Visual Productivity

When you look at it, it just makes sense!

Motivation

5 Videos to Boost Your Motivation

I’ve compiled a list of motivational videos that I think will give you a lift.

I recommend you have an inspirational video list for times when you need a little pick me up. Here are 5 more to consider for your collection.

You can also check out my list on Inspirational Sports Videos.

1. The biggest names called failures before they were great

Some of the most famous people’s early struggles are detailed in this video. It’s about rising above what others say.

 

2. How a little boy can move a tree

A video from India. The song is in Hindi, but the images speak for themselves. It’s about the power of taking the first step. Who wouldn’t want to help that little kid.

 

3. Learning to play the violin

A touching short story about a girl who has her dreams crushed, only to come back stronger for it. It turns out to be a Pantene commercial at the end, so watch for all the hair fluttering in the breeze.

Q: “Why am I different from others?”
A: “Why do you have to be like others?”

 

4. Eric Thomas speaks to young college students at Michigan Student University

It starts with an old story, but it’s very well told. Erick speaks with passion and commitment.

5. Michael Jordan “Frozen Moment” Nike commercial

Everyone wants to be “Like Mike.” 🙂 What I’d like to you take away from this commercial is a reminder to be prepared to shine. You might not know when an opportunity will come, but when it does, you’ll be ready.

The Most Ignored Success Principle in The World

Reviewing results – 3 reasons why it sucks

review Nobody likes reviewing their work. Well, almost no one.

When I’m speaking to groups, I often come right out and ask if they review their results. A lot of people put their hands up because they do periodic reviews.

The majority of those people might spend time mulling over the past week at work in their mind, but virtually no one schedules a formal time to sit down and really assess what’s happening. Even fewer review both their personal and professional lives.

Some people do reviews at work all the time, because it’s part of their job description, but then they forget about the review process when it comes to their personal goals.

It’s too bad, because reviewing results is a crucial step in refining good ideas, and eliminating bad ones. If you want to have sustainable long-term success, some type of review system is a must.

I find that there are 3 common excuses for not reviewing results:

Keep Reading…

Why rewarding yourself with ‘stuff’ can damage your success

When most people reach a small goal, they feel like they need to buy or get themselves something. Unfortunately, that’s a mistake. I think rewarding good behaviour and success with stuff is the worst thing you can do.

coffee-reward Why using ‘stuff’ doesn’t work

By ‘stuff,’ I’m talking about things like clothing, electronics, trips, or even something that seems harmless – like a coffee.

Let me give you an example.
Keep Reading…

Slicing Your Way to Success using Occam’s Razor

What is Occam’s razor?

razorMany people try to quote Occam’s razor as, “The simplest answer is usually the correct one.”

That’s close, but not quite what William of Occam had in mind. A definition that’s closer to what Occam intended is probably more like the following:

“Of two equivalent theories or explanations, all other things being equal, the simpler one is to be preferred.”

It states that if you are asked to choose between two similar hypothesis’s, the simpler model may tend to be right more often than not. Occam leaves a lot more wiggle room in his definition.

Is the simplest answer always right?

Of course not.
Keep Reading…

Why Aren’t You Using Written Daily Goals?

achieve-your-goals Writing daily goals is a shortcut to achieving great results. They help clarify, focus, and quicken your goal achievement over the short term, so that you’re able to hit your big goals in the long run.

The act of writing your goals down makes them more real and tangible, and adds a level of accountability.

You may already be setting goals in your head, but you can take things to the next level by writing them down.

Finish things faster

The key to achieving large goals it to make them manageable. Choosing a “day-sized” portion is a great way to move toward the things you want.

Breaking anything down into smaller pieces lets you see the finish line before you start, and that makes it easier to feel like a success, since success in life almost always comes from incremental achievement. It’s when you chain enough small wins together that you see big results.

Once you hit your daily goal, you can go ahead and reward yourself with a Mini Celebration for a job well done.

What you focus on gets done

When you control what you focus on, you control what gets done.

The fact that you’re setting a goal just before you start your day, means you know how busy you’ll be, and you can set your goals accordingly. The goals should be reasonable, but achievable.

Your daily goal could be something as simple as, “Today, I’ll focus on having high quality phone conversations.” It could also be more specific. You could write, “I’ll finally complete that quarterly marketing report I’ve been putting off.”

Ideally, your daily goals should line up with the #1 item on your long-term goals list.

Clarify your goals

Goals that you set six months or a year ago might no longer apply today. By regularly reviewing what you want in life, you can ask questions to make sure your goals are still valid.

Here are some questions that should help:

  • Is this goal still important?
  • Are my priorities in the right place?
  • What’s the next logical step in this process?
  • Am I on pace to hit my current long-term goal?
  • What should I do less of?
  • What should I do more of?

 

Written daily goals are one of the easiest ways to accomplishing more and feel good while you’re doing it. It’s easy to start doing, so give it a shot and see how it works for you.

Glue Success Principle

stick-to-it I came across a riddle a few weeks ago and thought I’d share it with you. It made me think of a cool way to remember a major success principle (and I thought it would make you smile). Here it is:

“What is the secret of success?” asked the Sphinx.

“Push,” says the button.

“Always keep cool,” says the ice.

“Make light of everything,” says the light.

“Find a good thing and stick to it,” says the glue.

(paraphrased from Robert Akers, Boys life Jan 1962)

So,what’s the big idea?

The idea is nothing new. It’s actually something I’ve been teaching for years, but I like the phrasing. I call it the Glue Success Principle.

It’s a reminder to never give up on the important goals in life. A key success factor is the ability to stick with something, even after most other people would have given up.

How can I use the Glue Success Principle?

I’m going to suggest that you be sticky like glue sometimes. When you feel like giving up on something important that you absolutely need to complete, remember the Glue Success Principle, and stick to it a bit longer.

It’s OK To Be Second Sometimes

second-place_opt How would you feel if I said it was OK to be second?

You might think, “Second place means you’re the first loser.” Or, you might just wonder if I’ve lost it.

Now, don’t get me wrong. I love winning, and I agree that it sucks to lose. It’s worst when you come in second, because you were so close to winning.

The reason why I’m saying second place is OK is because being a runner-up can give you 10 times the learning opportunities compared to when you win.

1st vs. 2nd

Being first sometimes lulls you into feeling like you’re ‘good enough,’ and it can be hard to avoid becoming complacent after a big victory.

On the other hand, coming close to winning, but falling short, often sends you back to the drawing board to revisit and revise your approach.

If you’re able to take an honest look at yourself, you’ll more than likely find one or two little nagging deficiencies holding you back. Once you’ve identified those problems, you can make the necessary changes and start moving forward again.

Second place always gives you two options. You can go back to the drawing board and make yourself better, or you can quit. It’s your call. ~ Kevin Achtzener

Dangers of 2nd place

Of course, there are some dangers to coming in second.

If you don’t use the time after a loss to improve, you may stagnate and start to slide downwards.

There’s also a danger of you feeling like a ‘loser,’ even though you were within a hair of winning. Calling yourself a loser is one of the fastest ways to destroy your confidence and success.

What do you do?

If you get the chance, go for the win, but if you fall a bit short, remember that life goes on, and you’ll come back better than ever next time.

Remember: You can learn more by losing, but winning is way more fun.

The Best Car in The Parking Lot

ferrari When most people have success in their chosen filed, they usually taper back on their pursuit of greatness. It’s because they think they’ve finally figured things out.

I’m a firm believer that success comes in waves. There are good times and bad times (or at least “less good'” times).

I’m sure you’ll agree that one of the best feelings in the world is when you’re living the high life and everything seems to be going right for you. You feel like a champion.

Unfortunately, if you get carried away with experiencing all the goodies life has to offer, you may not see potential rough patches coming until it’s too late.

Here are two things you can do to help manage the high of being on a winning streak in life.

Look outside your sphere of influence for advice

The times when you’re succeeding like crazy may not seem like the ideal time to look for feedback, but it definitely is. I highly recommend getting advice from someone outside of your sphere of influence so that you’re able to get an objective opinion.

The people around you care too much about you, and their vision may be clouded as to what’s really going on in your life. They judgement may be especially fuzzy when it comes to your short-comings. It may also be that they don’t want to upset you, so they just keep small issues to themselves.

Don't be greedy

The second think you can do when you’re succeeding it to do whatever it takes to not be greedy. When you share the spotlight, everyone wins. Look for ways to pass around the praise and you’ll encourage those around you to take more ownership towards the success of the team.

It always impresses me how much you can lean from the people you work with on a daily basis. Sometimes it’s the most un-assuming person who will give you a jaw-dropping insight to move things forward. The key is to listen openly.

Who knows. You might be able to take a suggestion from someone, mix in your own substantial knowledge and experience, and come up with something brilliant. It’s more than likely your co-workers ideas are very good already.

Remember that even if you’re the best of the best; when you collaborate with other people, you’ll end up much further ahead than going it alone. Plus, what fun is it at the top if there’s nobody there to share all the fun?

 

Check out my other post, “The Worst Car in The Parking Lot.” It has insights on what you can do when you’re feeling like you’re on the bottom of the heap.

8 Uncool Ways to Achieve More

Many of the best ways to get ahead seem uncool on the outside, so most people don’t even give them a try. Doing some of the items from my list may not look cool, but having the skills, knowledge, experience that comes from them, will help you go places.

You’ll probably notice that most of the ideas involve you getting out and connecting with people. By having a strong network and possesing good skills, you can do just about anything in life, and be happy at the same time.

1. Join a board

Boards run companies and organizations. When you hear someone is the President of a company, it means that they’re the head of the board, and the board sets out the objectives and future path for the company.

To start out, you’ll never get a seat on a multi-billion dollar board unless you had a lot of specialized knowledge or money. For everyone else, you’ll need to work your way up the ladder by starting out with positions on smaller boards.

Most not for profits and charities are constantly looking for board members to help out. In exchange for your time, you can learn how group decision making works, and also get a feel for some of the skills required if you want to take things further.

From my experience with coaching not for profit boards, I can tell you that taking on a role with a board is one of the best ways to learn about accountability and dealing with others.

2. Create a database of your contacts

In his book, Swim with the Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive, Harvey Mackay talks about how he uses a list of 66 items to keep track of client information (he calls it the Mackay 66). This information includes their contact information, and in addition, he tracks items like university attended, family info, and outside interests. It’s like using notes, but in a more structured, consistent, and organized way.

The purpose of the information is to help you build stronger relationships with your clients. By actually taking an interest in their life beyond business, you can develop a deeper bond which might indirectly affect your business relationship. If you care about the people you deal with and take the time to show it, the success will come.

I recommend using a database, or one of the various online Contact Management Systems (CMS) to keep everything straight. The best reason for putting information into a database is that it’s searchable.

Here’s a link to the Mackay 66 (PDF).

3. Ditch your old friends and get newer, better ones

I’m joking a bit here, but it’s true that the people we associate with on a daily basis partly determine where we get in life. It’s the people you associate with who motivate and drive you. If your friends aren’t challenging you to keep getting better, you’ll start to stagnate.

The goal is to hang out more with people who are going in the same direction as you. For instance, if you want to be in business, you might want to consider spending time shadowing others in the same line of work.

There needs to be a balance, between being comfortable with the people you know, and looking outside your circle of friends to help you grow. I wrote a post about this a while back. You can check it out for more info.

4. Volunteer

I can’t tell you how many great people donate their time. This is an opportunity to make a difference in your community, but also to meet other important people.

Volunteers are needed almost everywhere, so you can try out different opportunities, until you find something that works for you.

Avoid pitching people when you’re volunteering. There’s nothing worse that the person going around trying to make deals. Just get to know other people, and help out in the community. If you build enough good relationships, the deals will start to come.

Where do I start: You can try Rotary, Kiwanis, or Lions Clubs, just to name a few.

5. Send snail mail to thank people

If you see a hand addressed envelope with your name on it, what are the chances of you opening it? Pretty good, right? A short,hand written note, can be one of your best tools to keep in touch these days. It only takes five minutes too.

You can read my post on how easy it is to make thank you notes part of your day.

6. Develop good public speaking skills

You may have the best ideas in the world, but if you’re unable to communicate them effectively, it doesn’t matter.

By improving your public speaking, you not only get better at situations when there’s a big crowd, but also when you’re one on one.

The easiest way to get better at speaking is by joining a local Toastmasters club. Most cities have dozens of unique groups, so it’s crucial that you find the right one. Use the search function on the Toastmasters website and then pick a few clubs. Then, visit each one once or twice before making a decision.

If you’re not a good speaker, you can get better. If you’re already a great speaker, you can take things to the next level. There’s always something you can learn.

Other suggestions: Go to a Pecha Kucha night, read poetry somewhere, join an acting group, or try out an improv troupe. Keep experiencing new activities until you find one that keeps you engaged.

7. Study negotiation techniques

Learn how you can create win, win strategies. These days you need to make everyone feel good, or else they’ll start a war with you on the internet.

There’s a book I like called Getting to Yes that describes how to diffuse confrontation and negotiate strategies which work for everyone involved. Obviously, this isn’t as easy as it sounds, and it will take some practice, but the best time to start is now.

I took an entire course based on this book in university. At the time, I didn’t see the importance, but now that I have a lot of business experience, I can appreciate how making everyone feel like a winner is invaluable.

8. Ask for help

Don’t try to reinvent the wheel. If you have questions and concerns, there’s probably someone out there who’s dealt with those same issues in the past.

It’s best to look for help from someone outside of your immediate family and friends. That way you can get an objective opinion about where you are and what your roadblocks are. Be sure to listen. It may sting when you hear that someone you thought was a strength is actually holding you back.

The two typical solutions are to either find a mentor or coach. They’re similar in that they both want you to succeed, but differ in their approaches. Here’s the difference:

Mentor – Advises you about the best course of action. They’ll tell you what to do.

Coach – Will ask you questions and encourage you to develop the solution.

Do you have an uncool way to be successful? Leave a comment or drop me a line. I’d love to hear it.

The 3 Best Characters from 7 Samurai

7samurai

After hearing so many good things about the movie, I finally took the time to watch Seven Samurai for the first time. It’s likely you’ve heard of it, and many of you have no doubt seen it too. The movie is considered one of the best epics of all time.

By today’s standards, Seven Samurai has a very slow pace (A remake is scheduled to be released in 2011). It’s super-long (almost 3 1/2 hours) and almost put me to sleep at times from a lot of scenes that could have been shortened in my opinion.

Luckily, all the boring parts are made up for by having complex and interesting character development. The samurai steal the show. In the end, I found plenty of good takeaways from the film. I’ll share my favourite 3 characters and what ‘achievement-based’ learning you can take away.

Here’s the basic premise of Seven Samurai:

A town keeps getting attacked by a band of outlaws who steal their food and supplies. The poor townspeople find seven out-of-work samurai to help them fend off the invaders. The samurai then teach the town how to fight and they work together to save the village. Unfortunately, not all of the samurai make it.

Since Seven Samurai came out in 1954, many other movies have borrowed the model. One of the best know remakes is The Magnificent Seven, which transports the plot to the Wild West.

Kevin’s top 3 achievement-based samurai

Planning and Leadership – Kanbe Shimada (The Strategist)

Kanbe-Shimada In the movie, Kanbe Shimada is a brilliant tactician. He keeps calm, cool, and collected at all times and uses the power of his words to get the most out of people. Kanbe has the entire defensive system laid out on a map, which he uses to direct the defenders during the final battle.

Here’s one of Kanbe Shimada great quotes, “Danger always strikes when everything seems fine.” Truer words have never been spoken.

Achievement Takeaway: Good leaders take the time and effort to thoroughly plan every part of their strategy, down to the smallest detail. Then they ensure that those working with them are trained up to a reasonable skill level to get the job done. They also seek to understand their opposition so they can defeat it.

Effective Action – Kyuzo (Amazing Swordsman)

kyuzo The best swordsman in the movie doesn’t brag about how great he is. Instead, he makes statements about what he plans on doing and then goes out and does what he says. At one point in the movie, Kyuzo says he will capture one of the muskets being used by the opposing bandits. He heads out in the middle of the night and comes back the next morning with the musket in hand.

Achievement Takeaway: If you remember the old adage of under-promising and over-delivering you should be safe here. Only promise what you can faithfully deliver. If you make the effort and go above and beyond expectations, recognition is likely to follow. Giving more than your customers or associates expect is one of the fastest ways to become more successful.

Taking Risk – Kikuchiyo (The Crazy Guy)

Kikuchiyo Kikuchiyo is the most colourful character in the move. I think the the actor portraying him goes a bit over the top at times, but in any case, there’s no doubt that he attracts attention. Almost everything Kikuchiyo does is an attempt to look good in front of the other samurai and the villagers. He’s brash and does some crazy things that no normal person would do.

Achievement Takeaway: Sometimes it’s good to be a little cavalier in what you do. That’s not to say that you should be completely reckless in your actions, but remember that it’s usually the times where you take a chance that you have the biggest breakthroughs.

 

If I left off your favourite samurai, feel free to leave me a comment and tell me why they should have been here.