My Private Universe

Photo courtesy of Bunches and Bits {Karina} (Creative Commons)

Happy Halloween everyone! What does your costume look like?

I have to admit that Halloween is one of my least favorite holidays, mostly because I’m not good at coming up with costume ideas. But I do find it interesting because so many people hide behind their masks. Have you noticed how many timid people dress up as a superhero and become bold and brave for the day?

Could there be benefits to wearing a mask, figuratively speaking?

When I managed a bookstore, we adopted the ideas of “Be our Guest” from Disney, and focused on creating a positive “guest experience” for each of our guests (customers). There were days when that meant putting on the “mask” of the great salesperson even when I was tired or overloaded.

My friend Matt McWilliams wrote a post this week about The Happiness-Success Paradox in which he suggests that if you “proactively choose happiness,” you will be on the road to success.

So at his challenge, I have tried to “choose happiness” this week, and basically put on a “mask” of cheerfulness. I admit I’ve had mixed results.

It’s been a difficult, frustrating week for me, but I am trying to remain upbeat. One thing I am more conscious of is stopping when I find myself sinking into negative thoughts or making a negative comment. Awareness is half the battle, right?

What I have discovered is that while I can’t claim that I’m gleeful this week, I am at least more outwardly focused, and that is leading to contentment.

I have smiled at people, even in the midst of a mental rant over something that just happened. They might be struggling with greater hardships than I can imagine, and it flips a switch for me to smile at someone else – kind of turns the focus away from me long enough to reset the glare or frown I had before. See, the mask has its advantages.

I’ve made a conscious effort to write encouraging comments for friends on Facebook or in email. I know how uplifting it is when people reach out to me, so I’m returning the favor when I can.

All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. 2 Corinthians 1.3-4 (NLT)

There seems to be such hardship and sadness this week – from Hurricane Sandy, to illness, to disappointments, to grief. I want to be at least a small comfort to others who are going through so much, instead of dwelling on me, whether that is through a smile, a kind word, or a note that I’m thinking of and praying for them. I guess the mask helps me as much as anyone else.

So I challenge you today. What mask will you put on?

Photo courtesy of Karen_O’D (Creative Commons)

It is tempting as a leader to make choices and decisions based on what your team, clients or customers want most. But that’s not always what is best for your company or organization.

Whether you are considering changing your hours, altering your process, or adding a new product line, it is important to that you evaluate all of your options instead of listening to the loudest and most urgent voices. The following steps may help you determine the best path in those situations:

• Input from different areas – Be sure to talk not to just the most vocal group wanting the change, but talk to each department or segment affected. Find out how the change will impact their area, whether that is an increase in phone calls or changes in how they will have to process. Ask a lot of questions!
• Consider all sides – Look at pros and cons for each option, and consider not just the immediate need, but what is currently working and what is frustrating those affected.
• Look at long term – Don’t just look for a quick fix. Be sure to look at long term affects, including cycles or seasons, and how the change will play out over months or years.
• Don’t be influenced by personalities – Remember that it’s business, not personal, so don’t let the characters involved be part of your decision.
• Take your time – Actually, take the time appropriate to the magnitude of the decision.  Don’t be rushed or drag your feet.

As a leader, you must be intentional in making those big decisions. While it is tempting to go with the requests of the majority, consideration must be given to all sides of the issue and all parties involved. Yes, change is difficult, but changing back is harder!

What decision have you made because of the crowd that you regretted later?

Every have one of those days (or weeks) when you just cannot stay focused to accomplish anything? And it’s a day (or week) when you NEED to get a lot done? How do you handle that?

I have to rely on discipline. Through the last few months, I’m learning the value of putting habits in place and sticking with them. Sure, you cut yourself a little slack every once in a while, but there is great value in creating solid habits to move you toward your goals, even when you can’t seem to focus on them.

For me, that means getting up early and setting aside time to write and run, every day. Even weekends. Even the days when I really want to stay in bed. Even the days when it’s cold outside, and I just want to curl up and hide.

But the benefit of that discipline is that later in the day, I can be satisfied with the knowledge that yes, I exercised both my mind and my body. I did get my blog written (or at least drafted) and I did run my miles.

And in the long run, having accomplished both of those things makes me happier and more effective in other areas of my life. (And less crabby as a general rule.)

The beauty of discipline is that when those habits are in place, there’s less consideration of IF I will do this. Autopilot kicks in and I just find myself DOING it. It’s time to write, so I sit down and write. Time to go run, and I just head out. No thinking about it, just do it. And once I go ahead and get started, I find that it is usually the best part of my day.

The rewards are great. The rest of my day tends to be more effective because I’ve gotten started on the right track.

What disciplines do you have in place and how are you rewarded by them?

I know I am not the only one who has way too much to do right now, so let me ask, how do you get it all done?

I’ll be honest, I have been overwhelmed for several months now – with commitments, meetings, projects – the list goes on and on. My days keep my head spinning, and when I get home, I’m tired, my brain feels like mush, and I stare at the computer for a little while, then give up and go to bed.

As I have struggled to figure out how to eke more productivity out of my day, I’ve realized being more intentional in my planning is the way to make progress.

A little disclaimer here – this list is mostly for me, as a reminder of what I need to be doing, and I hope that it benefits you as well! So here are some of the things I’m doing to be more productive:

• Take 15 minutes at the end of your day to plan the next day – ok, this one is tough. By the end of the day, I’m just ready to go home! But what I have discovered is that taking the time to jot down the few most important things I need to tackle the next day – and even leave a stack with notes to myself on my desk – helps me hit the ground running in the morning.
• Schedule an appointment on your calendar to get projects done – my days tend to be so full of interruptions and “putting out of fires,” that sometimes the only way for me to get some projects done is to block out a few hours on my calendar. It helps me to be intentional with my focus during that time, and I’m much more likely to actually hunker down and do the work, instead of continually pushing it to “later.” I’ve been trying to get changes made on a training handbook, and it took the appointment WITH the reminder for me to spend the time to finish it. Feels great to have it out for review now.
• Don’t seek perfection – sometimes you have to be willing for something to be “good enough” so you can move on to more critical things. And usually, “good enough” is just fine!
• What can you delegate? This one is hard for me, but there are times that I am not the best person to do things, or the only person who can do things. I need to be more willing to delegate some tasks so that I can focus on what only I can do.
• What can you let go of? Some of the things on my plate may need to be moved to a “someday/maybe” category, or let go of completely.
• Don’t put off – dreading may be worse than doing. How much mental energy are you spending worrying about that task that then grows in your mind to an all-day thing? Just go ahead and get it done – I bet it won’t be NEARLY as bad as your mind built it up to be. Then you free up that mental energy to focus on more worthwhile things!
• Batch jobs – this is another one that’s hard for me. Some days I flit from task to task – email, small change on the website, data entry for a bit, then on to something else. I’m much more effective if I group like things together – all the changes on the website at once, respond to email all at once instead of throughout the day, etc.

Taking time to plan may be your most effective use of time today.  Being more intentional in managing your day instead of letting it manage you, should help you get more done and allow you to carve out time for you. How nice to be able to let work go at the end of the day and enjoy spending time with your family.

How can you utilize your time more efficiently?

What are you reading lately? Do you have a stack on your bedside table?

One of the most important things a leader can do is read to stay stimulated, keep a sharp mind and improve their leadership skills.  I know from my own experience that many times a business book will present material I’ve seen before, but it does so in a way that strikes a chord and makes a difference in my leadership or productivity now. That’s right – it makes sense now when it didn’t on previous encounters with the same information. Bingo – inspiration!

So here’s what I’m reading and why:

• The Impact Equation by Chris Brogan and Julien Smith (release date 10/25/12 – if you haven’t already pre-ordered, I highly recommend it. I originally requested a preview copy so I could write a review, since I’m taking the Blog Topics Master Class with Chris Brogan. But what I’ve discovered is that there is so much information about getting your message out that I have highlights and post-its on practically every page and am having to read slowly to absorb it all! This will definitely be a book I revisit often.
• How to Talk to Anyone, Anytime, Anywhere by Larry King – this was homework for Blog Topics Master Class, but has turned into a nice little read. Larry King has a delightfully casual style of writing, so it feels like we’re sitting down with a cup of coffee for a chat. I’m learning all sorts of ways to be a better conversationalist.
• Love Works by Joel Manby – interviewed by Chris LoCurto for the EntreLeadership podcast, I cannot wait to dig into this material which promotes values like patience and empowerment in the workplace.
• God’s Promises for You by Max Lucado – a friend lent me this tiny volume that is jam packed with scripture and commentary broken down into different topics like praise, trust and grace.

Your turn, what are you reading and why?

How do you describe yourself? Your leadership? Your skills?

It is natural to try to fit people into categories, and especially the folks you work with – they are great with numbers, or she’s an artist, or he gives terrific presentations. There are personality profiles such as the DISC profile, which will define you as dominant, influencing, steady or consistent or Meyers-Briggs, that will refine your style to things like introvert/extrovert, thinking/feeling, etc.

But do you discount or overlook a person’s other skills or talents because you have tucked them into a particular pigeon-hole?

For instance, I am a high high C on the DISC profile and an ESTJ on Meyer’s-Briggs, which means that I am highly analytical and detail oriented. I fit very neatly in that category and thrive in very structured environments creating lots of plans, lists and guidelines.

And yet, I have an artistic side with my writing and graphic design. What wildness is this? Maybe I don’t fit so neatly in that structured category after all.

Have you done that with your team members?

Don’t get me wrong – I definitely agree with working within someone’s dominant personality style, but I think it’s important to remember that they may have other qualities as well. And we shouldn’t just assume they are only what they project most often.

Here are some ways to explore your team members’ strengths and better utilize their skill sets:

• Evaluate – find out what your team members’ strength areas are and under what conditions they work best. But also look at what their secondary areas of strength and interest. Ideally, this should have been determined before you put them in their position, but at least make sure they are in a suitable work situation.
• Talk – ask what parts of their job your team members enjoy the most, and what other areas they might like to explore.
• Observe – when does your team member excel, but also, when does she light up? What really brings a smile?
• Challenge – challenge your team member to find ways to utilize their other strengths. Are there other areas of your business or organization that could benefit from even a short term project using their other strengths?

The best leaders don’t just rely on the primary strength areas of their team members, but know them well enough to develop their other areas of passion as well. Imagine how much more successful your team would be if team members contributed all of their assets. And how much happier!

How can you expand the effectiveness of your team by using all of their strengths?

Photo courtesy of Swift Benjamin (Creative Commons)

Picture flashing red lights and alarms blaring and a deep voice saying “caution, caution” – that is my brain on overload! I love to learn, and I will seek out books, conferences and conversations where I can absorb new information to make myself a better leader and a better person.

I have a huge pile of books (both literally and “stacked” in my Kindle Fire) that I want to read. Most are business/leadership books, like The Impact Equation by Chris Brogan and Julien Smith, How To Talk to Anyone, Anytime, Anywhere by Larry King, Love Works by Joel Manby and The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg. On top of that, I’ve been to 3 different conferences in the last couple of months.

Lately, I feel like I’ve been blasted by a fire hose of inspiration!

I have struggled with how to use all that information in the best way, and not be so overwhelmed that I let it all slip away. I’ve discovered a few tactics to help process and use all that  information effectively:

• Take notes – your brain can’t possibly remember all that you heard or read, so notes, even references to page numbers, highlights or snippets of information can remind you later on.
• Process – set aside some time a day or two after your finish the conference, book, etc. and think about and jot down what your biggest takeaway ideas were. What impressed you?  What made you say “aha”?
• Share – if possible, talk with someone else, whether or not they were at the same conference or read the same book. Sometimes verbalizing your impressions causes you to remember things that would otherwise have stayed hidden. And if that person shared the experience, they might remind you of points you missed.
• Decide next steps –what are the next steps you need to implement based on what you learned? Don’t hope that you get it done, write it down and add it to your calendar or task list right now so you will see it and DO IT.
• Revisit – after a week or two, revisit your notes and next steps. Have you accomplished what you noted? What additional steps or tasks do you need to make progress? Are there additional resources you could seek to progress more?

It’s so exciting to come out of a conference fired up by the speakers and the new ideas, or finish that book with conviction of how you will improve. But we both know that when the routine and demands of your work and life press in, you slip back into old habits. By taking a few simple steps, you can keep the new information fresh, prolong that inspiration and stay motivated to make the changes you desire.

How do you take in and process a flood of new information and motivation?

Do you thrive on being surrounded by people and feeding on their energy, or do you crave time spent alone?

Most of us are with people throughout the day at work, at home, maybe a carpool, school sports or activities if you have kids, then there’s your Facebook community, email, Twitter. There is such richness in community, when you can share ideas, support each other and enjoy just being together.

One of my three words this year has been CONNECT – and I have sought out ways to connect with people, both physically and virtually. But as much as I enjoy and learn from conversations in person and online and being a part of the party, there are times when it becomes overwhelming and I need to retreat.

Interacting is treasured, but I find equal value in solitary pursuits, even if it is just for short blocks of time, snatched here and there.

With our overbooked lives, it may be difficult to find solitude, but it can be a critical tool in helping you cope with the busyness. Whether you get up a little early, find a quiet moment after dinner or before bed, or simply unhook from social media for a block of time, you will benefit from time spent alone to:

• Plan your day – let’s face it, most of the time, our days get away from us, but taking a few minutes at the beginning of the day to plan a few things you need to accomplish helps you be more intentional. Update your task list, calendar or notepad, and keep your two or three main responsibilities front and center to help you stay more focused all day.
• Be creative – whether you write, paint, sew or scrapbook, feeding your inner artist will release energy and clarity that will invigorate you and change your mood. You’ll have to be intentional to find a longer block of time for this, but it will help you enjoy the other parts of your life even more!
• Quiet and center your mind – the chatter of the world can be disorienting and distracting. A short time spent in silence, either in meditation, prayer or just doing nothing can quiet the noise and allow for better concentration and calm. Even just a few deep breaths with eyes closed can do wonders!
• Process your day – take a few minutes at the end of your day to celebrate your accomplishments and be thankful. Writing in a journal is a great way to record your thoughts and unpack your day. When you are journaling for your eyes only, you can contemplate events or feelings without fear of judgment or criticism. Amazing ideas and solutions may emerge.

Extended periods of time alone won’t happen often for many of us, but even just 5 or 10 minutes of intentional solitude during your day can lead to more focus and motivation. I challenge you to seek some time to yourself.

And when you do, how will you thrive during your solitary time?

I’ve got a question for the bloggers out there. How do you consistently come up with topics for your blogs? Especially if you blog more than a couple of times a week, where do your ideas come from? Do you worry about running out of ideas?

I struggle each month when I create my editorial calendar of about a dozen blogs a month. Sure, with a good brainstorming session I can come up with 8 or 9 ideas, but what about those last few. I really hate leaving it up to “same day inspiration” because that puts way too much pressure on my creative juices.

One thing that I have discovered that helps is the weekly Blog Topics newsletter (affiliate link) from Chris Brogan. He doesn’t just hand me a list of topics to use, but gives guidance on some ways to approach my blog, including different styles of writing, and even some suggestions to generate more comments.

The thing that I like best about the format of these newsletters is that his prompts get me thinking in new directions, which creates even more ideas. That’s what you want as a blogger, right?

So now let me ask the bloggers out there – why haven’t you signed up yet? Just click the blue banner and you can be on your way!

Photo courtesy of Elsa Blaine (Creative Commons)

Listening to a rumbling thunderstorm this morning, I realize how little we control in life. This thought comes as I sit here missing the beauty and wonder of the storm, and instead am stressing over the fact that the rain might interfere with my run today.

I can be so dense that I have to hear a message on multiple fronts to get it, but what I’ve been hearing and reading in devotions, blogs, conversations, and sermons, is that I need to realize that God is God and I am not.

God is in control and has a plan. I need to quit thinking that I can do anything by myself, and lean on Him for my strength and guidance.

But that is so hard to do! And there are so many ways I defy His desire to lead me.

I am a planner, so I tend to plan my day and then get upset when things happen to derail me – but what God appointments am I missing?

I let myself get overwhelmed by busyness, and then end up hurrying through things I should be taking more time to read carefully or pay attention to. What messages am I not receiving?

I become so focused on my next task, that I often am not aware of those around me and don’t even see people passing me. What child of God am I overlooking?

So as I sit here knowing I don’t have it all figured out, I pray that God will quiet the voices in my head other than His, calm the urges to do it all myself, and ease my extreme distraction by all the “stuff to do.”

I want to walk with my Lord today and follow His lead. And accept that I can do nothing without Him.

How will you walk with God today?