Those words, “Happy Holidays” have gotten a bad rap lately.

However, I use them very specifically to honor the freedoms many fight for on our behalf each day. I use them as acknowledgement of the diversity this country is grounded in and founded upon. I like the fact that we have such diversity in this country; it is our honor, our strength.

So, this holiday season… rather than just tossing Happy Holidays out there to stay neutral or PC… (or Happy Holidaze as some experience it.) I want to express to each and every one of my readers gratitude and thanks and wish you and yours all the best of the season and a peaceful, prosperous 2010!

Simply Yours,
Ron Maurer

I’m sure you can imagine, there are a lot of people that come to me for advice about the decisions they are making.

Recently, a friend asked me to talk with him over dinner because he was contemplating a major career change. Were not talking about a subtle one either. I won’t tell you exactly to protect my friends identity… Trust me, It was major. Let’s just say one career direction to another totally different one that would require school loans again, years of classes, certifications, internships, etc., etc.

After a long conversation over some excellent Italian food, I realized that many of the factors related to this decision were based in the current [Soon to be the past] job situation. The emotion backing the thinking behind this career move was all there. And why wouldn’t it be…Right? If there weren’t any emotions [negative ones] about the “Current” job, isn’t it possible that my friend wouldn’t have had as much motivation to make such an extreme move?

I decided that there must be a way to get him to focus on the decision without having as much of that decision process based in the past negative emotional state. But how?

Thinking on my feet, [actually, in my seat] I remembered Michael Losier’s worksheet on “Contrasting” from his book “The Law Of Attraction”

If you have the book it’s on page 67. [Ok, this is weird, I actually remembered it was on page 67! Wasn’t sure, so I looked it up and sure enough...] Also you can review my blog entries on A Simple Action Part 1,2, & 3 and other entries on contrasting Here:

A Simple Action Part 1 • A Simple Action Part 2 •  A Simple Action Part 3 • A bit more on contrasting

In Michael’s worksheet he teaches us how to make a split page. Place the things we don’t want on one side first, then using that list contrast them to create a list of what we do want on the other.

Don’t Want                  Want
_____________|_______________
.                   |
.                   |
.                   |

It occurred to me that my friend was looking at his new career in this emotional view from the past.

I explained what I had learned and used from Michael’s Law of attraction worksheet and suggested that he first do the same. But this time with a twist.

What if the very things he didn’t like were going to just re-appear in the new one? I think you’d agree that that is the case in most situations. New spouse? Same issues, New friends? Same problems, New Car? Same flat tires!

Many people will take this beyond the conscious level which I believe is the ultimate solution, but here… We’ll keep it to something you can see on paper and work-out on the conscious level first….

My next question for my friend about the worksheet was; Which things on the list that you “want” have a guarantee attached? In other words, If you are going to create a whole new career. Why not create it from the right side of the list (What you want) without the emotional attachment to the left side (What you don’t want)

THe process is to tap into the natural human nature and list the negative things that are covering up the true things you wanted in the first place. Once the “Don’t want” list is done it’s only then you can contrast and convert the don’t want to the want.

Ok, to help you follow what I’m saying here, here are a few things my friend had he didn’t like:

Don’t Want:
My boss doesn’t listen.
I primarily work inside with no windows.
I work to many hours for not enough pay.
The work load is to heavy and they are giving me more and more to do.

Want:
I want a boss that will listen to my ideas.
I want to primarily work outside with limited office time.
I want to work less hours for better pay.
I’m willing to take on any workload with the proper amount of additional staff to handle the project.

Is there a guarantee, after all the additional school loans, classes, certifications, internships, years of study, etc. that;
His new boss would listen? No.
That he’s work would primarily be outside? Possibly. But that depends on the nature of the new job.
Is there a guarantee for;
Less hours for better pay? not really.
the right amount of staff per workload on a project? again, No.

So, All said and done… The amount of items on his list that would be guaranteed by making this move was drastically less than he thought when he looked at it in the fully emotional “Don’t want” mode. And, by learning what things were possible in this new career decision. he had a bit of a guide as to what to look for as a new career and even what to request when interviewing for that job.

By going from “Don’t want” to “Want” to “What’s guaranteed?” You can see by my friends example there is less dependent on people and more dependent on the type of career itself.

Mainly, it helped him to re-design his plans to do a few things he had been dreaming of doing for years before stepping into a situation that may or may not improve his life. His decision to make this career change is still a positive goal, But now it is more focused on what he truly wants to do and under what conditions he is willing to do it.

Simply yours,
Ron

Thanks to Michael Losier and http://www.lawofattractionbook.com

What comes to your mind when you consider the word discipline? Do you envision the proverbial ruler over the knuckles, or being sent to bed without dinner, or something else?

The standard dictionary provides seven different meanings for the word discipline. We’ll focus on one.

A system of rules of conduct or method of practice:  - “for such a plan to work requires discipline”.

This definition implies that being disciplined requires a plan. For example, my plan is to get up every morning at 7:30, read some good literature for 30 minutes, then I’m out the back into the mountain trails to workout for an hour. Equally, as important as my plan is my personal action or self-discipline.

I hear ya… “Self-discipline is a Simple Action” Cool!

In my opinion, my resolve to get out of bed when the alarm sounds is critical to my plan’s success. As one comedian noted, “How many plans has the snooze button destroyed? As my first decision of the day, I will go back to sleep! Nothing like starting out the day with a little procrastination.”

Procrastination is the antithesis of planned success. For me, the first decisions of the day create a domino effect. If I start well, I end well. Why would I expect anyone to work with me in my business, unless I have the self-discipline to make the small decisions early in the day that forward my plan?

A good leader must have the discipline to work toward his or her vision single-mindedly, as well as to direct his or her actions toward the goal. Action is the mark of a leader. A leader can analyze aspects of their life or business actions as long as they do not get stuck in that mode. To analyze briefly is fine to gather information, track progress, assign duties to staff, etc. But it is always the “doing something” in pursuit of the vision and the inspiring of others to do the same that works.

I invite you to review your life plan or business plan. I invite you to be disciplined with your plan. I encourage you to include in your daily/weekly plan the following four action items:

1. Introduce or discuss your plan with at least two people you trust.
2. Enroll at least two people in a “Mastermind” group who will participate 100%.
3. Focus on your goals.
4. Encourage your mastermind team to keep you accountable to your commitments and be there for the other members of your team to hold them accountable as well!
Yours in Success,

Ron Maurer

I have been soooo busy! Wow! It’s been a while and I have been to Salt Lake City and then a “Workation” to Michigan. The economic situation there was unbelievable. One friend got his layoff and the next day another received their pink-slip. But even with kids to feed the attitude was still fairly good.

My friend Craig Smith sent the following message on Leadership and it hit home as a reminder of what we - “The entrepreneurs” have to offer - HOPE! Hope to families looking for a second income, or even a first and I believe that the dreams of thousands even millions are relying on our decisions to be leaders right now!

Here’s an excerpt from Craig’s email:

During times of economic scare, global turmoil, and pandemics, leaders naturally rise to the surface. Someone who grew up on a Wisconsin dairy farm said, “Cream always rises to the top - and sometimes pops the lid off the can!” Now more than ever we must engage in and create leadership in our families, communities and our businesses, effectively blowing the lid off the can.

We as leaders have the obligation to help others turn their perspective or “channel” from the Doom, Gloom and Fear Network (DGFN) to the TCB - Taking Care of Business station. I’m told that The Hells Angels motorcycle gang uses as its core credo T.C.B. Now we might not interpret T.C.B. the same way as they do, but the message is clear to me - Take Care of Business, and your business will take care of you!

I believe that as we take care of business (whatever that business entails, from family, to work and even play) that we will have little, if any time for doom, gloom and fear.

John Kenneth Galbraith, U.S. economist (The Age of Uncertainty)
said,

“All of the great leaders have had one characteristic in common: it was the willingness to confront unequivocally the major anxiety of their people in their time. This, and not much else, is the essence of leadership.”

Leaders do not run from “the major anxiety” of their people, but instead they embrace, confront and even challenge people to see with new eyes how their fears may be turned to hope, even opportunity.

I challenge you to confront any anxiety or fear with hope and faith. A wise man once said that doubt and faith cannot exist in the same mind at the same time.

Craig

Over the next several weeks let us each look at our key leadership qualities that will help us all Take Care of Business.

To our success,
Ron

This after another migraine level headache yesterday and being called an enigma!
(And I don’t particularly like being called something I have to spell-check!)

Here is an excerpt from what turned me around;  I received this via email and it seemed to fit… It made me feel a lot better… so, I hope you will also enjoy it.

Today was one of those “Post headache days”. Or should I say post headache “Daze”… Well, that’s how it feels anyway. I’m partly pissed-off, partly frustrated, and another part depressed!

Unkind criticism is never part of a meaningful critique of you. Its purpose is not to teach or to help, its purpose is to punish.” ~ Barbara Sher

Not all, but most of us have a very poor opinion of ourselves due to our very powerful “inner critics”. Our self-contempt merely keeps us miserable and stuck in a state of terminal mediocrity.

If we were to make only one simple change to transform the quality of our lives, we might try sending a little extra love in our own direction.

If you had a friend who talked to you like you sometimes talk to yourself, would you continue to hang around with that person?” ~ Rob Bremer

And my favorite one:

You, yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.”
~ Buddha

So, with that…

Thanks me, Keep up the good work!
Ron

P.S. A special note and a big dose of gratitude to a great friend and great contributor to this blog… Get well soon Russ!

I just read this from Dr Philip E. Humbert;  “People love to buy things, but almost no one wants to be sold.” I thought it was especially important in the current economy.

Here’s a copy for you:

Thousands of people are eager to buy what you sell. They want the benefits, the convenience, the comfort or prestige that you can provide. Human beings are an “acquisitive” bunch. We want stuff!

Of course, consumerism can be abused, but buying and selling is the process that creates the life (and the lifestyle) we all want. The “desire to acquire” goes deep, and it’s a good thing.

So, if you aren’t making as many sales as you would like, let me suggest that the problem is not with your customers, but with you. The problem is likely one of the following:

1. Not enough potential customers know about you or that your product could enrich their lives. This is a marketing problem, and as a business leader it is your job to solve it. Let people know! Get out there and get in the game!

2. Or, the other possibility, is that you’re trying too hard to “sell.”

Personally, I have a deep-seated aversion to being “sold” anything. I see websites that seem manipulative or dishonest. I see sales techniques that fail to build trust or credibility, and definitely do not attract me. That’s one reason I’ve turned down the repeated suggestions to use high-pressure conference calls to sell my World Class Life Conference. Calls can be good, but I’ve never liked the sense that they are used to “drive” sales. People don’t like being sold.

But people are eager to buy benefits! They buy solutions to their problems. They buy things that make their lives better, easier, simpler, healthier or more comfortable. They buy stuff that makes them happy. And they buy from people they know and like and trust.

If enough people “know and like and trust” you, they will listen when you offer a product or service that will make their lives better. If they “know and like and trust” you, they will flock to your door and you’ll make all the sales you need.

***Copyright (c) 2009, all rights reserved.
U.S. Library of Congress ISSN: 1529-059X
You may copy, forward or distribute TIP’s if this
copyright notice and full information for contacting
Dr Philip E. Humbert are included. Contact him at:
www.philiphumbert.com  or email to  Coach@philiphumbert.com

What I would like to point out specifically is what he said about “The ‘desire to acquire’ goes deep”

Those of us applying the simple actions concept to business might recall an earlier message about desire. “People will spend money they don’t even have if they desire the item enough and the state of the current economy proves it!”

We, and a society have over-spent, over financed, and maxed-out our future due to a desire to have more than our means. So, If you are marketing a product or service like I am… doesn’t it make sense to educate your prospects and create desire? I think so.

I’ve always heard; “The bigger the problem, the bigger the solution… The bigger the solution, the bigger the profit” The key is that the profit only comes by helping the people that are looking for the solution in the first place!

A lot of what Dr. Humbert is saying about over selling is due to the fact that you might be presenting to someone that isn’t looking for what you have to offer. This is why I look for people who what what I have… They are looking for it because they have experienced something in life that obviously created a huge desire.

The trick, if tricks exist… is to ask questions, listen to what people need… and offer anything you have that will help them. Even if it means you need to send them to a competitor to help them. They will remember that for sure!

To your success,

Ron Maurer

Lists are necessary and just the first step and will have NO impact on eliminating overwhelm.

Lists give you the big picture.  So now you have a whole bunch of stuff that you are going to do, it is all in front of you, and you are present to “How am I going to get them all done?”!  The answer is to schedule it.

Scheduling actions gets things out of your head.  Create the specific time period when you are going to do it, and then do it when you say you are going to do it.  You also want to schedule catch up time and your free time and recreation time and anything else that is important to you.  These times are SO important if you want any balance in your life.

Now you might be thinking “I don’t want to be slave to my schedule!”.  Just remember that YOU made up the schedule.  You made it up based on what results you are committed to and what is important to you.  Know that it will only be your thoughts and feelings that will get in the way and notice how those specific thoughts and feelings leave you disempowered and distract you.  Remember, you are just having them.  Let them be there, thank them for sharing, and kiss them good-bye!

Schedule the stuff you don’t want to do along with the stuff you want to do.  Just do it.  Since you have already scheduled the things you want to do that inspire you and will move your dreams forward, you know that they will get done (and when!).  Doing the stuff that you don’t want to do is NOT sabotaging your dreams, it’s being responsible.

To finish up, the most important thing to know is this…  You will only get done what you got done today and you won’t get done what you didn’t get done.  Acknowledge yourself for what you did and didn’t do.  Nothing is wrong, it is just what is so.  Then review your lists, schedule your actions and get some good sleep.  Sweet dreams!

Russ, Once again…Thanks for your timely words, wisdom and consistent willingness to share it!

Yours,

Ron

The key to eliminating overwhelm is to have a structure for existence that is outside of your head.  Overwhelm is always is in your head; it is comprised of feelings and thoughts.  It does not exist in reality.  It is certainly NOT who you are. We HAVE feelings and thoughts, like having a house or a car.  And you are not your house or your car.  You don’t have control over them either; they just come and go and you decide which ones you are going to honor.  If you honor “I can’t get it all done”, that becomes truth for you and you will never get it all done.  Instead, invent the empowering context “I can get it all done” and the results will change immediately.

Thoughts and feelings will never get the job done.  Worrying and rolling things over and over in your head will never get the job done, and you will lose sleep and productivity.  Actions get things done.  A structure for existence is a system or tool you use to get all those thoughts out of head and into the world of action, and discipline will be required to manage your actions.  Your memory is the worst place to keep lists and is totally unreliable.  We WILL forget things.  The structure allows you to be totally present to what you are doing when you are doing it.

The first step is to make lists; three of them.  #1 What I am going to do now, #2 What I am going to do later, #3 What I am never going to do.  Face it, there are a lot of things that we think we have to do and we don’t, really.  Eliminating them right up front will unload a lot of burden.  Then prioritize your remaining two lists.  The first one will be short, the second very long.  As things on list #1 come off, things on list# 2 come on to list #1.  And since life will continue to life us, there will always be more things going onto both lists.  Just write the new stuff down during the day and do nothing with them until you add them to your lists.  You want to review and update your lists every day and have only ONE time during the day to do this.  I recommend the evening.  Plan the next day, not the one you are in.  What would it be like to wake up and know what there is to do today?  What would it be like to go to sleep knowing what you are already going to be doing the next day?

We’ll finish up things with more from Russ on lists tomorrow, Stay tuned!

This is what my good friend Russ had to say about the post(s): “Overcoming Overwhelm” from January 18th, 2009. And: “Welcome new subscribers!” from March 11th, 2009

Thanks for your valuable insight and advice Russ!

Hi Ron!
Good to hear from you.  I’d like to add a little to what you said in your post.  There is tons out there to help manage one’s time.  Companies, businesses, systems, hundreds of books all created to deal with that.  Not all are the right ones for certain individuals; I recommend Mission Control, and some of the content below was learned there.  What is important is to understand your story or interpretation of how time occurs to you.  Creating an empowering context is always the first thing to do.  For instance, if your story about time or yourself is “I don’t have enough time” or “I can’t get it all done”, guess what?  That’s what you will get!  You are always winning the games you are playing, so if this is your game, you will win!!  Create an empowering context for yourself and give up any attachment that you know how to do it.  If you did, you would have already done it.  The space of not knowing how is the space that you will grow into and expand yourself, allowing others to contribute and creates a clearing for new ideas to arise.

Overwhelm is quite distinct from performance and I will only deal with overwhelm for now.  Like everything in life, it is actually very simple in nature and we make it complicated.  Overwhelm is simply the lack of having a structure for existence that is big enough to manage the games that you are playing.  The bigger your games, the bigger a structure is needed to disappear overwhelm.  (You might want to consider that if you never find yourself in overwhelm, you might not be playing a big enough game.)  Overwhelm is an opportunity to expand and get bigger than you know yourself to be.  It is not a bad thing, and we will make it bad if we don’t expand the structures that we use to get out of it.  Over and over again.  You may already think you have a great structure, but are you using it?

I’ll post more from Russ tomorrow when he reviles “The Key to eliminating overwhelm”

I’m not sure why… But even during my many recent distractions over the past weeks… there have been a number of new subscribers. Welcome to all of you!

It’s amazing, the SimpleActions concept continues to attract people looking to improve one area or another to the site. And even more amazing is how great that makes me feel. Thank You!

Over the last few weeks I have been in a state of overwhelm. Yesterday, with the help of a very dear friend… I went to my own site and reviewed the “Overcoming Overwhelm” post from January 18th, 2009.

Yes, I actually re-read and re-applied my own advice! It was cool. [and it helped]

Another friend suggested that the list created in this process of brainstorming be called your “Success List” rather than calling it a “task” or “to-do” list. And I truly felt Successful yesterday and today as I checked off some of the success items in my new success notebook. [Might as well call it that, right?]

So, if you are feeling a bit of overwhelm in these strange economic times… I suggest you go back to the post and give it a try.

Please feel free to share the site with friends, buddy up and hold each other accountable to the SimpleActions it takes to achieve your goals together.

As always…
Yours,
Ron Maurer