2Weeks2aBreakthrough

Windy Amarillo

Got to Amarillo, Texas today. The ride from Albuquerque was very windy and there is bad weather north and south of here, but so far it looks good along the I-40 corridor. I am doing my "no-rain dance" tonight before I go to bed.

I am looking forward to a series of events in Birmingham and Atlanta. Tomorrow night (I should be in Oklahoma City, weather permitting) I will start reviewing all the agendas for four separate talks coming up. I hope the fire smoke clears out of the Atlanta area and that Florida gets the rain it needs to help with the fire situation.

The new you.
The real you.

That's what a diet commercial is saying on the TV in the background. Strikes me as weird - don't know why. I guess it's because I don't believe that it is helpful to look for a new or real you.

We are who we are in this moment.
Who we be in the next moment is totally up to us.
If we want to change our results and circumstances, we can do so without finding a new person. Today's person is capable of generating a life we will love by being focused and in action.

You can be in complete alignment with your goals starting now. If we focus on some lofty vision of how we need to be to be happy, we will delay happiness and fulfillment.

That's what I think about that.

Interview with Northwest Cycle News

Want to know more about the tour from the motorcycle angle? Here's an interview that I did with Northwest Cycle News. Here's one question:

Do you have any concerns about riding solo on this tour?

Sure. I would be crazy if I did not worry a bit. That said, I have done a pretty good job preparing. I have great gear, a good tool kit, I took two maintenance classes and I have two roadside assistance cards (AAA and Honda). I am staying in good areas in nicer hotels. I have no intention to driving like a mad women and will keep my eyes open for the other guy. I will take corners with care. My bike is relatively new and I have upgraded the shocks (Works Performance) and seat. I have gear locks and cable locks to secure my stuff. I am not overdoing the daily mileage and I have built in several rest days to deal with any pitfalls or issues. The solo aspect is not a concern, but I will watch my back.

Breakthrough Evangelist Writes! Thanks Jen

Fellow blogger Jen Gorman attended my breakthrough event in Cupertino and offers this inspiring post. Check out the whole thing but here is a wee snippet:

Within 48 hours of Lisa's talk, I'd learned of a new startup (Worksona.com, a kind of custom LinkedIn for your inner-company network, thanks Holly), shared my deep and abiding love of Jott, and received emails from Holly, Johnny, and Nikhil, who's started his own blog. In addition, Lisa and SIPA have helped recharge my batteries.

Too often, the last one to realize you're close to burnout is - you.

How right you are, Jen. We often go on and on and on and don't realize that we are draining our reserves. I am so happy you found the event helpful!

Hazel's Spa Day

Poor Hazel, she was encrusted with desert, bugs, and exhaust. But no more! This morning I took her in for a spa day at the local Honda dealer. New oil, fluids, fresh filters, and a rejuvenating wash. After 3,000 miles, she looks ready to hit Texas and points east (that's tomorrow's destination). I also added a new set of highway pegs so I can have a second position for my legs and hopefully reduce my knee pain.

Today is rejuvenating for me too. I am working on some writing and then taking a few pictures. Bill and I have bought a condo here in Albuquerque (closes end of July) close to the university. And I will get to check it out again and take a few pictures. It's a loft style condo in an older building that has been redone with modern utilities and implements, but with original charm. We will be renting the condo out for short-term leases to folks like writers on retreat and visiting professors and spending several months in the unit ourselves.

I wrote a while ago that it is important to recognize the places and work and people that makes you smile inside and move toward them. This ABQ condo is my way of spending more time in New Mexico, a place that makes me smile.

So, in line with a spa day, here are a few rejuvenating ideas:

• Take time today to breathe - just sit and take the world in.
• Appreciate the good things in your life - there are many!
• Let go of little sources of stress - traffic, meetings, emails - they add up if you let them but can also be neutralized by letting them go.
• Spend a few moments at your favorite coffee shop and relish the decadence of your favorite concoction - my current favorite is the soy mocha.

Bad days, tough days, and long days happen, but mini "spa" experiences neutralize them and enable you to get back into focused action.

Ride on.

When "not good enough" leads to failure.

I think it is good to be honest about failure. Sugarcoating things only leads to feeling bad deep down inside where it festers, become stress, and takes a few more days off our lives.

My definition of failure: An action, event, or attempt that did not work or did not lead to a satisfactory result.

Failures can turn into successes, but some or many will just be failures. Failure is subjective - in the eye of the beholder.

A race car does not finish the race or places unsatisfactorily.
A souffle does not rise, or rises and then falls.
A boy asks a girl out on a date and she says no.

Lisa stands in a Barnes & Noble in Albuquerque wanting to talk about breakthroughs, and nobody comes or stops to chat. Yep, I had a failure tonight.

But there is no mystery why it happened. This is where the "not goo enough" from the title comes in:

• The bookstore event was never on their website or in their newsletter and there were no posters. B&N requires event information 2 months in advance or it does not get in. The ABQ event was one of the last I secured, and so the time window had closed on their in-store promotions. The in-store folks were very nice, the 2 month time window is a corporate policy.
• I and my PR Manager tried but failed to get any media coverage.
• The event was held the day after a holiday when lots of people take vacation (or are in catch up mode at work). I don't have any other events this week for this very reason.
• I had no local blogger or blog reader contacts. In most of the cities I am visiting, I have wonderful folks helping me get the word out about the events. Not in ABQ - I guess it is not a big business blog town.
• A few folks sent out email blasts on my behalf, but they were unsuccessful.

Sometimes the right answer is to NOT do something. In hindsight, I did not have enough going for me on this event and probably should not have booked it at the last minute. I let high hopes get the better of my judgment. When I talk to people about the importance of butterfly flaps (small actions that can lead to big results) I stress that they need to be directionally correct - not just actions for action sake.

My lessons learned:

1. Choose wisely. I will consider last minute private events (within a company or organization) but not last minute public events (unless there is a clear way to promote them).

2. Once I choose/commit, be more relentlessly in action. Don't give up. Do more.

I know this all sounds so pragmatic and neutral - almost like a robot. I can assure you that my heart sank when this evening's event failed. I was sad and felt embarrassed standing in front of a table of books all alone. Our emotions are important and real AND we need to prevent them from hold us back. We need to move forward. Now that this is done, it is done. I am ready to think about how to make the next event twice as successful.

When failures happen again and again - or so it seems - it can be very tough to get through the sadness and regret to a place of reinvention. Here's the wee mantra I use to help get through sadness from failure:

It is what it is. It's done.
If I dwell on this I will get more of the same and I don't want that.
The possibilities are numerous and I can make a big impact on others if I focus and stay in action.
Let it go - the sadness. In the scheme of things, this is tiny.
My passion and commitment will imbue those I meet.
I am very lucky and life is great.
I can learn something from this and reduce failures in the future.
I feel like this is a failure, but relative to what matters, it almost does not even matter.

How do you talk yourself down from the ledge of sadness and regret from failure?

One of the questions that came to mind as I was driving back to my hotel tonight was, "what else could I be doing to get the word out about generating breakthroughs to more people?" Let me know if you have any ideas!

New Self-Development Blog, Sharpening the Saw

Nikhil Gupta started this blog about self-development as a result of attending one of my Breakthrough events. How cool is that!? We all need self-development, so check out his blog here and let him know what you think.

Are You True to Yourself?

I arrived in Las Cruces in good time today. Did some laundry and got caught up on a few things. Life requires maintenance. I got to thinking about authenticity. I hesitate to use that word because it is the latest buzzword. The authenticity I am talking about is authenticity of self. Let's not underestimate the strength and conviction required to be true to who we really are. Courage - it could take courage too.

I was thinking about my life and to what degree I am fully self-expressed and in what ways I am squelching myself. It's a helpful conversation to have with yourself every now and then. It's normal to get a bit diverted, too. Some people spend much of their time playing unnatural or undesireable roles.

What about you?

Self-exploration can be a good catalyst for breakthroughs. Don't get stuck in evaluation, though, it is important to stay in action too.

I am ready to reinvent my career. I will still seek to catalyze breakthroughs - that's the foundation for everything I do. That said, I can see my day to day looking very different. I have many miles to mull things over and identify actions that will help me make thing happen.

I need to take my own advice and keep flapping.

It's fun to expand our possibilities, isn't it?

And if you want to do the same, a book that is very helpful and inspiring in opening up the mind to possibility is The Art of Possibility. Read the Zanders' book to get jazzed, then Two Weeks to a Breakthrough to get moving forward.

At some of my events I have been mentioning the goofy notion of the mutant peacock as a metaphor for possibilities... Here's a brief story that explains this:

The Mutant Peacock

“In the universe of possibility, you set the context and let life unfold.” The Art of Possibility, Rosamund Stone Zander and Benjamin Zander

Kate was not listening. She scanned the room for a sign for what she should do. Nothing. Nothing at all. This place felt dead to her. Looking back at her notepad doodles, she smiled as she recalled the early morning conversation with her best friend. Alana was the only person she felt she could tell. “I have an idea that is crazy enough that it just might work.” Kate’s arms jazz danced for fifteen minutes as she explained her budding plan. Her friend’s response was a simple, “wow, you gotta go do that.”

The meeting room voices seemed artificial, like they were coming from a TV. The volume oscillated as she floated in an out. Staring through the smudged glass conference room walls she thought, I gotta go do that. The notion of a starting a company vibrated her bones and made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. Goosebumps gave way to a rosy warming from her toes to her cheeks. Her body did not care that she was only 20 minutes into a 2-hour staff meeting. “Are you OK?” “Yes, everything will be great.” Kate jumped into her future with exuberance.

At this moment - this very moment and those that will follow - we are faced with hundreds of possibilities. When we step forward in time and space, many potential routes and outcomes accompany us like an entourage. Imagine a male peacock with a big, beautiful, and full tail of feathers. Now imagine the long feathers protruding to the front instead of the back. Each feather fans ahead and points in a different direction. As the bird steps forward, vibrations and wind move the feathers into new locations that aim toward new points on the horizon. Possibilities are like invisible peacock feathers that fan in front of us and adjust with every step. As we manifest one possibility, a new set of potential actions and outcomes become available. Most of the feathers are invisible but they don’t have to be.

We shape our experience and results through recognizing the myriad possibilities in play and making directionally correct choices. And we do this every day. Our success improves as we get better at recognizing and working possibilities. 

A possibility is something that could exist - a potential alternative, a prospect, or a theory. Possibilities include outcomes, paths, flavors, efforts, paces, resources needed, experiences, and relationships. We are likely unaware of most of these possibilities. When we manifest a possibility, we reveal it and then make it real. To manifest means to make visible, and this can apply to tangible outcomes or intangible emotions and ideas. Our bodies react to manifestation. Kate’s decision to become an entrepreneur produced goose bumps chills and a blood rush to her head. She will likely experience many other physical and mental reactions in the coming months, too, as she explores self-employment.

To enjoy breakthroughs and unimaginable results, we need to tune our abilities to see and manifest possibilities. This starts with seeing more possibilities. To explore this further, think about one of your goals then ask yourself the following questions:
•    What’s the best that could happen?
•    What’s the worst that could happen?
•    What are some of the possibilities between the best and worst potential outcomes?

Now assume that you have only listed a small fraction of the possible outcomes. Assume that what you have identified as the best possible outcome is not nearly the best. What else is possible? Bring people into the equation. Who might you meet? With whom could you partner? Whose lives might you affect? How might your life be affected?

Assume that you still have not identified most the possibilities. Think about what could happen in the short-term. What actions or steps could you take in the next 24 hours and how might each action impact what you do tomorrow? Assume that you have only identified a small fraction of potential actions. What else could you do? What’s possible- even if improbable – today? If all the planets aligned to help you achieve your goal, what could you achieve in the next week?

Assume that you still have not seen the vast majority of possibilities relative to your goal. Let your thinking go a little crazy. What would be possible if money was not a barrier? What possibilities would exist if you had all the right connections? What would be possible if you lived in New York City, Seattle, Dallas, or Paris, France? How might a scientist answer these questions? What if you could ask anyone any question and get a “yes” answer? What would be possible if time were not a barrier to success?

Assume that you still can’t see most of the possibilities. Ask 10 people what they think could happen and what you are missing. Then consider the following possibilities:
•    I can do this and be successful.
•    I need to do this; moving in this direction is an expression of my purpose.
•    I can be more successful than I can imagine right now; the possibilities are endless.
•    If I stay in focused action, breakthroughs will occur.

This exercise will improve your ability to identify what’s possible. That said, you will still not see the majority of potential approaches and outcomes available to you. Expand your thinking to consider many, many ways you can achieve success and make your dreams come true. Consider also, that your results might be different and better than you can articulate today.

Seeing possibility is just the start, now it is time to turn possibilities into realities. Some people approach manifestation with laser precision and focus. They select one possibility – one feather – and take actions that support and move forward this potential outcome or result. The strength of this approach is that it is very focused and will enable you to move more quickly in one particular direction.

Others take the shotgun approach to manifesting possibilities. They aim for several possibilities and do a lot of different things to move each possibility forward. The strength of this approach is that we often cannot tell which approach is going to yield the best outcome.

Which approach is best – laser focus or shotgun implementation? Yes! I advocate for using both approaches and here’s why. Every time we act, the spectrum of possibilities shifts. We really can’t possibly know which direction or action will yield the big breakthroughs along the way to success. Knowing this, we can both focus on the most likely approaches and explore other intriguing possibilities. It’s amazing what can happen when we have lots of directionally correct efforts impacting today’s reality and tomorrow’s array of possibilities.

Another reason why I like exploring a variety of possibilities is that it is more energizing and enriching than following a straight and narrow path. Life is a journey, not an outcome. We set goals and define desirable outcomes but most things in life are ongoing. Live an enriched life. Imagine a peacock with just one or two feathers. Not that interesting. Now picture a peacock with a thick plume of iridescent feathers. POW - magic!

Question: What could you this week to manifest a wonderful life?
Answer: Many things. The power is in the manifestation!

I like weekly and daily planning. Weekly plans help you set chunkier targets and map out the week. Daily planning keeps you in action and enables you to adjust your plan. You should be ready, willing and darned excited to adjust your plan because each move forward shifts what’s possible. If you don’t adjust your plan, you won’t be taking advantage of all the possibilities that you could not see and that were not available at the time you created the plan. Keep the peacock analogy in mind: You are a mutant peacock with forward facing feathers that shift with every step. Beautiful.

No Arms for 75 Years

Did you know that the saguaro cactus does not grow the first arm off its trunk until it is about 75 years old? All those single barreled cacti are young ones. Here's a nice middle aged one:

What if you experience frustration and feel as though nothing you are doing is having an impact? What if you feel like you are flapping your butterfly wings but nothing is working?

1. Clear out your defeatist self-talk and replace it with a newfound confidence in small actions creating big results. As long as you think nothing is working, nothing will work.

2. Keep flapping.

The saguaro cactus can hold several hundred gallons of water and weigh several tons. But its roots are pretty shallow and this makes it vulnerable to being damaged or washed away during spring floods that can follow the rains.

The deeper we go with putting directionally correct actions into play, the stronger our ability to endure stormy weather.

Flap, flap, flap.

I enjoyed my low key day today and am ready to get back on the bike a ride to Las Cruces, NM tomorrow. It's just a four hour ride and through interesting landscapes.

Happy Memorial Day.

The Relationship Between Physical and Mental Challenges

Had I posted last night, I would guess it would have sounded a bit like, "woe is me, I road through the hot desert all day." It was a challenging day, but also had many highlights.

Driving through Arizona is beautiful. As I got closer to Tucson, the landscape became more compelling. And although the last couple hours were painful, they were also the most enjoyable.

I stopped a lot, about every 60 miles, to hydrate and give Hazel a rest. She did great.

Yesterday was day 7 of my trip. I have clocked over 2,000 miles and had 5 events. A few things I have learned:

There's traveling solo, and then there's traveling alone. Traveling solo, means that I am not accompanied by another person. Traveling alone is solo plus I don't have any of the usual non-human accompaniments - car radio, CDs, iPods, airplane and airport bustle, etc. I like both the solo and alone parts of this trip. I do a lot of thinking on the road. There's a stillness (even with the engine noise and wind and trucks whizzing by) that is compelling.

A motorcycle journey is a great metaphor for the breakthrough process. Each day, small leaps forward. To be successful, I need to push through any pain and discomfort to make progress. I also need to constantly tweak my approach (today, I am going to ride very little and try to find an open Honda dealer to get some highway pegs that I hope will reduce my knee pain). 

People are wonderful and want to talk about generating breakthroughs. I have been very pleased with the interest and receptivity I have seen from the people at the events. I am very glad I am spending 40 days trying to catalyze breakthroughs.

Physical challenges are mental challenges. So, I am no Lance Armstrong, and I would never compare myself to a world class athlete. But I think I have a better understanding about why we find their accomplishments so inspiring. The mind is the most important enabler (or barrier) during physical challenges. And the strength we summons to meet physical challenges serves us in other areas of our lives. We know this from the statistics that show that young girls who participate in sports in school are less likely to end up pregnant or in abusive relationships - they are stronger in many ways.

I knew that my body would hurt on long ride days, but I underestimated how the physical pains would call forth mental strength. I assumed that Advil would be my greatest tool for coping (it is important), but it is my thoughts that have enabled me to get through the long stretches. In addition to getting through the physical challenges, I feel more confident and strong overall. Hazel is made of steel and when on her, I feel like I am too.

I need to take care of the little things. Before taking the trip, I prepared as best as possible for big problems with safety gear and safe riding practices. Now, I need to make sure that the little chronic problems don't sideline me. I have some weakness in my left hand (from clutching in heavy traffic - especially southern California), my upper arms are sore and fatigued, my right wrist feels stiff and my left knee hurts a lot while on the bike after about 30 minutes. The schedule for the next several days is much lighter, and I am hopeful that this will help me recover in these areas.

Perhaps I will feel differently after 2, 3, 4, or 5 weeks. We shall see!

Do you want to change your life? Take some kind of journey that calls upon you to stretch your physical and mental comfort zones.

Today I will stay in Tucson and do only local driving. Tomorrow I head to Las Cruces, NM and this is just a short and beautiful ride. Then I am in Albuquerque for two days. Thanks to those of you who have dropped me notes telling me about your goals and how you intend to generate breakthroughs. I love hearing about what you are up to!

LA Traffic and the Physics of Balance

Note to self: The next time I do a 10,000 mile motorcycle trip, don't try to drive from Santa Clara, CA to Newport Beach, CA in one day on a Friday before a three day weekend.

I got most of the way there just fine. The last 140 miles took 5.5 hours. My hands, arms, and shoulders are toast! Hazel was getting tired too,

I thought about breakthroughs a lot today while inching along south. I tried to cut off the complaints and whining about the really slow traffic. It's tough to not whine! But it is also important. In the scheme of things the traffic was no big deal.

Pain, yes. Inconvenience, yes.

I think many people, myself included, tend to make barriers appear or feel BIGGER than they are and we don't acknowledge what's amazing. Are their frustrations, barriers, or setbacks that you allow to mean MORE than is appropriate or helpful?

The mental garbage, or drama, that we allow to get or keep us off track needs to go! We just need to reinvent the situation and see things in a more compelling and positivie light.

I drove over 440 miles today. That's a lot.

I got a lesson in the important relationship of weight distribution and balance today. The fine folks at Motto sent some Motto magazines for me to give away at last night's event. I had some left over so I moved some things around so I could carry some on my bike.

Now imagine this. My gas tank was nearly empty. I put a stack of magazines in the tank bag that sits on top of the gas tank.

Can you guess what happened? I got on the bike and pushed it upright. Because the magazines were high, they were levered upward and the momentum caused me to continue right through upright and the bike went down in the parking lot. A nice man watched the whole thing happen and helped me get the bike upright again (after he stopped laughing). I checked the bike for damage - none. I check me for damage - nothing I could feel or see.

I then got back on the bike and neary pushed it over on its side again. Those magazines were having a big affect. I rearranged things and all worked well.

Are you balanced? Do you feel like there is some force keeping you blocked?

More coming....