Finish One Thing At A Time To Succeed

This week has proven quite interesting in all areas of my work.  Like most entrepreneurs, I am a little ADD or ADHD or something like that.  My mind is always spinning at all hours of the day and night.  I got up at 3am this morning with ideas just pouring out.

I met two different business owners who had the exact same problem.  They had major projects somewhere between 70 and 80% complete and we already looking to the next project.  The problem was they weren't finishing the ones they already started.  Do you know anyone who has trouble finishing a project?

If this is you or someone you know, you might like to know why this happens.  To begin with we start projects for a couple of reasons.  One of them is to prove we can do it.  The problem here is that you don't actually need to finish the project to see that you can.  When this happens, you get bored, realizing that there is no question that you can finish, and you start looking elsewhere.

The problem I have with this is that you can't win until you finish.  This is true in life, racing and projects.  Imagine if you got on my flight to Dallas and we went 80% of the way and got on the PA and said "OK folks, you have seen that we made it this far, and we are sure you all believe we can make it the rest of the way so we are stopping in Austin so we can go do something else."  Crazy right?  And yet we do it every day.

Following through on a project or task until it is completed isn't easy. Anyone can enter the race, and many can run a lot of laps.  Only a few will finish, and only one will win.  

When these business owners come to me short on patience, money, time and focus while looking at the next project, it is easy to see why they are right where they are.

Imagine if I were a real estate investor and I kept buying property.  First I bought a condo, cleaned it up, got it ready to rent, and said "See, I can be a condo landlord" without ever actually renting it.  Then I went and bought a house, cleaned it up, got it ready to flip and said "See I can flip a house" without ever selling it.  I would go broke doing this, and this is exactly what I see business owner after business owner do over and over.

I must admit, I have done it too.

So what is the solution?  The simple solution is not to start a new project until the old project is truly complete.  Simple yes, obvious yes, easy, no.  If it were easy, everyone would do it.  

One of the keys to success is knowing what you want to do before you start, and then finishing it before you start something else.  I can't fly a jet while I am still racing a car.  Why do we try to start one business when the first one still isn't complete?

If you start, commit to finishing before moving on, and you will see your success sooner than you think possible.

The Price Of Instant Gratification - Letting Your Goals Slip Away

As a business owner and coach, I have heard one saying over and over.  "Anything that doesn't move your towards your goals moves you away from them."

This week I spent some time thinking about that exact phrase and how to use it for my customers.  How can I illustrate this point.  At the end of the day I can't.  The saying over simplifies the truth, and ignores another truth.

Success is simple, doing it is hard.

The saying "Anything that doesn't move your towards your goals moves you away from them" is on the "doing" side of the success formula, not the simple side.

Why am I saying this?  What is the bigger truth?  I am glad you asked.

To expand the thought, I posted this on Facebook:

We spent last night grilling on the beach at Lake Tahoe talking about goals and achievements. I realized that the saying "Anything that doesn't move your towards your goals moves you away from them" isn't quite right.

I think that anything that doesn't move you towards your goals allows one of several things to happen:

1. You lose focus on the goals and lose sight of them, you might forget they ever existed- what happened to your childhood dreams.
2. Another obstacle is placed in the way - you might be trying to get a license and the government adds new rules.
3. Your action really does do something that moves you farther from your goal - You buy a new car when you are trying to buy a house and now you can't get the home loan.

The next day off you have, look at your goals, and how you are achieving them, and then take a real break. Things become more clear when you take a break and let your mind do the heavy lifting.

After posting this on Facebook, I realized that the cost of instant gratification was built right into number three.  When you buy or do something now, you give up or delay the ability to do something bigger later.  Buying that car now might prevent you from getting the house.  If home prices rise faster than your income, the car might be the reason you never get a house.

A Big Secret Of Success

One of the biggest secrets of success I have learned from personal experience and working with a host of very successful people is keeping the big goals in your sights.  That means that you 

Again Success is Simple, Doing It is Hard.

If you want a book to read about the high cost of success, I recommend the book BOYD.  Not because I am a retired military pilot, but because John Boyd chose success, and the book is a well written story of both his success and the cost of it.  For Col John Boyd, doing "it" was just what he did, it was hard on him because of the price he paid.

It is far easier to do the things that "pop up" or "need to get done" than it is to do what is really needed to move towards your goals.  Gary Keller in his new book The ONE Thing,  illustrated the difficulty of achieving team goals, and his trials of success.  At the end he figured out if you just set one goal, it was far easier for the team to achieve the one goal than it was to achieve two or more.

The same is true for you, especially in the beginning.  Set ONE goal for the day, get it done, then do the little things and the pop ups.  Over time you will learn to set a much bigger goal and then do ONE thing for the day that moves you towards the goal.  

Success doesn't require that you are always focused on the goal and doing nothing but moving towards the goal.  While that might help, the price might be too high for most mortals. I agree with Gary Keller if you could just do one big thing every day that moves you towards your one big goal, you will move ahead far faster than you ever imagined.

Doing it is Hard because it means you have to say "no" to a lot of other little things that you might not want to say no too.  That trip to the ice cream shop with your kids, a night at the ball park, the list of things you learn to say no too is never ending.

When you make a decision to reach a goal, look at other people who got there before your, or did something similar.  You will find they are great at saying "no".  When other people describe their early years you will read things like "he was driven" or "she was always working".  

When you are doing your one thing in life, nothing else matters simply because you know what you are doing matters more.  If not, maybe you aren't doing the right thing to begin with.

Find something worth doing and it will be easier to say "no" more often.  Find something worth doing that solves a problem for the world and they will eagerly wait with money in hand.

How To Make New Years Resolutions That Work.

A friend of mine once said if you want a New Years Resolution that you will stick to, it is easy, don't make one.  Every year we make new years resolutions that stick like a post it note on your windshield going through a car wash.  We all know it and yet studies indicate that we continue to make resolutions and fail to keep them.

Have you ever wondered why?  Do you even really care? Why do so many resolutions end up broken and forgotten?

Psychologists tell us that unachieved goals are more dangerous than no goals at all.  When it comes to running a business I couldn't agree more.  I have seen parts of my business life that quite frankly have been a complete failure.  After I messed a few goals, I came to expect that I would miss more.  It is like a cancer to the positive thought  and energy that entrepreneurs need to have every day. 

Entrepreneurs are a different breed.  Most of them that I meet have an addiction to running their own show.  They have an enthusiasm for whatever it is they do and love to see their customers enjoy the fruits of their labor. The underlying reasons are a little different for each of us.  Liberty, Freedom and Happiness rank up there for a few of us.  Some have something to prove, which is perfectly fine.  In fact Bill Bartmann believes that having something to prove and someone to prove it too can be a great motivator.

Watching my chef friend and neighbor work is amazing.  She is up at 3am or so baking so her clients get the best baked goods she can deliver.  When she has a new flavor she yells across the street for me to go to the store and try it.

So how do all the pieces of our minds come together and create New Years Resolutions that work?  Isn't that what we really want?

While doing a little research on the subject, I found a study about exercise and weight loss.  Having lost over 30 pounds this year it was very interesting.  The study said that our spouses/partners are not good enough as motivation to lose weight or exercise.  It is easier to put off exercise if we are only doing it for us, or our spouse or partner.  Why?  Because we know that they will love us anyway.  I think that is true of our businesses too.  If I don't make my next goal, my wife won't leave me or love me less will she?

My weight loss success came from a bet with my friend and business partner, not my desire to impress my wife.  As wrong as that sounds it isa reality.  By making it a challenge, I didn’t want to lose (the bet that is) and so I made the effort and stuck to it.  Suddenly switching from Ice Cream to Yogurt was easy.  Cutting out all grains, not that difficult, eating less became tolerable and finally I got off my chair and hit the treadmill or the road for a good run.

At first the run was literally a couple of blocks, this morning it was an easy three miles in 24 minutes followed by a quick upper body strength session.

I have to wonder if having a partner that keeps the other person engaged isn't the reason behind such great companies as Hewlett-Packard, Microsoft and Apple, all of which started out as partnerships of two very different minded people. 

New Years resolutions have all of the same challenges as losing weight.  More so if they are business related challenges.  

No matter what you choose to do, make sure you find a way to make it important enough to you to actually do it.  If you want to lose weight, you have to want to lose weight more than you want to eat, avoid exercise and watch TV.  If you want to grow your business, you have to want to grow your business more than the alternatives.

The holidays are especially tough on entrepreneurs.  Many of us have a narrow window of opportunity to take advantage and make some big changes to set our businesses up for 2013.  At the same time, our families are almost demanding more of our time because “it’s the holidays”.

Being an entrepreneur is complicated by our social desire to please everyone.  After all we solve problems don’t we.  The holidays are simply a problem we can solve or are they?  It has taken years for my family to understand that I work when others play, and I play when others work.

When they do get a glimpse into my life, they are amazed at how much more this allows me to do.  Less standing in line at both ends of the deal.  Quieter and less expensive vacations, shorter lines at the Orlando attractions and shorter lines at the airport are just a few of the benefits of working this way.   I don’t feel like I am making progress in the areas of Freedom, Happiness or Liberty when I stand in line for three hours anywhere.

As you look to 2013, before you make those resolutions, think about what is really important to you first.  Instead of making resolutions, how about making a road map of your perfect life?

A few years ago a family health issue made me take a long hard look at my life.  I realized that I was missing a lot of my “goals” because they really weren’t my goals or didn’t fit the image of my life.  Those missed goals were creating stress and anxiety while preventing me from achieving other goals.  I realized the psychologists were right about goals and resolutions.

After a spending two days in front of a white board I mapped out everything I really wanted and didn’t want.  The next step was getting my wife to sign off on.  Of course that happened after a couple of changes from her input.  Today I live a very different life than I did just three years ago.

Instead of making a resolution this year, make a change.  Whatever you decide to do, find a reason to do it, and a reason not to avoid it.  Figure out how the obstacles you might encounter first, and how you are going to get around them before you try and make a change in your life.  Make the decision that what you get is worth whatever it is you have to give up and get other people in your life to agree to let you do it.

Write out the changes that you want to make, remind yourself every day what you are willing to give up to get there, and you will be there before you know it.  

Happy New Year

A Contest To Lose Weight - It Works

Like many people in the US, I was recently told by my doctor I was overweight.  My knee had bee bothering me, I wasn't sleeping well and I noticed that my posture was getting, well lets say "lazy".  The first doctor looked me over, and sent me to a knee specialist.  The knee specialist wanted to do some surgery that would take me out of work for six to eight weeks.

While I was waiting for a surgery date, I had an "executive wellness physical". Sort of a whole like evaluation.  The doctor here was very different.  His approach was to find ways to keep you living longer, and in his opinion surgery wasn't it.  He simply said, "Scott, your knee is a problem, but surgery won't fix it if you have 25 pounds of extra fat it needs to carry around.  You have got to lose some weight, at least 20 pounds, and 25 would be better."

At first I was a little shocked.  I knew I was a little bigger since I did recently have to buy some new slacks, but 25 pounds.  That seemed quite excessive. He cancelled the surgery on my knee and sent me home to lose the weight and come back for a followup.

I have never really "dieted" so I didn't know where to start.  I tried more exercise, but the first run out of the chute almost killed me.  When I was 17 and at basic training for the Air Force at Lackland, we had to run 1.25 miles in 14 minutes and 20 seconds.  Fat guys did it, skinny guys did it, and girls did it so I figured I could do it at 45.  Nope.  Almost killed me.

I set the 1.25 miles in 14':20" as my goal, and 20 pounds to lose as my target.  I did all of the things I teach everyone to do when they set a goal.  I wrote it down and put it on my dresser, in my wallet and in my car so I was sure to be reminded of it every day.  In just three months I lost five pounds, and hit a wall.

I got an app for my iPhone that counted calories and exercise, and still couldn't make any more progress.  Then my friend and business partner Dr. Goldberg proposed a bet.  We each needed to lose 15 pounds.  The first one to get there picks our next board meeting and vacation location and the "loser" (who doesn't lose the weight first) has to buy a nice dinner for us and our wives.

Being an MD, he was kind enough to share some great nutritional information about calorie quantity and quality as well as a few studies about the sodium in diet soda aiding in water retention in fat cells.  He also thought that might be why I don't sleep as well as I used to.

He sent some great information about Atkins type diets, Caveman type diets, and Gluten Free and we talked about the similarities among all three.  He chose a modified Atkins, I chose a modified Paleolithic or "Caveman" diet.  I still eat a little dairy on occasion, but only about 10% of what I used too.  I also cut out grain/gluten products, peanuts and cashews.

GAME ON!

At first neither of us saw any changes.  We agreed that we could each only pick one scale to use as the benchmark because all scales are slightly different.    After about a week we each lost one pound.  I had gone below 195 pounds for the first time since I had to close my home theater businesses in Texas.  I realized I was carrying a lot of stress weight.  That one pound felt better than the five I lost going from 200 to 195.

We stayed neck and neck for the first five pounds.  He hit 165, I hit 185.  I should say he is a little shorter than I am so our end goals are slightly different.

Here we both hit a wall.  We both felt better, and I hit my time on the 1.25 mile run of 14':20".  That really is a sad number when you realize that several people broke four minute miles in the Olympics this year, but it was something.  I met the minimum standard to be in the Air Force in 1984 just as I had done then.  I wouldn't mind going for a run with the recruits today, a 45 year old retired Major running the track and keeping up with a large percentage of them.  I would hope it would motivate them to stay in shape and not get as fat as I did.

For nearly two weeks we both hovered at five pounds above our target weights.  Every morning I was surfing, paddle boarding or jogging, and on some days I would get in two or all three activities.

Normally I would have given up, but last week Dr. Goldberg said, don't worry, this is the muscle rebuilding stage,  you are adding strength you lost years ago, so look in the mirror.  Your muscles are probably growing and the fat is still shrinking.  The scale can't show that.

And then he sent a text..

164.1

I ran up to the scale and looked down to see 184.9.  Not enough to text back, but then two days later, 183.8, I sent the text.

He replied

163.8

A Tie.

As of this morning we both have less than 3 pounds to go.  2.8 to be exact for me.  He hasn't said, so he is either letting me think I am ahead, or I am ahead.

Having a purpose in my weight loss plan, even if only to pick a vacation destination and get a free meal is so much better than just "losing weight" or "dieting".  Now when I stroll pass the Haagen Daz in the Dallas Airport and Honey (yes that is what his name tag says) yells out, He Mr. B, I have Dulce De Leche and Fresh Waffle Cones, I can keep walking and feel good about it.

In every goal we set, there must be a purpose or a reason to do it that motivates us.  Just knowing I needed to lose weight wasn't enough.  A little friendly wager with my friend was.  Giving up isn't an option when there is a dinner and vacation on the line.

Many times we say we want something, and might even make it a goal.  Without a reason or purpose to achieve it, you probably won't, and just end up blowing it off.  When you find a friend to hold you accountable, or find a purpose for what you do, you are much more likely to hit your goals.

As for my weight loss goal, if you know me, you know that Ice Cream and a soda were my normal desserts at every meal.  I was even known to put vanilla ice cream on corn flakes at breakfast a time or two.  Is there any wonder I walked into Dr. Shen's office at 200 pounds?

The bet still has a little ways to go and I am already thinking of a double or nothing for the next 5 pounds since Dr. Shen wanted me to be at 175.

Next time you set a goal, ask yourself, is it something your really want?  If so why?  No make that a big WHY?  Find a reason so big that you have to reach the goal, and then go find someone to hold you accountable.  Someone to share your successes with and someone who will coach you through your temporary setbacks.  Remember there are no failures.

Stay Tuned, I'll tell you who won the dinner at Trokay Cafe in Truckee California.  For the double or nothing I am going to add a cupcake and Ice Cream from Cake Tahoe.


September 19th

OK Here is the Update - Last week I sent a photo of my scale reading 180.0 - no response.

The next day I sent a text "179.7, double or nothing to go 5 more?"

Response - "Congrats on the win, I am 170, only going to 160"

My reply "OK, I'll change to 175, you still only go to 160, and we up the ante to add Dinner at the Lone Eagle on Lake Tahoe"

Response "Game on"

After peaking right at 200 pounds, I feel really good at 180 and finally am very used to a diet I would call nearly gluten free and low carb.  Grilled chicken and vegetables at El Pollo Loco, are my basic lunch.  Grilled vegetables or wok seared at home with some fish is the home meal, and either muscle milk light or greek yogurt for breakfast.

Stay Tuned for round 2.

Keep Your Eye On Your Targets for Your success

One of the smartest things I ever did was move into a neighborhood I couldn’t afford.  On the surface this sounds stupid, so please let me explain why it wasn't.  This wasn’t a neighborhood of new fancy tract homes that all of the other couples my age were moving into.  This was a neighborhood full of what my friends called “old people and junky homes”.  My wife and I both liked the neighborhood because you had to pass by a winery while cruising down a road lined with old walnut trees to get there.  The area just had a great romantic feel and was very close to both of our offices at the time.  There was also a private country club featuring a championship golf course.

Years earlier I had discovered this little area of about 100 homes while out on a Sunday drive.  My wife and I later set our sights on living in that area at any cost.  We would scrimp and save and just about when we thought we could afford a house out there, the prices would go up.  We drove the neighborhood at least twice a month.  We thought we knew every street and every house in the area cold.  We went to every open house, and knew all the real estate agents.

Eventually we were the last of our friends in our old neighborhood.  Everyone had moved away into some “cool” area.  Some new tract of houses with a neighborhood pool, or that was closer to shopping would attract our friend’s attention.  I knew it wasn’t right for me to move into one of those neighborhoods so I stood my ground and waited. 

Resolutions for 2011

Closing out 2010, I had a conversation with a guy about starting his own business. He really wanted to do it but he just couldn't give up the security of working for somebody else. I explained to him that security is a mindset which is based on the confidence you have in your own environment. You can work for a big company or government and you put your trust in them that they will protect your environment and your job. When you give away that trust you are hoping to exchange it for security. This is a false confidence that you receive when you trade your time for money.

If you look at the current state of the economy you can see businesses failing right and left and government workers losing their jobs almost as quickly. Security in the sense of somebody else taking care of you is gone. The truth is it has never been there. It is only when you trust in yourself and invest in yourself that you continue to build your internal confidence so your security is unfazed by outside influences.

You should never let anyone else be responsible for your security blanket this is the easy way out and it never lasts. As we go into 2011 there are a few simple things that are very hard to do yet can make a huge difference in your life. Some might call the secrets, I just call them the obvious things that most people won't bother to do.

The Economy That Network Marketing Loves.

There is an old saying "When the going gets tough, the tough get going.", and if the news is right, then this is a very tough economy and the tough are getting going. Are you hiding in the house or jumping on a new Harley and getting to work? So, what are you really doing? There are places like California whose governments are really looking at the entire economy all wrong. When the tough stand up to take on the challenge, the best thing the government can do is move out of the way. Increasing business taxes and adding burdens to businesses will only shrink the economy in the long run.

Payroll taxes, business taxes, permits and anything else the city or state can charge for will act as a deterrent to growth. This creates an opportunity for a very specific market segment, network marketing. Personally as a network marketing participant I have never been what anyone would call successful. The reason is simple, I have never found a network marketing program that I liked so much I wanted to quit my business and dedicate all of my time to it. Several of my friends have and they do quite well.  What I have found is a network marketing program that supports my business, and that of my clients. 

The 366 Method of Daily Planning

Today is one of those days where I really enjoy being in a business that helps other people. The entire reason that I went into business was to help other people avoid the mistakes in business I made. The more businesses that I can help and the more people that I can help, the better we all do. The mistakes I made are way too common in business and way too expensive to ignore.

I got an e-mail this morning with a great question. It was from a guy that I met in Scottsdale Arizona at a marketing conference. His question was this: "I have a problem staying focused on my daily tasks and I'm wondering if you have any tips to help me get work on things done."

Attach Rewards to Your Goals And Achieve Higher Success

As the old saying goes, “physician heal thyself”. Business and life coaching isn't any different. It is funny that sometimes we forget to look in the mirror and judge ourselves. While talking with a client today I realized something I have been overlooking in my own life for some time now.

I had been confusing goals and rewards. Actually, I was skipping the goals and listing the rewards. Years ago when I first started creating goal sheets with my wife, the sheets listed real goals. Recently my wife and I had a discussion about our goals in the previous year and for the next year. She had accomplished significantly more of her goals than I had. I chalked my lack of accomplishment up to the fact that I was focused on a different area and obviously the goals were not as important as I had thought a year before when we created the goal sheets.