Hi. My name is Eric. And I'm a time-aholic. I have a time problem. I abuse time. Afterwards, I stumble through a time hangover, blacked out wondering what I did for the last few hours. It's easy to let time slip away when you haven't identified how you want to invest it. It's hard to know how you want to invest it if you don't have investment goals. Our investment goals define how we invest our money. If we're retiring soon, we might work to preserve what we have with a … [Read more...]
The 3 Keys to getting ahead
September 13, 2012 by
He built a successful firm that helps people who are in a jam with the IRS. He also built a successful water company. And he's paid his mortgages with rental income for nearly 50 years. I sat across from him. He finished his lunch - A homemade sandwich and cheetos. We talked about what he learned along the way. He said three things: "Show up every day - not just physically, but mentally and emotionally - and committing to make the business just a little bit bigger and … [Read more...]
What are you making believe?
July 26, 2012 by
A client turned around his shop's performance. He reshaped his team. He got them lined up with his plan and his vision. He did it in under 3 months. I asked him how he did it. "By making it believable." I asked him what he meant by that. He said, "people need to see before they believe. We're not where we need to be yet. I'm what they see". A team won't follow a leader unless the leader believes in where their team is going. People who lead others successfully make the … [Read more...]
Do you want something?
July 17, 2012 by
Yesterday I wrote about my mishaps and poor performance at my church's first open mic night. The stakes were low. The mistakes were high. My disappointment matched the mistakes. I was unprepared. I was uneasy. My friend asked me to do this open mic because they weren't sure they'd have enough performers. I got there. I saw no shortage of performers. I could have backed out. I didn't. I committed to my friend that I'd get up there. I also committed to myself. If we won't … [Read more...]
Are you succeeding?
June 25, 2012 by
Roombas are robotic vacuum cleaners. The roll around the floor vacuuming your room while you're away. They are successful because they keep moving after they encounter an obstacle. They If they didn't do this, they'd just suck. They are successful because they succeed. Most ladders have many rungs. We succeed from rung to rung to make to the top of the ladder. The word "Succeed" is derived from the latin, succedere: to go up or follow after. I usually think about … [Read more...]
What why are you giving?
June 6, 2012 by
I learned recently that babies won't work too hard to eat. They'll stop eating if their nipple makes them work to get the milk. We learned this because our girls stopped eating a few weeks ago. We bought new nipples with higher flow. They ate faster than ever. Babies don't know that food is worth something. So they won't work too hard for it. Show your team why it's worth doing what you're asking to do. Give them a big why. Or they might just act like babies. … [Read more...]
What do you think I should do?
May 30, 2012 by
What do you think I should do? This is the question I've asked too many times (I still do). Sometimes I didn't ask - but I let people answer for me anyway. We ask this thinking that it will help us when we're trying to decide. It usually won't. We might think we're asking to get a new idea or perspective. But usually, you get an old idea or perspective. We might think we're asking this to receive support and validation. Often we receive neither. This is the question you … [Read more...]
Here today, gone …
May 22, 2012 by
It's easy to get caught up in writing something well. We worry about each piece being laid properly. The concern is that everything else will tumble down if we don't do it right. This presents a problem. You become a slave to the form instead of the servant to your idea. I can always go back and correct the form after the idea is born onto paper (or screen). I can't recapture the thought sparked in the ether that vanished into thin air while I was looking for where to put a … [Read more...]
What if you asked differently?
May 17, 2012 by
What if I fail? One the most common reason we don't take action is the fear of "what if". What if they say no What if it doesnt go well What if they don't like me What if they ask questions and I don't know the answer What if I look dumb Here are some more "what ifs" to ask: What if you look back in 10 years and your in the same place you're in now What if you become irrelevant What if you have nobody to blame but yourself By avoiding the first set of what … [Read more...]
Shine on, you crazy diamond
March 21, 2012 by
Most people want to shine like a diamond. We want to be highly valued. We want to be unique. We want to be admired. We want to be seen as beautiful. Diamonds are formed at the Earth's mantle. 90 miles from the Earth's surface. Carbon is transformed to diamonds. Under great pressure, at temperatures around 2000 degrees, molecular structure is changed. Volcanic eruptions hurl diamonds to the surface. The diamonds are mined (found), cut and polished. A diamond goes through a lot … [Read more...]
