Self Improvement Daily Podcast

Happy Holidays, and Merry Christmas to those who are celebrating. I wanted to take a quick moment to share a bit about what the Holidays mean to me, and challenge you to think about what the Holidays mean to you.

Our family’s celebration on the eve was entirely different from last year. Two new babies, a few unfortunate passings, and many major life transitions later, we were brought together to enjoy each other’s company.  It’s crazy to think about how much changes in so little time, but I guess that is a given in life.

A great tradition in my family is that we decorate the family tree.  What we do is collect memories and major milestones in ornaments, and reflect on great times as we retell those stories. Again, it reminds me of how quickly things change, and how the events that seemed like they were my entire world have already come and gone.

But, from all of that change, I have found consistency. The core group of people that I couldn’t be without. So for me, the Holidays are a great reminder to what sits at the core of my life.  What does the Holiday season mean to you?

It is so important to take the time to formalize your core principles.

When I started this process myself, it took me over a week to figure out what I truly hold most dear and what I take the most pride in. I still see this as a dynamic process, and my own core principles will always be re-evaluated based on new circumstances. Nonetheless, it is important to have them. For example, my core principles are Quiet Diligence, Dream Big, Enjoy the Journey, and Dependable Execution.

Having formal and explicit core principles provides a cornerstone for all decision making. If they truly reflect the person you want to be, then you can use them in any dilemma, with the point being that all decisions align with your overall vision and values. 

If having concise representations of complex concepts is difficult for you, like it was for me, then I suggest adding smaller affirmations that contribute to the larger core principle.  For example, within quiet diligence, one affirmation is “I believe in practicing humility and letting actions speak louder than words”.

In life we get rained on. We hear bad news, miss opportunities, and lose friendships. Times can be really hard and test your will. But, it’s all about how you greet those challenges and moments. Rain is meant to test your character and see what you’re made of.

To those things that beat you down and wore you out, can you think of what happened next? You evolved and changed to your new reality, and likely grew as a person.  Those moments are necessary sometimes because it takes hitting a new low to push a new ceiling.  Darren Hardy articulated this like a pendulum, you need to be far on one extreme to swing back and hit a high point on the other side.

So, “Be like a flower, survive the rain but use it to grow”. Adding a positive outlook to those negative moments will help you extract more out of them and become even more resilient to their power.

Let’s talk about leadership. As a leader you are required to make big decisions, keep the peace, and get everyone pointed in the same direction. A tactic many great leaders use is to lead by example, to be the one with their elbows in the dirt, delivering the energy, and executing on a day to day basis.  

I heard a really cool thought recently from Alex Pirouz, the CEO of LinkedInfluencer. He made the comment that true leaders don’t say “go”, they say “let’s go”.  I think this embodies how we can truly lead by example.

To enumerate, if we expand out the abbreviation" let’s" into it’s two components," let us", we can realize the power in the expression. By putting the command in the “We” form, it takes a more inclusive meaning that integrates the speaker into the action. This is called “we speak”, and it’s a very effective communication form for leaders. By making the choice to place themselves in the brunt of the action, they assert themselves as an equal in the group, rather than an authority figure, and is more likely to garner more support as a result.

So, the next time you are managing someone, choose to lead by example and say “let’s go”. Then, to stay consistent with that message, execute on that level, and you will earn a ton of respect from your team.

Let’s talk about perspective.  I normally talk about this with relation to appreciating our life in the context of the larger world, and the blessings we have that go unnoticed. However, I actually mean more of the artistic perspective. Artistic perspective is the way that artists can represent three dimensional objects on a two dimensional surface. This naturally has its own limitations because information needs to be conveyed in a way that has a consistent meaning. As far as we know, there is a lot of interpretation to art, and perspective is no different.

The same thought can applied to our own perspective in this world. Think of our eyes as viewing only a 2 dimensional picture when the world exists in 3 dimensional. A great example of this is the shadow given off by a cylinder. Look at it from the top and see that the shadow is a circle. Look at it from the side and the shadow is a rectangle. Same object, different results, and neither is wrong.

The goal is to acknowledge multiple interpretations. The second we get into thinking that our vision is the only way to see things is the second we close our eyes to everything else happening.  

A few techniques to make sure you see, well, know about the whole picture. First, is ask someone what they think and listen with an open mind. Note the differences and adjust your view. Second is to be empathetic. Place yourself in the shoes of the other person and brainstorm reasons why they might see something differently. And last, the classic, play devil’s advocate with yourself. Find flaws in your own reasoning and bring attention to those limitations.

I’m no artist, but I thought that example would help illustrate the point. See what I did there?

The start of the work week is worth celebrating and our approach to it should match that. Don’t believe me?  Well, let’s hear from Kim Kaupe, the CEO of the Superfan Company and a Forbes 30 under 30, who gives us a few pointers on greeting Monday with a smile.

So, when those “Sunday Scaries” hit, change the messaging you use and frame your thoughts and concerns in a more positive light. It’s the perfect start to the week, and we all get to go to work!  Whether you believe it or not, just try it, and let me know how it goes.

By now we all should know the importance of goal setting.  There are a few different ways to be organized in your pursuit of a goal, and each one has its own pros and cons, and works differently for each person.  Today let’s hear from Luke Nesler, CEO of Impakt media, and how he stays on track with his goals.

Love it.  So to summarize, set your goal and list the action items that are required to achieve it, focus and execute on it for 90 days, then reevaluate and iterate your action items to make more progress toward your goal.

Deciding to be positive can dramatically change the face of your life. If we can learn to default to positivity, the world will be a better place to be in. It all starts with a conscious choice.

With that in mind, today's quote is,“The past is in your head. The future is in your hands”.

The first half of the quote states, "the past is in your head". I interpret this as the past is a memory. Yes, it’s an important part of who you are today, but it is no longer actively in your life.  In our memories we can look back at the injustices that we were witness to, the mistakes we made, or the opportunities we missed, but it’s a slippery slope. What’s in our past can’t be changed. I understand that major life events could have been life altering, especially negative ones, but again, it has contributed to the person you are today, which is something worth celebrating. Acknowledging the past, and the role it played in your life, is an important step to the next phase.

The second half of the quote states,“The future is in our hands”. Similar to how the past shaped who we are now, the present will shape who we become. Our future ready to be made and will be molded by our own hands. Choosing positivity today will create positivity tomorrow.

Remember, the only moment we can control is the present. It is our responsibility to squeeze everything we can out of it.