| “You can have anything you want if you will give up the belief that you can’t have it.” – Dr. Robert Anthony | |
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Posts Tagged ‘accomplishments’
You can have anything you want!
Monday, December 19th, 2011Focus-One day at a time
Tuesday, December 13th, 2011| “Do the difficult things while they are easy and do the great things while they are small. A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.” – Lao Tzu
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Wish your life were easier?
Monday, October 31st, 2011| “Never wish that life were easier, wish that you were better.” – Jim Rohn
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Setting Goals & Completing Them
Monday, October 10th, 2011| “The more intensely we feel about an idea or a goal, the more assuredly the idea, buried deep in our subconscious, will direct us along the path to its fulfillment.” - Earl Nightingdale
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Perspective
Wednesday, August 4th, 2010When is the last time that you have been to a sporting event? Did you have good seats or bad seats?
Your view of the action probably had a great deal to do with how much you enjoyed the game.
It is the same with every single aspect of your life. By that I mean, your ability to be successful and enjoy your existence is directly related to your viewpoint or your perspective.
Consider the following examples.
Brian is a 7 year old boy who lives with his family in Fishers, IN. His dad is a doctor and his mother is an attorney who has decided to stay at home with Brian and his 4 year old sister until they are both in grade school. Throughout his school years Brian is provided with encouragement from his family, friends, and teachers . During the summers he has the opportunity to travel and attend many camps that provide him with great learning opportunities. As he nears the end of his senior year in high school, he has a choice of many different colleges to attend because he has maintained good grades and his parents have the financial means to pay for wherever he selects. In addition, virtually all of his friends will be attending college.
Tyler is a 7 year old boy who lives in a rundown neighborhood in Indianapolis. His mother works 2 jobs to pay the bills and he has never met his father. As a result, Tyler has very little supervision after school and spends this time getting into trouble. Throughout his school years, Tyler receives very little encouragement from anyone. His is constantly fed a message that has convinced him that the most he can ever hope for in life is a job at McDonalds. As he nears the end of high school, he realizes that he doesn’t have the grades to graduate and is considering just dropping out. Very few of Tyler’s friends will graduate High School and none will attend college.
Now imagine that you get a chance to meet both of these individuals the summer after their senior year. Can you imagine how different their perspectives on life will be?
Every time you are tempted to complain about a challenge in your life, I urge you to remember this example. A change in perspective can help turn any obstacle into an opportunity.
In addition, if you would like to learn more about how you can help kids like Tyler right here in Indianapolis please visit The Reach Foundation.
CJ McClanahan is the Founder of reachmore, which provides leadership coaching for small business and executives. Email CJ at cjm@goreachmore.com for the latest on reachmore’s revolutionary executive coaching program, Summit.
The Great Shake Up
Wednesday, July 28th, 2010The other day as I was flipping through the channels, I saw a commercial for the most ridiculous item I had ever seen in my entire life – The Shake Weight.
The commercial featured a handful of guys, who probably worked out 12 – 15 hours a day, shaking this ridiculous looking weight in their hands. At first, I thought it was a joke, but I soon realized that this was a serious advertisement for an actual product.
I remember thinking “Surely no one is stupid enough to buy this idiotic gadget, then stand in their living room and shake themselves silly until they get ripped muscles.”
But, then I saw the magic phrase that convinced me that this product would be a hit – “instant results”. The maker of this silly tool claimed that in just 6 minutes a day you too could look like the guys in the video.
We are a nation full of people that are absolutely addicted to immediate gratification. We want to put in as little effort as possible to achieve amazing results in every aspect of our lives.
I have some bad news for you. That’s not the way it works.
If you want great relationships, a healthy body, a solid personal financial statement and smarter kids it’s going to take a lot of work.
There is no such thing as a short cut or a quick fix.
I just finished a great book called Talent is Overrated, by Geoff Colvin who argued that the most successful and talented people in the world were not born that way. Tiger Woods wasn’t born with innate golf skills. Nor did he buy a magical instructional golf video after watching an infomercial that turned his game around. Colvin argues (persuasively) that like all great achievers Tiger Woods became the best golfer in the world because he outworked everyone else.
So, then next time you are tempted to buy a product or service that guarantees immediate results, resist the urge.
Remember, success comes from a handful of behaviors practiced over time until they become a habit.
There are no short cuts.
CJ McClanahan is the Founder of reachmore, which provides leadership coaching for small business and executives. Email CJ at cjm@goreachmore.com for the latest on reachmore’s revolutionary executive coaching program, Summit.
Your Perspective Creates Business Success
Monday, May 10th, 2010When I was 3 years old, I used to jump in the kitchen trash can and play Oscar the Grouch with my Mom. I had so much fun crawling in that little green trash can and acting grumpy. One of the best parts for me was the fact that I was just small enough to fit completely inside, my Mom could close the top, and I could peek my head out just like Oscar does.
Oh, to be young again…
That little green trash can now sits inside my garage next to the back door. My old play place now serves as the spot to dump junk mail before going in the house (and yes, I know that Lynn Jenkins with Indiana Living Green would kill me for not recycling…). Oh, and by the way, at this point in my life, that trash is barely tall enough to pass the bottom of my knee!
It’s amazing how our perspective and self image change over time. At one point I could fit my entire body in a 2 ½ foot tall trash can, and now I can barely stick my foot in it without getting stuck.
The strength of your business is a direct reflection of how you view yourself. If you see yourself as a micro-business owner who could never afford the staff or the overhead to have a $1 million business, you will never have the staff or overhead that will support a $1 million business. If you see yourself as an entrepreneur who is always failing, you will always fail. If you always see yourself as a little boy who can fit neatly into a little green trash can, you will never grow up.
Thank goodness I grew up.
From the mouth of Tony Scelzo, the founder of one of the fastest growing business networking associations in the nation, here is how to change your self-image and perspective for the better:
1. Read – Start reading books that challenge and inspire you to grow. Find material that shares the experiences of people who are where you want to be in life. As a start, check out Tony’s reading list here.
2. Visualize – After you hit the snooze bar at 6am, instead of letting your brain wander, focus and actively visualize the success that you would like your business to have.
3. Get a mentor – Talking regularly with someone who is ‘head and shoulders’ more successful than you, will cause your self-image to immediately expand. They also have the ability to give you wise advice from an outside perspective.
4. Change your environment –Hang out in the places that force you to grow. Join the best gym, dine in fancy restaurants, and network with the most powerful people in town at private business clubs.
If you follow the steps above, you can grow from a little boy grumbling about life in a trash can, to an inspiring leader who is taking their business to the next level!
Jamar Cobb-Dennard is the Vice-President of Business Development for Reachmore, which provides leadership coaching for small business owners and executives. Email Jamar at jamar@goreachmore.com for the latest on Reachmore’s newest seminar, Launch.
Perspective
Monday, May 10th, 2010This past weekend I visited my hometown of Denver, CO for a speaking engagement.
I scheduled an extra day in Denver because that is where I grew up and I wanted to visit some old friends. Before I checked into my hotel, I decided to swing by the old neighborhood. On my drive, I began to reminisce about my street, my home, the park where I played soccer and my old school. These were great memories.
As I turned onto my street, initially I thought I had the wrong block. The houses were a lot closer together than I remembered. In addition, they all seemed so tiny. But, there it was, 1913 South Leyden Street, I was in the right place. The neighbors probably thought I was nuts, but I parked, got out and looked around. I clearly remember mowing this lawn and thinking that it took forever. My best friend Ricky’s house was no more than a couple hundred feet from mine. Back in 1982 it seemed like a mile away. Pulling away from the curb I called my mom and told her that all I could remember was this big house with a big yard on a big street. It was hard for me to believe that my happy memories were from a neighborhood that I now hardly recognized.
What happened?
I’ll tell you what happened between 1982 and 2010, my perspective changed. Your happiness and contentment with life is directly related to this lens called perspective. The clearer your lens the more satisfied you will be and this satisfaction is a building block for living an extraordinary life.
Unfortunately, most of us have a warped perspective. No matter what we achieve in life it isn’t enough.
I’ve got a great strategy that will help you to gain some perspective. Give back to someone in need. Visit a homeless shelter or one of many other of non-profits in your area.
You’ll be amazed at quickly your perspective will change.
On that note, I am pleased to announce that the Reach™ Foundation is announcing our second annual campaign to support the Shepherd Community. This summer we are going to provide back to school clothes for more than 50 middle and high school students. Click here to find out how you can help!
CJ McClanahan
reachmore
www.GoReachMore.com
(317) 576-8492
“We are what we repeatedly do. Success then is not an act but a habit.” – Aristotle
Daily Victories
Thursday, April 29th, 2010What do you expect of yourself? Do you think these expectations would be different if you lived in a remote area of the world with little access to outside information? What if you lived in 1963?
I would argue that as we learn more about all that we could accomplish, the more we expect to accomplish.
For example, when is the last time you picked up a newspaper and saw an article about an individual 10 years younger than you who is the CEO of a company with 300 employees? Shortly after putting the paper down, you wonder why you have accomplished so little. Or how about turning on the TV for a few minutes and flipping through the channels? Chances are that you will see at least one commercial filled with perfectly beautiful people challenging you to get rock hard abs, whiter teeth or a full head of hair.
In a hyper competitive world, people feel the need to hype their accomplishments at all times. This non-stop promotion has created an environment where sitting still for even a minute is frowned upon. I don’t care if you were just named CEO of the largest company in the world.
While I am not certain that I am a big fan of this environment, I do know that I have no choice but to join the crowd. In addition, dedication to some sort of self improvement is a valuable characteristic. There is no standing still – you are either getting better or getting worse.
The problem is that most of us expect victory overnight and unless we achieve it, we are never happy. If you read an article about a young CEO you want to be a CEO the next day. Nothing else will suffice.
Unfortunately, unless your last name is Trump, you can’t become a CEO in a day and this means that you are setting yourself up for constant failure and frustration.
I have a suggestion for you.
Instead of set such unrealistic expectations of yourself, why not break it down into daily victories? What about looking into an MBA program before you go to bed tonight instead of going from a sales rep to a corporate tycoon.
The interesting thing about success is that it is typically accompanied by momentum. Get some wins under your belt on a daily basis and you will be amazed at all that you can accomplish over time.
CJ McClanahan
reachmore
www.GoReachMore.com
(317) 576-8492
“We are what we repeatedly do. Success then is not an act but a habit.” – Aristotle
Satisfaction
Monday, February 22nd, 2010Last night, my wife (Dr. Phil) asked me a very interesting question – “When do you feel satisfied?”
The funny thing about this question is that I pose it to my clients every single day.
After drilling down in these conversations, I often find that most of my clients associate satisfaction with measurable achievements or accomplishments.
For example, some of us need to hit a sales figure each week, while others simply need to cross items off their “to-do” list.
There is nothing wrong with feeling a sense of fulfillment from these types of accomplishments. However, there is a catch.
If your satisfaction is tied exclusively to sales or check marks it is unlikely that you will ever be content because there will always be another sales target to hit or items to check off a list (Speaking of lists, this week, Dr. Phil is planning a summer vacation. A Presidential inauguration requires less planning that a week-long trip to the east coast with our family.)
Realizing this, I began to wonder, how else could I measure my satisfaction?
This past weekend provided me with a great example of a new (actually – not new – I have known this forever – it was just a great reminder) way to consider satisfaction.
We spent Friday – Sunday with my in-laws and parents at a cabin on a lake in southern Illinois. This “cabin” was a big house that had tons of fun stuff for kids which was perfect for my 6 year old son Ian and 3 year old daughter Corinne.
Unfortunately, I spent most of the weekend in bed or on a couch because of a foot infection (gout – it really stinks). What this did allow me to do was to observe the interaction between my parents, in-laws and our children.
This observation helped me to redefine “satisfaction”.
From the minute our kids woke up until they fell to bed in exhaustion, Ian and Corinne were with one of the grandparents. Their activities included reading a book (Ian loves Pokémon while Corinne likes anything having to do with a princess), playing air hockey/pool/basketball, watching sports on TV (Ian was excited that Purdue beat Illinois) or playing Chinese checkers.
It really doesn’t matter what they were doing, every activity had the following characteristics – a smiling and laughing child and grandparent.
It didn’t matter how exhausted the grandparents got (and these old people get worn-out easily), they never tired of playing with the kids.
So, I asked myself, what is more important than grandparents having fun with their grandchildren?
Would I rather have another $100k in my bank account or another weekend filled with the laughter and smiles I witnessed at the cabin?
It’s a no brainer.
The lesson I have relearned (and will probably need to relearn again in a few months) is this – Life is all about relationships with your family and friends.
That’s it.
Even though I hate being in pain, I feel blessed that a bout with gout (I just made that up on the spot) helped me to understand what satisfaction is all about.
Thanks grandma, grandpa, nena and papa.
I love you guys.
CJ McClanahan
reachmore
(317) 576-8492
www.goreachmore.com