Journaling Tips from Leonardo Da Vinci

From a very young age, I have been an avid proponent of writing in a journal. People often ask me the best approach to successful journaling. Upon scavenging my bookshelves, I found The How to Think like Leonardo Da Vinci Workbook by Michael Gelb. Through seven Da Vinci principles, Gelb creates the perfect exercises to self-assessment, reflect and journal.

Da Vinci's Seven Principles

Curiosità - an "insatiably curious approach to life and unrelenting quest for continuous learning".

Dimostrazione - is "a commitment to test knowledge through experience, persistence, and a willingness to learn from mistake".

Sensazione is "the continual refinement of the senses, especially sight, as the means to enliven experience".

Cryptic is "a willingness to embrace ambiguity, paradox, and uncertainty".

Arte/scienza is "the development of the balance between science and art, logic and imagination".

Corporalità is "the cultivation of grace, ambidexterity, fitness, and poise".

Connessione is "a recognition of and appreciation for the interconnectedness of all things and phenomena".

Gelb does a masterful job to help expand the creative juices and think like Leonardo Da Vinci.

Pay Attention to Signs

There are signs every where. Below you will find three signs that I am noticing in my travels that are serving and saving me in countless ways. I'd like to suggest that we pay attention to these road signs in our lives as well as on the road.



What happens when we come across a speed bump? We slow down. If we don't, we hit the bump and it will slow us down. Why not notice when a "speed bump" sign shows up in life? Every move too fast in a sale or relationship and someone says, "Slow Down"? When we pay attention and take time to listen and learn more, the outcome is so much more successful. Plus there's a lot less damage.







What happens when you see a road closed ahead sign. I recently watched someone stop briefly at a road closed sign and then plow down the road anyway. Minutes later they we backing out of the area. No surprise there. When a road is closed it's closed. Not taking the road is the best solution - no matter how much we want to go down that road.




This is my favorite sign. All too often we want to take a direct route to get results and this sign shows up. Believe me, we need to pay attention when a detour sign shows up. This saves us time, money and relationships in the long run. As much as we don't like change, it's amazing what happens when you have to take a detour.


Three Signs to help us on our journey to success- Speed Bump, Road Closed and Detour - Never deviate from your desired results, just slow down, stop or take another route and life will be much more enjoyable.

Understanding Motivation

Understanding that our motivations cause us to act or not act is a major key to personal and professional success. To further drive home this point, let's start with some basic definitions for motivation.

1. wordnetweb.princeton.edu -"the psychological feature that arouses an organism to action toward a desired goal; the reason for the action; that which gives purpose and direction to behavior."
2. en.wikipedia.org - "the activation or energization of goal-oriented behavior. Motivation is said to be intrinsic or extrinsic."

If our motivators help or hinder us in achieving our goals, I'd like to offer some tips that can be considered to ensure that we achieve the positive results and goals that we desire.

Tip #1 - Set aside time for reflection and review of your motivators. Identify interests, fulfilled and unfulfilled dreams and goals and create a motivation journal.

Tip #2 -Focus on the positive goals or change that you want. The more positive and attractive the thoughts and images, the more likely you will be motivated to achieve the goal.

Tip #3 - Research individuals who have been successful. Read biographies, view movies and videos, interview successful people in your community.

Tip #4 - Find an accountability buddy or buddies. An accountability buddy is a person who will support, listen and provide honest feedback to help you discover what is hindering or supporting your growth.

Tip #5 - Measure your progress. Create a system that tracks your success, your challenges, your opportunities to change and grow.

Tip #6 - Be adventurous. Get out of your comfort zone, attend diverse social, community and employment opportunities.

Tip #7 - Have fun. Understanding one's motivation is a large part of our life and work journey and so we might as well enjoy the ride.

"The only lifelong, reliable motivations are those that come from within, and one of the strongest of those is the joy and pride that grow from knowing that you've just done something as well as you can do it."

Lloyd Dobens

Feasibility - Look Before Leaping

A feasibility study can mitigate risks if conducted as one of the first steps before leaping into a venture, a relationship, a project, a job or a change.

Why would an individual or company research feasibility?

The following simple definitions are a great start for building the case for investing time, money, resources and talent...

• "The quality of being doable" (wordnetweb.princeton.edu)

• "Doable, possible, achievable, workable" (en.wiktionary.org/wiki)

• "A determination that a process, design, procedure, or plan can be successfully accomplished in the required time frame."thequalityportal.com/glossary/f.htm

What are the elements for a successful feasibility study?

There are six basic elements for determine feasibility...

1. Identify Market/Customer Needs.
   

• What are the past, present and future needs of the market or client base?
  
• What are the services or products they have used, are currently using or would like to use?

2. Identify the Present Benefits and Results.

• What are the benefits that the products or services will bring?
• What results will the market or client base receive from this product or service?

3. Identify the Future Benefits and Results.

• What are the future needs of this endeavor to ensure sustained success?
• What will it take to ensure that these needs are met?
  

4. Identify the Resources, Costs, Investments.

• What will it cost to deliver the product or service?
• What resources are available to support this endeavor?
• What are the other investments that are required to make this effort possible?

5. Identify the Alternative Source of Supply or Service, A.K.A. competitive analysis.

• What sources are currently providing this product or service?
• How customer friendly are these current competitors?
• What are the current challenges that the alternative sources of supply are encountering?
  

6. Identify the Strategy and Financial Plan.

• What is the purpose of this endeavor?
• What is the vision and mission of this venture?
• What are the values required to support this product or service?
  
• What are the financial projections for a successful venture?

A feasibility study is not an exercise to delay to the start of a project or change. It is an investment in time, money, and resources to ensure that thoughtful business and life decisions are made. The ultimate benefits and results - leaping into deep water and finding that when you leap you can and will swim and sustain success.

Healthy Cost Savers in the Work Place

The cost of disease in the work place is becoming catastrophic. Currently, it is estimated that the cost of medical services is seven times the national inflation rate. With all the other competing costs that businesses incur, believe it or not, health care is probably the most costly and also the least addressed.

To build the case for focusing on health as a cost saving measure, let's start with some definitions of disease.

According to en.wiktionary.org

Disease is...

1. "an abnormal condition of the body or mind that causes discomfort or dysfunction"
2. "Lack of a feeling of ease; uneasiness"

According to www.understandinganimalresearch.org

Disease is...

• Malfunctioning of the body or any part of the body resulting from any number of influences, including genetic errors, toxins, infections, nutritional deficiencies, and environmental factors.

According to autistics.org/resources/glossary

Disease is...

• "an alteration of a living body that impairs its functioning"

According to montana.edu

Disease is...

• "stress condition produced by the effects of a pathogen on a susceptible host"

Yes, disease is often caused by tangible factors. Overeating, smoking, lack of exercise are the obvious causal factors. The bad news is, the intangibles are the factors that are really causing health care costs to rise. The intangibles such as feelings of helplessness, hopelessness and loss of personal value and worth are much so more costly because of the insidious impacts in all aspects of life and work.

The focus to decrease health care costs must shift from disease management to health management. Wellness programs are a great start. However, to really make a substantial impact, we as business and community leaders will need to focus on totally different frontiers. Frontiers such as Emotional Intelligence (EQ), Conflict Resolution, Leadership, Resilience and other so called "soft skills" are shown to have substantial impact on the bottom line. When companies focus on these new frontiers, there is a much more sustainable health impact on not just the benefit dollars expended but also the productivity costs that are flowing out the door.

The Power of Attitudes

I've learned over the years these startling statistics about attitudes.

• The average person generates between 25,000 to 50,000 thoughts per day
• Over 80% of a person's thoughts in a day are negative
  
• It takes an average of 4 hours to recover from a negative thought or experience
• It takes 5 positive thoughts or experiences to recover from one negative
  
• Conservatively, a negative attitude costs a company 30% in productivity

These are just a few statistics, there are many more about the effects of negative attitudes

This Charles Swindoll poem is a great reminder to me about the power of our attitude...

ATTITUDE

"The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life.
Attitude, to me, is more important than facts.
It is more impor1ant than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than success, than what other people think or say or do.
It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill.
It will make or break a company... a church...a home.
The remarkable thing is we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day.
We cannot change our past ... we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way.
We cannot change the inevitable.
The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude ...
I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it.
And so it is with you..."

Any thoughts or statistics to add? I would love to hear from you.

The Power of Reasoning

Cogito ergo sum
"I think therefore I am"
Descartes

Thinking is the number one way to success. In this day of speed and quick response, we are starting to circumvent "thinking through" our ideas, plans, conversations... Often, we launch into a relationship, a project, a job, a life, rather than engaging thoughtful consideration and then we have to live with the consequences.

Researchers at Georgia Tech categorize thinking into reasoning and problem solving.

I'd like to discuss reasoning today and save problem solving for another time. Reason is comprised of three ways that people draw conclusions - deductive, inductive or abductive.

Deductive reasoning - using a logical sequence process, from cause to effect. (This can be faulty if the "logic" is based on shaky or erroneous information).

Inductive reasoning - using general information to draw a conclusion about a situation because we don't have all the relevant facts. (Going with our gut instincts can be very useful)

Abductive reasoning - evaluating the fact and action(s) that followed (this may be problematic because the fact or information may have been wrong in the first place)

The more we evaluate our methods of reasoning the more effective our thoughts become. Some questions we might ask to ensure that we tap into the power of reasoning are:

How logical are our conclusions?

From our past experience, what general information can be applied to this situation?

How accurate are the facts in this situation?

When we take the time to think about how we reason through a decision we have made, we generally come up with better, if not optimal decisions. This saves up time, money, relationship and ultimately leads to lasting personal and professional success.

"Those who have finished by making others think with them have usually been those who began by daring to think for themselves."
Colton

The Job Doesn't Make Us, We Make the Job

I see this all too often, people are hired for skills and abilities, they are fired for their bad attitude. In this day and age, we can't even settle for indifference in a job - we must come to work fired up and ready to take on the job we signed up for. Starting a job, people come to interviews and the first few days of work with, as my mother would say, company manners, full of ideals, ideas and interest. Then over the course of time, for some shorter than others, interest and motivations are lost.

I recently heard a story about a young man who wanted to produce movies. From a small child, he told everyone that he would be a producer. He went to college and studied film making, graduated and got a job with one of the major networks. Today, he is one of the mail room staff, he starts at 4:30 AM and delivers mail. At first, his parents were very upset, after all he was a college graduate and now he was delivering packages for a living. However, the parents visited him on a work day. The young enthusiast bounded through his work with a light step and an eager hand. People knew him by name, they even sought him out. They commented to his parents how valuable he was and that he made their job and their life so much easier. After that day, the parent introduced their son to everyone a person who was helping to make movies.

I took away from this simple story some profound tips.

1. Know you passion.
2. Set goals
   
3. Appreciate that there is work involved and enjoy it.
4. Act as if you are a contribution and that any task is valuable.
5. Be pleasant, polite and yes eager.
6. Get feedback.
7. Let others know that your work is important.

Time and time again, we get tired of the job because we forget our purpose. Keep focused on your purpose and whether you are carrying packages from the basement or the board room, your job will have meaning and success.

Growth Optimizers

To optimize growth can be a painful process. Thinking and feeling comfort and ease are great safety nets, but growth, never, never occurs when we stay too comfortable - we might as well be in a cemetery - it's safe but our life is over. Below, you will read some quotes by great growth optimizers...

"You can't dream your self into a character,

you must hammer and forge yourself one."

Henry David Thoreau

"Circumstances don't make a person,
they reveal him."
James Allen

"The fact is, that to do anything in the world worth doing,
we must not stand back shivering and thinking of the cold and danger,
but jump in and scramble through as well as we can."
Robert Cushing


"A wise man will make more opportunities than he finds."
Francis Bacon

"Don't wait until everything is just right. It will never be perfect. There will always be challenges, obstacles and less than perfect conditions. So what. Get started now. With each step you take, you will grow stronger and stronger, more and more skilled, more and more self confident and more and more successful."
Mark Victor Hansen

"He who moves not forward, goes backward."
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Finally, I life to add one of my own-

"Seek potential,
go beyond purpose to achievement
and life will be magical!"
Laura Reider Novakowski

A Life Global Positioning System (GPS)

Achieving visions and goals takes some degree of planning. A plan simply defined is "a process or method of acting, doing, proceeding, making"; an even simpler definition is "a map." Creating a plan involves dreaming, defining, directing and diverting. What tools do we have available to us to ensure that we arrive at our desired destination.

The marvelous Global Positioning System(GPS) comes to mind. With a GPS, one is able to connect to the target because certain coordinates have been plugged in and the time is recorded. When using the physical GPS, there a many options below are a few

• a map
• distance
• real time traffic
  
• detours
• arrows
  
• a voice, (my person favorite even when the street names not distinguishable but the person makes a valiant attempt with the interpretation)

having this tool for travel and vacation is marvelous, however, what if we developed our own a GPS for life?

• A map - a plan that lays out the results we are seeking a career path, a project, any goal or objective that with a little strategic thinking and tools for implementation would make all the difference in the world.
• Distance - how long or how far do we have to go to achieve
  
• Real time traffic - those issues are in front of us every day are we are now prepared to deal with
  
• Detours - Contingency plans for the unforeseen circumstances that come up along the way
• Arrows- the tools that take us right or left, over, under, around or through what ever obstacles are standing in the way
• A voice - the resources, mentors, self talk that can guide us, counsel us and listen when we get stalled or breakdown.

An electronic GPS saves time and generates peace of mind. With thoughtful planning, a life GPS is adds even more value. Having a plan, anticipating how long it will take, identifying what are the knows and unknows that show up, using visual to help us stay the path and to ultimately have the support and guidance to help us when the going gets tough - that's a Life Global Positioning System. Today, let's start developing our own GPS and see if our journey and work aren't so much better.

The Power of NEW

Why do we wait for the New Year for something NEW to take on significance? For me, there is a particular significance to NEW. Brainyquote.com describes the word new as

"Having existed, or having been made, but a short time; having originated, discovered or occurred lately; having recently come into existence, or into one's possession; not early or long in being; of late origin; recent; fresh; modern; -- opposed to old, as, a new coat; a new house; a new book; a new fashion."

If change our point of view, the Power of New happens everywhere. A clock ticks and a minute is born - that presents a new opportunity to start again. A plan fails - that presents the option to find new approaches. A relationship is struggling - that gives people the chance to start anew, restore or move on.

All too frequently I hear in conversations, I am sure I have even said it myself. This is stale, stagnant or boring, when in reality, it has been the perception, not the reality. Let's try for today to take on the Power of New.

One might ask, "How do we take on the Power of New."

Here on some suggestions:

• Rise early and enjoy a new sunrise - if it's cloudy, know that there is a sunrise somewhere in the world starting a new day.
• Review your job and compare to your job description - I'll bet you will find at least one new significant role that you have taken on that can be added (don't just lump it in the "other" line - make it a distinctly new addition).
• Discover a new route to work - I've had struggling business owners tell me that when they have taken a new route they often are led to a solution to one of their problems.
• Change your approach - even the most repetitious tasks have some element of the new in them - you can change what you are wearing, the hand that you write with, the tools that you use. No one else has to know and you will be surprised how different one thinks when something new is added.
• Ask someone you know, what is new in their lives. If they say nothing, ask them if they have met anyone new, read any new books, learned any interesting new facts. It's amazing how people open up.

These are just a few tips to help you discover the Power of New.

3 Simple Strategies for Positive Outcomes in 2011

It's Monday, the first of 52 Mondays in 2011. Let's consider creating a strategy that will tip the scales for not just a successful day, but a successful week and then a subsequent successful year. Part of me wanted to stay in bed and start later and then I realized that the way I start the day, the week, the year not just can but will set the stage for 2011.

Then I decided to ask myself, "What results to do I want for 2011?"

Powerful Physical Health - our bodies are the only vehicle that we have that will transport us through our work and life. Granted we may have some limitations that challenge us and yet we have a responsibility to feed nutritiously and exercise prodigiously to ensure amazing results. When we fail to respect our physical body, the machine will fail. I once heard someone say, "If you don't actively focus on being healthy, you will be forced to focus on disease. It's always your choice." If we want to create more powerful physical health, we need to focus, set specific goals and become more disciplined. Traits that I would like to have attributed to me.

Exciting Mental Growth - Forest Long of the ad agency Young and Rubicam coined the phrase, "the mind is a terrible thing to waste." We are never too old to learn. Finding ways to stimulate and interest the mind are personal and highly individualized for each of us. I am determined to create a strategy that includes excitement and adventure to my year for mental growth. I will NOT waste my mind.

Committed Positive Values and Ethics - Albert Schweitzer once wrote, "Ethics is the activity of man directed to secure the inner perfection of his own personality." At the end of the year, I certainly will not be Schweitzer, however I would like it to be said of me that, "Laura is a person that is committed to justice, compassion and human dignity."

These strategies may sound simple, and yet I know, it's going to take discipline, a positive mental attitude and courage. I am dedicated to give these 3 simple strategies a try. What about your?

May your New Year be Happy and Prosperous.

Have A Happy and Prosperous New Year

12 Gifts to Self in 2011

1. Set the stage health
   
2. Enjoy sunrises and sunsets
3. Go for walks in nature
4. Read a novel (or two)
   
5. Do something extra at work and tell no one about it
   
6. Try something new
7. Spend an hour or a day in silence
   
8. Create a development plan and goals that support growth and development
   
9. Be open to finding my talents
   
10. Be kinder to self
    
11. Hold myself accountable for what I control and let go of all that I don't
    
12. List 12 things that I am grateful for and send it to myself as a thank you note
    

What gifts will you give yourself this year?

New Year's Resolutions - aka - ACTS(TM)

2010 is coming to a close. Historically, at this time of year people generally start making New Year's resolutions. Popularly New Year's resolutions are regarding losing weight or to stop some other destructive behavior. The tradition is attributed to the ancient Babylonian's - the resolution - returning borrowed farm equipment.

I wonder who was more successful with resolutions, the ancient Babylonians or we in the present day?

There are four ways to make New Year's Resolutions stick.

Step 1 Assess what you would like to change.

At the end of 2009, I reviewed my journal, completed some psychometric evaluations and conducted some informal 360 degree evaluations. The results were astonishing - I needed to work on personal responsibility. (No really, that is not really a surprise, I am notorious for over extending, doing more for others and failing to accomplish my personal objectives and goals. Now, I had a starting point


Step 2 Create a purpose and vision for what you would have identified will help you the most.

I decided to allow myself to expand and innovate. I spent January reviewing my dream inventory (what I would like to accomplish in 2011). My passions came alive in quiet times of reflection and in conversations with close and trusted friends and advisers. I now clearly focused on what I needed to do to ensure personal accountability. and formalized my strategic plan in writing.

Step 3 Transform your life by setting goals and taking action.

I used the wheels of life to help me prioritize my goals physically, mentally, socially, spiritually, financially, socially, financially, and in my career to ensure ta for how I would be more accountable to my purpose with changes This really helped to break my resolution into interesting images for success and growth.Now I could set 1 goal for each area. This simplified the process it was and is easier for me to manage my time.

Step 4 Sustain your progress and success.

In the past, this has been the area where I and most people fail. No pun intended, but now we must hold ourselves accountable for our actions in order to get the results that we desire. I enhanced an approach that I used to monitor my progress weekly, monthly, quarterly and at the end of the year. I changed how I journaled daily to monitor daily when I started something new.

Now you have it, my approach to New Year's Resolutions. This year has proved to be an amazing year in all aspects in my life. I have a very long way to go with personal accountability and I am now in year two for starting ACTS(TM) all over again.

Here's a start for you with ACTS(TM)

What have you Assessed that needs to change in 2011?

_________________________________________
_________________________________________
_________________________________________

What is the new image, vision or picture that you will create for 2011?

_________________________________________
_________________________________________
_________________________________________

What goals will your set and actions will you take in 2011?

_________________________________________
_________________________________________
_________________________________________

How will you measure your progress in 2011?

_________________________________________
_________________________________________
_________________________________________

The Danger of Making Excuses

Transferring responsibility to others has become one of the greatest tricks of the last few decades. The second greatest trick is placing the blame. In either case these actions are called making excuses.

Here are some common EXCUSES:

• My boss is a jerk, that's why the company is failing.
• The government has made very bad decisions, that's why this country is failing.
• My spouse or partner doesn't listen to me, that's why our relationship is failing.
• My subordinates doesn't know how to do their job, that's why my division is failing.

I could go on for pages and yet I'd like to stop with these four.

My boss is a jerk, that's why the company is failing.

This excuse is really interesting, after all who hired you, or at least is currently keeping you in your position. The boss is far from perfect and so are we. What if we considered that our boss hired us for our strengths, our talents, our creativity, our differences from them in order to find new ways to ensure the company's success? If so, why not take the responsibility to find ways to work with the boss in order to make the company grow and flourish?

The government has made very bad decisions, that's why this country is failing.

This excuse is really popular and takes us off the hook for all the decisions make regarding our economic, social, health and educational position in the world. How much do we know about our rights and responsibilities in a democracy? What are our roles and obligations to help keep this country a world leader?

My spouse or partner doesn't listen to me, that's why our relationship is failing.

In my opinion, this is an excuse of convenience . How often are we having conversations that we reach mutual understanding and respect? What can we learn and do to help us become more honest and effective communicators and collaborators?

My subordinates doesn't know how to do their job, that's why my project, division, community, or family is failing.

This excuse is total abdication of responsibility. What have we done or are we doing to ensure that our staff, subordinates, team mates, children have all the tools and resources they need to be benefit from from influence? How can lead others to make better decisions and take action on those goals to ensure great teamwork ?

I am learning to appreciate that I only have control over me. Which means that I need to own my roles as a follower, a community member, a partner and a leader. I then need to develop those skills and talents that will help me to become a positive influence on others. Making excuses is dangerous, leaving damage, destruction and disappointment in its wake. Consider contributing, rather than making excuses and imagine how amazing the world and our lives would be.

The Choices We Make

Shakespeare once wrote, "The choices we make, dictate the life that we lead."

For today, I intend to make choices that will lead my life...

• in service to others without sacrificing myself
• in commitment to accomplishing my vision to promote health by being and acting in a healthy manner
• in appreciation for all the amazing gifts that I am given all year not just in this Christmas season
• in awe of the magic of the universe
• in excitement for the mysteries that always show up
• in respect for the roles that we are assume in life
• in understanding that sometimes the cards we are dealt are not always fair
• in total trust that there will always be guidance to make the best choice
  

Yes, Virginia, There is a Santa Claus

By Francis P. Church, first published in The New York Sun in 1897. [See The People’s Almanac, pp. 1358–9.]

We take pleasure in answering thus prominently the communication below, expressing at the same time our great gratification that its faithful author is numbered among the friends of The Sun:

Dear Editor—

I am 8 years old. Some of my little friends say there is no Santa Claus. Papa says, “If you see it in The Sun, it’s so.” Please tell me the truth, is there a Santa Claus?

Virginia O’Hanlon

Virginia, your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the skepticism of a skeptical age. They do not believe except they see. They think that nothing can be which is not comprehensible by their little minds. All minds, Virginia, whether they be men’s or children’s, are little. In this great universe of ours, man is a mere insect, an ant, in his intellect as compared with the boundless world about him, as measured by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole of truth and knowledge.

Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! how dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus! It would be as dreary as if there were no Virginias. There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The eternal light with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished.

Not believe in Santa Claus! You might as well not believe in fairies. You might get your papa to hire men to watch in all the chimneys on Christmas eve to catch Santa Claus, but even if you did not see Santa Claus coming down, what would that prove? Nobody sees Santa Claus, but that is no sign that there is no Santa Claus. The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see. Did you ever see fairies dancing on the lawn? Of course not, but that’s no proof that they are not there. Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are unseen and unseeable in the world.

You tear apart the baby’s rattle and see what makes the noise inside, but there is a veil covering the unseen world which not the strongest man, nor even the united strength of all the strongest men that ever lived could tear apart. Only faith, poetry, love, romance, can push aside that curtain and view and picture the supernal beauty and glory beyond. Is it all real? Ah, Virginia, in all this world there is nothing else real and abiding.

No Santa Claus! Thank God! he lives and lives forever. A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay 10 times 10,000 years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood.

Three Elements to Enhance Net Worth

Net worth is simply described as total assets minus total liabilities. It may seem obvious that companies and individual want to have a positive net worth, but all too often, we fall into a trap that causes our liabilities to far outweigh our assets. To ensure that we tip the scales to the positive in side, it now becomes essential to build three elements - Beliefs, Attitudes and Actions.

Beliefs

"Limitations live only in our minds. But if we use our imaginations,
our possibilities can become limitless."

Jamie Paolinetti

Last night I attended a function that was to be the last celebration for a hospital that had been in existence for more than 100 years. The occasion was bittersweet. Conversations were more subdued. There was a pervasive feeling of sorrow and loss.

In his farewell speeches, the CEO shared his impressions of his time with the organization. The most comment that made the most impact on me was, "although this organization will cease to exist, the value that the people have contributed to the community will continue. We have created a firm foundation for health and general well being. "

This totally changed my belief that the community had lost, then I realized how much the community had gained, as had every individual in that room. One of the strongest assets for enhancing net worth is total belief that we have been enrolled in a job, a relationship, an endeavor that had extraordinary worth. We can walk away with our heads high, believing we had contributed to a worth while cause.

Attitude

"I discovered I always have choices and
sometimes it's only a choice of attitude."

Judith M. Knowlton

Carl Jung described attitude as "the readiness of the psych to act or react." It's not what we know that is important, but what we do with what we learn. A close friend's mother is experiencing serious medical problems - the diagnosis is grim. The entire family started to move into a mode (an attitude) of grief. The mother said to her family, "I am going to live the rest of my life, not die. I need you to support me with my living, if you can't, you need to visit me less."

She identified her options and has decided to enjoy every moment. I for one, love being with this remarkable woman.

Actions

"A man is the sum of his actions, of what he has done, of what he can do, nothing else."
Mahatma Gandhi

Beliefs and attitudes are not really visible. What becomes apparent are the behaviors - the actions that show our true net worth.

I remember a story of a a woman whose company was downsizing. She was given an hour to clear her desk. In that final hour, telephoned her clients for most of the hour to share with them that a new person would be handling their account, service would continue as usual and the company wanted them to be in the loop with the change. She never told them she was leaving. When her clients realized that she had been let go, her phone started ringing with job offers. Even the company that let her go, called her back.

With the right beliefs, attitudes and actions, our net worth becomes priceless.

Leadership is About Responding with Ability

In a recent interview, an executive was discussing, although it sounded suspiciously like complaining to me, how disastrous the business had become.

When questioned if he had read a 1000 page reform that would have massive impacts on his business and the industry at large, he responded, "I didn't have time to read the document."

Next, he asked the interviewer what were the three to four major issues that reform was addressing. Fortunately, she knew the answer (she had read the reform in preparation for the meeting) It was clearly apparent that she was much more prepared as an outsider to deal with his industry change than he was as the so-called expert.

The interview continue along the same vein, for each question, he didn't know and then he would asked her a question. Great technique if you hold to the philosophy that you only asked questions if you already know the answer. Clearly, he didn't have a clue regarding what his responsibilities were as the leader.

Close to the end of the interview, you could actually see the light bulb come on in this guy's brain. "I know. I'll tell the board that I am forming a committee to address this change and that the committee will be meeting weekly to discuss. What do you think?" he asked of the interviewer.

She looked totally astonished and quickly ended the interview.

Great lesson from this interview, be aware of owning the role, being able to respond with ability and come across as the leader who is truly in command.

There's More to Life and Business Than Ego

A powerful strategist and leader, Napoleon Bonaparte could have been a truly extraordinary leader, instead he used superficial motivation and intimidation to get the job done. Unfortunately, he ultimately failed because he forgot to forge a purpose and his ego got in the way.

3 Signs of Ego

Dangling superficial incentives in front of people.

Napoleon once said, "Men will die for ribbons." As a result, thousands of soldiers marched to their death. Bonaparte was banking on his men to honored with short term recognition. As a result, he won battles at enormous cost and finally lost the war.

Suggestion: Find methods of recognition that are more lasting and meaningful. One suggestion is giving a person a project and allowing them to plan and manage with appropriate supervision (keep in mind, I am not saying lack of supervision). I, for one, thrive in this type of environment.

Any suggestions for incentivizing people?

Using position as entitlement

Known as a small man, Napoleon often tried to intimidate others with his dress, thrown and his title. He was often described as a megalomaniac and as a result had very few true supports. Followers are not the same as supporters, they are often doing a mediocre job because it is easier to stroke someone's ego than to stand up and do the right job in the right manner

Suggestion: Keep in mind that a position of leadership is a privilege. A title does not give a person power, even if they have the authority. A truly great leader will continually earn the respect of their team. One sure way to lose people is to say "I'm the boss and this is the way it has to be."

Any suggestions for how to effectively have authority and power?

Lacking integrity and honor

Napoleon didn't care how he achieved his desired ends. He lied to other heads of state, religious leaders and pretty much one to get what he wanted. He hired criminals and bribed officials to ensure results.

Suggestion: Keep in mind that at the end of the day, all we leave with is our character. I would much rather it be said of me that I am a person of my word, than to have someone say "I can't trust Laura.

Today, healthy business leaders let go of their ego and provide an environment of appropriate acknowledgment and rewards, lead from a positive position and act with honor and integrity. When this happens, employees will always excel and support the company's vision.

Review - A Year End Transaction

2010 is coming to a close, quickly I might add. This is the time to review, reflect and prepare to reframe.

In reviewing the past year here are some thoughts and questions.

“Being unwanted, unloved, uncared for, forgotten by everybody,
I think that is a much greater hunger,
a much greater poverty than the person who has nothing to eat.”

Mother Teresa, Missionary to India

What goals did I achieve?
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What relationships have I forged?
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What contributions have I made at work?
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What contributions have I made at home?
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What contributions have I made n my personal and professional growth and development?
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Set aside a block of time to review this past year is a great investment of time.

Any suggestions for others to review at the end of this year would be greatly appreciated.

Four Pillars of Accountablity

Accountability is an interesting word. A simple definition is the ability to account for one's actions. With some further research I found these five synonyms consistently showing up: responsibility, answerability, trustworthiness, liability.


Responsibility - "a duty that binds to the course of action." Simply stated, we are responsible to demonstrate responsibility by being proactive and fully understanding our purpose, our vision, our mission, our values, our role, our values. To be responsible, we will have done our homework before we dive into relationships, jobs, endeavors and ask what is expected of us when we are not clear.

Answerability - "being called to account." This follows responsibility in that when ask what we are providing or delivering is of the best quality, the best price and the absolute best value. To be answerable, when questioned, that how we are behaving personally and professionally supports what we are telling others we do or charging for in terms of products or services.

Trustworthiness - "a trait of being worthy of trust and confidence." Trust is something that is earned. Our behaviors can build or destroy trust. Honesty and integrity are the linchpins that hold relationships, companies and communities together.

Liability - "being legally bound to a debt or obligation." This is the price we must pay for violating our honor and our word. Repaying a debt with dollars is often a small price to pay, if we can maintain our character and sense of self.

These four pillars create a strong platform for work and life. What pillars would you add to create a firm foundation for accountability?

Focus, Faith, and Fervor

When embarking on a new endeavor or relationship, we often fail to appreciate what it will take to ensure success. In fact, quite honestly, I had not nearly often enough considered the long term effects of those quick, easy and sometimes even thoughtless decisions I have made in jobs, relationships, and life in general. Then it struck me that there are three essentials that can and will ensure the degree of our success. Focus - Faith - Fervor

Focus is the starting point

"What you choose to focus your mind on is critical because you will become what you think about most of the time..." Noel Peebles

Finding the focus, that central theme or purpose for our actions and existence, sets the stage for a healthier, more productive and definitely more satisfied existence.

Some Focus Finding Questions:

• What impacts me?

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• What interests me?

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• What inspires me?

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Faith is the second point.

"A small body of determined spirits fired by an unquenchable faith in their mission can alter the course of history." Mahatma Gandhi

Finding our faith, that unshakable belief that we have the strength, resourcefulness and talent to live and work in a manner that always, always contributes. This is the midpoint for fulfillment and satisfaction.

Some Faith Finding Questions:

• How do I totally support myself in my focus?

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• How do I tap into that universal source of strength that holds me unshakable to my focus?

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• Who can help to restore my faith in my focus?

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Fervor is the is the third essential component.

Even the knowledge of my own fallibility cannot keep me from making mistakes. Only when I fall do I get up again.

Vincent van Gogh

Some Fervor Finding Questions:

• How do I get motivated?

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• How do I get back on track once derailed from my focus?

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• What would ignite that candle of passion when there is no fuel left?

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It's within our power to change lives, companies, communities and the world with focus, faith and fervor.

Overcoming Presenteeism - An Unacknowledged Contributor to An Under Performing Workforce

In 2004, Cornell University Institute for Health and Productivity Studies (IHPS) conducted a study that “estimate that companies' on-the-job productivity losses from presenteeism are possibly as high as 60 percent of the total cost of worker illness -- exceeding the costs of absenteeism and medical and disability benefits. “

The term presenteeism was coined by Cary Cooper, a professor of organizational psychology and health at Manchester University, UK, Dr. Cooper describes presenteeism as “an overwhelming need to put in more hours or, at the very least, appear to be working very long hours, is another dangerous symptom of the explosive degree of pressure in the workplace.”

What does all this mean to your company?

The impact of presenteeism gone unchecked results in:

• exorbitant costs,
• ineffective work team , and
• inability to attain key business objectives.

How can you as employers staunch outflow of dollars and productivity lost as a result of presenteeism?

1. Analyze the workplace environment

2. Identify the greatest area of concern

3. Prioritize and select one area to address

4. Create a plan of action to assist employees in managing their ability to cope with physical, mental and psychological challenges

Taking measures to increase awareness to presenteeism and it’s impacts on business results is key. Taking proactive steps to assist employees to deal with work and life challenges is the essential to business success. Ultimately, overcoming presenteeism will help you to build a high performing workforce that benefits both you and your employees.

How Networked Are You?

To find out how networked you are, please answer the following questions.

Do you have a clear idea of what you need from a network? __

Have you thought about what your have to offer others in terms of skills, knowledge or information? _____

Do your colleagues contact you frequently for advice or support? _____

Do you make an effort to get together with colleagues regularly on an informal basis? _____

Do you volunteer to participate in task forces or ad hoc committees to get to know others from other areas or groups? _____

Have you established a good working relationship with at least one key member of each function or area? _____

Do you periodically attend different types of functions or conferences that expand your contacts? _____

Are you an active member in at least one work related committee or organization? _____

Do you regularly attend company social events? _____

If you have answered "yes" to most of these questions, you are well on your way to being networked.

The Key of Power

"He who controls others may be powerful,
but he who has mastered himself is mightier still."
Lao Tzu

Power has many definitions. Sociologists define power as "the ability to impose one's will on others, even those who resist in some way." Some dictionary definitions "a measure of an entity's ability to control their environment, including the behavior of other entities" "or the ability to do or act; capability of doing or accomplishing something."

Some ways to find the Key of Power:

• Understand the vision, the mission, the company or the relationship for which we are about to embark upon.
• Decide that we are in agreement and actually want to be part of that objective.
• Identify roles and talents that best support that purpose.
• Communicate our concerns and our contributions.
• Listen and receive feedback assertively.
• Walk away when someone attempts to take total control of our power.

Power comes from within. We all decide how much we are affected by outside influences. The key of power will open any door if and when we fully appreciate what we own and what we allow to affect us and the results adversely.

Go within to find the Key of Power.

Five Keys for The Keeper of Momentum

Entering into a contract, new relationship or role, we often start off with motivation, interest and enthusiasm. As time goes on, however, this level of intensity seems to drop. So how can we become a keeper of momentum?



Purpose. Discovering one's purpose and contribution to the work is the first key to success. "When we know our Why, our How constantly shows up."

Passion. Igniting one's passion for involvement certainly starts a relationship or engagement off on the right foot. Keeping that passion burning after the initial excitement passes is the second key.

Principles. In order to have sustainable success, we must be clear on our fundamental core values. The core values become the foundation that will support all of our actions and thoughts. This key is the midpoint for momentum.

Positive. There is a saying that "people are hired for the ability, they are fired for their attitude." Keeping a positive point of view, appreciating that there is always a better way, a lesson to be learn, a silver lining in each situation is the key that unlocks any obstacle that is thrown our way.

Power. Finally, momentum is maintained even when doors are closed, windows are covered and the lights are turned off, we use the final key of power.

These five keys are available to all, we just need to seek, capture and then put into play.

Focus on the Ability to Respond - Be Self Actualizing

Focusing on the potential in ourselves and in every situation can totally change how one may respond in any given situation. James Allen, a nineteenth century philosopher and author of nineteen books, one being As a Man Thinketh, wrote "Circumstances don't make a man, they reveal him."

In the twentieth century, Dr. Abraham Maslow was a pioneer in transformational psychology and defined 'self-actualizing' individuals as "people who seek the frontiers of creativity and strive to reach higher levels of consciousness and wisdom. "

A 23 year old woman was critically injured in a hit and run accident. Paralyzed from mid-chest to her toes, married she now has two young children (both born after the accident), drives, manages her home, drives, gardens. Extremely social, when this young woman attends a party she lights up the room. No one notices the wheel chair or her frail body - all they see is her.

William Shakespeare -

"The choices we make, dictate the life that we lead."

Life keeps throwing us different circumstances big and small. Sometimes, little things seem really big and if we constantly react as if something is happening to us or around us as if we have little or no control then we a revealing our inability to respond. If on the other hand, we behave in a manner that is responsive and thoughtful, appreciating that we have the potential to handle any circumstances that come our way - then we become fully actualized.

"Quiet Desperation" or Contribution, Courage and Committment

If we listen to the news, conversations, or even that little voice in our heads, we may think and even believe that there is not much to hope for. As a result, we often times move into living our lives, as Thoreau would say, in "quiet desperation."

"Quiet desperation" is showing up in work or life in a constant state of panic or apathy. A "what's the use" attitude permeates all the we think and feel and as a result, we barely function. Conversations become superficial. Work and life have no value or purpose. Productivity and effectiveness suffer.

With three small shifts, we can regain control of our lives, our work and our joy and move past this "quiet desperation."

1. Contribution. Appreciate our skills and abilities is absolutely essential. Reviewing our experiences, talents and attributes will help us to evaluate what tools and assets we have in our tools kits. These capabilities are uniquely special for each of us and we have an obligation and an opportunity to share them each and every day. Anthony Robbins has a wonderful quote that says it all “It is not what we get, but who we become, what we contribute, that gives meaning to our lives.”

2. Courage. Owning our abilities and strengths now becomes a responsibility. Stepping out and stepping up can take a tremendous amount of effort and energy and yet if we do not, we have lost total control. As Susan Jeffers says it so eloquently in her book by the same title, Feel the Fear and Do it Anyway.

3. Commitment. Being committed to sharing are personal best is the turning point. There is a line from Og Mandino's wonderful book called the Twelfth Angel, "Every day, in every way, I am getting better and better." If and when we agree to face each, moment, each day, each event with this thought, I believe we can live our lives to the fullest.

"Quiet desperation" or contribute, courage and commitment, it's a choice.