Tag: Growth

Resolutions (Repeated)

It has been a few weeks into the new year, and it is time to assess your resolution(s). First, are you still keeping your resolution(s)? Are you still making the changes you wanted to make a few weeks ago?  Most people have failed to keep their New Year’s Resolutions as of this week. Change is hard. You have to be smart (one change at a time), and you have to be focused, not on the goal, but on the reason for the goal.

Next, do you have new changes that you want to make? Are you going to wait 351 days until next year? 

If you want to be successful, the answer to the last two questions is a resounding NO. If you want to be successful, you will make those changes today, not tomorrow, and not on New Year’s Day. Do not wait for New Year’s Resolutions, as most people have given up their resolutions, and make the change now.

What is your change going to be? 

Just Be Better

Stay Healthy, Stay Strong

Your Body Tells All

I prefer experts who practice what they preach. When discussing health and nutrition with others, I sometimes encounter those who need to realize what they are talking about and what their body shows needs to be aligned. They fail to recognize that one’s body is the best food journal. Feed your body correctly, consistently keep your nutrition on point, hydrate well, and in the end, your body will preach your health and nutrition to the world.

Just Be Better

Stay Healthy, Stay Strong

Stick to the Plan

I hope you are enjoying the New Year.

Did you make any resolutions? If you did, take comfort in the fact that many are navigating the challenges of their New Year’s Resolutions. It is never easy to make change permanent, and permanence is the point of a New Year’s resolution. The key is to take incremental steps. Desmond Tutu, who I had the privilege to see speak, once said, “There is only one way to eat an elephant, one bite at a time.” The same goes for making changes permanent. You cannot do it all at once. You have to take small, continual steps. You have to be consistent. You have to be patient. You have to stick to the plan. (The better the planning, the more permanent the change)

Now is the time when self-doubt about this year’s change will creep into your mind. Find strength in the reason why you want to make this change and visualize what life will look like for you once this change is made. Stick to the Plan

Good luck.

Happy New Year.

Just Be Better.

Stay Healthy, Stay Strong.

Resolutions

I hope you are having a safe and happy holiday season.

This is the time I start hearing people talk about resolutions. The number of people discussing resolutions beginning on the New Year is exhausting. I do not waste my time engaging in these conversations. If someone wants to change right now, I will engage and support them. I have a workout partner who wants to be a black belt by the end of 2024. This person is not unhappy that they are “only” a brown belt, but they want to build on their mastery and understanding of Taekwondo.

I am not trying to be a ”Scrooge” to others who do not understand that postponing change is a predictor of falling short of one’s goals. I struggle with engaging with those who write resolutions based on their unhappiness. They develop goals mired in negativity. Establishing goals on a negative is another method to set yourself up for failure.

I hardly hear people speak about setting resolutions based on a good thing they want to improve. I want to listen to people develop their resolutions on growth, not unhappiness. Resolutions from a positive perspective are more likely to succeed. For example, “I want to lose another 10 pounds.” is based on negativity. It includes the word lose and implies that one is fat. It does not focus on anything they are doing well. Another way to state this goal is to say, “I want to be 10 pounds lighter so I can fit into my size 32 jeans.” This statement is based on two goals: 10 pounds lighter and 32” waste. This statement is a much better design. They want to build on the positive things they have accomplished and be more successful. You cannot base your future on positive results when you are mired in a negative present and hope to be successful.

If you are making a resolution, base it on positive things. Take what you are doing and look to make it better. Base the resolution on positive outcomes and refuse to use any negatives in the development process or the final statement. You are doing things well and want to improve on them, which is the best perspective.

Send me your goals. I would be happy to provide feedback.

Happy New Year, and Good Luck with your Goals!!

Just Be Better

Stay Healthy, Stay Strong.

Don’t Waste Their Time

If I am doing my job, each charge should know the feedback they will receive at their annual evaluation meeting before it occurs. Through my actions and communications throughout the year, each employee should know what I expect from them, how I view their performance, and what changes they need to make. If I am doing my job well, my staff should never be surprised by the feedback they receive at their evaluation meeting. The meeting will digress and waste time if I do my job poorly.

Evaluations should be about growth. I want the feedback I give and receive to focus on changing behavior and improving performance. It’s the meeting that sets up our goals for the New Year.

Prepare and work to get what you want out of every meeting. Nothing less. Ensure your staff knows what you think of their performance and focus on the desired result you want them to achieve

Just Be Better

Stay Healthy, Stay Strong.

Too Busy

Do not whine to me about how busy you are.

To me, busy means…

You are employed.

You have a goal.

People rely on you.

I cannot tell you how often collaborators tell me how busy they are. I am confident that if you were not busy and in demand, I would not collaborate with you. We are all busy doing the things that we want to do.

Instead, I prefer potential partners to tell me that they do not want to collaborate on a project. It is ok to say no to an opportunity. Be honest, but don’t whine.

Just Be Better

Stay Strong, Stay Healthy

I am So Busy!

I hate when people tell me, “I am so busy!” If they are looking for some sort of “victim reassurance,” I am the wrong guy to talk to. 

Do you know what busy means?

  • It means you are employed.
  • It means people want your services.
  • It means people want to be in your presence.
  • It means you have interests.
  • It means you are developing talent.

Do not tell me you are so busy. Stop whining, embrace it, and move forward.

Just Be Better

Stay Strong, Stay Healthy

Just Be Better (JBB)

It is the start of week 5 of the “ Corona Virus-lockdown” in New Jersey and I have to take advantage of the huge opportunity of time that I have to improve myself. Thus far, I have done a decent job of getting things in order. During the first few days of the lockdown, I had the time I needed to grieve a friend and colleague who passed away on the first day of the lockdown after a long illness. I felt bad that I was not physically there at the funeral or able to be with my staff to help them through the grieving process, but there was nothing that I could do. The time away from everyone allowed me to put things in perspective and move forward, even with a heavy heart. I still think about him every day. It was a devastating process to go through. During the next two and a half weeks, I got used to working from home, setting up a virtual learning environment, having meetings when no one was in the room, having the 1-to-1 talks that I needed to have with my staff and students, and getting consistent with my workouts, my meditation, my Taekwondo, and my guitar. Last week, I spent most of the time getting my staff and students ready for spring break. My family and I had a nice Easter. My wife even put little masks on the chocolate bunny rabbits. You have to include humor no matter the situation. My family and I are in a fortunate (healthy) place.

Now it is time to move forward. I actually have off this Monday and I plan to get two major work-projects completed by the end of this week. Now that I have everything in order, it is time to focus on taking things to the next level. My goal, to “Just Be Better”, whether as a father, a husband, a musician, a school administrator, an athlete, a writer, a reader, a sleeper, a gardener, a martial artist, a weight lifter, a folder of laundry, a bathroom cleaner, a coach, a mentor, a friend, and most importantly, as a person.

Whatever your situation, good luck, stay healthy, and “Just Be Better” (JBB)