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What Is Your One Thing?

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City SlickersHave you ever seen City Slickers, the 1991 western comedy ?

Mitch, Phil, and Ed are three New Yorkers in mid-life crises. Mitch has just turned 39. Phil is trapped in a 12-year loveless marriage. Ed is a playboy who recently married an underwear model, but doesn’t love monogamy.

At Mitch’s birthday party, Phil and Ed present a gift of a two-week cattle drive from New Mexico to Colorado.  When they arrive for the cattle drive, they meet a tough old cowboy named Curly.  Curly is their trail boss, and frequently has to rescue them from their own dangerous ineptitude. At one point, Curly humiliates Mitch in front of his friends.

Over time, however, Mitch and Curly develop a bond. Mitch learns that Curly, despite his tough exterior, is actually a very wise man. Curly meets an untimely death, but before he dies he gives Mitch the “secret to life.” He advises Mitch to discover the “one thing” in his life which is the most important to him.   Discovering the “one thing” would solve all of his problems.

Curly was not the only wise person to give this advice. Others have said the same thing.  General George Patton said, “Drive for the one thing on which you have decided.”  Vince Lombardi said, “Success demands singleness of purpose.”

Gary Keller, co-founder of Keller Williams Realty, wrote an entire book about this concept.  It is titled The One Thing.  He believes that by focusing energy on one thing at a time people live more rewarding lives.  They build their careers, get in shape, deepen their faith, and nurture stronger relationships.  The book has been a bestseller ever since it was released.

What is your “one thing?”

J.K. Rowling – Very Good Lives

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JK Rowling HarvardToday one of my Facebook friends posted a short excerpt of J.K. Rowling’s commencement address at Harvard University in 2008.

I found the excerpt so moving that I immediately watched the whole speech on youtube!

In 2008, this speech quickly became the most-viewed commencement address on Harvard University’s website.

In 2015, the speech was transformed into a gift book entitled Very Good Lives: The Fringe Benefits of Failure and the Importance of Imagination.

Sales of this book will benefit Lumos, a non-profit international organization founded by J.K. Rowling, which works to end the institutionalization of children around the world. It will also benefit university-wide financial aid at Harvard University.

I highly recommend watching the entire 2008 Harvard University commencement address.

You can watch the excerpt here.

Productivity Hack: The Pomodoro Technique

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PomodoroThe Pomodoro Technique is a time management technique that was named after the cute tomato-shaped kitchen timer.  “Pomodoro” is the Italian word for “tomato.”

It is simple.  When you have a large task to complete, you break it down into timed intervals (called “Pomodoros”), with short breaks between the intervals.

The technique trains your brain to focus intensely for short periods.  Over time it can actually improve your attention span and ability to concentrate.

How to do The Pomodoro Technique:

  1. Choose a task to be accomplished.
  2. Set your timer to 25 minutes.
  3. Work on the task until the timer rings, and check off the task.
  4. Take a 5-minute break
  5. After every four Pomodoros, take a 30-minute break.

Each Pomodoro is a unit of work. If you are distracted by a phone call, meeting, or emergency, you either end the Pomodoro, or postpone the distraction until the Pomodoro is complete.

If you can post-pone the interruption, try this strategy:

  1. Inform the distracting party that you are busy working on something.
  2. Negotiate a time when you can get back to the person about the issue.
  3. Schedule the follow-up time with them.
  4. Call the other party back when your Pomodoro is complete.

The technique is not rigid. If you are making headway when the timer goes off, it is fine to pause the timer, finish what you are doing, and then take your break.

The goal is to help you focus, while keeping in mind that regular breaks are important for your productivity.

You will be surprised by the amount of progress you can make by using this technique!

You can learn more about the Pomodoro Technique at the The Pomodoro Technique Blog

J.K. Rowling – A Rags To Riches Story

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J.K. RowlingYou probably know that J.K. Rowling is the British billionaire author of the beloved Harry Potter series of fantasy novels for children.

I love the story of J.K. Rowling’s rise to fame and fortune!

J.K. was always very imaginative. She wanted to be a writer, but her father encouraged her to choose a more practical career – like being a secretary. Her mother encouraged her to follow her heart.

J.K. Rowling attended the University of Exeter. After graduating, she moved to London, and began working as a researcher and secretary at Amnesty International.  Later she moved to Manchester.

In 1990, the idea for the Harry Potter series came to J.K. while she was stuck on a delayed train between Manchester and London.  As soon as she got home, she started to write the book.

J.K. Rowling eventually moved to Portugal, where she taught English as a foreign language. She continued to work on her book in her spare time.  While she was there she married a local television reporter, and they had a daughter. Unfortunately, the marriage did not last long.

J.K. left Portugal and moved to Edinburgh, Scotland to be near her sister. She saw herself as a failure because she was a divorced, unemployed, single mother who was dependent on welfare benefits. However, J.K. did not waste her time. She focused on her writing.

In 1995, J.K. Rowling finished her manuscript for Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. The book was submitted to twelve publishing houses, all of which rejected the manuscript.

A year later, the book was finally accepted by Bloomsbury, a publishing house in London. In June 1997, Bloomsbury published Philosopher’s Stone, and it won several book awards.

In October 1998, the book was published in the U.S. under the title of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. Harry Potter became a huge commercial success, and a franchise that continues to grow today.

In three years, J.K. Rowling went from being a single mother on welfare to one of the richest women in Great Britain!

It has been estimated that more than 400 million copies of J.K. Rowling’s books have been sold worldwide. Every 30 seconds, someone in the world starts reading a Harry Potter book.

I think the lesson we can learn from J.K. Rowling’s story is that you should follow your heart!

Is Action The Key to Everything?

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Tony RobbinsYou have probably heard of Tony Robbins, the charismatic high-energy self-improvement guru. He has been preaching the gospel of “personal power” for decades.

Today I came across a short video of Tony Robbins talking about how his work has evolved over the decades.

Tony said that he started his career with the simple message that “action is the key to everything.” Even if you take the wrong action, he believes that you can succeed at anything, as long as you keep adjusting your approach.

However, most people live in their heads. They have goals and dreams that they are excited about, but they fail to execute a plan to reach them. That is why the need for massive action is still a big part of Tony’s message.

However, over the years, Tony has come to realize that 80% of success is psychological, and only 20% is about the mechanics of executing the plan.

Tony explains that we all have a mental blueprint of our beliefs. This blueprint was developed years ago. Sometimes our blueprint empowers us, but often it creates limitations that we are not even aware of. For example, we may subconsciously believe “I shouldn’t earn more than my parents,” or “I can’t be successful because people will judge me.”

These inner conflicts cause us to pull back from reaching our goals. We might come close to reaching an important goal, and then suddenly screw it up. It is as though we self-sabotage our own success. This is because our blueprint is creating limitations.

Tony now believes that psychology is the major driving force that leads to success in reaching big goals.

You can watch Tony Robbins’ video on the Inc. Magazine website by clicking here.

How To Create An Action Plan To Achieve Your SMART Goal

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ActionSetting a SMART goal is a great place to start, but to achieve  it you will need an action plan.

Great action plans have three elements:

  • They outline the actions you will need to take.
  • They identify potential challenges and obstacles.
  • They identify solutions to those challenges and obstacles.

Design The Action Plan

  • Brainstorm a list of at least 20 actions you could take that would help you reach your goal.
  • Highlight the action steps that you will absolutely need to take to achieve your goal.
  • Arrange your action steps into a logical or sequential order.
  • Review this list to determine if there are any ways to simplify it further.

Anticipate Challenges

  • List every possible challenge or obstacle that could hinder your progress toward your goal.
  • These may include “reasons” or “excuses” why you can’t execute your Action Plan.
  • List as many as you can.

Brainstorm Possible Solutions

  • For each challenge or obstacle, brainstorm as many ways to overcome it as possible.
  • You will probably be surprised how many solutions you can come up with.
  • List as many as you can.

As you implement your Action Plan, and evaluate your progress, you may need to make adjustments!

SMART Goals

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Smart goalsPeople who set goals tend to be more productive. They also tend to be wealthier and more successful in their professional lives.

The key to effective goal-setting is to precisely define your goals. SMART goals can help you do it!

S.M.A.R.T. is an acronym that stands for: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Time-Based.

S: Specific

  • It is important to be specific when you define your goal, so that you know when you have achieved your goal.
  • What exactly do you want to accomplish?  Why do you want to accomplish this goal?

M: Measurable

  • You need to be able to measure progress toward your goal.
  • How many pounds are you going to lose?  How many miles are you going to run?

A: Attainable

  • The goal needs to be within your reach and within your control.

R: Relevant

  • The goal should be something that you really desire.  If it is inconsistent with your other desires, you are likely to fail.
  • For example, if you want to get fit on a low carbohydrate diet, but don’t want to stop eating cookies, you are likely to fail.

T: Time-Based

  • The goal should have a specific deadline.  There should be a specific time limit.

S.M.A.R.T. goals are clear and well-defined.  On the date of the deadline, you will know if you have achieved your goal!

Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance

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Angela DuckworthAngela Duckworth, Professor of Psychology at the University of Pennsylvania, has spent years analyzing what it takes to be successful.

In her recent book, Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance, she makes a convincing argument that it takes much more than talent.  You also need to have grit.

But what is grit?

Angela explains that “grit” is comprised of passion and perseverance.

Passion is what makes your goal fascinating and meaningful for you. It has two elements, which are deep interest and a sense of purpose.

  1. The first element is intense “interest.” Your attention is completely captivated by your goal. There may be aspects of your work that you don’t enjoy, but overall the activity should excite you.  Passion begins with enjoying what you do.
  2. The second element of passion is a sense of “purpose” or meaning. You have a strong sense that what you are doing could benefit other people. It is a feeling of connection to the service of other people.

Perseverance is the drive to keep moving toward your goal. It also has two elements, which are daily practice, and hope or resilience.

  1. The first element is that of “daily practice” or consistency. Without discipline and effort, initial talent will never develop into something fruitful.  Every day you work to get better than you were the day before. You are constantly moving forward and progressing.
  2. The second element of perseverance is “hope or resilience.” This is the feeling that you can and will overcome all adversity, setbacks, and failures.  It is the feeling that your goals are within reach.

Angela Duckworth has found that people with these characteristics reach their goals more often than people who do not.

You can learn more about Angela Duckworth at her website or by listening to her TED talk.

Kevin Kruse Crushes Time Management

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Kevin KruseKevin Kruse is a New York Times bestselling author, Forbes contributor, and keynote speaker. He is a recognized expert in the field of productivity.

Kevin has advised Fortune 500 CEOs, Marine Corps generals, and members of Congress. But he was not always so successful.

Kevin started his first company when he was 22 years old. He couldn’t afford both an apartment and an office, so he rented an office, slept under his desk, and showered every day at the YMCA.

Kevin tried one business model after another, including selling software, creating computer games, and building computers for sale. Although he worked as hard as he could, nothing succeeded. A year later, his company had failed and he was deeply in debt.

Kevin learned two important lessons. The first lesson was that hard work does not necessarily lead to success. (Can you think of an example of this?)

The second lesson was that he had been chasing multiple random product ideas without any focus, and it just wasn’t effective.

Kevin realized that what he needed to do was to focus and dedicate himself to a single target market. Once he made this shift, his business began to take off.

Today Kevin is a top performance productivity expert, with multiple income streams.

Kevin Kruse was recently interviewed by one of my favorite bloggers, John Lee Dumas, and you can access the interview here.

Kevin is the author of 15 Secrets Successful People Know About Time Management: The Productivity Habits of 7 Billionaires, 13 Olympic Athletes, 29 Straight-A Students, and 239 Entrepreneurs.

One of my favorite tips from Kevin’s book is to throw away your “To Do” list and schedule all of your tasks on your calendar.

Debbie Macomber’s Success Story

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Debbie MacomberDebbie Macomber’s writing career is an inspiring success story!

Debbie struggled through school with an undetected learning disability. She did not learn to read until she was ten years old, and barely graduated from high school. She got married as a teenager and had four children.

Despite her challenges, Debbie had dream of becoming a writer. To pursue her dream, she rented a typewriter and began typing stories every morning after her kids went to school. (This was before computers had been invented!) When the kids came home, she moved the typewriter and made them dinner. After dinner, she diligently returned to typing her stories.

Day after day, week after week, and year after year, Debbie sat and typed her stories with no success at all. She joked that when she mailed her stories to publishers, the rejections came so fast that they practically hit her in the back of the head before she could leave the post office.

After every rejection, Debbie read a chapter in The Power of Positive Thinking by Norman Vincent Peale. It gave her the strength to keep going.

Debbie did not give up. After five years of striving to succeed, her dedication and persistence finally paid off. She sold her first book. Then another. And another.

Today, Debbie Macomber has sold more than 200 million copies of her books worldwide. Her novels have spent more than 950 weeks on the New York Times best seller list, and many have been made into movies for television.

I think the lesson we can learn from her life is that we should never give up on our dreams!

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