Where is your stopwatch?

A slow jogger would often take 13 - 15 minutes to complete a mile around the track. Now, give him credit for jogging but his pace really needed to improve. After a casual conversation with a friend, the friend decided to accompany him on his runs.


Immediately, the pace was faster because they started pushing each other. Then, the new jogger introduced a stop watch to their runs...a base line was set and on each run the time improved, cutting as much as six minutes from their time.


What can we learn? It is one thing to have a goal. However, if you are not measuring your progress, the motivation and excitement of hitting the goal will soon be lost and you will just be out there running a 15 minute mile. Accountability and measurement are two key components to achieving our goals that are sometimes over looked.


Accountability: Do you have a group of people you can touch base with on a regular basis? This accountability group should be able to push you, challenge you, congratulate you, and drive you to your goals.



Measurement: Constant measurement is the best way to achieve progress. The stopwatch provides motivation and feedback while you're jogging. What device are you using to encourage progress with your goals?
Stay Tuned.

The next time you need a speaker, make it easy on yourself and call me. I will inspire, motivate, and entertain your group. Check out my speaking demo at www.bransonbusiness.blogspot.com then call (417) 339-6568 for availability. The only way I look good is making you look good for booking me.

Make the changes.

She is a loving wife, mother, and friend. She works hard, has amazing faith that has been tested to the max, and she is extremely loyal. Whether it comes from her kitchen or baked over a camp fire, the food she prepares is amazing. Lately, she is a loser.....and you can learn from her.

A significant event in her family was what pushed her over the edge to decide to lose weight. She knew that she needed to change her habits to achieve her goal. Here is what she did:

1. Got a coach. She asked one of her girl friends (a one time personal trainer) to be her coach and work-out partner. Accountability!

2. She set a goal. She knew what she wanted to achieve, she set her sights on that goal.

3. Paid attention to what she consumed. She started keeping a food diary. She knew that big changes start with small steps.

4. She started working out a minimum of one hour a day. At first, it was hard. At first, she couldn't complete a lot of repetitions. But as the days turned into weeks then to months....her progress fueled her motivation.

5. She monitored her success every week.

6. She hit her goal.

7. She created a new goal. Life is not about the destination, it is about the journey.

Whether you need to lose weight, be a better spouse, close more sales, or have more patience with your kids, follow her formula and you can make the change that you need to make.

First, make the decision that you are going to change and set your goal. Then reinforce that decision in your sub-conscious mind by changing your habits. Then get help. (Remember, the best way to get what you want is to work with the people who have already obtained it. Then start doing the things those people do.) Monitor your progress and make the changes you need to make.

Just like my friend, you can change your life...when you take the steps you need to take. Stay Tuned.


The next time you need a speaker, make it easy on yourself and call me. I will inspire, motivate, and entertain your group. Check out my speaking demo at www.bransonbusiness.blogspot.com then call (417) 339-6568 for availability. The only way I look good is making you look good for booking me.

How do you put on your socks?

Dan O'Day is a radio trainer, consultant, coach, just an all around guru of radio. I enjoy his frankness, biting humor, and dedication to the industry. I have (and will continue to) purchased his cds, books, etc. A very small portion of one of his Cds is the background for this blog.


In one of the best investments I have ever made in my training was a series that contained very personal and moving stories from O'Day's life. In one of those stories he recalled a time in his life that he called the great depression. Dan was deeply depressed. So depressed in fact that he would sit down to put on his socks and he just stayed there -- staring at the floor.


When Dan admitted this to a friend, she simply told him...."don't sit down to put your socks on, put them on standing up." She wasn't trying to be funny, she was trying to be helpful.


Sometimes we need that little adjustment that will change things drastically. I know that some people are facing a lot of problems that can not be simply solved. But a lot of us repeat the common definition of insanity by doing the same things over and over again and expecting a different outcome. A simple fix is all we need. Some examples:


1. How many people are caught in the same traffic ever day over and over again, when leaving the house a half hour or hour earlier would make the drive to work so much more enjoyable?


2. How many people are NOT taking advantage of their companies training programs and plans, because they would rather wing it? How much money are they losing?


3. How many people are allowing themselves to be robbed of years, because they won't discipline themselves to exercise and proper diet?


4. How many marriages would be better if you remembered how you treated each other when you were dating? If you would call your spouse to see how their day is going or just to hear their voice?


All of these situations could be fixed by something as simple as ....putting your socks on standing up. A small little change would again pay huge dividends. Life is fast, time becomes more precious as the years add up....don't let the little things stop you from living to the max. By the way, if you know anyone in the radio industry and they don't know about Dan O'Day, have them go to http://www.danoday.com/ Stay Tuned.


The next time you need a speaker, make it easy on yourself and call me. I will inspire, motivate, and entertain your group. Check out my speaking demo at www.bransonbusiness.blogspot.com then call (417) 339-6568 for availability. The only way I look good is making you look good for booking me.

Recalculating!

So, if there is a person on the planet who should have a GPS, it is me. However, I don't travel enough to invest in one. We spent the 4th of July weekend with our kids in Chicago. One of our son's shipmates offered us the use of her GPS for the weekend -- we accepted.


After getting it calculated to get us to O'Hare Airport, we changed our minds and decided to go to a restaurant near the Navy Base -- which lead us away from the GPS directions. What struck me as interesting were the commands of the GPS. She didn't freak out, she didn't tell us what kinds of terrible things were going to happen to us, she just merely said....recalculating....in 300 feet take a right and turn around, once we missed that turn, she calmly said.... recalculating in 500 feet take a right and turn around.


As I was listening to those comments, I thought about how life really does the same thing....it gives us feedback, and if we listen to the feedback we should be able to figure out if we should recalculate and try something different. Some quick examples....


1. If you are constantly out of money, you need to recalculate and either figure out a way to make more money or do a better job of handling the money you do make.


2. If you are constantly in conflict with your spouse, boss, or co-workers, recalculate and figure out which one of your actions you need to change.


3. If you need to lose weight, recalculate and understand that it's not a diet or a magic pill you need, just change your eating habits and start getting more exercise.


4. If your ego is constantly getting you into situations that are bad, recalculate and get your ego and actions under control.


Do GPS systems make mistakes? Sure they do. But the majority of the time, if you program it right, and follow the instructions and make the correct turns, you will arrive at your destination. Life is similar, if you program the incredible computer God gave you, your brain, to what you want to achieve and then make the steps and put in the efforts you will see the results.


When you miss a turn or make a mistake, recalculate, correct your path, and you will eventually arrive. Check out my speaking video at http://www.bransonbusiness.blogspot.com/

Are you really that busy?

Have you ever noticed how much time some people take to tell you how little time they have because they are so busy? (Go ahead and re-read that sentence -- it does make sense)

I used to have a client who would take an hour and a half of my time telling me how busy they were. They would go into great detail about all the things that they had to do and had going on. I was younger then, I never had the courage to tell them if they would stop talking about it and do it, they would have more time.

What about you? Are you so busy that you really never get anything done? Do you keep the blackberry by your side, constantly checking email, constantly staying in contact with the world? But yet, never really taking the time to live life -- to focus on the really important things, like family and friends. Afraid, that if you don't get right back to someone, you will miss out.

Look I believe in good customer service, I know that there are times that you need to be there for your clients outside of "normal" work hours -- however, I am also old enough to remember life before email, blackberries, and we seemed to do okay. I am not anti-technology, that is not the point of the post. However, I do believe that you have to have some down time.

My boss says work hard - play hard and too much of either one is a bad thing. I agree. There is a time to work and there is a time for family, for yourself, for your spouse, etc. There is going to come a time for most of us when we realize the end of our travel on earth is close. If all you did was work and say things like, work is my life....that end is going to be very sad.

Work hard -- but play hard, go on vacation, take the long weekend, take the time to smell the roses and tell the important people in your life what they mean to you. If the client can't handle that, feel sorry for them and let them become another person's problem -- life is too short.

Check out my speaking video at http://www.bransonbusiness.blogspot.com/

Thoughts on Management

The true definition of management is "getting the job done through other people." As managers, you have a big target on your back. In most cases, you answer to the folks below you and above you, it can be a tough position. But you signed up for the job, so it is important to do your very best every single day.

There are many books written about management, as many views as there are managers. If a manager ever tells you that they have it all figured out, BEWARE you are talking to a close minded person.

Some thoughts on management....

You will instantly become a better manager when you hire better people. Surround yourself with people who have more and different gifts than you, you are a better manager.

Talk big picture, but execute like hell. I do believe it is important to get people to truly understand where we are going and the "big picture" is important....but not executing will kill the big picture speech quicker than anything else.

Every person you manage should feel comfortable and understand how to say anything they want to say to you. A rule to consider -- if the door is closed and it's just you and me -- you can say whatever you want to say. However, if you corner me in front of people -- you may not enjoy the conversation.

Be willing to break the rules....Some people will say don't "brag" or compliment one person if you don't brag about everyone. Really? That is like getting participation ribbons -- the real competitors on your team are not interested in participation ribbons -- they want to win.

For me the two most important things to remember.....1. People don't want to be managed, they want to be led. A manager worries about the rules -- a leader does the right thing at the right time.

2. If you are constantly reminding people you are in management, you have a problem. Good Leaders don't have to remind people that they are leaders.

As I read this post, I think of the improvement I need to make as a manager -- it is a constant battle to get better. Good Luck. By the way, if you are working for a good manager, tell them how much you appreciate them -- you are one of the lucky ones.

See my speaking video at http://www.bransonbusiness.blogspot.net/

Let's talk about goals!

Can you believe that June is about over? Do you remember your resolutions from New Years Day? Maybe this will help.

I have a friend who told me about how he keeps his goals in the forefront of his mind. He writes them on a small piece of paper and carries it everywhere. I will not break his confidence and tell you his goals, but I will give you the subjects.

1. His relationship with Christ
2. His relationship with his wife
3. His physical goals -- down to his exact weight and waist size
4. His financial goals -- exactly how much money he is making and how he earns it.
5. His "give back" strategy -- what he will do when he reaches the goals.
6. A date that he wants to hit those goals.

My friend reads these goals a minimum of three times a day and anytime he feels stressed. It is a quick read and, he tells me, it motivates him greatly. The reason this works for my friend, when he is tempted to eat poorly, he remembers his goal. When he doesn't want to make calls about his business, he remembers his goal. When he is tired and tempted not to ask his wife out on a date, he remembers his goals.

Having goals is the first step - but the real secret to reaching goals is doing - doing the things that people do who have already reached the goal you desire. If you consistently do what in shape people do, you will get in shape. If you handle your money as financially successful people do, you will eventually become financially successful. If you treat your spouse as happily married people treat each other, your marriage will improve. Goals are important but it is ALWAYS about DOING.

So what about you? Have Goals? Are you doing things everyday to hit those goals? Go make it happen. Have you seen my speaking video, go to http://www.bransonbuiness.blogspot.com/