For Motivation, Start Your Day with Two Goals

Sunrise in Milwaukee, WI

It’s a new year, which means there are 365 days full of possibilities. For motivation, start your day with two goals.

Having goals to approach each new day sets you up for success. If you’re feeling burned out or need motivation, it’s difficult to get your swagger back. These two goals can help. They’ve worked for me and I know they’ll work for you.

Here’s how to start your day – say the following two sentences every morning. It’s a potent way to set intentions for the day. And, the motivation of achieving these goals will give you energy.

Most importantly, making these goals a habit could transform your life.  

1) “Who am I going to help today?”

Make it a goal to help one person every day. Forget the other metrics or quotas you have. Focus on that one person. That’s the only quota you have. 

Don’t worry. There will be one person that needs you and you’ll know who it is by the tone in their voice, their demeanor, or the directness of their email. 

Be the person they need at that moment. You’ll feel good about helping and at the end of the day you’ll feel a sense of accomplishment. In no time you’ll be helping more than one person a day. 

And as a bonus, whatever quotas you’ve been ignoring will be achieved. By helping others, you’ll get what you want. 

2) “What’s going to happen to me today that’s never happened before?”

There’s going to be an interruption or disruption in your day. Build it into your schedule so it doesn’t derail you. 

Take it as an opportunity to learn something new. 

To make the experience more powerful:
     A) Document what you did to fix it.
     B) Share the solution with others. 

By doing this you’ll be viewed as an expert by your peers and as a leader by your bosses. 

Live with these two simple sentences, “Who am I going to help today?” and “What’s going to happen to me today that’s never happened before?”, each day for the next month.

Make them a part of your daily routine. Embody what they mean and let me know how these goals impact you over the next 30 days. 

19 Ideas on Finding Time to Think

19 Ideas on Finding Time to Think

It seems there is never enough time for anything. We have a lot of tasks we need to complete; so many things to do to avoid getting buried by life. But, this leaves little time for contemplation. Plain and simple – there’s no time to think. The kind of thinking where you can get rid of distractions and do away with that little voice in your head reminding you of everything that needs to get done.     

There are ways to get back our time. Instead of sitting in front of the TV all night and making status updates I’ve come up with some alternatives. 

Here are 19 ideas on finding time to think:

Look out the window: I don’t know if anything beats daydreaming. There’s so much going on outside that you can’t help but reflect on what’s going on inside. Clouds, trees, insects, animals, and people can trigger so many thoughts.  

Watch a sunset: It’s a great way to look back on the day and look ahead to tomorrow. Sunsets are never the same. You’ll observe different hues, different textures and depending on the amount of clouds the sunset can surround you. And it can change for an hour or so, even after the sun goes down. Don’t miss the show in the sky and the chance for your mind to wander.  

Look at the stars: This gets you thinking about life’s big questions. You can’t help it. It puts life into perspective looking up at the universe at light that might be hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of years old. You realize you are a speck, yet full of possibilities. 

Sit by a lake or river: Being near water is relaxing. The movement of the water and sound can be hypnotic. If you’re able to sit in a canoe in the middle of a lake try it. You’ll be right in the middle of the experience.   

Make a bonfire: Watching the flames dance and hearing the crackle of the fire connects us to our ancestors and another part of ourselves.  

Plant a garden or a tree: Getting your hands dirty reconnects us to the earth. It’s as if a chisel cracks away the shell of modern society and you and mother nature are reunited.  There’s something sacred about planting a tree. Maybe because it’s going to be there for years; possibly longer than we are. It’s majestic and mighty.   

Listen to music: I love this one. I get lost in music a lot. It’s where I go to feel like I’m alive. Music stimulates the creative side of my brain. 

Go for a drive or a road trip: This is where you can really get to know someone and know yourself a little bit better too. It’s a great way to strip away the layers and be honest. It might be because you need to travel light and it gets you back to the essentials – food, shelter, sleep, and companionship.

Read: It takes you to another world and makes you ponder life’s big questions. Every once in a while change it up by adding poetry, philosophy, mythology, or some sacred text (whatever that means to you) into the mix. It elevates our thoughts.   

Draw or paint: I always loved drawing, like most kids. I took drawing and painting in college and it opened my eyes to observe things differently. Pull out a pad of paper and a pencil and see what happens.   

Work on a crossword puzzle: There’s something that happens when you play with words. Seeing a word can trigger so many thoughts. Words can take you from point A straight to point G and then point S with no idea how you got there.  

Build a model: It takes focus and discipline. When you start, it can feel overwhelming with so many pieces to fit together. You can’t rush it and it’s a good way to slow things down. I loved building model tanks and airplanes as a kid.    

Play catch: There’s something relaxing about throwing a baseball around. You get into a rhythm and it can be a kind of meditation. Don’t have a baseball? Try a football or a frisbee.  

Shoot hoops: More good exercise that forces you to concentrate and think about your shot. It’s good for focus. Plus, you have the rhythm of the ball bouncing and hitting the backboard or net for added stimulation.    

Go fishing: There’s nothing better to slow things down. It’s just you, the water, a fishing pole, and a friend or two. Don’t worry about catching fish. That’s not the point.   

Go for a walk: More good exercise that makes your senses perk up.   

Ride a bike: Good exercise and you get to see things from a different perspective. The sound of the rubber on the road or trail can be hypnotizing. 

Explore nature: Listening to the wind blow through the trees and birds singing is calming. Add the sound of water running over rocks or a waterfall and you’ve got yourself the perfect place to stop and take a meditation break.        

Take a shower/bath: We’re at our most vulnerable here and maybe our most honest. We’re naked and we’re not wearing the mask or persona we wear the rest of the day. It’s our true self. We can relax and let go of everything we’re holding onto here and feel the hot water, the steam, and the solitude like nowhere else. This will stimulate amazing thoughts.       

This list gives us a way to get unstuck and think our way into a more positive existence. We need time to think and re-group. School has semester breaks, in football and basketball you have halftime; take time for yourself to re-think your game plan.    

When do you find time for yourself? How are you able to think clearly? What are your results, or what do you hope the results will be? 

3 Lessons About Safety, Support and Encouragement

empty bird's nest

The other morning I was in my home office when the birds started making a huge racket outside. It went on for 30 seconds before I got up and went to the front door to see what was going on. 

I opened the door and saw a baby robin sitting on the top step of the porch. A few feet away, behind the bush, was a cat. It was crouched and ready to attack. No wonder the birds were so noisy. They were trying to save the baby. I shouted and the cat ran away.  

The robin had gotten there from the nest on our neighbors downspout about 20 feet away. Who knows if the bird was told by its parents “time to leave the nest, buddy” or it felt that’s what it needed to do because that’s what his brothers and sister had done.  

Not knowing how much time we had before the cat came back I started to encourage the bird. I told him, “You can do it.”

After hearing it a few times the bird finally looked back at me. Reassuring him, “You can do it. Come on.”

The bird stood up on it’s legs and gave one flap of its wings. He looked back as if to say, “did you see that?”  

“Come on. You can do it.”

The bird chirped. Then it stood on its legs again and flapped its wings a few times.

“You got it.” 

The bird looked back at me again. He was building his confidence.  

“Come on. You can do it. Let’s go.”

The bird got up on its legs, leapt off the steps and flew into the tree in front of the house to be with the rest of his family. 

“You did it. I’m so proud of you.”

The entire encounter took four minutes. 

With everything that’s been going on it felt good to help another living creature and save its life. It was a good reminder that it doesn’t take a lot to offer help.  

Here are three lessons I learned about safety, support and encouragement:

1) Create a safe space to learn – Most situations aren’t going to be life and death like this one, but we all need a place where we feel safe to make mistakes and to take our time to develop. The bird had less time than most of us because learning to fly was urgent for survival, but once the cat (distaction) was gone the bird could focus. Can you create a safe space to learn? Where would it be? What does it look like?

2) Provide encouragement – The robin sat on the step for a while; as evidenced by the numerous bird droppings around it. Left on its own it stood there, lost. With a little encouragement the bird knew it wasn’t alone. It was able to regroup and focus. Who can you encourage right now? Is there anyone you know that could use a little encouragement?   

3) Be prepared to have someone’s back – We all need someone to be there for us no matter what. Who would you call on if you needed someone? Luckily, I was there for that bird. If I wasn’t there, I’m convinced that bird would have been snatched up within seconds. Who haven’t you talked to in a while? Reach out to them. Let them know you’re thinking of them and that you are there for them. With so many of us working from home we can feel alone at times. We’re not.  

The bird didn’t know it could fly until it flew. The mechanics of flight were there, but it didn’t know how to use it. All it needed was safety, support and encouragement.

I’m thinking of all the recent high school and college graduates and what they must be going through right now. They might not know what to do and could use support right now. The future is never certain, but it seems less so now. 

Who can you reach out to? Reach out. 

What encouragement can you give? Give it.   

The help you offer might not save a life (although, I wouldn’t count that out) but it might help someone fly. The bonus is that the help you give will positively impact your life too. 

My Favorite Books of 2019

My favorite books of 2019, showing book covers

I read some truly inspirational and eye-opening books this year. Without further ado, here is this year’s list of my favorites books of 2019.   

Thinking in Bets: Making Smarter Decisions When You Don’t Have All the Facts by Annie Duke – Duke is the first woman to win the World Series of Poker and she shares insights on how to make decisions when you don’t have all the cards on the table, which translates for the rest of us to making decisions when you don’t have all the information you need. As someone who over-thinks and over-analyzes many decisions this book resonated with me deeply. It’s changed my mindset in how I approach certain situations. When a book does that, it’s something special. I’ve even successfully used her techniques while playing the occasional night of poker with my friends. This is a must read, especially if you want to learn to approach making decisions more quickly, without second guessing yourself and with more accuracy in the outcome.   

Keep Going: 10 Ways to Stay Creative in Good Times and Bad by Austin Kleon – I’ve read Kleon’s other books, Steal Like an Artist and Show Your Work, with delight and this is another gem. His insights, along with thoughts from other artists, provide inspiration to keep producing work that excites you and gets you out of bed in the morning, when it seems like you’re doing the same thing over and over, like Bill Murray in Groundhog Day. It’s a fun read and made me appreciate the joy of the creative process and not get too focused on the outcomes. You will enjoy this book as much as I did.     

Beat the Bots: How Your Humanity Can Future-Proof Your Tech Sales Career by Anita Nielsen – This book calls itself a sales book for tech sales professionals, but it’s much more than that. This book is for everybody who deals with other people in their work – essentially, everybody. Nielsen approaches sales, not as a transaction that takes place, but a thought process that transforms your relationship with your client. Instead of thinking B2B, she has you think in terms of H2H – human to human. Her insights are powerful. She writes in a personal way that makes you feel like she’s right there with you one-on-one in a coaching session. She’s in your corner and her care for you as a sales professional shines through. It’s easy to see why she’s one of the most sought after consultants around. This book is highly recommended.  

When Nobody Was Watching: My Hard-Fought Journey to the Top of the Soccer World by Carli Lloyd with Wayne Coffey – I’ll start by saying I’m not a soccer fan and I know Lloyd’s name by watching the Olympics, so I can say that I’m only vaguely familiar with her career. I’ve never read a book by an athlete that showed so much mental toughness like this book did. The sacrifices that Lloyd made to become an elite athlete and her struggles to maintain her position on the team are astounding. She takes you through the grueling long hours of practice, the exhausting physical training program, the loss of a social life that all athletes at this level sacrifice to “make it”, and details the moments in important matches in her career, but there’s more to her story that got to me. It was the constant need to prove herself, not only year to year, but match to match. It was exhausting just reading about it and I thought to myself many times, “How much can one person take?” Thankfully, she had a personal coach who believed in her. He pushed her when she needed a kick in the butt and comforted her when she needed someone to vent with. We could all use a coach like that in our life. I realized this book is a perfect fit for those working in a corporate environment, which isn’t always warm and welcoming. There’s a lot to be learned from someone who ended up being a two-time Olympic gold medalist, two-time FIFA Women’s World Cup champion, two-time FIFA Player of the Year, and a three-time Olympian for the United States Women’s Soccer Team.      

The LeRoy Butler Story by LeRoy Butler and James J. Keller – I loved watching Butler play with the Green Bay Packers during the 90’s. He was part of some great teams, including the team that won Super Bowl XXXI. I also enjoy listening to him as part of “The Big Show” on 105.7 FM the Fan in Milwaukee. He brings a unique perspective and his insights are eye-opening, not to mention his amazing sense of humor. I knew a little about Butler, but not the full picture. For him to make it out of a rough neighborhood in Jacksonville, Florida, where he saw kids his own age get killed, his physical ailment that forced him to wear leg braces while he healed, to become a high school, college and NFL football great is remarkable. Butler proves that you can achieve great success, no matter where you come from and that you can do it with humility and a great appreciation for all those who helped you along the way. 

What were your favorites books this year? What are you looking forward to reading in 2020? Happy reading! 

My Favorite Books of 2017

My Favorite Books of 2017I found myself in the company of some wonderful books in 2017. Some I had previous experience with the authors’ work and was interested in reading something new, others were recommendations, one was a gift, while others I discovered on my own. No matter how these books found their way into my life, I’m glad they did. I’m a better person for having read them.

Originals: How Non-Conformists Move the World by Adam Grant – I loved Grant’s book Give and Take, which was one of my favorite books in 2013. This is another thought provoking piece of work. Grant breaks many myths about success along the way.
Some key findings are innovators who are risk averse have better success than those who put all their eggs in one basket. They don’t quit their jobs until they know what they’re doing is working. He also talks about making sure your company culture doesn’t prohibit speaking out and questioning long held beliefs. In this case, it’s often valuable to have people with various backgrounds participate in projects from the beginning when the chance to make changes is least costly.
Another interesting fact is that innovators who are open to more experiences end up with more novel ideas. Those who moved frequently, mostly in foreign countries, had more experience to draw upon when creating. Their creations end up being ground breaking because they are pulling experiences from multiple cultures. Also, those who have an artistic hobby were more likely to win Nobel Prizes. Having an outside artistic pursuit allows the person to see things differently. This artistic pursuit also allows the person to take time away from a project with the ideas percolating in their head, giving them the distance from their endeavor and giving them time to think about it. This is similar to what was written about in The Pause Principle, which was on my list from last year.
Innovators succeed because of the sheer volume of ideas generated. They crank out enough work that they are constantly tweaking things and finding better solutions. It stands to reason that they have more failures and that they are able to pinpoint what didn’t work or what could work with slight changes. A non-traditional look at innovators and well worth reading.
Revolver: How The Beatles Reimagined Rock’ N’ Roll by Robert Rodriguez – The Beatles have been one of the biggest influences in my life. I’ve read dozens of books about them over the years. This book is different than anything I’ve read. It’s about their album Revolver. Rodriguez brilliantly lays out the book in three parts. He sets up what was going on on, not only in the Beatles’ lives, but in popular music and the world at the time, the origin and process of writing and recording the songs, and the aftermath of the album, including its reception and its place in music history.
You get a feel for where the Beatles were coming from and what the mindset was heading into this album. Rodriguez describes Revolver as the last true Beatles album in that they never collaborated at this level again. With the Beatles focusing on their work in the studio they gave of themselves completely. No matter who had the best idea, that idea won. Who ever had an idea for a part, they would play it. For example, the guitar solo on George Harrison’s song Taxman is played by Paul McCartney, though Harrison generally played the lead guitar parts.
With each new album the Beatles became more experimental and it’s clearly evident on Revolver. Also new in the studio was engineer Geoff Emerick. He helped the Beatles get the sounds they wanted and wasn’t afraid to go against EMI’s (Abbey Road studios) imposed limitations on how to use the recording equipment. With producer, George Martin, they created one of the most revolutionary albums in rock and roll. It’s interesting to point out that when the Beatles went on their last tour in the summer of 1966 as the album was released, they didn’t play any songs from the album. The author makes a case that if it wasn’t for John Lennon’s remarks about being bigger than Jesus, which took coverage away from the album, Revolver and not Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band would be regarded as the most important album in rock and roll history. And he may be right. This is important reading for any Beatles or music fan.
The Rise: Creativity, the Gift of Failure, and the Search for Mastery by Sarah Lewis – I’ve read many books on creativity but nothing quite as fresh and unique as what Lewis offers up. It’s a beautiful piece of work; a work of art in a way. When we think of creativity and innovation we think of writers, poets, painters, dancers, and musicians. Lewis expands that view to include practically everyone. She shares stories from who we consider typical artists, but also talks about, and with, inventors, athletes, explorers, educators and more.
Lewis writes about approaches to creativity from a different perspective. She talks about Ben Saunders, an Arctic explorer, who has hiked to both the north and south poles by himself. A feat that has killed many who have attempted it. Artists don’t endure the physical demands that Saunders does in Arctic conditions, but he shares a similar mindset. When faced with the wind, temperature (a constant -30 degrees Celsius), and the pain of the journey he gives in to a feeling of surrender. Surrender, not as giving up, but as giving in. This allows you to “convert your energy and operate at full force.” This is more along the lines of Neitzsche’s amor fati, to love your fate or in the martial art, aikido, the use of nonresistance. When we stop resisting something, we stop giving it power.
Another section is about being a deliberate amateur. This can be thought of not as a not knowing or lacking experience, but demonstrating a willingness to strive, to seek, to find, almost in a play-like state. One example, she discusses the story of Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov, physicists who won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2010. They began holding “Friday Night Experiments” in their lab which were ideas that were so crazy, that they probably wouldn’t work, but if they did it would be surprising. The safe space of their lab allowed them to run experiments they wouldn’t otherwise attempt.One of these experiments lead to their Nobel Prize win.
This was an eye-opening book that’s made me look at my work differently. There are many more ideas presented other than the two I’ve covered. If you’re interested in creating and innovating pick up a copy of The Rise. You’ll be glad you did. I’ve incorporated many ideas from this book into my own life since reading it. I’ve adopted surrender as my new goal and it’s changed me. If you only read one book from this list, this would be my recommendation.
Imagine: How Creativity Works by Jonah Lehrer – I knew this book was going to be different based on the name of the first chapter – “Bob Dylan’s Brain.” This book did not disappoint. I’ve read many books on creativity and they follow a similar line. This one veered off the path and made a new trail! In that first chapter Lehrer shows the breakthrough Dylan had once he gave up music, went to Woodstock and started to write songs, but only in a style that he never did before. Once convention was out of the picture, music poured out of him. He wrote and went with the flow of where the songs were going. What he come up with was completely different – “Like a Rolling Stone” which was the debut single from Highway 61 Revisited.
The chapter entitled “Letting Go” was one of my favorites. In it, the author talks to Yo-Yo Ma about his approach to music. Ma said he looks forward to making the first mistake so he can enjoy the rest of the piece and perform. He also looks over a score to find out the story that’s being told by the composer and then imparts himself and his heart where needed and forgets the technical aspects and just plays. In a part about improv, looking at Second City, Lehrer talks about getting to a level where comedy seems easy and natural. It isn’t. Joshua Funk, the artistic director says, “it takes years of work before you can get good at improv. It’s like music that way. You can’t just pick up a sax and expect to be Coltrane. You have to work at not giving a fuck.”
Another fascinating topic was about the power of Q. Q measures the density of connections of people working in groups. It’s a degree of social intimacy. The ideal Q reading was a group not too big and not too small with most people comfortable working with each other who had previous history with a small number of newbies to keep things fresh. This measure was developed after looking at Broadway musicals and looking at the financial and critical successes versus those that flopped. The same structure is in place at Pixar and it helps to understand the unique culture and success.
Interestingly, the larger and more populated cities become, the more productive its citizens become. This may stem from people having a large number of weak ties. Though the internet brings people together. It’s people connecting with people face-to-face that leads to more cross-polanization and innovation. It’s a fresh look at creativity and worth reading. My second favorite book of the year.
Mindset: The New Psychology of Success – How We can Learn to Fulfill Our Potential by Carol  S. Dweck, PhD. –  I’ve been reading so many other books that referenced Dweck’s work that I had to go back to the original source. She talks about what success is and how it’s really achieved. It’s not what we were taught growing up. It’s not about being smart, it’s about learning. It also reexamines what it means to fail and what lessons are learned from it.
This book covers success from all angles. There are sections on business success and how parents, coaches and teachers need to look at it to help children understand what it is.
Fixed-mindset people are those who think they are smart or talented to a certain level and nothing can change it. Having a growth mindset means you see the potential to improve. You find the areas of weakness and work on them and get better. Telling a child that they are smart and/or talented sends the wrong message and doesn’t lead them on a path to success. If they are told they will need to work hard to achieve their goals they will achieve more than those with raw talent.
This is a must have on any book shelf. Do yourself a favor and pick up a copy of this. It can reshape how you think about success and how you approach life.
George Lucas: A Life by Brian Jay Jones – I had been an admirer of George Lucas’ work with American Graffiti, but mostly of the three original Star Wars movies, since I was a kid. When he re-worked the original movies my thoughts of him soured. I could understand cleaning up the special effects, but not changing content. To me, he altered, and damaged, the stories by doing so. Still, I was interested to read more about him.
Like so many of the people whose work we treasure, it was fascinating to see the person behind the films. He was making movies at an early age and flourished as a film maker while studying film at USC. I hadn’t realized that he was a nationally known film maker as a student – that’s how good he was.
From a business perspective, it’s invaluable to see how he dealt with the studios in making his movies. He’s an idealist and didn’t tolerate the studios dictating to him how to edit or change his movies. Because the studios didn’t believe in Star Wars he was able to keep the merchandising rights. He used funds from the merchandise to finance the Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, so he didn’t have to change the movies at the discretion of the studios. He loathed the studios and this comes across clearly in the book. After Star Wars, movie guys were overtaken by business guys trying to get there hands on Hollywood hits. People who knew and loved movies were replaced by money counters, which is the system we have in place today.
Lucas also had his hand in changing the way we experience movies. His company, Lucasfilm, spun off Industrial Light and Magic, which is the premier special effects company in Hollywood. Also created was THX, which is the high fidelity sound most movies are shown in today. Movie theaters were set up with THX because Lucas wanted the audience at Return of the Jedi to experience the best possible sound quality and he didn’t think movie theaters were equipped to provide that. Pixar also took wings at Lucasfilm and was eventually spun off and sold to Steve Jobs. A well researched look into the life of George Lucas and a must read for even a casual fan of his work.
Milwaukee Braves: Heroes and Heartbreak by William Povletich – Growing up in Milwaukee, I had heard about the Braves, but didn’t know much of their history other than the World Series Championship in 1957, their near miss in 1958 and the team leaving for Atlanta after the 1965 season. The Boston Braves were a joke in the National League with the league’s worst record, but with the move to Milwaukee in 1953, the team finished in second place and the city fell in love with the Braves. They lead the Major Leagues in attendance for numerous seasons.
Povletich does a wonderful job of recreating what it was like like back then and retraces each season with the help of archival news clippings, photos and interviews with former Milwaukee Braves players. He recounts several important games from each season, especially games that happened in the heat of the pennant races. I felt that I was going through the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat as it was happening.
In 1956, the Braves had a one game advantage with three to play but lost two games and their chance to play in the World Series by one game. In 1957, the team was determined, having been so close the year before, and ended up advancing to the World Series where they beat the New York Yankees for the championship. The city celebrated their team as heroes. In 1958 they again advanced to the World Series and held a three game to one advantage over the Yankees, but the Yankees won the last three games and the World Series. In 1959, they lost a playoff with the Dodgers and missed their chance at another World Series. They were in the pennant race in 1960 but their best years were behind them and interest in the team started to wane.
Many players talked about how the team should have won multiple World Series Championships, but it wasn’t meant to be. The Milwaukee Braves played 13 seasons in Milwaukee and never had a losing record. Many teams used Milwaukee as a model and moved to new cities because of Milwaukee’s financial success. In the 50 years prior to the Braves moving from Boston to Milwaukee no other team in Major League Baseball had moved. In the 20 years after the move, 10 teams relocated, including the Dodges from Brooklyn to Los Angles, the Giants from New York to San Francisco and the St. Louis Browns who moved to Baltimore and became the Orioles. This was a wonderful look back at a different time and a different game.
Finish: Give Yourself the Gift of Done by Jon Acuff – An interesting look at how to accomplish more. One tip, cut your goals in half. Acuff writes that most people stop pursuing their goals the day after perfect.That’s hard to live up to and easy to stop. Cutting your goals in half is a psychological trick. In doing so, you actually end up surpassing your original goal. What’s been shown is that achieving a goal makes you want to keep going. Want to achieve great things? Cut your goal in half.
The most impactful part of the book for me was the chapter entitled “Leave Your Hiding Place and Ignore Noble Obstacles.” Hiding places are unproductive traps. It’s taking care of things that don’t need attention to avoid what really needs to be done. Noble obstacles are those pursuits that trouble perfectionists. It tells them that they can’t do X, until they do Y. It makes your goal harder to accomplish. The example Acuff uses in the book is about a man who wants to clean the garage. Instead of emptying the garage so it’s clean, he decides to have a garage sale so he can make some money. Then this simple task becomes a list of 16 things that need to be done in order to have the sale, like picking the day, advertising, pricing the items, labeling, holding the sale, etc. This simple one-step goal turned into a project, one that never gets done because that’s too much work.
Another suggestion is to avoid the word “until.” Not doing your goal until you figure something else out first. His example is about a woman who wants to start a blog, but worries she needs to meet with a copyright lawyer first to protect her content. She doesn’t start because if she does she’ll get too successful and people other than her will cash in on her work. This is something I’ve struggled with many times. When I wanted to start a blog I spent more time researching web hosts, themes for my website and what widgets and plugins I needed than I did writing. The best idea is to start and if you become successful worry about the consequences later.
If you’re the kind of person who starts projects but never finishes them, this is the perfect book to read in 2018. I’m excited to see what I finish in the year ahead. What are you looking forward to finishing?
Did any of these books make your list? What do you recommend? What are you looking forward to reading in 2018?

My Favorite Books of 2016

Favorite Books 2016

Books seem to find their way into my hands at exactly the right time. This year’s selections are a perfect example of that. It’s also fascinating how one book leads to others and how, after looking back at the books I read in 2016, a theme emerges. The eight books on this list had an impact on me and I hope you get a chance to read them, if you haven’t already.  Here are my favorite books of 2016:

Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking by Susan Cain – I purchased this book a few years ago and only got around to reading it this year. If I had known it was this good I would have read it immediately. This is a powerful book. Often, it’s not the loudest voice in the room we should be listening to, but the quiet ones. As a society, we need to place more value in the thoughts and ideas of introverts and work forces should understand how to draw out those responses without putting an introvert on the spot, which s exactly what they don’t want.

I originally got it to learn more about me. I’ve taking personality assessments where I’ve been shown to be a strong introvert, though I took one recently and am now a weak extrovert. I think that’s because I’ve adapted to work environments where before I worked in a team, I’m now more independent. What I didn’t expect, is that halfway through reading it I realized I was learning a lot about both of my parents. I had never considered my dad an introvert, but reading Quiet, made me see him in a new light.

Cain explores how extroverts came to be the ideal that someone should achieve and the role introverts play in society today. She gives many examples of quiet leadership and points to one example of how Warren Buffet prospered during the recession, while Wall Street failed. Cain also lays out of great tips on when to be an extrovert and how introverts can approach work, and how work places should accommodate for introverts in their work force. Those that follow Cain’s guidance will flourish. Highly recommended for introverts or anyone who knows one.

Everybody Matters: The Extraordinary Power of Caring for Your People Like Family by Bob Chapman and Raj Sisodia – Chapman is the CEO of Barry-Wehmiller, a leader in the packaging, paper, and consulting industries. This book is the blue print for how companies can treat employees with humanity and respect and, coincidentally, become more profitable in the process. From the forward, written by Simon Sinek, you know it’s going to be good. Sinek has used Chapman’s company as an example of how to run a company the right way; with caring and compassion for others.

Chapman wasn’t always that kind of leader and Barry-Wehmiller wasn’t always that kind of company; a company that placed people over profit. It took a commitment to lead in a different direction and stick with it. In the end, the company culture changed. Employees were involved in decision making. Mistakes were seen as a learning experience. The company became more caring. Time clocks were gone, locks were removed from supply rooms, everyone entered through the same door to go to and leave work. And, boy did the employees respond, even the so called “bad eggs.” The so called trouble employees became the strongest proponents of the new culture, when they realized it wasn’t just talk, but it was real.

The BW Leadership Institute, was born out of a continual need for education. Chapman is not just talking about making people cared for as employees, but cared for as people. Their lives are transformed. I read story after story about people changing in every aspect of their lives with improved marriages, stronger family relationships, and becoming better parents. If you only read a few books from this list, make sure this is one of them.

Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance by Angela Duckworth – I grew up believing that successful people where those who showed extraordinary talent and genius, then took advantage of or exploited their gift. In fact, what Duckworth’s research has shown is that talent is only part of the equation. Talent matters, but not as much as we think. It’s effort that makes the difference in whether we succeed. It’s those people that don’t give up when others do that pushes them into another realm.

Duckworth studied grit in everyone from spelling bee champs to world-class athletes to West Point cadets and has developed a grit formula. It is this – talent x effort = skill and skill x effort = success. Successful people do difficult work and spend time in deliberate practice. This contradicts the 10,000 hour rule, a little bit. It’s not that you spend hours practicing but how you spend those hours to improve your skills. One other thing to help improve your skills is to compete with those that are slightly better than you. They will up your game and you’ll improve because of it.

I wish this book had been written 30 years ago. Reading it, I reflected on my upbringing and the role talent versus grit played in my life. I was always on the talent/genius side of things. That talent and genius would be recognize and rewarded. In fact, what I’ve realized in my life, which Duckworth’s book shines a light on so brightly, is that grit is the only attribute that allows you to achieve the things in life that make you feel fulfilled. Grit is a definite must read.

Bounce: Mozart, Federer, Picasso, Beckham and the Science of Success by Matthew Syed – Syed’s book came out a few years before Duckworth’s Grit and it falls into the same space, but Syed comes at success with a whole different perspective. He ‘s a three-time Commonwealth table tennis champion, and two-time Olympian. He draws on his own personal experience and looks at many other successful people to find out how they became so successful.

As one would guess, there are many examples of athletes used in the book, making it easy to relate to, but he also examines grand master chess players, composers, artists and students. He’s researched how they were raised, coached, and tutored. He goes back into the lives of successful people, but also looks at the science behind success. The conclusion is, success is all about mindset.

This mindset emphasizes hard work over talent. Like Duckworth, Syed has discovered that those who work the hardest at deliberate practice become the most skilled at their endeavor and end up being successful as a result. Talent again, is thrown out the window. It’s not the talented that become the dominate player in certain sports or fields of work, but it’s those who devote the most devoted hard work to their craft. Bounce is a remarkable book.

The One Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results by Gary Keller with Jay Papasan – I found this book at the airport in Las Vegas. Better time management was one of my goals for 2016. This book was critically helpful in achieving my goal. This book is Pareto’s Principle, or the 80/20 rule, on steroids. Instead of breaking down tasks into smaller ones to cross off of a list, this book shows how to concentrate on only one thing at a time. We are often overwhelmed at work, and life in general, with too many distractions. This leads to watered down results, depleting energy and lack of focus.

One phrase from the book stood out for me is this, “What’s the one thing I can do, such that by doing it, everything else will be easier or unnecessary?” It’s a focus on big picture thinking. Start there, start big. That’s the one thing you should work on to start your day. Then when that’s done, you’ll work on the next one thing. Keller argues that starting with the big thing will let the small things either fall into place or become unnecessary to do.

If you’re like me you start your day knocking off a couple of small tasks so you can cross things off your list, which makes you feel like you’re being productive. But, this only keeps you working on small goals, which lead to small and insignificant results. Multi-tasking and juggling work are myths that we need to forget if we want to achieve great things. The One Thing had an immediate impact on my work at a time when I could have easily been overwhelmed. Instead I used this book to guide me to a highly productive part of my year, which lead to great personal satisfaction and success for my organization. It is a breeze to read and the lessons can be easily applied to your life.

The Pause Principle: Step Back to Lead Forward by Kevin Cashman – I tend to take my time when making decisions and thought it was a weakness. Cashman shows that pausing to think things over before making decisions is a strength. Organization’s seek immediate answers to problems, but this could lead to dysfunctional momentum; moving forward in a direction that’s not best for the future of the organization. When we pause to think about problems allows new ideas to emerge and creativity to flourish. Moving too quickly to the “right” answer kills collaboration and innovation.

Organizations that adopt the Seven Pause Practices discussed are more innovative and, in the end, more profitable. These practices will change the culture of the organization and allow employees to grow. The Pause Principle gets at some very fundamental questions about core values of an organization. Without pausing, an organization can lose focus on why it exists. This book is for anyone who want results fast and problems solved yesterday. Read this book, try a new approach to decision making and you’ll be presently surprised at how much more effective you’ll become.

Tom Petty: A Biography by Warren Zanes – I’m a huge Tom Petty fan and thought I knew all there was to know about the man and his music. Boy, was I wrong. Zanes tells a masterful story, in part because he was given access to people in Petty’s inner circle that no one has had access to before, which allowed him to paint a complete picture of Petty like we’ve never seen before. Zanes is able to give the stories context and offer a rich account of Tom Petty’s life.

Like a lot of people who didn’t have a positive family environment to grow up in, Petty found an escape in music. Music became his world and his life’s goal was to be in a really good band and keep it together. It wasn’t easy, even after landing a record deal. Turmoil was a constant in his personal life and within the band. Every day was a fight to survive and when he cleared one hurdle another one hit him right in the face. Whether it was declaring bankruptcy, fighting with his record label, someone burning down his house, trying to keep his band together, or trying to leave a failing marriage, work was the one thing he could count on to pull him through. He wrote, recorded and toured non-stop. There was never time to take a break and appreciate his success and sadly, he doesn’t seem to have been very happy along the way. Petty’s unhappiness led to substance abuse and addiction. It’s an all too familiar rock and roll story, but his has a happy ending.

Achieving success is never an individual effort, and he had people show up at just the right time in his life to take him to the next level. I enjoyed taking a peek inside his relationships with Leon Russell, Denny Cordell, Jimmy Iovine, Dave Stewart, Jeff Lynne George Harrison and Rick Rubin. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers are now in their 40th year, which is remarkable. Most importantly, he got through life with all it’s ups and downs and is finally at peace. Petty’s story is another reminder that success doesn’t make life any easier to live.

Beneath the Surface by Michael Phelps with Brian Cazeneuve – During the 2016 Olympic games in Rio I became enamored with Michael Phelps. I was watching at history being made and wondered how the best athlete the Olympics has ever seen came to be. I read something about how he practiced on Sundays when other swimmers rested that day and how that would give him and extra 52 practices a year over his competition. When I read that I had to learn more.

You’d never know it but Michael Phelps didn’t like swimming as a kid and he was afraid to get his face wet! Funny, how life turns out. This book is a great lesson in taking the talent you have and nurturing it and practicing to improve your skills. Phelps was fortunate enough to have a coach that pushed him to be the best swimmer he could. I couldn’t help think this was also a book about Bob Bowman, his coach. I don’t want to get too melodramatic, but without his coach, I doubt we’d have heard of Michael Phelps. The difference between winning a gold medal or no medal at all is sometimes hundredths of a second. That’s when you realize the practice put in makes all the difference. The drive to compete is in most of us, but the extra push from a coach at the right moment, can help give you the slight edge you need.

I didn’t know much about Michael Phelps before reading this book. This book was published in 2008, so it’s a great look into the life of someone before he became one of the greatest athletes to every grace our planet. He’s likable, honest, and humble, which I hope still defines him. I couldn’t help but feel happy for his success, knowing what’s happened since he wrote it. It would be interesting to know if his approach to training and preparation has changed since this was written.

Did any of these make it onto your list for 2016? What were some of your favorites? Here’s looking forward to another year of books that enlighten, educate, and entertain. Happy reading in 2017!

9 Tips on How to Be One of the Best in the World

9 Tips on How to Be One of the Best in the World

Jean Reynolds tees off at the PHC Classic, July 31, 2015 in Milwaukee, WI.

This past weekend I spent two days at Brown Deer Golf Course watching 144 professional golfers on the Symetra Tour battle it out in the PHC Classic. The Symetra Tour is the step before advancing to the LPGA and the top 10 finishers on the Symtra Tour at the end of the year will earn their way onto the LPGA Tour.

These players are among the top 400 women golfers in the world. I was surprised at the low attendance. Although it was the inaugural tournament, I expected more people. After all, these are some of the best golfers in the world. Who doesn’t want to watch the best?
The crowd demographic leaned towards the older spectator. There should have been more young people there. Every high school and college golf coach in Southeastern Wisconsin should have had their teams out there to watch how professionals play the game. They missed a special treat.
Watching how these women approach golf was an education. There were lessons that I can apply on the golf course, but they can also be applied in every day life.
Here are 9 tips on how to be one of the best in the world:
1) Devote time to practice. The driving range and practice green were packed. Each golfer started their practice session about two hours before their round. Then they went out and played for five hours in the hot, humid conditions. Instead of going in and calling it a day, many of them went back to practice some more; fine tuning their swing or working on their putting.
How often do we fine tune our skills? Do we take the time to get better? Do we go back over that thing that wasn’t quite right just to see if we can improve?
2) Learn from your mistakes and your successes. Players on the course take notes while they play. In their notebook, they’ll jot down what club they hit, where the ball went, what the conditions were so when they play that same hole again they’ll have an idea of how to approach things. They’ll know what’s worked for them or what hasn’t. They play from a position of strength and leave guesswork or chance out of the equation.
Keep notes of short cuts or tips that you can use later. When I was a team leader at AT&T I would keep a copy of every unique situation I ran into and what action I took to fix the problem. After time, I had built up a mini-encyclopedia. My peers and managers would send complex or weird situations my way because they knew I knew how to fix them.
3) Practice consistency. Every time the golfers step up to the ball, whether that’s on the tee box, in the fairway, or on the green, each golfer goes through their own unique routine. When they hit the ball they weren’t far off their target. And there wasn’t one miss-hit. Watching them was like observing the mechanism inside a pocket watch.
That level of consistency is hard to find. When you’re in that rhythm or groove it’s an amazing feeling. The goal is to get to that state as often as we can. Consistency can lead to good results.
4) Act like a professional. Golf is a game of tradition. These golfers respect the game, the players, the course, the volunteers, and the spectators. They play the game how it should be played. The golfers have confidence in their abilities but they didn’t show an ego.
Etiquette is another important component. There was no goofing around, foul language, temper tantrums, or loud talking. The don’t show up their opponent. They extend courtesy to the other players.
Do we act like professionals or amateurs? Do we understand the rules, the history, and the inner workings of the industry we work in? Does our ego get the best of us?
5) Know when to ask for help. Each golfer can only rely on their abilities on the course. It’s ultimately up to the golfer what shot to hit and to execute on it. At the end of the day it’s their name on the leaderboard.
Behind every golfer is a team, some on the course and some behind the scenes. 90% of the women had a caddie with them. They’d ask the caddie the distance to the hole, what club to hit, and how to read the green; getting the perspective from another set of eyes.
A friend caddied during the tournament. Because the golfer he caddied for was nursing an injury she did not play any practice rounds, so the first time she played the course was during the opening round of the tournament. My friend knew the course and he helped her when needed. She could take the information to make a better decision on what to do next.
If a caddie or coach is good enough for a professional it should just as good for us. Good advice from a trusted friend can be invaluable.
6) Play your game. 144 women competed in the tournament. Every one of them had a different swing and a different approach to the game, although there were many similarities. Some of the women could just crush the ball, others couldn’t. It didn’t matter. They played to their strengths.
We often see others accomplish something and we try to copy what they do. Copying can be good in some regards, it can give us a blue print to success but we won’t be our best until we start to consistently do things in our own unique way. We need to ignore the competition and be true to ourselves.
7) Take calculated risks. Most times playing conservative golf is the way to go, but if you play aggressively at the right time it can pay off. The question is when is the right time to take a chance?
The golfers played their game and waited until a situation presented itself where it would be okay to be aggressive. When the downside wasn’t that bad and the upside was good, the golfers took chances. They were strategic in their decision making. They may be presented with an opportunity like that a few times a round. They waited for those moments.
You won’t always guess right when taking chances, but taking them when you know your success rate is higher than normal is a good time to attempt it. Don’t force it. Wait for the opportunity to come to you.
8) Focus on what’s in front of you. Golf is the ultimate game of living in the moment. You need to have laser-like focus on the shot at hand and only that shot. You can’t jump ahead and you can’t think about the past.
The golfers took their time and studied each shot for a long time before addressing the ball. Sometimes they’d step back and reconsider the shot again.
I’m like many of you. I’ve got so many thoughts running through my head and so many things competing for my time that I am easily distracted. When I’m focused I can churn out work without even feeling time pass. I need to get to that state more often.
9) Play with the big picture in mind. The PHC Classic was a three day event. Sometimes tournaments are four days. Golfers know that one bad shot isn’t going to ruin their round. They deal with what’s in front of them and move on to the next shot.
We think one mis-step is going to doom our project or ruin our career. A golfer doesn’t think like that. For the entire three days of the tournament there were sustained winds of 20-30 miles per hour. It was windy but the golfers didn’t give up. They got on with the task at hand and dealt with the situation. We need to utilize the same mentality. We need long-term thinking.
The 9 tips on how to be one of the best in the world can help you on the course, in the office, or at home. Next time you’ve got some of the best in the world in your town, go check them out. You’ll never know what you’ll  learn. What tips have you picked up watching the best do their thing?

4 Reasons Why Brett Favre Earned Our Respect

4 Reasons Why Brett Favre Earned Our Respect

Brett Favre was honored by the Green Bay Packers over the weekend. The team inducted him into their Hall of Fame and retired his #4 jersey. It was a homecoming that was long overdue.

The years after Favre’s departure from the Packers have been difficult to stomach and the episode left a bitter taste in even the staunchest Packer fans’ mouth, so it was good to see him back in Green Bay where he belongs.
67,000 fans turned out at Lambeau Field to see Brett Favre talk for 20 minutes. They gave him a four minute standing ovation as he entered the stadium. He was brought to tears. In that moment the painful past vanished and the happy memories returned.
In the Atrium for the formal part of the ceremony, former General Manager Ron Wolf, the man who made the trade that brought Brett Favre to Green Bay, former head coach Mike Holmgren, who coached Green Bay to a Super Bowl victory, and former teammate Frank Winters shared their memories of Brett Favre. They were personal stories that touched at your heart, but also your funny bone.
In the audience were former coaches, teammates, Packers staff, and the Favre family. Why would so many people show up to an event in Green Bay to honor one person? It’s because Brett Favre earned our respect.
Here are four reasons why Brett Favre earned our respect:
Brett Favre had fun playing. It’s hard to imagine anyone playing the game which as much enthusiasm as Favre. In his younger days he would run off the field with a wide grin – his helmet in his hand pumping in the air. Sometimes he’d jump on his teammates, often times tackling them he was so excited about scoring a touchdown. He enjoyed his teammates, his opponents, the referees, and the media. We had fun watching him have fun. We fed off his energy.
Brett Favre played his heart out. Favre played the game like we want our heroes to play it. He gave it his best shot every Sunday. He gave everything he had  when he stepped onto that field. He played with integrity, with sportsmanship. He played hurt. He played when others wouldn’t or couldn’t play. We can never forget the game he played against the Oakland Raiders the day after his father passed away. He gave the best performance of his career. We admire people who can fight through adversity and perform at the highest level. We also marvel his 297 consecutive NFL starts – a record that will probably never be broken.
Brett Favre understood the history of the game and of the Packers. As a kid, he was a fan of Dallas Cowboys quarterback Roger Staubach and dreamed of playing for the Cowboys. As a Packer, he grew especially close to Bart Starr, the former Packers quarterback who took the team to five NFL titles including the first two Super Bowls, and other members of those great Vince Lombardi teams. We respect him for respecting the game and the players who came before him.
Brett Favre cared for everyone in the Packers organization. During his acceptance speech the first person Favre thanked was Lee Remmel, the former Packers press agent and team historian. Remmel’s history with the team goes back to the days of Curly Lambeau. Remmel passed away earlier this year. Favre went on to thank former coaches, teammates, front office personnel, strength coaches, equipment managers, security staff, anyone who was a part of the Packers organization – at least 50 in all. It should be noted that Favre mentioned them all by name.
It says something when someone of his caliber acknowledges those in the background that never get recognition. His appreciation of them was genuine.
If there’s anything we can take away from Brett Favre’s career it’s this: in order to have a lasting impact on people you have to have fun at what you’re doing, give it your all, understand your chosen field and its history, and care about those you work with. You may not be inducted into the Hall of Fame, but you’ll leave a legacy that no one can deny.

 

What Does Your Dream Job Look Like?

What Does Your Dream Job Look Like?
I read a book last year called The Longest Cocktail Party written by Richard DiLello. He’s a former employee of The Beatles, who worked at Apple from 1968 to 1970. The great thing about this book is that it was first published in 1972; shortly after The Beatles breakup. That means it was written while the memories and stories were still fresh and DiLello wasn’t influenced by time or outside sources (like his former employers).
The Longest Cocktail Party has been out of circulation for years, but was recently reprinted in 2014 with a new forward written by DiLello. If you’re a fan of The Beatles, or interested in seeing what it’s like working for superstars, I recommend picking up a copy. It’s an eye-opening read.
The Beatles have been a tremendous influence on me and I was eager to read this insider’s account. I always thought that working for The Beatles at Apple during the time that this book takes place would have been a dream job. The most innovative band in the world trying to create a business utopia – what could be better than that?
It turns out the Beatles had no clue how to run a business. That’s why Apple, the company, never achieved the success that Apple, the dream, envisioned. The Beatles envisioned a company where artists were in charge. Apple wanted to take power away from giant corporations and remove the barriers to market entry, basically remove the gatekeepers. Sounds like how the internet has shaped things, doesn’t it?
To kick things off at Apple, the Beatles placed full page ads in the New Musical Express and Rolling Stone announcing their idea and solicited unsigned signers, songwriters, artists, playwrights, and inventors to send in their work. They received thousands of song demos, scripts, books, plays and other manuscripts. People showed up daily at the Apple offices demanding time and money from the Beatles.
Apple though didn’t have the manpower to go through everything that was sent in. Artists that were signed to Apple were brought in by insiders or were pet projects of the Beatles themselves. No one was discovered from the piles of material sent in.
It was extremely clear from reading The Longest Cocktail Party that you were working for the Beatles, not with them. Only their most trusted advisers worked with them, and even then the influence they had was limited. The Beatles did what they wanted to do regardless of what anyone told them. And it was never a good idea to tell the Beatles no.
Those employees lower on the totem pole would rarely see them, and then when they did it was to fill an urgent personal request. You were to speak to them only if spoken to. They didn’t want to be bothered with with underlings.  It was considered a privilege to work for them, so they could justify paying a low wage.
The list of problems at Apple was long – everything from a lack of leadership and accountability to people being threatened by the Hell’s Angels, who had taken occupancy at Apple. It was a complete madhouse and even George Harrison commented that they had “every freak in the world” showing up at Apple.
Apple lost a lot of money on everything other than record releases and they eventually shut everything down except the record label.
After reading this account, I realize I wouldn’t have enjoyed working at Apple for The Beatles and it certainly wasn’t the dream job I thought it was. Even the best ideas (companies) get bogged down by people; even talented people with good intentions.
What does your dream job look like? Do you like the job itself or the idea of what that job represents? Are you drawn to the job title, what the work is, that you’ll be working for a cause, or because of who you think you’ll be working with? Are you missing out on a great job now thinking about greener pastures?
It’s okay to dream, I’d say it’s even essential. We all need something to look towards. Don’t be disappointed when your dream job doesn’t turn out exactly how you thought it would be. If you approach it as an opportunity to gain a unique experience you’ll enjoy the experience a lot more, and who knows, maybe one day you’ll write a book about it.

 

Three Resume Tips You Need To Use

Three Resume Tips You Need To Use

Any job hunter will tell you that their resume needs updating. I’m no different. I don’t think I’ve ever been happy with it. One issue I have with my resume is that it doesn’t seem to represent who I am. It doesn’t sound like me or have my personality and it often ends up looking like a job description. I am more than a list of job responsibilities.

Since I’m on the job hunt again I’ve been looking through Wayne Breitbarth‘s insightful book, “The Power Formula for LinkedIn Success.” Be sure you check out his book. I’ve also gone through some notes I took when I saw Joe Konop of One Great Resume last year. If you’re looking for someone who knows how to present yourself in the best light, contact Joe.

Here are a three resume tips you need to use to show off your true self.
1) You need to market yourself. Joe’s had a 20 year career in marketing, so when he mentioned that you need to market yourself like a product, it made a lot of sense to me, being a marketer myself. You need to show why you are the best product (person) on the market. You need to show what you’ve done before, but more importantly, what you can do for a new employer. The potential employer needs to feel like they’re making a great decision to bring you on board. You need to quickly and accurately tell people who you are, what you’ve done, and what you can do for them. Think of preparing a tagline. What would your tagline be?
2) Showcase your strengths. Tell the story and give context around what you are really good at. Don’t downplay or diminish your talents. Joe explained that if you say, “I wrote the newsletter” that doesn’t convey as much information as “I wrote a weekly newsletter that was 14-15 pages of original content that talked about new initiatives, company news, and new products, which was distributed to 20,000 people.” See how different those two descriptions are? Think of yourself in broader terms. What is the full scope of your strengths? Because you perform a job so often, you often forget how interesting, complex, and important the work you do is. What was the impact and reach of your work?
3) Talk about what makes you unique. Joe talked about a client who said they were fluent in Chinese but they didn’t list it anywhere on their resume. That’s a unique selling proposition. Flaunt it, use it to tell the world that you are unique!
What seems odd or different to you could be exactly what somebody else thinks is special. It reminded me of a time when I submitted a job application and filled out the “Hobbies” section by writing that I liked “collecting Beatles records, and watching the Simpsons.” When I went in for an interview the manager said, “Right off the bat, I have to say you scored points with me because I love watching the Simpsons too.” You never know what will make you stand out from the crowd.
These three resume tips have made me see myself differently. I need to make sure my resume matches who I am, what I’ve done at my previous jobs, and what I can do for other organizations. If I can do that, I’ll be able to market myself more effectively.
Constantly keep track of your work. Write down what you did, why you did it, and what impact it had. It’s so much easier to go through your notes than it is to try and remember what you did when you need to look for that new job. Facts become fuzzy and you may forget important details. Keep working on that resume, even if you’re happy with your current job. It might just be the factor in getting a raise or a promotion. As long as we keep working a resume is never done.
Do these tips make you think differently about yourself? How do you present your true self?