Category Archives: Motivation

Focus on outcomes, not tasks

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As you may have noticed on my website (http://philippeback.eu), I have changed my value proposition from “Helping you improve your way of working” to “I help you achieve your top 3 outcomes“.

Indeed, I’ve taken a good look at where one can get the greatest leverage when applying skills.

And that led to that sharper focus on outcomes. Helping you improve your way of working is definitely positive and all, and it made me tick for several years. But it is time to move on because improvement of ways of working isn’t in any way focused on outcomes. It is focused on efficiency (usage of means) instead than on efficacy (reaching outcomes). Hence the switch.

My web presence will change name issue and morph into “Reaching your top 3 outcomes”. What’s in a name would you say. Well, a lot actually. Language is everything in communication. And communication ultimately directs the relationships and business.

So, yes, the words we use and the way we see ourselves is a big deal. In fact, this is *the* deal. Something I came to realize after, well, 10+ years (So long already? Oh my!) in business. Never too late to learn, right?

So, what does this bring to the table? What’s the value for you, dear reader?

Well, three things actually. Three I can think of, right out of the top of my hat that is:

One: Focus on top 3 outcomes will make you think about *your* top 3

What are your top 3 outcomes then? Can you list them? You can’t have more than 3. 3 is already a hell of a lot of outcomes.

Start by making a list of 10+ and then prune like a berserker because finding the top 3 is hard work. Don’t think about how you’ll make it true. Think about the outcome itself. Don’t be shy. Think big.

Some questions:

  • Is it personal our professional? (holistic choices allowed as well)
  • Can you write it down in a single line of less than 10 words? (and without commas all along the way, don’t cheat!)
  • What difference will reaching that outcome bring to your life?
  • How badly do you need that to become true?
  • How painful is it for that not to become true?

Two: What makes something an outcome worthy of making it to your top 3 list?

What’s an outcome? Well, everything is an outcome. Even failure is an outcome. You may want to call it a learning experience. Or a stellar success. Who am I to tell you what an outcome is for you?

But what makes something worthy of your top 3 list, that I can help you with.

Consider this:

  • Is this outcome something you are ready to invest massive energy in?
  • Are you fed up beyond all limits by not having this outcome coming true?
  • Are you feeling energized, just because of considering that outcome?
  • Is this merely a ‘nice to have’? It has to be of the ‘must have this or else’ variety!
  • Is that outcome a required step to get to your ultimate dream?
  • Will it be a stepstone to your wildest dreams?
  • Don’t you even dare to think about what this will bring if it becomes true?

What fits with those elements is worthy of your top 3.

Three: No need to kill yourself for this. Start small, build some muscle.

“Thinking big, wildest dreams, massive energy investment… Wait a minute, you crazy.
I do have the mortage to pay, the family to attend to. I am chained to my work desk all day long.
Do you think I even have the time to think about my top 3 outcomes?”

Hell, yes you have time. Time is there for everyone. It is named “The Great Equalizer”. I do not want to light a fire under your chair but realize that a year is 365 days (don’t get me started on the .25, you don’t have time for that).
And that makes 10 years 3650 days. I am about to hit 42. In 10 years, I’ll be 52. And 10 years later, 62. And by then, I’ll have sailed through 7300 days (if you checked the calculation, you have more time on your hands than you think!). Life is short. Too short to not do something about our dreams.

So, you for sure have the time to even work on a small dream, to allow yourself to get it. A lot of people do not even dare to dream small. Start there, dream small, and make your small dream come true light up your day. And then move from there. Build that dream achiever status of yours. No need to go public about it, just let it warm your heart, warm your soul, make you feel that your life matters in a big way. It does. Yes, it does. I grant you the right to make it true, should you need it. Stop seeking for validation. You have the right to your dream.

Are you ready for a change? I am. I’d like to have you around for that journey!

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Nobody can predict the future. So: roll up your sleeves and make your own!

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Seems you fear failing.

I read somewhere: FEAR (False Evidence Appearing Real). Set aside this part of your mind, and get the ball rolling. Overcoming inertia is the #1 ability. Once the ball rolls, everything gets easier. Once you have invested enough, you’ll not stop. And your brain will rewire so that this will become a new habit.

What is *the* thing that you are focusing on right here, right now? What did you manifest to the world this week?

I’d love to this thing happen and become manifest.

It’s your duty to enable others to work and buy from you! Why are you preventing them to do so for so long? I’ve someone in the family who acts in that procrastination-heavy way. She is ever preparing, switching domains, etc. Basically, it is about 10 years she does it without getting anywhere.

If she would have done one thing in practice for all the time she procrastinated, she would be a millionaire. To be frank, I have stopped listening when she starts explaining by now.

Don’t fall victim of the same trap.

I mean: damn, would she ever stop and try things out for real? Check this out:http://philippeback.be/2009/09/youtube-video-failure-the-key-to-success/

And also: http://www.whomovedmycheese.com/

Huh, no, actually, don’t do that. Tell us that you’ve booked the dates, the venue, and started getting bookings for that workshop and teleconference of yours! Or whatever you had in mind since I am no mind reader.

I would love to see you succeed!

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How to stay focused on what matters

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One fact is sure in our lives: there is apparently way too many things to do compared to the time we do have available.
There is so much to do both at the workplace and at home that we think that we “have to deal with compromise.”
In fact, there are many subjects we’d love to turn our thoughts to but have to recognize that we just don’t have time.
Some of you may beat themselves up by telling themselves that “they should concentrate on the job in hand!”
On one side of the spectrum, labels come in. As in “procrastinator.” Or “ADD” (for Attention Deficit Disorder). Or “victims.”
On the other side, I know of people who try to keep up with all by behaving like superman or superwoman, only to discover that they are human persons with human limits. This can go very far, and become very destructive.

So, what to do to escape that deadly trap?

It is all in your mental attitude. Let’s have a look.

Identify what matters to you

You can’t be good in something if there is no passion. If you see no sense in what you do, ask yourself why you do it. What do you contribute to that makes you feel good? What’s the meaning?
Look deeply. Do you want to be a good little soldier? That’s not going to make you fly.
Being oneself is not that easy for most of us. It takes courage. It takes guts.
Make a list of the 20 “must do” things. And look at it deeply. Are these really “musts?” What is more like a “I do it because I don’t want to upset someone?” or “I do it because that’s always been the way I have done it?”

Look where you are strong and build from there

You aren’t going to become more effective by leveraging your limitations. You’ll become more effective by leveraging your strengths.
This may mean letting go of tasks you hate doing and outsourcing them. What about leveraging your business strengths to make more money and pay for the lawnmower man? Same for ironing, cleaning the floor and so on.
This may not come from day one but if you put your mind on that, it may happen faster than you think. Until you really trust your skills to deliver the extra means, there is no way out.

Take care of yourself first

How someone could be achieving stellar results while at the same time treating him or herself like crap is beyond me.
Do you believe you are special for yourself? Do you give you little gifts regularly? Like a massage, a walk in the park you like, or sharing time with people you enjoy being with? And I mean without guilt.
You can’t genuinely help other people if you do not know how it is to help yourself.

Thank yourself when you achieve

Give you a little gift when you achieve a goal. And do it, don’t forget, don’t pass. It is a little habit that will help you lift mountains. It sure does for me!

Squash your limiting beliefs

Make a list of what you think you aren’t allowed to do. I mean things that stay within ethical and lawful boundaries. Like in “I am not allowed to let the grass grow wild on weekends,” or in  ”I am not allowed to focus on the future because the present screams at me,” or “I am not allowed to work less than 8 hours a day,” or “I am not allowed to rest even if I am tired to death.”
Do you have beliefs like that? Throw them out of window, they do you no good. Seek the reasons why you have those. Are they really yours? Have you been brainwashed in thinking that way?

Invest in your growth

One sure way to keep the motivation high and stand up to adversity is to invest in your own growth.
Did you read a skill-growth centered book or picked up a skill and followed through last month?
For example, I invested some time on how to use InkScape, a piece of software for drawing vector graphics. This gave me more confidence with such graphic work, and generally making me much more educated on graphical matters. So that I can express my thoughts and points with more impact.
Did you attended a workshop (even an on-line workshop) to understand something that can help you become a better you?
A continuous, growth centered investment regimen will do marvels for your self esteem. And better self esteem sure helps in focusing on what matters like a laser beam.

Optimize the chores and throw the crap out

Let’s face it, there will also be a ton of chores to be attended to in life. We can either let them linger or let them take over our lives.
Isn’t there another path? Yes: getting good at them so that they take much less time to do. Standardization to the rescue. For example I bought two dishwashers. When there is way too much to clean, these are a huge help.
Another thing is to get rid of broken things right away and not let them accumulate. A broken cup? Out to the trash. A pen that does not work anymore: trash! Objects are either in working condition or they are out. This may lead you to buy only high quality goods. More expensive, granted. But they help in staying focused. In the war “objects” vs “us”, I am sure of one thing: “objects” aren’t going to win!
I am not going to tell you here how I run my chores in detail but know that I’ve been quite harsh on reducing the burden. Outsourcing them is great as long as you can specify clearly what you want.
And stop brining in new “stuff.” Do we really need yet another set of glasses, dishes, and the like? Do we really need yet another computer, peripheral, printer? More often than not, the answer is a resounding NO. Part of stopping crap mounting up is to stop it from coming in.

Don’t overbook yourself and make your estimates twice the size

A big item in being able to focus on what matters is to stop thinking that overbooking yourself is the key to productivity. It is not.
So, stop planning time slices back to back. It doesn’t work, will not work, and will never work no matter what.
Instead, pick three key objectives for your day and work on those. You’ll feel good about having achieved them. There may be hundred things that scream for your attention. Well, you know what?
They will not all win.
Only three will. The three you selected. The three you find important. The three that give you back control on your life. And by “only” doing three, you’ll be much better off than trying to do 100. “Doing 3″ trumps “trying to do 100.”
Also, makes your estimates twice the size. Especially if you are “trying to do 100.” (In which case, you may want to make your estimate x5 or x10).
Estimates are usually done in “perfect days” without disruptions, attention drifts, and general mood swings. Make it twice the time and book your schedule accordingly.

Get help if you are in a medical condition because no amount of advice can cure that

All of the above advice is not applicable if you are suffering from a medical condition like depression.
Burnout also counts as medical condition.
In that case, the top priority is to call your health professional to get help and treatment.
There are sure signs of depression (latent or manifest) and that needs proper help.

Summary

So, let’s now summarize the points to stay focused on what matters:
Identify what matters to you, look where you are strong and build from there, take care of yourself first, thank yourself when you achieve, squash your limiting beliefs, invest in your growth, optimize the chores and throw the crap out, don’t overbook yourself and make your estimates twice the size, and get help if you are in a medical condition because no amount of advice can cure that.
So, to increase your focus on what matters for you, just pick one area in the list above and make something happen there for a week.
And then, repeat.
You’ll be astonished by how much better you’ll end up in three months.


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How to beat resistance at its own game

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In a previous post, we have looked at how our own internal resistance is what makes us procrastinate.

To beat this foe, we need to put a regimen in place. And make no mistake, the first sale is to ourselves.

Until we see tangible benefits from our actions, resistance will always win.

So, one key is to avoid shooting for the moon right out of the box.

One key to stay sane and achieve is to decide on rules that can be obeyed without problems.

As you match those, you can put more rules. The rules muscle will strengthen with time, no problem.

For example, let’s say that one rule would be: getting a shower and being dressed by 7:00 am every workday.

A simple enough rule that is easy to follow, right? Well, when you are working on your own, with nobody looking at you, you may spend the day without anything like that. And feel like crap all day long, reducing your productivity.

Full disclosure: been there, done that. Not anymore. Why so? Because of the benefits. The benefits of achieving a much better internal state through creating new things, or achieving goals much earlier in the day, leaving space for other activities. What makes my day is thinking about stuff, tinkering with electronics, and other non-money making activities. By just obeying that simple rule, I’ve seen my productivity go up, up, up!

So, what next? Another easy rule is to eat at regular times. It gives a rythm. It helps in structuring the day.

It keeps the energy level correct enough to avoid bad times.

These are two basic rules that can help. These are just mine, you’ll have to make your own.

Until next time, get some rules in place!

 

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Getting things in motion and getting results

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One of the hardest parts of business is to get things in motion and obtain results.

A lot of people:

  • know what has to be done,
  • how to do it,
  • planned for it,
  • even put budget aside for it,

But nothing happens. Or even worse, budget is spent, time is used, but there are no results to show.

Weird isn’t it? How comes?

Poor leadership? Poor execution?

Not really.

What then?

Inertia

The tendency of an non moving object to stay put.

Once things are in motion, they tend to stay so. That’s inertia as well. Good inertia would I say.

So, how to create momentum?

Some clues:

Instead of trying to attack the most complex thing, start by doing one tiny bit. And another, and yet another. You’ll build up confidence.

Don’t beat yourself up by not having done what you think should have been done. What good will come out of that? Especially once you realize that everything takes twice as much time to do as when you estimated it.

Get rest and exercise. Without these, you’ll be tired and without energy. Do you think you’ll get anywhere by exhausting yourself to death?

Band together with a positive supporting group. Attitude is everything for being successful. Walk with a pack of losers, you’ll end up the same. Misery loves company, okay?

Self control has limits. And those are much lower than you think. One full hour of concentration? That’s out of the range of most humans. So, work for 40 minutes, then get a break.

Allow for dynamic replanning. Who in his/her right mind would stick to a crazy plan that has no chance of success given the new developements? Adapt. Evolve. Grow.

Stop the excuses train. No excuses. No whining.

Then you’ll face the true enemy. Your own internal resistance. Not anybody else. And that’s an never ending uphill battle from there. It is easier when you know it. You know what you are fighting against.

Inertia, caused by internal resistance. All of the above clues are to help you fight the battle.

You may not call victory every day but it is possible to win a fair amount of encounters.

Until next time,

Get things in motion!

And grab the Audio Version while you are here, it may come in handy when you’ll feel stuck.

 

Download Episode

 

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