Welcome to 2013! As with any New Year it is a great time to make an investment in your life where you will spend your most time. This year it is different for me because we have sold Mid-America Wireless and now I am making plans on my new life without something that has been a part of me since 1990. As I look back I have a lot of fond memories of being in the wireless business. But, as I close one chapter in my life, it is an opportunity to look forward and move toward the direction I have a passion to pursue during my next journey.
Many of you know that I have been an entrepreneur all my life. One of the passions I have found along the way is coaching, training and sharing with others; enabling them to find their true gifts, to water and fertilize them along the way helping them grow in their own lives. I am a firm believer that if you are not learning in life you are going backwards. If we put energy into the things that we enjoy we find true happiness in our life. What one thing could you learn in 2013 that would give you energy every day this year? Answer that question and you will find that 2013 will be a great year. The one thing I want to learn is to be a Coach, helping small business entrepreneurs find their energy to create a successful business optimizing fulfillment in their work life plus finding a balance in their personal life. Everyone talks about work/life balance but to truly make it a reality takes work and accountability.
As I start this journey in 2013 my goal will be helping other business owners find their energy. As you find your energy for 2013, make a list of the things you will do to make your goals a reality. I guarantee if you put a CHARGE (Create Habits Around youR Goals Everyday) into learning about the area you are interested, you will grow in 2013! Remember no one can make it happen but YOU!
Remember the acronym CHARGE in 2013!
Make it a GREAT Year!
Gary
Thursday, January 3, 2013
Friday, December 21, 2012
Preparation for Success Part 2
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! We are in the most wonderful time of the year. (I think I have heard that before?) I hope you are able to enjoy these special moments with those who are the closest to you. My present to you is just one word, PRESENT! Remember to BE PRESENT in everything you do, enjoy this time with those you love the most.
As you remember from my last blog I talked about making 2013 YOUR BEST YEAR EVER! We reflected on 2012 and talked about the 5 steps or questions needed to help you craft your goals for 2013. Let’s review those 5 questions;
1. What did I accomplish?
2. What were my biggest disappointments?
3. What did I learn?
4. How do I limit myself? In which areas of my life am I not achieving what I want? What do I say about myself to explain these failures?
5. What are my personal values? Write a clarifying statement for each value.
So be honest, did you answer them? If not, take a moment and answer them, be PRESENT!
Now, let’s continue where that blog ended and finish the steps so you will be prepared to have YOUR BEST YEAR EVER! As we look at question 6, you need to ask: “What roles do I play?” Roles refer to father, leader, husband, friend etc. List all of the roles you can think of and then narrow your list to the top 7. Of those, rate yourself, your performance, from 1 to 10 on how well you are currently performing in that role. Next, identify the role that will be your major focus for 2013! As you finish, take an inventory of all the questions you have answered, and ask yourself this: What is the biggest impediment to my success and happiness right now? This will help you determine the answer to question 7: What should my Major Focus be for 2013? The answer may surprise you; it might not be what you originally thought! Now, that your roles have been established and prioritized you can move to question 8: What are my goals for each of the roles I have listed? Remember; write out all of your goals for each role and make sure they are SMART goals. (Specific, Measureable, Actionable, Realistic and Time bound) Goals are best when they start with a strong active verb. List more than one goal per role, you need to stretch yourself so find 3 goals per role. After you have listed all your goals, review and ask yourself if completed, would these help achieve YOUR BEST YEAR EVER? If you answered yes, then you know you are on the right path and ready for question 9: What are my top 10 goals for next year? Review your goals and prioritize them from 1 to 10.
You have now completed your goal list for 2013! Type or rewrite your goals and post them where you will see them every day. I have mine posted on the inside of my bathroom mirror and in the binder I carry with me every day. The last question you must answer for yourself is 10: How can I make sure I achieve them? This is crucial because you are confirming to yourself that you will accomplish your goals and establishing why it is important to you.
I wish you a Happy New Year and hope you make 2013 YOUR BEST YEAR EVER!
Gary Wilbers
As you remember from my last blog I talked about making 2013 YOUR BEST YEAR EVER! We reflected on 2012 and talked about the 5 steps or questions needed to help you craft your goals for 2013. Let’s review those 5 questions;
1. What did I accomplish?
2. What were my biggest disappointments?
3. What did I learn?
4. How do I limit myself? In which areas of my life am I not achieving what I want? What do I say about myself to explain these failures?
5. What are my personal values? Write a clarifying statement for each value.
So be honest, did you answer them? If not, take a moment and answer them, be PRESENT!
Now, let’s continue where that blog ended and finish the steps so you will be prepared to have YOUR BEST YEAR EVER! As we look at question 6, you need to ask: “What roles do I play?” Roles refer to father, leader, husband, friend etc. List all of the roles you can think of and then narrow your list to the top 7. Of those, rate yourself, your performance, from 1 to 10 on how well you are currently performing in that role. Next, identify the role that will be your major focus for 2013! As you finish, take an inventory of all the questions you have answered, and ask yourself this: What is the biggest impediment to my success and happiness right now? This will help you determine the answer to question 7: What should my Major Focus be for 2013? The answer may surprise you; it might not be what you originally thought! Now, that your roles have been established and prioritized you can move to question 8: What are my goals for each of the roles I have listed? Remember; write out all of your goals for each role and make sure they are SMART goals. (Specific, Measureable, Actionable, Realistic and Time bound) Goals are best when they start with a strong active verb. List more than one goal per role, you need to stretch yourself so find 3 goals per role. After you have listed all your goals, review and ask yourself if completed, would these help achieve YOUR BEST YEAR EVER? If you answered yes, then you know you are on the right path and ready for question 9: What are my top 10 goals for next year? Review your goals and prioritize them from 1 to 10.
You have now completed your goal list for 2013! Type or rewrite your goals and post them where you will see them every day. I have mine posted on the inside of my bathroom mirror and in the binder I carry with me every day. The last question you must answer for yourself is 10: How can I make sure I achieve them? This is crucial because you are confirming to yourself that you will accomplish your goals and establishing why it is important to you.
I wish you a Happy New Year and hope you make 2013 YOUR BEST YEAR EVER!
Gary Wilbers
“GOALS: Are like having your headlights on,
because you know where you are going.”
Friday, November 30, 2012
Preparation for Success part 1!
Can you believe we are in the last month of 2012? How many of you achieved what you set out to achieve in 2012? Did you reach the goals you set for yourself? Did you make progress towards those goals? Well, you cannot turn back the clock so now is the time to prepare for the success you want to achieve in 2013! The next two blogs will give you some tips to help make 2013, YOUR BEST YEAR EVER! In this blog we will talk about taking an inventory of what happened in the past year. In the next blog we will give you some steps to follow to set your goals for 2013.
The first thing you need to do is get a pen and paper. The first process is to acknowledge and appreciate what happened last year. This process is to get you to look back on your past year and write your responses to the following two questions: 1. What did I accomplish? 2. What were my biggest disappointments? After you have honestly and completely answered these questions reflect back on the last year and think about what you have learned this year? These life lessons will help you achieve the goals you set for this year. Answer the question: 3. What did I learn? These three questions are already helping you form the results you will want to achieve this next year. The next positive internal focus for producing results comes in thinking about yourself and your goals it will help empower you to succeed. You will create a transformation when you place your self at the center of your life, creating your world rather than letting circumstances dictate your success. You create a new reality and power to create a new you! The fourth question to answer is: 4. How do I limit myself? Also, ask yourself this question? In which areas of my life am I not achieving what I want? The last question to ask yourself in this area is: What do I say about myself to explain these failures? This is very difficult but when you are honest with yourself and put this information on paper it allows you to see what is stopping you from creating your best year yet! Just list each question and write, don’t over analyze the why, just let your conscious mind help you in answering each question. This is being true to whom and what you really are.
The last area to complete this week is to think about what’s most important to you in your life. What are the hidden drivers behind your most tangible goals? What values do you demonstrate in your life? When we identify our personal values they will provide the strongest motivation for change and achieving the goals we most want to achieve. These personal values should be the words that are most central to your life like: integrity, honesty, compassion, keeping my promises, loving, caring etc. 5. Write down your personal values? List all of your personal values and then review them and write a clarifying statement for each value. When we clarify our values we can see ourselves “living” those values and we increase our probability of making an integral part of our daily life. By writing a clarifying statement it gives us a verbal picture, becomes the vision or target and it helps us understand what we need to do. Let me give you an example of a clarifying statement.
Value: Teamwork
Clarifying statement: I work collaboratively with others and positively contribute in a way that will help move my team forward.
Take time this week and complete the first 5 questions, this will give you the foundation you need to set the goals that are most important to you in 2013. In the next blog we will give you the 5 questions that will allow you to draft the goals you will ACHIEVE in 2013! I am a firm believer people who set goals are more likely to achieve them because they know where they are going!
Have a GREAT day!
Gary
Here’s a quote I coined:
The first thing you need to do is get a pen and paper. The first process is to acknowledge and appreciate what happened last year. This process is to get you to look back on your past year and write your responses to the following two questions: 1. What did I accomplish? 2. What were my biggest disappointments? After you have honestly and completely answered these questions reflect back on the last year and think about what you have learned this year? These life lessons will help you achieve the goals you set for this year. Answer the question: 3. What did I learn? These three questions are already helping you form the results you will want to achieve this next year. The next positive internal focus for producing results comes in thinking about yourself and your goals it will help empower you to succeed. You will create a transformation when you place your self at the center of your life, creating your world rather than letting circumstances dictate your success. You create a new reality and power to create a new you! The fourth question to answer is: 4. How do I limit myself? Also, ask yourself this question? In which areas of my life am I not achieving what I want? The last question to ask yourself in this area is: What do I say about myself to explain these failures? This is very difficult but when you are honest with yourself and put this information on paper it allows you to see what is stopping you from creating your best year yet! Just list each question and write, don’t over analyze the why, just let your conscious mind help you in answering each question. This is being true to whom and what you really are.
The last area to complete this week is to think about what’s most important to you in your life. What are the hidden drivers behind your most tangible goals? What values do you demonstrate in your life? When we identify our personal values they will provide the strongest motivation for change and achieving the goals we most want to achieve. These personal values should be the words that are most central to your life like: integrity, honesty, compassion, keeping my promises, loving, caring etc. 5. Write down your personal values? List all of your personal values and then review them and write a clarifying statement for each value. When we clarify our values we can see ourselves “living” those values and we increase our probability of making an integral part of our daily life. By writing a clarifying statement it gives us a verbal picture, becomes the vision or target and it helps us understand what we need to do. Let me give you an example of a clarifying statement.
Value: Teamwork
Clarifying statement: I work collaboratively with others and positively contribute in a way that will help move my team forward.
Take time this week and complete the first 5 questions, this will give you the foundation you need to set the goals that are most important to you in 2013. In the next blog we will give you the 5 questions that will allow you to draft the goals you will ACHIEVE in 2013! I am a firm believer people who set goals are more likely to achieve them because they know where they are going!
Have a GREAT day!
Gary
Here’s a quote I coined:
“GOALS: Are like having your headlights on,
because you know where you are going.”
Thursday, November 15, 2012
What are you thankful for?
I decided since Thanksgiving is next week it would be wise to talk about Thanksgiving! But, I want to take a different approach today instead of the usual “what are you thankful for this year”. Let’s talk about the gratitude you have in your life. The definition I am going to use of gratitude comes from Dan Sullivan.
“Gratitude is an internally-generated capability that allows an individual to create and discover unlimited meaning and value in every situation and relationship in life.”
As we use this definition of gratitude let’s break it down in smaller segments and digest each part.
Internally-generated capability: This means we have the ability within ourselves to generate this capability. Gratitude does not come from possessions, things or others. We have the drive to find gratitude in the smallest areas of our life. The last couple of days I have been grateful for the sunshine that warms the day.
Create unlimited meaning and value: Gratitude allows the individual to discover why they appreciate something. Everyone values different things in life so for one person seeing the sunset is gratitude, for another it may be just another sunset. The challenge here is to search yourself and find what holds gratitude in your life? Most people live life but forget to live their life! Make a list of the things in your life that creates meaning and value?
Every situation and relationship in life: As you made your list was it easy to identify the people closest to you like spouse, children, mom, dad etc. These are people you should show daily gratitude, by your words and actions. The more challenging areas are interactions with a co-worker, your job, a challenging issue, someone you dislike. Also, don’t forget the relationship you have with your creator. God provides a backbone to give us the capability in our daily lives if we just open up our heart and mind and allow him to help us.
As you prepare for Thanksgiving I hope you take the time to make your list of not only the people but also the daily events that give meaning and value to your life. This list will help you realize we all have many reasons to be grateful in our lives.
I hope each of you have a blessed Thanksgiving!
Have a GREAT day!
Gary
“Gratitude is an internally-generated capability that allows an individual to create and discover unlimited meaning and value in every situation and relationship in life.”
As we use this definition of gratitude let’s break it down in smaller segments and digest each part.
Internally-generated capability: This means we have the ability within ourselves to generate this capability. Gratitude does not come from possessions, things or others. We have the drive to find gratitude in the smallest areas of our life. The last couple of days I have been grateful for the sunshine that warms the day.
Create unlimited meaning and value: Gratitude allows the individual to discover why they appreciate something. Everyone values different things in life so for one person seeing the sunset is gratitude, for another it may be just another sunset. The challenge here is to search yourself and find what holds gratitude in your life? Most people live life but forget to live their life! Make a list of the things in your life that creates meaning and value?
Every situation and relationship in life: As you made your list was it easy to identify the people closest to you like spouse, children, mom, dad etc. These are people you should show daily gratitude, by your words and actions. The more challenging areas are interactions with a co-worker, your job, a challenging issue, someone you dislike. Also, don’t forget the relationship you have with your creator. God provides a backbone to give us the capability in our daily lives if we just open up our heart and mind and allow him to help us.
As you prepare for Thanksgiving I hope you take the time to make your list of not only the people but also the daily events that give meaning and value to your life. This list will help you realize we all have many reasons to be grateful in our lives.
I hope each of you have a blessed Thanksgiving!
Have a GREAT day!
Gary
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Positive Attitude Part 2:
“The power plant doesn’t have energy, it generates it.”
~ Brendon Burchard
I heard Brendon Burchard speak this past week on ways to live a CHARGED life. He coined this quote and I think it applies to our topic of getting a Positive Attitude. In my last blog I gave you the definition of a positive attitude. My goal in this blog is to give you some strategies that can help you implement a Positive Attitude into your daily life. Of course, this is not an all-inclusive list but it will help you to get started adopting a positive attitude into your life.
Let’s start with our first strategy of showing gratitude into our daily lives. Gratitude is giving or appreciating something or someone for a contribution they have made to you or your team. Jon Gordon told us, “You can’t be Blessed and Stressed!” When we daily share our gratitude to our spouse, co-workers, boss, and children by our actions, you will see that your relationships will be more positive.
Our second strategy is to daily read motivational material. The more you feed your mind, the more your mind will change. Zig Zigler tells people this about motivation: “Motivation doesn’t last, and I say…bathing doesn’t either, that’s why I recommend it daily.”
Keeping a journal is our third strategy. By writing your thoughts at least once a day it allows your mind to experience where you are at in that moment. You wouldn’t go hiking without a compass, so by keeping a daily record in one place it will help you change your behaviors.
The last strategy I am going to talk about in this blog is exercising. I know there are hundreds of other strategies you could implement to have a positive attitude. This is just a few to give you some habits to get started. Exercise means many things but I think the simplest strategy I could give you is to start exercising 4 to 5 times a week for minimum of 30 minutes each time. I know some of you are thinking? I don’t have the time! Do you realize that is only 2 to 2.5 hours per week? You do know we all get the same 24 hours every day and 168 hours per week. So, don’t tell me you can’t find 2 to 2.5 hours per week. Exercise will give you a more positive attitude because of the energy it will give your mind and body. The average American watches 4 hours of TV per day! So, cut out a TV show every other day.
As I told you in the last blog, we must first decide to create a habit of implementing a Positive Attitude. I guarantee you it will be worth the effort.
Have a Great day!
Gary
“Remember it’s your life; make it what you want it to be.”
~ Gary Wilbers
Monday, October 15, 2012
How do I get a Positive Attitude? Part 1
I thought it would be fun to talk about Positive Attitude for this month’s blog. Many people want to have a positive attitude but they go about getting it in the wrong manner so I am going to try to give you a few tips on how you can create a positive attitude in your life. Let’s first define what a positive attitude is: A positive attitude is a philosophy of approaching life with optimism and confidence. Developing a positive attitude requires replacing negative thinking with positive in an effort to create a successful outlook on life and experiences.
Let’s try to break down the definition, getting to an understanding that we can implement into our daily lives. The first part talks about a philosophy of approaching life with optimism and confidence. So, it is telling us we must first decide to create a habit of implementing the mentality in our daily actions to be positive. This is a hard one because it must become a habit to make this a reality. You have heard the phrase the grass is greener on the other side. Well, you have to make the grass green on your side. Optimism and confidence are emotions so they can be controlled by our brain. But, it must be a conditioned response not only a feeling. The next part of the definition talks about replacing negative thinking with positive thinking. Again, we have to change our mental wiring from how we look at things. You have heard from people the phrase: “the glass half empty or the glass half full.” Which way you view information will determine your result of negative thinking or positive thinking. It is said 10% is what happens to us and 90% is how we react to the situation, information or news. The last part of the definition is creating a successful outlook on life and experiences. This is done by knowing your roadmap and the purpose why you were put on this earth. God created all of us for a purpose. Spend time finding your purpose and I guarantee you, your outlook on life will become positive because you know why you are doing things in this world.
In the next issue we will discuss some strategies that will help you implement the positive attitude in your life. Some of those are showing gratitude, daily motivational reading, keeping a journal and exercising. I also wanted to end my blog by thanking Patrick, Trampus, Ginger and Kristy for sharing with their teams their positive attitude during the month of September.
Have a GREAT day!
Let’s try to break down the definition, getting to an understanding that we can implement into our daily lives. The first part talks about a philosophy of approaching life with optimism and confidence. So, it is telling us we must first decide to create a habit of implementing the mentality in our daily actions to be positive. This is a hard one because it must become a habit to make this a reality. You have heard the phrase the grass is greener on the other side. Well, you have to make the grass green on your side. Optimism and confidence are emotions so they can be controlled by our brain. But, it must be a conditioned response not only a feeling. The next part of the definition talks about replacing negative thinking with positive thinking. Again, we have to change our mental wiring from how we look at things. You have heard from people the phrase: “the glass half empty or the glass half full.” Which way you view information will determine your result of negative thinking or positive thinking. It is said 10% is what happens to us and 90% is how we react to the situation, information or news. The last part of the definition is creating a successful outlook on life and experiences. This is done by knowing your roadmap and the purpose why you were put on this earth. God created all of us for a purpose. Spend time finding your purpose and I guarantee you, your outlook on life will become positive because you know why you are doing things in this world.
In the next issue we will discuss some strategies that will help you implement the positive attitude in your life. Some of those are showing gratitude, daily motivational reading, keeping a journal and exercising. I also wanted to end my blog by thanking Patrick, Trampus, Ginger and Kristy for sharing with their teams their positive attitude during the month of September.
Have a GREAT day!
“A positive attitude is not given, it is received.”
Gary
Saturday, September 29, 2012
Creating a Culture of Greatness Part II
Thanks for all the positive comments about my last blog entry. Let’s build on creating that Culture of Greatness in your life and organizations. The root of that greatness is built on the behavior and the habits we create. Then we lead ourselves and our team with Optimism and Positive Energy. It is vital that we feed the positive dog every day or the energy vampires will zap our enthusiasm and energy.
The third principle Jon spoke about is building loyal relationships. These loyal relationships in the business world would be with our customers. In your personal life it would be those who you trust and help you become a better person. Show the people in your life that you care. I am currently reading a book that talks about in a relationship you have to be willing to have the 100/0 principle. This means you are willing to give a 100% without getting anything in return. Do we show our team, spouse, son or daughter we care about them? You MUST make relationships a priority! Have you noticed sometimes we are so busy and stressed, that our relationships are the last thing we give any attention to? When was the last time you sat down and just talked with your spouse or team member? Show the people in your life you care and communicate with them. Relationships are a key to feeling positive. Our passion and purpose on earth are what will help us find happiness not success. If I asked you to define success, I would get a different response from everyone. Instead, choose to find what your passion and purpose are in life and you will not only find success but you will also find happiness. I am a firm believer you will have to have faith in God to find your true purpose in life because he is the one who created us and knows what our purpose is? How do we find our passion and purpose? Slow down and pray, meditate and talk to those most close to you to find out what they think you are meant to be. Remember life is a journey not a destination.
The last principle Jon spoke about was to Pursue Excellence in everything we do in life. Be the best you can be every day. Zoom focus on 3 things you want to accomplish every day. Don’t settle for mediocrity. Strive to improve every day, every week and every month. Jon mentioned to live in the moment of today, you might not be where you want to be yet but if you make the best of that moment and place it will help you propel to the next opportunity that will come in your life. Jon also mentioned you must be willing to pay the price to work harder than anyone else. No one becomes an instant success! The ones willing to pay the price are the people who reap what they sow!
As I reviewed what Jon said, I have found we have a similar belief system. Everyone has the capability to be the person God meant them to be if they are willing to water and fertilize their own soil. I am a firm believer we all have one life to live, why not go out and make it the best life you want it to be. Yes, you will have obstacles, setbacks and challenges but those who find ways to overcome will become what they are meant to be. I have included my list of “10 Daily Actions to Live By” for you to review. My goal is that it will help you live the life you want to live!
Have a GREAT day!
Gary
The third principle Jon spoke about is building loyal relationships. These loyal relationships in the business world would be with our customers. In your personal life it would be those who you trust and help you become a better person. Show the people in your life that you care. I am currently reading a book that talks about in a relationship you have to be willing to have the 100/0 principle. This means you are willing to give a 100% without getting anything in return. Do we show our team, spouse, son or daughter we care about them? You MUST make relationships a priority! Have you noticed sometimes we are so busy and stressed, that our relationships are the last thing we give any attention to? When was the last time you sat down and just talked with your spouse or team member? Show the people in your life you care and communicate with them. Relationships are a key to feeling positive. Our passion and purpose on earth are what will help us find happiness not success. If I asked you to define success, I would get a different response from everyone. Instead, choose to find what your passion and purpose are in life and you will not only find success but you will also find happiness. I am a firm believer you will have to have faith in God to find your true purpose in life because he is the one who created us and knows what our purpose is? How do we find our passion and purpose? Slow down and pray, meditate and talk to those most close to you to find out what they think you are meant to be. Remember life is a journey not a destination.
The last principle Jon spoke about was to Pursue Excellence in everything we do in life. Be the best you can be every day. Zoom focus on 3 things you want to accomplish every day. Don’t settle for mediocrity. Strive to improve every day, every week and every month. Jon mentioned to live in the moment of today, you might not be where you want to be yet but if you make the best of that moment and place it will help you propel to the next opportunity that will come in your life. Jon also mentioned you must be willing to pay the price to work harder than anyone else. No one becomes an instant success! The ones willing to pay the price are the people who reap what they sow!
As I reviewed what Jon said, I have found we have a similar belief system. Everyone has the capability to be the person God meant them to be if they are willing to water and fertilize their own soil. I am a firm believer we all have one life to live, why not go out and make it the best life you want it to be. Yes, you will have obstacles, setbacks and challenges but those who find ways to overcome will become what they are meant to be. I have included my list of “10 Daily Actions to Live By” for you to review. My goal is that it will help you live the life you want to live!
Ten Daily Actions to Live By
1. My life is a message. I will make it what I want it to be.
2. I take responsibility for who I am. I am responsible for my past and my future.
3. I am a person of action. I choose to seize the moment and I choose NOW!
4. My life is about loving and helping people. I have a caring and decided heart.
5. I make people and things flourish by the amount of time and care I give to them.
6. I choose to have a great attitude. I am a happy person and I will have a positive attitude towards others.
7. I know where I want my life to go. I have chosen my path to follow daily.
8. I will greet every day with a forgiving spirit. I will forgive myself and others.
9. My best preparation to live a good tomorrow is to live a great today.
10. I am a person of great faith. I believe all my talents and gifts come from my God.
Have a GREAT day!
Gary
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