School of Hard Knocks.

We all go to this school. It's a self-study course that we all attend.  No admittance exam required.  Everyone is enrolled.  But graduating from the School of Hard Knocks is different.  We graduate class by class. Lesson by lesson.  And our studies are never completed.  There is always another lesson to be learned. Another class to attend.  Enrollment is mandatory, not optional.

But not all of us learn our lessons. Not everyone learns from the classes they are forced to take.  Graduating from these classes takes effort.  

There are several characteristics of people who are successful in this program.  Those who thrive in the School of Hard Knocks have confidence in their ability. They are willing to identify the mistakes they have made.  They are willing to analyze those mistakes for lessons.  They are willing to implement lessons they have learned to reduce those mistakes from occurring again. 

Graduate Hard Knock Studies

Moreover, some "graduate students" from the School of Hard Knocks go even further.  They share their mistakes with others.  They share the lessons they have learned. They help other people avoid the mistakes they have made. 

So how do you perform in the School of Hard Knocks?

Are you a life-long learner?

Are you a graduate student who shares their...

Fad and Styles.

What's the latest craze?

Polyester leisure suits.

Shag carpeting.

Pet Rocks.

Wide lapels.

Tie-Dyed Shirts.

Mini-skirts

Frozen Yogurt Stores.

Gangham Style.

Monster Trucks.

Mini-Houses.

Disco.

You can name a million different fads and styles.

But in the end....they are gone.  Thankfully.

Fads and Styles Versus Classic

We are in the process of making some significant style decisions on our home.  And these can be very expensive decisions.  The question is this...do you bow to the current wave of popularity and choose what is in style currently?  Or do you choose something which isn't "in" or "out" of style?  They call that "timeless" or "classic".  To me, it's important to make a decision that will provide lasting benefit and minimize the potential for regret that comes with spending time, energy and money on a fad.  

The risk is real. Do you bow to the self-imposed peer-pressure of having something that is currently popular, only to find that in a few years your decision is quickly outdated and now out of style? That can take a lot of effort and be very expensive to fix. Or do you stop, think about the decision before you choose, and then make a decision based on what will be the best decision now AND into the future?  

It's no different in all aspects of your life.  Think about the horizon...

Large or Small Steps

What's easier to take?  

Large Steps?  Or Small Steps?

If you are just learning to walk, what do you take? 

Large Steps?  Or Small Steps?

If you are on a rough and slippery path, what do you take?

Large Steps?  Or Small Steps?

If you know you have to climb stairs without a railing, what do you take?

Large Steps?  Or Small Steps?

If you want to be surer of your footing and progress, what do you take?

Large Steps?  Or Small Steps?

Your Product Or Service

If that's the case, then when you are teaching others, providing them with new information or helping them make a transformation, what do you give them?

Large Steps?  Or Small Steps?

Which do you think would provide better potential for success?

Large Steps?  Or Small Steps?

Trust

A powerful word.

But what does it mean? Perhaps I know that you are acting in my best interest?  Or maybe you are working in the best interest of mankind?  It might be that I know you are telling me the truth.  And maybe it means that you are not going to do anything that will hurt me.

What does it mean to you?  What meaning does "trust" have for you?  Is it the same as I think?  Or is it different? 

What about your audience?  Your clients? Your customers?  What does trust mean to them?  Are you delivering "trust" to them in the way that they believe?

Agreed Upon Definitions Of Words

Words can be interpreted differently by different people.

Consider that when you use powerful words like "Trust".

Perhaps it's worth telling your audience, clients and customers what words like "Trust" mean to you before you use them.  

Then there is less chance for confusion.

You can trust me on that.  

Do You Have The Time To Get Things Done?

I just don't have the time.

I am always being interrupted.

I always have something else to do.

I ...<insert YOUR excuse here>

The fact is this.  If you want to get something done, you will make the time to do it.  Simple enough.  Lack of time to do something is your priority.  Don't blame it on lack of time.  Perhaps it's time, to schedule time, a priority.

Block Time

If you want to get something done, schedule it.  Create a block of time that you will dedicate yourself to working on that one task. 

• Set a specific goal of what you want to be done in that amount of time. 
• Hold yourself accountable for getting that specific goal done.
• Force yourself to eliminate all other distractions. (No social media. No email, etc.)
• Remove yourself from the incursions of others (phone, walk-ins, etc.)
• Schedule a break (about 10 minutes each hour for water, bathroom, a quick walk, etc.)
• If necessary, schedule multiple times and dates to continue your work.

Creating blocks of time is one of the most effective means of getting things done. You create an expectation of yourself.  You provide optimal time and place.  You eliminate distractions.

Give it a try and I will guess that you will be amazed at what you can get done in a defined block of time.

My guess is that...

Big Shoes To Fill

We all hear about people who have "big shoes to fill", when they leave a position.

But what does that really mean? 

Is it that the successor isn't capable of doing the job?

Is it that the successor isn't worthy of the position?

Is it that the successor doesn't have the support of the team?

Or...

Could it mean that the person wearing the shoes didn't prepare the successor?

Rather than a failure of the successor, perhaps in SOME cases, it represents a failure of the person whose shoes we are talking about. They simply didn't prepare their successor adequately. 

Do YOU have big shoes?

If YOU think you have big shoes to fill, perhaps it's your ego that is too big to fill.

Isn't it a better legacy to help someone else fill those shoes, rather than set them up for failure?

Hire Slow - Fire Fast

This is great advice, but hard to follow.

Hire slow: Often businesses are in a rush to get a replacement or to fill an urgent open position.  But despite the need, you should always slow down the hiring process.  It may seem counterintuitive, but a slower hire after deliberation and careful consideration may result in a much better fit, and longer tenure. Less hires and less turnover is always better when it's due to getting the right people.

Hiring tip: There are two essential elements of a successful hire.  Attitude and ability to learn the skills and tasks of the position.  (See future post about this!) 

Fire Fast:  This isn't about firing someone in the first hours of employment. That's not a wise idea.  You should give people time to let their guard down and show their true colors.  It might take a couple of weeks to see if a person is able to do the job ... and match your companies culture.  (BTW, that should be the culture you are looking to create in your business, not necessarily the one that actually exists. )

Firing Tip: So what is "fast"?  I would define this as anytime during the new hire's probation period.  It's important for new hires to clearly understand the parameters of their probation and how it impacts their ability to maintain employment.  Releasing a person...

You Can't Judge A Book By Its Cover

Yup...we have all heard that saying, but in reality, we all do.  At least initially.

Go into a book store.   How do you pick a book from the shelf to see if you want to read it?  The cover.

Go online and browse a category of books to purchase.  How do you pick what you want to buy?  The cover.

The fact is this....we do pick a book by its cover. 

Now having said that, we may find that we are completely wrong about a book that we have selected.  The book we select to read may be terrible, once we start reading it.  A book that we ignore because of the cover may be the one that could change our life, but never will because we didn't select it by its cover.

What Does Your "You Cover" Look Like?

People have covers too.  What we wear.  How we speak. The way we act.  The people we surround ourselves with.  These are all elements of the cover that we have.  And each of those elements provides a glimpse into who we are, what we are and how we are.  Those "You Cover" elements provide insight into the text of our "book", and what we have to offer to others.

But if our "You Cover" doesn't convey the right message to others, our "book" will never be read. It will limit our relationships with others.  It may inhibit our introductions.  It will...

Do you identify with Eeyore?

How did you feel when you saw this clip?  Did you identify with Eeyore?  Or were you sad because of his disposition? 

How you relate to this clip may reflect on your mortality and morbidity to a myocardial infarct.  

A recent medical article of over a quarter-million people identified that a positive outlook on life has a statistically significant reduction in ischemic myocardial events of all types, as well as reduced mortality overall. 

The Power Of A Positive Attitude

Yes, you read that correctly.  A positive attitude had a positive impact on the mortality of individuals.  

The article (link here) provides a nice discussion of the study parameters and confounding or co-existing risk factors, including other associated behavioral habits with positive and negative outlooks (i.e. optimism vs. pessimism).

What You Think Does Matter 

In conclusion, what you think can make you sick.  A negative disposition does have a negative impact on your health and outcomes.  For that reason, it's ideal to work on a more positive attitude in life.  For those with positive attitudes, kudos!  Keep up the great work and get even more positive.  

But if you are an "Eeyore" in life, it's time to adopt a more positive mindset.  It's time to become a...

In a previous post, Triggers, I discussed a method of helping you remember to do various actions.  That is really only one step one of the process of creating a habit.

Another step that is very important is rewarding the process that you want to create into a habit.  

If we do something, even an action that we want to turn into a habit, and we don't reward ourselves, the positive feedback that wires our brain isn't as effective.  To make a stronger habit circuit in your brain, it's important to add a habit reward to the process.

Habit Reward

So what is a habit reward?  

It's very simple.  When you do something that you want to turn into a habit, something that you want to do automatically, you have to rewire your brain circuitry.  This is done in the brain with neurochemical transmitters (enough biology for this post...) creating a positive feedback loop.  The best way of doing this is to reward yourself after doing something you want to make a habit.   

A habit reward can be anything that makes you feel good about what you just did.  It can be something physical (i.e. giving yourself a cookie) or it can be psychological (i.e. giving yourself a "mental" atta-boy!)

The important part about this is to (a) actually GIVE yourself a reward that means something to you and (b) give...