"Busy" Doesn't Always Cut It

Don't mistake activity with achievement. ~ John Wooden ~

Treading water is certainly a form of swimming but it'll never win you a gold medal in a relay race.  You work hard.  It's true.  But just because you are busy at work, it doesn't mean you are accomplishing anything.  First, are you working on the things that matter?  Second, are you easily distracted when working on important tasks? Finally, is it more important to check off a to-do list or more important to have solved an critical problem? 

Ask yourself at the end of each day.  "What have I accomplished?"  Don't think in terms of tasks completed but rather what propelled you forward in the achievement of goals.  As a leader, never get fooled by your "busy" workers.  Ask them the same question.  "What did you accomplish today?"  Then: "How did that help us move toward our desired results?"

1. Close your eyes
2. Breathe
3. Empty your mind
4. As thoughts come in, acknowledge and whisk them away
5. Focus on your breathing
6. Think about the affirmation:

"I'm busy on the tasks that will help me succeed."

Behave Like a Leader

“Do you want to know who you are? Don't ask. Act! Action will delineate and define you." ~ Thomas Jefferson ~

You may say all the right things but it's your actions that determine what people really think of you.    If the words you say and the actions you take don't match, action will when out every time.  People see actions as more honest than words and as a better representation of their values and beliefs.  It takes more effort to do the right thing than to say the right thing.  Words will ring hollow and untrue unless there is something to back up what you say. 

Think about the behaviors of great leaders that have the same values as yourself - not their characteristics, but what actions do they take?  Confirm that their actions and words match, plus support the values they say they possess.  Once you find one or two, study them.  Emulate them. If you want to be known as a great leader then behave like a great leader. 

1. Close your eyes
2. Breathe
3. Empty your mind
4. As thoughts come in, acknowledge and whisk them away
5. Focus on your breathing
6. Think about the affirmation:


I will behave like a great leader.

Dream in Reality

Faith is a fine invention
When gentlemen can see,
But microscopes are prudent
In an emergency.
~Emily Dickinson~ 

When you have your head in the clouds, it makes your view a bit foggy.  Having faith and belief in yourself is extremely important but don't forget to do a reality check.  Dreams with no action is a fool's game.  Blindly going along with no focus on a real vision can lead to disappointment or miscues.  You must be careful to not think that desire will be the only key to success. Opportunities may pass you by as you sit, waiting for your dreams to manifest themselves.  Great leaders will have vision and will make things fly but only while they also have their feet firmly on the ground - searching for the real steps to move them forward.

1. Close your eyes
2. Breathe
3. Empty your mind
4. As thoughts come in, acknowledge and whisk them away
5. Focus on your breathing
6. Think about the affirmation:

I will dream and I will keep myself grounded in reality.

Be Willing to Let Go

We must be willing to get rid of the life we've planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us. ~Joseph Campbell~

When do your dreams become the obstacles to success?  It's when you are unable to see a new path that might be better than the one you think you should be taking.   If you are too ridge in your vision then you may come up with disappointment.  Take the time today to be flexible in your ideas.   Take in the clues around you. Are you missing something that is right in front of you?  Are you too focused on the moment and task at hand that you cannot see down the road?  Does it really have to be done that way?  Great leaders have specific visions and ideas however, they know that there other influences - ones that they cannot see that can make the difference in success.   It's good to take a take step back from action and control to see where life might take you.

1. Close your eyes
2. Breathe
3. Empty your mind
4. As thoughts come in, acknowledge and whisk them away
5. Focus on your breathing
6. Think about the affirmation:

"I will let go of rigidity to open myself up to new possibilities."

Focus On What You Can Control

We cannot direct the wind but we can adjust the sails. ~Author Unknown~

Great leaders only do what they are capable of doing.  There are many things in the world that you cannot control.  Stop trying.  You waste your talents and your energy.  Focus only on what you can control in your life.  First, begin with yourself.  Review each goal and decide what you can do in instead, instead of waisting precious energy on what you can't do.  Then take that step to do it.

1. Close your eyes
2. Breathe
3. Empty your mind
4. As thoughts come in, acknowledge and whisk them away
5. Focus on your breathing
6. Think about the affirmation:

"I will focus my efforts on the things I can control."

Act Instead of React

A leader or a man of action in a crisis almost always acts subconsciously and then thinks of the reasons for his action. ~Jawaharlal Nehru