Monday is a bad time to start…
…because it is a pattern in your life in which the outcome is failure. You have done it before – “I will begin on Monday, I am going to enjoy until then.”
What you just told yourself is: Geez, come monday (reminds me of a Jimmy Buffett song) life is going to suck and I will no longer be able to have fun.
Can you really put off fun and gratification? No, otherwise you would already be right where you wanted to be and not reading about getting there!
IIWII Reality: Find a small change that you know you can make permanently and start right now!
Exercising is NOT the Answer
Look around, there are more fitness clubs popping up everywhere. Some are even open for us 24/7. There is more scientific research published weekly to continue supporting the incredible benefits of regular exercise (like we need more). All of us own home exercise equipment – yes, that includes running shoes.
All that said, I conclude that simply saying “exercise more” is not the solution to our growing obesity problem amongst children and adults. We must look at what motivates you to exercise or what hinders you from exercising. I don’t need to tell you that exercising will benefit you. What I want you to do before your next ‘exercise kick’ is to do a little soul searching and ask yourself: “Why is exercising the answer for ME?”
IIWII Reality: It is not exercise itself, but what is in your head that leads you to exercise daily!
Making a Living vs. Making a Life
Everyone has it in their mind – a mental list of all the things you want to do someday. Places you want to visit, restaurants you want to eat at, the weight you want to lose. Another day, week, and year will slip by and it will still be in your head and nothing checked off the virtual head list. You were busy making a living instead of making a life.
“But, I have bills to pay” – yes, that is a reality. Notice I say making a life – you can design, plan, and take real steps before you get to check things off of your bucket list. Making is the act of being proactive instead of reacting to what life is dishing.
Tell me something that is on that mental list? Great, now due to that fact it was the 1st thing that came to mind, I know it has been there for years. You will most likely not do anything this year to change that. Why? You haven’t thought about the real steps that need to happen before you check that off your list.
Doubt the realness of writing down your goals? Tell it to this lady!
IIWII Reality: Unless you get it out of your head and on paper (or your phone/computer), think about the real steps you can take now, and then develop that in your head – you will always be making a living. I say go make a life!
Super Bowl Media Day
It’s an annual event. Each year at the Super Bowl, media day takes over the host city the Tuesday before the Super Bowl and members of the media from all over the world, even those who probably don’t deserve their media credentials or even care about the game, will be asking players every question under the sun (or the cold, overcast weather in Dallas!). Some players will get marriage proposals. Hollywood celebrity gossip websites/shows like Entertainment Tonight and TMZ, who only cover the NFL when there are off the field stories, will make media day their biggest story of the day.
If there were betting odds for media day for the use of “it is what it is”, the following players have a good chance using it in their conversations with the media:
March I Say
Begin now. Many times we put off doing things because we don’t know exactly how it needs to happen or how it will turn out. That is the perfectionism in us all that gets in the way, and it makes no sense. Anything great that has been created has gone through trials, started off as something else, or just completely failed only to provide insight into another opportunity.
What if it doesn’t work? Should I start by redoing my web site before I start marketing? How will my employees react?
March, I say. Begin at once. Little by little. When you screw up, admit it loud and clear. March, I say. As you move you will see different views of the mountain and more of your employees. Who is marching with you and who is not. This is valuable insight for you. You will see different responses from your customers – good and bad (both are great). You will soon be making better decisions because you will have more information from the marching you have already done. You will be building stronger relationships with the employees who want to march!
March, I say. Do it with a smile. Show your employees that it is fun to march. Marching will create some excitement. This may require you to beg a superior for some permission to try something new with you team, but make it happen. It will be fun for your team and soon they will go home and say to their significant other, “I like work more than I used to. We have fun and people generally care about each other”. Congratulations, you just saved your company money in employee retention, happy customers, and made a difference in the quality of life with an employee you are responsible for. All because you marched and did stuff….little by little.
That was you. What about your employees? Let them march. Many gurus call this empowerment. Whatever. Allow them to march without you telling them exactly how to do it. Resist the temptation to be so brilliant to tell them what to. That is exactly how you kill their excitement. Yes, mistakes will happen. Lets learn and talk about them.
Employees fading fast…
At the beginning of a job, employees are on point, on time, and enthusiastic. One of my favorites if this scenario (maybe you could share this with future hires) that all happens in one weeks time.
New employee: “Oh yeah, I need to make as much money as possible and will take as many hours and whatever hours you can give me. I appreciate it very much.”
Boss: “Great, we have plenty of work and will keep you busy. I appreciate your flexibility.”
Employee: “Today is my little girl’s birthday, so if there is any way I can get out a bit early tonight, I would appreciate it.”
Boss: “Okay, I will be able to use you some additional hours later this week.”
Employee: “Great, yea I can work as much as you need me the rest of the week.”
Boss: “Today is very busy, you can get some extra hours.”
Employee: “Aww man, I totally would, but my cat is sick, so next time.”
Boss: “Hmmmn, k”
Employee: “Whatever you need for the last day of work this week, I am your guy”
Boss: “Alright, you can work some serious hours today and make up some ground you lost this week”
Employee: “Yeah dude, I would, but I am certain my dog will probably get hit by a car tonight during happy hour and I need to be there for it!”
World’s smartest employee (true story)
Project manager – John.
Employee – Ron
The job starts at 7 am every day. Ron shows up after 8 am everyday. After a few days of this, John is quite annoyed and tells one of his guys to come get him when Ron finally shows up. Exact conversation between John (the boss) and Ron (the chronically late employee).
John: “Ron, you know that work on this project starts at 7 am every damn day”
Ron: “Yes I do”
John: “Then why in the world don’t you get here on time”
Ron” (dead serious) “How can you expect me to be here at 7 am when I don’t wake up until 8 am?”
John was speechless, and simply walked back into the job trailer and told another guy to fired him. This story is dead true and shows what many people have to deal with employees. Do you have any good “It Is What It Is” employee stories?
Better be yourself, if…
…you want to be successful. A cornerstone of the “It Is What It Is” philosophy is to be who you are and make no apologies for it. I have seen it is business all my life and so have you. Everyone is trying to be someone and faking the funk. We laugh at stupid jokes because the person we are selling to made it. We dress a certain way to put a layer between who you really are and the person judging you. Worse off, we worry more about what strangers think of us than our own families.
Man, no matter how much you earned in the last five years, how big your house, or shiny your car – if you live a life with disparity between who you really are and who you think you are supposed to be, you can not experience success. Sad, but it is what it is.
On the flip side, if you get on the roof top of your elegant house (in my my case, my cheap apartment) and shout “I am going to show the world the real me”, success will be a byproduct of this decision. Some call that authenticity, we will just call it LIVIN’!
Next time you are celebrating that new deal you and your co-workers just closed, maybe your salute sounds like this “Here’s to us be real and the business following”.
The World has Changed…
Much has been said about what we have all experienced within the last 3 to 4 years with our economy, and much has been blamed on it. Many have debated why it all happened and how it all happened and certainly there are lessons to be learned. Whatever the conclusions are, 99% of us agree that the world as we know it has changed for good. And because of this, I have drawn 3 conclusions that affect your career personally:
1. Your taxes have to go up. I am not debating tax policy, I am adding some common sense to a large spending problem. We must pay for all this money we have spent and continue to.
Conclusion that affects you – If you work for someone, your paycheck will become smaller. Getting ahead will become harder than it has ever been and most of us never got ahead when the times were good (we live outside of what we can really afford). You must find a second income and it should be within your own business so you can take advantage of legal write-offs and supplement your income.
2. Employment will never be like it once was. “Company loyalty” is a thing of the past, so those of us who choose to work for someone else typically do so for the security of having a steady paycheck. Yet, everyone of us knows someone personally who lost their job who was a great worker.
Conclusion that affects you – You need to invest in starting your own business while having a steady paycheck to provide any security for yourself. With the technology tools out there, this is easier then it has ever been. It will mean you must invest in a new skill set on how to start and run your own business. Even if your first micro venture does pan out, you will have learned skills for your next one.
3. There are good times ahead – I am not talking about the economic seasons (or cycles), but I am clearly stating that there is a tremendous amount of opportunity that exists today. Follow me for a second. We agree the Internet is a game changer. Check. We agree that because of the Internet, a small company called Facebook is also a game changer. Check. We agree that when the automobile came along, it was a game changer. Check. Well, how many companies, jobs, millionaires were created to service the automobile? You get it. AND NOW WE ARE PLAYING IN AN GLOBAL ARENA!
Conclusion that affects you – Get involved in some venture and build your skill sets and you will start to get ahead. It is not easy, but there is payoff.
Sitting back and hoping that things will get better for you is a bad strategy.
Starting a Project …
In early 2010, I was fortunate to reconnect with an old friend and his dad on a journey that is still being written, which is the “It Is What It Is” project. You can call it a cliché, a phrase that is over used in society, or simply take it for what it is and try to turn it into gold.
So that’s what we’re working on here. Just a couple of every day dudes who have a vision to make a brand out of “It Is What It Is”. The first task is to build up a site that can express, promote, and evolve that brand. In the coming months, the site will be designed, developed and launch the the fourth quarter of 2010 (November / December 2010).
Until then … stay tuned!
