Category: young professionals

About 5 years ago, I woke up one day and my knee hurt. Instead of analyzing what the cause was, I decided I needed to get in better shape. I remember signing up at the gym and I’ve never looked back since. Recently, I noticed the parallel between fitness and business:

Goals: In fitness, the focus is on improved performance, better health and renewed confidence. It’s very similar for business. Setting and accomplish goals turns into momentum which breeds confidence.

Habits: It’s always hardest to go to the gym after a long layoff, but once you go successive days in a row it becomes part of your routine. Comparably, I’ve disciplined myself to do this weekly newsletter because it helps improve my writing and shares what I’ve been learning lately.

Self-Motivation: At the end of the day, YOU are responsible for motivating yourself. Don’t look to someone or something to drive you. Winners don’t make excuses. You have to be creative when it comes to staying inspired.

There’s a lot to learn from physical fitness that can help us in the business world. Achieving goals, creating good habits and being self-motivated are just three. Start looking at your physical health as a catalyst for your career growth!

In order to condition your body to become more fit and powerful, you have to start with strengthening your core. It is the foundation of your overall strength and flexibility. Today, let’s focus on optimizing our “professional core” by working on our A.B.S.:

A – Alignment: Are your values and beliefs in unison with what you are trying to accomplish? Passion and engagement flow at work when it is an extension of who you are.

B – Brand: What is unique about you? What makes you stand out?
Focus on what differentiates you from the crowd. Start developing those strengths on a daily basis.

S – Strategy: What is your game plan?
Once you’ve figured out what you believe in and what makes you different, draw up a plan to achieve your goals. Effort and perseverance are the difference between success and failure.

Strengthening your A.B.S. will make you a more valuable asset in the professional world. Take some time today to evaluate where you are and what direction you are headed in. A strong “core” is vital to optimal performance!

Chief of Police William Bratton has produced extraordinary results in New York and Los Angeles. One of his successful strategies is the “Broken Windows” program. Here is a summary of the theory:

“Consider a building with a few broken windows. If the windows are not repaired, the tendency is for vandals to break a few more windows.
Eventually, they may even break into the building, and if it’s unoccupied, perhaps become squatters or light fires inside.

Or consider a sidewalk. Some litter accumulates. Soon, more litter accumulates. Eventually, people even start leaving bags of trash from take-out restaurants there or breaking into cars.”

The theory thus makes two major claims: that further petty crime and low-level anti-social behavior will be deterred, and that major crime will, as a result, be prevented.

What if we applied this theory to being professional?
This is what it would look like:

1) Pay Attention to the Little Details.
* Proofread your e-mails before sending
* Be punctual to meetings
* Dress to impress

2) Little Changes Produce Big Results.
* Communication is clear and concise
* People feel respected
* Great first impressions are made

Minor fixes cultivate major advances. People observe what we do more than they listen to what we say. Start today by paying special attention to the small things that make a big impression! Being professional means taking pride in the small things that make a big difference!

Last week I was in Vegas with my wife celebrating our anniversary. Once we got settled, I suggested we walk the entire strip. 4 hours and 7 miles later, I realized the hotels are so massive that even though they look close, they are actually quite far apart. A thought ran through my head…

“That’s just like BIG GOALS!”

We should all DREAM BIG. Don’t sell yourself short by setting goals that can be easily obtained. Where’s the FUN in that?

Along the way, there were times I wanted to quit, but my will wouldn’t let me. I kept my eyes on the prize. Sure, it took longer than I thought, but we PERSEVERED and eventually reached our destination.

I remember looking at our map at different hotels to get a sense of how much PROGRESS we were making. This helped us realize we were moving forward towards our goal.

After we got back to our hotel, we were tired. Was it smart to walk? No. Was the journey worth it? Yes. How else would we have known how long it was?

This journey is similar to our lives:
1) We all have BIG DREAMS
2) It takes TIME and PERSEVERANCE to accomplish them
3) It helps to chart our PROGRESS along the way
4) The FUN is in the journey

Just so you know we drove to every location after that, because we LEARNED from our mistakes!

We read about great leaders, but rarely do we get the chance to work alongside of them. Recently, I’ve had the pleasure of being able to experience two leaders up close whom I admire and respect.

Today I’d like to spotlight: John Dunn & Teresa Roberson.

John Dunn is the owner of Coast Produce.

Teresa Roberson is the Head of School at Calvary Christian School.

Here are just 3 traits that make them “great” at what they do:

Character: John and Teresa let their core values shine through them. They are more interested in developing their character, before their leadership abilities. They live what they say. When they speak, people believe them.

Relational: I watch the way John and Teresa treat and interact with others. They put people before tasks. They care about their workers and value each person’s well-being before their performance. They treat everyone with respect.

Humble: John and Teresa see the bigger picture. They do not think of themselves bigger than the organizations that they lead. They have their ego’s in check. They are grateful for the positions they are in and serve others accordingly.

Witnessing great leaders in person is rare. I am blessed to have worked under these two. Don’t try to emulate other leaders, instead learn from their example. Great examples of leadership inspire us to get better. Leadership is a process and we can gain much from observing those who are more experienced than we are. Who are you watching?