We had friends over for Christmas Eve and one friend mentioned how glad he was that 2011 was coming to an end because it was such a tough year. I'm sure they are a lot of people that feel the same way. I, thankfully, feel very differently. I think 2011 was a fantastic year full of accomplishments, new challenges and great memories. I am a firm believer that living life by design rather than default can make all the difference.
What does life by design mean? It means being international about what you want and what you want to achieve. It involves setting goals, writing those goals down, knowing how to achieve those goals and tracking/reviewing your progress frequently. I'll admit I didn't accomplish all of my goals for 2011. I gave up on running a total of 1,200 miles this year when an injury knocked me out of the running (literally and figuratively). I did, however, cross off running Disney Marathon and setting a new PR, running a second marathon (something I had never done before), hitting mt intern recruiting target at work, reading 12 books and running a 5k with my husband (well I'm hopeful this one gets crossed off because the race is tonight). My goals are typed and hanging in my office. I also talked about them frequently with WIN BIG and other supportive people.
I'm making some changes to my 2012 life by design approach. I've already written my design statement and have started to build the habit of reading it every morning. (I had one in 2011 but failed to read it daily). I've also set my goals and limited them to 5. Easy to remember, track and they all have clear achievement deadlines.
Over the next week before we have the chance to start fresh and new, I challenge you to think about what would make 2012 a great year. Write it down, review it and maybe come out to a WIN BIG meeting to discuss. You'll be amazed at what you can do when you know where you are going and how to get there!
Sunday, December 25, 2011
Friday, November 25, 2011
Thankful
It's the perfect time of the year to give thanks. Why does it take a special holiday to give thanks and appreciate what you have? Regardless of why we feel the need to give thanks, it is a reason to think back and reflect. 2011 has been an incredible year. I'm thankful for the goals I achieved, the things I learned and the people I met. Today, I am thankful for my new iPad thanks to a Black Friday deal. My hope is that posting updates will now be much easier. Be on the lookout for more frequent posts, motivating quotes and goal setting ideas.
Monday, June 27, 2011
Things Successful People Do
"Successful people habitually do the things unsuccessful people are unwilling to do!"
Successful people...
Have a vision, focus or clear set of goals - Successful people seem to be working towards something. They have a vision for where they want to go and they get others excited about that vision. Successful people set goals, write design statements and then review those goals and statements to track their progress.
Value growth - Successful people read a ton. Next time you are with a leader of an organization, ask him or her what he or she is currently reading. Successful people also pursue higher education, certifications in their designated fields and attend seminars to learn. We've all heard it before that knowledge is power.
Surround themselves with other successful people - Funny that this keeps coming up in my posts. The people you surround yourself with say a lot about who you are and where you are going. Surround yourself with like-minded people, people that are achieving things and on the track to success. Being around other successful people can be a source of inspiration for you to reach your own goals. You can also learn from other successful people. Pay attention to the things they say, their mannerisms and how they act professionally. Find out how they got to where they are and where they are going.
I am sure there are other things that can be added to this list. What have you noticed successful people having in common?
Monday, June 6, 2011
Shaping the Person You Will Become
The other day at work I listened to our managing partner speak to our new training class. I did not want to attend this training session because of the numerous items on my to-do list. Yet, I put aside all of my tasks and projects to attend this session and as a result ended up learning something great. Our managing partner said there are two things that can impact the person you are five years from now.
1). The things you read.
2). The people you surround yourself with.
How are you shaping the person you will become?
1). The things you read.
2). The people you surround yourself with.
How are you shaping the person you will become?
Monday, May 16, 2011
Our Language Creates Our Reality
On Saturday I was walking my dogs through the park near our apartment. I stopped to chat with the security guard and he asked me how I was. My response, "I'm so busy with work and running a lot." He responded by saying, "in this economy it's good to be busy." Good to be busy?
As I walked back home I couldn't stop thinking about his response. The security guard made me think about how I am thinking about and talking about my life right now. Yes, I am busy (in fact, I might be a little too overcommitted), but I am working to accomplish great things.
Our language creates our reality, so when I talk about being busy I feel more tension and stress. What would happen if I start to talk about how I am working hard to reach my goals or maybe even that I am fortunate to have the opportunities that I have?
Two lessons learned.
1). Our language creates our reality. Choose your words carefully!
2). You never know where an inspiration, idea or new perspective will come from so remain open to talking to different people and learning from different places.
As I walked back home I couldn't stop thinking about his response. The security guard made me think about how I am thinking about and talking about my life right now. Yes, I am busy (in fact, I might be a little too overcommitted), but I am working to accomplish great things.
Our language creates our reality, so when I talk about being busy I feel more tension and stress. What would happen if I start to talk about how I am working hard to reach my goals or maybe even that I am fortunate to have the opportunities that I have?
Two lessons learned.
1). Our language creates our reality. Choose your words carefully!
2). You never know where an inspiration, idea or new perspective will come from so remain open to talking to different people and learning from different places.
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Getting Things Done
In an effort to improve my own time management skills and maximize efficiency, I just finished reading David Allen's book Getting Things Done. I don't recommend rushing out to the store to pick up a copy of the book. I was looking for Allen to tell me exactly what system to use to get organized. While I never got a concrete recommendation about what software or paper system to use, Allen did make some great points.
You should never have to think about the same thing twice. How many times have you thought about a project, errand or idea and then continued about your day? Later that day the same project, errand or idea pops up into your mind. It usually pops back up when you can do absolutely nothing to get the thing accomplished. We need a system to capture all of our to-dos, tasks, errands and ideas. When we capture these things in a trusted system, we can stop wasting mind space worrying about what we need to do. Our minds will be free to think about more ideas and tactics to actually get things accomplished.
You need to process all of your open loops. Allen suggests creating an in-box at home and at work to process all of the things you have not yet entered into a system. Take all of those piles of unread mail, magazines, meeting notes, to-do lists, project ideas, etc. and dump them into an in-box. You might want to brainstorm and just write on pieces of paper all of the things that come to mind that you need to do and want to do. Once you have collected everything that is an immediate to-do, a project idea, a like to-do or a someday/maybe to-do you can process through the material. Once you do an initial mind dump into your in-box, you'll want to add anything new that comes your way into your in-box and process through it at a designated time.
Do it, delegate it or decide the next action. Processing your initial mind dump in-box can be very overwhelming. To get through the pile or piles, Allen suggests applying the do it, delegate it or decide what to do with it rule. If it will take less than two minutes to do something do it right then as you are processing. If you need to delegate the task to someone else then get the task out of you system and into the right person's system. If you need to decide what to do with it you'll want to add the task to a list.
Lists. Allen describes several lists in his book. At home, at computer, at work, errands, calls to make, someday/maybe, etc. The benefit of organizing tasks, projects and ideas by lists is that you can easily scan a list when you are in the right place to get things done. For instance, if you are stuck in traffic you might be able to pull out your calls to make list and plug through the dials. When you are out and about running errands it will be helpful to see all of the things you need to pick up or places you need to go. How many times have you been out shopping and gotten back home only to discover you forgot the laundry soap? I am still working out my lists. As a result of reading this book, I am trying to go digital with my lists. I used to be the girl that had to-dos on the backs of envelopes, on post-its and legal pads throughout my office. I am now using Microsoft Outlook tasks to capture all of my to-dos, projects and ideas. You can create several task lists and rename the lists like Allen recommends. You can also print your lists and take it with you. (For those of us that get pleasure out of physically crossing off a completed task, I highly recommend printing your task list from time to time.) When every a new idea pops into my head I send myself an email so I can add it to my task lists when I am back at the office. (Getting my phone to sync is one of my next actions so I can eliminate the need to send this email.)
Next Action. It is not enough to just write something down on a list. Allen suggests taking the extra 10 seconds to think about the actual next action needed to get the thing done. For instance, get dog vaccinations is on my personal to-do list. The next step is to actually look up the place where I plan to go for the vaccinations and research the times available for the vaccinations. Once I know when the vaccinations are offered I can schedule a time to go on my calendar. Think about what really needs to happen first to get the things on your list done and write those next actions down.
Keep A Calendar. Most people know they need a calendar to schedule important meetings and appointments. You can also use your calendar to schedule time to complete the tasks on your lists. It's probably a good idea to schedule time to review your system. Allen suggests taking a couple of hours on a Friday afternoon to review your calendar and note any upcoming preparation needed for meetings, to review your lists and process your in-box.
Review. The system you put in place will only work if you trust it. In order to trust the system and truly stop thinking about all of your to-dos you need to review your lists and calendars frequently. If your mind doesn't trust the system it won't stop thinking about your to-dos.
I hope these points help you get more done. We have the capacity to accomplish a lot, but we need a system to keep us organized and on task. Plus, a system will keep us focused. Successful people don't let the seemingly urgent derail them from what is truly important!
You should never have to think about the same thing twice. How many times have you thought about a project, errand or idea and then continued about your day? Later that day the same project, errand or idea pops up into your mind. It usually pops back up when you can do absolutely nothing to get the thing accomplished. We need a system to capture all of our to-dos, tasks, errands and ideas. When we capture these things in a trusted system, we can stop wasting mind space worrying about what we need to do. Our minds will be free to think about more ideas and tactics to actually get things accomplished.
You need to process all of your open loops. Allen suggests creating an in-box at home and at work to process all of the things you have not yet entered into a system. Take all of those piles of unread mail, magazines, meeting notes, to-do lists, project ideas, etc. and dump them into an in-box. You might want to brainstorm and just write on pieces of paper all of the things that come to mind that you need to do and want to do. Once you have collected everything that is an immediate to-do, a project idea, a like to-do or a someday/maybe to-do you can process through the material. Once you do an initial mind dump into your in-box, you'll want to add anything new that comes your way into your in-box and process through it at a designated time.
Do it, delegate it or decide the next action. Processing your initial mind dump in-box can be very overwhelming. To get through the pile or piles, Allen suggests applying the do it, delegate it or decide what to do with it rule. If it will take less than two minutes to do something do it right then as you are processing. If you need to delegate the task to someone else then get the task out of you system and into the right person's system. If you need to decide what to do with it you'll want to add the task to a list.
Lists. Allen describes several lists in his book. At home, at computer, at work, errands, calls to make, someday/maybe, etc. The benefit of organizing tasks, projects and ideas by lists is that you can easily scan a list when you are in the right place to get things done. For instance, if you are stuck in traffic you might be able to pull out your calls to make list and plug through the dials. When you are out and about running errands it will be helpful to see all of the things you need to pick up or places you need to go. How many times have you been out shopping and gotten back home only to discover you forgot the laundry soap? I am still working out my lists. As a result of reading this book, I am trying to go digital with my lists. I used to be the girl that had to-dos on the backs of envelopes, on post-its and legal pads throughout my office. I am now using Microsoft Outlook tasks to capture all of my to-dos, projects and ideas. You can create several task lists and rename the lists like Allen recommends. You can also print your lists and take it with you. (For those of us that get pleasure out of physically crossing off a completed task, I highly recommend printing your task list from time to time.) When every a new idea pops into my head I send myself an email so I can add it to my task lists when I am back at the office. (Getting my phone to sync is one of my next actions so I can eliminate the need to send this email.)
Next Action. It is not enough to just write something down on a list. Allen suggests taking the extra 10 seconds to think about the actual next action needed to get the thing done. For instance, get dog vaccinations is on my personal to-do list. The next step is to actually look up the place where I plan to go for the vaccinations and research the times available for the vaccinations. Once I know when the vaccinations are offered I can schedule a time to go on my calendar. Think about what really needs to happen first to get the things on your list done and write those next actions down.
Keep A Calendar. Most people know they need a calendar to schedule important meetings and appointments. You can also use your calendar to schedule time to complete the tasks on your lists. It's probably a good idea to schedule time to review your system. Allen suggests taking a couple of hours on a Friday afternoon to review your calendar and note any upcoming preparation needed for meetings, to review your lists and process your in-box.
Review. The system you put in place will only work if you trust it. In order to trust the system and truly stop thinking about all of your to-dos you need to review your lists and calendars frequently. If your mind doesn't trust the system it won't stop thinking about your to-dos.
I hope these points help you get more done. We have the capacity to accomplish a lot, but we need a system to keep us organized and on task. Plus, a system will keep us focused. Successful people don't let the seemingly urgent derail them from what is truly important!
Sunday, April 10, 2011
All Or Nothing
Do the people you surround yourself with help you achieve your goals or push you further away from your goals? (This same concept applies to the decisions you make, but I'll save that for another blog post). This morning I had brunch with some fabulous ladies. Some I have known for a long time while others I just recently met. Whether they know it or not, my friends this morning helped me get one step closer to a couple of my personal goals. (Grow WIN BIG to 15 strong members and write a book.)
I brought up this blog during one of our many conversations and shared with the group my purpose for starting this blog and also the guilt I feel for not writing more frequently. The response I got was very positive and relieving. Writing once a week is enough and writing short posts improves readability. Wow! I don't have to write the perfect post or fill an entire page with my thoughts? I was approaching this blog with the wrong approach. All or nothing (my competitive, type A personality at its best)! So what if I don't write multiple times per week or if I only have time to write a few sentences here and there. Each time I write, I am one step closer towards my goal of writing a book.
I wonder how many other people go after their goals with an all or nothing approach? While this approach can certainly produce some dynamic results on occasion, my opinion is that it hinders progress more often than not. I challenge you to do one thing every week to move one step closer to your goals. It can be something small that does't require a lot of time. As long as you are moving in the right direction, you should ultimately reach your end destination.
I brought up this blog during one of our many conversations and shared with the group my purpose for starting this blog and also the guilt I feel for not writing more frequently. The response I got was very positive and relieving. Writing once a week is enough and writing short posts improves readability. Wow! I don't have to write the perfect post or fill an entire page with my thoughts? I was approaching this blog with the wrong approach. All or nothing (my competitive, type A personality at its best)! So what if I don't write multiple times per week or if I only have time to write a few sentences here and there. Each time I write, I am one step closer towards my goal of writing a book.
I wonder how many other people go after their goals with an all or nothing approach? While this approach can certainly produce some dynamic results on occasion, my opinion is that it hinders progress more often than not. I challenge you to do one thing every week to move one step closer to your goals. It can be something small that does't require a lot of time. As long as you are moving in the right direction, you should ultimately reach your end destination.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Measurement Improves Performance
On a conference call at work today, a consultant shared with us his perspective that measurement improves performance. I couldn't help but think about the truth in this statement. If you don't measure where you are going, anywhere you up end is fine. If you have a vision and goals to achieve, I doubt you want to end up just anywhere. You want to end up at your vision or desired outcome.
The most relevant example I can think of that illustrates this point is my running performance over the last year. I started running about six years ago. When I first started running, I didn't care about time. In fact, I was the girl in the gym with the towel over the clock on the treadmill so I couldn't see the dreaded amount of time I had left to run. I ran nine half marathons, two marathons and several smaller races with this approach. My ultimate goal was to get across the finish line. The idea of breaking two hours in a half marathon crossed my mind, but I never really focused on it and I certainly didn't track the times and distances of my training runs.
Fast forward to 2010. At the beginning of the year I sat down and wrote goals. One major goal was to break two hours in a half marathon. I printed Hal Higdon's training schedule from online, hung it on my fridge and tracked every run. I invested in a Garmin watch so I would know the distance, time and pace per mile of every one of my runs. I was more prepared to run a half than I had ever been and I also measured my performance along the way. In September I ran the Disneyland Half Marathon and crossed the finish line in 1:54...goal achieved! I did it again in the Lewis & Clark Half Marathon in October with a time of 1:52, and I set a new PR in the Los Angeles Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon with a time of 1:47 in late October. Measurement definitely improved my performance. Tracking my runs, recording the times and focusing on logging the right amount of distance ensured I was prepared on race day.
How are you measuring what you plan to achieve this year? Are you doing enough of the right things to be successful? The first important step is to write down your goals. Next, make sure your goals are specific and measurable. You need some sort of system or matrix to know if you have achieved your goal. Lastly, you have to review and record your progress.
There are only a couple of days remaining in March. 2011 is essentially 1/3 of the way over. Are you on track to achieve your goals? If you are not measuring, how will you know?
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Time for a Rewrite?
I was talking with one of the women in WIN BIG the other day and asked her about her progress towards achieving her goals. She mentioned that she did in fact plan a trip (one of her goals), but it wasn't the trip she originally talked about planning. During the planning process she realized what she truly wanted to get out of taking a trip and visiting a tropical time share just wasn't it. What she wanted was to reconnect with family on the east coast.
This interaction made me realize that we can discover a lot about ourselves and our true desires through the pursuit of achieving goals. How many times do we set goals around things that we actually think we want to achieve? How many times are those goals not in alignment with what we truly want?
I think it is time to review the goals we set at the beginning of the year (if you haven't set goals yet, there is no better time than the present!). What is it that you are truly seeking to achieve with the goals you set? Do you have the right goals in place? Are your goals helping you move closer to your vision?
I always thought of goals as being set in stone. Once I wrote them down that was it. I would either achieve them or not, end of story. I am starting to open up to the idea that goals can't be so black and white. Going back to the interaction I described above, did this woman achieve her goal?...No. Did this woman achieve something greater than her original goal?...Probably.
I think it is ok to rewrite and edit goals based on new life circumstances, new learnings about yourself and new desires. Just be sure to check in with yourself to make sure you are not rewriting a goal because you are giving up on the pursuit of that original goal.
This interaction made me realize that we can discover a lot about ourselves and our true desires through the pursuit of achieving goals. How many times do we set goals around things that we actually think we want to achieve? How many times are those goals not in alignment with what we truly want?
I think it is time to review the goals we set at the beginning of the year (if you haven't set goals yet, there is no better time than the present!). What is it that you are truly seeking to achieve with the goals you set? Do you have the right goals in place? Are your goals helping you move closer to your vision?
I always thought of goals as being set in stone. Once I wrote them down that was it. I would either achieve them or not, end of story. I am starting to open up to the idea that goals can't be so black and white. Going back to the interaction I described above, did this woman achieve her goal?...No. Did this woman achieve something greater than her original goal?...Probably.
I think it is ok to rewrite and edit goals based on new life circumstances, new learnings about yourself and new desires. Just be sure to check in with yourself to make sure you are not rewriting a goal because you are giving up on the pursuit of that original goal.
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