Must Read List - "Rework", by Jason Fried and David Heinemeier

by Bruce Campbell

Our public library finally got around to procuring a copy of "Rework" by Jason Fried & David Heinemeier the founders of 37Signals.  For anyone planning on staying in the world of business for the foreseeable future this is a must read.  But then again don't take my advice, just read what Seth Godin, Tom Peters, Mark Cuban, Tony Hsieh, William Taylor, Saul Kaplan, and Jessica Livingston said about the book.

For anyone like me with kids I think it is more important they read it!  Have them read it, then you read it so you can understand where they are coming from.  Not surprisingly - it is a refreshingly candid read.  To borrow a concept from the book, enjoy your "alone zone" while reading this one.

Now I have to go track down a copy for my reference library - as this is one I will be re-reading time and again.

Have a great day!   

Happy Leapday

by Bruce Campbell

TGIL.  Thank God Its Leapday!

Monday is no longer Monday.  Monday is Leapday.

Leapday represents a reminder that each week is full of new and exciting possibilities.  Leapday is a reminder to each of us to look at Monday in new way.  Monday represents an opportunity to take another leap in the direction of your quantum leap. 

Every day is important in the context of your quantum leap.  In his Pursuit Journal, Price Pritchett introduces his readers to the concept of a Quantum Leap Ritual.  A Quantum Leap Ritual being a daily ritual to be practiced twice each day in order to keep us focused on and moving in the direction of our goal - our quantum leap.  Every day is important.

I find however that Monday’s can be particularly challenging.  Pre-existing demands, distractions, habits, and old behaviors compete for our attention, can quickly creep back into our day, and have the potential to derail our efforts to remain focused on the prize – accomplishing the quantum leap. 

Don’t let Monday’s win.  Monday is now Leapday.  Focus on the next step in the direction of your quantum leap and act on it.  Leap.

Yesterday is ancient history.  Tomorrow is right around the corner.  Today is the day.

Today is Leapday.  TGIL.

Happy Leapday! 

Bruce    

Social Entrepreneurship Business Models

An interesting article in this months edition of Inc. Magazine on social entrepreneurship  "How a Business Can Change the World" .  Among other things, they describe the new business models that are being used/created by entrepreneurs where the "social mission" is a significant component of the overall mission of the company or in fact the primary mission. 

An interesting read for those of us who are passionate about impacting the world through our personal contribution and businesses.

Motivation

by Bruce Campbell

There is not a person on the planet that doesn’t need to be motivated. 

How motivated are you today?  What is your motivation?  Who are you motivating?  Are you motivating?  Who is motivating you?

Many lack desire.  Many are not receptive.  Many are not willing.  Many are afraid to change.  Many say they don’t know how.  Many say they can’t.  Are you a many?  Or are you one of the few.

Few will listen.  Few will react.  Few will change.  Few will surround themselves with motivating people.  Few will motivate.  Few will leap.

Is today a “leapday”?  Yesterday is ancient history!  Tomorrow is just around the corner.

Today is the day!

Bruce

Fences

by Bruce Campbell

Don’t fence me in.

Are there fences in your life?  Are they real or just fences you have created in your mind?  Self imposed limitations that seem real but actually aren't.

How high is the fence?  How long has it been there?  Who created it?

What is on the other side?  How bad do you want to get there?

Can you visualize yourself going over, under, around, or through the fence?  When?

When the desire to get beyond the fence becomes greater than whatever is holding you back you will start climbing.

Today is the day!

Bruce

Today

by Bruce Campbell

What steps will you take today?  Are they in the direction of your vision for your future, or just steps?

What new steps will appear today?  Will you take them?

What steps won’t you take today?  Why not? 

Will you take all steps or take some leaps today?  What leaps have you been thinking about but just haven’t jumped yet?  Will today be a “leapday”?

They’re just steps right?  Wrong!  Today is full of unleashed potential, possibilities, and divine moments.  Yesterday is ancient history!  Tomorrow is just around the corner.

Today is the day!

Bruce 

Pursuing Greatness

by Bruce Campbell

When was the last time anyone used the word “great” when they were describing you?  I was struck by this thought this morning when our son Austin’s coach said how much they loved having him on the track team, “He is a great kid!”

Do people describe our country as being great?  Our family?  Our children?  Do we live in great neighborhoods - that are a part of great communities?  Do we work at great companies?  Do we play on great teams?  Are we still making great advances?  Are we pursuing greatness?  For some of us, maybe we can still say we are a part of and pursuing great things.  Great!


He is a great leader…a great friend…a great coach… a great husband…a great father…a great neighbor…a great servant…a great mentor…a great trainer…a great teacher…a great doctor…a great motivator…a great investor…a great businessman…a great (enter anything you want to).

In his book Good to Great, author Jim Collins said, "Good is the enemy of great."  I agree - great lies well beyond good.  Anyone can achieve a good result - pursuing greatness takes more.  

You have to have a clear vision for what “greatness” looks like.  You have to know what you want to be great at.  You have to have a crystal clear picture of where you want to end up.  What the “end” looks like.  Don’t get caught up in the “how to”.  That can tend to limit your perception of what is possible.  You have to see in your mind what greatness looks smells and feels like.  Picture the end…the result. 

You have to have a passion for what you want to be great at.  You have to want it.  When things get difficult and your heart is not into something it is too easy to abandon the effort and accept a good result without the “heart” to achieve greatness.  I have met countless individuals in my life that didn’t really want to be great.  Some seem to not even want to be good.  I myself have struggled from time to time - accepting being "good" at something and taking my eye off the result – losing the desire or lacking the discipline to continue to pursue a “great” result.  Pursuing greatness takes passion.

You have to change.  What you did got you to where you are.  Where you are going will take a new and different set of behaviors.  This means change.  Get used to the discomfort that comes from trying new things.  You likely did it as a kid.  You didn’t have the skills it took to walk, ride a bike, climb a tree, or swim.  You tried news things to accomplish a new result.  You changed.  More of the same will simply get you more of the same.  Try less of the same and more of the new – change.

You have to pursue greatness.  Inactivity is not an option.  You don’t have to have a clear path to your result.  Just start.  You didn’t have a clear picture of how to get to the top of that tree as a kid.  You just started climbing.  The path became obvious to you as you climbed.  My challenge is not getting to the gym and working out every morning.  It is the first five seconds after I wake up – getting my feet to the floor in the direction of my workout clothes – inertia.  Start in the direction of your goal.  Just start.    

You have to accept failure.  Trying new things will result in failure from time to time.  That’s okay.  There is risk whether you stay the same or you pursue greatness.  Decide to choose a new set of risks.  Learn from your failures as opposed to avoiding them all together.  You likely fell many times attempting to ride that bike as a kid.  You simply increased your understanding along the way and eventually mastered the skill.  Have you been failing lately?  If not this is likely a sign you are not pursuing greatness.

Believe.  Believe you can accomplish the result - believe you can get there.  If you can’t believe, at least suspend the disbelief.  You don’t have any more information telling you that you can’t get where you want to go, so why not simply suspend the disbelief.  Either way believe or suspend your disbelief. 

Have fun.  Be in the moment to the best of your ability and enjoy the ride!  Don’t get caught up in thinking too much about the future, or worrying about how you will get there.  Just do what you need to do now - today - in pursuit of your vision, and have a blast doing it.  Believe it or not…you have everything it takes already inside you to make it.  Have a great day!

Bruce