The QLog

What's Your Excuse?

As a manager and coach, I've heard a lot of excuses of why people couldn't, shouldn't, or wouldn't do something important for their company, family, or self. Most of them are untrue when examined objectively.

What is your excuse? Too old? Too young? Not enough money? Not attractive enough?

It is time to leave excuses behind. 

Next time you generate some excuses, I challenge you to consider Joseph Merrick or James O'Neal. They probably could have fell back on excuses, but they both chose to strive forward. Life is not always easy and these men each struggled with physical, emotional, psychological, and sociological difficulties that few can imagine.

Who are they? You might know Mr. Merrick as 'The Elephant Man' and perhaps you have seen the 1980 biopic loosely based on his life experience. James O'Neal has a very similar genetic disease: neurofibromatosis. Although he is deformed, he has decided to go beyond excuses and work extremely hard in a very public job for the past seven years. I think his persistence at being an excellent human being is paying dividends finally.

His customers say that he is amazing and I agree. Watch the full story here: http://www.komonews.com/news/19339104.html?video=pop&t=a

As of 2008, James O'Neal lives near Redmond, WA and his efforts at being a constructive member of society even with his deformity has resulted in an effort by others to change his life. I would like to give Safeway a big kudos for pledging the first $10,000 for his reconstructive surgery project (perhaps someone should call Microsoft as I'm sure many of their local employees have met James).

Also, I'd like to recognize Katie Knopf who setup the initial website for the cause in March. I also understand that an updated site with donation information will be up very shortly, if not already.

My last question is this: what's your excuse to not donate and help James O'Neal?

Behavior as a Mirror of Self

"Behavior is the mirror in which everyone shows their image." - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

I posted the above quote last week and today I'd like to explore the idea with more depth.

Behaviors, unlike thoughts, are observable to other people. Although a witness will often not understand the reasons why someone acted a certain way, they will know how someone conducted their affairs. Your behavior is measurable and can be compared and contrasted in the following ways:

1. What you said you would do (consider the saying "actions speak louder than words").
2. What your peers or competitors are doing.
3. What others have done in similar situations in the past.

Bottom Line: External acts are the main way others judge our qualities as a human being. The summation of what we do, both small and grand, becomes the public record of our life.

What Are You Learning in 2008?

What one subject do you want to learn in 2008? An additional skill? A second language? A new hobby? Or do you want to become a subject matter expert in specific field or niche?

Both formal and personal studies are important for self-growth. Successful output is linked to wise mental inputs. Make sure that you have decided to learn something novel and worthwhile this year.

Intensity With Direction

A layman's definition for the term velocity might be "speed with direction." What is the velocity of your life? Which way are you going and how fast?

Consider a car. If it is going in the right direction, but only traveling at 1 mile an hour, it has a low velocity. If the same auto has a high speed, like 75 miles per hour, but going in the wrong direction, it will never reach the correct destination. Both factors are important.

For human goals, the velocity of success is probably better defined as "intensity with direction" as projects require many types of effort which may or may not be 'fast'. Goals require work. This is the Law of Action.

Have you determined your direction?
Have you maximized your intensity?

Are you moving forwards or backwards?

"The great thing in this world is not so much where we are, but in what direction we are moving." - Oliver Wendell Holmes

Most view success as the completion of a task, project, or goal; however, I think this is misguided as few accomplishment are instantaneous. Instead, the ending is just the fruit of one's labor. If you are proceeding towards your target, then you should consider yourself successful as well. 

Failure lies within never trying or drifting away from one's life purpose.

Four Thoughts from Ralph Waldo Emerson

My favorite  'American Scholar'  and Transcendentalist, Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882), had quite a bit to say on sowing and reaping. Consider the following quotes from various essays which I've re-assmebled in this particular order to outline how he viewed thoughts and action:

• The ancestor of every action is a thought.
• Good thoughts are no better than good dreams, unless they be executed.
• Skill to do comes of doing.
• Thought is the blossom; language the bud; action the fruit behind it.

Ancient Proverb to Ponder

Latin Proverb: Qui fugit molam, fugit farinam.

My Translation: The one who runs from the grindstone also runs from the flour.

One simple way to understand this aphorism is literally, that someone who shuns labor will not eat. I believe that another view is this: if you want to achieve anything, work is involved. From digging a ditch to composing a symphony, some effort is part of the path to the final outcome...the fruits of one's labor. This is part of the law of action.

As the Unitarian Minister Robert Collyer (1823-1912) wrote "A man's best friends are his ten fingers."

Thom Quinn, Business Coach

Happy Halloween Treat

Today's treat is some Halloween wisdom: Do not wait for the black cat to bark.

In other words, do not expect an apple tree to have oranges blossoms. This is related to the law of action. If you are trying to accomplish goal X, you may need to change your habits, behaviors, or direction. What skills do you need to learn? What do you need to eliminate, change, or fix?

Waiting for a miracle is not a viable strategy for success. Cats never bark. 

The BIG Secret (Shhhh)

“The big secret in life is that there is no big secret. Whatever your goal, you can get there if you’re willing to work.” ~ Attributed to Oprah Winfrey (italics added)

I was recently sent this quote. I believe it is 100% correct! If you want to achieve anything, from tying your shoes to climbing a mountain, effort is needed. Nothing small or grand is accomplished without applying action to ideas. 

Bottom Line: This is the biggest 'open' secret on the planet: work is the keystone to success. The best way to focus on a goal is via concentrated effort.

If Not Now, When?

This is a good question to ask about any dream, goals, or projects that has been lingering for some time, either as an incomplete outcome or as something you just have not yet started. Definitive start dates combined with real deadlines are both good antidotes for procrastination.

1) If you have a planned a specific time to begin, then the delay probably makes sense.

            
2) If you can not answer the question within 10-seconds, consider how passionate you are about the subject matter. Do not use the ‘someday’ excuse as that often leads to ‘never’.