REALITY NEVER LIES

I recently listened to an old recording of coach and
author, Laura Berman Fortgang’s speech to the International
Coach Federation several years ago. In her presentation,
she talked about the fact that reality never lies.
While her focus was on coaching, I immediately connected
her words to the fact that our sales, productivity, profits
and customer satisfaction are ALWAYS precisely accurate
measures of the service we provide.
From the dawn of history, human beings have searched for
bargains. We love getting goods or services at a fair
price, delivered on time, and hopefully, with an extra
"bonus." In the words of the old saying, "build a better
mousetrap, and the world will beat a path to your door."
Because of this, your bank account is an accurate
reflection of the value the world places on your products
and services. The facts and numbers do not lie. They may
contain a message you don’t like, or one with which you
disagree, but they do not lie.
To increase your sales and profits, you must increase the
value of your services to your customers. Advertising may
help in the short-run. Laying employees off, or hiring
better people may help briefly. Cutting costs or raising
prices may give the illusion that things are better, but
illusions never last.
The key to the growth of your enterprise is providing more
value, at a lower price. Fortunately, this is not
difficult. Perceived value can be many things, from faster
delivery, to larger quantities, to more pleasing colors.
The opportunity to innovate, add value, and increase sales
is endless.
Reality does not lie. Study the numbers, notice where you
can increase value to your customer, and adjust
accordingly. Your financial future depends on it.

THE SACRAMENT OF HARD WORK

This weekend is the semi-official end of summer, the last

3-day weekend before school starts, a time for picnics,
ballgames, camping trips and goofing off. I did note,
however, in very small print at the bottom of the little
square on my calendar, that it is also Labor Day Weekend,
the time we honor and celebrate the dignity of human labor.
Talk about a weird juxtaposition! A holiday to honor work?
On the surface, that makes no sense. Most of the time, work
has a bad name and is to be avoided at all costs. I think
that's a shame.
Obviously, some "work" is just boring, undignified or
dangerous, and is to be avoided at all costs. In my
personal dictionary, however, I don't really count that as
"work." Drudgery is just drudgery and while we all have to
do some things we dislike, it's mainly to be avoided. In a
world of freedom and infinite opportunity, why spend your
life sweating over petty, difficult tasks?
True work, on the other hand, is one of life's great
privileges. I've often written that work is our chance to
partner with God and complete the process of creation.
According to the ancient story, God created the world in
six days (even He needed rest on the seventh day), but
apparently He didn't finish all the details.
He left a few things for us to work out, and I count that a
great honor.
Obviously, subscribers belong to a myriad of
religions, and many of you opt for no religious faith, and
that's fine. Please substitute whatever terminology you
prefer, but it does seem the laws of nature are there for
us to discover and use. I like to think each of us will use
our time and resources to build something worthy of
ourselves!
Every day, through our work, we get to invent and build and
combine the resources around us to create a world that our
grandparents could not imagine.
Through "work" the Panama Canal was built. Through "work"
the Mona Lisa was created. Through "work" Beethoven created
beauty and humans visited the moon! Through "work" we have
the internet, fine cigars and hot fudge sundaes! Because
people went to work, we have modern medicine, and I count
these as good things!
There is tremendous dignity in human effort.
I'll always remember my grandfather saying that when he was
a boy, it was rare to eat anything grown more than twenty
miles from where he lived. He recalled the joy of getting a
single orange as a Christmas
present! The next time you visit a grocery store, think
about that. As you look at the aisles with food from around
the world, note that it's all available because of human
effort, creativity, and engineering.
I'm not sure how many countries have a Labor Day
celebration, but I think they all should. Work is an
amazing thing. It's what makes us human, allows us to
create our world, and modify it to suit our preferences.
Do we sometimes mess up? Of course we do! Do we sometimes
build or do things that have unintended consequences? Well,
sure! Sometimes human beings work for evil or unfortunate
ends, and that's tragic, but it doesn't change the
fundamental truth. Work is the cost of freedom and dignity.
Most Americans will spend this holiday weekend escaping
from work. We'll play and laugh, relax with friends, do
almost anything except "work." But I hope you'll also take
a moment over the weekend to give thanks for the work you
do. Your work makes a contribution to this small planet. In
some small way, each of us contributes our energy, our
talent and our skill to making life better, and I suspect
that's how God intended it.
Here's to the privilege and dignity of honest, hard work!

THE TOP 10 WAYS TO KEEP YOURSELF ENTHUSED

Almost all of us feel enthusiastic at the start of a new project. However, keeping the enthusiasm going over time is another issue, and is problematic for many people. Wisdom Source G. Gurdjieff suggested that there are points in the progress of every project when energy fades unless there is an influx of external energy. Since we cannot be sure that we will receive an energy boost from outside ourselves at just the right time, here are some ways to prevent our enthusiasm from flagging.
1. Use visual reminders of your goal.
Develop visual reminders of your goal and the advantages you will experience when you reach it. The classic example is that if, when you achieve it, you will be able to afford that luxury item you are yearning for, get your photograph taken with that item (e.g. go to a car showroom, sit in the car of your dreams, and have a friend take a picture), and place the photograph where you will see it daily.
2. Develop tiny steps.
It is easy to become discouraged if each step looms large, and requires a major expenditure of time. If you break the project down to extremely small steps, then you can make some progress even if you have only five minutes. It may be something as small as setting out the materials for the next step, but, nonetheless, it is progress.
3. Check off small steps.
As you take those small steps, check them off as achieved, and give yourself a pat on the back for your progress. Focus always on progress you have made as being just as important as the distance you have to go.
4. Cut out, or at least cut down on, your time-wasters and mind numb-ers.
Learn to identify the various time-wasters that you use to "numb out." Then avoid them as much as possible. The list may include too much TV, chat-rooms, computer games, time on the phone, shopping, mind-altering chemicals such as alcohol and other drugs, or other behaviors in which you indulge fairly obsessively.
5. Get enough sleep/rest.
Often, when we feel the need to work harder on a project, this translates to more hours of work, and less of rest. The statistics on sleep deprivation in this decade are frightening. It is true that certain great leaders have been reputed to function on very little sleep. However, most of them were in such positions of power that they could catnap when they chose, and they did. It is essential to our efficient functioning that we get enough sleep. Your project will suffer if you do not.
6. Journal about the benefits of your project.
Journalling involves harnessing our bodies and the verbal part of our brain to whatever it is we journal about. By getting both of these associated with the benefits of the project, you become more fully involved with it. Do this especially at the start, when your energy is high. Add to this journal whenever you can, and re-read it regularly.
7. Do NOT discuss your project with people who are clouds over your parade.
You know the people who worry that if you succeed you may grow away from them. There are others who just don't want to see you aim too high and then be disappointed. They mean well, but avoid giving them the opportunity to rain on your parade. Practice ways to change the subject if they try to talk about your project.
8. Keep yourself physically well.
It seems that we cannot open a newspaper or magazine, or visit a web site, without receiving information on keeping ourselves healthy. Eat right, exercise, drink plenty of water... you know the routine. The trick is to keep to it so that you have the physical energy needed for your project.
9. Avoid all-or-nothing thinking.
When we fall into the trap of all-or-nothing thinking, we begin to believe that encountering obstacles, or failure, at one juncture equals total failure on the entire project. Remember that each step is just a small step. If one does not succeed, try another in another direction, and keep the big picture in mind.
10. Clear the decks.
A major cause of loss of energy is the other *stuff* that accumulates around us when we are focusing on one particular project. Schedule time to keep the piles (physical or mental) from accumulating. Do the filing, if necessary. Keep up with your to-do list if you keep one. If you don't, they will sap your energy and overwhelm you. You may think that doing these things takes time from your project, but they will actually free up more energy to take you to a successful conclusion with your enthusiasm still in full

LEARNED ANYTHING NEW?

We constantly hear that we live in the information age and
that what you know and who you know are the twin paths to
success. I believe that, and yet I'm constantly amazed at
how little responsibility people take for up-grading their
skills.
This week, I learned that the garage where I take my car
requires their employees to spend more hours (and more 

money per year on continuing education than most states
require for doctors, lawyers, or other professionals. Think
about that the next time you take your car in for repairs—
or the next time you talk with your physician!
I try to "practice what I preach" and this week I'll
spend 3 days with friends and colleagues to learn more
about doing business online. We'll look at best practices
for marketing, for attracting traffic to our websites, and
for cross-promoting each other. We'll have lots of time
for networking and fun, but the key is that twice a year,
we focus on making our businesses better, smarter and more
profitable.
Periodically I hear frightening accounts of how few books
the average person reads, or how few classes they take
after they leave school. I remember once hearing a friend
say that if her employer wanted her to get more education,
"they’ll have to pay me for it." What a tragic attitude!

Increasingly the keys to success are being able to do more,
and do it quicker and better than your competition, and
most of the time that means KNOWING more than the next
person. It means knowing more about language and culture,
knowing more about your industry and having better
contacts. It means knowing HOW to learn, and using that
knowledge to your advantage.
As Brian Tracy has said for years, read the books. Attend
the seminars. Take the classes and expand your world. Jim
Rohn puts it this way: "Work harder on yourself than you do
on your job."
To "work less and make more" you've got to know more than
your competitors. This week, sign up for at least one
seminar. Check a book out of the library. Sow the seeds for
your future.