Beginning with the End in Mind

Today is the last day of 2010. By now you have looked forward and looked backward for the purpose of making significant decisions either professionally or personally.

I bet that on your list of goals some of these Top Ten Resolutions appear:

• Spend More Time with Friends and Family
• Lose Weight (or Get Fit)
• Enjoy Life More
• Quit Smoking (or quit some other substance abuse/overuse)
• Get Out of Debt
• Learn Something New
• Help Others
• Get Organized
• Do Something You Love to Do 

It's like we have all been attending the same school and listening to the same professors. Our collective mantra somehow says, "Yesterday was good; Tomorrow will be better yet!"

And all the people said, "Amen!"

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My career path has had me interact with the elderly. What I learn from those who have gone before me is like looking at a dirty GPS screen: I know the future is coming but it is not all that clear to me yet.

For example, I have heard many times how wonderful it is to be a grandparent. This year I get to find out for the first time for myself. It will not be someone else's story; I will own it. The GPS screen will get a little clearer.

We are all heading somewhere. As years fade away the playing field will level out dramatically regardless of money in the bank, letters behind the name, titles before the name, achievements and awards, and the number of pages in our experience journal.

Here are some of the things that I have gleaned from listening to those who have gone before . . . lessons that will be left standing when other things fade away in importance:

• Loving and caring relationships will always be important
• Contentment is great gain
• "Do as you would be done by" is still a curriculum to master
• Showing gratitude opens doors
• "No matter how much things change, some things never change." Happy are the people who know what things never change and respect them
• Pity is reserved for those who let faith die 
• The right word at the right time by the right person can accomplish so much
• Accumulated money rots without generosity of heart

Steven Covey, author of The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, talks about the importance to "begin with the end in mind." "To begin with the end in mind is to start with a clear understanding of your destination. It means to know where you are going so that you better understand where you are now and so that the steps you take are always in the right direction. It's incredibly easy to get caught up in an activity trap, in the busy-ness of life, to work harder and harder at climbing the ladder of success only to discover it's leaning against the wrong wall."

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We are all heading into the future ready or not! 

Here is a prediction for 2011: The goals on your list that most closely align with your true values will be accomplished.

Happy New Year!

7 Good Tips for Developing a Good Vision

Vision is the stuff of leaders. Vision inspires and gives a reason to get up in the morning. Vision is the impetus for change. 

How does a "regular Joe" identify a vision? Here are some good considerations to keep in mind.

1. Get a good grip on what's really going on around you.
While vision makes the incredible reality, vision is not fantasy. Edward Nino Hernandez may conjure up a vision for becoming the world's greatest basketball player . . . but that is pure fantasy. Edward is the world's shortest man. Coca Cola embraces the vision to refresh the world . . . and I was reminded of this as I sat in a Saharan tent hundreds of miles from modern western city life.

2. Take a good look in the mirror.
Understanding yourself - talents and abilities, character strengths and shortcomings, beliefs and values, and all those things that contribute to making you who you are - is key to developing a vision. If you can guarantee that one person is going to take this trip to the future, you can guarantee that it's you. The better you understand yourself, the better you can make #3 a reality.

3. Surround yourself with good people.
Even the Lone Ranger had an inseparable #2. Commanding leadership relies on people to lead. Surround yourself with good people that share your values, embrace integrity, and pursue excellence. They are invaluable in making your vision a reality.

4. Good values are rich soil for growing good vision.
A good vision benefits other people. At the core of any good vision you will find good values. Good values are timeless. They inspire the human spirit to pursue noble character. Good values attract loyalty, sacrifice, and selflessness. A vision which is self serving will not last.

5. Ask good questions.
Good questions do not accept the cliche. They challenge the soul without defeating it. An apt question  will provide insight, clarity and understanding. King Solomon once said, "It is the glory of God to conceal a matter; it is the glory of kings to search a matter out."

6. Feel good about it.
If you cannot embrace your vision and feel good about it, get rid of it.

7. Good vision needs a good chance to be developed.
If you have identified a good vision, start making choices today that are in line with it. If for some reason you should make a choice that deviates from your good vision, push the reset button and get back on track. Every athelete trains to win the prize. Every farmer plants seed and patiently waits for the harvest. Every soldier submits himself to the purpose he has enlisted for enduring each skirmish for the sake of winning the war. Stay true to your vision and choose forward.

What was I thinking?

Standing backwards on the edge of a cliff deep in the Mexican jungle I could feel my chest rise and fall in anticipation of what waited behind me. Breath blew across my lips and I wondered if it were possible to mount a little wind turbine under my nose to generate electricity. What a great idea for people with sleep apnea. Instead of having to plug in a machine, I could invent the world’s first self-powered breathing aid.

“Tres . . .”

Sweat normally reserved for my forehead, underarms and neck sprouted from the palms holding nylon rope. I wondered how fast a body my size would fall. I mentally calculated which bones I could break and still get back home to work. Legs were expendable. I needed arms and fingers for the keyboard.

“Dos . . .”

Jaime’s voice interrupted my processing. I know what comes after dos. My heart reminded me with an extra large push of blood through the chambers somewhere deep inside. What do they tell you? Don’t look down? I looked up. The sky was blue with a smattering of white clouds. I wonder what it’s like to fly?

“Uno.”

Before Jaime’s tongue touched the roof of his mouth to pronounce the n, his calloused hand forcefully pushed me on the sternum and my feet suddenly had no ground underneath them. I was airborne with a limp rope technically wrapped around me. Still looking up I saw Jaime walk away without a second glance. I was on my own. What did he tell me to do next?

Day Two of starting your own business feels like rappelling. Each day’s activities come so fast and you have react quickly to stay in control. The phone rings—could be money waiting for you. An order comes in—prove yourself and deliver. The first invoice goes out—just how do you use Quickbooks? The phone doesn’t ring—time to get the word out. The first hire interviews—I-9s, background checks, tax withholding.

Two years later your business is now your job. It’s not quite as comfortable as the ratty flannel shirt you’ve worn since college, but it’s not stiff like a new pair of leather shoes either. You report to you. You make it happen and if you don’t make it happen, it doesn’t happen. The feeling of exhilaration you experienced over 700 days ago has long since metastasized into daily activity.

Your accountant gives you the news about what you owe in taxes. On the drive home your mental calculator starts tabulating the information. You worked how hard for how much money? You need to get away for a break. The mental calculator quickly adds up how much money you won’t be able to bill if you don’t show up at work. You decide to rent a DVD instead. The Bahamas will just have to wait.

Rappelling down the side of owning a small business quickly loses the initial exhilaration and fast becomes daily. Stop. Look where you came from. Look where you need to get to. You have to finish well if you don’t want to break your bones. Assess. Move forward with a clear goal in mind and an intentional technique to ensure desired results. Start having more fun in your business.

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Why did you go into business?

If going into business did not achieve your dreams, what happened?

What are you going to do to get back on track?