself? What … [Read more...]
Brilliance is a Breakthrough
May 6, 2013 by
Think of people you consider historically brilliant. People who created dramatic impact on the course of history. How many asked for permission? Not many. Why? Brilliance breaks through ... Conventional Wisdom Expertise Reactionary Thinking Bureaucracies Stagnant markets Mediocrity Reasons it "won't work" No No No way No Brilliance doesn't ask. It becomes. What are you becoming? … [Read more...]
Is It Time To Overcome This Guilty Pleasure?
May 2, 2013 by
If they say no, you're justifiably frustrated... It's not your fault we're not doing it. They didn't give permission. You tried, right?Seeking permission can just be an escape. An abdication of responsibility. A guilty pleasure. If they say "yes" and it goes wrong, they own the decision. They should have seen it would not work. What were they thinking!? If they say "yes" and it does work ... You're brilliant! And it's a good thing they … [Read more...]
