CHANGE THAT COUNTS

I used to say, “I sure hope things will change.” Then I learned that the only way things are going to change for me is when I change.- Jim Rohn

When planning successful goals, one thing is sure – if you achieve your goals you will change in the process. It seems strange that we all have goals we want to achieve, yet we hesitate to make the change that is necessary to achieve them. Maybe that’s why many of our goals are never met.

This excerpt from an article by Jim Rohn on ‘Change’ is worth sharing with you.

Any day we wish, we can discipline ourselves to change it all. Any day we wish, we can open the book that will open our mind to new knowledge. Any day we wish, we can start a new activity. Any day we wish, we can start the process of life change. We can do it immediately, or next week, or next month, or next year.

We can also do nothing. We can pretend rather than perform. And if the idea of having to change ourselves makes us uncomfortable, we can remain as we are. We can choose rest over labor, entertainment over education, delusion over truth, and doubt over confidence. The choices are ours to make. But while we curse the effect, we continue to nourish the cause. As Shakespeare uniquely observed, “The fault is not in the stars, but in ourselves.” We created our circumstances by our past choices. We have both the ability and the responsibility to make better choices beginning today.

We cannot allow our errors in judgment, repeated every day, to lead us down the wrong path. We must keep coming back to those basics that make the biggest difference in how our life works out. And then we must make the very choices that will bring life, happiness and joy into our daily lives.

Keep these thoughts in mind, and as you plan your goals – plan on change. Remember that all change is not progress, but all progress is change.

Have I told you how much I appreciate you? I do!

WHAT ARE YOU BECOMING

It's here - a new year - what will you do with it? What will you become as you spend the resource of time that lies before you?

We are in the process of setting goals for 2010. The heart of your personal goal-setting should be built around what you want to become and what you are willing to do to get there. Jim Rohn said it this way, "You want to set a goal that is big enough that in the process of achieving it you become someone worth becoming."

He also wrote the following article about the Miracle of Self Development that I want to share with you.

One day my mentor Mr. Shoaff said, “Jim, if you want to be wealthy and happy, learn this lesson well: Learn to work harder on yourself than you do on your job.”

Since that time I’ve been working on my own personal development. And I must admit that this has been the most challenging assignment of all. This business of personal development lasts a lifetime.

You see, what you become is far more important than what you get. The important question to ask on the job is not, “What am I getting?” Instead, you should ask, “What am I becoming?” Getting and becoming are like Siamese twins: What you become directly influences what you get. Think of it this way: Most of what you have today you have attracted by becoming the person you are today.

I’ve also found that income rarely exceeds personal development. Sometimes income takes a lucky jump, but unless you learn to handle the responsibilities that come with it, it will usually shrink back to the amount you can handle.

If someone hands you a million dollars, you’d better hurry up and become a millionaire. A very rich man once said, “If you took all the money in the world and divided it equally among everybody, it would soon be back in the same pockets it was before.”

It is hard to keep that which has not been obtained through personal development.

So here’s the great axiom of life:

To have more than you’ve got, become more than you are.

This is where you should focus most of your attention. Otherwise, you just might have to contend with the axiom of not changing, which is:

Unless you change how you are, you’ll always have what you’ve got.

The very nature of setting goals is to change. All change is not improvement, however, all improvement is change. As you set your goals, commit to consistent, sustained change. Next month we will delve a little deeper into change.

Until then, I will leave you with this thought; What will you learn in 2010? It is through learning that we grow, becoming more than we were before.

Have I told you lately that I appreciate you? I do!

ROCK YOUR WORKPLACE

Most people spend their entire lives in unquestioned routines, never hearing the calling of how great they could be if only they refocused on making a profound difference through their work.

The economic down-turn has impacted our clients and, in turn, our bottom-line. Our company has had to make cuts that were difficult but necessary for us to survive and thrive. As difficult as it was for the leadership of the company to make those decisions, the hard work - the change that will make the greatest impact - is still ahead of us. Where will leadership take us now?

First we need to understand that leadership is not a position - it is a way of being. It is about being determined to make big things happen regardless of your position. People who 'step up to the plate,' who see an opportunity to make an impact and seize it are infinitely promotable and endlessly valuable. Each one of us should strive to be that kind of employee and leader.

I have always believed that the tough economy would make us all better. Pressure is what turns coal into diamonds and trials are how God shows us the best of Himself. Our attitude toward all the changes we face should be one of expectant hope. God is in control of those who are leaving us and of those who remain. He has preordained this very hour. Our response should be to show up, do our best and expect great things.

Great change doesn't happen overnight, but all change starts now and starts with you. Here are some things to try:

• List three things that, if you were in charge, you would change.


• Set about doing all you can to change those things - enrolling others to your ideas, getting necessary approvals, lining up a budget, or coaching others around you to "get it." And watch the magic happen.
  

Many of the comments above come from the book, "Thank God It's Monday" by Roxanne Emmerich. In the coming weeks, I want to guide us into applying the concepts from this book to help us create success for ourselves and our workplace.

Have I told you how much I appreciate you? I do!