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• Set
Yourself Up for Success This New Year |
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It’s 2008 and just as you did last year, and the
year before that, you’ve probably set some New Year’s
resolutions. By the time you get to February, these will be long
forgotten as you get caught up with the daily grind of life.
Why not make a fresh start this year and do
things differently by following this simple 5 step process. It’s
easy, effective and very practical. It will help you make the
changes that you know you need to make to bring new happiness
into your life . . . starting right here, right now.
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STEP 1:
ACKNOWLEDGE YOUR ACHIEVEMENTS
Take a few moments and reflect upon the past 12
months. Think about the high points and low points. Spend at
least 5 minutes reviewing your past achievements. Then write
down your answers to the following questions:
-My biggest achievements in 2007 were
-Some of the things I wanted to achieve but
didn’t are
-What stopped me was |
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STEP 2: CREATE YOUR
FUTURE
As you sit here, contemplating the year ahead,
realize that many of the things you do want in your life CAN
happen. So cut out three paper circles and title them ‘same,’
‘better’ and ‘best.’ These are your 2008 film reels. Now think
about the year ahead and what you really want out of all the
areas in your life—relationships, career, money, personal
growth, health, family and friends, social life and your
physical environment. Then pick up the film reel you want to
choose: “same,” “better,” or “best.” Now write the script for
that film. |
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STEP 3:
MAKE IT FEEL REAL
Walt Disney once said, “If you can dream it, you
can do it.” What you imagine is a powerful precursor to success.
That’s why your next activity is to create a Vision Board.
Simply go through some magazines and cut out pictures that
visually represent what your achievement looks like, feels like,
smells like, and sounds like. Pick out images, colors, words,
and patterns that best represent your most important dreams and
achievements for the year ahead. Then make a collage of your
pictures. Reflect upon these and really feel what it would be
like to achieve your dreams. |
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STEP 4: PREPARE
YOURSELF FOR THE JOURNEY
Whenever you instigate any change, you create
resistance. After all, it’s so much more comfortable sitting in
the comfort zone isn’t it? But if you want things to be
different, then you’re going to have to make changes. In a
journal, draw three columns going across the page and title them
‘the change,’ ‘the obstacle, and ‘the solution.’ In the first
column, list the changes that you will need to make to bring
your 2008 aspirations into reality. In the second column write
any obstacles and finally, brainstorm and come up with some
solutions. You will notice, that when there is a will, there’s a
way! |
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STEP 5: PRIORITIZE AND GO
FOR IT!
Now it’s time
to summarize and prioritize. Being focused is important for
turning ideas into action. Put the first things first, and make
sure your goals are specific and achievable and that you have a
‘support person’ to keep you on target. To finish, review all
the good work you have done so far and make a list of no more
than 5 goals. Nominate somebody to whom you will be accountable
to, and determine how and when you will update them.
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Finally, remember that you can do
anything if you really put your mind to it. If you’d like some
extra support and inspiration to stay motivated and on track,
why not sign up for my free downloadable One Big Gulp! Kit,
which you will find at
www.onebiggulp.com. Remember, it’s your life, your
choice, so live your greatest life!
Article Source:
http://www.positivearticles.com
Gabriella Goddard is a leading success coach and author of
the top selling book Gulp!: the 7 day crash course to master
fear and break through any challenge. Her clients include senior
executives, career professionals, TV presenters, authors and
entrepreneurs. She invites readers to sign up for her free One
Big Gulp! Kit at
http://www.onebiggulp.com.
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When speaking to a group, I've
found the statement above often causes the audience to
spontaneously clap. Dare I say I've even heard an "Amen!" or
two. Why does this idea of hiring the
person and not the
label bestowed upon
them by a college or university touch a nerve in people? Maybe
because they know our organizations have gotten something out of
whack in the hiring—and the promoting—process. That possibly
we're missing something, and what we're missing is some very
good people.
Ashley is a hardworking
22-year-old college graduate with a bachelor's degree in
psychology. She is honest, courteous, respectful, hungry to
learn, and perfect
for what she wants to do and be. Her life goal is to become a
Child Life Specialist, one who interacts with ill children in a
hospital setting. Ashley to children is like honey to flies,
magnets to metal, or a light to a moth—kids
love her.
But, she was recently turned down
by a hospital for an internship even after volunteering there
for months and
being recommended by insiders. Showing initiative, she drove her
resume to HR (instead of just mailing or emailing it in), found
the right office in the sprawling medical facility, and left it
for the right person. And five days later she did |
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the right thing: she called to
ensure the person got it. Then she phoned again a week later.
Finally she was informed by
email that she had not been chosen. When she called
to politely ask for a reason, she was told the candidate who
accepted the position had "more classes and degrees."
How sad for the hospital that
they did not instinctively recognize that Ashley was someone
they should've interviewed face to face. They missed the clues—the
clues of character.
And because of arbitrary criteria, they
missed adding a real winner to their staff.
I've had three mentors in
life: My dad and two gentlemen in the professional world.
Neither of the latter two went beyond high school in their
formal education. But
let me be clear: I would not be what and where I
am in life today without the
teachings of
these men of character.
We are simply off base if we
are hiring and promoting based on fancy degrees, school
reputations, and how many years a person paid tuition. What
we should be basing our decisions on is what's
inside the
person. Personally, I have a Cornell University degree, an
"Ivy League" education. But I am the first to say that it
means absolutely nothing if I lack character.
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Character is what we need to hire from
the outside and
promote from within. Let's reward people with these foundational
qualities:
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1.
Coachability. If a person
possesses an arrogance that prevents them from taking input,
forget it. If they aren't starving to learn, to become
excellent, to gain new knowledge and skills, you don't want
them. If they aren't going to listen to their manager, pass them
by.
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2.
Work ethic. In this world of entitlement thinking, when
we find someone who will work, we've found a diamond in the
rough. Look for the "5&5 Rule," meaning if they will habitually
arrive 5 minutes early and stay 5 minutes beyond quitting time,
you have a foundation on which to build. But if they are more
concerned with how much vacation and sick time they'll get, pass
them by.
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3.
A heart of service.
Any candidate
who enjoys helping others solve their problems and desires to go
to the "Nth Degree" demonstrating patience with customers who
are not always
right (But are always the customer!), is the person we needed on
the team yesterday.
But if they have a "What's in it for me?" or "Why are customers
such a pain?" attitude, pass them by.
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4.
Accountability. Carefully listen for finger pointing and
victim thinking. If they blame their last employer, their family
of origin, or the weather for their situation in life, send them
packing. One QBQ, Inc. client gives a
QBQ! book to every candidate that makes it to Round
Two. The assignment is to read and return with a verbal summary
of the content and what it means to them. This is an effective
way to understand their view of the role of accountability in
their work life. If they don't "get it," pass them by.
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Our daughter, Tara, was recently
invited by Target Corp. to be interviewed for a job that really
didn't interest her. Wise Mom told her to take the interview
anyway because, "If Target is smart they'll find a place for
you. And then if they're
really smart, once they know your character, they'll
hold on to you for dear life and never let you leave."
Yep, mothers always know best.
Character counts.
by John G. Miller
Author of QBQ! and Flipping the Switch
www.QBQ.com
John@QBQ.com
303-286-9900
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•
Computer Tips:
Now, Where Was I? |
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Have you ever found
yourself looking for the last place you were working in
a long Microsoft Word document? You know, it's a 10, 20,
30 page monster and you were working on something
somewhere in the middle when you last saved and closed
it out. When you reopened the document, the cursor
was on page one, in the top left hand corner. So, there
you are, patiently scrolling through the mess, trying to
find your lost location.
Want a quick way to go
right back to the last place you edited? Yes? (Of
course, who wouldn't want to eliminate all that
searching?!)
Next time you need to
return to the exact location of your last edit, simply
try Shift + F5.
Yep, it's that simple!
Here's a bit of bad news
for Word 2007 users though: This trick works within the
same editing session, but not when you reopen your work.
You could save the file and as long as you don't close
it, Shift + F5 works just fine.
For everyone else,
you'll find that two easy keys, Shift + F5,
will do the trick really quick! |
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and a
 
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