I am intrigued by the concept of "tool boxes". In the
literal sense, of course, a tool box is used by a carpenter
or mechanic to carry tools to build a house or repair a
piece of equipment, and in a metaphorical sense, EVERY
adult needs a complete and well-equipped "toolbox" to build
the life they truly want.
Frequently, I am challenged by someone who has "tried" a
classic tool for creating the life they truly want. Maybe
they went to a motivational seminar (which is good), but
they complain that it didn't "last" after they got home.
Or they read a book on setting goals, but complain that it
didn't help them with their sales skills. The problem is
they have only one tool in their toolbox!
Imagine you wanted to remodel your kitchen and hired a
carpenter to do the job, but when he arrived he had only
ONE TOOL to work with! It wouldn't matter if that one tool
was a hammer, a saw or a wrench, you'd fire him on the spot.
A one-tool carpenter is simply not equipped to do the job.
And yet that's exactly what many of us do when it comes to
creating the life we truly want. We set goals (which is
GREAT!) but we neglect to learn time management skills.
Or, we work on our communication skills or our parenting
skills, but fail to provide adequate financial resources
for the family.
ANY time we lack the appropriate tool, our chances for
success are reduced. You might be able to "cut" a board
with a hammer, but it will take an awful lot of work and
the results won't be pretty. Creating the life we want
requires that we master a wide variety of tools and use
them appropriately.
This truth came home very powerfully this week. I was
privileged to receive a copy of Shad Helmstetter's
book, "Who Are You REALLY and What Do You Want?" and like
all of Shad's books, it is well-written, easy to read, and
extremely good, but it's unique strength is Shad's focus on
combining MULTIPLE TOOLS to create the life you truly want.
Specifically, the book focuses on three skills that, when
combined, are truly dynamite:
Part 1: Use effective self-talk to "program" yourself for
optimism, action and success. By itself, section one is
extremely powerful and integrates the best ideas for using
affirmations and positive thinking to enrich your life.
Part 2: Understand and USE a powerful process for setting
goals. Shad has a process that is very simple, easily
mastered, and gets at the heart of the matter by defining
goals that REALLY matter and are consistent with your values.
Part 3: Get and USE a personal support team. Shad
emphasizes the benefits of a personal coach, but we all
need to structure our relationships, our environment and
our daily routines to maximize our chances for ultimate
success. Excellent material!
The key to building an elegant home, a thriving career or a
loving family is to have a wide range of appropriate tools
and use them to solve any problem life throws at you. No
one has the talent or ability to master "success" using
only one tool! It can't be done and you shouldn't try.
Instead, assemble a complete toolbox filled with resources
you can use to achieve any outcome you desire.
literal sense, of course, a tool box is used by a carpenter
or mechanic to carry tools to build a house or repair a
piece of equipment, and in a metaphorical sense, EVERY
adult needs a complete and well-equipped "toolbox" to build
the life they truly want.
Frequently, I am challenged by someone who has "tried" a
classic tool for creating the life they truly want. Maybe
they went to a motivational seminar (which is good), but
they complain that it didn't "last" after they got home.
Or they read a book on setting goals, but complain that it
didn't help them with their sales skills. The problem is
they have only one tool in their toolbox!
Imagine you wanted to remodel your kitchen and hired a
carpenter to do the job, but when he arrived he had only
ONE TOOL to work with! It wouldn't matter if that one tool
was a hammer, a saw or a wrench, you'd fire him on the spot.
A one-tool carpenter is simply not equipped to do the job.
And yet that's exactly what many of us do when it comes to
creating the life we truly want. We set goals (which is
GREAT!) but we neglect to learn time management skills.
Or, we work on our communication skills or our parenting
skills, but fail to provide adequate financial resources
for the family.
ANY time we lack the appropriate tool, our chances for
success are reduced. You might be able to "cut" a board
with a hammer, but it will take an awful lot of work and
the results won't be pretty. Creating the life we want
requires that we master a wide variety of tools and use
them appropriately.
This truth came home very powerfully this week. I was
privileged to receive a copy of Shad Helmstetter's
book, "Who Are You REALLY and What Do You Want?" and like
all of Shad's books, it is well-written, easy to read, and
extremely good, but it's unique strength is Shad's focus on
combining MULTIPLE TOOLS to create the life you truly want.
Specifically, the book focuses on three skills that, when
combined, are truly dynamite:
Part 1: Use effective self-talk to "program" yourself for
optimism, action and success. By itself, section one is
extremely powerful and integrates the best ideas for using
affirmations and positive thinking to enrich your life.
Part 2: Understand and USE a powerful process for setting
goals. Shad has a process that is very simple, easily
mastered, and gets at the heart of the matter by defining
goals that REALLY matter and are consistent with your values.
Part 3: Get and USE a personal support team. Shad
emphasizes the benefits of a personal coach, but we all
need to structure our relationships, our environment and
our daily routines to maximize our chances for ultimate
success. Excellent material!
The key to building an elegant home, a thriving career or a
loving family is to have a wide range of appropriate tools
and use them to solve any problem life throws at you. No
one has the talent or ability to master "success" using
only one tool! It can't be done and you shouldn't try.
Instead, assemble a complete toolbox filled with resources
you can use to achieve any outcome you desire.
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