READY, SET…WAIT?
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN DECIDING AND DOING
"Five frogs are sitting on a log. Four decide to jump off. How many are left?
Answer: five.
Why? Because there's a difference between deciding and doing" Mark L. Feldman & Michael F. Spratt
You have done it. You have a plan. You've outlined priorities; you know what has to get done to reach the goal. You are at the "go" point when you start getting nervous.
Ok, so JUMP!
Sure, except… "Where am I going to find the time? What if I lose my staff? What if the plan fails? OR, WHAT IF THE PLAN TAKES OFF?"
Welcome to the critical place where many plans hit a crossroad. A plan - whether it's on paper, or buried somewhere in your PC (or even the back of your mind) - may carefully identify strengths, capture a vision and detail the steps to make your dreams come true, but if you don't act on it, it is destined to be just a record of what "might have been".
None of the steps in the strategic planning process is as vital as that of taking a plan forward and making it work.
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SUCCESS AND STUCK
"The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity. The fears are paper tigers. You can do anything you decide to do. You can act to change and control your life; and the procedure, the process is its own reward." Amelia Earhart
When the goal is to swim in a new direction, the difference between success and 'stuck' likely involves change.
They tell us it takes 21 days to break an old habit, and 65 days to establish a new one! The basic truth is - change isn't easy. We regularly travel nicely established paths formed by our habits. To forge new roads, our old habits need to be replaced. Unfortunately we get used to doing it one way for so long, it becomes comfortable. The transition period during any change initiative is usually uncomfortable – and it is hard to get out of a familiar, comfortable place.
Another reason that it is hard to change habits is that we forget to. You have to have reminders around during a transition period, or you probably won't remember.
The truth is that even the most self-determined, energetic, 'take charge' types of people who are good at getting things done, find it hard to change habits on their own.
Seeing the results of a change initiative can take time. It takes personal courage to get up each morning and say 'I am going to do what I know it takes'. Keeping an eye on even the most compelling vision takes commitment.
Many businesses fail because they don't implement the systems or enlist support to provide the necessary feedback to successfully manage change.
INCREASING THE ODDS
If follow-through is the hard part for you or your team, acknowledge it, and build in a safety net!
An unbiased business partner or coach can make it possible to help you put the discipline in place that will make change possible. While most of us can benefit from an objective opinion and another point of view, one of the most beneficial roles of a coach is to serve as a reminder of what YOU KNOW you need to do.
A competent, compatible business partner can be an advocate, encouraging you to sustain the right mindset, help you figure out how to overcome obstacles, and hold you accountable to achieving what you desire.
EVALUATION, FLEXIBILITY and MAINTAINING MOMENTUM
Evaluation is the process of measuring success. If your strategic plan is well-conceived, it will be invaluable for measuring success. Part of a good planning process includes deciding up front what you want to see as a result, how you will measure success, who will evaluate it, and when.
No matter how much planning one does, unforeseen events will occur. Things will happen that may make it advisable for you to change one or more parts of your plan. Planning for flexibility is important. When you are confronted with such a change in circumstances, you'll need to carefully review the plan to see if it still represents what you want, what you need, and how to get there.
READY, SET, GO
Where are you in the planning process? If you are ready to move forward but are having a bit of trouble taking the leap, enlist help!
The right support structure can assist you to jumpstart the process, evaluate progress, celebrate success, and if necessary revise the plan.
If you are serious about seeing your plans come to life, find a partner to assist and…
GO FOR IT!
Copyright 2005 by Helene Mazur--All Rights Reserved
About the Author:
Helene Mazur is the President of Princeton Performance Dynamics. As a business coach and team facilitator Helene helps individuals and organizations look at their situation from new perspectives, strategize, focus, and take action to achieve goals that are important to them.
Complimentary 30-minute coaching calls are available by appointment; simply call
609-924-9399 to arrange a convenient time.
http://www.ppdbusinesscoaching.com
Challenge the Status Quo for Success!
DISCOVER THE FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH WITHIN YOU
Everyone has heard of the mythical "Fountain of Youth", but very few realize that it actually does exist. And even fewer realize that it exists inside every one of us. Yes, it's there right within you, just waiting to be activated !!
And the source of this fountain is the body's neuroendocrine system, the collective name assigned to the glands and organs that manufacture hormones within the human body.
Aging is a process that happens to all of us at some stage in our lives. Usually by about thirty years of age, we begin to notice the first telltale signs of aging, the strands of gray hair, the beginnings of wrinkles, the slight sagging of facial features & the gradual loss of skin elasticity. As the years roll by, this aging process continues inexorably. Stiffer joints, dimmer vision, loss of taste buds, gray hair, less libido! We start to accept our declining faculties as being nature's way.
And, as we look in the mirror, year after year, we gradually begin to feel and act progressively older, our mindset reflecting our mirror image. And, because we see the same thing happening to our friends and family, we accept it as natural and inevitable.
Today, technology and medical advances make it possible to live much longer, so there are many more 'seniors' in our society than ever before. In fact, average longevity has gone up all over the world, and, in the U.S, by as much as 25 years, since from the beginning of the 20th century.
However, the factor that has NOT changed is the number of years one has to live with age-related disability. It is still an average of 10 years for most people.
Some people age gracefully, others don't. Whichever the case, each one of us, man and woman, would like to enter our seventies with looks, health and vitality at their best.
Wouldn't you?
Well, this has been the quest from time immemorial! And it remains so to this day. There are diets that counter aging, cardio-vascular exercises do the same, the brain is kept young by 'challenging' it, viagra promises peak sexual performance, HRT promises relief from post menopausal problems, cosmetic companies produce moisturizers and creams to build collagen, and..... one can go on and on!!!
In varying degrees, they all work!
But think about HOW they work!
Diets and cardio-vascular exercises work by regulating the body's consumption of energy. Known as metabolism, it is a complex interaction of chemical conversions that take place continually in order to generate energy and keep the body at optimum level. Control of the entire process lies in the neuroendocrine system.
The challenge element perks up secretions of the hormone adrenaline...the body's age-old response to any form of stress or threat is production of higher doses. The skin is kept hydrated by secretions of oil and sweat-producing hormones, and the entire process of sexuality and reproduction is hormone-induced.
And so, through course of diets, exercises, creams and supplements you have managed to keep your body and mind in peak condition. What happens when you get a bout of 'flu'?
Without the help of the thymus and your immune system your body may just pack it in !!
The hormonal system has a finger in every pie!
Does the concept seem rather esoteric? Do you think I am overplaying the role of the endocrine glands?
Consider the facts. Sift through reports on the most current research going on in this field. Much of the anti-aging experimentation being conducted in various laboratories around the world, is connected with ingestion of hormonal supplements.
GH (growth hormone) and DHEA, both popular experimental therapies being used at present, are nothing but hormones. And without a doubt they produce benefits, even though it is probably too early to determine their attendant side effects, if any.
The very latest experiments are connected to the use of 'releasers' whereby, instead of ingesting supplements, one would ingest releasers, which would activate the glands into releasing hormones. Such experiments are still at an early stage, and not much is known about the attendant side effects, if any.
In fact, this very principle of hormonal flow seems to have been known to the Himalayan people in ancient times, and forms the basis of their anti-aging therapy.
The only difference is that they had the knowledge to cause the body to produce its own natural releasers, rather than rely on artificial synthetic ones.
Leisure: Its Impact on Health & Wellness
Do you pay enough attention to your leisure? Too much is bad; but too little even worse!!
Actually, the time spent in leisure activities has a big role to play in ensuring that you live an active, enjoyable, and productive life. And in doing so, you develop all 4 planes of your existence : physical, mental, emotional and spiritual.
Some tend to regard the human body as a machine, while others view it as a highly complex organism. Whichever way one looks at it, the body/ machine/ matter requires adequate amounts of both exercise and rest to continuously maintain and repair itself. (Even machines need time off for servicing and repair)!
So, any time that we invest in leisurely pursuits gives our bodies the opportunity to repair and renew. This is the reason yoga practitioners spend so much time in 'savasana'!
Leisure also has a role in maintaining sound mental health. It provides a much-needed break from obsessing over stress- building concerns (which, are part and parcel of each of our lives) by giving our minds the chance to turn off.
More often than not, we return from leisure activities refreshed and ready to deal with our problems in a more objective and constructive manner.
Writing, is a pursuit I recommend strongly. Not necessarily to get published (though that could be an additional bonus). I have used it myself, during periods of great stress, to purge my negative feelings.
And I can vouch for its cathartic effect.
Put down on paper EXACTLY what is troubling you. Write about your concerns, your feelings, as they occur, without pre-judging or assessing how it will appear to a reader. Just record. Then read it through once, and trash it.
You may or may not get new insights into yourself. But I can assure you that you will feel much, much, better.
On the emotional front, shared leisure activities provide an excellent platform to bond with family and friends. And for those of us who enjoy new experiences, travel affords a means for us to come into contact with other cultures and ways of life that are different.
Travel can open up blinkered eyes, attitudes and minds, develop empathy for others and develop inter-personal skills.
Finally, some leisure activities can lead us into awareness of the spirit within us. The beauty and goodness of God's Creation ( even though some may choose to attribute it to 'The Big Bang') becomes more apparent when and if we give ourselves the time to notice it.
Dwell upon the beauty of a sunset, the majesty of the ocean, the grandeur of the Himalayas or the serene and subtle pleasure of lying in a hammock in one's own back-garden!
At moments such as these one begins to understand that God's gift of human life is a mystery to be lived, not a problem to be solved.
There is nothing like a cruise to bring it all together, now that they are going at such bargain prices.
Invigorating fresh sea air, changing sunset colors, and the world brought to one dockside. Marvelous food ( even salt-free, if one chooses); the best of shows or quiet places. And, as for exercise, we do The Tibetan Technique wherever....! If you want more, there is exercise whichever way you want it... walks, aerobic classes, tennis, golf.....even swimming!
Both Jay and I LOVE travelling , and take every opportunity that comes up to do so. When foiled by time or money, we indulge in arm-chair travelling!
Using visualization, of course! Places you are eager to visit can be great image and focus builders; try incorporating them into your own visualization sessions.
In this age of violence, accidents and terrorist attacks, life is a gift - so relax and enjoy it!
