3 Things I learned last week…2/1-7/2016

Change is coming: I witnessed this first hand last week.  It can happen to any of us.  We are blinded by our own habits, our own ways of doing things, our own processes, our own opinions, our own solutions, our own “you name it.”  I am sure you currently have your “own” set of whatever that makes you who you are, and it definitely drives everything that you do.  So what happens when we don’t see change coming?  Sometimes it comes out of the blue, but that is very rare.  Usually there is a building up phase that occurs.  For whatever reason you are not seeing it during that building up phase.  There are clues, but for some reason you are not paying attention to it.  And then lastly, when it does happen, THE CHANGE occurs, you have to either scurry and adopt to the change or make a decision to do something else.  Either one is a good solution for you depending on how and where you are in your life and your situation. Years ago, I learned this little statement.  “Change before you have to”.  When you finally make the change because you have to, it is usually too late.

I did the Math: It may sound a little morbid, but I did it anyway.  At times I find myself lacking some urgency.  At times I think I have more time to do it.  At times I think I can do it tomorrow.  So last week.  Yes it was my birthday week as well.  I did the Math on how many Sundays I could potentially have left in my life.  I calculated by my average life span (whatever that really is, who really knows) by 52 Sundays a year for those amount of years.  I got the number.  It is now in my head.  So what do I do with the number?  Well, since calculating it I have already used it to challenge me in a few different areas. I have already used to lay out some goals and some longer term plans, but most importantly the fact that I did it and I know the number it has made me walk even faster and attempt to accomplish much more.  It created some urgency like I have never had before and I consider myself a very intentional and urgent person.

Ability and Willingness:  Some people have all of the ability. They have all of the talent, the education, the training, the right environment, the right mentors, the right guidance, the right everything.  But for whatever reason that don’t have the willingness.  Willingness is three things:  Confidence, Desire, Incentive.  A leader’s job is to some how find the right people who have the ability and the willingness. They can do this through incentives, but these rarely work long-term. Sometimes the leader has to help a person find their desire so they will be more willing to attempt the desired outcome. This is where willingness can really take shape.  It is when a person has the desire within them to accomplish the necessary tasks and goals. However, sometimes no matter what a leader does the people involved may not be willing.  At this point change is not going to happen.  Let me ask you: Do you have the ability and the willingness to change?

To your success and your future.