3 Things I learned last week…1/4-10/2016

To be unclear is to be unkind:  I must give proper credit to one of my mentors Dave Ramsey.  I heard this statement/quote from him.  I have since adopted it.

In each of the last five years I have had a theme or even a word or two that would describe my focus for that year.  Last year it was net-worth.  Two years ago it was intentionality.  This year I have a few words and phrases that I am centering my goals and objectives around.  One such theme is this: To be unclear is to be unkind.  Why you ask did I chose this statement/quote?  A couple of reasons.  First: Our society is obsessed with being politically correct.  Whatever that means.  People just don’t call a spade a spade. I have been guilty of this as well.  Secondly, I have watched organizations rot from the inside out because the people within that organization were not clear and speak with candor.  Years ago, Jack Welch, who over the years I have written about quite a bit, said the same thing as Dave said.  Jack said it this way in his “six rules for success”.  “Be Candid”.  Jack lived his life this way.  If we aren’t clear with people they can’t get better. If we aren’t clear about the state of affairs, we aren’t facing reality as it is, which in turn means we can’t fix it.  Whether you are a leader, a sales person, a parent, a spouse, a sibling, a friend, a colleague, it is your responsibility to always be clear and candid with others.  You are serving them better with this approach.

I failed last week:  One of my goals in 2016 is to spend 15-30 minutes a day thinking.  Yep, thinking.  Not doing anything else.  I mean totally focused on getting away and not having any distractions that can prevent me from thinking.  I have only accomplished this goal a few times since 1/1 and it is now 1/11.  When I have the ability to do this, I always walk away from the session with a lot of benefits.  I have worked through major problems.  I have come up with better language on an issue I have to address. I have had an original thought that led to something bigger.  There is just so much value in this.  So I included this in my list this week, because it is now in front of mind again and will be a focus of mine this week.

Move faster:  Although you or I could make an argument for this on some occasions, I had to put it on the list anyway.  Through out my life I can’t think of very many times where I said I wish I would have “moved slower” on that decision.  I wish I would have thought it through more. I wish I would have investigated it more.  Nope, in many cases, it is usually the opposite.  I have gotten to the other side of decision or finally made a decision and said, “Why didn’t I do this sooner”.  I am taking this approach to 2016 and you should as well.  Lets move with purpose and conviction.  Our guts are usually right.  When your gut tells you something, make a move.  The chances are you will regret not doing something more than you will taking action and doing something.  Matter of fact there have been many times I hit publish on this blog and when I went back through it I said I wish I would have said this different or written that different.  But you know what? I will the next time.

To your success and your future.