Tag Archives: Barry Demp

“Getting started generates the momentum to keep going.”

Posted on by

“Getting started generates the momentum to keep going.”

—Tony Robbins, American author, coach and speaker

Image from Unsplash by Braden Collum

In many ways we humans are a bit like our vehicles.

When we start and stop often throughout our days our mileage is less than desired.

When we get up to speed and hit the cruise control button, our efficiency and effectiveness skyrocket.

What happens when we are stopped completely and the inertia to stay stopped feels so strong?

Here are a few ways to apply the concept of momentum to your daily efforts once you get going:

    • Start with small wins to build confidence and motivation.
    • Create a daily routine based on the positive habits you value.
    • Habit stacking helps attach new habits to existing ones.
    • Avoid taking breaks and push through low levels of resistance that can slow you down or stop you completely.
    • Celebrate yourself for both effort and progress to reinforce positive behaviors and sustain your motivation.

    EXERCISE:

    In what areas of your life do you need to get out of the starting block?

    How can you apply some of the strategies above to build and maintain your momentum to keep going?

Sometimes the direct approach doesn’t work

Posted on by

Sometimes the direct approach doesn’t work. You may need to find and enter the third door to reach your goal.

—Calm App Reflection

Image from Unsplash by Daria Neprikhina

The “Third Door” concept introduced by Alex Banayan in his book, The Third Door, likens success to entering a nightclub with three doors:

The first door is the main entrance where most people wait.

The second door is the VIP entrance for the privileged few.

The third door represents an unconventional path that requires creativity and persistence, like sneaking through a back entrance or finding hidden opportunities.

This concept emphasizes thinking outside the box and leveraging unique strategies to achieve extraordinary success.

EXERCISE:

How might you discover your own “third door” to success by embracing barriers, setbacks, and mistakes when your first doors remain locked?

What new approaches and hidden passages might you discover by opening the third doors in your world?

Friday Review: Leadership

Posted on by

Friday Review: Leadership

Who are the leaders you choose to emulate? Here are a few leadership-related posts you may have missed.

“Who can you give the credit to, before you take some for yourself?”

 

 

 

 

“Leadership is not about titles, positions, or flow charts. It is about one life influencing another.”

 

 

 

 

“Fight for the things that you care about, but do it in a way that will lead others to join you.”

 

 

 

 

Procrastination is like a credit card

Posted on by

“Procrastination is like a credit card: It’s a lot of fun until you get the bill.”

—Christopher Parker, English actor and television presenter

Image from Unsplash by Nubelson Fernandes

With Black Friday and Cyber Monday in our rear view mirrors, and the holidays just around the corner, it’s natural to want to give and get.

With Amazon and other online purchases just clicks away, it can be pretty easy to dig a financial hole deeper that you intend.

Procrastination is like this in that it pays off immediately with that rush of dopamine. We seemingly get all the reward without the downside until that “payment due” notice finds us down the road.

EXERCISE:

Where are you trying to pay down the debt of procrastination in your life?

How would applying the disciplines of doing things now and delayed gratification reward you with even more fun in the future?

“What gets better as we age?”

Posted on by

“What gets better as we age?”

—Author Unknown

Image from Unsplash by Dmitry Mashkin

In the years following my dad’s passing, I’ve developed a far greater interest in the subject of aging.

Although there are many reasons to see these years as ones of decline from our younger selves, there is still plenty of evidence that numerous areas of life tend to improve, including:

  • Happiness and Well-Being: older adults often experience greater life satisfaction and emotional stability, with reduced stress from the responsibilities of raising children and work.
  • Self Confidence: many older individuals become more comfortable in their own skin, embracing their true selves without the need for external validation.
  • Wisdom and Decision-Making: tend to improve through the accumulation of life experiences and more thoughtful informed choices.
  • Empathy and the ability to more deeply understand the emotions and experiences of others tend to improve, like a fine wine with time.

EXERCISE:

How can you see yourself as getting better — not just older — with each passing day?  How might greater mindfulness and self-awareness of the aging process help you experience a richer, more fulfilling life?

“Strategy is seeing a future from a distance.”

Posted on by

“Strategy is seeing a future from a distance.”

From a discussion between Seth Godin and Chip Conley

Image from Unsplash by Tolu Akinyemi

Seth Godin defines strategy as a “Philosophy of Becoming,” emphasizing understanding who you aim to serve and the change you seek to make.

He contrasts strategy with tactics, explaining that the right strategy enhances the effectiveness of any tactic and reduces the pressure on perfect execution.

He also emphasizes that strategy involves seeing and leveraging the invisible systems around you — rather than being controlled by them — aiming for transformative change within existing frameworks.

Godin’s approach is more about long-term vision and adaptability than rigid adherence to predefined tactics.

EXERCISE:

If you want to distinguish your personal or organizational strategies from the many tactical approaches you currently use, consider checking out Seth’s new book This Is Strategy to help you better see the future from a distance.

Make a pact with yourself. It is up to you to see it through

Posted on by

Make a pact with yourself. It is up to you to see it through.

—Calm App Reflection

Image from Unsplash by elise storsul

To what degree do you play the role of coach in your life?

Perhaps you coach your children, a sports team, or even your colleagues at work. If you are nodding your head in agreement, you probably find supporting others in their growth and development very rewarding.

How often do you play the role of coach for yourself, taking on worthy goals and pivoting along the way to reach the outcomes you desire? If this sounds like something you would like to do more often, try this three-step process:

Envision a goal or future outcome you strongly desire and write it down.
Break this goal into bite size steps to act upon in the coming days and week. Write these action steps in your calendar or schedule.
Promise and make a pact with yourself and others in your communities to see things through.

EXERCISE:

In what area of your life would you most want to achieve a worthy goal?

How would making a pact with yourself and being your own coach help you achieve the results you deeply desire?

Let me know how things go! Email barry@dempcoaching.com

Let us be grateful to the people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.

Posted on by

“Let us be grateful to the people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.”

—Marcel Proust, 20th century French novelist, literary critic, and essayist

Image from Unsplash by Megan Watson

Many cultures around the world celebrate holidays that share similarities with the American Thanksgiving, focusing on themes of gratitude, harvest, and family gatherings.

  • In South Korea it’s called Chuseok
  • In Ghana it’s called Homowu
  • In Germany it’s called Erntedankfest
  • In Barbados it’s called The Crop Over Festival
  • In Japan it’s called Kinro Kausha Nohi

Regardless of where we are in the world, to reap a harvest requires the planting of seeds and tending to the land.

To have bountiful relationships with family and friends it’s important to show gratitude to the charming gardeners in our lives that feed us in both body and soul.

EXERCISE:

Who are the charming gardeners in your world, and how will you demonstrate your gratitude for the happiness and joy they bring to your life this Thanksgiving Day and throughout the holiday season?

 

“We burn out because we experience too little impact.”

Posted on by

“We burn out because we experience too little impact.”

—Liz Wiseman, Researcher and executive advisor

Image from Unsplash by Vasilis Caravitis

Liz Wiseman’s research suggest that the primary cause of burnout is not excessive workload, but rather a lack of impact in one’s work.

She argues that when individuals feel their work is not making a difference or is underutilized, it leads to feelings of exhaustion and burnout.

Her work emphasizes the importance of meaningful work that challenges and utilizes employee talents and skills, which can be invigorating rather than draining.

EXERCISE:

In what areas of your life are you experiencing or on the verge of burnout?

How would re-examining your sense of meaning and the significance of your contribution in these areas help you re-ignite the flames of purpose and passion in your life?