Zig Ziglar sent me an email yesterday with some of his famous quotes. The quote that tickled me reads as follows: Maybe it wasn't meant that way, but American ends with "I can."
What a powerful affirmation. It is too easy to get down with the economy and personal problems. Thanks Zig for the upbeat reminder "we can do anything we set our mind to." Or as Zig is most famous for saying, "You can have everything in life you want if you will help enough other people get what they want."
Showing posts with label motivation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label motivation. Show all posts
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Friday, November 6, 2009
Training
It should be illegal to engage in serious thought on Fridays; serious tax thought, at any rate. Next week I’ll present more tax saving tips. So today I will discuss an important habit of successful people: training.
I have the enviable position of working with people at various levels of success in their personal and business life. Certain traits highlight each group. As an optimist, I’ll focus on the winners.
One of the most common traits of the successful person is training. Profitable and growing business owners, even in tough economic times, almost always spend time training with seminars, audio tapes, and videos. The winners never stop looking for good ideas and implementing them.
It is interesting how winners train. A roofer may listen to regular doses of motivational tapes in addition to classes on new industry products and procedures. Your friendly accountant takes insurance classes, tax and accounting seminars, listens to motivational, spiritual, and business audio and video programs. Winners consider it wise to build a solid base of knowledge for the inevitable day when unforeseen difficulties arise.
And the one thing successful people do less than any other demographic is watch TV. Of the TV they do watch, much of it is viewing training and personal or business development videos. In their car they listen to tapes that further their career, build their business, or motivate.
Turning off the TV is not enough. Taking action is the one necessary key to get anything done. Success is a result of actions taken. You might fail. But as Wayne Gretzky said, “You miss one hundred percent of the shots you never take.” And if you are well trained, you will make a good number of those shots.
Enjoying a fulfilling marriage and raising intelligent, moral, decent kids takes work. I know work is a four letter word, but not all four letter words are dirty. Work is a good word. To have a marriage second to none and to raise successful kids requires more than a piece of paper (marriage license or birth certificate). Modeling marriages that last the duration and families with kids that grow up as valuable citizens of the community is important. There is nothing wrong with taking classes on being a better parent, husband, or wife. You don’t need to wait for disaster to attend a seminar on building and maintaining a wonderful marriage. You don’t need to wait for your kids to try drugs before talking with them about these issues and listening to self-development programs for teens. Doing these things is not an admission of defeat, rather a commitment to a great family life.
Challenges will arise. You need to be prepared. And if things always go well for you, you still had the opportunity to learn, grow, and enjoy.
I have the enviable position of working with people at various levels of success in their personal and business life. Certain traits highlight each group. As an optimist, I’ll focus on the winners.
One of the most common traits of the successful person is training. Profitable and growing business owners, even in tough economic times, almost always spend time training with seminars, audio tapes, and videos. The winners never stop looking for good ideas and implementing them.
It is interesting how winners train. A roofer may listen to regular doses of motivational tapes in addition to classes on new industry products and procedures. Your friendly accountant takes insurance classes, tax and accounting seminars, listens to motivational, spiritual, and business audio and video programs. Winners consider it wise to build a solid base of knowledge for the inevitable day when unforeseen difficulties arise.
And the one thing successful people do less than any other demographic is watch TV. Of the TV they do watch, much of it is viewing training and personal or business development videos. In their car they listen to tapes that further their career, build their business, or motivate.
Turning off the TV is not enough. Taking action is the one necessary key to get anything done. Success is a result of actions taken. You might fail. But as Wayne Gretzky said, “You miss one hundred percent of the shots you never take.” And if you are well trained, you will make a good number of those shots.
Enjoying a fulfilling marriage and raising intelligent, moral, decent kids takes work. I know work is a four letter word, but not all four letter words are dirty. Work is a good word. To have a marriage second to none and to raise successful kids requires more than a piece of paper (marriage license or birth certificate). Modeling marriages that last the duration and families with kids that grow up as valuable citizens of the community is important. There is nothing wrong with taking classes on being a better parent, husband, or wife. You don’t need to wait for disaster to attend a seminar on building and maintaining a wonderful marriage. You don’t need to wait for your kids to try drugs before talking with them about these issues and listening to self-development programs for teens. Doing these things is not an admission of defeat, rather a commitment to a great family life.
Challenges will arise. You need to be prepared. And if things always go well for you, you still had the opportunity to learn, grow, and enjoy.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Great Minds and "I Can"
Zig Ziglar asks in his motivational seminar series: Why is that with only 3 million Americans in 1776, we produced Washington, Jefferson, Adams, Franklin, Paine, and many more, and today, with over 300 million Americans we produced...
He lets the words hang intentionally. It is a powerful question to ponder.
Later he talks about an inner city LA school with all the problems inner city schools have; how they started an "I Can" program and solved the problems. The "I Can" program started to reward kids for good behavior rather than focus on punishing bad behavior. Teachers and administrators would give coupons or points to kids caught picking up trash, helping another student, being polite to others, and so on. Six months later there were zero instances of drugs, graffiti, assault, or other crime. He goes on to explain an administrator talking about six kids chasing down one piece of trash blowing across the school yard from an adjacent park. When the picture of themselves changed, they changed. And the community was better for it. Most of all, the kids learned so much about themselves. What it is like to help others, be kind, and respect their community.
I bring this up because I think the United States has it all wrong when dealing with crime. We have over 2.5 million people in our prisons and jails as I write this, and the problem continues to grow. No society has ever incarcerated so many per capita or per volume, save modern Russia. The policy doesn't work. Most of these people will rejoin society with a chip on their shoulder. The families that are broken become bitter and the cycle keeps on growing. Even worse, some states are opening prison doors due to economic contraints. Is this really the way to run a society?
I am an optimist. I think an "I Can" program for adults would go much further than building another prison. It would work like this. Businesses would allow the police to hand out $5 certificates redeemable for services. Fast food restaurants and retail stores would find this a low-cost advertising program. The stores wouldn't be charged for distribution of the certificates. They would just have to provide the $5 discount, their only cost.
The police would reward adults and children alike. Imagine: You pull into a parking lot and a police officer follows you. (I don't think the police should pull anyone over for this.) The officer says to you as you leave your car, "I noticed back there you yielded right-of-way when you didn't have to. That was neighborly of you." He then hands a certificate for the store you are at.
I know I am crazy, but imagine: A probation agent rewarding an individual for good behavior rather than gearing toward punishment for bad behavior. If you want attention, do good. The person on probation for DUI gets recognition or a certificate for a period of sobriety. A prison inmate gets additional privileges for walking away from a fight. Instead of punishing bad actions, reward the positive and reinforce it.
A blog post is too short to spell out the whole program as it sits in my head. Maybe I live in an idealized world... in my head. It's my world as I see it. I think we would all be better off praising the uplifting. We should end our squandering of resources dealing with bad behavior only. Just think, fewer victims and lower taxes. Am I really nuts to think this is worth trying?
I know we still need jails for the incorrigible. But how many are really incorrigible? How many became incorrigible from the ongoing cycle? And is it possible to prevent people from becoming this way by adjusting our view of ourselves. How does it make you or the officer feel when an arrest takes place? If the police are friends rather than accuser, our community is better off.
In Japan, where crime is significantly lower than it is in the United States, where it is safe to walk the streets, day or night, the attitude is different. People have a high moral view of their community and feel they belong. We can learn a lot from those succeeding at social stability.
I dream. Our world can be better. I can say thank you, smile, be kind and friendly, pick up the trash, and speak highly of my community. I dream. It starts with me. I can do this. One person at a time, we make our society a better place. I bet it is contagious.
He lets the words hang intentionally. It is a powerful question to ponder.
Later he talks about an inner city LA school with all the problems inner city schools have; how they started an "I Can" program and solved the problems. The "I Can" program started to reward kids for good behavior rather than focus on punishing bad behavior. Teachers and administrators would give coupons or points to kids caught picking up trash, helping another student, being polite to others, and so on. Six months later there were zero instances of drugs, graffiti, assault, or other crime. He goes on to explain an administrator talking about six kids chasing down one piece of trash blowing across the school yard from an adjacent park. When the picture of themselves changed, they changed. And the community was better for it. Most of all, the kids learned so much about themselves. What it is like to help others, be kind, and respect their community.
I bring this up because I think the United States has it all wrong when dealing with crime. We have over 2.5 million people in our prisons and jails as I write this, and the problem continues to grow. No society has ever incarcerated so many per capita or per volume, save modern Russia. The policy doesn't work. Most of these people will rejoin society with a chip on their shoulder. The families that are broken become bitter and the cycle keeps on growing. Even worse, some states are opening prison doors due to economic contraints. Is this really the way to run a society?
I am an optimist. I think an "I Can" program for adults would go much further than building another prison. It would work like this. Businesses would allow the police to hand out $5 certificates redeemable for services. Fast food restaurants and retail stores would find this a low-cost advertising program. The stores wouldn't be charged for distribution of the certificates. They would just have to provide the $5 discount, their only cost.
The police would reward adults and children alike. Imagine: You pull into a parking lot and a police officer follows you. (I don't think the police should pull anyone over for this.) The officer says to you as you leave your car, "I noticed back there you yielded right-of-way when you didn't have to. That was neighborly of you." He then hands a certificate for the store you are at.
I know I am crazy, but imagine: A probation agent rewarding an individual for good behavior rather than gearing toward punishment for bad behavior. If you want attention, do good. The person on probation for DUI gets recognition or a certificate for a period of sobriety. A prison inmate gets additional privileges for walking away from a fight. Instead of punishing bad actions, reward the positive and reinforce it.
A blog post is too short to spell out the whole program as it sits in my head. Maybe I live in an idealized world... in my head. It's my world as I see it. I think we would all be better off praising the uplifting. We should end our squandering of resources dealing with bad behavior only. Just think, fewer victims and lower taxes. Am I really nuts to think this is worth trying?
I know we still need jails for the incorrigible. But how many are really incorrigible? How many became incorrigible from the ongoing cycle? And is it possible to prevent people from becoming this way by adjusting our view of ourselves. How does it make you or the officer feel when an arrest takes place? If the police are friends rather than accuser, our community is better off.
In Japan, where crime is significantly lower than it is in the United States, where it is safe to walk the streets, day or night, the attitude is different. People have a high moral view of their community and feel they belong. We can learn a lot from those succeeding at social stability.
I dream. Our world can be better. I can say thank you, smile, be kind and friendly, pick up the trash, and speak highly of my community. I dream. It starts with me. I can do this. One person at a time, we make our society a better place. I bet it is contagious.
Monday, August 31, 2009
Motivation Zig Ziglar Style
If you know Zig Ziglar, you know what I mean when I say motivation. Zig is a powerful speaker with a moving message. Whenever I get a little down, things go wrong, or just need a kick in the pants to get the job done, I pop in a Zig tape from off the shelf.
Everyone gets down once in a while. Many times life hands us the proverbial lemon and we don't want to make lemonade; we want to wallow in our self-pity instead. Of course this all feeds back on itself, grows, and is counter-productive to our needs.
Many years ago I had an employee I hired straight from college. She had the skills and qualifications to be great in the profession. Instead, she chose to stagnate. I require my employees to take continuing education each year at my expense. I play educational and motivational tapes in my office from time to time. Said employee refused to take continuing education or motivation classes, saying "That is all brainwashing."
It isn't brainwashing, it's called education, learning, and building integrity and character. The end result came as no surprise. By not following up on current tax law changes and building skills to serve clients, she was no longer an asset to clients and was let go.
It bothers me that a promising young career ended so fast over something so foolish. When I get down or want a pick-me-up, I pop in a Zig tape. I study taxes daily to maintain and improve my skills. Life is tough enough, why make it worse. Walking life alone is an empty existence; holding hands as a team and growing together is the greatest feeling in the world.
If you feel a little down, as I did lately, find something that picks you up. And by all means, do not walk the mile alone. We are all on this trip together. And what a fantastic voyage it is, filled with wonder and awe.
Everyone gets down once in a while. Many times life hands us the proverbial lemon and we don't want to make lemonade; we want to wallow in our self-pity instead. Of course this all feeds back on itself, grows, and is counter-productive to our needs.
Many years ago I had an employee I hired straight from college. She had the skills and qualifications to be great in the profession. Instead, she chose to stagnate. I require my employees to take continuing education each year at my expense. I play educational and motivational tapes in my office from time to time. Said employee refused to take continuing education or motivation classes, saying "That is all brainwashing."
It isn't brainwashing, it's called education, learning, and building integrity and character. The end result came as no surprise. By not following up on current tax law changes and building skills to serve clients, she was no longer an asset to clients and was let go.
It bothers me that a promising young career ended so fast over something so foolish. When I get down or want a pick-me-up, I pop in a Zig tape. I study taxes daily to maintain and improve my skills. Life is tough enough, why make it worse. Walking life alone is an empty existence; holding hands as a team and growing together is the greatest feeling in the world.
If you feel a little down, as I did lately, find something that picks you up. And by all means, do not walk the mile alone. We are all on this trip together. And what a fantastic voyage it is, filled with wonder and awe.
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