2Weeks2aBreakthrough

Go where the energy is.

I was talking to a communications and publicity expert yesterday and found myself using the phrase, "go where the energy is," a few times. He noticed it too, and was struck by it. He suggested it might make for a nice story or book idea. We talked briefly about what going with the energy means and looks like and how I have applied this in my writing and business life. Here is a brief post that captures the gist of the concept.

Part of being an optimistic, glass is half-full, kind of person is disappointment. Sounds counter-intuitive, but it is true. When we are optimistic, we believe that great things can and should happen. Sometimes they do and sometimes they don't. Optimists feel disappointment more than do pessimists.

Even so, I think that seeing the glass as half-full is an advantage because it allows us to be ready and open for more possibilities. And it is more pleasant - for us and for those with whom we interact.

We can blindly move through the world hoping for the best or we can be more targeted and improve our odds of being delighted. This is where going with the energy comes in.

Going with the energy means noticing and approaching situations or people that are drawn to us or the situation. For example, when I did my motorcycle book tour around the country a few years ago, I went to the towns where my blog readers had volunteered to help get the word out about my book reading events. As a result I did not go to LA, San Francisco or New York, the top three places most authors go on their book tour. I went where the energy was, not where it was not.

This also applies to my work as a consultant. I talk to a lot of people and it is my job to offer and sell consulting services. If I treated every lead and every prospect the same, I would be chasing a lot of cold avenues and suffering from more disappoinment and less success. When I go where the energy is, I can create a strong partnership with clients and deliver the services they seek. It is a win-win.

And this applies to managers at work, too. How often do we ram through projects or decisions or feel like we have to bribe people to attend meetings or training sessions? Go where the energy is, not where it is not. I was a director of OD many years back and I remember offering a set of services to my fellow department leaders. A few came to me immediately and asked for help and support and we did great work together. I did not waste my energy on the departments that would only engage in these services if they were forced or told it was mandatory.

Ditto with my coaching services. Like Marshall Goldsmith, I do not waste my time coaching the uncoachable - those people who do not really want to be coached and who are not open to making changes in how they lead.

How does GO WHERE THE ENERGY IS apply to your work and life? Don't waste time, energy, and positivity by chasing after people or projects that are running in the opposite direction. Take note of the people who are drawn to your work or messages - see and respond to those who are enrolled in your projects or passions. Be grateful for the energy that people share in your direction and on your behalf.

Affirmations - Maybe a Bad Idea?

(Hat tip to Dwayne over a Genuine Curiosity) Fascinating post from Kare Anderson about the flipside of affirmations and whether you should endeavor to think and say good/positive things. The post is called, Repeating Positive Affirmations Backfires For Many of Us. Check it out. Here is a snippet:

I thought of Eric today when I read that Norman Vincent Peale may have been wrong, at least for many people when he advocated saying positive self-affirmations to lift your mood. That oft-repeated notion that feeding ourselves upbeat messages can make us feel better isn’t necessarily true according to Joanne Wood's research.

Wow - provocative. what do you think? I agree with Kare that there ought to be more research into this notion. And I agree with Kare and several commenters who share that transformative power comes with consistent action.

My Interview on Spark Radio - Breakthroughs, Management, Hip and Sage

I had the pleasure of being Melanie's guest on her radio talk show called Spark Radio last night. We talk about a lot of things including management, staying competitive in the workplace, and generating breakthroughs. You can check it out here.

Take A Weird Break to Survive Project Madness - More Great Advice from Zen Habits

I like this post from Zen Habits called, Six Amazing Techniques to Staying Happy During a Stressful Project. I love that he suggested taking "wierd breaks." Check it out.

The Power of a Great Story - Ways to Motivate

I should be heading to bed right now, but I find myself thinking about two stories and their impact. Very different stories, sort of.

First story: The new lead singer of Journey who was discovered from a You Tube video - I posted about this story here. It is very cool and inspiring. I told the story again last week as I was waiting to start my presentation at the ASTD conference. The attendees found it fascinating. And tonight, I see on my blog stats that several people found my blog post while searching for information about Journey's lead singer.

Second story: From a Twitter post, I discovered that Bill Wixey, Q13 news anchor in Seattle, has a blog about his journey to fight Hodgkin's Lymphoma. His blog is open, human, and amazing. He is telling his story with a lot of transparency and it is compelling.

What both stories have in common is they are compelling, real, and demonstrate the power of passion and focus. As I have written so many times before, reality is socially constructed and if you read and tell great stories, this WILL impact you life and your results.

What kind of stories are you repeating to familiy and friends?

And for those of you who are a leader - at work, in your community, within your family - never underestimate the power of your well-told story. Anyone can (and should) share moving stories. Here are a few suggestions for how to tell a great story:

• Be open, warts and all. The best stories do not gloss over the details, they tell them. Conversely, share the truth and be credible.
• Give your story a narrative - paint the picture and tell the story with action. If you know them, share the details in order with all the highs and lows that actually occured.
• Tell people what the story means to YOU. The best story tellers show their connection to the story even if they are not directly involved.
• Be concise, but not dismissive of colorful details. Take as much time as you need to tell a vivid story, but no more.
• Offer pictures, links, audio, or anything that helps you tell the story.
• Make note of the larger themes of the story.

I think that organizations and individuals can learn a lot by reading both the Journey story and Bill Wixey's blog. You will learn about the power of perserverance, the power of passion and giving something your all, the power of community, the power of networks and connections, and the strengths of the human spirit.

Like Breathing - What's Your Natural Calling? What is FIT?

I love this post from Starbucker called, It's Like Breathing. In it, Terry tells a story of being hit by the thought of something being as natural as breathing. Check it out, it is a thought provoking post. And read all the great comments, too, as this post clearly got people thinking.

This notion of natural fit is interesting. Or maybe natural fit is not the right term - but harmonious fit. Maybe the fit was not always harmonious, but through exploration and practice, it has become seemingly natural.

Marcus Buckingham defines a strength as something that give you energy and a weakness something that drains you. Notice he does not say that a strength is something that is natural or easy. (Here is a great podcast I did with Marcus Buckingham)

I think that FIT is the key - fit with interests, with passions, and perhaps with some natural talent. But maybe the natural talent is not the key at all.

I think of my writing. I write a lot now. Ten books, three blogs, yada, yada, yada. And each year, my writing improves. I have wanted to write since I was a child. AND I was a lousy writer all through school because I had ADD, and now ADHD. It was HARD for me and did not come naturally. I had to listen to Strunk & White's little book of grammar on CD five times in a row before some of the basics started sticking with me. I consider myself a scholar (meaning lifeling learner) of writing. And yet, I might put it in the category as "like breathing" today.

And then in Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell stressed the role of practice - which certainly rings true for me. Geoff Colvin made a similar case in Talent is Overrated.

There's a spark - there's energy - there's a dedication to practice/learn and then there is fit. Like breathing.

Combining the notions of the strengths revolution, as brought to us by Buckingham and others, what we know about practice from Colvin, Gladwell and others and this notion of "like breathing" seems helpful and interesting to me. What do you think?

My talk at Santa Clara University

Check out the latest newsletter from Santa Clara University. The cover piece is an article about a talk I did there about generating breakthroughs and focusing.

How to generate breakthroughs - in one line.

I got an email from a reader named John:

Hello Lisa,

I'm writing to you because I'm in the process of recording an audio course.... and I make reference to your work.

Revision, especially when trying to hold down a job, is a big personal project ... and Two Weeks to a Breakthrough has been really influential to the way I approach it.

I was wondering if you had a quick (single sentence) piece of advice or top tip that I could include for students, when I plug your book?

Many thanks,
John _________

I sent John a few one-liners to choose from:

If you want to remain focused and in action toward your goal, you can make big strides and create positive momentum by doing a little bit every day.

Research show us that you can zoom toward your goal if you work at it a little each day - this is better than being a weekend warrior!

Have a big goal? Chip away at it a little bit per day and you will get there fast.

Focus is the act of working on what matters most.

To generate breakthroughs, stay focused and take small actions every day.

Like the puff of air from a butterfly's flap, small daily action reverberate and create a wind of progress.

I think I like that last one best. What's your one-liner for success?

Butterfly Effect - Let me count the ways

I see examples of the butterfly effect everyday and I just can't stop encouraging people to give its power a try. Got this email last week:

Hi Lisa,
 
My name is Mike ___ and I am launching a consulting practice.  I’m using your Two Weeks to a Breakthrough to help get this launch off the ground and find my first opportunity.  I’m very impressed with your book and believe it will be a very effective tool for me.  Therefore, I would very much like your insight and feedback regarding my business concept and bio.
 
I would like to forward you my business concept and bio early next week.  Then, if you are amenable to my request, I would dearly love to spend 30 minutes or less with you via phone to hear your thoughts and comments.
 
I would very much appreciate your consideration of my request.  I realize that you are very busy and your time is valuable, so I would be willing to adjust my schedule to your availability.
 
Respectfully,
Mike _____

My response to Mike:

Sure, Mike, send it along. Flap, flap. Everyday. That's the trick.

Lisa

Now, Mike, if you are out there, I need to nudge you a bit. The butterfly effect works because we flap a wee bit every day. So follow through and send me the information and then keep flapping! You never know what might happen (actually, we can't know, that's chaos for you - magically and wonderfully, and sensitively unpredictable).

Excellent Post About Learning a New Language

Check out this post by brain expert Robyn McMaster called Challenge Your Brain to Learn Spanish. The post was inspired by a twitter conversation Robyn and I had a few days ago (you can see that here). If one of your goals is to learn a new language, the post will be really helpful.

I am following Robyn's advice to improve me chances of retaining what I learn and speeding up my ability to comfortably use the language. I have started and stopped Spanish lessons many times. But this will be the time, I know it!

Generating Breathroughs - It's your time.

The big news about Susan Boyle - the middle-aged lady from the UK who sang on "Who's Got Talent," and is now a sensation - is a great example of the power of the butterfly effect.

One thing
one action
one conversation
then another
then a decision
then another action

and then - POW - something big happens.

But it only happens when all those little things occur. Are you focused and in action? Are you talking about your goals? Are you sharing your ideas with others? Are you being brave?

I just posted the link to the You Tube video/PPT I did back in 2007 to the music of Breakthrough over on Management Craft (Breakthrough is the song that my brother wrote inspired by my book, Two Weeks to a Breakthrough. Head on over and check out the video if you need a quick 6 minute dose of inspiration.

Then flap, flap, flap.

Van Gogh and Career Killers

Patrick over at Helping You to Succeed opens his post called, 7 Career Killers, with this great quote from Van Gogh:

"Your profession is not what brings home your paycheck. Your profession is what you were put on earth to do with such passion and such intensity that it becomes spiritual in calling." - Vincent Van Gogh

This is the first post that I have read quotes both Vincent Van Gogh and Peter Drucker - interesting combination. Check out the whole post and the 7 Career Killers.

Oh, Overwhelm - Redux

Wow, this has been a busy week! And there have been times when I caught myself feeling a bit overwhelmed. I know better. I know that overwhelm is a state of mind that we can select and unselect and I know that overwhelm is a choice.

And when I remind myself of this, I choose to stop feeling overwhelmed. I feel blessed to be busy and active and absolutely in control of my time and success. As an intrapreneur - in charge of building a piece of my firm's business - I need to be at my best. I cannot be at my best when I am feeling overwhelmed or out of control.

Shake it off. Dismiss it. Scram.

To commemorate my on and off again (now OFF) relationship with overwhelm this week, I thought I would share a business poem I wrote on Management Craft in 2004 called, Oh, Overwhelm. I hope you enjoy it. And in case you are wondering, yes, I know I am no Robert Frost. :-)

Oh Overwhelm

Try as I might, I did not get it done
I'm annoyed by others all smiles and fun.
Tired, frazzled, unable to think
Do I need a lobotomy or just a stiff drink?
Oh well, oh overwhelm.

Am I dense, am I slow, am I poor?
Why is this work I loved such a bore?
I hope for a cyclone to take it all away
The stacks, the people, the bosses, the fray.
Oh well, oh overwhelm.

The problems number too many
Sane employees, are there any?
I want to be good, want to do well
I’ve ended up in manager’s hell.
Oh well, oh overwhelm.

Now wait one moment
Musn't allow this self-inflicted torment.
It’s just a day and just a job
Not something deserving my sob.
Oh well, oh overwhelm.

I’ll shake it off, reject the funk
Sit in peace, chant like a monk.
These thoughts of failure I’ll abandon
So bring it on, bring it on!
Oh well, oh overwhelm.

Looking for Contentment?

I love this post from Leo at Zen Habits called, The Cure for What Ails You:How to Beat the Misery of Discontentment. Check it out.

Whether we are happy, fulfilled, at peace - content - is in our control and we can change in an instant. Sure there are truly tragic events that will rock our worlds, and rightly so, for a time. But many of us feel discontent in the absence of tragedy or setback. Sometimes we let a dullness take over our daily existence and become numb to the wonders of our life.

I feel this way several times a day. And I have to catch myself and snap back out of it and get refocused on what matters or unfocused and relaxed. My wonderful cat, Paris, just came to see me so I will go and enjoy her.

Agonizing over Good Things/Options?

I can't tell you how thankful I am that I am not a perfectionist. Actually, I DID just tell you, so I can.

Even so, I sometimes agonize over choices. And if the potential consequences range from triumphant to disastrous, then attention should be paid. But what about when we are choosing among several great options?

I just posted this tweet on Twitter:

Five great choices are FIVE great choices. Any choice will be fine. I caught myself overanalyzing things a bit tonight and then bopped myself in the head and got over it (followed by a Frangelico chaser to mellow things out).

Made a decision and won't look back.

No buyer's remorse.

Good is good.

Happy is happy.

How much of our stress and mental garbage is occurring because we are spinning around trying to decide which great outcome to pick?

Sass it up baby! Redux

(I think this economy has driven many of us into metaphorical holes of personality hybernation. We are being safe and perhaps that is wise. But let's not lose our spunk all together. To inspire a wee spark, I thought I would re-post this piece from way back in 2006)

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We are all so polite, you know? Well, perhaps not everyone is polite, but I think that most people walk around with a nice polished exterior.

We try not to offend.
We try not to stand out.
We hope we don't ruffle any feathers or step into someone else's sandbox.

It's all very tiresome, don't you think? Sure we want peace, joy and love - but I only want it if it is REAL. If  someone wants to step in my sandbox, I say come on in and make me defend my territory! I might find that it's the best thing that happened today.

I like authentic sass. Sass means we are alive - it means we are provoked - it means we care. Sass is fun.

I know there are cultural differences, but try sassing it up relative to what works for you. Sass brings forth the out loud and animated version of you.

Sass will look different based on our behavioral tendencies. My sass can be a bit jarring because my unsassy state might seem quite sassy to others. I have friends who are so reserved in their expressions that their sass can only be detected with a magnifying glass.

Sassy.

The dictionary defines sass as cheeky or rude. Some sass is rude, but I think sass can also be a beautiful thing.

My favorite bloggers get sassy and the posts that seem to get the most hits and comments are those where I get sassy. You must like sassy too.

We all like sassy even if it's a pain in the rear sometimes - a lively pain. Hey, got a meeting later? Sass it up and be the hero/heroine of the day. Sass up your dinner conversation.  Sass up with your boss.

What does the animated YOU look like and what can you do right now to enliven him/her?

Oh how I long for more conversations with sass!

(I think this economy has driven many of us into metaphorical holes of personality hybernation. We are being safe and perhaps that is wise. But let's not lose our spunk all together. To inspire a wee spark, I thought I would re-post this piece from way back in 2006)

======================================================================

We are all so polite, you know? Well, perhaps not everyone is polite, but I think that most people walk around with a nice polished exterior.

We try not to offend.
We try not to stand out.
We hope we don't ruffle any feathers or step into someone else's sandbox.

It's all very tiresome, don't you think? Sure we want peace, joy and love - but I only want it if it is REAL. If  someone wants to step in my sandbox, I say come on in and make me defend my territory! I might find that it's the best thing that happened today.

I like authentic sass. Sass means we are alive - it means we are provoked - it means we care. Sass is fun.

I know there are cultural differences, but try sassing it up relative to what works for you. Sass brings forth the out loud and animated version of you.

Sass will look different based on our behavioral tendencies. My sass can be a bit jarring because my unsassy state might seem quite sassy to others. I have friends who are so reserved in their expressions that their sass can only be detected with a magnifying glass.

Sassy.

The dictionary defines sass as cheeky or rude. Some sass is rude, but I think sass can also be a beautiful thing.

My favorite bloggers get sassy and the posts that seem to get the most hits and comments are those where I get sassy. You must like sassy too.

We all like sassy even if it's a pain in the rear sometimes - a lively pain. Hey, got a meeting later? Sass it up and be the hero/heroine of the day. Sass up your dinner conversation.  Sass up with your boss.

What does the animated YOU look like and what can you do right now to enliven him/her?

Oh how I long for more conversations with sass!

To move forward, get rid of the guilt.

Here's an interesting article from the Psychology Today blog called, A counter-intuitive approach: Self-forgiveness reduces procrastination. This is not entirely a surprise to me, it makes sense that our own mental garbage holds us back. That said, I think there is lots of good stuff in the post, so check it out. Here is a snippet:

In our current study, we argued that self-forgiveness for procrastinating may play a role in helping people overcome the negative effects of procrastination and encourage a change in behavior. If procrastination is viewed as a transgression against the self and results in negative feelings such as guilt, forgiving oneself for procrastinating should reduce this feeling. By reducing emotional distress associated with procrastination, the individual becomes less likely to avoid the stimulus associated with the feelings in the first place (i.e., studying for an exam).

Create a Connection - Be the One to Go First.

Do you reach out to others or do you wait to be reached out to? Those who go first - do the reaching out - will experience more connections, more opportunities, and more breakthroughs.

I used to be the sit back and "accept" networking type. No more. It does not work. There is too much waiting involved and we give up momentum and control when we wait for others to initiate.

Why do people sit back and wait? Fear, is certainly one reason. Fear of rejection....Fear of coming across like a dork..... It is not possible to be rejected it we don't put ourselves out there, right?

Perhaps we are other thinking things a bit. Connection is just that - and we won't have a connection with everyone. That's OK. But don't let the fear of being awkward or rejected stop you from getting out there and initiating new and deeper connections.

Be yourself and all will work out. Your unique - albiet wonderfully flawed - self will come through and attract a great number of people who will want to connect and get to know you. I am much more interested in getting to know people when they have enough self-confidence to be themselves and I bet you are, too.

Go for the Outrageous!

My blogging pal Curt Rosengren offer this great post called, Running into Trouble? Look for the outrageous upside! I love the idea and know it can and has worked - this is how breakthroughs occur! Here's a wee snippet:

So instead of only saying, "How can I solve this problem," we say both, "How can I solve this problem" and, "How could this propel me even further? How could I create an outrageous best-case scenario out of this?

Check it out.

Seven Principles of Learning (And About Your Personal Growth)

I like these seven principles of learning from Peter Henschel, Executive Director Emeritus, Institute for Research on Learning. Here is a snippet - check out the whole post here.

Seven Principles of Learning

From our extensive fieldwork in myriad workplaces and educational settings, IRL has developed a set of Principles of Learning that we believe are important guideposts for organizations. These are not "Tablets from Moses;" rather, they are evolving as a "work in progress." However, it is already clear that they have broad application in countless settings. Think of them in relation to your own experience.

• Learning is fundamentally social. 
• Knowledge is integrated in the life of communities.
• Learning is an act of participation. 
• Knowing depends on engagement in practice. 
• Engagement is inseparable from empowerment.
• "Failure" to learn is often the result of exclusion from participation. 
• We are all natural lifelong learners.

I particularly love the notion that learning is fundamentally social and I believe it. Breakthroughs occur in conversation, I have seen it again and again. How engaged are you (with others, not just in your head) concerning the goals that matter the most to you?

For those of you who coach or train others, to what degree are you creating the ultimate learning environment?