Sara Hand

You have taken inventory of yourself and of your business. You have fearlessly examined the facts and know what you have to work with, what you need to eliminate and the tools you will need to truly move toward your goals and objectives. You know where you are and where you want to go. You are on the road to success…however this road is just that, simply a road and being on it guarantees nothing. Your goal still lies somewhere ahead and it is going to take something to get there. The next stetch of this journey requires discipline…Self-discipline!

Failing to plan is planning to fail.
There is a big difference between said and done.
Lots of people have great ideas in the shower.
The road to hell is paved with good intentions…You get my drift?

Failure is not just the result of failing to plan. Brilliant plans are useless if they are never implemented. Making it happen comes down to getting up day after day and following…putting action to the plan you have created. It means periodically reviewing that plan against current conditions and destination and making some adjustments if necessary.

If your plan includes others, this process of establishing order and moving with purpose always works better when you practice it first in your own life. Does you word mean something to you? Do you follow through on your commitments? Leading others comes first from leading yourself.

Does discouragement ever keep you from doing the things you need to do to be more productive?

3 Things you can do to change that.

1. Stop and breathe…Some people just run faster and try harder. Others shut down altogether. Neither response will effectively produce results over the course of time.

Take 3 deep breathes and release slowly each time. Your nervous system will kick in and you will begin to relax. When you relax you can make better choices.

Exercise: It releases endorphins which will help you feel better. Ride a bike, walk, dance…do something you love.

(Alcohol and other substances to “feel good” don’t count.)

Hold hands with someone you love. Look them in the face and TELL them that. Build Joy…Yes, Joy is a real thing.

2. Set realistic goals. The world is tough enough. Stop trying to be Super person. Unrealistic expectations reaffirm an inability to succeed. Affirmations are great, if you really believe that in your heart…if you don’t, it is NO better that the unrealistic goal. Let yourself grow into big goals, one baby step at a time.

3. Set up accountability with someone who actually cares whether you succeed or not. Ask someone to give you honest caring feedback. I have a coach, a counselor, and an advisory board and a couple of incredible friends that I have empowered to let me have it…they help me stay on track through constructive criticism and act as cheerleaders when the going gets tough. They believe in me, even when I may begin to doubt myself.

**I believe**

As companies are challenged by current economic conditions and the need to change, sometimes the busyness of business can be overwhelming. Trying to make it happen, we run from one thing to the next: network meetings, company functions, civic responsibilities, family events and what about this social media thing?

But there is something interesting that is happening…a shift in society. A swinging of the pendulum that is changing the way we look at behavior and how we do business. In the last number of years there has been something of an anything goes policy. The simplicity of posting content to the rising number of internet outlets such as MySpace, YouTube and various blogging platforms, meant not a lot was secret anymore. Of course, complaints of “What is our world coming to?” were rampant.

How we did business was also influenced by the online tools and a new dependency on the immediate. Connecting first through email and websites, we developed this stuff called sales copy…long winded, superlative laden and reminiscent of inexpensively produced local hardware and mattress store television commercials. We spent so much of our time connected that we even developed ways to stay connected when not connected…can you say wireless?

Yet could this advent of technology, combined with various economic and generational issues be a driving force in a return to accountability? As companies create policies regarding behavior standards and social media, will employees behave more circumspectly? As more adults move into “virtual” spaces of employment, will the latch key kid be a thing of the past? As electronic marketing messages bombard prospective consumers, will old-fashioned in person meetings make a come back?

Could we be getting back to basics?

Leadership is not a job or a role that you play, but a lifestyle…an expression of who you are. When you plant words of life, you reap rapport and relationship. Rapport and relationship positions you for influence and influence can position you for almost anything.

However influence and leadership is not cheap. There is a price to pay. A price of accountability and of responsibility to those you lead, to those over whom you have influence. Good leadership doesn’t make decisions based on today or even just tomorrow.

Seeds of greatness lie within each individual. For many, those seeds will remain just that, seeds of unrealized potential and possibility. From others greatness will emerge. Lives will be changed and the world impacted as their choices ripple outward.

What makes the difference between those that become and those that don’t?

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  • They have a vision for something that is bigger than just them and extends beyond just today. It is a dream fueled by passion and connected to action.
  •  They deal with the uncomfortable, awkward and negative issues, situations and relationship challenges that arise. They know that simply waiting for it to go away could leave them waiting for the rest of their life and time is precious.
  • They understand the power of consequence and so not make decisions solely on the comfort and convenience of today.
  • They take action…EVERY DAY! They have accepted responsibility for the realization of their vision and move toward it step by step day by day. They don’t despise the small steps, but are thankful for even small increments of progress.
  • They have not only defined what they like, BUT ALSO what they don’t like. They don’t focus on the “NO’s”. However by clearly defining what “NO” looks like, they are able to recognize what carries negative influences much sooner.
  • They operate with grace. Because they choose to forgive, they are free to move forward and are not tied to the past.
  • They know what it is to be a part of a team. They know their own strengths and weaknesses and are not threatened by others whose strengths and weaknesses are different from their own. They are able to ask for help when they need it.
  • They are not afraid of change and they are not trying to make everyone happy. As they move forward there will be others who are not supportive and who do not agree with the choices and decisions that they make. They understand that old adage, “You can’t please everyone all the time.”

Being a leader and carrying influence is about being a steward over the potential of your team, of your organization…your company. It is about empowering them to step up and be leaders over their sphere of influence. It is about speaking to the possibilities that exist and moving towards that day by day. How will your organization move forward,  first as individuals and then as a team…TODAY?

Yes I read E-Myth, and if you haven’t you should. Yet sometimes I still get so busy in the doing, actually lost in the activity of getting somewhere that it is somewhat like driving quickly in circles or like a dog chasing its tail. It looks like it could be productive, and maybe it is. But maybe it isn’t…we all know looks can be deceiving.

 So what do you do?

 I have had to learn to evaluate frequently. STOP! Step back. What am I really doing here? Is there a better, simpler way? Is there a way I could utilize resources that have already been created? Is there a way I can leverage my time so that my actions have more impact? Where do I start?

 I don’t know? AND I never will if I don’t take the time to answer some of those questions. What better time than now? The kids are back in school. We are moving into the final stretch of this year. How I finish this year, will have a significant impact on how I start the next year. Some things about this year have been great, some things I definitely want to leave in 2009!

So join me this week and this weekend…AND STOP!

 Is this year all that you wanted it to be so far?

 What could have been better?

What are you planning to do about it?

If you haven’t been planning on changing…what makes you think that life will?

A new look means to look at the same stuff, but to look at it differently.

If I want better answers, I need to ask better questions…

If last years results aren’t the right answer then you need new answers…

Do you know what the answers are?

If so, what are your answers…and the lotto doesn’t count?

If not, where do you start?

• The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.

                                                                                         Alvin Toffler

When I was in college I had to read a book called Future Shock by Alvin Toffler. I was already a time travel, worm-hole, Star Trek future enthusiast; so looking at this “future” from a different perspective made great sense to me. Although it wasn’t until I was older that I began to diligently work on understanding the process of change itself…the concept of learning how to learn, unlearn and relearn was embedded into my consciousness and has radically impacted many decisions I have made.

 So the world is changing, the economy is changing…what’s new? Change is inevitable! The only consistent factor in life is that of change. For centuries elders have pronounced doom and gloom over the forthcoming generations and yet, here we are centuries later. Individuals, governments, organizations have tried to stop it and have failed. Therefore, you can either bemoan the obvious or get on with life and accept the facts. In today’s marketplace you change or die!

 Notice I said “YOU”. That’s right! As much as your boss needs to change, your staff needs to get it together or how much better life would be if your spouse just got on board; you actually have absolutely NO Control over anyone. Sure you can try. You may be able to coerce, bribe or manipulate actions, however that “change” is temporary, and “it” stops as soon as you stop. So let go of trying to make everything line up so that it will “work” and take responsibility for yourself and your choices.