Jonathan Flaks Coaching

Last week we talked about Daring and I want to add one more thing. Daring includes an enduring commitment to reach your goal regardless of the obstacles and reasons that might get in the way – a willingness to do whatever it takes to take the risk, navigate obstacles, recover from setbacks and keep playing with enthusiasm until the “victory bell is ringing.”

Can you see the importance of doing something immediately upon getting into a state of daring? I believe the first step should always be to take the obvious first step.

AND

It’s also a very beneficial to do some strategic preparation.

Preparing includes Goal Setting - Setting powerful, bold goals in specific measurable terms, including several milestones along the way, gives you a framework, mindset upgrade and a process for making sure you’re staying on track. I have a few goal setting tools and an audio program available at http://www.jfcoach.com/goals-handouts which you might find useful towards that end. I’d also be very willing to discuss your goals one-on-one if you’d like to give that a whirl – very often the conversation can be highly motivating.

Preparing includes Planning – Once you have your goals in mind, then you can start doing some of the work to figure out “how am I going to get there?” Can you organize a “road-map” to guide you toward action steps, resources and relationships that will bring your goal to fruition? You really can have ANYTHING happen that you want, – just keep brainstorming, doing the right things, and having upbeat, exciting conversations with people would could contribute something to the possibilities you’re committed to.

Preparing is a Habit – As your daring goal inspires your planning and goal setting, make sure to also consider making a habit out of these stages of thinking. Can you see the benefit from preparing, planning and goal setting for any major project or initiative that you are pursuing, either professionally or personally? Can you see the benefit of organizing the resources, information and materials that you will need? Can you also imagine the difference in your confidence in the big-picture, as well as during any interim action step, when you are more prepared rather than less.

So with regard to the power of goal-setting, planning and preparing what will make a difference in your pursuit?

(Part one of a 5 part series)

Daring -the positive way of saying “fearlessly, shamelessly, putting it out there!”   
Daring is the birthplace of everything exciting, bold, innovative, game-changing and often time, successful.
Daring is about having guts to pursue an idea that makes a difference, even though most new ideas have a long road ahead of them before they manifest.
Daring is having the emotional fortitude to bring up and break free from past-based, limiting beliefs.
Daring is about creating a new possibility and a bold, new GOAL – make sure it’s a SMART goal –
Daring = Challenging – I try to get people to understand that when they say something is “hard”… they are setting themselves up for disempowerment.  Often saying “it’s hard” is like saying… “just so you know, I might be using an excuse to explain why I failed.”    Challenging, instead brings out the best in us.  Do you see already how you could create a powerful mindset of overcoming the challenge and being strengthened by it – simply by daring to face an obstacle or situation as a “Challenge”

Whatever you’re up to, I dare you to go for it!  And I dare you to do it even if you think it’s too hard… … I challenge you.

Let me know what happens, especially if you have any challenges I can help you with or any good news you’d like to celebrate.

On Earth Day this year, I volunteered to pick up trash from the Old Croton Aquaduct, and I felt great being part of the solution.

I think everyone has some level of interest and commitment to making the world a better place, and the environment is a crucial cause to attend to.  There is a ton of science that clearly points to global warming as a real phenomenon, and we can all do something that makes a difference.

If you want to know more about a great way to be part of the solution – get toxins out of your home and save money while helping keep the planet clean and green – join me for a conference call on Saturday at noon.     1-567-314-9341 - when prompted use passcode 10970#

Whatever commitments you have considered, make sure to follow through with the actions that will make a difference in your environment.

Meanwhile, in this fast-paced, 1000 e-mails-a-day, social media world, it really takes something to be grounded, centered and focused on a daily, moment-to-moment basis.  Being present, especially when you are with someone, is key to building trust and affinity in relationships.  One of the ways to do that is to take a moment to consider how you are connected to the earth.  If you’re standing, sitting, outdoors or in a high-rise building, take a moment to “get present” to how and where you are on the planet, and at that moment, you will be present!  Then redirect that presence to the matter at hand and the person you’re with.  And if you’re alone, notice the relationship of being “with” yourself  - and smile!

Let me know how that impacts your day.  I love good news.

Organize to be Energized

To have a workplace and workspace that is energizing, you may need to first get energized about organizing.   I remember one of my first coach training courses hearing a quote by Thomas Leonard, the founder of Coach University and co-founder of the International Coach Federation.  He said something like, “If you organize your workspace and set it up for success, your workplace will support you and set you up for success.”

We’re not going to cover the techniques of organizing in this post and podcast – you might reference Julie Morgenstern’s “Organizing From The Inside Out.”  Instead, we’re going to cover 4 key components to help you get energized for the challenge of getting organized.

1. Time – make sure to carve out dedicated time to do the work, and set up blocks and breaks.
2. Music – Rock, Jazz, lyrical or instrumental – take your pick and move your body and your papers!
3. Purpose and Plan – make sure you are organizing around your priorities, and post them on the wall so you can see them
4. People – Don’t go it alone – organizing as a small team effort can go a lot more smoothly than trying to get it done alone, especially if you bring in a professional.

Listen to the audio recording below for more insights into each of these areas and you can put it all together in a fun, productive way.

Then consider which area of your workspace you’d be willing to energize and organize this week or this month to make yourself more efficient?

As the economy is picking up and more companies are hiring again, a lot of business clients are asking me to help with recruiting.

On either the candidate or the hiring party side, the whole experience can be a gut-wrenching, hit-or-miss proposition.

So I‘m asking many of my business clients, wouldn’t it be ideal if we could create methods for candidates to demonstrate their abilities, instead of just talking about them?  They are responding and we are creating tests and simulations to see how people truly perform.

When recruiting for my current administrative assistant - I required a “proofreading” test in the initial application. 

I helped a client integrate a sales proficiency test to assess the balance of sociability and assertiveness that the specific job requires. 

A few years ago, I helped a client create a quiz for project managers to demonstrate an ability to understand and work with architectural drawings.  We are working again now on a few accounting “puzzles” to determine if candidates can match up entries with invoices and troubleshoot financial documentation errors. 

Capitalistic and non-profit companies alike are always results-oriented, and often more now than ever before.  Many companies are balancing the traditional style of interviews with more “real-world” skill testing methods.   This could be a problem for applicants, or an opportunity to save time by being focused on applying only your talents as they match a business priority.

What do you need to practice or prepare to put your best foot forward?   If you’re hiring, what do you need to “test” to make sure you’re hiring the best person for each job? 

Let me know what you discover or if you’d like to discuss it – I’d be glad to help.

As the economy is picking up and more companies are hiring again, a lot of business clients are asking me to help with recruiting.

On either the candidate or the hiring party side, the whole experience can be a gut-wrenching, hit-or-miss proposition.

So I‘m asking many of my business clients, wouldn’t it be ideal if we could create methods for candidates to demonstrate their abilities, instead of just talking about them?  They are responding and we are creating tests and simulations to see how people truly perform.

When recruiting for my current administrative assistant - I required a “proofreading” test in the initial application. 

I helped a client integrate a sales proficiency test to assess the balance of sociability and assertiveness that the specific job requires. 

A few years ago, I helped a client create a quiz for project managers to demonstrate an ability to understand and work with architectural drawings.  We are working again now on a few accounting “puzzles” to determine if candidates can match up entries with invoices and troubleshoot financial documentation errors. 

Capitalistic and non-profit companies alike are always results-oriented, and often more now than ever before.  Many companies are balancing the traditional style of interviews with more “real-world” skill testing methods.   This could be a problem for applicants, or an opportunity to save time by being focused on applying only your talents as they match a business priority.

What do you need to practice or prepare to put your best foot forward?   If you’re hiring, what do you need to “test” to make sure you’re hiring the best person for each job? 

Let me know what you discover or if you’d like to discuss it – I’d be glad to help.

My son told me something fascinating while we were driving to Boston to look at colleges. We were listening to the Sigur Ros, a ”post-rock” band from Iceland, and he told me that all the lyrics on the album are sung in Hopelandic, a semantically meaningless constructed language which resembles Icelandic.

Imagine all that goes into developing a language and what it yields. How many languages have humans developed? Off the top of my head, I guessed about 250. Turns out I was way off. It’s actually about 12,000!  

This week, take time to marvel at the language and vocabulary you use when you talk, or when you compose emails or posts. Really have fun crafting your words like an artist.

In fact, imagine what might happen if you craft, in language, a clear declaration of intention for reaching your most meaningful goal. State with confidence the accomplishments you'll achieve today. This “declaration of focus” impresses your mind with the vision of success, and your brain will be that much more likely to produce good ideas and high performance.

Integrate and blend purposeful intent with a straight-talking, “true-you” feel. Avoid that dreaded wishy-washy language. Keep it real.

When in communication with the people you deal with every day, keep the following types of linguistic structures in mind:

1. Assessments –Don’t rush to judgment. Give people all the appreciation they might deserve, and engage them in constructive criticism when necesary. Help them navigate and create better solutions for themselves.
2. Requests – questions. Ask people questions to encourage them to think, invent, and take action.
3. Acknowledgements – connections. Create good will to motivate your "following” to be leaders. One example – “I really appreciate your listening to this theme today. I can't wait to hear your good news about how you put it into action.”

If you become more actively conscious of your intent when using language, you'll get better and better at creating the outcomes you want.

For a fun and challenging “intention-making” exercise, listen to the recording.  And let me know how it turns out.  I love good news.

Let me start with the a powerful point of view;
NOTHING that is out of your grasp is beyond your reach.
ANY worthy goal you want to achieve, is achievable.
ANY problem you encounter along the way is solvable.

It starts with thought, and here are a few ways to create some thoughtful solutions that will have you be unstoppable on your path.

1. Get out of your head:   You do a lot of thinking with your brain, but it also has a lot of thoughts  that are not always aligned or well organized.  Do some pro-active thinking by putting pen to paper.  Make charts, lists, do some mind-mapping or just do some stream of consciousness writing to get a new perspective on your challenges.
2. Frame the question – it’s really important to sort through the various components to your challenge and ask yourself the right question each time you do some proactive thinking.  For example – “We need to increase sales” might be the challenge in your business, but there might be component questions like “How do we connect more with the best of our clients or customers and new prospects “  or you might have to start with “How do we figure out a way to hire better people.”  Break down the problem or pursuit into component elements and organize them (on paper) in a work-able sequence.
3. Don’t go it Alone – Make a list of people who might have new ideas, resources or perspective to give you a totally new set of ideas – some of which you might find useful right away, and others you might have to dissect further, or discard.  Then start telling them about your situation and ask for help – or bring them together for a brainstorming session and watch how amazing it is when people tap into their natural passion to help others.
4. Set a deadline to take action if one isn’t already imposed.  You could actually start with this step.  People often get discouraged or distracted when the going get’s rough.  Then a problem or pursuit can languish.   I managed to get all my paperwork together for my accountant to file our taxes this year last weekend – almost a month in advance – because we set a deadline for me to get it done.  It actually energized me to be fully engaged in  a game of “beat the clock.”
5. Have a coach.  Of course, I recommend that.  But I’m biased, so I won’t say more about that one unless you call me and ask.  J

So, what’s the worthy goal, obstacle or problem you want to do some proactive thinking and brainstorming on?

Let me know how it goes – I love good news.

We live in a fast-paces, 1700 messages a minute, scattered world. On this recording, I present a powerfully simple way to generate a focused mindset at any moment at any time, and how to prepare yourself for that technique to produce best results.

“Faith consists in believing when it is beyond the power of reason to believe.”
Voltaire

My wife and I watched the DVD of “Salmon Fishing in the Yemen” this weekend.

The movie was somewhat slow. From what I understand, so is fishing. That can be nice.

But the key theme of the movie is that anything is possible, even the impossible, with the right resources, attitude and faith.

Of course, in the film, the financial resources came from a wealthy sheik and the political leverage came from the British Prime Minister’s press secretary. Not every impossible dream is worthy of overcoming.

However, when you face your greatest challenges on the path to your most worthy goals, consider the possibility that you are infinitely creative and resourceful. Consider making a list of all the people you know who could get behind your wildest dream, and see what you come up with when you reach out and tell them about the possibility.  Don’t stop at the first 2-3 people – go beyond 10 and you’ll find out a LOT about what might be possible.

And have fun! Always remember to have fun… it’s extremely conducive to productivity.

“Energy and persistence conquer all things.” Benjamin Franklin

How do you keep “going and going” when you have a big challenge at stake?   And if you’re managing people, how do you help them do the same.

1. Be on a mission:  Have a big, purposeful mission that everyone is on board to fulfill.  If it’s something that will make a difference for some subset of mankind, it’s easier for people to feel engaged.  I’m on a mission for everyone to make more money and have more fun while balancing wellness and a sustainable environment.  When I forget that in the face of setbacks, I tend to lose my mojo like anyone else.  But thankfully, I often remember or go back to my mission and that returns me to feeling energized.
2. Play big games–  Initiatives, requirements, problems or growth strategies… we all have them, but make sure to build some fun energy – some game-like, sports-like energy  - into the specific, time-bound goals you work on.  You can be focused on serious problems and serious results, but don’t take yourself too seriously… it just drains too much of the energy you need to keep going.  I know it sounds a little corny, but smile and set yourself up with a “playing to win” attitude when dealing with your most challenging goals.
3. Keep going and going until you need a break… then take a break!   Even the Energizer Bunny eventually needs to recharge his (or her) batteries!  Kalynn Amadio wrote an interesting blog http://kalynnamadio.com/increase-productivity/# on the subject of taking a vacation to increase productivity.  Get some fresh air and fresh perspective… you’ll come back to work with greater creativity and effectiveness,  You might even get more done that you would have otherwise, or create something of greater impact without as much struggle. 

What else could you do to keep your energy high?   Let me know and keep me posted.  I love good news.