by Amanda Spurlock
"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step"-Lao Tzu
Recently, after delivering one of my Getting the EDGE classes, a few people appeared apprehensive about making some of the changes we recommend. I realized how all of us, at one point in our lives, are resistant to change and can get stuck in the way we do things. We are comfortable where we are. If we are successful at what we do, then why change?
Several times I asked myself why some of us, including myself at times, are so resistant to change. Change is scary, uncomfortable, and uncertain. Who, in their right mind, would look forward to that? But change is also the way we grow, develop and become stronger. Think about going from elementary school to middle school, high school to college, single to married, married to single, moving from job to job. All of these represent major changes in our lives. But, in retrospect, those changes made us stronger, better, smarter, and made us who we are today.
So if you are resisting any kind of change right now, look at it from a different perspective. How can this make me smarter, stronger, and better than where I am today and who I want to be? Take the courage to take at least one step forward. If too many steps seem like a leap, then start with a single small step. Implement one change in your life that you can adapt into your existing routine. Once you feel comfortable with that, integrate another small step. Soon, you’ll see that you have been able to implement several changes and you are in a different place than you were before. Life is in constant change. Life is change. Change is LIFE. Embrace it!
Friday, May 30, 2008
Friday, May 23, 2008
Getting Altitude can Change Attitude and Perspective
by Steven Terry
Recently I flew to the Middle East to deliver some of our EDGE classes to one of our largest clients. It was a 17 hour flight with several stops on the way. On the last portion of the flight I managed to get a few hours of shut eye during the night. For some reason I suddenly woke up and opened the window shade to witness Baghdad, Iraq lit up across a vast open darkness, some 36,000 feet below. I remember contemplating this sight and wondering how strange it felt to be above this city of tremendous challenges and pain. I witnessed several possible explosions below and thought to myself what it would be like to be at ground zero amidst all of that. I felt this change in my consciousness that gave me a different perspective at that moment. I was tired, jet lagged, cramped in economy seating and eating meals that were not the healthiest. And yet I was so grateful to be safe on board a flight so far away from the dangers of war. This changed me and I sent the city positive thoughts like a beam of light from the jetliner to the ground.
I have always believed that getting altitude can often change our attitude. There are many stories of climbers or astronauts who, after seeing the world from the top of Everest or from space, have changes of heart or mind and it changes their perspective on life and its problems. For me, seeing Baghdad from high up changed something inside of me in that moment and frankly has continued to be present for me weeks later.
This experience is very much like what we teach in the EDGE class, about getting a 30,000 foot view of our projects (and life) and creating effective and motivating desired outcomes that lift us up to continually see the big picture. When I start a project, I always take a step back so that I can see the whole picture, get altitude on it and begin “with the end in mind” and compose a successful outcome. This helps me to focus on what I want and sets the tone for the project.
The futurist, Alvin Toffler, wrote, “You've got to think about big things while you're doing small things, so that all the small things go in the right direction.” I quote this in my classes and believe it sums up the connection we must have between the big picture and the small details in our lives.
Recently I flew to the Middle East to deliver some of our EDGE classes to one of our largest clients. It was a 17 hour flight with several stops on the way. On the last portion of the flight I managed to get a few hours of shut eye during the night. For some reason I suddenly woke up and opened the window shade to witness Baghdad, Iraq lit up across a vast open darkness, some 36,000 feet below. I remember contemplating this sight and wondering how strange it felt to be above this city of tremendous challenges and pain. I witnessed several possible explosions below and thought to myself what it would be like to be at ground zero amidst all of that. I felt this change in my consciousness that gave me a different perspective at that moment. I was tired, jet lagged, cramped in economy seating and eating meals that were not the healthiest. And yet I was so grateful to be safe on board a flight so far away from the dangers of war. This changed me and I sent the city positive thoughts like a beam of light from the jetliner to the ground.
I have always believed that getting altitude can often change our attitude. There are many stories of climbers or astronauts who, after seeing the world from the top of Everest or from space, have changes of heart or mind and it changes their perspective on life and its problems. For me, seeing Baghdad from high up changed something inside of me in that moment and frankly has continued to be present for me weeks later.
This experience is very much like what we teach in the EDGE class, about getting a 30,000 foot view of our projects (and life) and creating effective and motivating desired outcomes that lift us up to continually see the big picture. When I start a project, I always take a step back so that I can see the whole picture, get altitude on it and begin “with the end in mind” and compose a successful outcome. This helps me to focus on what I want and sets the tone for the project.
The futurist, Alvin Toffler, wrote, “You've got to think about big things while you're doing small things, so that all the small things go in the right direction.” I quote this in my classes and believe it sums up the connection we must have between the big picture and the small details in our lives.
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Having It All
By Christina Randle
I started the process in November. I could feel it in the depths of my body that 2008 was going to be a great year. Utilizing all the resources, strategies, processes and exercises I’d learned from the best on how to create the perfect year, I went about completing 2007 in a powerful way – finishing what I could and gathering all the learning so as to enter this year powerfully and setting the stage for 2008.
Some of the activities included writing a clear intention statement, setting clear goals inside of the intention, creating a story book and collage with visual images that I look at each day to create alignment with the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. My intentions included taking time to spend time with spirit, exercising regularly in both aerobics and strength building, rehabbing a bad knee—well, both knees--growing the business aggressively, having a monthly date with my husband and getting my new home owners association off to a great start as president.
Simple, strong, focused. I even created a theme for the year – Every day new and every day energized. I was more inspired than I remember in over a decade.
New Years Day couldn’t come fast enough. The first few weeks went just as planned. And then it happened. Kelsey called and said she wanted to come live with us – today! It’s the same thing that happens to many of us. It’s called LIFE! It’s easy when ‘life’ happens or gets in the way, to just throw our hands up and let go of our dreams. The only thing is, this WAS THE DREAM.
How was I to handle all the other ‘dreams’ that I’d so carefully designed into my year? The first few days proved to be consuming with loads of details for school registration, clothing purging and restocking, toiletry purchases, closet storage, daily logistics of breakfast, lunch, dinner, and oh yes, the new rules like please put things back the way you found them.
Over the last few weeks, I’ve looked at each goal I created at the beginning of the year, and re-selected based on the new set of circumstances. I removed one thing from my plate, post-poned another by 2 months, reduced one morning exercise routine from my schedule and now get up 15 minutes earlier to ensure I get my much-needed quiet time.
Having the EDGE system gave me the perspective to be able to incorporate my newest dream fully into my life. I’m reminded once again, we truly can have it all.
I started the process in November. I could feel it in the depths of my body that 2008 was going to be a great year. Utilizing all the resources, strategies, processes and exercises I’d learned from the best on how to create the perfect year, I went about completing 2007 in a powerful way – finishing what I could and gathering all the learning so as to enter this year powerfully and setting the stage for 2008.
Some of the activities included writing a clear intention statement, setting clear goals inside of the intention, creating a story book and collage with visual images that I look at each day to create alignment with the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. My intentions included taking time to spend time with spirit, exercising regularly in both aerobics and strength building, rehabbing a bad knee—well, both knees--growing the business aggressively, having a monthly date with my husband and getting my new home owners association off to a great start as president.
Simple, strong, focused. I even created a theme for the year – Every day new and every day energized. I was more inspired than I remember in over a decade.
New Years Day couldn’t come fast enough. The first few weeks went just as planned. And then it happened. Kelsey called and said she wanted to come live with us – today! It’s the same thing that happens to many of us. It’s called LIFE! It’s easy when ‘life’ happens or gets in the way, to just throw our hands up and let go of our dreams. The only thing is, this WAS THE DREAM.
How was I to handle all the other ‘dreams’ that I’d so carefully designed into my year? The first few days proved to be consuming with loads of details for school registration, clothing purging and restocking, toiletry purchases, closet storage, daily logistics of breakfast, lunch, dinner, and oh yes, the new rules like please put things back the way you found them.
Over the last few weeks, I’ve looked at each goal I created at the beginning of the year, and re-selected based on the new set of circumstances. I removed one thing from my plate, post-poned another by 2 months, reduced one morning exercise routine from my schedule and now get up 15 minutes earlier to ensure I get my much-needed quiet time.
Having the EDGE system gave me the perspective to be able to incorporate my newest dream fully into my life. I’m reminded once again, we truly can have it all.
Friday, May 16, 2008
Get A Life
By Diane Holz
One of the things we should all have is a positive work/life balance. To me that means taking time to have fun. I remember when I was growing up, my mom and dad would take us to the lake quite often. By often, I mean two or three days a week. Do any of you remember the days when you woke up and the first thing you did was bring in the milk that was delivered to your front door? Well, my dad was one of those guys that delivered it. My dad worked at Superior Dairies delivering milk. He would get up at one or two AM, make the deliveries and then be off by the time I got out of school.
I remember we went on Tuesdays and Thursdays to Blackie’s Park on Lake Travis and Lake Bastrop on Sunday’s with my cousins (yep, you guessed it, their dad was a milkman, too). I would always have so much fun…and to this day I still LOVE going to the lake. We would sometimes go to the ranch and visit my grandparents and have lunch with them. And we would drag the boat along with us and stop on the way back to have more fun at the lake for four or five hours.
When I reminisce about the “good ole days” I am so proud of my parents for taking the time to have fun. It would have been really easy for my dad to say he was too tired after getting up so early in the morning, or it was too hot; my mom and dad were not ones that got in the water…they sat on the bank watching us. I encourage everyone to take the time to go play and have some fun. Make memories for your kids or just for yourself.
One of the things we should all have is a positive work/life balance. To me that means taking time to have fun. I remember when I was growing up, my mom and dad would take us to the lake quite often. By often, I mean two or three days a week. Do any of you remember the days when you woke up and the first thing you did was bring in the milk that was delivered to your front door? Well, my dad was one of those guys that delivered it. My dad worked at Superior Dairies delivering milk. He would get up at one or two AM, make the deliveries and then be off by the time I got out of school.
I remember we went on Tuesdays and Thursdays to Blackie’s Park on Lake Travis and Lake Bastrop on Sunday’s with my cousins (yep, you guessed it, their dad was a milkman, too). I would always have so much fun…and to this day I still LOVE going to the lake. We would sometimes go to the ranch and visit my grandparents and have lunch with them. And we would drag the boat along with us and stop on the way back to have more fun at the lake for four or five hours.
When I reminisce about the “good ole days” I am so proud of my parents for taking the time to have fun. It would have been really easy for my dad to say he was too tired after getting up so early in the morning, or it was too hot; my mom and dad were not ones that got in the water…they sat on the bank watching us. I encourage everyone to take the time to go play and have some fun. Make memories for your kids or just for yourself.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Best Thursday Ever 2008
By Russell Tibbits
A couple weeks ago, a few friends and I exchanged short emails in preparation for a Thursday night out. The night, officially termed Best Thursday Ever 2008 (or BTE2K8), acquired its name from our “extravagant” agenda which consisted of dinner at a decent restaurant and watching a UT sporting event on television, capped by a sing along at a local movie theater. However, in our continued string of emails, each friend added our own twist to the night’s affairs. As a result, the list of what we all hoped to achieve that night as a group grew lengthy, clearly too long to fulfill – even in a crazy Austin Texas night.
One friend in particular, Lisa, in an obvious attempt to further exaggerate our Thursday and create the most outrageous agenda possible, concocted an entirely new Best Thursday Ever 2008 that included the following events:
First of all, we will have to skip work.
8:00am: Flight to Cancun!! (Wear your bathing suit; bring a towel and some cash).
10:00am: Arrive in Cancun. Hit the beach.
12:00pm: Drinking out of coconuts. Find some spring breakers to party with.
1:00pm: Depending on how that is going, either continue, or we can just ditch them and get a Waverunner.
2:30pm: Flight back to Austin. (Before we board the plane, we need to call someone for a ride home from the airport.)
4:30pm: Back in Austin. We'll probably be hungry, so whoever picks us up should bring us a change of clothes and take us to dinner.
6:00pm: Reserved table at Ringers.
11:00pm: We have our OWN Justin Timberlake sing-along in the street. Bring your Justin CD; we'll just play it from my car!
1:00am: Hit up Spill for last call.2:00am: Torchy's Tacos Late Night!!
Jokes were made at our undeniable absurdity and we agreed to stick with the original plan.
But as the week progressed, I began to see the genius in Lisa’s plan. With the ultimate strategic disengagement already planned, I found myself able to focus more intently on projects, make additional sales calls and drive through tasks knowing that BTE2K8 was only a few days away. I was amazed at how I was able to push through the work week with more focus, energy and purpose assured that I would be rewarded near the end of the week.
Whether a trip to Cancun (preferably real) or a dinner with friends, give yourself a reward at the end of the week and you’ll be able to focus on your tasks until then.
A couple weeks ago, a few friends and I exchanged short emails in preparation for a Thursday night out. The night, officially termed Best Thursday Ever 2008 (or BTE2K8), acquired its name from our “extravagant” agenda which consisted of dinner at a decent restaurant and watching a UT sporting event on television, capped by a sing along at a local movie theater. However, in our continued string of emails, each friend added our own twist to the night’s affairs. As a result, the list of what we all hoped to achieve that night as a group grew lengthy, clearly too long to fulfill – even in a crazy Austin Texas night.
One friend in particular, Lisa, in an obvious attempt to further exaggerate our Thursday and create the most outrageous agenda possible, concocted an entirely new Best Thursday Ever 2008 that included the following events:
First of all, we will have to skip work.
8:00am: Flight to Cancun!! (Wear your bathing suit; bring a towel and some cash).
10:00am: Arrive in Cancun. Hit the beach.
12:00pm: Drinking out of coconuts. Find some spring breakers to party with.
1:00pm: Depending on how that is going, either continue, or we can just ditch them and get a Waverunner.
2:30pm: Flight back to Austin. (Before we board the plane, we need to call someone for a ride home from the airport.)
4:30pm: Back in Austin. We'll probably be hungry, so whoever picks us up should bring us a change of clothes and take us to dinner.
6:00pm: Reserved table at Ringers.
11:00pm: We have our OWN Justin Timberlake sing-along in the street. Bring your Justin CD; we'll just play it from my car!
1:00am: Hit up Spill for last call.2:00am: Torchy's Tacos Late Night!!
Jokes were made at our undeniable absurdity and we agreed to stick with the original plan.
But as the week progressed, I began to see the genius in Lisa’s plan. With the ultimate strategic disengagement already planned, I found myself able to focus more intently on projects, make additional sales calls and drive through tasks knowing that BTE2K8 was only a few days away. I was amazed at how I was able to push through the work week with more focus, energy and purpose assured that I would be rewarded near the end of the week.
Whether a trip to Cancun (preferably real) or a dinner with friends, give yourself a reward at the end of the week and you’ll be able to focus on your tasks until then.
Friday, May 9, 2008
To Sulk or Not To Sulk
by Kristi Willis
One of my favorite quotes is from Albert Einstein, “Many people are trapped in their every day habits – part numb, part frightened, part indifferent. We must keep choosing how we are living.” The other day I was reminded of exactly what he meant when he said this.
As you may have picked up from other posts, the trainers at The Effective Edge are on the road quite a bit. Typically, we are home by Friday, but a few weeks ago, I had to travel home on a Saturday.
To maximize my weekend, I took the first flight out of Boston which would get me in by 11:00 am on Saturday. I would get in early enough to go to the farmers market, get my chores done and be able to watch the Final Four basketball games with my friends.
The flight left on time and things were looking good. I sprinted through the Houston airport to catch my connection, rounded the corner to the gate and there they were, the dreaded words – DELAYED. The plane was coming in from somewhere else with bad weather and now my flight home was going to be 2 hours late.
I was devastated. I’d been gone all week, I was tired and I just wanted to go home. Going to the farmers market on Saturdays is one of my favorite things to do and now I was going to miss it. I could feel a full scale pout coming on. I wanted to throw myself in a chair and sulk.
And then I remembered Einstein’s words. I took a deep breath. I couldn’t control the flight or change when I was going to get home, but I did have a choice to make. I could choose to sulk and pout or make good use of my time in the airport.
With a roll of my eyes and shrug of my shoulders, I muttered under my breath, “Alright, I’ll be productive,” and grabbed my laptop. I looked through my list for any personal chores I could do online and got going. I put that book I want to read on hold at the library, found a shop by my dry cleaners where I could buy my new workout swim suit, and posted a new article to my personal blog.
By the end of the two hours, I had knocked six things off of my list and had condensed my home chore list down so that I could make very good use of my time once I got home. I didn’t get to go to the farmers market, but I did make it home safe and sound to a beautiful spring day in Austin. I had time to get the critical chores done and still made it to watch the game with friends.
I could have let that delayed flight ruin my day, but instead I think I made the right choice. Thanks Einstein.
One of my favorite quotes is from Albert Einstein, “Many people are trapped in their every day habits – part numb, part frightened, part indifferent. We must keep choosing how we are living.” The other day I was reminded of exactly what he meant when he said this.
As you may have picked up from other posts, the trainers at The Effective Edge are on the road quite a bit. Typically, we are home by Friday, but a few weeks ago, I had to travel home on a Saturday.
To maximize my weekend, I took the first flight out of Boston which would get me in by 11:00 am on Saturday. I would get in early enough to go to the farmers market, get my chores done and be able to watch the Final Four basketball games with my friends.
The flight left on time and things were looking good. I sprinted through the Houston airport to catch my connection, rounded the corner to the gate and there they were, the dreaded words – DELAYED. The plane was coming in from somewhere else with bad weather and now my flight home was going to be 2 hours late.
I was devastated. I’d been gone all week, I was tired and I just wanted to go home. Going to the farmers market on Saturdays is one of my favorite things to do and now I was going to miss it. I could feel a full scale pout coming on. I wanted to throw myself in a chair and sulk.
And then I remembered Einstein’s words. I took a deep breath. I couldn’t control the flight or change when I was going to get home, but I did have a choice to make. I could choose to sulk and pout or make good use of my time in the airport.
With a roll of my eyes and shrug of my shoulders, I muttered under my breath, “Alright, I’ll be productive,” and grabbed my laptop. I looked through my list for any personal chores I could do online and got going. I put that book I want to read on hold at the library, found a shop by my dry cleaners where I could buy my new workout swim suit, and posted a new article to my personal blog.
By the end of the two hours, I had knocked six things off of my list and had condensed my home chore list down so that I could make very good use of my time once I got home. I didn’t get to go to the farmers market, but I did make it home safe and sound to a beautiful spring day in Austin. I had time to get the critical chores done and still made it to watch the game with friends.
I could have let that delayed flight ruin my day, but instead I think I made the right choice. Thanks Einstein.
Monday, May 5, 2008
Ctrl+Shift
by Kim Brewster
Perhaps you remember the first time you tried to unlock a combination lock. My dad gave me a single-dial lock for my bicycle when I was 7. I fondly remember going through the series of 3 numbers right-left-right until, voila, the u-shaped metal came free of one side of the lock. But even more astounding were the almost infinite possible combinations available from just the numbers 0 to 40.
The same holds true with a QWERTY keyboard. The combination of 26 letters with numerals and characters above the numerals allows us to communicate around 200,000 words and millions of passwords.
But how can we store or act on those thousands of words that become tasks, projects, appointments, notes in a logical manner? The addition of the Ctrl key on keyboards, combined with Microsoft Windows’ Outlook, powerfully provides those tools.
The methods addressed in Getting the EDGE™ Mastering Work & Life Flow are bolded below:
A – Appointments
B – Address Book
C - Contacts
D – New Call
E – Create New Folder
F – Advanced Find
G – Flag for Follow-up
H – New Office Document
K – Tasks
J – Journal Entry
L – Distribution List
M – Untitled Message
N – Notes
O – Outbox
P – New Search Folder
Q – Meeting
R – Brings forth a highlighted email
S – Discussion
V- Move items
X – Fax service
Y – Copy items
Of the possible Ctrl Shift + combinations we can access through Outlook, my favorite and most used is Ctrl Shift K – Tasks. We all have multiple tasks to do. Some require daily, weekly, or sometime-in-the-future attention. The key is to take care of the tasks while not multi-tasking which, as you know, is a distraction that slows us down.
To stay on top of your tasks, devote time at the beginning of your day and maybe again in the afternoon, before you dive into your email in-box, for handling your tasks. Checking off those tasks as complete provides YES moments to my day and allows me to move forward for what awaits.
Perhaps you remember the first time you tried to unlock a combination lock. My dad gave me a single-dial lock for my bicycle when I was 7. I fondly remember going through the series of 3 numbers right-left-right until, voila, the u-shaped metal came free of one side of the lock. But even more astounding were the almost infinite possible combinations available from just the numbers 0 to 40.
The same holds true with a QWERTY keyboard. The combination of 26 letters with numerals and characters above the numerals allows us to communicate around 200,000 words and millions of passwords.
But how can we store or act on those thousands of words that become tasks, projects, appointments, notes in a logical manner? The addition of the Ctrl key on keyboards, combined with Microsoft Windows’ Outlook, powerfully provides those tools.
The methods addressed in Getting the EDGE™ Mastering Work & Life Flow are bolded below:
A – Appointments
B – Address Book
C - Contacts
D – New Call
E – Create New Folder
F – Advanced Find
G – Flag for Follow-up
H – New Office Document
K – Tasks
J – Journal Entry
L – Distribution List
M – Untitled Message
N – Notes
O – Outbox
P – New Search Folder
Q – Meeting
R – Brings forth a highlighted email
S – Discussion
V- Move items
X – Fax service
Y – Copy items
Of the possible Ctrl Shift + combinations we can access through Outlook, my favorite and most used is Ctrl Shift K – Tasks. We all have multiple tasks to do. Some require daily, weekly, or sometime-in-the-future attention. The key is to take care of the tasks while not multi-tasking which, as you know, is a distraction that slows us down.
To stay on top of your tasks, devote time at the beginning of your day and maybe again in the afternoon, before you dive into your email in-box, for handling your tasks. Checking off those tasks as complete provides YES moments to my day and allows me to move forward for what awaits.
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