Power of decision

“Success and failure are results of the use of mind. Every success-motivated mind has been a decisive mind. Every failure-motivated mind has been an indecisive mind. Only the dreamer who acted with decision on his dream brought forth something new and valuable.” ~ Raymond Charles Barker from The Power of Decision

What is your estimate of yourself?

“You can not go beyond your own self-accepted image. As long as you underestimate yourself, you cannot succeed in life.”

So what is your self-imagery? Do you have a CAN-DO attitude in everything you embark on or do you have a CAN’T-DO focus? I can just imagine you saying, “well, it’s a bit of both, dependent on what I am doing, feel like, have to embark on, or [insert your response here]…”

What the author of this fascinating book ‘The power of decision’ is saying is that we are limited to our-own image of ourselves, and what I usually tell my clients and students is, when we listen to that negative voice within our heads, it’s not really our voice, its the voice of a parent, guardian, school teacher etc… Someone who has told us how we cannot do something in the past which is echoing within our minds today.

In order for you to deal with this past voice, you have to address the issue. Come face-to-face with it, in this case the whining voice telling us how we are so-called incapable of doing something, and you must also remember that this phrase told to us by our loved one may well have been a genuine concern, but it was in the past! Yes, past! According to time-place-circumstance you were told “NO…!”

Now, it’s different, now you are equipped with the intelligence, power, strength and know-how to carry out your own life the way you want, you are no longer living in the past but you are now looking into the future and this future is governed by your present decisions, from picking up that sports bag and going to the gym to picking up that self-development course for you to create your own future. Of-course this can also go the opposite way, you can choose to sit on the couch and watch some TV (as apposed to going to the gym) or go out and get drunk for another night.

The greatest creative minds, producing masterpieces in art, literature, dance, music, and the sciences, have never been satisfied with their works. Never judge yourself by what you have done. Judge yourself in terms of what you will do. You are not the past. You are the present becoming the future.”

The decisive look at the present and judge themselves at what they will do, not what they have done…

Happy people have projects, they are always working on something that is fulfilling and satisfying. You would not hear them moaning about having nothing to do or living a stagnate life, they are the ones who control their decisions and when life throws a curve-ball at them, they simply get up, brush themselves off and carry on going with a changed approach, (Lyubomirsky, 2007).

“The decision to let go of that which has completed its course in your experience is even more important than the decision to welcome new ideas. You cannot walk forward by looking backward. New wine cannot be put into old bottles… You intuitively know what should depart from your life.”

This means to let go of the past once and for all, because you will need all your energy to work towards your future. There is no point using up energy on things you cannot change, the past being one of them… just see it as, ‘S!*@% Happens’ learn from it and move on, believe me, if I had taken all that happened to me in the past and brought that baggage with me to my present, I would not be as fulfilled as I am today… Just let go of all that old stuff because, you have far more potential than you are pushing with this past-baggage!

“Know what you want, decide it shall happen, and act upon the decision. Your conscious mind makes the decision and your subconscious mind acts upon the decision”

I use this method a lot in my classes and with clients; I have personally seen the results of those who decide once and for all they are no-longer going to have the past hold them back and within months, their lives have changed making them far more happier as a result.

“Write down your barrier thoughts, and then consider ways to reinterpret the situation. In the process, ask yourself questions like… What else could this situation or experience mean? Can anything good come from it? Does it present any opportunities for me? What lessons can I learn and apply to the future? Did I develop any strengths as a result?” – Sonja Lyubomirsky from The How of Happiness.

The Power of intention

Make your intention of the future so strong that you know, there is no way that you can fail, it may take some time, but you will get there eventually. Just like the Wright Brothers, Martin Luther King Jr., Alexandra Graham Bell and Thomas Edison.

“The Wright brothers didn’t contemplate the staying on the ground of things. Alexander Graham Bell didn’t contemplate the noncommunication of things. Thomas Edison didn’t contemplate the darkness of things. In order to float an idea into your reality, you must be willing to do a somersault into the unconceivable and land on your feet, contemplating what you want instead of what you don’t have.” – Wayne Dyer from The Power of Intention

In closing, I would like to respectfully request you all to dig deep within your heart and soul, find your true meaning of life and pull that out because a life full of purpose is a life truly fulfilled.

Sources:

• R.C. Barker (1988) The Power of Decision
• S. Lyubomirsky (2007) The How of Happiness
• W. Dyer (2005) The Power of Intention
• Brian Johnson (accessed 2014) – Philosophers Notes, www.entheos.com

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People don’t buy “what” you do, they buy “why” you do it

It’s true, it’s not about the “what” or “how” than the “why” that’s most attractive to buyers. 

Think about Apple and Starbucks, why do we go out an select them specifically? It’s because of what they believe about the world and what they stand for. We are comfortable buying from them because we believe their cause aligns with ours. The fact that they make stunning computers or an awesome cup of coffee is merely secondary.

Every organization in the world knows “how” and “what” they do, but very few know “why” they do it. Even fewer are able to successfully communicate “why” they do what they do.

Being able to successfully communicate “why” you do what you do is the difference between a good company and a great one.

Simon Sinek, a brilliant marketing consultant and the author of Start with Why, believes that all great organizations think, act, and communicate in the exact same way — and this is opposite of how most of us think, act, and communicate. He believes great companies and leaders communicate and inspire with a methodology he calls The Golden Circle.

Rather than just talking about the “how” and the “what” (yawn, boring) great leaders inspire by focusing first on the “why” or their cause.

Sinek uses this example in his TED talk (I highly recommend watching the whole video).

If Apple were like everyone else their marketing message would be, “We make great computers. They are beautifully designed, simple to use, and user-friendly. Want to buy one?”

However, this is how Apple actually communicates, “In everything we do we believe in challenging the status quo. We believe in thinking differently. The way we challenge the status quo is by making our products beautifully designed, simple to use, and user-friendly. We just happen to make great computers. Want to buy one?”

The way Apple communicates is drastically different that the way the majority of businesses communicates and is the primary driver for their continued success.

Sinek also says that you don’t want to sell your product to everyone who needs it. You want to identify and sell your product to those who BELIEVE what you do.

So what does all of this have to do with social media and digital marketing?

Well first of all I can’t think of a better communication platform than social media to explain “why” your business does what it does. Secondly, social media is an ideal method to identify and connect with those people who believe the same things you do.

If you look at both Apple and Starbucks you will find that each has an extremely strong social presence and that’s not a coincidence. They both recognize the need to communicate the “why” of what they do and identify social media as the most effective platform to do it.

I know for me personally, Simon Sinek and The Golden Circle have forever changed the way I think about marketing and business.

We all want to be inspiring leaders and have successful businesses. I think that if we can make this small, but fundamental shift to focus on “why” we do what we do rather than “what” we do, then we too will be able to inspire others.

It’s not just about companies too, think about your own life… Why do you do what you do? Is it your passion or is it just to pay the bills? If it’s the latter then I recommend you reflect on your life 

Today is Yesterday’s Tomorrow! – By Jim Rohn

The problem with waiting until tomorrow is that when it finally arrives, it is called today. Today is yesterday’s tomorrow. The question is what did we do with its opportunity? All too often we will waste tomorrow as we wasted yesterday, and as we are wasting today. All that could have been accomplished can easily elude us, despite our intentions, until we inevitably discover that the things that might have been have slipped from our embrace a single, unused day at a time.

Each of us must pause frequently to remind ourselves that the clock is ticking. The same clock that began to tick from the moment we drew our first breath will also someday cease.

Time is the great equalizer of all mankind. It has taken away the best and the worst of us without regard for either. Time offers opportunity but demands a sense of urgency.

When the game of life is finally over, there is no second chance to correct our errors. The clock that is ticking away the moments of our lives does not care about winners and losers. It does not care about who succeeds or who fails. It does not care about excuses, fairness or equality. The only essential issue is how we played the game.

Regardless of a person’s current age, there is a sense of urgency that should drive them into action now—this very moment. We should be constantly aware of the value of each and every moment of our lives – moments that seem so insignificant that their loss often goes unnoticed.

We still have all the time we need. We still have lots of chances—lots of opportunities, lots of years to show what we can do. For most of us, there will be a tomorrow, a next week, a next month and a next year. But unless we develop a sense of urgency, those brief windows of time will be sadly wasted, as were the weeks and months and years before them. There isn’t an endless supply!

So, as you think of your dreams and goals of your future tomorrow, begin today to take those very important first steps to making them
all come to life.

The growing problem of Employee Retention

Article by Alaister Low

Today I found out one of my good friends left their position at a well known technology company that many people would “kill” to work for. I asked him why he left, expecting an answer like “I needed more of a challenge”, or “I outgrew the position and there was no where for me to grow”, but instead he said “I couldn’t work with my boss”.

As he said this I thought about all the people leaving their positions because they simply couldn’t work with their manager. The work was stimulating, the team was great but their manager was unbearable to work with. In these situations, what seems to happen is companies lose good employees on a regular basis and all the managers sit around a conference table trying to address employee attrition, developing strategies for employee retention.

Employee retention is a real problem that all managers face. The key to being able to keep the good employees is not so much the salary you offer them or even the actual work, it is more about how you manage them and how they feel working under you as their manager. Do they feel valued within your team? Do you provide them with timely feedback? Do they feel your support as a manager leading their team or company?

Abraham Maslow was an American psychologist who was best known for creating Maslow’s hierarchy of needs which can be seen below.

[Figure 1 refers]

Source: Diana Vanbrabant

As a manager we are able to affect three levels of needs within this hierarchy – safety, love & belonging and esteem. These 3 levels represents different elements within the workplace. The first level – safety refers to job security, career progression as well as health benefits and perhaps even gym membership. How do your employees feel about their job? Are they constantly afraid of cuts due to the recession? Do they know that as a manager you care about their wellbeing as well as their work?

The next level is love and belonging. People want to feel as if they are making a difference and are part of something bigger. As a manager how you approach giving out tasks, mentoring employees and interacting with them show how much you value their work. It is your duty as a manager to show employees how their work is making a difference and is part of a much larger plan. The worst thing for an employee is for them to think they are just another cog in a machine.

The last level is esteem. This refers to confidence and respect. It is important to manage your staff in terms of how they feel towards the work and to their peers and managers. Respect within the workplace is extremely important and can be the difference between keeping a good employee or losing them. Training and development when necessary is a good way to boost confidence and equip staff with the right skills. Investing in your staff to help them upskill benefits both the company and the employees. Zig Ziglar once said that there was only one thing worse than training (or growing) your staff and having them leave, and that is not training or developing them and having them stay.

A Florida State University (FSU) professor and two of his doctoral students have conducted a study which highlights the impacts of an abusive or poor manager/boss. They surveyed over 700 people who work in a variety of jobs and asked for their opinions of supervisor treatment on the job.

The study revealed these results:

39%: Their supervisor failed to keep promises
37%: Their supervisor failed to give credit when due
31%: Their supervisor gave them the “silent treatment” in the past year.
27%: Their supervisor made negative comments about them to other employees or managers.
24%: Their supervisor invaded their privacy.
23%: Their supervisor blames others to cover up mistakes or minimize embarrassment

Source: Florida State University

These points act as a good checklist to see how you are managing your staff because at the end of the day employees leave managers and bosses, not companies

Figure 1.

The Major Key to Your Better Future is You – by Jim Rohn

Of all the things that can have an effect on your future, I believe personal growth is the greatest. We can talk about sales growth, profit growth, asset growth, but all of this probably will not happen without personal growth. It’s really the open door to it all. In fact I’d like to have you memorize a most important phrase. Here it is, “The MAJOR key to your better future is YOU.”

Let me repeat that. “The major key to your better future is YOU.” Put that someplace you can see it everyday, in the bathroom, in the kitchen, at the office, anywhere where you can see it everyday. The major key to your better future is YOU. Try to remember that every day you live and think about it. The major key is YOU.

Now, there are many things that will help your better future. If you belong to a strong, dynamic and progressive company, that would help. If the company has good products, good services that you are proud of, that would certainly help. If there were good sales aids, that would help, good training would certainly help. If there is strong leadership that will certainly help. All of these things will help, and of course, if it doesn’t storm, that will help. If your car doesn’t break down, that will help. If the kids don’t get sick, that will help. If the neighbors stay half way civil, that will help. If your relatives don’t bug you, that will help. If it isn’t too cold, if it isn’t too hot, all those things will help your better future. And if prices don’t go much higher and if taxes don’t get much heavier, that will help. And if the economy stays stable, those things will all help. We could go on and on with the list; but remember this, the list of things that I’ve just covered and many more – all put together – play a minor role in your better future.

The major key to your better future is you. Lock your mind onto that. This is a super important point to remember. The major key is you. Mr. Shoaff always answered when asked, “How do you develop an above average income?” by saying “Simple, become an above average person. Work on you.” Mr. Shoaff would say, “Develop an above average handshake.” He would say, “A lot of people want to be successful, and they don’t even work on their handshake. As easy as that would be to start, they let it slide. They don’t understand.” Mr. Shoaff would say, “Develop an above average smile. Develop an above average excitement. Develop an above average dedication. Develop an above average interest in other people.” He would say, “To have more, become more.” Remember; work harder on yourself than you do on your job. For a long time in my life, I didn’t have this figured out.

Strangely enough, with two different people in the same company one may earn an extra $100 a month, and the other may earn a $1,000. What could possibly be the difference? If the products were the same, if the training was the same, if they both had the same literature, the same tools. If they both had the same teacher, the same compensation plan, if they both attended the same meetings, why would one person earn the $100 per month and the other person earn the $1000? Remember here is the difference…the difference is personal, inside, not outside, inside.

You see the real difference is inside you. In fact, the difference IS you. Someone once said, “The magic is not in the products. The magic is not in the literature. The magic is not in the film. There isn’t a magic meeting, but the magic that makes things better is inside you, and personal growth makes this magic work for you.

The magic is in believing. The magic is in daring. The magic is in trying. The real magic is in persevering. The magic is in accepting. It’s in working. The magic is in thinking. There is magic in a handshake. There is magic in a smile. There is magic in excitement and determination. There is real magic in compassion and caring and sharing. There is unusual magic in strong feeling and you see, all that comes from inside, not outside. So, the difference is inside you. The real difference is you. You are the major key to your better future.

To Your Success,
Jim Rohn

What is NLP coaching?

Coaching is:  “A conversational dance”

An NLP coach explores how the client thinks and acts when in various ‘states’ by looking into:

• Emotions, Perceptions,  Meanings, Understandings, Beliefs, Values, Behaviors, Activities, Choices, Decisions, Connections, structures etc

By the asking thought provoking questions that are:

• Validating, challenging, motivating, probing, provoking, awakening, co-creating, actualizing, reinforcing & testing

And using these findings to EMPOWER the client to:

• Providing the client the necessary ‘tools’ for them to life to the fullest potential
• Help leverage their gifts and telnets at an accelerated rate then they could do alone
• Become more self-aware, therefore in harmony with their internal selves
• Set future Goals that the client thought would have been unachievable or too challenging to achieve before the initial meeting

Coaching is not proven to produce a return on investment (ROI) – Coaching GENERATES solid ROI for clients

According to the 2009ICF Global Coaching Client Study, the median ROI reported by companies who participated in the study were able to calculate that their ROI was seven times their initial investment in coaching. Almost 96% of Client Study participants indicated that they would repeat the coaching experience.

Coaching is an effective form of personal development where the Client and Coach create an alliance that promotes and sustains the Client’s personal growth and competence. This powerful relationship enables the Client to exchange who they currently are for who they want to become by living to their full potential. 

Why not for yourself, your not loosing anything on enquiry, why not book in your free no-obligation consultation here

Successful coaching works with individuals in their personal life, executives and others in business, individuals in their professional life, and with teams or groups; to develop their effectiveness.

Many of us have big plans about what we want to do, who we want to be and what we want to become. Often we never actually do anything about it. Some of us are successful in our own terms, but still find a feeling of emptiness inside ourselves.
Life without purpose is hardly a life at all. Hence that feeling that something is missing, the big question of why we are here, or how we can achieve our dream (personal or professional).

The Coach aids the Client in finding out what is most important to them and helps to create a purposeful life that promotes the qualities or ideals; enabling the Client to live a far fuller and richer life.

Coaching helps the Client identify what is important and how to use their skills to foster it.

Coaching builds skills and abilities for effective relationships – personal and professional.

Coaching identifies when teamwork is important and helps the Client to develop their skills.

Coaching paves the way for more effective decision-making – in both the Client’s personal and professional life to create higher levels of organisational effectiveness as well as living with integrity.

Coaching works with the Client to improve their communication skills through dialogue, inquiry and positive interactions that create awareness, purpose, competence and well-being.

Often coaching is described in a number of ways, which include:

Speciality or Niche Coaching
“Speciality or Niche Coaching is a collaborative relationship, solution-focused, results-oriented systematic and enlightening process in which the coach is focused on enhancing a particular section of the population and is working is one particular aspect of the Client’s life.”

Life Coaching 
“Life Coaching is a collaborative relationship, solution-focused, results-oriented systematic and enlightening process in which the coach facilitates the growth of the Client in many areas of their life – work and personal.”

Executive Coaching
“Executive Coaching is a collaborative relationship, solution-focused, results-oriented, systematic and enlightening process which is specifically focused at Board Level and/or Senior Management level where there is an expectation for the coach to feel as comfortable exploring business related topics, as personal development topics with the Client; in order to achieve improved business results, improved business performance, improved operational effectiveness and to improve their personal performance. In Executive Coaching it is often the Business or Organisation that employs the Coach.”

Corporate/Business Coaching
“Corporate or Business Coaching is a collaborative relationship, solution-focused, results-oriented, systematic and enlightening process in which the specific remit of the coach is to work with an employee to achieve improved business results, improved business performance and/or operational effectiveness. In Corporate or Business Coaching it is often the Business or Organisation that employs the Coach.”

Small Business Coaching
“Small Business Coaching is a collaborative relationship, solution-focused, results-oriented, systematic and enlightening process which is specifically focused at Business Owner, Senior Management and/or employee level where there is an expectation for the coach to feel as comfortable exploring business related topics, as personal development topics with the Client in order to achieve improved business results, improved business performance, improved operational effectiveness and to improve their personal performance. In Small Business Coaching it is often the Business or Organisation that employs the Coach, although it could be the Business Owner employs the Coach directly.”

Group/Team Coaching
“Group or Team Coaching is a collaborative relationship, solution-focused, results-oriented, systematic and enlightening process where the Coach is working with a number of individuals simultaneously to achieve a common goal within the group or team.”

Personal Coaching
“Personal Coaching is a collaborative relationship, solution-focused, results-oriented, systematic and enlightening process in which the coach facilitates the growth of the Client in many areas of their personal life.”

Career Coaching
“Career Coaching is a collaborative relationship, solution-focused, results-oriented systematic and enlightening process in which the coach is working is one particular aspect of the Client’s life and that is to help the Client make a decision about their career.”

Relationship Coaching
“Relationship Coaching is a collaborative relationship, solution-focused, results-oriented systematic and enlightening process in which the coach is working is one particular aspect of the Client’s life and that is to help the Client make a decision about their relationships. These relationships could be professional or personal.”

Parent Coaching
“Parent Coaching is a collaborative relationship, solution-focused, results-oriented systematic and enlightening process in which the coach is working is one particular aspect of the Client’s life and that is to help the Client work with their parenting skills to raise happy and confident children, while ensuring they live a fully balanced life.”

Retirement Coaching
“Retirement Coaching is a collaborative relationship, solution-focused, results-oriented systematic and enlightening process in which the coach is working with the Client to make decisions about their retirements.”

Sports Coaching
“Sports Coaching is a collaborative relationship, solution-focused, results-oriented, systematic and enlightening process in which the coach is working is one particular aspect of the Client’s life and that is to help the Client develop their sports skills. Sports Coaching covers every type of sport.”

Youth Coaching
“Youth Coaching is a collaborative relationship, solution-focused, results-oriented systematic and enlightening process in which the coach is working with the youth.”

Publishing Coaching
“Publishing Coaching is a collaborative relationship, solution-focused, results-oriented systematic and enlightening process in which the coach is working is one particular aspect of the Client’s life and that is to help the Client work in the publishing world or publish their own materials – books, courses, etc.”

Other Coaching
“There are various other niche markets for coaching. Fundamentally Coaching is about change – it’s based on a collaborative relationship, solution-focused, results-oriented systematic and enlightening process in which the coach is working with the Client to bring about a change in the Client’s life.”

Imagine working with someone who would support you in achieving your dreams, your aspirations, and your goals… Welcome to the first step of your new life!

If a little part of you is screaming ‘YES that’s me!” then book in your free no-obligation consultation here