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I’m Afraid To Fail

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[et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text”]99% of the time when I ask people why they aren’t taking steps to follow their dreams, they say they are afraid to fail.

Wait.

If you just said, “that’s not me, though” I’m going to kindly reel you back in.

FEAR AFFECTS EVERY SINGLE PERSON…

ALL OF US.

Fear of failure is one of the biggest reasons so many people don’t do what they were made to do. They’re so concerned about failing that they don’t think about what could happen if they succeed. If you start with your biggest excuse and work backward, you will almost always find that your reasoning is based in fear. Fear of what others will think. Fear of embarrassment. Fear of starting over.

Feeling fear means you’re about to do something big. It means whatever is about to happen is going to determine how your journey continues. When you’re scared, you know that if you do what it is that you’re scared to do, you will be different on the other side. Things will be different, relationships will be different, circumstances will be different. If it weren’t a big deal, you wouldn’t be afraid. But your fear is a physical indicator that you are alive and present and that you’re about to do something big.

If we treat failure as a reset button, it can be a lot less scary. Failure is life’s way of telling us that our idea didn’t work and we need more time. Or more training. Or more patience. Or more grit. If we avoid trying new things because we are afraid to fail, we aren’t allowing ourselves to succeed.

When we talk about facing our fears, we often speak about being brave. But having courage is not the same as being fearless. Being courageous is being afraid and doing it anyway. Everyone can let fear stop them, but the brave ones feel the fear and do it anyway.

This month, let’s feel the fear and do it anyway. Let’s stop worrying about what could happen if we fail, and start getting excited about what will happen when we succeed.

My challenge for you this week: Decide that October is the month where you feel the fear and do it anyway. Identify a major fear you have, write it on a sticky note, and put it on a bathroom mirror. When you identify it and give it a name, it begins to lose it’s power.[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column]
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Self-Improvement Is Not Selfish

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[et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text”]A little louder for the people in the back….

Self-improvement is not selfish.

“Once we accept our limits, we go beyond them.” – Albert Einstein

September Self Improvement Series:

Self-improvement is not selfish. Out of all of the lies I wish people would stop believing, this one is at the top of my list. Far too often, we say yes to everyone else and leave nothing for ourselves. We teach and we lead, we guide and we love those around us, but if we don’t do these things for ourselves, we’re doing our families and our businesses a disservice.

When you focus on self-improvement, everyone wins. When you establish healthy habits and rituals, you feel more balanced and in control. When you feel more balanced, you are better equipped to help others find their balance and manage them well.

When you focus on self-improvement, you become a better team player. When you set and reach personal goals, you’re more confident setting and achieving goals as part of a team.

When you focus on self-improvement, you learn more about yourself. Being intentional about stepping out of your comfort zone allows you to discover strengths and passions that you never knew you had. Taking a good hard look at your weaknesses can be uncomfortable, but when you work through them, you’re a changed person on the other side.

When you have a more in-depth understanding of who you are (and your WorkExpression, more on that later), you can walk confidently into any work task or business meeting and know exactly how your strengths can be used to move the company forward.

So, one more time. Self-improvement is not selfish. It’s productive, and it’s hard sometimes, it’s exciting, it’s valuable, it’s necessary, it’s beautiful. It is a lot of things, but it is not selfish.

Let that go. Focus on being the best version of you. And watch everything else fall into place.
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Happy Labor Day

“Let us realize that: the privilege to work is a gift,
the power to work is a blessing,
the love of work is success!”
-David O McKay

All too often we are guilty of assuming people can read our minds. We notice an employee or colleague does something helpful or impressive and we think to ourselves how much we appreciate them, but we rarely vocalize it. I know I’m guilty of this. Labor Day, a day set aside to honor the American worker, is a time to reflect on the hard work the people around you put into their jobs every day. It’s also a time to reflect on how much work you’ve done this year and celebrate your victories and accomplishments.

As a business leader, we need to make our employees feel seen, heard, appreciated and validated. We can do this in a number of ways. Showing gratitude for their labor does not have to be a grand ordeal. Simply popping into their office to let them know you appreciate them can really change their day and shift the culture of the workspace. Employees are much more likely to work hard when they know their efforts are seen and appreciated.

You can take them to lunch, give them a shout on social media, offer time off, or host a team event just to show your appreciation. There are many ways you can let your employees know that they matter. 

Today, maybe you’re celebrating  Labor Day on the beach, or at a backyard picnic with friends. Maybe you’re still in the office, because you’re a hustler and things have to get done. However you are choosing to spend this Labor Day, remember to take time to reflect on all of the hard work you’ve put into your business so far. Use this upcoming week to remind those around you that their contributions to the company matter. That they matter. When we put people above profits, big things happen. 

My challenge for you this week: 

#1: Be intentional about showing gratitude to those around you.
#2: Use today to rest, but hustle hard this week to not only meet your personal and professional goals but crush them. 

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3 Ways To Make Sure You New Year’s Resolutions Stick This Year

If you’re looking for another feel-good article about easy ways to keep New Year’s Resolutions and a list of the most popular resolutions, this isn’t it. We’re excited about the new year, as you should be because it means limitless options for wealth, success strengthened relationships and reaching the next level. But we are also realistic and know that a significant percentage of goals and commitments made in the excitement of the new year fizzle out by mid-march. Why? Because without a plan, without calculated action steps, without deadlines and accountability, new year’s resolutions are just wishes. So this year, why not decide to be intentional about your growth and success instead of hoping that it happens simply because you said it on January 1st?

One of the ways to ensure that your new year’s resolution sticks and doesn’t fade away once the excitement of the new year is gone is by planning an off season that allows you to plan, analyze, strategize, refocus and recharge. While you may plan to charge full steam ahead into the new year, make sure part of your business plan for 2019 includes an off season. We’ve discussed the many different benefits of the implementing an off season and all the things an off season is not, but one of the biggest moves you can make is implementing the Off Season Training Course into your business plan. If you are going to be intentional about creating a powerful off season, the best way to do it is to completely immerse yourself in the resources, planning pages, workbooks and audio downloads we’ve created to help you maximize your off season results.

Another way to ensure your goals become a reality is by connecting with people who will hold you accountable. Finding a mentor is a powerful way to get a fresh perspective on your ideas and learn new ways to reach the next level. By sharing your dreams and aspirations with someone who is passionate about your success, you are arming yourself with someone who will push you to keep going, even when you don’t feel like it. Especially when you don’t feel like it. Attend networking events, participate in a mastemind class, or simply seek out the guidance of someone who has “been there, done that” to keep yourself accountable.

One final way to make sure you are next level bound in 2019 is to make sure you put habits and rituals in place that will set you up for success. Decide what your absolutes are and stick with them. What are some things you can commit to doing that will benefit you in the long run? What are some temptations that you know will set you back and what can you do to avoid them? This may mean saying no to happy hour with coworkers to stay committed to your habits or distancing yourself from a less-than-supportive friend who often sidetracks you from your commitments and plans. Let a few trusted friends know about the habits and rituals you’re trying to establish so they can help you stick with it.

January 1st is a great time for fresh starts and new beginnings, and we strongly encourage you to use this new chapter as a time to set big goals. By planning a powerful off season, finding a mentor and establishing habits and rituals that will keep you focused, you can make sure your 2019 starts with purpose!

 

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7 Ways to use Accountability to Make Average Employees Better

Great CEOs understand that investing in human capital is paramount to growing their companies. The concept is employee engagement diagram hand drawing on chalkboardsimple: Helping your employees perform at an optimal level will help your profits perform, too.

Every organization has its high-performers — if you buy into the “80-20 rule,” they typically make up 20 percent of your workforce — who consistently produce at a high level. You love them. You wish you could clone an army of them. They’re the star quarterbacks on your bowl-bound team.

But not everyone can be an MVP. The majority of your professionals, the other 80 percent, fall into the “average” category. They aren’t good enough to call “high performers,” but not bad enough to get rid of, either. They are just average.

What if you could get the 80 percent to perform more like the 20 percent? Here’s how I’ve helped companies strengthen average employees through personal accountability.

1. Know how your employees will react

As we’ve established, not all employees are created equal. This is especially evident in their reaction to criticism.

High-performers are accountable by nature, constantly thinking of ways they can improve themselves with or without your well-thought-out performance review. They probably think more about performance improvement than you do.

Average performers, on the other hand, spend less time reflecting on their work and might wrestle with your feedback. They aren’t as accountable as your high-performers, so your well-meaning performance review creates hardship, negative emotions, and contempt. Knowing this changes how we approach the 80 percent.

2. Help employees own their work

If you want to inspire the average segment to get moving, try some type of accountability training prior to your performance reviews. This will condition your employees to own what they do and want more out of it as a result.

If you can convince even half of your average employees to focus on improvement, the entire workforce benefits tremendously. You may even get some of your poor performers to become average.

3. Focus on how “we” can improve

Make sure you communicate that you appreciate each employee’s efforts, but always articulate how can “we” do more. Never focus on “you,” because average performers can become defensive if they feel like it’s a personal attack.

Emphasizing the “we” in your conversation will make improvement feel like more of a team effort.

4. Maintain a coaching culture

Create an atmosphere where coaching is a part of the job when you onboard new employees. By introducing them to the company culture early on — specifically to your high-performers — employees can keep each other accountable.

5. Set ambitious goals

Set high benchmarks that will push your average producers without discouraging them. This will create scenarios and expectations for more production. Always dangle the carrot!

6. Celebrate great performance

Always celebrate your top performers publicly as a motivator for them to keep producing. This will motivate some of your average performers to produce more. Rewards could be things like choice seats at your awards banquet or an invitation-only high-performer’s breakfast with a guest speaker.

7. Nourish potential

There are many great ways to motivate your best average performers to continue climbing. For example, try spending one-on-one time with your average performers who have the most potential to elevate their performance.

You could also budget professional coaching for your up-and-comers, or facilitate team brainstorming sessions. Employees work harder when they feel that their ideas are being heard.

Please share in the comments which of these 7 you will apply in your business and why.

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