[youtube id="watch?v=E0am8tyv8Rs&oref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DE0am8tyv8Rs&has_verified=1"]
Lesson Number One: It’s a Long Season
The Major League Baseball season stretches from April to October, and includes over 160 regular league games. And that doesn't include pre-season scrimmages or playoff match-ups. With each game lasting an approximate 2.5 hours, that's a lot of time on the diamond!
What happens in the first inning of the first game in the pre-season has little bearing on who the pennant winner will be. The season lasts a long, long (and some say TOO long) time. By the time the season wraps up, the average batter has been in the box over 500 times. Sometimes they get a hit, but more often, they get out. But that first time up to bat doesn't set the tone for their season - unless they let it.
Business is the same way. While any one "pitch," customer interaction, or promotion may seem of the utmost importance -- and it is, in that moment -- in the overall scheme of things, it is only one piece of a larger mosaic. Yes, great players play hard every pitch, but they also know how to pace themselves and shake off a missed strike and move ahead.
In your business, you need that perspective. Yes, you want to hit a home run each and every time you are at bat, and you want to make a play every time the game comes your way, but chances are you are going to flub a few easy pop-ups, and miss a few easy strikes. That is just the nature of the game.
Sometimes, your perfectly crafted sales page does not convert. Sometimes, an unhappy customer remains unhappy no matter how hard you try to fix the situation. Sometimes, a great product doesn't sell well. Sometimes you can figure out why, while other times you just have to let it go and move forward, realizing that you will have hundreds of other interactions and opportunities to make your season a winning one.
To put things in perspective, the best hitters in baseball typically have a batting average of around .300. That means every ten times they get up to bat, they fail to get on base seven times. And these are the best of the best! Even the venerable Babe Ruth had a lifetime batting average of only .342.
On a team level, most clubs are striving for a winning season -- meaning they win more than they lose. That should be your goal, too -- to win more than you lose. And when you do lose -- clients, accounts, mailing list subscribers -- dust your cleats off and try again.
Thinking Thursday-Steve Truglia: A leap from the edge of space
At his day job, Steve Truglia flips cars, walks through fire and falls out of buildings -- pushing technology to make stunts bigger, safer, more awesome. He talks us through his next stunt: the highest jump ever attempted, from the very edge of space.
Not Afraid
Today, as I looked through my newspaper clippings on the Internet. I came across an article from Facebook. This article was very interesting because it asked a specific question that got me thinking and thinking hard. The question although innocuous , pierced me to my soul. It was simply, what would you do if you were not afraid? That particular question stay with me all day what would I do if I was not afraid.
What would I say?
What would I be?
Where would go?
if
I was not afraid.
Now here was the crazy part about the whole thing. I couldn't answer the question. Because I've been afraid of life for so long. Yeah that's right this big well this short dark man was afraid. What would I tell my children. That I was afraid that I couldn't even live my life because fear had me paralyzed.
As I thought through this addiction to fear, if you will, I realized that really I wasn't afraid. That by just acknowledging that I was afraid I was able to break through. So I started thinking what would I do if I was not afraid. What places would I conquer.
Well I started writing a bucket list. I was absolutely amazed all the things that I would do if I was able to be not afraid. Today I started working through that list because no longer am I afraid of life. God has not given us a spirit of fear. Period.
So my question to you my friend is what would you do if you were not afraid.
Prioritize and Systemize: Or Why That Little “Unread” Number will Drive You Crazy
How often do you check your email? Every hour? Every few minutes? Or is it every time that little “unread” number pops up?
If you suffer from email overload, that little number can make you crazy – and plenty unproductive as well. But a little discipline and a good plan can help you tame your email and regain some of your sanity to boot.
Better Email Settings for a More Productive Work Day
First, do you really need to check your email every five minutes? That’s the default setting for a lot of email clients, but that kind of instant receipt is almost always unnecessary. A better idea is to set your email client to only grab email on demand, meaning if you don’t ask for your emails to be downloaded it won’t happen.
If you can’t (or won’t) rely on manual downloading of emails, at least turn off the “unread” notification. That way you won’t be tempted to rush off to read every email that comes in, even when you’re up to your eyeballs in a project.
Ideally, you want to limit checking of emails to three times per day: in the morning, in the afternoon, and at the end of the day. But here’s the thing – you have to “process” those emails at the same time. You can’t let them sit around to answer later, or that defeats the whole purpose.
A Systematic Approach to Email Processing
What do you do when you open your email client? If you’re like most people, you browse the subjects, open the most interesting ones first, make a decision about what needs to happen with it, then move on to the next.
This is a serious waste of time because you end up opening, reading, and making decisions about the same emails again and again, every time you look at your inbox. There’s a better way.
David Allen, author of “Getting Things Done” recommends a triage approach to email that leaves your inbox empty every time you look at it. Here’s how it works.
For every email you open, immediately decide if it requires action or not. If not, either file it (if it contains information you might need later) or trash it. If the email requires action – whether it’s a to-do item for a project or simply needs an answer – you have three choices: do it now, do it later, or get someone else to do it.
If it’s going to take just a couple of minutes (i.e. you just need to write a two line response), then do it and trash the email. If it will take longer than that, add it to your to-do list for later, then trash the email. If you want someone else to do it, forward it to them.
No matter which choice you made, the email does not stay in your inbox. It’s either filed, done, or added to a to-do list (yours or someone else’s).
Do that for each email you receive, every time you open your inbox, and you’ll never again have to face the clutter of an overflowing inbox.
Will it take some time and discipline to build that habit? You bet, but the result – no more stressing over emails, and no more wasted time searching for an email you’ve read before but failed to act on – is well worth the time it will take to re-train your brain about email.
Finish Your Summer Reading
Reading, writing, and arithmetic – the three basics of a traditional education. As an entrepreneur, you already know how important the writing and arithmetic are. But reading is just as important, and the end of summer is a perfect time to start (or finish!) a few business-related books hanging around your nightstand.
Of course, actually reading is tougher than resolving to do so. Use this problem-solving guide to help you on your way to a more complete education:
If you think you don't need to read: The average adult reads fewer than two books a year. If you read a book a month, you are automatically in the top 5% of the population when it comes to educating yourself. Reading informational, educational, or inspirational books is one of the easiest, least expensive ways to give yourself a competitive edge.
If you think you don't have time to read: No free time to crack open a book? I have one word for you: AUDIO. Books on CD, books on tape, books downloaded from places like audible.com, podcasts... you have a plethora of choices for listening to books. Borrow a few from the library, download a book from the Internet, and load up your MP3 player. Listen away while you're mowing the lawn, exercising, watching the kids' soccer practice, or driving around town.
If you don't know what to read: If you don't know where to start, choose one area you'd like to improve upon, whether it's public speaking, networking, technical skills, or time management. Then head over to Amazon.com and look at top-sellers in that field, or put out a call for suggestions on your Twitter stream, Facebook page, or blog. Pick one and go.
If you forget what you read: Even the most dedicated readers can burn through books, then move on the next, only to forget what you read in the first volume. While knowledge is great for knowledge's sake, it really only becomes wisdom when you put it to use. By reflecting on what you read and choosing one or two lessons to implement in your own life, you will convert your knowledge to wisdom and improve your business. Think about joining a business book club where you read a business-related book a month or quarter, and discuss what you're learning. That will also help the lessons sink in.
There's a famous quote that says that a year from now, you'll be exactly the same as you are now, except for the people you meet and the books you read. Start now on your path to a bigger and better you.
Are You A One Thing Thinker
Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches.3 In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water.4 For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had.5 And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years.6 When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case , he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole?7 The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me.8 Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.9 And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked: and on the same day was the sabbath.
Lessons From a Homeless Woman Part 1
Yesterday my wife and I stopped by the local Starbucks to get a cup of coffee. As we went to our seats, we noticed young lady sitting at the table next to us. She had her Bible out and she also had numerous bags surrounding her.
As we sat down to have a cup of coffee, we began a conversation with woman. Her name was Desiree. And, she was homeless. Now, I mention the word homeless, only because it just sets up the story and the situation.
Desiree was a lovely lady who began to share with us her story. As she shared her story, there were some very good life and business lessons that I learned. Honestly, This was one of the best breakfast times I have had in a long time. So I just wanted to share these lessons I learned from Desiree that day.
1. Never let your situation dictate your outlook.
Desiree was homeless, but her present situation did not cloud the sunny future she saw for herself. She shared with us her dreams and her aspirations. She shared with us her plans on what she was going to be doing in the next 2 to 3 years. Desiree was bubbly and flowing over with enthusiasm about her future.
Take-Home - No matter where you are right now in your business make sure you keep a positive outlook for your future.
2. Break the mold-don't stay in the rut
One of the things, we talked about was how people seem to continue going in circles. How many of the people that she met on a day-to-day basis who were homeless, seemed to think they would always be homeless. Here was Desiree take on the situations. You have to determine in your mind that you are no longer going to stay where you are. Your future is determined by being able to break the mold.
Take-Home - If you are going to be successful; don't be afraid to get out of your own way. In fact, don't be afraid to break the mold. To bust out of the box. And more importantly, get out of the everyday rut.
3. Suffering is but a moment in the grand scheme of things.
Desiree spoke at great length about where she was going, about the changes she was making in her life in order to be better. She also spoke at length about the suffering that she was going through in her present situation. She began to tell us the tale of how she had been homeless for about a year. And that according to her plan she would have to be homeless and another six months to a year to get back on her feet. But what she said after that was mind-boggling. Desiree said in the grand scheme of her 43 years living, being homeless for two years is just a moment. In fact she went Bible on me and said, "if all of my life is suffering, it is still but a moment in eternity."
Take-Home - When we are up against the wall. When we are facing our biggest obstacles. We often huddle down and feel that we are being tried in the fire. If we really think about it, our suffering is just for a small time. In business, as well as life, we have to go through periods of what we consider to be suffering. The key is to understand that this suffering is just for a moment in the grand scheme of things. We will emerge sooner or later.
There is so much I learned from Desiree that day. I left much better than I came. I hope to one day run into Desiree after her process so that I can witness the miraculous transition that her journey has brought her.
16 Tips for Getting 90 Percent of Your Work Done Before Lunch
I have been trying to increase my productivity this year. In fact, I have looked at productivity like a pit crew looks at a race car. I want to squeeze every little minute out of my day. So When I came across this article I was completely ecstatic.
I will be trying most of these starting this week --
Here are some of the take-homes --
1. Schedule your day the night before.
Every day, you should list all your tasks and when you're going to do them the following day. You will not be productive unless you plan out everything you're going to do the next morning.
Quick tip: Don't schedule too much. Keep your to-do schedule light to actually accomplish real work.
2. Clean your office the night before.
Clutter in your office creates distractions. A sticky note on your desk that says "Call Bob ASAP!" can throw off your whole day.
Showing up to work in a spic-and-span environment helps you to think clearer and work harder.
3. Wake up at an ungodly hour.
To really get stuff done, you've got to get up in time to make it happen.
I recommend anytime from 5:30 to 6:30 a.m. If your morning routine takes a little longer, bump your wake-up time back a little more.
Obviously, you'll need to adjust your bedtime accordingly.
Stop Pimping Me
I can't believe this happened. I came home today to find my whole house covered with logos. Infected like someone had decided to create a full Facebook page on my house. I wish you could've seen the look on my face, as I looked at what was once my beautiful house. The one I had labored over. The one I had built by hand. The one that had taken me not just a year but five years to build.
As I sat there in shock, I wondered what kind of person would do this. I mean what kind of person would see the hard work that you've done over the years, then think it was okay to deface that property. How callous must the person be? To take my hard earned equity and use it for their own gain. Who would do such a thing?
Well that person is you. Every time you tag me in a photo with your advertisement. Every time you post on my wall about your business. Every time you tag me in comments have nothing to do with me. You my friend are a pimp.
You see I spent a lot of time building this brand. Not only have I spent a lot of time building this brand but a lot of money building this brand. People come to my page because they trust me. And what you have done is usurped and undermined my trust by trying to get rich quick by posting on my page. That makes you no better than a pimp.
Now I'm not talking about that person who sends me something or tags me because they really think it is information I can use. I'm not even talking about that person who we've asked to post on my wall because their business or services is germane to the conversation. I'm talking about that person that I never talk to, that never has anything to say, that never has anything to contribute, but yet wants to advertise. You are a pimp---
But, there is time for you to come out of your pimping ways. In fact, it's real simple. Just Stop!!! Don't deface my property -- Renounce Your Pimping Ways-- And Just ask permission. You would not like it if tomorrow night you came home and I had painted all over your house. GET IT.