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!

Work = Fun?

Remember the day you decided to go to work "for yourself"? We need to sit down for a cup of jo'.

In the early 90s I was considerably down the road of self-employment. Here are some of the funny [insert emoticon here] statements I had made about being self-employed:

• Someone would say, "Wow, it must be nice to be your own boss." I answered, "Yeah. Now instead of reporting to one guy, I have to report to 500."
• Someone bragged about getting three weeks paid vacation. "How much vacation time do you get?" I would smile and say, "All the vacation time I can afford." Of course only I knew that while money was not an issue, I was so entrenched in my business that I could never leave it for an extended vacation.
• Someone would ask me with wonder in their voice, "I wish I had the courage to start my own business." I would answer, "Let me give you the number of my therapist."
• Someone commented on the marketing strategy their company implemented. "You're successful. How do you market a creative service like yours?" "Dumb luck," I responded laughing. If they only knew.
• This one I still laugh at: One day a salesperson walked in my office -- the office door that had a prominent sign on it stating, "No Solicitors." She was trying to sell business coaching services. I hadn't a clue what she was talking about. After her elevator speech she showed me a list of services that started at several thousands of dollars. Inside I was thinking the entire time, "Honey, you have got to be kidding. I don't have time for this nonsense." Then my mouth -- not my smartest piece of equipment -- opened up and I said, "You've got to be kidding. I don't have time for this nonsense." And I added, "Didn't you read the sign on the door?" I did need her services; I just didn't know it. Today, several years later, I am a business coach working alongside business owners to address crucial concerns so they can achieve greater success and find balance in life. Now that is a twist of fate.

As the proud recipient of a BS Degree from the time honored S of HK, I do have some battle scars. Here's one of the lessons every business owner needs to pass: Business should be fun. And as my sister in the backseat would say on our family trip to visit the relatives, "Are we having fun yet?"

The School of Hard Knocks has a curriculum that is based on "dumb luck" and "the scenic route to success." Think of all the benefits of learning the shortcuts to get to the desired destination of outrageous success and balance in life!

Yes, I am a business coach working alongside business owners to address crucial concerns so they can achieve greater success and find balance in life.

We need to sit down for a cup of jo'.
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Why did you go into business for yourself?
What are the crucial concerns in your business today?
How will you address these concerns efficiently and effectively?
When do you have time for a cup of jo'?

Workshops scheduled: www.strategicmindsetworkshop.blogspot.com
Email: A.Furst@theGrowthCoach.com