I have said before that if you wait
until you are 100% ready you will never start anything. Total readiness is not
something we generally feel. There is always a small amount of doubt, a bit of
worry, a slight uncertainty. We must get over these thoughts and take that last
step to accomplish anything. A friend recently put it rather clearly like this…
“You’ll
never feel ready, because ready is not a feeling. It is a decision.”
The Monday Morning Minute was born on November 21, 2004. This Thursday will mark the twentieth year of sharing leadership thoughts and challenges with you all on a weekly basis. I hope somewhere along the way you have found something motivating, encouraging or challenging, maybe all three. Below was the first MMM I wrote when I was with Fleetwood. There may even be a few Fleetwood alumni still reading the MMM.
Thanks for reading and be blessed my friends…
Good Monday Morning!
Last week was a great week for the Fleetwood team in Houston. We...
• Received a nice bonus,
• Announced the new exiting Business Services concept,
• Announced the relocation of the office, and
• Had a great Thanksgiving luncheon together!
I thought it was a great week, and I am excited about the weeks ahead. I felt like there was some excitement in the air after the announcement Thursday. The office seems to be energized about change. That is great! That is what we need. Positive change is what we will be looking for in the coming weeks and months. I look forward to working with each and every one of you to implement the new Business Services concept.
Our goal as leaders, public
speakers and thought leaders should be almost singularly focused on movement.
It matters not what we say, the message we deliver, or the thoughts we convey,
if they do not lead to movement. When I say movement, I mean action. I mean forward
movement. I mean progress. That's what we want to instill in teams and
organizations. Forward motion should be our constant goal.
Sure, we can speak on
platitudes and concepts, but if they don't lead to action (movement) what good
have we done? Think about your next staff meeting. What about your next
company address? How about your next one-on-one with your team leader? Are you
conveying a message that creates movement? I feel like it's one of the greatest
leadership questions we can face. Are we encouraging movement? Does our
leadership result in action?
Who will you help move forward
this week?
The Monday Morning Minute was born on November 21, 2004. This Tuesday will mark the nineteenth year of
sharing leadership thoughts and challenges with you all on a weekly basis. I
hope somewhere along the way you have found something motivating, encouraging
or challenging, maybe all three.
Wishing you and yours a very Happy Thanksgiving and a great start
to the holiday season. Be blessed my
friends…
I have read that over
66,000 thoughts flow through our minds every day. I’m not sure if that is factual, but if it is
anywhere near that many it is staggering.
No wonder I can’t focus. That also explains the fact that I can talk
myself into believing almost anything.
The real challenge is what we do with all that thought power. Too often those thoughts are negative. Thoughts like the devil tempting us and
thoughts like our own self-doubt. We can
be our own worst enemy with negative thoughts.
Clearly the preference is to use those thoughts to bolster confidence,
to instill a positive attitude. Remember
the MMM a few weeks ago, "Choose Your Me”.
Our thoughts are incredibly powerful.
The mind can push our bodies beyond perceived limits. It can strengthen us in times of loss and
encourage us in times of doubt.
Controlling all of our thoughts is probably not possible, but
controlling our thoughts when we need them to be positive is a great skill.
Life is largely a mental
game. How we handle tens of thousands of
thoughts per day plays impacts us significantly. Our thoughts need to be positive, supportive,
encouraging, and challenging, not negative.
What kind of games is your mind playing on you?
I have had a chance to do some pondering lately. It is not something I do well, or often. None of these thoughts are new or different, but they are great reminders of maintaining perspective. Make sure your life includes a healthy mix of the following…
Stagnation should not be an option in life, but it is. As humans we must change, grow, develop, and mature. Failure to do so leads to stagnation, which in turn leads to boredom, failure, and frustration. The world constantly changes around us. The last fifteen months of the pandemic has led to even more change than normal, drastic, and unprecedented change. If we do not adapt to change, we will be left behind. That is true as much in our work world as it is in our home life. The business world of instant communications, corporate transparency and the world-wide economy is drastically different than it was just a few short years ago. In the same way, raising kids is not what it was just 5 years ago, never mind 25 years ago.
It is important that we embrace change in order to keep up with the ever-changing world, but more importantly to grow personally. We cannot control the change that takes place around us but changing ourselves is a choice. We can choose to change for the good. Below is a great quote on the topic of change and why it is so important in our lives.
"Change is the Law of Life. Those who only look to the past or present are certain to miss the future."
- John F. Kennedy
