Winning is not just a word!!!

Words are so seductive...

It is intriguing to me how many people have such an affinity for quotes. People will read them, seek them out and even share them. Equally true is that people will have a tendency to relate to quotes on such a personal level that there can be a sense of sharing themselves when they share the quote.

The words because they have such a personal relationship with the individual can take on a life of their own.

Yet, aside from having an affinity for the same quote will one typically be curious enough to ask "Do they really understand what that quote means for me, do they really understand what it is I am meaning or wanting to share?"

I would say this..."I doubt it!"

Lost in translation...

Context, timing and ones situation will no doubt influence how a quote that is shared by another is interpreted. Allowing ourselves to assume that the reader of the quote will understand is a bit short sighted, much like the conversation that passes comments from one person to the next with a casual "you know what I mean...".

If we never take the time to question what is being said and the intent or to share our understanding of same then how do we ever really know that either party is talking about the same thing...in short "WE DON'T!"

What do you mean?

No, I don't want to hear the quote again, rather I would like to hear what you have to say...

- What are your feelings and thoughts
- What has caused you pick this particular quote
- What has compelled you to share the quote with me

The more a word, a phrase or even a quote is shared the less meaning it will actually have. A point that is often lost to many.

There are no short-cuts to communicating effectively.

Do you care enough?

What would change for you if instead of sharing a quote you took the time to consider what the quote means for you and what it is you want others to understand from the quote. Yes, in YOUR WORDS!

What would change if instead of accepting a quote as a response you actually took the time to ask...

"What about that quote is so important for you?"

Much more than a word...

Winning is one of the most over used words in the English language and perhaps even on a global scale and it is exactly because of it's over use that "winning" has absolutely no meaning. Well, at least in a universal sense.

Does winning mean scoring a goal, completing a marathon, getting out of bed, surviving cancer or being a friend?

The truth is, it probably means all of those things and more depending on the person.

The opportunity...

In this case the opportunity might be to ask "What does winning mean for you?"

This is not an easy question, especially for someone who has never considered it. Even for someone who has considered it, it still be difficult to answer in this moment.

The power of the word does not lie within the word itself, rather it lies in the awareness of the person who is willing to contemplate "what the word means for them".


Inspired by...

This post was inspired by @TheSCICoach to follow and read her tweets click here... and her recent string of tweets on winning.

I love the topic of winning..

- It is rich with opportunity for discovery and growth
- It is rich with meaning

It takes courage and compassion to say "I want to win" and to go for it, especially if you know exactly what it means for YOU!

Still, if you don't ever take the time to consider "What does winning mean for me?" how can you ever really know what you are saying when you say...

"I WANT TO WIN!"

To your success,

James Possible (Mr. Possible)

Remember, possibility is not an accident, it's a choice!

james at coachesbuzz.com

© 2009 James Possible LLC. All rights reserved in all media.

Mindset: Being Real...

I'll keep this short and sweet...

I have started and stopped at least a half a dozen blog entries and written countless miscellaneous notes with regard to winning and NONE of them have passed the ultimate test...me posting them to the blog.

Who knows, who cares, it happens...

Sometimes things don't flow...
Sometimes things really do suck...
Sometimes you really do need to scream...

...and THAT'S OK!

At best I'm imperfect and the same could be said about my work...

If things aren't working for you?
If you're struggling?
If you are starting to think 'What the hell am I doing?'

Well, RELAX! Give yourself a BREAK!

Change it up, choose something different to focus. Allow yourself to be YOU, allow yourself to experience FULLY your experience.

Serious, PAY ATTENTION you are most likely on the verge of learning something new. If not and you live through it you might just find that you have a valuable story to share.

So, stop fighting IT, because IT is really YOU!

Even YOU deserve a BREAK!

To your success,

James Possible (Mr. Possible)

Possibility is not an accident, it's a choice!

© 2009 James Possible LLC. All rights reserved in all media.

Winning Attitude: Unconditional love!

How willing are you to give?

What I mean is this...

Do you give freely or with condition?
Do you give freely or with expectation?
Do you give freely or with guilt?
Do you give freely or with resentment?
Do you give freely or carelessly?

Again, how willing are you to give?

Here are two powerful quotes for you to consider...

1. "People don't care what you know until they know you care."

Do people get that you care?

2. "We must learn to love life without trusting it." G.K. Chesterton

Trust doesn't come first! Trust isn't earned, it is given!

How trusting are you?

Actions:

1. Give yourself time each day to consider and to observe yourself and others.
2. Consider how willing you are to commit to others and yourself.
3. Notice how willing others appear to be when working with you.
4. Take notes, record yourself...get it out of your head!
5. Pay attention...wink!

Give your thoughts and your feelings a voice!

Before there is an action, there is a choice and before choice there is attitude. Our attitudes, and our perspectives shape our relationships, our lives and yes, our businesses!

To your success,

James Possible (Mr. Possible)

PS: Remember "PAY ATTENTION!"

© 2009 James Possible LLC. All rights reserved in all media.

Coaching: 3 reasons why I'm not the coach for you...

You're satisfied with your life?
You're unwilling to make an effort?
You don't have a dream?
You know all you need to know?
You are happy alone
You enjoy overdraft charges
You enjoy cutoff notices
You enjoy being broke
You enjoy having money as an excuse to not go to the party
Your happy doing the same thing over and over and over again
You want someone else to care more than you do
You want someone else to work harder than you do
You would rather complain
You're right, really you're right
Your life is someone elses fault
You're unwilling to pickup a penny, a nickle, maybe even a dime
You're willing to do just enough
Your dream is "someday"
Being average is good enough
You aren't worth retail price
Noone really cares including you
You're to afraid
You put yourself last
You're reasonable
You're comfortable
You're not committed
You're committed to what you have
You want to keep everything in your head
Noone can do it better than you
You doubt yourself
You're angry
You've given up
You're willing to settle for less
You believe everyone else
You don't want to feel
You need to be convinced
You'll be serious...if
You'll believe...when
You'll do it...only when
You think "I can do that" and then do nothing
You want a guarantee
You want more than you give
You are confinced money is bad
You don't want to make money?
You want a job not a business
You think "why bother"
You're not worth $97 a year
You enjoy being mad
It works for everyone else not me
You're different, your the exception
You have to be convinced
You have to be motivated
You always choose the hardest path
You are convinced simple doesn't work
You are convinced noone else cares, so you don't care
You'll eat anything and expect to feel good
You'll do nothing and expect to have energy
You won't ask for help
You value others more than you value yourself
You're actions impact others and you don't get it
You think everyone else thinks like you
You're resigned to your life
You would rather invest a dollar in a lottery than 5 minutes in yourself
You believe luck has nothing to do with taking action
You don't plan
All the great opportunities are taken
Even free isn't good enough
People don't deserve to be paid for what they love
Planning is limiting
Speed is a challenge
Perfection comes first
Focus on why it won't work
Focued on the doubters
You're lazy
You want the easy path

Do your actions match what you're thinking?
Does your thinking match your actions?

Winning Does Matter!!!

To your success,

James Possible (Mr. Possible)

Possibility is not an accident, it's a choice!

© 2009 James Possible LLC. All rights reserved in all media.

Client Attraction: It starts with excellence!

Are you playing all out?

It really doesn't matter how everyone else plays the game when it comes to business.  Ultimately your business, it's success and all you achieve with it comes back to "YOU"!

A couple questions to ask yourself...

Have  you set up your business to win i.e., have you given yourself the best possible chance to win?

Are you going through the motions?

Have you settled for "good enough" or "close enough for government work" as your standard?

...people know these things intuitively when then meet you.  If your not playing the game with everything you have to give it will become very obvious at the time when it's most critical.  The moment the curious visitor decides to say "YES! I'm in..." or "Not today...".

80/20 rule...

Have you ever heard the saying "80% of winning the game is showing up."

Or have you ever heard "20% of business is about skill, the other 80% is about attitude."

Both sayings, while they may be accurate, can actually take you out of the game i.e., keep you from having the successful business you want if you are not careful.  This is especially true is you are a soloprofessional or a solobusiness owner (i.e., a life or business coach).

How much skill is enough?

On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 be "AAAMAZING" and 1 being "BOOOOO! HISSSSS!" how would you rate your skills, your ability to perform the service you delivering?

How would you rate the quality of the service you deliver?  (10 being "OMG I WANT MORE!" and 1 being "EEEEEW, GET AWAY, NOW!")

My point, unless you are going to promote someone else, someone who is EXTREMELY skilled, you will have to be the one with the skills!  You will have to be the one with the "MAGIC"!

Before attitude comes skill...

First things first, become a master at what you do (the service you want to provide).  Once you are masterful then focusing on the business will be much easier.

Excellence in action...

...exellence is very compelling and extremely attractive.

When you skills are masterful it's easy for people to remember you, it's easy for people to recommend you.

Time to get real with yourself...

1. Are you delivering the quality of service you want?

2. Are your clients AAAAAMAZED by you and the benefits of working with you?

3. How compelling is the experience of working with you?

4. What 3 things could you do today to improve your skills and your service?

5. Well, what are you waiting for...GET BUSY!

To your success,

James Possible (Mr. Possible)

Possibility is not an accident, it's a choice!

Coaching Business: Surviving the Home Office...

If you have an office at home you'll want to read this post...

It's to complicated...

I recently came across a post at Michael Port's new Booked Solid Network and the poster shared a challenge that is all to familiar.  How does she keep her office space and time free of toys and other household things and family demands?

This morning while reading and reflecting on the post.  I realized the typical advice in such cases is, far to often, more likely to complicate the matter by adding more work and stress rather than simplifying and reducing stress.

Let me explain...

The symptom isn't the issue...

The easy thing to do is to say..."follow these 10 steps and you'll be golden.  Life will forever be wonderful from that point on..."

Question: If you don't have time to handle what you're doing right now, how will you ever have time to add 10 more steps to your work load...get the point!

Not having a clear division between the home office and the house and family is a symptom, a result of your current habits and even your current perspective.  Habits and perspective lead to certain predictable choices and those choices lead to the same actions over and over again.

When you or I focus on the symptom without looking at the cause life can quickly become "HELL"!  It's like a dog chasing it's tail, even if he catches his tail, then what?

You are not alone when it comes to struggling with how to make your home office a more productive environment.

Don't focus on the clutter...

I suggest that looking at the cause of the clutter or the challenge is far more effective than focusing on the clutter itself.  Here's an example...

We live in an old historical home and closet space seems to be more of an after thought than a functional living need.

Well, for the longest time we fought with the children and keeping their toys and things off the floor.  It was an "EVERYDAY EFFORT" and "DRAIN" on my energy as well as my wife's.

Then it happened, my wife made a comment, one she had probably said before and I just didn't hear it..."If they just had a place to put all the toys..."  Once I heard those words "I GOT IT"!

I immediately went out and purchased some drawers and storage bins and then the miracle happened..."WE HAD MORE SPACE...WINK"!  Wow, it was unbelievable.

Prior to understanding the CAUSE I was focused on the mess and constantly moving the mess from one place to the next.  Nothing really changing other than the location of the mess.

Does this sound familiar?

What is the cause...

Think about it as what is the cause of the challenge...rather than, what is the challenge...

eat too much = weight gain

stopped exercising = weight gain

save money = take a vacation

save money = cash reserves

Ultimately you could say -  

awareness =  choice

You might even say - 

habit without awareness = no choice 

So, are you giving yourself a choice or not?

Time for a change...

Rather than add to the complexity of your day ask yourself...

What could I do to simplify communication with my family? (Goal: Ease transition from working Mom to working Entrepreneur)

Make a list and keep it with you for a week to write down new ideas as you're going about your day.

What could I do to keep my office space free of household clutter?  (Goal: Create a productive working environment for you as an Entrepreneur)

Again, make a list and keep it with you for a week to write down new ideas as you're going about your day.

If there isn't a compelling reason for you to make the change, your habits will win more often than not.

No compelling reason to act = Same old thing

Cause and effect!

You might say that the effect you want is a clean, stress free home office.  Yet, that's only a stepping stone.

You might even say being more productive with your time is the net effect.  Yet, that's only a stepping stone as well.

Then again might say making more sales is the net effect and still you will only be looking at a stepping stone.

Go ahead...continue this process on your own to see where it takes you.

Is it frustrating but tolerable...

If you don't take the time to understand the "WHY" you will never be motivated to make a different choice or to take a different action.  Doing what you're currently doing will continue to be the norm.

What is the ultimate benefit to you turning your home office into a place that allows you to be the very best entrepreneur and business person you can be?

Don't allow yourself to tolerate the frustration, dedicate some time to answering the questions and understanding what is really motivating you to have a business.

Give yourself a chance!

Key points...

1. Change your perspective, change your choice

2. Change your choice, change your action

3. Change your action, change your outcome

4. Simplify

5. Have a compelling reason to change

To your success,

James Possible (Mr. Possible)

Possibility is not an accident, it's a choice!

Business: Seasons of Opportunity, Followup...

Beyond our control...

Some interesting things happened since my last post.  Without an effort on my part, today, I know exactly what happened to the YouTube link I shared last year.  The musical sensation with which I was so taken with found themselves and their extremely popular video removed from the YouTube website all because of a third party copyright claim...OUCH!

Sometimes things will happen that are beyond our control.  Like so much of business and life it is not as important that it happened as it is how you will respond or maybe even react.  

A lost opportunity can quickly become a new opportunity.

I had given up...

As I shared previously "I didn't have a clue..." when it came to remembering the name of the group.  All I had was a link to YouTube that went no where.

Well, after I had written my previous post I pretty much let go of the idea that I would be able to share the link and the fabulous sound created by some amazingly gifted vocalists.   Life quickly went back to normal and then it happened.

Word of mouth is amazing...

My wife mentioned the group and how much her friend was enjoying the YouTube video, that's right "THE YOUTUBE VIDEO"!  I looked at her with complete confusion..."how is that possible?".  As I started to doubt myself (which we'll ignore for the moment...wink) she explained that she was sent a new link.

The new link included a new recording of the same song by the same group...the "Straight No Chaser" vocalists...enjoy...

Here is a second video short I'm sure you will enjoy just as much...

Time to put on your business hat...

Take a moment to consider what makes this group so popular?

How can you benefit from understanding what makes them so popular?

Finally, what action can you take today, to begin to build your popularity?

Remember, the power of "Word of Mouth" is HUGE!

To your success,

James Possible (Mr. Possible)

Possibility is not an accident, it's a choice!

Business: Seasons of Opportunity

Are you paying attention?

This morning I spent some time going through my past emails...  

December 2007 

December 2006 

December 2005  

...and realized a couple things.

Is there a lesson here for you and I?

1. What "once was" doesn't always last...  

Last year I sent out a YouTube link that featured an amazing group of male vocalists.  Today as I clicked on the link YouTube tells me the video is no longer available...copyright blah, blah, blah. 

What a loss, here I sit wondering "what is the name of the group? is there another way to find them?"

I wasn't paying attention...

2. I noticed a pattern...  

Awareness is so important if you wish to change. Sometimes simply having the willingness to say it out loud, to acknowledge or even to just notice a habit or a thought can be enough to eliminate the frustration it once caused.  

If you've ever struggled with journaling just open your email and start going through the emails in your sent folder. Notice your subject lines, notice the seasons and notice what is old and today appears to be new.  

What will you notice?

Go ahead, take a moment to notice...

What's old?

What's new?

What's forgotten?

Accomplishments?

Celebrations?

...all are there for you to discover.

What opportunities will you see this holiday season?

Opportunity is always near. Being able to recognize opportunity takes practice and often means learning how to "pay attention".

What action will you take?

Paying attention is the first step, taking action will make a difference!

To your success,

James Possible (Mr. Possible)

Possibility is not an accident, it's a choice!

Entrepreneurs: Success versus Failure...

So, here's a quick thought I just happened upon...

"Making mistakes is a part of the process not the result!"

Keeping your head in the game is about having a perspective that supports you in consistently taking actions to move you toward your desired goal.

Mistakes can only happen when you are taking action.  Celebrate your mistakes just like you would celebrate your achievements.

To your success,

James Possible (Mr. Possible)

Possibility is not an accident, it's a choice!

Business Mindset: The Man and the Butterfly!

Today I'm going to share a writing that was inspired by a very similar piece. A piece without a known author and far to many variations. So, rather than spending my time sorting out which variation I like most I chose to rewrite the piece in my voice and word. Enjoy...

The Trapped Butterfly!

One day a man found a butterfly cocoon. Wanting to watch the butterfly emerge from the cocoon the man took the cocoon home.

Several days later the man noticed a small opening in the cocoon. Curious, he decided to watch. After several hours of watching the butterfly struggle to squeeze it's body through the tiny opening the man noticed the butterfly's progress had come to a stop. It seemed as if the butterfly could go no further.

The butterfly was trapped!

Deciding to help the butterfly, the man took a pair of scissors and snipped away the remaining cocoon. Eventually setting the butterfly free.

As the man eagerly watched the butterfly, with it's swollen body and small, shriveled wings, he could not help to wonder how long it would take for the butterfly to spread it's wings and to fly away.

After an hour or two of watching the swollen butterfly crawl around on the ground the man decided he could wait no longer. His curiosity had faded and his frustration grown as he began to realize the butterfly was not going to fly with such small and shriveled wings.

What happened, the man wondered?

In his hurry to free the butterfly the man did not stop to consider what he did not know: the cocoon and it's small opening where designed to make the butterfly struggle. Without the struggle the fluids from the butterfly's body would not be forced into it's wings. Without the fluids being forced into the wings the butterfly would not fly.

Like the butterfly sometimes the struggle is what helps us to reach our potential!

- What is the biggest challenge you are facing right now?
- What is the benefit of facing your biggest challenge?
- What will it take for you to face your challenge?

To your success,

James (Mr. Possible)

Small Business: Winning in business, your dream depends on it!

Financial Freedom!

T. Harv Eker says it best "First you have to win the money game!"

Most people start their own business to do just that..."win the money game!" Still, it is all to often that these small business owners find themselves working harder and longer than they ever did as an employee. Truth be told they are a far more difficult boss to work for (i.e., working for themselves) than any other boss they've known or work for to date.

5 challenges you might face...

While there are many reasons we can find ourselves as small business owners struggling just to make it let alone enjoying it, let's focus on a couple key points...

1. You have to do it yourself or it won't ever be done correctly!
2. Hardwork equals success!
3. You can't afford to pay someone else!
4. You don't have a target income beyond "your monthly bills!"
5. You don't have a target audience beyond "anyone who will pay!"

You don't have to match-up with all 5 points to find yourself trapped in a business that will never give you the time to enjoy what you have created.

Which one is your biggest challenge?

A great book to read is "The 4-hour work week!" by Timothy Ferriss.

In his book Ferriss repeatedly talks about "challenging your assumptions!" If you are willing to do just that you will find both your business and your life changing in powerful ways.

The first step to any change is to have an awareness of what it is you want to change!

If you are convinced that you are the only one who can do what you do and no one else can do it as well as you...get ready; your life is going to be miserable!

How can you challenge your assumption?

Time for a change!

Pick something small, something you might want to do and may even feel like you have to do it and consider the following...

1. On a scale from 1 to 10 with 10 being "EXTREMELY DIFFICULT" and 1 being "EXTREMELY EASY" rate one of your typical tasks.

If the task you are rating comes in at a 6 or less then make it your goal to find a way to have the task completed without you having to be involved.

2. Once you have found a way to complete the task without your involvement then give yourself 3 to 7 weeks to test it out.

3. At the end of the test period rate the success of your test on a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being "EXTREME FAILURE" and 10 being an "EXTREME SUCCESS!"

If your test rating was a 6 or less ask yourself "What could I change to improve the results?"

If your test rating was a 7 or higher ask yourself "Do I need to improve the results?" If so, take some time to consider how you might improve it.

4. Repeat the process.

Note: Once you are satisfied with the completion of a given task then move on to the next task. Repeat often and continually.

Financial freedom is an outcome or a result of how effective you are at building a business or being self-employed. One or the other...not both!

Hint: Self-employed rarely means "financial freedom."

You can change that today...

To your success,

James