THOUGHT 4 THE WEEK

Arguably, the acceleration of the 'motivation movement' occurred just 60-year ago in 1957 following an American broadcast by radio speaker and author Earl Nightingale (1921-89). *‘The Strangest Secret’ earning him the very first Gold Record Award for selling over 1-million recordings of the mindset of becoming your best by loving what you do.

But what does it mean to love what you do? And, if this is true, why do the majority of people in the western world never seem to obtain that fulfilment after 6-decades?

The mind of man demands purpose or meaning! It must pursue a worthy ideal or it stagnates and dies (read ‘Man’s Search For Meaning’ by Viktor E. Frankl). True fulfilment is real happiness and can be stated as that persistent feeling of self-fulfilment. That one’s worthy hopes and ambitions are at the top of the ladder they are climbing right now, and which is not the direct pursuit of riches or possessions but of seeking other people's happiness, first.

If one is to realise their ladder is leaning against the right tree, appropriate work-choice plays a critical role in providing opportunity to draw on the qualities of personal character within an environment connecting similarly like-minded people. Choose wisely and your emotional and financial wellbeing is highly probable. Choose otherwise...!

So why ~ according to US Gallop ~ were more than two-thirds of workers dissatisfied with their engagement, meaning they felt no real connection to their job-role displaying low self-esteem that all too often resulted in low productivity or multiple job-moves?

In a recent blog I provoked some heartfelt response following my claim that a typical working-life is over after 500 salary cheques! All work done without love is hard-labour, a sort of day-prison. Your stuff of life emanates from you when you love what you do for the people you are doing it with.

Psychologist's agree mental health is maintained by doing what you love to do, making you an ambassador for those who pay you, or within your own business enterprise. Balanced mental health derives from that sense of meaning and purpose, we spoke of earlier, which determines your entire psychological well-being. 

Those at home, at work and at play want to be ‘taking’ whatever you are taking. Your demeanour remains attractive. Your family is happier. You get noticed within your job-role and, maybe, by other organisations prepared to head-hunt someone just like you, raising the probability of higher financial as well as emotional reward.

A Word of Caution

Do you have to love, or even like every part of your job-role? Not at all, and this crucial awareness is important because all work has elements that may be unpleasant. Think of what a medical doctor must encounter and you’ll get the message about really loving the good bits.

Loving what you do, and doing what you love, includes politely ignoring people who tell you not to do it, even if they claim they have your best interests at heart. You must know what fulfils you to truly place your ladder against the right tree.

To explore what motivates you and what satisfies your behaviour requires appropriate professional profiling and effective career counselling.

Email john@uetp.co.uk or call 0044 7900 251258

*https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EFhkdzj-x80

When the excellent Stephen R. Covey first published his 7-habits of Highly Effective People in August 1989, I wonder if he imagined it would remain a consistent best seller for 3-decades?

Though many people-coaches have built their career upon Stephen's original work, his simplicity stands as testament to his insight.

How do you measure up against these 7-Habits? 

Honestly, score yourself 1(lo) - 5(hi) for each habit. Maybe ask a close friend or a colleague for their perception of you, too:

1. Being Proactive ~ do you anticipate or create and control your consequential situations rather than merely respond to its outcome?

2. Beginning With The End In Mind ~ do you start each day, task or project with a clear vision of your desired outcome, then progress sequentially by flexing your proactive muscles (see 1 above) to make things happen?

3. Putting 1st Things 1st ~ do you action important matters ahead of other things?

4. Thinking Win/Win or No Deal ~ do you maintain an open mind and heart that constantly seeks mutually beneficial outcomes in all human interactions, or agree to disagree agreeably?

5. Seeking 1st To Understand, Then To Be Understood ~ do you stop yourself thinking about what you want to say and genuinely listen to truly comprehend another person’s perspective or paradigm?

6. Synergise ~ do you combine and coordinate your activities with other peoples activities to produce a joint outcome greater than the sum of individual effort?

7. Sharpening Your Saw ~ do you have a balanced programme of self-renewal in the four life-areas: physical, social/emotional, mental and spiritual?

If your honest score is above 26-out-of-35, congratulations you are in the rarefied top quartile. But, keep practising to improve your effectiveness 'habits'. It will pay dividends both emotionally and financially!

Major on any individual ranking of 3 or less, conscientiously striving to improve each in the order as written above (Habit 3). 

To unleash your true potential, email john@uetp.co.uk or call 07900 251 258

Complicated IS Easy! Simple IS Hard!

Last Sunday November 10^th, 2019 marked 100-years since the proclamation of King George V of Great Britain to remember our glorious dead.

Whilst the King was not glorifying conflict, he was asking his peoples to remember why they would enjoy freedoms after that most terrible war.

Following the Kings proclamation on the 7^th November 1919, the first observation throughout the British Commonwealth was called, “Armistice Day”, which commemorated the armistice agreement that ended the First World War in 1918 ~ on the eleventh hour, of the eleventh day, of the eleventh month.

To appreciate our freedoms of today, every man, woman, boy and girl are wise to remember King George V words that, “all locomotion would cease, so that, in perfect stillness, the thoughts of everyone may be concentrated on reverent remembrance of the glorious dead.”

Sometimes, in our perceived struggle to obtain more and more stuff, we allow ourselves the indulgence of self-pity.

• Woe is me
• My lot is hard
• I never seem to do anything but work
• The cost of living is spiralling upwards
• My spouse, family, boss just don’t understand me

Try pausing, not just for two-minutes once a year, but for that moment every single day to remember what you actually have going for you. And, if you can’t think of anything, at least remember those who die, are maimed or suffer mental trauma so that you may have the freedom to become.

The happiest people I know are not those who find their golden ticket; they are those who, while in pursuit of worthy goals, discover and treasure the beauty and sweetness of the everyday moments. Dieter F. Uchtdorf

Email john@uetp.co.uk to discuss this paper.

Complicated Is Easy! Simple Is Hard!

Following last week’s BLOG, some of our readership remarked their mind had been jolted at the thought that their working life can literally be reduced to 500 pay-cheques and, have requested a few of my favourite book titles to help them become the very best they can be.

From hundreds of good books studied and restudied, I shortlist the following 6 initial-reads that reinforce last week’s commentary. I recommend they are read in the order listed during no more than the following 6-months, and that you keep a note of how your thoughts and actions are changing.

The first three titles help you realise your fulfilment. Or, that you need to re-evaluate your choices to-date. To determine that your ladder is leaning against the correct tree for you or needs re-positioning. That, should you keep climbing where it is, you will ~ or will not ~ become the best possible you by the end of your game!

The latter-three titles self-check that you are Doing The Right Thing, Right. That you are progressing as you truly desire with your end-game always in mind.

At the time of writing, the following titles remain available through leading bookstores or appropriate websites:

1.   Man’s Search For Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl

2.   A Return To Love by Marianne Williamson

3.   Who Do I Think I Am? by John G. Angeletta (click BOOKS above)

4.   Start With Why by Simon Sinek

5.   Keys To Positive Thinking by Napoleon Hill

6.   3rd Alternative by Stephen R. Covey

As you complete each excellent book, please let me have your insights. And, should you want more titles, email john@uetp.co.uk

Complicated Is Easy! Simple Is Hard!

“To believe that weaknesses and deficiencies in your character are unchangeable is to reject the central truth ... You not only can change but you do change all the time ...” Lawrence Corbridge

In his excellent book, ‘The 7-Habits of Highly Effective People’, Stephen R. Covey uses the example of someone who has reached retirement only to discover their ladder had been leaning against the wrong tree in the forest.

For most people, life dis-appointments stem from lack of planning and/or poor organisation. They start their working life going from one day to the next, then 500 pay-cheques later they wonder what it was all about. They had little or no game-plan other than what was imposed upon them by their supervisors. Work is over, now what?

The above quote by Corbridge, cements our theme for today of Making Weaknesses Your Strengths, or Doing the Right Thing, Right! (NOTE: career selection is beyond the scope of this paper).

The Law of Entropy ~ states that everything is in a state of decay! This implies that unless you continually review, plan and organise your life, no-matter what rung of the ladder you are on, the natural outcome will be diminishing returns!

Too many enterprises, large and small, unwittingly live this law succumbing to one of the biggest misnomers satisfying this law, colloquially called, ‘Time Management’. And if you don’t believe me, try retrieving one minute of the past 24-hours or extending today by another 60-seconds.

Only Tasks Can Be Managed!

The humble To Do List (TDL) is a grossly underused device that records and reviews everything that keeps you progressing safely on your life journey.

The TDL is the equivalent of the pre-flight check-list that every pilot uses before every take-off and, depending on which aircraft (read job-role) you are intending to fly, may change a little or a lot!

All highly effective check-lists contain two sets of ingredients that discern Planning and Organising ~ identifying what is Effective to your safe journey, and how to remain Efficient when on it.

In short, Planning is Doing the Right Thing (DTRT) whilst Organising is Doing the Thing Right (DTTR). Put together you exemplify Doing the Right Thing, Right, which reduces stress and increases productivity.

Let’s break it down into two distinctly irreversible parts:

PART 1 ~ Doing the Right Thing (Planning) ~ begins with making a list of everything that supports your emotional, physical and *career wellbeing including: health, giving and receiving love, getting to where you are going, and job-specification.

For Example: most employees work 8-hours, and sleep 8-hours, which leaves 8-hours for fun each working day. This demands 40-hours to earn money to pay for the other 80-hours each week as well as enjoy leisure on your days off.

Planning, therefore, not only includes job-specific tasks, but life specific-tasks too including eating, being with your loved ones; commuting; on-going career development; as well as the key responsibilities of your actual job-description.

This IS your respective To Do List!

PART 2 ~ Doing the Thing Right (Organising) ~ begins by assigning each item from your TDL to who is going to do what and in an order of importance.

To achieve this let’s use three headings MUST, SHOULD & COULD:

• MUSTs are those task that can only be performed by you. They cannot be delegated and include: travel to/from your place of work, meals, client and inter-departmental interaction, satisfying key points within your job-role, continuous professional development, and time to be with your loved ones. Only you can perform these tasks!

• SHOULDs, on the other hand, are tasks that you remain accountable for to increase personal productivity but may be delegated to another. For example: someone else may organise your diary or undertake research for your work. Others can effectively do this only if briefed correctly!

• COULDs also remain your accountability but may be delegated. They include those tasks that improve your efficiency. They are positive adjustments in support of your work!

To explore the above paper, call John on 0044 7900 251258 or email john@uetp.co.uk

We will explore Dreaming b4 Goal Setting in another paper.

*an occupation undertaken for a significant period of a person's life with opportunities for progression