Personal Growth

Recently I’ve had more downtime than I’m used to in the evenings, and it feels very strange.

My work days feel like a whirlwind of activity, so it feels like I’m going from 100 mph into a 25 mph speed zone when 5 PM comes along.

And it’s hard to adjust.

Have you ever felt that way?

Have you ever been super busy, then have unexpected margin in your schedule that you’re not sure what to do with?

I’ve felt this on vacation before as well.

It’s so easy to be insanely busy leading up to a trip that it takes a couple of days to calm down and enjoy the time away.

I know I’m not alone in this. I’ve had too many conversations with others about it for it to just be a “me” problem.

I’m trying to embrace the stillness.

I’m trying to unlearn busyness and embrace calmness.

I’m trying to focus on “being” rather than constant “doing.”

What about you?

Are you comfortable being still, or are you a fellow struggler?

I encourage you to create space in your schedule to slow down and just “be” for a while.

And if you find anything that works well for you, please share it with me so I can experiment!

Until next time, make today GREAT!

Whenever you’re ready, here are two ways I can help you:

1. ​The Way to Greatness​ book – Discover the five continual choices that lead to The GREAT Life and how to implement them immediately.
2. ​The GREAT Life Bootcamp video course​ – In this self-paced course, I’ll guide you to learn how to experience the life you were created to live by improving your faith, relationships, mindset, stewardship, and time management. (Enter coupon code “MM50” at checkout to receive a subscriber-only 50% discount!)

Although I’ve been aware of Stephen R. Covey’s book, ​“The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People,”​ for many years, I am actually reading it for the first time right now.

On the surface, his 7 habits make a lot of sense, but he drills down very deep in the book in a way that causes readers to think deeply about each one.

I’m currently reading about Habit 3 – Put First Things First.

It’s all about prioritizing and managing your life rather than simply reacting to whatever is thrown at you.

It’s so easy in our 24/7 digital world to react versus plan and implement strategically.

We’re always “on” and connected.

We’re always within reach via phone calls, texting, or email.

It takes real discipline to prioritize what matters most and build your schedule around those priorities in the various roles we each operate in.

If you’re unfamiliar with Covey’s “urgent vs important” concepts, here’s an image to give you a snapshot of what he discusses:

Too many people live in Quadrants III and IV, which aren’t important.

Quadrant I must be dealt with, but Quadrant II is where the most effective people operate, which relieves them from the stress of the other three quadrants.

Without going too deep into this right now, I encourage you to think about your schedule and typical activities.

How much time, energy, and resources are you giving to things that are not important?

How much are you giving to the most important, even if they aren’t urgent?

There’s a delicate balance to navigate life and leadership with this mindset and approach.

I encourage you to invest some time to reflect and, if you’re feeling overwhelmed, grab a copy of Covey’s book and take a deeper dive into this topic so you can experience a better personal and professional reality.

Until next time, make today GREAT!

Whenever you’re ready, here are four ways I can help you:

1. ​The Magnetic Leader book​– Grab your copy of my playbook to consistently attract and retain high-quality team members, customers, and clients.
2. ​Magnetic Leadership video course​ – Learn the 18 Essential Actions to attract and retain high-quality team members. (Enter coupon code “MM50” at checkout to receive a 50% newsletter subscriber discount!)
3. ​Magnetic Leadership Community​ – Join the community of growth-minded individuals focused on leveling up their leadership capabilities. (This is a monthly membership program that includes group coaching, expert interviews, the Magnetic Leadership video course, and bonus training)
4. ​Magnetic Leadership Community for Teams​ – Enroll your team for an 18-month leadership development program that provides a common leadership language and helps foster a thriving, attractive culture.

As I was thinking about this week’s topic, I started to wonder about the various things that motivate others.

Writing a “motivation” article each week can lead to certain assumptions on my part if I’m not careful.

Most people would love to be more motivated and inspired in their lives and careers, but my guess is that few ever stop to think about what actually motivates them.

“What’s your ‘why’?” has become a popular question over the past decade, but have you slowed down to answer that for yourself?

Is it monetary gain?

Family?

Freedom?

Career advancement?

It could be one of many things that truly motivates you to get up with energy and go about your days with enthusiasm.

The key to being motivated is recognizing what motivates you in the first place.

I can’t motivate people.

You can’t motivate people.

The reason is that it’s an inside job.

We may be inspired by someone for a moment, but sustainable motivation starts inside each of us.

So, what motivates you?

And if you know what that is, are you tapping into it consistently so you can experience life at a whole new level?

Do some thinking and reflecting on this and adjust accordingly.

Until next time, make today GREAT!

Whenever you’re ready, here are two ways I can help you:

1. ​The Way to Greatness​ book – Discover the five continual choices that lead to The GREAT Life and how to implement them immediately.
2. ​The GREAT Life Bootcamp video course​ – In this self-paced course, I’ll guide you to learn how to experience the life you were created to live by improving your faith, relationships, mindset, stewardship, and time management. (Enter coupon code “MM50” at checkout to receive a subscriber-only 50% discount!)

I recently ordered a book because the title captured my attention, but when it arrived, it wasn’t what I expected.

Rather than being disappointed, I found myself intrigued.

While the topic wasn’t what I anticipated, the ideas shared in the book made me think about business in new ways.

I’ve heard from many experts to look outside your industry for fresh ideas to implement in your own business. That’s what this book is doing for me.

An example of this concept is that Chick-fil-A looked to the hotel industry for how to upgrade their hospitality. That’s why you see flowers on the tables, which is rare for a fast-food restaurant.

Any industry can learn from others if you look hard enough.

Maybe you need to go to a different place to be jarred from your routine.

Maybe you need to listen to a podcast that seems completely unrelated to your business.

Maybe you need to simply slow down and pay attention when you’re running your routine errands to notice what other companies are doing.

As I’ve studied marketing in-depth the past few years, I’ve begun to watch commercials more intentionally to see how companies advertise their products and services and think about lessons I can glean for my business.

The opportunities to gain fresh perspectives and new ideas are endless if you pay attention to what’s going on around you.

When you feel stuck in the same old routine, intentionally get outside of your box and engage with other leaders or places.

Even grabbing a cup of coffee or having lunch with another leader to casually chat can provide new insights that are just what you need for the season you’re in.

I encourage you to look for fresh ideas in unexpected places and encourage your team members to do the same.

Until next time, make today GREAT!

Whenever you’re ready, here are four ways I can help you:

1. ​The Magnetic Leader book​– Grab your copy of my playbook to consistently attract and retain high-quality team members, customers, and clients.
2. ​Magnetic Leadership video course​ – Learn the 18 Essential Actions to attract and retain high-quality team members. (Enter coupon code “MM50” at checkout to receive a 50% newsletter subscriber discount!)
3. ​Magnetic Leadership Community​ – Join the community of growth-minded individuals focused on leveling up their leadership capabilities. (This is a monthly membership program that includes group coaching, expert interviews, the Magnetic Leadership video course, and bonus training)
4. ​Magnetic Leadership Community for Teams​ – Enroll your team for an 18-month leadership development program that provides a common leadership language and helps foster a thriving, attractive culture.

I’m a big college basketball fan, especially when it comes to my home state Kentucky Wildcats. Go Big Blue! 🙂

One year ago, I was disillusioned after they were beaten again by a much lower-ranked team in the NCAA tournament and I refused to place my new logo decal on my truck until we had a coaching change. (Yes, I was being petty!)

But just a short time later, Coach John Calipari made the stunning announcement that he decided to leave UK after a 15-year tenure to coach the Arkansas Razorbacks.

Most of Big Blue Nation celebrated the change but we were all concerned about who would become our next coach.

What happened next was unexpected. Kentucky hired Mark Pope, the head coach at Brigham Young University in Utah. Pope was the former captain of UK’s 1996 national championship team, but most of us didn’t know if he was a “big enough” hire to make the impact we desired.

Once he stepped on campus, however, we knew something special was happening.

When Pope left BYU, it left a vacancy in their program for a head coach. Kevin Young was then hired to lead that program forward.

This past weekend was the first weekend of this year’s NCAA tournament and what transpired is a great lesson for us.

All three teams mentioned above are now in the “Sweet 16” which is a huge accomplishment for first-year coaches in any program.

CBS Sports shared this graphic on social media because it was such a big deal:

John Calipari’s surprising move to Arkansas led to the ripple effect of Mark Pope being hired at Kentucky, which led to Kevin Young being hired at BYU. And all three fan bases are now celebrating during March Madness!

What initially led to uncertainty turned into very positive outcomes for all three programs.

Decisions start ripple effects of others to follow. Sometimes there are unintended consequences we couldn’t foresee. Other times, the consequences are predictable.

One change isn’t isolated from others that follow.

I love the question Greg McKeown asks in his book ​“Essentialism”​ –

What ONE decision eliminates 1,000 later decisions?

When we make decisions, movement begins for other changes to happen.

We must make wise choices because of this reality, but we shouldn’t allow ourselves to be paralyzed from deciding because we don’t know how things will ultimately turn out.

That’s where faith comes into play.

We can’t predict the future but we must understand that the decisions we make will certainly impact it.

What ONE decision do you need to make today that will impact many other decisions that will later follow?

Answer that strategically and you’ll experience a positive ripple effect in your life and business.

Until next time, make today GREAT!

Whenever you’re ready, here are two ways I can help you:

1. ​The Way to Greatness​ book – Discover the five continual choices that lead to The GREAT Life and how to implement them immediately.
2. ​The GREAT Life Bootcamp video course​ – In this self-paced course, I’ll guide you to learn how to experience the life you were created to live by improving your faith, relationships, mindset, stewardship, and time management. (Enter coupon code “MM50” at checkout to receive a subscriber-only 50% discount!)

I’ve just begun reading a new book called ​“Slow Productivity”​ by Cal Newport.

I’ve enjoyed his previous books ​“Deep Work”​ and ​“Digital Minimalism”​ which have caused me to think a lot about doing what matters most and fighting against our very distracted digital age.

His latest book challenges our society’s obsession with “productivity” and defines our actions more accurately as “pseudo-productivity” because a flurry of activity doesn’t actually mean we’re accomplishing anything of value or quality.

He defines pseudo-productivity as “the use of visible activity as the primary means of approximating actual productive work.”

Basically, if we look busy enough, we think people will view us as productive.

So, the question becomes “Are you productive or just busy?”

Are you accomplishing valuable, quality work or are you chasing your tail answering emails, instant messages, text messages, and phone calls?

If I’m honest, I have to admit I often fall into the busyness trap.

I’ve learned to ask myself, “What will truly move the needle on this project?”

It’s in the calm quietness of the day that I get the best ideas and produce my best work. If I can have an hour or two of focused time I can accomplish more than I will the rest of the day.

Leaders can become extremely busy, but we need to truly and honestly assess if we’re being productive or falling into the trap of pseudo-productivity.

I encourage you to slow down, consider your daily work habits, and make adjustments as needed.

Then, if you lead a team or organization, help them do the same.

Until next time, make today GREAT!

Whenever you’re ready, here are four ways I can help you:

1. ​The Magnetic Leader book​– Grab your copy of my playbook to consistently attract and retain high-quality team members, customers, and clients.
2. ​Magnetic Leadership video course​ – Learn the 18 Essential Actions to attract and retain high-quality team members. (Enter coupon code “MM50” at checkout to receive a 50% newsletter subscriber discount!)
3. ​Magnetic Leadership Community​ – Join the community of growth-minded individuals focused on leveling up their leadership capabilities. (This is a monthly membership program that includes group coaching, expert interviews, the Magnetic Leadership video course, and bonus training)
4. ​Magnetic Leadership Community for Teams​ – Enroll your team for an 18-month leadership development program that provides a common leadership language and helps foster a thriving, attractive culture.