Posts Tagged With: motivation

Zig Ziglar (post by Simple Truth)

Posted on November 6, 2013 by mzsunflower

After a speech one day, Zig Ziglar was approached by someone in the audience who said:

“Zig, it was a great speech, but…motivation doesn’t last.”

Zig said, “Bathing doesn’t either. That’s why I recommend it daily!”

Like me, Zig loved quotes and believed that the right quote could provide “a-ha” moments and could help to reinforce a positive attitude. Here’s what he said:

“Reading has been my fuel for motivation. If the ‘a-ha’ I get when I’m reading is not already reduced into one or two sentences, I’ll take the essence of what I’ve read and chunk it into easily remembered bites of information. That information is what becomes ‘quotable.’ You would not sit still for me to read every book I’ve ever read to you. But if you’re the least bit like me, you’ll jump at the chance to bypass all the churning and scoop the cream right off the top—that is what quotes are…the cream of our learning.”

Failure is the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently.

~ Henry Ford

To say I’m honored to publish a book of Zig Ziglar’s is an understatement. Sixty Minutes said, “He’s a legend in the industry. He’s the Bill Gates, Henry Ford and Thomas Edison of enthusiasm.” What I loved about Zig, however, was his heart. His ability to help people realize their potential was unsurpassed and his belief that, “You can have everything you want, if you will just help enough other people get what they want,” was the foundation of all he had accomplished.

Friendship is the only cement that will ever hold the world together.

~ Woodrow Wilson

http://www.simpletruths.com/

Categories: kirk weisler, coffee sugar, exercise 3, yoga class, and walking in the garden. | Tags: failure, friendship, motivation | Leave a comment

Be Inspired

Posted on September 24, 2012 by mzsunflower

Post written by Leo Babauta.

You are overcome with laziness and procrastination, feeling unmotivated, stuck, can’t get started.

You are not alone. This is a commonality in the human condition, and the solution is elusive, never standing still and not wanting to be easily caught.

You are not alone, but in this union with your brothers and sisters, there is hope. I’m among you, and I have found a few meager solutions. And if I can solve this problem, so can you. If others have beaten it, you can.

These are ways I’ve found inspiration.

one: This morning as I sat down to write I had some ideas for posts but wasn’t excited about any of them. So I asked on Twitter, “What are you having problems with that I can help with?” Several people responded with things like laziness, motivation, procrastination, getting started. Having something to help with inspired me to write.

lesson: Inspiration can come from finding a way to help others.

two: My eight-year-old son was looking bored, and I asked about a (short) novel he’s been reading. He showed me the book and I challenged him to read four chapters today. His face lit up and he got to reading.

lesson: Creating a challenge can be an inspiration.

three: I have problems with procrastination, just like anyone else. I usually solve it when 1) I crystalize in my mind what I most want to be doing right now and what is most important; 2) I clear away all other distractions; and 3) I get started. As I began writing this post, I closed all other browser tabs (bookmarked ones I want to read later) and opened only the “new post” page in WordPress. Then I clicked on the “fullscreen” button so that everything but the writing box disappeared. Then I entered “Presentation Mode” in Google Chrome, so that everything else on my computer screen faded away. Now it’s just me and these words.

lesson: Clear away everything else and just create.

four: In the morning I sometimes feel lazy when I’ve told myself I want to exercise, stretch, or meditate. I don’t feel motivated. So instead of motivating myself to do something that might take 10, 20 or 30 minutes, I just focus on the smallest action: starting. To meditate or stretch, I just need to put my butt on the pillow (on the floor). To exercise, I just need to lace up my shoes and get out the door. Once I start, the rest is easy, and I’m always glad I did.

lesson: Get your butt on the pillow. Don’t wait for motivation, just start. Motivation will come.

five: As I began to write this morning I heard what sounded like opera music streaming through the walls from my neighbor’s house. What a lovely sound to write to! I immediately began playing some opera of my own, and the uplifting beauty infused my act of creation.

lesson: Surround yourself by inspiration. Music, art, great books, fascinating people.

six: When I feel lazy and don’t want to do anything, I remind myself of the gift I’ve been given. I live an amazing life, and to be given the joy of this world and the people around me, is a complete and utter miracle. Then I ask myself, “Is this how I want to use this miracle?” What a complete waste of something so perfect, so profound, to spend the little time I have in this life on pointlessness and laziness. I don’t mind doing nothing, if it is a nothing that makes me happy. But I also want to create, to help people, to be compassionate towards others, to do something fulfilling and joyous. And so I do.

lesson: Be grateful for the miracle of your life, and ask yourself how you want to spend it. Then get to creating, to making lives better.

seven: I read blogs by fascinating people doing inspired things. Often they will write about something they’re working on, and it sparks an idea in me, makes me want to do something really cool too. Yesterday this happened and I’ve spent hours now dreaming up something big. It might never happen, but that’s not the important thing. Because I surround myself (virtually) with inspired people, I’m more likely to be hit by inspiration.

lesson: Don’t wait for inspiration to strike — you have to meet it halfway. If you want to be hit by lightning, go out in a thunderstorm with a metal rod. Scream at the thundering gods, daring them to strike you.

Categories: kirk weisler, coffee sugar, exercise 3, yoga class, and walking in the garden. | Tags: inspiration, miracle, motivation, procrastination | Leave a comment

Back to School – Playing to Win (post by Kirk Weisler)

Posted on August 20, 2012 by mzsunflower

Today I want to talk about excitement…and why it often fades away…if we’re not careful in culture and in our leading.

1st day of school for the kids this morning. Last night was filled with the discussions of teachers, schedules and friends. There was some nervous excitement… but mostly just excitement. New first day of school outfits were laid out carefully along with backpacks loaded with the essentials (and lots of other stuff). The kids spoke of their desire to put their best foot forward… and some parental reminders of what that “best foot” might look like, sound like along with a few role plays for good measure were offered.

Rebecca woke up extra early to prepare the “Breakfast of Champions” for our young all-stars. The girls woke up this morning were dressed in minutes and wore their new back packs almost from the moment they woke up. The boys were no different… Josh excited for middle school and Jake for his high school and college classes. Their excitement was contagious… so much so that last night after everyone was finally asleep…I found myself wanting to go back to college myself. (I haven’t signed up yet…but I’m still thinking about it)

The problem is the excitement they have now will almost certainly diminish over time. We all know this… because we’ve seen it happen time and time again. It has happened to others….and it has happened to us.

Why am I talking about excitement ? … I have a favorite article published by the (Harvard Management Update) entitled “Why Your Employees Are Losing Motivation“. Here is a small piece of the introduction.

The great majority of employees are quite enthusiastic when they start a new job. But in about 85 percent of companies, our research finds, employees’ morale sharply declines after their first six months-and continues to deteriorate for years afterward. That finding is based on surveys of about 1.2 million employees at 52 primarily Fortune 1000 companies from 2001 through 2004, conducted by Sirota Survey Intelligence (Purchase, New York).

Honestly… are you as excited on your job now as you were when you first started it? If the answer is yes… WOW, great for you! You are an exception to the vast majority of the workforce…and the world. Outside of yourself…what about your team? Are any of them (or all of them) in the 85% that the survey identifies as having lost it?

The most important questions might be…

”How can I/we create a culture that helps us to avoid losing motivation in the first place?”

“What can I/we do to get back that sense of excitement and enthusiasm we had when we first started the job?”

The article offers… some tremendous insights for leaders… I have linked to it here before ..but here it is again.

http://hbswk.hbs.edu/archive/5289.html/

Besides all that the article has to offer… I would simply add this.. One of most significant and insidious joy suckers and morale killers is the cynical, sarcastic and altogether negative voice of the dis-engaged members of the workforce. Their negativity can set up a cultural tone that quickly becomes an established excitement neutralizing norm…that sends a very loud message to new arrivals that “enthusiasm is not” what we show or do around here.

I know my kids will come home in a few months talking about what’s not right in their school…and some of it may be legitimate…but the majority of will simply be a parroted echo of what they hear in the hallways, from burned out teachers, and what they pick up on the playground. When I do….(actually before I do) You can bet we’ll be talking about our strategy to not allow our excitement and love for learning and life to be dimmed or diminished by such talk. Instead we will talk about a different kind of peer pressure… one where the positive possibilities and unlimited potential can grow. A playground where people are excited to play…and playing to win!

The perfect time to talk to your team members about their level of motivation is now. Is it where it used to be? Is it where they would like it to be? If not.. knowing it won’t get back to where it was without some change, without a plan, or without some help…. then what is the change that is needed, what is your plan to make that change happen, and how can I, your leader, help? Because… I want you, and we need you to be excited. Because I want to win… and I want you to win… I want us to win together and to be excited about the journey.

Kirk Out

Categories: kirk weisler, coffee sugar, exercise 3, yoga class, and walking in the garden. | Tags: excitement, morale, motivation | Leave a comment