Category Archives: Success

“Never let the fear…”

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“Never let the fear of striking out get in your way.”

—Babe Ruth, American baseball player whose Major League career spanned 22 seasons

Photo from thegreedypinstripes.com

Photo from thegreedypinstripes.com

Perhaps no baseball player in history will ever achieve as much notoriety as Babe Ruth, who began his 22-year career 101 years ago, in 1914.

Among the many interesting facts about Babe was his unique method for keeping cool during hot summer games, wearing uniforms made of wool. His trick to provide relief for an inning or two was to chill cabbage leaves in ice, then put the frozen leaves under his cap!

Surprisingly, Ruth is ranked 113th on the all-time strikeout list, with 1,330 strikeouts. Compare that to Reggie Jackson, who had 2,597 strikeouts. Perhaps it was his quote and the cabbage that did the trick?

EXERCISE:

Where is the fear of striking out in your professional or personal life stopping you? Where do you most need to get up to the plate and swing away? What strategies will help you keep your cool in the process?

“Don’t quit your day dream”

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“Don’t quit your daydream.”

-Author Unknown

Image from Unspash by Icarus.jpeg

For many of us, the act of daydreaming is about longing to be somewhere else, doing something else. This often flies in the face of our day jobs—jobs that have become, for some, unfulfilling or even toxic.

When we daydream, there is a heightened sense of excitement, and a desire to live and work more consistently with our most authentic beliefs and desires.

In many ways, the coaching process encourages each individual to be true to themselves, giving them greater access to more of their personal power, gifts, and inherent talents. Who wouldn’t want far more of that?

EXERCISE:

What would be possible if you lived more consistently by the phrase, “Don’t quit your day dream” instead of “Don’t quit your day job”?

What specific actions can you take today to do just that?

“A bird sitting on a tree

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“A bird sitting on a tree is never afraid of the branch breaking, because its trust is not on the branch but on its own wings.”

—Author Unknown

Photo from Flickr by Martin Heigan

Photo from Flickr by Martin Heigan

Where in your professional or personal life are you leaning too much on the help and support of others? How would you cope and adjust if their support were suddenly withdrawn? Do you have a “Plan B”?

A dual strategy to proactively address such scenarios is to sit more lightly on the branches of others, and of course, exercise your own wings to fly solo when necessary.

EXERCISE:

Where in your life could you strengthen your capacity, trust your own abilities, and operate more independently?

How could you be a branch to support others, when needed, as they develop their ability to fly on their own?

“Create a life that feels good on the inside…”

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“Create a life that feels good on the inside, not one that just looks good on the outside.”

-Author Unknown

image from positivelyaging.org

image from positivelyaging.org

Many years ago, when Saturday Night Live was in its first years, there was a funny series of skits portrayed by Billy Crystal, titled “Fernando’s Hideaway.” His signature line was “You Look Mah-velous!”

With not a hair out of place, Fernando always says “I would rather look good than feel good, you know?” In our society today, we can observe this “looking good” approach to life success through the material, or status trappings many people pursue.

Alternatively, there has been a very significant journey inward for many people, where greater health, wisdom, and spiritual growth are increasingly valued and pursued.

EXERCISE:

Explore and take one action today that would enhance your mental, emotional, or spiritual worlds. Consider making this exercise a daily habit, and don’t be surprised if this inner work makes you look better on the outside, because you will be wearing considerably more smiles.

“Little Things Mean a Lot.”

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“Little Things Mean a Lot.”

— Carl Stutz/Edith Calisch, Songwriters

Image from perfectbodybywii.blogspot.com

Image from perfectbodybywii.blogspot.com

Big things get a lot of attention in our world. Society makes a point to recognize and celebrate things that stand out, such as:

  • The highest mountains
  • The tallest trees
  • The biggest buildings
  • The largest ships
  • Super-sized foods
  • The biggest athletes
  • The richest people
  • The largest homes

Meanwhile, when prompted to look closely at what brings them personal satisfaction and a life of meaning and purpose, many people list the often-overlooked “little things” that bring them smiles and fill their hearts.

EXERCISE:

If you, too, see the “little things” as big things in your life, consider generating a list of 20, 50, or even 100 “little things” that mean a lot to you.

“Old ways won’t open new doors.”

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“Old ways won’t open new doors.”

— Author Unknown

Image from cwfoa.com

Image from cwfoa.com

Prior to starting my coaching career many years ago, I held sales, advertising, and marketing roles with a well-known pharmaceutical company. For a two-year period I even had the opportunity to work with advertising agencies to promote our products. Without question, there was a single word that, if we could use it, would grab the greatest attention for our prospective customers. The word, “NEW!” always got people to raise their eyebrows and lean in to learn more about the product.

Today it is more important and urgent to remain fresh and relevant. Old ways of doing things are becoming extinct, and it is imperative to initiate and embrace new ways to open new doors to the future.

EXERCISE:

Where in either your personal or professional life is sticking with old ways of doing things limiting your success?

Select at least one new thing to do today that will open one door that is closing, or is completely shut.

“You are no bigger than…”

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“You are no bigger than the things that annoy you.”

—Jerry Bunden

Photo from addconsults.com

Photo from addconsults.com

How big and expansive do you feel in your life at this moment?

How easy is it to breathe deeply and stand tall?

How much freedom, independence, self-expression, and self-determination is present in your personal and professional life?

During a typical coaching session, clients often reveal aspects of their current reality that annoy and upset them. When I observe them sharing their thoughts and feelings on these matters, they almost always demonstrate some form of physical constriction or limitation in stature and personal power.

It is not uncommon to have these people describe how much better they feel and actually look when they have worked through these matters in our coaching discussions.

EXERCISE:

Create a list of your top professional and personal annoyances. Examine their impact. How, through your own efforts or with the assistance of a friend, family member, mentor, or coach, could you gain greater freedom and effectiveness in these areas, to lead a more fulfilling life?

“Never look back unless…”

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“Never look back unless you are planning to go that way.”

—Henry David Thoreau, 19th Century American author, poet, philosopher

photo from www.yourperfectdaybyjess.com

photo from www.yourperfectdaybyjess.com

At this time of year a fair number of organizations schedule various forms of management meetings to discuss their current status and plan for the future.

They often refer to these group sessions as “retreats,” which I find amusing, since I am sure none of these leaders wish to take their organizations backward.

Recently, some leaders are recognizing the power of the language they use, and are beginning to call these off-site meeting “advances.”

EXERCISE:

Plan you own “advances” with key individuals in your professional and personal worlds to move toward the future you sincerely desire.

“The life you have led doesn’t…”

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“The life you have led doesn’t need to be the only life you have.”

—Anna Quindlen, American author and journalist

QC #788photo from www.lionsroar.com

One of my favorite movies is Ground Hog Day with Bill Murray. I always laugh as he lives February 2nd over and over again.

Through countless chances, he tends to make many of the same mistakes over and over, which leaves him in the same place as the previous day.

Eventually, he learns that his future can be altered for the better.  By choosing actions that are consistent with his commitment, he takes new and better actions that lead him to a different future, where in the end, of course, he “gets the girl.”

EXERCISE:

Take the time today to examine the life you have lived and determine what you wish to continue and what you wish to change. Select a close friend, family member, mentor, or coach to examine what you discover. Consider developing a plan over at least 90 days, to make the coming years more fulfilling and remarkable.

“What you do today is important because…”

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“What you do today is important because you are exchanging a day of your life for it.”

—Author Unknown

Photo from Flickr by GotCredit

Photo from Flickr by GotCredit

What is a day worth? If you were to calculate the monetary value of one full revolution of planet Earth, what would the exact value be?

The professional service providers who are my coaching clients often bill out at hourly rates. Just to make the math simple for this example, we’ll assume a rate of $200/hour. One 24-hour day would be worth $4,800.

Add that to the qualitative value you attribute to each day you spend with family, friends, and colleagues, engaged in enjoyable and meaningful pursuits.

EXERCISE:

Based on the scenario above, select a number which represents the value you attribute to a single day. As you look at today and look forward to tomorrow, how will you spend your “life equity” to make the most of this miracle called life?