3 People to Share Dreams With Today

When you think about the future, what comes to mind? Do you start with work and go to life? Do you start with family and then go to career?

Can you imagine your work/life a year from now?

Can you “image-in” experiences you hope are on the way and (perhaps) even plausible surprises that could show up? This is NOT “wishful” thinking. It’s your chance to direct your thoughts and energy toward what will change your future.

Build Team You

There’s a secret to getting (more of) what you want from your life and your work.

It’s not a secret because it’s hard to learn or because no one wants you to know it. It is a secret because you just haven’t heard it put this way before. If you want your life to be different, there’s just one thing you need to do:

Organize Your Contacts

In just a moment, I’ll coach you to arrange the group of 10-25 people you talk with the most into three distinct categories.

(If you just can’t wait, and want to see the video, just click here.)

No one person is enough for you to build a future that’s bigger and better than the present. Look around, there are people you spend time with today that you didn’t know 5 years ago. Your life looks what it looks like today BECAUSE OF the people you spend more (or less) time with.

Your network (in person, online AND in print) is there to inform, influence and support you as you engage in the actions required to make progress on your goals big and small. The people you spend time with, the communities you’re a part of on the Internet and the books you read and magazines you subscribe to will all come together for you if…

…IF you know where you’re heading!

To get you started, open your notebook and do some visionary writing. Here are my favorite THREE prompts that I use in my coaching with executives, leaders and managers worldwide…

60 months from today…

Open to a blank page of your notebook, set a timer for 15 minutes (here), and respond to this prompt by writing 500-700 words:

“Over the next 5 years, in my roles as _______, ________, and _______ I want to be known for …”

I challenge you to go year-by-year as you do this:

  • 2019
  • 2020
  • 2021
  • 2022
  • 2023

Think about your work, your life, your community, your family and - of course - your age.

Write, and Write, and WRITE some more!

52 weeks from today…

For this next exercise, I suggest you use 12-24 note cards (the 3X5 ones you used in college!). One note card for every 2-4 weeks over the next year. (Oh, this one might take a. little longer. Set a timer for 30 minutes, and make sure you have your CALENDAR handy!)

When I do this, I line up the 24 cards in order of the next year. Then, I “challenge” myself to write down AT LEAST 3 bullet points (ideas, projects, goals, ideas, etc) on EVERY card.

Here’s the prompt you can use:

What do I ALREADY know is on the way that I’d like to spend ENOUGH time thinking about, working toward or managing with grace and ease?

Over the next 48 hours…

No matter what day you’re reading this (or watching the video at the bottom of this post), you’re going to be doing something, somewhere, spending time with SOMEone within a couple of days.

Here’s your challenge (in just 3 steps):

  • Open your calendar and review your time hour-by-hour over the next two days.
  • Make a list of EVERYONE you know you’re going to talk or meet with.
  • Next to their name, write down ONE thing you could discuss.

As you’re getting ready to take on your next project or step toward a promotion or begin making a work / life change, think about how you can think in those terms. Once you’ve done the thinking about TIME, now it’s time to think about PEOPLE.

THREE kinds of people to share dreams with today

1. The Realist

As you’ll see in the video below, my friends who are realists are there to find the holes in my theories and to test my resolve. I go to them when I need a project edited, or if I want to know what OTHER realists (who I haven’t worked with or met yet) might think about my crazy idea.

The question they ask, “And…do you think you can really do that?”

2. The Visionary

I smile as I write this, “My visionaries are the people who can easily “add a zero” to my thinking. If I tell them I’d like to write a 1,500 word article, they ask me if it could be a 15,000 word booklet. If I share a goal to speak at a conference with 50 people, they challenge me to apply to speak at one with 500. If I plan to enroll another 100 members into the GET MOMENTUM Leadership Academy…you get it.

The question they ask, “And…Have you thought about…?”

3. The Accountability Buddy

Have you ever told someone you’d meet them at the gym? Have you ever asked someone to edit a paper or slide deck you are building? Have you invited someone to enroll in a course or program (like GET MOMENTUM!) with you? If so, you intuitively understand the value of having someone to hold you accountable.

The question they ask, “And… what are you going to do next about that?”

Think about it: The next 60 months are going to go by in a flash. Not convinced? Write down the year 2013 and ask yourself, “How fast have the past 5 years gone?” In order to get to where you’re going, find the three kinds of people to share your dreams with and you’ll go further. Ready?

A VIDEO

More than 100 College Seniors heard about the three kinds of people to share their goals with. If you know of someone who could benefit from thinking this way, please do share this with them!

As you watch that video, leave a comment with YOUR ah-ha or I’m gonna. I’ll check those comments from time to time and add any coaching I can!

Why You Need These 2 Lists

“But I thought you meant…”

Have you heard someone say that lately? Or, have you said it to someone you work or live with? Talking about your goals - out loud, and with the right people - is a sure way to save time, relieve stress and be more productive. You might even save some money as well!

Look around your office, review your calendar and double-check your to-do list sometime today. Make TWO lists in your notebook:

  • one list of projects you’re managing, and
  • one list of ideas you’re still thinking about (but haven’t committed to doing or decided not to do…yet).

WHAT TO WRITE ON EACH LIST

The list of projects includes events you’re participating in, client or vendor agreements you’re managing and matters you’re involved in. For many people, this list will be 25-100 items long. There’s no “right number” of projects you have going on; the most important thing, though, is that you know what they are.

The list of “things to think about” includes the back-burner projects or “might-get-to-ideas” that you are not working on in the next 12 months. Again, there isn’t a right number here; but, many of the clients I coach have made lists of more than 200 items! The number isn’t important, but I will tell you what is CRITICAL if you’re going to succeed at work and at home:

CHECKING IN WITH YOUR TEAM

You’ve got to be on the exact same page with your colleagues at work about what you are and are NOT working on. And it may be even more important do this at home. For example, what house project are you NOT going to take on? What vacation are you NOT going to plan? What youth program are you NOT going to send the kids to? Once you know what you’re NOT going to do -for now, not forever - you get to double down with your resources (time, energy, focus and money) on what you said yes to.

You also create clarity.

When you are - or someone you work with is - confused about which priority is a higher priority, and which “less-important” task can wait until later, the entire workflow system is compromised. Whether you are a leader in a large organization or manager in a small one, you must have these kinds of goal-setting conversations regularly.

DON’T DROP THE BALL

Most likely you’ve experienced the inefficiency and ineffectiveness of having to work overtime, or (what could be worse!) you had to ask for an extension at the last minute. You pay a significant price when you over commit or under deliver. Whether you mean to or not, when something doesn’t get done, trust is damaged. Then you spend extra time, money and effort to rebuild the relationship.

At work, this can jeopardize relationships with team members or clients. At home, you may have to retrace your steps, rebuild a relationship and reestablish trust with those you live with and love.

TRY THIS

Right now, ask yourself this question (and, considering brainstorming your answers in your notebook):

“Where is there ambiguity and unclear direction?”

If you ask yourself this question and really listen to the answer, SOMEthing valuable will show up.

MANAGING PROJECTS

Years ago, I hired a small company to build a new website for our new company. We were a few weeks into a 6-month project, and I had this sense that something was off. That weekend, I talked with my partner, and on Monday morning I sent an email with the subject line:

“Let’s talk about both kinds of goals”

The 30-minute conversation that week went smoothly. We made a list of the projects to manage, and ANOTHER list of possible things to discuss at later phases of the project (6 and 12 months after publishing the site).

Looking back, I figure that meeting saved me dozens of hours, and probably a few thousand dollars of “scope-creep” and “project changes” over the next few months. By framing the meeting in a way that would help us all see what needed to be done, we experienced less pressure and more productivity than before. Oh, and the best part of it? We wound up finishing in just five months!

That wasn’t the first time I’d had this kind of conversation. And, I often meet with my clients, my vendors and even my wife to talk about the types of goals we manage. In fact, I’d been practicing talking about types of goals for almost two decades.

BUILD YOUR LIST

If you’d like to explore the differences - both in life and at work - journal your responses to questions like: “What am I working on? What am I working toward? What am I working for?” These questions help identify which goals you’re managing and ideas you’re considering.

A project is something you’ve committed to; it’s something you’ll submit, finalize, sign-off or move on from something. Projects have deadlines. It might be a report you’ll present at the end of the month, or it could be a new line of business you’ll launch next year. Either way, at some point you’ll be done with it, and get to check it off your list!

Your second list is a full of ideas that you’re managing, which is equally important to the project list. Your innovations come from giving yourself the freedom to think without committing to every through that passes through your mind! Separating these ideas from actual projects keeps you focused and clear.

START TODAY

Go! Open your journal and identify the two kinds of goals you can set starting today. And, remember to ask for help along the way!

How to make things easier - a day at a time

Now more than ever, leaders are looking at the “Triple Bottom Line” to gauge their success day-to-day. From Wikipedia:

Triple bottom line (or otherwise noted as TBL or 3BL) is an accounting framework with three parts: social, environmental (or ecological) and financial.
Many organizations have adopted the TBL framework to evaluate their performance in a broader perspective to create greater business value.

If you are going to have days in the future that are better than your days in the past or present, how will YOU set yourself up for success? A while back, I spoke at the Barron’s Magazine Top Producer annual event. There, I shared a keynote presentation titled, “The Productive Leader.”

Three questions to ask yourself:

  1. What creates performance?
  2. Who is a leader?
  3. What - exactly - is leadership?

Skip to minute 2:18 to hear those three questions in the video HERE.

I know you’re busy. I know. Sit down with anyone - a coworker, a friend, a mentor - and they are sure to say they are busy as well. With only 96 blocks of 15 minutes each, our day goes by so quickly; often, we wonder where time went!

There’s no lack of how much you COULD do, where you COULD go, what you COULD have.

Choice making, full engagement and productivity are terms you will hear being used more and more. Now is the time to practice.

NOTE: To watch the ENTIRE speech I gave at the Barron’s Leadership event, click/tap the video below:
 

Challenge an Assumption Today

When was the last time you made an assumption and found yourself wrong. Just plain wrong? Well, Andy Cohen has published another book I highly recommend: Challenge Your Assumptions.

I love this book for three reasons:

  1. I felt like he invited me in to his living room for a “man-to-man” chat.
  2. The tools he provides have ALREADY saved me time (and made me money!)
  3. Andy gives us a tool to use in the Appendix that is worth 5 times what it costs to buy the book.

[Full disclosure: I have met the author for a #CoffeeChat in New York City, and I consider him a friend!]

New Problems

1. Einstein reportedly said, “We cannot solver our problems with the same level of thinking that created them.” What I really liked about reading this book is that I didn’t feel judged or ill-equipped to dive right in. Sometimes authors do something early on that makes us feel they’re above us, better than us and that they know more than we do.

Instead of taking that route, Andy invites us in to how he sees the world. He looks out and doesn’t mind what ISN’T being seen … yet. On page 4 he writes, “You just need a way to see the multiple paths that others don’t see and then show them how to follow those paths.” Sound easier said than done? Not to worry, he gives us everything we need to see more.

To Assume

2. The verb assume: suppose to be the case, without proof. You see, an option is not proof. Past eexperiencesdon’t dictate future results. Instead, Andy gives us the very tools he uses to challenge what we THINK we know, and see things differently. Often times, that’s all it takes to reduce the stress and increase the likelihood that we’ll see something useful.

A GREAT tool comes with the advice he shares on page 24: “…asking your contact for an agenda instead of bringing your own.” Now, I might add to BRING your own, but be sure that the person you’re meeting with ALSO has done her or his homework in relation to meeting with you. Since reading this book, I’ve included the following note in EVERY meeting conversation I’ve sent:

“Is there anything you know you’d like me to bring to our conversation? Also, will you please write just two or three bullet points to let me know what you’re looking forward to - or concerned with - discussion? Thanks!”

That one note has paid off over and over again. The people I’m meeting with tell me that they appreciated how it seems like I value their time.

Dangerous Assumptions

3. What industry are you in? And, as you look to the future you’re building for yourself, where do you need to Challenge Your Assumptions? As you read through the “Dangerous Assumptions Database,” you’re sure to see a section that jumps off the page. Let me share just a few that stood out to me as an Executive Coach and Keynote Speaker at conferences:

Marketing and Sales
+ “I have a clear understanding of who the decision-maker is.”
+ “I understand my target audience completely.”

Leadership and Management
+ “I seem to be the only one worrying about the issues.”
+ “The strategy is clear to me. It’s my teams who don’t get it.”

Failure
+ “Let someone else make the decision and be wrong.”
+ “A public failure in my organization will haunt my career forever.”

Public Relations
+ “If I get written up in The New York Times, I’ll have it made.”
+ “There is no one like us.”

Bottom line: Get this book, start reading it and challenge what you think you know to be true. Out there in the field, there’s a rock to turn over and see SOMETHING about your work - and possibly your life - anew. Go, challenge yourself!

How to Get Momentum @BootUp Ventures in Menlo Park

“How to Get Momentum,
Start Projects, and
Make Changes.”

We’re kicking off 2017 with a special live workshop at BootUp Ventures:

WHAT: A limited-edition, invite-only, hands-on workshop
WHO: Authors, Jason and Jodi Womack
WHERE: BootUpWorld, Menlo Park
WHEN: 11am on Friday, January 13th
WHY: Because…it’s time to make a change
BRING: One big piece of paper, a favorite pen, and a mind ready to Get Momentum

Hi there! 2017 is your year to shine, and we can’t wait to help you Get Momentum.

That’s why we are bringing our 1-hour workshop to Menlo Park, CA on Friday, January 13 at 11:00 a.m.

“How to Get Momentum, Start Projects, and Make Changes.”

Look, you know there’s more to the big game than just booting up your computer, responding to all the inbound requests and ending the day even or just a bit behind with your task list.

Our book, Get Momentum: How to Start When You’re Stuck has been as high as #4 at Amazon.com, and has sold more than 4,000 copies worldwide in less than a year.

The Get Momentum Leadership Academy is a 12-month Skill-Building leadership program that blends live, online programs with PDF documents and video tutorials that help you improve in such areas as:

  • Leading and Attending Effective Meetings
  • Improving Your Productivity Through Technology
  • Building Meaningful Relationships
  • Influencing and Motivating People
  • Presenting Like A Pro
  • Thinking Strategically
  • Improving Habits and Optimizing Routines
    … and more.

 

Reserve your spot now for this event on Friday, January 13th at 11:00 a.m. We expect 15 people to attend and we’d love to see you there too!

What will you learn?

Jason and Jodi are going to share the three tactics you can use to double your productivity each day WHILE you’re working on your Most Important Things (MITs).

Here’s what you’ll learn:

How to Start Your Day Better

There is a better way to start each day. When would you like to know it?

Three Questions to Ask to Make Life Changes

You wouldn’t drive a car without a dashboard. How can you live without one?

How to Be More Coachable

Research shows the more coachable you are, the further you’ll go.

Live Q&A Session

Jason and Jodi will answer every question you have about Getting Momentum, starting projects that are stuck and making changes that seem insurmountable.

Are you ready?

Choose your calendar, and click to add a reminder:
Outlook - Google - Yahoo - Outlook.com - Apple Calendar

 

 

 

The “Millennials” are the majority. (Now what do you do?)

Thank goodness there are organizations like TD [Training and Development], Brandon Hall Group and DDI [Development Dimensions International]. Why? Well, they do the research that makes gives my intuition some acknowledgement; what I’m thinking…I should be thinking!

I just read an article that says that research proves “leadership talent is very difficult to source externally, with most executives worrying that they won’t have the talent needed to lead their organizations in the coming years.”

Talent: natural aptitude or skill

The Problem

The workforce IS stretched thin. In EVERY organization I have worked with over the past few years I see this is true. More and more work is being done by fewer people. Weekend work. Late-at-night work. Back to back meetings.

I had dinner with a senior leader two weeks ago in the suburbs of New York City who told me, “I have about 3 minutes to eat the sandwich my assistant brings to me at the desk. During the trading day, I might get up from my desk twice.”

With this “constant pressure” to be on, and no (or very little) relief in sight, it’s no wonder that executives are thinking about this topic of leadership development.

The Reality

The “Millennials” are the majority. According to a study on millennials in the workforce, this cohort is the biggest of all other cohorts right now. What does that mean?

At just the moment that senior leaders are wondering how to get MORE work done, you have statistics show up that “79% of millennials would consider quitting their regular job and working for themselves in the future.” Of more than 1,000 millennials who were surveyed, almost 70% said they see themselves in a management position with 10 years.

The Solution

Build a culture that is based on engagement by acknowledging what everyone intuits is true: Things ARE different now. Want to attract the world’s greatest talent? Want to get the most out of your employees and business partners? Want to retain the best of the best beyond the typical 2-4 year tenure?

Over and over again we hear that millennials value coaching, training and mentoring over cash and other monetary rewards. It DOESN’T necessarily mean we can pay them any less; but, it does mean that they’re looking for professional-skills growth and development opportunities while they’re earning a salary. The talent is out there; behind every college degree, behind every “active resume,” behind every startup (and even the failures). The question leaders must ask themselves is:

Will I be the leader who helps employees Get Momentum, feel engaged, and WANT to work here, giving us the best we have?

Well…Will you be that leader?

10 Questions That Cause Momentum to Happen (Auto-magically)

Productive Momentum…

…greater than the sum of the parts

Once in a while you’re more productive than other days.

You know the feeling, it could be a Tuesday mid-morning or it could be a Saturday afternoon. You feel engaged, you are inspired, you believe in who you are and what you’re doing. And, you’re sharing that experience with colleagues, family members or other people really important to you.

Maybe you’re making incredible progress on that one work-event you’re planning for next quarter. Perhaps you realize you’re being 100% present with a loved one at home. Either way, you’re not just “doing,” you’re being…

…and that’s a special thing indeed.

Sure, you recognize that feeling of being productive, but do you know how to get going when you’re stuck?

There are 5 Stages of Momentum that we’ve identified, and questions that go along with each stage. As you move from one stage to the next, your commitment, confidence and skill-set grows to the point where you can create momentum “on call.” The 5 stages are:

  • Motivation: Identify why you want to do what you want to do.
  • Modeling: Identify a role model or existing example similar to your project.
  • Milestones: Identify specific routines and iterative outcomes to make progress.
  • Monitor: Identify your good habits and automate tasks.
  • Modify: Change your approach based on the achievements you make month-to-month.

Do you want to know how to Get Momentum and start the project that’s stuck?

We have discovered certain questions you must ask in a very specific order to set yourself up for more success.

There are 10 of them and you’ll need about 60 minutes next week to answer them all. Our suggestion is that you answer as many of them as possible in one sitting.

The 10 Questions

  1. When I am I at my best?
  2. What do I want to be known for?
  3. Who do I know who I can interview who has done something like this?
  4. What organization or group can I follow doing similar things to what I want to start?
  5. What routine do I need to create and habituate to stay on course with this project?
  6. What are the next three sub-projects to achieve over the next three months?
  7. What am I doing that is working really well?
  8. What can I automate or outsource to free up another 30 minutes every day?
  9. What part of the project outcome do I need to change or clarify?
  10. What part of my workflow do I need to change to work more efficiently?

Now What?

Schedule 60 minutes on your calendar for next Sunday morning. Sit down with your favorite beverage, open your notebook to a fresh page and then spend 5-6 minutes answering each one of those questions.

Your homework after you do THAT is: Schedule a meeting with a coach, a mentor or a best friend and share these 10 questions, and your answers, with them.

The goal of THAT meeting is simple: To clarify your commitment, ask them to help you by holding you accountable to achieving the answers you write.

You’ve had productive days in the past. Now it’s time to work in a way that puts those days at the forefront of your planning. Make an intentional plan to Get Momentum on that project is stuck.

Momentum and You

Ah, that feeling of momentum.

You know, when you get an idea, implement it, and it works! You get that blog post or chapter written. A customer leaves a raving review of your service online. The manufacturer you’re working with gets you what you need on time AND on budget. Isn’t that great?

We’ve just published a 34-page eBook that teaches you how 8 successful Get Momentum members create the conditions necessary to succeed at work…and in life.GMBookCover

Ways to Get Momentum —> DOWNLOAD NOW!

Now, what do you do when things are NOT going that smoothly? What do you do when you face challenges, overwhelm and stress in life and at work?

How do you start…when you’re stuck?

That is what we study and teach at www.getmomentum.com.

Jodi - my wife, business partner, and co-author of “Get Momentum: How to Start When You’re Stuck” (Wiley, 2016) - and I have had the pleasure and honor of working with leaders like Devon Bandison for more than 19 years.

When Devon emailed me and said, “Hey Jason, how do we share the Get Momentum philosophy with more people worldwide?”

I knew we were on track to do something amazing together. Each person who contributed to this book is über-successful in our eyes. They are real people, people like you and I. They have a dream, a goal, an idea, a “something” that they need to get started.

DOWNLOAD here —> “8 Ways to Get Momentum”

These stories will catapult you to take action.

Now, it’s up to you to read this book, and that you Get Momentum. Welcome!

How Successful Men Think (better than you do)

Improve the Way You Think

Next up: Read pages 86-89 of Your Best Just Got Better

Momentum…

“the impetus gained by a moving object”

Click here to PRINT activity #4 to “be a Better Man”

If it were easier to achieve the goals you’ve set, both in life and at work, would you want to know? Would you want to know the secrets you think OTHER men know about how they are experiencing the lives they have, the love they enjoy, the success they achieve? Well, in order to “know what they know,” you have to study what we study.

When it’s time to make YOUR best better, think of the ROLE MODELS you’ve looked up to over the years.

When you think of successful businessmen, who are your role models?

I mean, sure there’s that restaurant you go to almost every week that’s owned by that one guy.

Maybe you have a manager at work, and you’ve learned something from him over the years.

Could be that one of the “famous” ones is more your style…

  • Coach John Wooden.
  • Investor Warren Buffett.
  • Technologist Steve Jobs.
  • Entrepreneur (any other way to say it?) Richard Branson.

Let’s take Branson for a moment. Seems like he’s all over the “social media” world, writing articles for Entrepreneur Magazine and other websites. Can you really compare what you do, and how you do it, to an icon like him with BILLIONS of dollars at his disposal?

Click here to PRINT activity #4 to “be a Better Man”

How real men will make their best better this June

Don’t Put This Off Until Later

About a month ago, I built a course for GUYS I know; a one-month course just for MEN who want to be better.

I wondered if anyone would sign up. The reality is, I considered scrapping all that work… Then I did some online Google Searching and found:

How to be a better son = 1,010,000 000 results
How to be a better man = 617,000,000 results
How to be a better friend = 397,000,000 results
How to be a better husband = 233,000,000 results
How to be a better lover = 90,200,000 results

“Your best just got better” = 17,700 results

“How real men will make their best better this June” = the title of this post!

Now that I am home from a 2-week trip to Amsterdam, Edinburgh, Miami and New Orleans, I am ready to bring this to life.

What are you waiting to Be Better at?

…and the bigger question: Why?

Have you listened to any music by Miranda Lambert lately? Recently, I added a few of her songs to my playlist, and so (as I always do), I began researching a bit more about her, her life, and her music.

“…don’t say, I’ll get to it in a week, because no one knows what tomorrow will bring.”

She was talking about her relationship with her husband, Blake Shelton.

This Course Is NOT For Everyone

It’s a free course, but it’s not “free.” It’s easy to sign up for, so it’s easy not to do.

For those who are “all in” on wanting to be better, I invite you to join us.

Here are the rules

  1. Find a MINIMUM of 4 of your good friends (all guys) who are willing to make their best better in one month.
  2. Buy a HARDBACK copy of the book “Your Best Just Got Better”  Click here. (You need the hardback copies, trust me on this.)
  3. Send a receipt for the book ( [email protected] ). When I get your email, I’ll enroll you in the course that starts on June 1st.
  4. Download and PRINT the PDF of Chapter 1 of the book and read it before June 1st. Click Here.

Once I get your receipt and the notice that you’ve got a group of guys together to do this, I’ll send you the information you’ll need to get started.

Throughout the month of June I’m going to email you SIX lessons, and invite you to one “Town Hall” discussion (30-minute live webinar) where we’ll go through the activities I’m assigning throughout the month.

If you know this is for you, get me that book receipt and let’s get this thing started.

You’re On Your Way to Being a Better Man

If you know ONE other guy who’d appreciate this opportunity, DEFINITELY forward this announcement on to him.

 

BEST wishes,