Act, Act in Faith, and Act with Excellence

Let me preface this blog by saying my last few blogs were too long. I will ensure this one is shorter.

You must act to achieve your goals.
I know this seems obvious. The number of people who think they can get what they want without doing anything would surprise you. Then, they gripe and complain when they don't achieve what they wanted.

A great teacher once said "He that doeth not anything until he is commanded, and receiveth a commandment with a doubtful heart, and keepeth it with slothfulness, the same is damned." I believe he outlined the only three things that can prevent you from achieving our goals. First, don't do anything until you have to. Second, act doubting that you can achieve anything. Third, act slowly and poorly. Your inaction, doubtful action, and sloppy action will stop you.

The reverse is also true. If you act, and act with faith, and act with excellence; you shall achieve your goal. It's that simple. You must believe that you can achieve your goals. You need to believe that effective actions create success. You should believe that you deserve good things to happen to you, or that you can do good things for others. If faith can move mountains, then faith can surely help you achieve your goals.

Others Can Help You Act Effectively
Other people probably already achieved your goal. They can share what they did to achieve the goal with you. In fact, many people already shared what they did in books, blogs, articles, and other publications. Others may not have written what they did, but would be happy to share their ideas with you. You can find them on social networking sites like Facebook and LinkedIn. You can also find them in professional associations and service clubs.

You can discover what works by studying their actions. Usually, they describe the successful actions and the less successful ones. Studying what they did helps you prevent making the same mistakes they made. Following their advice can save you time and frustration.

Others can also brainstorm ideas of actions you can take, even if they haven't accomplish the same goal.

Try this experiment.

1. Get 2-3 friends together. Pick creative and outgoing friends.
2. Tell each friend to come to the meeting with at least one goal they would like accomplish.
3. Explain to them that each person will share their goal with the others.
4. The others in the group share ideas (as quickly as possible) how achieve the goal.
5. The person writes down all the ideas without criticizing or commenting.
6. Repeat steps 4 & 5 for the next person until everyone has had a chance.
7. Examine how the exercise changes your feelings about achieving the goal.

Select 2-3 actions to do in the next 30 days

Many people fail to achieve their goal because they try to do too much all at once. They can't sustain the actions and soon give up. I recommend, instead, that you limit your actions to 2-3 a month. Do a little bit each month. Let the momentum build. Evaluate the consequences of your actions. Refine what you want to do. Persist with your plan.

Soon you will find that you move forward at an accelerating pace. Your pace accelerates even more if you synergize your actions with a GoalsWork team each month. We'll discuss more about actions in later blogs. I suggest you try the experiment. Choose 2-3 actions you will do this month. Then, act, act in faith, and act in excellence.

Limitations: Scope, challenges, and windmills

Limitations happen when you set goals. That is why Limitations constitute the fourth step of the GoalsWork model. All goals contain limitations. You can classify almost all limitations into three main categories: limitations you want, real limitations, and windmills (false limitations appearing real). Let's review each type briefly. We will also examine how to deal with each type.

Limitations You Want to impose on your goal. You establish certain limitations when you set your goal. You may define the limitations you want as the scope of your goal. Typical limitations include

• Time is one of the obvious limitations you set. You determine when you will accomplish the goal. You set a deadline. You should also define the limitations or the amount of time you will spend on achieving your goal. You may want to define how many hours a day, week, or month you devote to the goal.
• Money is another limitation you should establish for your goal. You call the financial limit you set a budget. The budget not only limits how much money you use, but how you will use it. Quicken and other accounting software programs eases the budgeting and accounting process. Too many people don't create or follow-through on this vital limitations. Sadly, the joy of achieving their goal reduces because of the cost or debt incurred achieving it. So, set financial limitations.
• Quantity also limits your goals. You may limit you goal to only purchase one car this year instead of six. You may also set a limit on how often you do something. For example, you may say I want to go to Disneyland once every two years (or two months). You may set a goal of how many books you want to read or write.
• Geography typically applies to vacations or trips. Geography definitely impacts where you work or live. Storefront businesses limit their market populations by the geographical location of the business. Hence the oft repeated warning that the three most important things in establishing your business are location, location, and location.
• Other limitations include whatever may impact your goal. Businesses set market niche goals limiting their business goal to a clearly defined client. You may wish to limit your goal to a specific purchase, trip, character trait you wish to develop, or charity to which you wish to donate..

Real limitations you didn't establish frequently deter you from achieving your goal. Ignoring real limitations doesn't help. You can overcome real limitations. In fact, the ability to overcome them defines the difference between real goals and windmills (which will be discussed later). Resolving real limitations requires planning. Others help you find the resolutions and create the plans. Frequently, they encountered the same limitations when they achieved the same goal. Let me share the three most common limitations and options to solve them.

• Time can limit your goal. You may not find enough time to work on the goal. You may not feel that you can accomplish the goal in time. Overcoming this limitation usually requires managing or reallocating your time. For example, I have to give up some television and reading time to write my blogs and books. You many need to sacrifice evening entertainment to finish college or to build your boat. Time is one of the easiest limitations to overcome--on paper--but difficult to overcome in reality. A good time-management course or tool can help resolve this real limitation.
• Money definitely limits goals. Careful budgeting can frequently reallocate money from paying debt to accomplishing goals. I do not advocate delinquency on debts. I advocate setting a goal to get out of debt. Dave Ramsey, Clarke Howard, M-velopes, and others can help you start spending your money the way want to. Businesses can still find money for expansion during these difficult times. Many credit unions, for example, still offer business loans. Micro finance and other sources give small loans (under $10K) to help businesses grow.
• Expertise limits many goals. Frequently, you can't achieve your goal because you don't have the skills. The easiest answer to this limitations requires learning the skill. Several options exist for learning skills: you can read books, go on-line, take a class, or ask someone with the expertise to teach you.

Windmills (False Limitations Appearing Real ) haunt most people. I refer to them as windmills based on Don Quixote's experiences. He and his compatriot Sancho Panza traveled the road. Sancho Panza saw several windmills along the side of the road. The disoriented Quixote saw giants with huge arms waving a challenge to the knight errant. Many times we falsely perceive a limitation. Frequently, we exaggerate the limitation into a giant. Usually, the limitation only exists in our head.

You may discern whether a limitation is real or a windmill by observing how it responds to a plan. Real limitations become manageable with a plan. Comfort and reassurance replace frustration when real limitations encounter a well-laid plan. Windmills resist plans or any kind of resolution. If no matter what you do, the limitation remains usually consider it a windmill.

May I share an example. One woman had a life-long goal to write. She wanted to write short-stories, books, and articles. She heard "You can't do that." every time she mentioned this goal to her mother and father. They firmly established "You can't do that" in her psyche. One day, in her 30's, she quit her job at an advertising agency (where she did not write copy), went to the family cabin, and wrote. She supported herself working freelance as production assistant on commercials. She wrote over 100 short stories, 3 books, and about 50 articles over the next two and half years. She never published them because publishing was not her goal. Writing was her goal.

Now comes the windmill. Every three months during the entire 30 months she called me. "I can't do this" she would say. I responded "OK. Let's talk about it. Are you writing? [Yes] Are you getting freelance jobs? [Yes] Did you earn as much money in the last three months as you would have at the ad agency? [Yes. In fact, I made more money than I would have at the agency. BUT I CAN'T DO THIS]" At this point I would invite her to come to my office and we would discuss what she wanted to do. She never came to my office. She faced the windmill in our conversation and stepped around it without defeating it. As a result she would call me three months later when she met it again, and we would repeat the process. That is how she dealt with her windmill. By the way after writing for 30 months, she left the cabin and went back to work at the same advertising agency as a copy writer. Having achieved her goal she move on with her life.

Since windmills are irrational and illogical, then irrational and illogical methods work best on them. I will share some of the common windmills and the illogical tools to defeat them in a later blog.

In summary
Limitations occur when you try to change your life. Limitations raise their head when you set goals and begin to work on them. Limitations come in three flavors: limitations you want, real limitations, and windmills. Don't ignore limitations face them, deal with them, and resolve them. Others can help you do so. Actions make it so.

Good luck dealing with your limitations. List some of your limitations as comments on this blog and see how others can help you resolve them.

Special New Years Blog--Let GoalsWork for You

I believe in goals. We accomplish amazing things in our lives, our families, our careers, our organizations, and our communities when we set and work toward worthy goals. The GoalsWork model drives us to just that. In fact, the GoalsWork model generates so much success that we warn people to be careful what goals they set.

 

Goals include all aspects of life. You can set a goal to buy something, to go somewhere, to give something, to do something, to become something, and more.

 

Let me share some examples. Allen set a goal at age 11 to animate for the Disney Company. He now animates for the Disney Company. Dave wanted to support himself making stained glass. He tripled his profits in six months and supported he and his with stained glass for the last six years. Stephen found a great job in New York paying $250K with $1 million in annual bonuses. Carol wanted to take her family of 8 to Disney World for a week. Her family talks about that as one of the best vacations they ever took. A professional organization wanted to grow. In three years it doubled its membership, tripled it revenues, and opened new chapters in 4 countries. The GoalsWork model enriches thousands of people and organizations.

 

The model uses the word Goals to remind us of the steps. While the graphic illustrates the model, let me provide a little more detail:

1. Goals: Write your goals. Review your goals to ensure they are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time limited (SMART). Read your goals and monitor your actions each month. 
2. Others: Other people will help you achieve your goals. Some others already achieved your goals and will share how they did it. They will tell you which actions were successful and which were unsuccessful. Many write books, articles, and blogs about how they did it. Others will synergize to motivate, encourage, and help you overcome limitations to your goal. 
3. Action: You must act to achieve your goals. Your first act should be to review progress on your goals each week and each month. Outline your action after consulting with others. Act appropriately, decisively, and wisely. Don't waste time floundering in non-productive action. Don’t despair when some actions don’t work. 
4. Limitations: Establish your own limitations when you set the specifics and time portions of your goal. Act to overcome unwanted limitations. Recognize the windmills (false limitations appearing real) and act appropriately to resolve them. 
5. Synergy: Meet once a month with 4 others goal-seekers. Report your actions and consequences for the past month on you active goals. Brainstorm solutions to limitations preventing success. Outline actions you will take in the next month.

 The GoalsWork model structures my blog. You will see different aspects of the model each week. You will learn more about SMART goals. You may discover others who can help you. You will read about actions others took. You will explore limitations that inhibit your success--and how to overcome them. You will see synergy accelerating successful achievement of your goals.

 

So, don't set New Year's resolutions this year. Set goals and make your GoalsWork for you.

Synergy--Accelerate Success through Teams

I believe in synergy. I relish what happens when 2 or more people come together either on a common project or to help one another achieve something great or small. Synergy is the capstone element of the GoalsWork model. Synergy generates the success of the GoalsWork model. Napoleon Hill called it Mastermind groups or alliances in his watershed book Think and Grow Rich.

Webster's dictionary defines synergy as "a mutually advantageous conjunction or combination of distinct business participants or elements (as resources or efforts)" (Retrieved December 31, 2009 from www.Meriam-Webster.com/dictionary/synergy). The keys to that definition in the context of achieving goals are "mutually advantageous...combination" and "participants or elements (as resources or efforts).

Synergy occurs when distinct people gather together, as participants and resources, for mutually advantageous results. Results increase when the people meet together regularly to

• Report progress on each person's goals
• Brainstorm solutions or actions to each one's challenges or barriers to success
• Encourage one another to persevere through problems
• Provide a sounding board for one another to evaluate and plan action

Results accelerate as frequency of reporting increases. In other words, the more frequently you report to one another, the faster you will achieve results. For instance some groups meet once a month, but share daily reports to one another by email, Facebook, or Twitter when they work on a special project.

Let me share some recent personal experiences with the synergy of groups.

EMPA Accounting Study Group

I am currently earning my Master's in Public Administration. This last semester we took an accounting class. I missed 3 class periods due to the H1N1 flu. I struggled to catch up. Each class shoved me further and further behind because I lacked the foundation laid in the 3 classes I missed. I was drowning.

The last week of class, I discovered that several of my classmates met each week in a study group. I attended the group meeting just before the final. Listening to others wrestle the problems eased my anxiety. They answered each person's questions until everyone in the group understood the concepts. No one moved ahead until everyone understood. They helped me build the foundation I lacked. They helped me catch up. More importantly, occasionally I provided some help to other members of the group. Helping someone else restored my self-esteem. I received, but I also contributed.

We helped each other. We lifted one another. Participating in the group helped me increase my grade two full points. Instead of failing, as I assumed I would, I passed with a solid B.

Marketing Success Team

I blogged about the Marketing Success Institute (http://www.miscommunity.com/) in a previous blog. MSI provides a collaborative site where multiple people can work on their marketing plans, ideas, or materials together. Marketing Success Live provides community members the opportunity to meet together in what Bryan Walden Pope calls My Marketing Day.

Most of the members (some never participate or implement what they discuss) increase the success of their marketing efforts through this synergy. For example, one chain of 4 bookstores doubled the success of three key marketing campaigns because of ideas and feedback he received through the group. The marketing manager for a mid-size HVAC company increased results within one week of meeting with the group. I could continue with success story after success story, but I won't.

The key to the success was a common understanding of marketing so we were working from the same page. In addition, we all had the ability to bounce marketing ideas, designs, and slogans off of every other member of the group. Finally, we could test our efforts with the group and their contacts before spending large amounts of money in production. The synergy lifted all of us.

My Mastermind Group

Finally, I would like to describe my mastermind group. Four of us meet every month over lunch for 90 minutes. One person acts as our scribe. Our agenda is simple:

1. The scribe reads each persons goal for that month. Each person reports what they did and the results that occurred from their efforts.
2. Each person is allowed 15 minutes to request help from the group on a barrier or challenge they encountered.
3. Each person informs the group of their goals for the next month. The scribe records them.

Each member of this group benefits from participation. Members of our group have reinvented their small-business resulting in increased profits and satisfaction; dissolved a business and found a job that offered greater satisfaction, fulfillment, and income; expanded their business from one state to nationwide delivery. The list could go on.

I would like to share how the group particularly helped me this last 3 weeks. I outlined 4 books in the last 3 years that I wanted to write. I told the group of my expectation and then delayed doing anything about it. My group, however, persevered with me. They encouraged me. They motivated me. They chastened me. Finally, they helped me set a goal to finish my job search book during my Christmas vacation.

I committed to them that I would send them one chapter a day during the vacation. I committed to finishing the first draft of the book by New Year's Day. They committed to hold me accountable. They would hound me if I didn't send them the chapter. Several of them committed to reviewing each chapter and sending feedback, edits, and suggestions. They were true to their word.

I sent them the last chapter to my book this afternoon. All of the main chapters are done. I still have hours of review and editing ahead of me. But, I finished the book. My group sent me valuable suggestions each day. Their feedback allowed me to incorporate improvements into new chapters as I wrote them. One member of the group wordsmiths my convoluted sentences into flowing prose.

I would never have started, let alone finished, my book were it not for the support of my group. The not only kept me going, they improved the product. I now understand why authors thank so many people in the prefaces to their books.

In Conclusion

Many of you will be, or have, set New Years Resolutions. You identified the things you wish to accomplish in 2010. People seldom achieve their New Year's resolutions because they don't establish a GoalsWork or Mastermind team to keep them going. I promise you that you will achieve your goals or resolutions if you include the synergy that I, and hundreds of thousands of others, found by establishing a mastermind team or group.

Good luck achieving what you want in 2010.

Also, look for my New Year's Special Blog on the GoalsWork Model

Peace on Earth, Goodwill to All

It's the day after Christmas. However, Christmas isn't over for our home. We chose to celebrate the season a little differently this year. We chose to put Christ back into our Christmas.

I am a man of faith. I believe that the babe born in Bethlehem was the Son of God. I accept that He was more than a great teacher, but the Messiah sent by a loving Father to save us all. I witness that His atonement, not only cleanses us of our sins, but it empowers us to accomplish things we could not do alone. He taught us to love and serve one another. Finally, I know that He burst the bounds of death through His physical resurrection--and lives today.

Angles proclaimed peace on earth, goodwill to all men (both male and female) at His birth. That peace and goodwill returned to us this Christmas. Three different people commented yesterday that I seemed at peace. They noticed the difference in my attitude, my demeanor, and my countenance.

I found peace this year in noticing the small things people did for others. I found it in the woman that served little children at our local homeless shelter. Her service was not limited to this season. She worked with the children more than 100 times this year. I found peace watching my neighbor consistently remove the snow that fell on four homes. I found peace in the families that dropped off little tokens to others. The peace was not in the size of the gift, it was the personal effort and intent given to create them. I found peace as I served others.

I found goodwill because I highlighted the good in others. I reduced my own petty, judgemental, and ill thoughts about people I knew. I tried to eliminate negative discussions about others. I read and watched films that elevated my thoughts and feelings. I remembered His invitation "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone." My judgement of others dissolved in the recognition of my own flaws.

I found peace and goodwill because I looked for it. I recognize the pain, the suffering, and the death that covers this globe of ours. My work has taken me to some of the poorest places on earth. I've seen people volunteering their time to bring water to the homes in Cape Verde. I've seen others working to lift people out of the poverty of the favelas in Brazil. I've seen people teaching literacy, music, and health to disease riddled people in Asia, Africa, Europe, and all three Americas. I know a man who spent two years helping an entire country triple their food production. I've lost friends who gave their lives trying to help total strangers obtain life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

Darkness, despair, and abuse surround us. Sometimes, they overwhelm us. We can overcome them. Jesus Christ gave His life to empower us to do better.

One of His prophets taught "Men (male and female) should be anxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many things of their own free will, and bring to pass much righteousness; for the power is in them, wherein they are agents unto themselves. And inasmuch as men (male and female) do good they shall in nowise lose their reward. But he that doeth not anything until he is commanded, and receiveth it with a doubtful heart, and keepeth it with slothfulness, the same is damned (stopped)."

I believe those words. I proved them, over many years, to be true. I witnessed so many others prove their truth. We can accomplish many good things. We possess the power to change our lives and the lives of others. All we have to do is act, act in faith, and act in excellence. Christ told an anguished father, "All things are possible to him that believeth." I believe that.

These passages (together with one other, "Man is the he might have joy") form the foundation of my work to help people achieve worthy goals. I know that we can achieve anything that we put our minds, and the power God gave us, to do. I try to help all people set worthy goals and achieve them. I encourage them to then teach others to do the same.

I found peace this Christmas because I sought it. I sought it through the babe born in Bethlehem. He opened my eyes to see it. He put it in my heart. I hope to keep that peace by assisting others to improve their lives. I hope to keep that peace by helping thousands of others pass on the service they receive to still more.

So, with the angels of two millenia ago, I proclaim; peace on earth, goodwill to all.

No Success can Compensate...

My daughter-in-law gave birth to our 8th grandchild this week. Their daughter is named for my maternal grandmother. My grandaughter is soooo beautiful. She has red-hair, chubby cheeks, and a serene personality. Now, you may think this blog is going to be all about my grandaughter--but it won't be.

Instead I want to focus on one aspect of our careers, hopes, and dreams. Careers increased their dominance in our lives about 10 years ago. Companies demanded more time from employees. Pressures to perform intensified. Many people went from working one full-time job to 2 or 3 part-time jobs. The drive to make a million dollars by 30 pushed many to delay families, delay relationships, or to sacrifice existing families. Too many divorces have occurred because things preempted people.

A great man, David O. McKay said "No other success can compensate for failure in the home." Harold B. Lee, another great teacher, stated "The greatest good you will do in this world will be within the walls of your own home." Stephen Covey reminds us that one of the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People includes maintaining a balance between work, family, personal, and the other aspects of our life. We are better at each when we maintain this balance.

My grandaughter's birth, combined with her sharing my grandmother's name, drove this point home to me. My professional contributions are very temporary. No one will remember what I blog (few people even read it). Fewer still will remember my professional accomplishments. My publications already achieved obsolete status. While some of my television appearances still play on PBS and other channels. Fashions will change, ideas will evolve, and they will also disappear.

I'm not alone. Everyone's time in the spotlight is limited. Lee Iaccoca, Jack Welsh, and the other titans of industry fade. Others take their place for a time, then they fade also. Do not misunderstand me. I recognize the need for excellence in our professional lives. I ask for balance.

Our lasting contributions will be in the people--especially family--that we strengthen and build. The more we dedicate time and attention to family, the more joy we receive back. The more pure love we share with friends and family, the more love comes back. Not the twisted temporary passion that passes for love these days. I mean the deep sacrificing love that supports, strengthens, and enlightens the lives of those we touch.

So, as you set your New Year's resolutions, set a goal to enrich the relationships in your life. To leave a lasting legacy etched as one great teacher said it "in the fleshy tablets of the heart."

Merry Christmas, Happy Hannukah, and a Joyful Kwanza.

Marketing Success Institute's New Community

Bryan Walden Pope, the architect of The 7 Pillars of Successful Marketing(TM) , recently unveiled his anxiously anticipated web community. You can join the community at http://www.marketingsuccessinstitute.com/.

I highly recommend you visit the site and join.

The site offers forums, blogs, collaboration, downloads, and a store. Members can create or respond to marketing forums. I saw several business owners posting proposed marketing materials and getting feedback from other members. Many members shared insights and successes to existing sales and marketing efforts. Bryan also shares streaming videos, podcasts, and full training materials through the site. An on-line store allows community members and others to purchase CD's, MP3 downloads, and other helpful materials to increase marketing success. He even has a tab labeled "Free Stuff."

Bryan offers several levels of membership. Each level adds access and opportunity.

• MSI Community provides access to the Public Forum, Public Groups, Event Info, Free Events, and Blogs--at no cost.
• MSI Insiders get a monthly audio topic, tele-classes, MSI Insider-only events, and more for just $19.95 per month.
• MSI Founder's Circle - Everything above, PLUS 1-on-1 access to Bryan Waldon Pope, our founder, along with other Founder's Circle members for $99.95 per month.
• MSI Live! - Get everything our MSI Insiders get online, PLUS a live, half-day event event each month. (Limited geographic availability) for $127 every month.

I have been a member of MSI Live for more than four years. It helped me increase my marketing effectiveness. We doubled and triple attendance at many of our events. Each year I've learned 3-4 excellent skills that more than returned my investment.

Do you want to improve your marketing? Do you want to increase sales dollars? I highly recommend you try http://www.marketingsuccessinstitute.com/.