Big Idea Coach

Where Do You Think You're Going?

A few weeks ago I sat down to write a Big Idea newsletter....

I thought I had it all figured out. I knew exactly what I was gonna write about. But when I sat down to the computer and started typing, something completely different ended up on the page.

And you know what?

It worked out quite nicely. The feedback I received on that newsletter article was 100% positive.

It just goes to show that -- sometimes -- the things we plan for often end up being quite different from the things we do.

Very, very different.

(I'm reminded of what John Lennon sang, in "Beautiful Boy": "Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans....")

My experience has shown that the most successful people around are those who can -- while they're busy making other plans -- keep their eyes and ears and minds open to new ideas and new paths that might propel them towards their goals faster than ever.

I can't even count the times I thought I knew on where I was going, what I was doing, and how I was gonna reach my goal... and then stumbled across a better path, a different path, a more exciting path...

Of course, it doesn't have to be about simply getting to your goal faster or easier or cheaper.

It might mean exploring an entirely new road. --Perhaps a less trodden one... that diverges into a yellow wood... covered in leaves no feet have trodden black...

...A road that takes you to someplace wonderful, someplace beyond what you had imagined....

But to take that road, your eyes -- and your mind -- must be open.

So today, be bold, be courageous! Explore the possibilities that lie just outside of where you think you're going!

___

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Alakazam! Instant Success!

I have a lot of fun working with  people  eager to work hard to make their dreams a reality -- people who've gone from just  talking about success to actually creating it.

In helping these “doers," much of my time is spent talking with them about their expectations of how quickly they can accomplish their goals. In the success coaching process, it’s not always the most enjoyable part of what I do as a coach, but it is a very important one. After all, it’s one thing to have big goals to work towards, but it’s another to have realistic expectations about those dreams and goals.

Today everything seems to be about speed: getting more done and faster than ever before.

Hey, that's not necessarily bad, but that push for speed spills over into all aspects of our lives...

Everywhere we look in our instant-everything environment we see examples of this: fast-food restaurants, one-hour photo stores, 10-minute oil change shops, do-it-yourself express-lane checkout, etc.

We continue to move faster and faster… and we grow incredibly impatient, especially when it comes to people enjoying the fruit of our own efforts.

Getting all we ever wanted just isn't enough, unless in can happen instantly.... overnight... right away... right now!

Success, however, rarely (if ever) occurs instantaneously.

It comes to you on its own schedule -- the result of consistent, persistent action.

Rather than stressing yourself out trying to make everything happen right this moment, take things easy… take your time… stop expecting instant results.

Do what needs doing and let life take its own course. This way, you can focus on working smarter and more efficiently while enjoying the process of what you’re doing.

Sure, there will be times when you get immediate results and achieve success quickly, but most of the time you’ll need to be patient…

Just because you're not getting instant results doesn't mean you won't get any.

--If you keep working towards your goals, maintaining a sustained, consistent effort, readjusting your plans as necessary along the way, you will create the success you’re looking for.

Consider this analogy: You build a large, thousand-mile-long pipeline, from Alaska to California. You drill for oil and start pumping it into the pipeline…

Now, do you have oil coming out of the other end immediately?

Of course not!

You have to be patient. You have to wait a while.

Eventually, the oil will start to flow at the other end, but only if you keep on drilling and filling up the pipe.

It's the same way your own efforts.

You have to be patient while your work creates the success you desire. By not forcing the timetable and pushing for immediate results, you actually improve your chances of achieving your goals.

How can get a more realistic expectation of your goals? Easy...

First, make a plan before you mark your calendar.

That’s right, sit down and figure out exactly how you’re going to achieve your goal. Figure out all the steps. Determine what resources you already have and which ones you need… Then write it all down,  along with your estimate of how long it will take to accomplish each individual step! Chances are your time estimates for individual steps will be more accurate than a single estimate for the entire project since you will be looking at smaller action items.

Second, with your firm-but-flexible plan in hand, make a list of potential obstacles, big and small, that could get in your way.

Counterintuitive?

Too negative?

I don’t think so… It’s really an extension of planning that can actually save you time.

Thinking about what may slow you down helps prepare you for overcoming those obstacles, thus speeding you back up. Figure out the average time delay an obstacle presents and factor that into your time estimates.

Third, and finally, look around for examples of people who have accomplished the same (or a similar) goal.

Ask them how long it took them to achieve success (versus what they thought it would take)? What obstacles did they face? What surprises did they encounter along the way?

Talking with others who have done what you want to do is a great way to estimate how long it might take you. Plus, you get the added benefit of learning from other people’s experience (which, again, could save you a lot of time)!

Three very simple steps, but they can help you focus your mind on the real work necessary to make your dreams a reality.

With a more realistic sense of what can be accomplished, the more you’ll enjoy every step in the process of creating success in your life. And when you do reach your goals, you’ll see that the success you achieve is more than worth the wait.

_____

Psst!

While you're "taking your time," why not stay motivated with fresh ideas to keep you going? Subscribe to my blog updates -- absolutely free! You can also subscribe to my free ezine, THE BIG IDEA to get ideas in your email each week. Subscribe here.

You're Going the WRONG Way!

In the movie Planes, Trains and Automobiles there's a scene in which John Candy and Steve Martin, accidentally start driving the wrong way down a divided, four-lane highway. A couple, going the same direction (but in the correct lane of traffic), tries to let the wrong-way travelers know of the danger they're in.

"You're going the wrong way," the husband shouts, having rolled his window down. His frantic wife echoes him in the background.

Confused, Martin rolls his window down and listens to the frantic cries of the couple. "YOU'RE GOING THE WRONG WAY!" Unfazed, he rolls the window up and turns to John Candy, "They say we're going the wrong way."

"They're crazy," Candy snorts. "Anyway, how do they know where we're going?" And he speeds on down the highway, going the wrong way.

"Yeah," Martin agrees, "How do they know where we're going?"

As funny as this scene is, it just ain't that funny in real life. I'm not talking about literally driving the wrong way down the highway (although that's really not funny, either), I'm talking about how we move towards our goals.

Thinking about the upcoming new year, my goals, and how I was progressing towards them, it struck me that I had been going the wrong way for quite some time. If I hadn't been exposed to some new ideas from some of my favorite mentors, I might still be cruising along in the wrong direction. So I stopped what I was doing, took stock of everything go- ing on, regrouped, replanned, and set off once again towards my most important goals.

Of course, it was not as simple as it sounds.

I had to get down and dirty and do some serious work on myself (and quickly, too), but not doing that work would mean moving even farther from my goals than I already had. Sometimes going astray is part of the process. Usually it's because we've missed a lesson somewhere along the line that westill need to learn.

(One of my coaching mentors, Thomas Leonard, used to say this all the time: "The universe will give you the same lesson, over and over, until you learn it.")

Sure, I could beat myself for having wasted my time, not giving enough effort, and becoming distracted. But rather than let this "wrong turn" set me back, I took it as the oportunity to learn what I needed to learn, so that when I got "back on track," I was on the BEST path I could take at the time.

Now is the time to figure out if YOU are on the best path for your personal journey...

Are YOU going in the wrong direction?

Are your goals getting closer? Or are they moving away from you?

Are you doing everything you need to be doing? Or do you need more support or resources?

Only you know where you're going, so get honest with yourself and adjust your efforts as necessary.

Shackleton's Enduring Example

Ninety years ago (December 7, 1914), Ernest Shackleton and a crew of 28 men aboard the ship Endurance entered the pack ice off the continent of Antarctica.

Their goal?

To be the first party to trek across the continent on foot. It was a goal they would never achieve.

Nearly a century later, the tale of Endurance remains one of the most fascinating examples of human triumph in the face of adversity.

The Endurance sailed uneventfully for just over a month. On January 18, 1915, the ship became trapped in the crushing ice of the Antarctic ice pack. Despite the efforts of the crew, Endurance would remain lodged in the ice for the next nine months.

The thick ice of the Antarctic pack pressed constantly, threatening to crush Endurance to splinters. Ultimately, the threat forced the crew to abandon ship in October 1915. From that point on the crew would live on the ice.

One month later, the ship sank, stranding the crew -- with minimal stores and three short-boats -- on the drifting pack ice. The men survived for the next six months by killing seals, penguins, and ultimately their own sled-dogs for food.

In April 1916, an island was seen on the distant horizon. It was their only hope.

The ice floe broke just enough, allowing them to put to sea in some of the roughest waters on Earth. Seven days later they landed on the uninhabited -- and inhospitable -- Elephant Island. Far from regular shipping lanes, Shackleton knew the chances of a rescue from their location were nonexistent.

They might be on land, but they were far from safe, farther from home.

On April 24th, Shackleton again put to sea, this time with a crew of five, headed for the populated island of South Georgia -- 800 miles away.

Navigating by sextant, fighting through storming high seas of freezing water, Shackleton and his small crew reached South Georgia Island in 17 days! The weather (and their own condition) forced them, however, to land on the uninhabited side of the island. Shackleton and two other men had to trek on foot across the island. In 36 hours they traversed 22 miles across the glacier-clad, thousand-feet high mountains to reach the whaling port of Stromness on May 20, 1916.

His attempts to rescue his crewmen left behind on Elephant Island would not be successful until August 30, 1916, a full 22 months after they'd initially set out. Remarkably, all 28 men survived the ordeal.

The next time you face an obstacle that seems impossible to overcome remember the story of Endurance... and press on.

Success is gained not by taking the easiest path (or even the one you planned on taking); it is achieved by taking consistent and persistent action until your goals have been achieved.

...For more ideas on success, subscribe to my internet newsletter, THE BIG IDEA.      

A Good Investment

I love it when clients succeed.

And I especially love it when former clients succeed... and they let me know about it.

Janee Trasler, an artist I worked with a while ago, emailed me recently to share some news about her new blog, Art & Soul and to see if I had any articles on "investing in yourself."

Well, I didn't. So I told her that she ought to write one.

And you know what? She did.

She was also kind enough to write me -- if I can be permitted to brag -- a wonderful testimonial:

"I spent years dreaming about changing my career. I knew where I wanted to go and even knew how to get there, but every time I started to take those first steps, I just slipped right back into my comfort zone and gave up.

Jim helped me take those first steps.

When I tried to slip back into my old ways, he reminded me where I wanted to be. It didn't take long to realize my dreams. Once I got over the first hurdles, everything fell into place.

I was really impressed with the way coaching worked, it didn't turn out to be some life-long commitment. I had specific needs and goals which Jim helped me meet. As soon as the training wheels were off, I waved goodbye. Every once in a while though, I look back just to make sure he's still there. He is."

I am very flattered and very humbled. Janee is extremely kind to share her hard work and success with me.

I have always viewed my coaching as an investment.

An investment in the power of ideas. An investment in the power of people to make their ideas real.

Janee's article helps illustrate how important it is for us to invest as much in ourselves  as we do in others.

It's money, time, and effort very well spent.

10 Assumptions That Kill Success

I've discovered that people have this knack for making assumptions about their lives and their goals that are just incredibly, wildly wrong. Worse, these  assumptions aren't just incorrect, they are deflating and deadly to the success they  seek.

I've also found that when people put these assumptions aside and get focused on the truth, they begin making progress quite quickly.

Below are the top 10 assumptions I've run across. Consider this a "most-wanted" list of killer assumptions to try and avoid:

1. I KNOW EXACTLY WHAT'S GOING ON

Warning!

If you find yourself saying/thinking this, it's time to stop and ask a few more questions. Invariably, the moment we think we see everything is usually when we have the smallest field of vision.

Recheck your facts, get more information, and then proceed.


2. I HAVE A FOOLPROOF PLAN

No plan is foolproof. (At best, you might have a plan that is "fool resistant".)  Consider worst-case scenarios and as many "what-ifs" as time will allow.

3. I DON'T NEED (or CAN'T GET) HELP

Few people in history have created success solely on their own. A second opinion, a spare set of hands, and a fresh perspective seldom go amiss...

And they are all much easier to find than you think. Just check your local library, college, or telephone directory to get started.

4. I DON'T HAVE THE EDUCATION

It's ideas put to action that create success, not diplomas, so stop using this to delay getting started.

If you absolutely must have formal "education" there are plenty of ways to get it. They may not be traditional, but they can be just as effective.

5. I DON'T HAVE THE MONEY

Not having the money now does not mean you cannot get the money in the future. Focus on how you can save, earn, or borrow what you need.


6. I DON'T HAVE THE TIME

Actually, you have all the time in the world.

You may need to reschedule some things, change priorities, and/or stop doing other things, but you'll never have more time than you do right now.


7. I AM TOO OLD (OR NOT OLD ENOUGH)

You're only "too old" when you're dead. And if you're worried about not being "old enough," then trust me, you're old enough.


8. I AM BEING UNREALISTIC

Some of the greatest successes ever are the ones that were thought the least realistic.

Dream big. Be bold.

Let the critics debate whether it's realistic or not.... while you make it happen.


9. I DON'T DESERVE TO BE SUCCESSFUL

Really? Why not just go ahead and find out? I think you'll be pleasantly surprised to discover that you're wrong.


10. NOBODY UNDERSTANDS WHAT I AM TRYING TO DO

Maybe nobody you know now, but take a look around.  The world is filled with wonderful people who are all struggling to create their own success.

Open up, share your dreams with them.

You'll soon find more supporters than you can count!

Not So Fast...

I have a lot of fun working with energetic, motivated individuals ready to create the success that they've always desired. In helping them create strategies to achieve their goals, I spend a lot of time creating realistic expectations of how quickly they can do what they want to do.

Unfortunately, everything today is about speed:

• How fast can things get done?
• How fast can we get what we want?
• How quickly can you sell, deliver, or create?

You see it everywhere in our instant-everything environment: fast-food
restaurants, one-hour photo stores, 10-minute oil change shops, etc.

We're all just incredibly impatient. That's particularly true when it comes to enjoying the fruit of our own labor.

Getting all ever wanted just isn't enough for some people unless it can happen instantly... overnight... right away... RIGHT NOW!

I encourage each of you to relax. Take it easy. Take your time.  Stop expecting instant results. Just do what needs to be done and let Life take it's own course.

And while you're relaxing and taking your time, you can take a look around and enjoy the journey.

Cheers!