Posts Tagged ‘Life’
Wednesday, November 9th, 2011
I am a tactical machine. I love spreadsheets, project plans and making sure that everyone knows exactly what their supposed to do. No project ever gets complete unless someone takes care of the tactics.
However, I have had a revelation in 2011.
The tactics don’t matter.
Let me clarify.
The most important component in all personal and professional achievement is that you begin with a goal or vision. In addition, you need to have a powerful emotional connection to this goal.
For example, imagine that you are 40 years old with two young children. At your annual physical, your doctor tells you that you need to lose 50lbs or you are at high risk of having a heart attack in the next 12 months. The thought of missing your family creates an emotional connection to the goal of losing 50 lbs. As a result, you do whatever it takes to hit your target. You don’t need the latest fad diet or fancy workout machine – you figure it out.
Conversely, imagine that instead a having a heart attack, your doctor tells you that you could stand to lose a few pounds. You have a moderate desire to look better at the swimming pool this summer so you go and purchase “Buns of Steel” at the bookstore and ask your wife to add more vegetables to the weekly shopping list. Unfortunately, you never get past the first chapter and convince yourself that onion rings count as a vegetable. You can always wear a shirt at the pool.
The tactics just don’t matter if you don’t really care about achieving the goal.
What really matters to you? If you’re not sure – click here.
Tags: challenges, emotional connection, family, goals, Life, life goals, powerful motivators, tactics, what you care about
Posted in Blog, Business, Habits, Life, Sales, Uncategorized |
Monday, October 17th, 2011
|
| “Life’s ups and downs provide windows of opportunity to determine your values and goals – Think of using all obstacles as stepping stones to build the life you want” – Marsha Sinetar
|
| I want life to be easy. I never wake up first thing in the morning and think – “I really hope that today is filled with frustration and difficulties”.
You want life to be easy too.
Thank goodness for both of us life is tough, because tough times bring life’s most valuable lessons.
CJ
PS – Click here if you can’t name the most important goal you are striving to achieve by December 31, 2011. |
|
Tags: achieve, Business, business coach, business coaching, executive coaching, goals, lessons, Life, life's stepping stones, overcoming obstacles, valuable life lessons, values, windows of opprotunity
Posted in Blog, Business, Habits, Life, Sales, Uncategorized |
Wednesday, October 5th, 2011
I coach leaders from sunup to sundown Monday through Friday and have been doing it for more than 8 years.
For some reason, this year has been filled with tons of “Light bulb” moments for me. In these moments, I have had some profound breakthroughs that I know to be absolute truths. I am confident that if you internalize these lessons, you will see great results.
It’s almost as if as soon as I hit the 8 year mark Obi Wan Kenobi sent me a text saying, “CJ, the force is strong within you…”
I’ll share some from time to time in this space.
I’ll start with one that hit me especially hard this week. I’ve noticed that some leaders want to focus on what went wrong during the past week, month, year, etc. Conversely, I have others who will briefly learn from their experiences and then go forward.
Guess which leader has more success?
I’ll admit that it’s tempting to replay past events over and over as if this obsession will change the past.
It won’t.
There is zero value in dwelling on your mistakes.
Leave the past in the past.
CJ
Tags: "light bulb moment", Business, business coach, business coaching, choices, CJ McClanahan, coaching, commitment, dwelling on the past, focus, learning from experience, lessons, Life, Obi Wan Kenobi, obsession with the past, profound breakthrough, success, the force
Posted in Blog, Business, Habits, Life, Sales, Uncategorized |
Tuesday, August 30th, 2011
| “Joy can be real only if people look upon their life as a service, and have a definite object in life outside themselves and their personal happiness” – Leo Tolstoy
|
| Last week, I was reminded by a mentor that constant focus on my professional goals can divert me from what’s really important.
So, the ultimate question is (always has and always will be) what’s really important?
Where are you spending your time? Does it bring you joy?
CJ McClanahan is the Founder of reachmore, which teaches small business owners how to build a business that runs without them. For more resources on business leadership, please visit reachmore’s seminars. |
|
Tags: joy, Life, professional goals, service to others, understanding what is really important
Posted in Blog, Business, Habits, Life, Sales, Uncategorized |
Monday, August 15th, 2011
| “A great obstacle to happiness is to expect too much happiness.”
- Bernard L.B. De Fontenelle |
| Have you ever gone to an expensive, highly rated restaurant, and been less than impressed? On the flip side, consider the last time you visited a small hole in the wall fast food place and were pleasantly surprised.
Life is all about perspective.
Your happiness is heavily influenced by the expectations you have for your daily experiences.
As a result, many people are unhappy because they’ve developed unrealistic expectations?
How about you?
CJ McClanahan is the Founder of reachmore, which teaches small business owners how to build a business that runs without them. For more resources on business leadership, please visit reachmore’s seminars |
|
Tags: expectations, happiness, Life, not enough happiness, obstacle, perspective, too much happienss
Posted in Blog, Business, Habits, Life, Sales, Uncategorized |
Monday, August 1st, 2011
“Life is a gift, and it offers us the privilege, opportunity, and responsibility to
give something back by becoming more” – Tony Robbins
For some reason, this past week I have had the “What’s the purpose of life?” discussion with many of my clients.
The answer is… I’m not sure.
However, I do know one thing. We can’t stay the same. You’re either getting better or getting worse at everything in your life. Your relationships, your job and your health.
What are you becoming?
CJ McClanahan is the Founder of reachmore, which teaches small business owners how to build a business that runs without them. For more resources on business leadership, please visit reachmore’s seminars. |
Tags: change, digressing, health, improving, job, Life, lifes gift, opportunity, privilege, purpose of life, relationships, responsibility
Posted in Blog, Business, Habits, Life, Sales, Uncategorized |
Wednesday, July 6th, 2011
Last night at dinner, I placed a bunch of broccoli on my daughter’s plate. Her immediate response, was the same as always – “That’s too much, I could never eat all that broccoli!”
I countered with my classic – “I have a lot of faith in you Corinne, you can do anything you chose.”
I’m OK with my daughter seeing a plate full of broccoli and seeing a problem with no possible solution – she’s 4 years old. However, at some point ( I think I’ll wait until her 5th birthday) I want her to change the way she thinks and recognize that she is responsible for finding a solution to life’s challenges.
Unfortunately, most people still approach problems like my 4 year old. They see every difficulty as an insurmountable challenge and instead of looking for the solution they spend all of the energy putting together a list of excuses why they won’t be successful.
The simple truth is that there are two types of people in this world – those that find problems and those that find solutions.
Guess which one makes more money and has more success?
Which one are you?
CJ McClanahan is the Founder of reachmore, which teaches small business owners how to build a business that runs without them. For more resources on business leadership, please visit reachmore’s seminars
Tags: accountability, choices, commitment, discipline, goals, growth, Habits, happiness, Life, point of view, productivity, results, success, value
Posted in Blog, Business, Habits, Life, Sales, Uncategorized |
Tuesday, June 28th, 2011
“Be Content with what you have; rejoice in the way things are.
When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to
you.” – Lao Tzu
From 8 in the morning until 5 at at night, Monday through Friday, I coach professionals on how to reach their goals and achieve more in their lives.
About 4 years ago, I came across this quote and recognized that I needed to balance this push for achievement with an appreciation for present.
This balance is difficult because the world has convinced us that the only path to happiness is through achievement and acquisition.
This week, practice being grateful for all you have been given.
CJ McClanahan is the Founder of reachmore, which teaches small business owners how to build a business that runs without them. For more resources on business leadership, please visit reachmore’s seminars
Tags: appreciation, balance, content, contentment, goals, grateful, happiness, Life, professional
Posted in Blog, Business, Habits, Life, Sales, Uncategorized |
Tuesday, May 31st, 2011
| “True heroism is remarkably sober, very undramatic. It is not the urge to surpass all others at whatever cost, but the urge to serve others at whatever cost.” – Arthur Ashe |
| Each Memorial Day, I think about my grandfather, Jack, who was wounded at Iwo Jima during the second world war.
Since he passed 2 years ago, I have gained a new appreciation for what made him so special. It wasn’t his valor on the battlefield, but rather his love and kindness in everyday life.
I can only hope that I set the same example for my family.
CJ
CJ McClanahan is the Founder of reachmore, which teaches small business owners how to build a business that runs without them. For more resources on business leadership, please visit reachmore’s seminars |
|
Tags: heroism, Life, life example, memorial day, value
Posted in Blog, Business, Habits, Life, Sales, Uncategorized |
