A client once shared this with me … let me know if you can relate?

I sat down at my computer to do some writing for a report that was due at the end of the day – lots of time I though. Then I realized my coffee mug was empty. I went to the kitchen to make myself another cup. While I was in the kitchen, I loaded some dishes into the dishwasher and wiped down the cabinets. I headed back to my home office with my fresh mug of coffee and sat down at my computer again. It was time to write. So, I checked my Facebook. Then I checked Twitter. Then I responded to a few emails. I must focus! So, I opened the two documents I needed for the project I was writing on. Then I spent some time cleaning out my Twitter followers and reading some blog posts. Finally, I saw it was time to prepare supper. It was a busy day but I am not sure what I did all day or what I meant to do but I did a lot of things today, but I still have a lot to do.

Day after day, we often find ourselves overwhelmed, overworked, and not in control of our time. So we use "busyness" as a badge of honor. But the question is not are we “busy” (who isn’t), the question actually is – are we productive.

What is productivity ?

Creating good habits and untangling bad habits

so you can  achieve your outcome.

However, a real danger is that often our Habits can become Handcuffs – they are what can keep us where we are, and from where we want to be.

Yet here are two more truths:

     Everything worth doing has some sweat and hardwork involved!

     Everything worth reaching for is uphill with some kind of struggle.

So our habits are designed to take us Up Hill. But the question is do some of our habits in fact take us downhill?

Despite the ambition, commitment (and good intentions) we can find ourselves stuck in a rut and unable to move forward in achieving our goals. Often, the reason for this is that our habits are not in alignment with our goals.

Are your habits taking you uphill or downhill?  Not sure what I am talking about? Well take a listen to these episodes from our You Can Make It So Podcast

Episode 107 - Up Hill and Down Hill Habits

Episode 106 - Increase Capacity

I also encourage you to read our Blog posts on Time Management and Time Blocking. They are among some of the great tools we have available on our Make It So Platform

Preparation, engagement, understanding, knowledge, and planning are essential to success. I know, it’s obvious. But if these were easily incorporated into our habits, everyone would do them…  So.... newsflash: Everything doesn’t matter equally. Setting priorities is essential.

There are a lot of distractions in life and if we don’t have a system in place we can follow to filter that which is demanding our attention, that we can rely on as a framework, then we’re going to be, like my client in the opening story use to be  -  "busy" and not "productive".

Remember at Phoenix Life Coaching Canada we work with individuals and teams helping them lead with confidence and grow in clarity. Find out more about how we can help you personally and professionally - reach out today - Do not hesitate to Contact me

Remember - Great Leaders Don't Grow Alone

#Makeitso

I am often asked to speak to groups, or offer webinars, on such topics as conflict resolution, stress management, communication, work life balance and emotional intelligence. While all of these area fall under the umbrella of Personal growth, there are three things I try and keep in mind (and maybe you could too) especially as we continue to launch forth into 2024:

PERSONAL GROWTH REQUIRES US TO MOVE OUT OF OUR COMFORT ZONE.

I often like to say “staying put does not take us forward.”  Not growing does not help us to overcome obstacles. It does not lead to progress. You’ll never get anywhere interesting if you always stay put.

What does it take to get us to move out of our comfort zone and to move forward? Remember these two things:

Mistakes are not failures. They are proof that we are making an effort. When we understand that, we can more easily move out of our comfort zone, try something new, and improve.

Pressing Onward. The most common trait I have found in successful people is that they conquered the temptation to give up. Not being controlled by our feelings means that we can face our fears – an important part of growth.

PERSONAL GROWTH IS NOT SATISFIED WITH “QUICK FIXES.”

Everyone is looking for a quick fix. Personal growth doesn’t come to people who fixate on quick fixes. It comes to the slow but steady people who keep working at getting better. Shifting from quick fixes to continuous improvement means to follow the impulse to soar more than the desire to wallow – and to make that decision daily.

PERSONAL GROWTH IS A DAILY COMMITMENT.

It’s important for daily habits to have a daily touchpoint. Think about the things you keep close by. Would you wash your hands every day if the soap was three houses down? Would you remember to drink water if it was out of sight, and therefore out of mind? An activity I speak about often is the “Tomorrow Begins the Night Before”. Sort out your priorities and keep them close to you. Use whatever tools work most effectively for you. Our #Makeitso So Platform has over 100 tools and resources. Click here for more details.

This month on our You Can Make It So Podcast we have featured a few key episodes on Personal Growth:

Episode 105 - Tenacity

Episode 103 - The Dream Killer

Episode 102 - Strategy Matters - 3 Keys

Episode 101 - Being a Highly Productive Leader 

We also launched our 24 Books for 2024 year with two outstanding books:

Real Time Leadership - David Noble and Carol Kauffman

Executive Presence - Sylvia Ann Hewlett

Remember at Phoenix Life Coaching Canada we work with individuals and teams helping them lead with confidence and grow in clarity. Find out more about how we can help you personally and professionally - reach out today - Do not hesitate to Contact me

Remember - Great Leaders Don't Grow Alone

#Makeitso

Welcome to 2024, a brand new year brimming with potential and opportunity.

In these first few weeks of January, people are joining gyms, buying planners, and making bold claims of sweeping change in their New Year’s resolutions—a time-honored, but often fruitless tradition.

Unfortunately, the reasons people resist change, and why resolutions often fail, are nuanced and many. Some of us have a difficult relationship with change. Some don’t see their goals clearly enough. Some have trouble managing their priorities to make change happen. And for some, it’s a complicated mix of all three.

But for all the reasons they fail, there is one thing that all those who succeed have in common: commitment to a strategy.

The reality is this - When you’re interested in something, you do it only when it’s convenient. When you’re committed to something, you accept no excuses, only results.

If you want to experience transformation in the New Year, you must be committed – not merely interested. You must have a strategy not just a resolution. You must commit to habits not just a goal.

These four exercises will help you create that transformation:

1. Be Retrospective

How would others describe you? Would they say that overall you are a casual or a committed person? How about when it comes to the things that are important to you?

As you look at the change you wish to make is it rooted in your values? It’s difficult to develop commitment if you don’t see the fundamental reason for the change.

As you look at the change you wish to make are you willing to accept the cost? Every change has a cost both in success and also one to be paid for lack of commitment. The cost might be monetary, but often it is in time, access or other things you wanted or are doing. If you don’t devote yourself to the change you want to make, what will you forfeit? And on the other hand, if you accept the cost, what benefit will you gain?

2. Be Resolute

A standard of excellence motivates daily discipline. Think about the change you’re trying to make this New Year. How have you approached it in the past? Have you committed the kind of time, attention, and resources to it that will allow you to accomplish it with a high degree of excellence? Be resolute in your approach to it. Then use that experience to examine how you approach the rest of your year.

3. Be Resourceful

Change is uncomfortable, and commitment is almost always inconvenient. Plan ahead to ensure your follow-through. What is your strategy for winning the battle to stay committed to your goal?

Do you need inspiration or motivation? Think why you want to change, and keep reminders nearby to keep your resolution top-of-mind. Will accountability help you stay disciplined? Look for a coach to schedule weekly goal check-ins with you that will help you stay focused. Click here to find out more about One to One Coaching.

Use whatever tools work most effectively for you. Our #Makeitso So Platform has over 100 tools and resources. Click here for more details.

4. Be Open to Re Evaluating

Commitment may be the one thing that will make or break the change you want to create this year, but all commitment is, is daily management of one or a few critical decisions.

Have you already made a decision about what you will use this year to create? Ask yourself…

Do I know what daily disciplines and practices will help me bring about the change I want to accomplish this year?

Have I already made the decision to make and keep those commitments daily?

If I have, when did I make that decision?

What does that decision look like in practice?

As you review the above, I also want to encourage you to consider the Highly Productive Leader Challenge. It is a personalized 21 Day Challenge beginning January 5th that doesn’t create a resolution - but rather a Strategy.

The difference between goals that get realized, and goals that don’t, is the actualized presence or absence of a strategy and accountability.

Together we will ……

Master Your Time: Say farewell to distractions and hello to laser-focused clarity on your dreams and goals.

Feel Energized Again: Forget about feeling stressed out and exhausted. Spend each day energized and working toward what matters most.

Turn Your Goals into Reality: Ditch the endless to-do list that never get done. Start checking off your goals one by one—all without sacrificing time spent with family and friends.

Learn How to Kindly and Confidently Say No: No more saying yes to things you really don’t want to do or need to do.

Whether focusing on a healthier lifestyle, strengthening relationships, or achieving professional goals - hope, resolutions and determination will lead us there - but it is strategy and accountability that get us there!

You can sign up now.     BEFORE January 5th when registration closes.

Remember at Phoenix Life Coaching Canada we work with individuals and teams helping them lead with confidence and grow in clarity. Find out more about how we can help you personally and professionally - reach out today - Do not hesitate to Contact me

Wishing you a 2024 of Thriving!

Remember - Great Leaders Don't Grow Alone

     #Makeitso

Approaching year-end is like reaching the last few pages of an excellent book; there’s that bittersweet feeling where you’re excited to see how it ends but also sad that it’s almost over. That’s where we are in 2023—it just so happens that this is also the perfect time to reflect, learn, and plan. It is why we focussed this month of December on Refect, Refine and Ramp Up.

If December 2023 is like the bittersweet ending of a great book, then January 2024 represents the crisp blank pages of a book we’ve yet to write. Empty but overflowing with possibility.

We must recognize that it’s not always about taking giant leaps; often, the small steps have the greatest impact. It is discipline in Habits that add up, slowly but surely moving us closer to where we want to be.

Whether focusing on a healthier lifestyle, strengthening relationships, or achieving professional goals - hope, resolutions and determination will lead us there - but it is strategy and accountabilty that get us there!

This coming month our focus will be about learning lessons for future growth opportunities through a focussed 21 day period of strategy and accountabilty - our High Productive Leader Challenge.

The High Productive Leader Challenge will be limited in enrollment number with our Full Service Clients getting first spots. 

The difference between goals that get realized, and goals that don’t, is the actualized presence or absence of a strategy and accountabilty.

Our High Productive Leader Challenge is a personalized 21 Day Challenge begins January 5th (when all the hoopla of New Years is over) that takes the results of your Reflect, Refine and Ramp Up, and doesn’t create a resolution - but rather a strategy.

Imagine starting and finishing 2024 feeling ENERGIZED, AMBITIOUS, and on track to achieve your GOALS - you can sign up now.

Remember at Phoenix Life Coaching Canada we work with individuals and teams helping them lead with confidence and grow in clarity.

Find out more about how we can help you personally and professionally - reach out today - Do not hesitate to Contact me 

Wishing you a 2024 of Thriving!

Remember - Great Leaders Don't Grow Alone

#makeitso

 

Michael Jordan played 15 seasons in the NBA. But he only won 6 championships. Does that mean that the other nine seasons were failures? Absolutely Not!

There are days of success and days of struggle.

Some days we win, and the other days we learn!

Some days it’s your turn and some days it is someone else’s turn.

But every experience offers you a chance to learn lessons, re- evaluate goals and instill better habits. There is no day that is a failure.

The question should never be - Am I failing? The question should be am I improving?

With every set back or unmet expectation, am I getting better at what it will take to get me to where I want to be, so that the season I am in will be a championship season!

It is one of the reasons why I like “year end” - because it is a time to Reflect, Refine, and Ramp up, not from opposition found in an unmet objective, but toward the opportunity of a greater goal in the season ahead.

As you: wrap up 2023, how are you bringing your worth and value into 2024?

This is the time to Reflect, Refine, and Ramp up, not from opposition found in an unmet objective, but toward the opportunity of a greater goal in the season ahead.

That will be our focus this month in all our One to One Coaching sessions, and on our Podcast as we walk through these three steps toward ensuring you are ready for 2024:

Episode 97 - Reflect

Episode 98 – Refine

Episode 99 – Ramp Up

Remember at Phoenix Life Coaching Canada we work with individuals and teams helping them lead with confidence and grow in clarity.

Find out more about how we can help you personally and professionally - reach out today - Do not hesitate to Contact me 

 

Great Leaders Don’t Grow Alone

#makeitso

Well September has arrived. For good or bad that is true.

As sure as the leaves will soon change colours, and then fall from the trees, two things are also happening inside most of us. First a change of our own inner ‘colour’ or spirit, and second, possibly a falling of that same spirit. That spirit we call Motivation – and motivation is very challenging in September.

For some, September arrives and at first it rockets to the sky. We are excited for the resumption of routine, new projects, regular schedules, maybe even fuller co working spaces; we even get excited about waiting a little longer for the morning latte. The vibrancy energizes us. But for some soon that colour changes, and we begin to recall quiet, serene, more solo, less stressful days of fewer meetings, softer demands and even a relaxed pace.

For others, September comes like an anvil. Heavy, thunderous and bland. We accept ‘summer is over’ and maybe even recall the “Summer Bucket List” that did not get finished. Tasks at work become robotic, demands seem onerous and we find ourselves unmotivated or maybe even worse over whelmed, and what we saw value in before (e.g. going to the gym, talking to a mentor or advisor, or even quiet reading or journaling) quickly are dismissed as ‘yet another thing’.

Am I preaching to the choir here? Anybody saying “Amen”? Is this anyone out there with the same thoughts?

So what is one to do?

Well anyone who knows me knows I am big on habits and consistency, so you know I will recommend those, but I want to go a step further because habits and consistency without purpose are destined in time to become “just another thing.”

If you want to push past “The Autumn Yawn” as I like to call it, then it’s time to connect your habits and consistency with a personal philosophy that will push you in every season.

Developing your personal philosophy, is to look for those things that make the most difference in your life, and to spend most of your time doing those things. It isn’t a mystical process but a principle that can make a difference.

So here are few things to help discern that personal philosophy in a life giving manner.

Learn from Set Back

The best way to establish a personal philosophy is to objectively review the conclusions you’ve drawn about life. Any conclusion you’ve drawn that isn’t working for you, could be working against you.

This is done in three steps:

First, write down your personal experience. If you’re doing something wrong, evaluate what you did wrong and change things. If you are doing something right (and yes everyone does something right), then make those solid foundational pillars to build from. I encourage you strongly - keep a journal, it is your own handwritten transcript of experiences, ideas, desires and conclusions, and is one of the best guides for making good decisions. Writing tends to slow down the flow of information and gives us time to analyze and ponder the experience. Jot down what you learn. It’s the small disciplines that lead to great accomplishments. Check out this Journal as an option to get you started.

Second, use a format I call “Wins, Woes and Wants”.  In the time it takes you to order (or make) a coffee and drink it, (about 10-15 minutes), you simply scribe what went right (win), what you would have done differently (woe) and what you desired or still do (want) for either the day that passed or the previous day. Writing down your “Wins, Woes and Wants” daily is one of the best investments in your self you can make. Check out this Podcast episode to help you see why.

Third, seek an objective, outside voice about how you are and what you’re doing. An objective opinion from someone you respect can lead you to early and accurate information. Listen to the freshness of an outside voice—someone who can see the forest and isn’t lost in the trees. If I can help with that reach out to me

Observe Others

Since the inception of my podcast “You Can Make It So”, I have made it a goal to have guests to help me and listeners learn from their journey. So far 15 in total have come on. I even dedicate an entire season to it called “The Summer of Success”. Why do I do this? Well because it is crucial to your own personal philosophy (not to mention growth) to study and learn from other people.

Study from people who do well. Each of us should be in a constant search for people we admire and respect and whose behavior we can model. It’s far better to deliberately choose the people we will permit to influence us than to allow bad influences to affect us without our own awareness.

Learn from those who have failed. We do this not to gloat, but to observe the error prompt in their life to ensure they are not current conduct in ours waiting to be replicated.

One of the ways I study and learn from others, is through reading. It is why I established our annual book campaign – here are the last two – aptly 22 Books for 2022 and 23 Books for 2023

Set your Sail

One major unfulfilled “Summer Bucket List” item for me was to get back to sailing. It is a hobby in the past I have enjoyed and found ever so relaxing.

We all have experienced the winds of disappointment, despair and discouragement, but why do people arrive at such different places at the end of the journey? Have we not all sailed upon the same sea?

The major difference isn’t circumstance; it’s the set of the sail, or the way we think—it’s what we do after we’ve set our sails and the wind decides to change direction. We have to struggle to our feet and reset the sail in a manner that will steer us in the direction of our own deliberate choice. The set of the sail, or how we think and how we respond, has a far greater capacity to determine outcome than any challenges we face.

So tackle the “The Autumn Yawn”  - yes with habits and consistency, but even more so with a personal philosophy that will push you in every season.  

#letsgetafterit #makeitso

For the past several days the picture above has been my “working office”. It is at the JW Marriott at Lake Rosseau in Muskoka where I have hung my hat (or better said - rested my feet). I have some business interests there so it is a good time to check in, and yes full disclosure, some phone calls and client check ins do happen when I am here, but most of all, it has been a place of quiet retreat for me for almost a decade. I go up occasionally – and with that view – wish it was often. (may be one day). This week away has been exceptionally regenerative.

During my time away, I celebrated a few milestones, but most of all looked back on memories. I am so grateful for this chapter in my life and for the clients I get to work with. Each day (literally), I think about them and their accomplishments, their aspirations and their acceleration toward thriving with a #Makeitso mindset. 

Whether it is the start-ups that I coach, or the three trades businesses, two food retailers, the automotive supplier, the insurance industry leader or the national corporate teams I serve as a trusted advisor to – all of them – to me are more than clients – they are friends - whom I want to see succeed and one day enjoy this view with me. It has been a very positive year for all of them with several hitting income milestones, others being on the verge of major deals, and still others setting the stage for an exciting next chapter.

My profession is so satisfying. I help others succeed - one person, one problem, one promise at a time. It is challenging at times, yes, after all no road is without speed bumps or pot holes, but it is rewarding when you see others looking at the view of thriving due to their hard work, not in the distance, but within their reach.

I am so deeply grateful to my family who have supported me, cherished friends who keep me grounded, to my team of collaborators who encourage me, and to colleagues from past chapters who check in on me to offer encouragement, sage advice and even just some humour along the way.

As the summer begins to set, and the signs of Fall begin to rise – where does your gratitude evolve from, and where can you generate your focus for the next chapter? As we like to say #letsgetafterit and #makeitso

Leadership In A Changing Workplace is the theme of this year’s “Summer of Success Series” on the You Can Make It So Podcast. So far we have welcomed

Phil Simon, in his book ⁠The Nine: The Tectonic Forces Reshaping the Workplace,⁠ takes a look at A.I., Chat GPT and workplace change - why and what business leaders should do about it. Take a listen

Michael Lenox, is the author of Strategy in the Digital Age- Mastering DigitalTransformation  and he leads us through a practical examination of problems and solutions. Listen here

Joe Tolzmann from Vancouver, BC is driven by principles of success as he builds Rocket Plan Technology . Arriving as a new Canadian Joe encountered hurdles, but overcame them to Thrive! I encourage you to listen to this interview  

Norm Bacal has written a great book "Never Stop" which helps to overcome the fear of making decisions, and navigate the next steps. The Summer of Success continues with this episode - take a listen

In the month of August we will welcome –

Mark Mears - Best-Selling Author, Keynote Speaker, Consultant, Mentor, and Visionary Business Leader with brands such as PepsiCo/Pizza Hut, McDonald’s, Frito-Lay, JCPenney, NBC/Universal and The Cheesecake Factory. His bestselling book, The Purposeful Growth Revolution: 4 Ways to Grow from Leader to Legacy Builder  - leads us to discover his focus now is on Legacy.  Listen here

Dr Jeffrey Hull who serves as the Executive Director of the Institute of Coaching and the author of a tremendous book called Flex: The Art and Science of Leadership in a Changing World   Listen to Episode 81 here!

Larry Hagner - founder of the Dad Edge  - who will invite us to Live Legendary

You can find all of our episodes on Spotify and our website – phoenixlifecoachingcanada.com.

There is no doubt that the workplace is going through a period of tremendous change right now. Many leaders and business owners, after responding out of necessity to having their employees work remotely, are now adapting to make the change to remote work permanent, while other businesses are shifting to permanent hybrid work models in an effort to meet employees’ demands for more work-life balance and flexibility.

Some leaders are ‘going along with it’, while others are struggling. Many of us resist change — especially when we have established ourselves in a certain way. But embracing change can be positive for yourself, your company and your employees. I will speak on this during Episode 80 of our Podcast this month.

As a leader, embracing change, and not being stuck, will ultimately help you become a more versatile leader and in time an overall stronger leader.

Over the next few weeks in this Blog, I look forward to sharing some personal insights on Leadership, in fact this Fall, I will be doing a series on the Virtues of Leadership and also share some hints on two spectacular guests who we will be featuring this Fall on the Podcast.

If we can help you here at Phoenix Life Coaching Canada to develop long-term solutions and drive your personal success and professional success - do not hesitate to Contact us and by the way check out our #Makeitso Platform as well as so many other features including tools like our #Makeitso Journal, some of our 23 Books for 2023, 

#letsgetafterit #makeitso

 

I tend to encounter two types of entrepreneurs in my work as an Executive Coach, those who “chase cash” and those who “seek revenue”. Now before you think it is the same thing, or that is too simplistic or even judgemental, hear me out a little as I try and demonstrate the difference and the characteristics that each provides. I have come to see that one is about ‘surviving today’ and the other about ‘thriving tomorrow’. To illustrate let’s give you some frameworks.

First, people generally become an entrepreneur for several reasons: to be their own boss, to provide a unique service based on their skillset or passion, to offer a unique product that meets a need in the market, to experience financial freedom, or just because they can’t work for somebody else anymore. I am sure there are other reasons, but that is a good start.

Second, when people get started at something, sure they ‘just do it”. They take whatever work they can and keep the bank balance positive. However, over time, as they ‘figure it out”, they begin to decide what they want, who they want to serve, and why they are doing what they are doing. And that is when the rubber hits the road - they can “chase cash” or “seek revenue”.

If they choose “chase cash” then they enter the endless olympics of “doing it all”. They say “yes” to the most pressing or most lucrative option before them, they get it done (eventually without a sense of service as it becomes “a task to get done”), they forget why they became an entrepreneur (if they ever really took time to ask themselves), and eventually their “word” means little, their reputation means less, their staff and client turnover is high, their relationships are strained, and the only thing that is actually happening is they are growing tired from all the chasing.

All of that does not happen overnight. Actually at first “chasing cash” seems successful. At first you are “busy”, your phone is ringing, and your calendar is full. But slowly you also sense yourself pulled in every direction. You are reacting, not deciding. But there is “cash”, so it must be alright. But soon the pace of “just do it” and “yes to everything” catches up to you because you cannot keep up with it. Anxiety increases, your reputation wobbles, details fall through the cracks, and envisioning tomorrow is replaced with surviving today.

Now, those who “seek revenue”, are deciding a different pathway. Yes they want “cash”, but they are deciding there is a calmer (albeit at times slower) way to get it. They chose “productive” vs “busy” and they begin by asking a few “who” questions before they embark upon “do”.

They ask themselves “who” they want to be known as, “who” do they want to best serve, “who” do they want people saying they are. Taking time to ask the “who” questions defines your lane in the race you are about to enter, and enables you to begin to “seek revenue” for the long term. Let me illustrate this for you.

If you discern you want to get into landscaping, you set forth ….. you obtain the equipment, set up a website, put your name on the truck and just knock on every door until someone says yes. Not a bad start, and one most entrepreneurs can relate to.

After the first yes, you seek the second yes, and so on and so on. With each yes, a different job. One person wants a lawn cut, another wants flower beds pruned, a third wants bushes trimmed. All are “cash” and so all get a “yes”. As the seasons change someone asks: “do you shovel snow?”, “do you trim trees?”, “can you gather leaves?” They all get a “yes”. After all, you tell yourself, it’s all landscaping and that is what I “do”, and it keeps the bank balance healthy. Again, nothing bad here. After all, it’s the start.

Eventually someone asks about a paved walked way, another inquires about a pool installation, and before you know it you have lots to “do”, and it all fits “landscaping”. It is good, you are ‘busy’ and the bank balance looks good. You are hustling and you are landscaping everything you can. But then, the first three call back, and still want their lawn, flower beds and bushes done. Now comes the moment… will you chase the cash or will you begin to “seek revenue”?

At first, you say, ‘good problem to have’, and you hire someone to do the smaller job in your name in the short term, or even “get the smaller job done when you can”, but the problem will expand and repeat. Lots of little jobs, and a growing number of larger jobs. You are pulled and streched and you do not want to "say no" or turn away work. Maybe you will get smaller jobs done, get fast "cash" and enable yourself to do larger ones, but, what if the larger ones go elsewhere. So you "chase cash" and keeping saying yes to everything and "busy" becomes your bumper sticker!

Sooner or later, however, you have to decide what will guide you, “the job (“do”) of the day” or “the vision (“who”) of tomorrow”? You see the “do” is motivated by cash, the “who” is powered by revenue.

The “who” is about knowing your values, your priorities, envisioning your larger expression of getting it done. It is about knowing when to say “not yet” or maybe even “not anymore”, and when to “yes now”.

It is about defining the “do” by discerning the “who”: having a ‘rally cry” to guide, the right team to assist you, a sense of where you add value to propel you, and determination to ‘stay in your lane” as you seek revenue not only to survive today, but a better tomorrow. Doing this helps you respond, not react. Serve not just finish. Accomplish with pride, not just complete with sweat.

Too often, entrepreneurs are afraid to ask “who” questions and just keep deciding to be about “do”, but the pace gets you and “busy” bites you. Worst of all, you ‘loose” yourself. If you came into being an entrepreneur “to serve” you lose that and “just get it done”. You begin to resent the phone ringing, the client calling, the supplier seeking. You are tired of chasing. As I said before, busy bites you. Productive motivates you.

When productive is your motivator, then you see purpose, keep perspective and are focussed on principle. Your name matters, your quality counts and your vision is soundly not on accomplish, but achieve! 

Take a listen to this Podcast episode I did on “who” before “do” and consider working with an Executive Coach to help you discern your “who”. You can learn a bit about me and what I do here.

I am sure you will agree “seeking” is a lot less strenuous than “chasing”, and “productive” sounds so much better than “busy”.  #letsgetafterit #makeitso

 

“BlackBerry”  the Movie, released on May 12, 2023, tells the story of Mike Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie, the two men that charted the course of the spectacular rise and catastrophic demise of the world's first smartphone.

“BlackBerry” pays close attention to the details of what happened and explains important moments without being condensing. At the same time, it treats the characters and events with a scriptic freedom. But what struck me, as I watched the movie, as probably one of the last Blackberry owners in the theatre that day, was it reminds us that too many people and companies cling to a calcified long-term strategy completely confident that things will improve with just a little more time for the strategy to unfold. 

One of the reasons I hear most often, as I coach executives, business owners and individuals, for this hesitation to change or progress is the confusion between certainty and clarity. 

When making a decision, we reach certainty when we have all the necessary information available to us and know the best choice for us, beyond any reasonable doubt. Needless to say, certainty is rare.

In contrast, clarity comes when we know what information we have at our disposal, we know what degree of uncertainty we are working with, and we have a sense of the best choice. Rather than giving us perfect confidence, clarity simply points us toward the best decision based on the incomplete information we have.

Knowing this distinction is important – because it helps us Avoid Decision Paralysis

Imagine you’re lost and reach a fork in the road. You can turn left or right, and you have little reason to know which way to go. Certainty is impossible—you probably won’t realize which direction is correct just by sitting at the intersection waiting for an epiphany. Clarity, however, is achievable; simply accept that you cannot know which way to go and pick a direction as best you can based on the reasoned information you have at that moment.

If you can summon the will to choose, you’ll discover that, once you’re moving, you may see a landmark, road sign, or some other indication of whether you made the right turn. Plus, you can always change course later if you realize you’ve picked the wrong direction.

Achieving certainty often requires more information than we have available. And, in many cases, the worst thing we can do is avoid deciding until we are certain we are right - that is Decision Paralysis. Instead, we have to gain clarity based on what we know, and what we don’t.

No one wants to be proven wrong. But, in many cases, being unwilling to make and commit to a decision is more damaging than making the wrong decision and course-correcting later.

Plus, being wrong, and learning from that mistake, helps us make better choices in the future. The path clarity gives us isn’t always straight, but it is often better than staying frozen in a paralysis at a decision point, waiting for certainty.

The movie Blackberry reminds us of the company that reshaped the telecommunications landscape is destroyed seemingly overnight by the advent of the iPhone, a development that catches Blackberry totally off guard. If you’re looking for an easy answer as to how that happened, BlackBerry doesn’t have one for you. It boils down to hubris yes, but also the inability to be prepared for the next evolution of the technology they innovated because they wanted  certainty over clarity and gave into Decision Paralysis.

The last few episodes of our podcast "You Can Make It So", encourage you to consider the value of Agile Decision Making - a method that helps avoid Decision Paralysis and to filter certainty over clarity 

 

Episode 66 got us started with adefinition of clarity and how to avoid Decision Paralysis. It gave us a peak into the elements of Agile Decision-Making

Episode 67  we unpacked the elements of Agile Decision-Making

Episode 68 asked are you always running out of time, feeling overwhelmed or stressed out by an endlessto-do list? Does this shake your confidence & make you doubt your clarity, let alone certitude, in what you should do next?

Episode 69   One of the most challenging elements to Thriving is having the confidence to do so. As we continue to pathway to a better understanding of clarity and certitude, and growing in Agile Decision Making, let's tackle the need to understand that Confidence comes from experience.

Episode 70 - You might have Clarity. You may have Certitude. You may possess Confidence, but do you have Courage?  As we finish our understanding of Agile Decision Making, find out in this episode.

 

We also have a great Masterclass on Time Blocking - a great tool that leads to higher productivity. This tool will equip you with a roadmap for success. Take control of your family time and your professional time will reap the benefits. For more information contact us 

If we can help you here at Phoenix Life Coaching Canada to develop long-term solutions and drive your personal success and professional success - do not hesitate to Contact us.

One of the ways we do that is with Full Service Coaching – which gives you not only one to one coaching with me, but also access to our #Makeitso Platform with over 100 tools, articles, masterminds and resources to help you, free access (including unlimited replays) to our Group Coaching Masterminds and lets you be part of our Facebook Group as well as so many other features including tools like our #Makeitso Journal, some of our 23 Books for 2023, our Summit in the Spring and so much more. If your are not a member of Full Service Coaching - it’s time to join

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