"We have used MVP Seminars with great success. After researching the public seminar companies, our HR department chose MVP. This was based on the academic background of their presenters, affordable rates and their monitoring & follow-up. We have not been disappointed!"
- G. Johnson, General Counsel, BASF Corporation, Los Angeles
I've learned the hard way that busyness does not equal productivity.
The lesson came to me over a period of years when I had a small business as a newspaper distributor. Before you laugh, there can be lots of money in newspapers, people are hooked on them and, I found out, will get quite cranky if there's an issue with its delivery.
Anyway, the schedule was grueling, up at 1:00 am to deliver over 1,000 papers to subscriber's doorsteps in 'dry readable condition'. Once that was finished (at about 5 or 6 am) there was time for a tiny nap until the complaints started rolling in. We'd have until 10:00 am to run out and supply the 'missed' papers to customers who didn't get them in 'dry readable condition.' Then it was time to deliver the evening paper, which we had to pick up at 11:00 am and complete by 5:00 pm. Once again, customers who didn't get, you guessed it, a 'dry readable' paper called, and well, we were off a
When I first started working when I was sixteen, I had already learned the value of good hard work. Growing up, my father had insisted on us working every spare moment of every day. Well that's what it seemed like! I had to tell my friends on most occasions that I could not go to the party or have a stay over because I had to help my dad build something or clean something. I hated it.
But after I had started working a real job for real money, there was a comment made to me from a manager of the Albertsons store that I was working at while I was staying overtime to mop up the floor. I will remember his words the rest of my life. As he watched me work with enthusiasm and vigor, he said with sincerity, "Eli, if you ever need a job at anytime in your life, you've got one."
Wow! Someone noticed my hard work ethic. That made me feel good.
Since that day I have always tried to compliment those
In my last post, I described how life reflects back to us what we believe about our worthiness and “enoughness” and I said that watching for patterns is a great way to recognize these reflections. I recently identified a pattern in my own life and connected it to a painful belief that held me hostage for most of my 38 years ~ not any more!
About a month ago, I moved into an idyllic 1930s cottage right along the river and Missoula’s beautiful river’s edge bike path. I was so happy to be in a house again, especially one with so much charm. What could be wrong with that? Plenty!
The floors creak more than you might imagine, and there is a renter in the basement. During my first few weeks in the house, I felt terrible about walking around in the morning, knowing that my neighbor might be woken up by my movements. While I was doing everything I could think of not to disturb her, she slammed her door every time she went in or out and she blasted
Motivation doesn't last. We wish it would, and I especially, since I'm what is termed a 'Motivational Speaker'. It's a misnomer. The truth is: no one can motivate you, and even if they could, it wouldn't last.
Though we feel good when we go to a seminar or workshop or experience a speaker who does a good 'pump up', the other side of the coin is learning what to do when the 'pump up' wears off. Just as important, it pays to understand the nature of motivation in the first place, which would leave little room for disappointment when the 'pump up' wears off and you're back to the daily grind of doing what must be done.
To me, motivation is like lighter fluid, whereas inspiration is like charcoal. When you get out the grill, you fill it with charcoal. You then pour lighter fluid over the charcoal. When you set the lighter fluid on fire, you get a big 'poof' of a flame, depending on how much lighter fluid you poured
As humans, we are social beings. For most of us, one of the cruelest punishments is total isolation. We need other people to listen to our stories, to share their own, and to mirror and respond to our thoughts and feelings and behaviors. But since we really do need other people, why do so many of us, so much of the time, have the biggest conflicts and the most harrowing difficulties with those people we need the most?
Part of the problem is that we need people, yet we may believe that we should not need anyone. The dream of Marlborough Man, the independent, cool, tough guy, still exists for men and women alike. So, we get into relationships with people we need and then we make every effort to prove to them how much we don't need them. And this happens at work, at home, and in any situation where we spend time and share activities with other people.
Project Management is a process. Project Management Professionals know how to use the process to have a positive impact on project outcomes and organizational profitability. The utilization of the tools and techinques must be thoroghly understood and implemented if the benefits and return on investment are to be realized. The secret to success is sound, pragmatic education and dedicated attention the people in the process. A growing PM professional never stops learning. He/she is always looking for a way to improve their contribution through effective use of the concepts of PM.
I have often wondered how you create charisma in your life. Since charisma is a form of energy, the question is how do you go about creating energy. And then there’s the question of what type of energy.
If you look at charisma as magnetism then charisma can be used in a good or bad way depending on the intention of the person. There are some people that are just plain charismatic no matter what
What could happen today that would be excellent? What would make you smile? Stop for a moment and invite a client to call unexpectedly. Invite a result to show up that you didn't expect. Be in that space of excited antitipation about your life. What is great about your life right now? Get into that feeling of total confidence. Focus on what is working.
So many of my students spend time each day criticizing themselves for not reaching goals. As we move into the next year -- let's let go of the self doubt. What if everything was perfectly on track? Invite success, today. Invite something AMAZING to happen. Why not?
So many of my clients, friends, family and colleagues find themselves unhappy dealing with expectations placed on them by family, friends, and society as a whole. Many of them have high-paying jobs, gorgeous families and seemingly nothing to be depressed about and yet they feel unsuccessful.
The problem is that we typically do not live our lives according to our own success definition. Instead we are governed by environmental influences that include family, especially parents and spouses; friends, culture and society. We make decisions based more upon what we believe is expected of us than what we truly want and desire. This brings upon stress and imbalance because when we live in other's expectations rather than in our own, we begin to move outside of our intended purpose. Without purpose, we can not feel truly passionate or fully committed to the journey.
To really be successful, you must first define what success means to you. Everyone has a very different
Not too long ago, I visited one of my passions: a national chain superstore. I've visited their stores in 42 states through travel and vacation, and am always fascinated by their retail philosophy. (Obviously, I need a life.)
On this day, I was in my car, stopped at a crosswalk, waiting on a couple to cross the street. Instead, they walked along the side of the street, not cutting through the waiting traffic. My car was partially hidden behind a large armored van making it's daily delivery. I knew the couple couldn't see me waiting for them.
After a few minutes, I decided to drive through the crosswalk since it was not being used by pedestrians. Of course, who decided to cross at the same time but the couple?! My car is a V8 and it roared by them, taking both by surprise. I felt bad yet could not stop without causing a traffic incident.
As I parked and headed to the store, the woman from the crosswalk jumped out
