Boutique Thinking

Fear and Perspective

2010-04-16T08:45:00.000-07:00

"Perspective is an antidote to fear. Most things you fear will never happen, and even if they do, you can handle it."

A friend of mine told me that life doesn't begin until you are at the edge of your comfort zone.
Now, depending on where your comfort zone is, this can be a scary proposition.
Start a new business?
Expand?
Let someone go?

Another wise mentor of mine suggests the following: "Pause when agitated."
When necessary, ask someone for their perspective.
You'll find that any fear you may have is really false.
This doesn't mean you will eliminate fear in your life (business or personal).
It does mean that you can have a better understanding of what it is you face and then you can make a conscious choice to move forward and grow.

Get perspective. You'll be glad you Just Did IT!

Making Course Corrections to reach your goals

2010-04-15T07:40:00.000-07:00

"Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it."
- George Santayana

Whether in business, relationships, parenting or in sports, we all make mistakes.
The question is can you let it go and make the adjustments?

Those of you who have taken part of a Just Did It training workshop know that one of my rules is playing at 100% of your ability.
The rule also states that it is SAFE to make mistakes.
It is safe to make mistakes as long as we CORRECT THEM QUICKLY.

In a book called Bringing Out The Best in Others, the author talks about how a kindergarten teacher tells her students that a mistake is a "learning take."
I totally agree!

Those of us with drive, have goals. We may stumble on our way there.
As my good friend and mentor Jeff "fISH" Fisher of Elite Performance Centers states:
Persistence and Determination are Omnipotent.

We have experiences that allow us to learn from our past, make course corrections and keep moving forward. I've watched athletes at Elite get prepared for contests and athletic endeavors that would blow your mind. Jeff and the Elite team are constantly making the appropriate "course corrections" to help their clients reach their goals.

Conclusion: It's like an auto-pilot on an airplane. We are never really on a perfect straight line. Course corrections are constant.
Make a "shoulder check" to the past (don't stare at it), view your goal ahead (are you on the right course?), if not, make the course correction. If you were off course, big deal, you are now back on track!

Now get out there and make it happen!

You'll be glad you Just Did It!

Give and Gain

2010-04-13T09:12:00.000-07:00

Negative energy is out there.
Life will always send different challenges our way.
The key is how we respond to these challenges.

One of the best ways to get out of a negative funk is to give.
Giving doesn't have to be a financial donation.
Time, listening to a friend, advice (when asked of course), mentoring, a compliment.

These are all excellent examples of ways to give.
The interesting thing that happens when you truly give, you gain. You can instantly bring yourself back to the positive energy side of the scale.

Take the time to give today. To an employee, a friend, a loved one or a client.

You'll be glad you Just Did IT!

Time

2010-04-12T08:52:00.000-07:00

"Time = Life. Therefore, waste your time and waste of your life, or master your time and master your life."~ Alan Lakein

Do the "do things" consistently and you will achieve greatness.

You'll be glad you Just Did It!

Pressure, Tension and Disciplne

2010-04-08T09:29:00.000-07:00

"You never will be the person you can be if pressure, tension and discipline are taken out of your life."

James G. Bilkey
Author

Make a point of maintaining your habits for success.

You'll be glad you Just Did It!

Tough Times: Call for advice

2010-04-06T07:19:00.001-07:00

Let's face it: Life has its ups and downs.
So does business.
And both your business and personal lives can easily get intertwined.

You're never alone unless you decide to be.

When things get tough, do yourself a favor: Call a mentor, friend or associate.
Get advice or simply vent.

You'll be glad you Just Did It!

Optimism

2010-03-31T06:41:00.000-07:00

"An optimist is one who sees opportunity in every difficulty. A pessimist is one who sees difficulty in every opportunity."
Educator, L.P.Jacks

What steps are you taking right now to find opportunity in what you are doing?

Maximize the opportunities that are staring at you right now!

You'll be glad you Just Did It!

Consistency: Even on Holidays

2010-03-30T13:34:00.000-07:00

Boutique Thinking is understanding that small is truly BIG.
Boutique Thinking takes into account that THOUGHTS BECOME THINGS.

I'm blogging today, not because I have to. It's because I WANT TO.

The same goes for exercise. I've trained or done activity every day.
Consistency: Even on Holidays.

Thoughts become things.

What are you thinking? Are you thinking BIG enough?
Even if you are an Army of ONE, we can accomplish what others call "impossible".

Want health, fitness, performance?
Then be consistent with your training. Even on holidays.

Want to grow your business?
Recharge your batteries. Spend quality time with those you care about. Rest up. Have fun. Take in the sun. Go to Disneyland.
(That's what holidays are about.)

Maintain your physical health during your holidays while you recharge your mental and spiritual energy.

You'll be glad you Just Did IT! (And you'll be back in action like the leader and champion that you are!)

Focus

2010-03-25T18:06:00.000-07:00

Boutique Thinking requires us to focus our thinking on what's important:

"Quality rather than appearance, ethics rather than rules.
Integrity rather than domination.
Knowledge rather than achievement."
-Wayne Dyer

Take the time to Focus your energies on what is really important and your business will grow.

You'll be glad you Just Did It!

Work, Love, Play

2010-03-23T06:52:00.000-07:00

"Work, love and play are the great BALANCE wheels of man's being."

-Orison Swett Marden

Boutique Thinkers strive for their goals with their work, make the time to prioritize the quality time with those they love and take the time to rest and play when the body and mind needs it.

Make your schedule effective (not just efficient).

You'll be glad you Just Did IT!

I Appreciate You

2010-03-22T14:58:00.000-07:00

The Boutique Thinker knows that subtle "small" changes can make a HUGE difference.

Case in point.
What has more power in the following statement:

I appreciate it. or I appreciate you.

Amazing how a small shift in our thinking can produce such a massive result.
Try the above statement with your clients, colleagues, friends and family.
You'll be applying Boutique Thinking
And

You'll be glad you Just Did It!

Communication

2010-03-19T06:23:00.000-07:00

"There are no misunderstandings; there are only failures to communicate."
Senegalese Proverb

Your action for today is to think of a misunderstanding you recently had and look at the part you played in it.

You'll be glad you Just Did IT!

Be part of an ELITE NATION

2010-03-17T06:53:00.000-07:00

The word Boutique elicits the following definitive words:
-Specialized
-Superior service
-Customer Care
-Attention to Details
-Performance
-Excellence in Execution

When it comes to my personal fitness and performance training, I don't train at a "big box" gym.
I train at Elite Performance.
They are Boutique Thinkers in a big box world.
My training and fitness are at an all time high. (Better than when I was in my 20's)

How bad do you want it for your health? Your business? You life?
Are you willing to do what it takes to win in your game of life?
What I've learned repeatedly at Elite Performance is it's not only about me.
The energy is very special in this place. EVERYONE, staff and members alike, are all out to help each other get to the next level.

Embrace Boutique Thinking in a Big Box World and you will embrace the ELITE NATION!

You'll be glad you Just Did It!

Disciplined

2010-03-15T21:58:00.000-07:00

Boutique Thinking is more than "thinking".

It's about consistent ACTION.

Are you surrounding yourself with the right people?
Do you have a strong team?
How about accountability partners or mentors?

Do you have the DISCIPLINE to put into CONSISTENT PRACTICE the processes (aka systems) of success in your business and your life?

The common denominator of all successful Boutique Thinkers is disciplined practice.

The Boutique Thinkers I'm talking about work hard, consistently and persistently.
They are consistent in the practice of success strategies (whether at work or at home).

If you are not as successful as you'd like to be in a certain area of your life, look at your practices.
Make it a point to be disciplined in your drive to excellence. Then become a mentor to someone else in that same area! (instant accountability!)

You'll be glad you Just Did It!

Think From The END

2010-03-12T06:26:00.000-08:00

Make a difference in the lives of your customers and those around you.

Here's a piece that resonates with Boutique Thinking:

"Knowing how we want to be remembered also allows us to make a strategic plan for our lives. How much wiser would our choices be if we had the wisdom and discipline to regularly ask ourselves whether all the things we do and say are taking us where we want to be at the end?

In a sense, we write our eulogies by the choices we make every day."

Michael Josephson

Make your choices with the end in mind.

You'll be glad you Just Did It!

Make Quick Corrections

2010-03-10T06:39:00.000-08:00

In Just Did It training workshops, I make it clear that it is "safe" to make mistakes as long as we correct them quickly.

"It is important to acknowledge a mistake instantly, correct it, and learn from it. That literally turns a failure into a success. Success is on the far side of failure."

T.J. Watson
1874-1956, Founder if IBM

Every Master was once a disaster according to Harv Eker. And I would agree. Be open to continuous learning, at any age or time of your life. Make mistakes along the way, correct them quickly.

You be glad you Just Did It!

Action Quotes

2010-03-08T06:20:00.000-08:00

"The principle is competing against yourself. It's about self improvement, about being better than you were the day before."~ Steve Young

"It's your attitude, not just your aptitude, that determines your ultimate altitude. " ~ Zig Ziglar

"If you go the easy route, life will be hard. If you take the hard route, life will be easy." - JM

Get you there and make a difference!
You'll be glad you Just Did It!

Are you Competing or are you sitting on the bench?

2010-03-05T06:40:00.000-08:00

Boutique Thinking in a Big Box World is about making choices.

Not just in your business. In your everyday life.

Are you making the choice to thrive or survive?

Are you PRACTICING new strategies to grow your personal, physical, spiritual and business life?

Many people "say" they will do things.....one day.

The concept of Just Did It is this: Think from the end. See yourself as who you want to be and enjoy the journey NOW, in this moment.

You'll be glad you Just Did IT!

Are you Training?

2010-03-03T11:51:00.000-08:00

There is an unmistakable force that resides in all of us.
It's called complacency.
This force can keep up within our "comfort zones" for too long and allow bad habits to creep in.

The question is: "Are you training?"

Are you pushing you body, your spirit, your business to new levels?

T.Harv Eker says it this way: "How you do ANYTHING is how you do EVERYTHING."

Train hard!

You'll be glad you Just Did IT!

Gold Medal Performance

2010-03-01T10:11:00.001-08:00

Putting in a Gold Medal performance in any endeavor takes hard work.
Boutique Thinking isn't about taking the easy way out or thinking small.
It is the understanding that quality relationships take time to build and nurture, just like a gold medal performance.
Are you doing what it takes to put into practice the things needed to build quality relationships for your business to help it grow?
Are you appreciative of those who help you?
What steps are you taking DAILY to give back?

Consider doing the "do" things on a daily basis that help your quality relationships grow.

You'll be glad you Just Did It!

Make Sacrifices

2010-02-25T16:41:00.000-08:00

''Don't quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion.''
- Muhammad Ali

You'll be glad you Just Did It!

Your Energy Speaks to Others

2010-02-22T08:58:00.000-08:00

One of the rules from one of my favorite writers is:

ALWAYS DO YOUR BEST

It sounds simple.
Yet, some days, you may not have had enough sleep. Or there may be a personal issue that has taken you out of balance or you may have a cold or..... (there's always an "or" by the way)
The point is to Always do your best.
Your energy and emotions will either affect or infect those around you.

What kind of energy are you giving to others?

Always do your best.

You'll be glad you Just Did It!

Advice

2010-02-18T11:53:00.000-08:00

Advice. Plenty of people are ready to give it to you for free.
This doesn't mean it's the best advice.

Boutique Thinking requires sourcing good mentors.
Asking questions and being able to bounce things off what I call: "Trusted Advisers."

What's great about a Trusted Adviser is they are willing to be mentors for nothing.
It is through the interchange of positive energy and ideas that great things happen.

Find a mentor and better yet, be open to becoming one!

You'll be glad you Just Did It!

Check and Change Plans When Necessary

2010-02-17T07:15:00.000-08:00

The great thing about Boutique Thinking is you are totally allowed to change your plans.
Big Box thinkers can't react like we can.
Change for them is slow and arduous.

For the Boutique Thinker, we can change our plans and strategies and implement them NOW.
Here's the cool part.
If it doesn't work: Change the plan NOW!

Big Box can't do that due to inflexibility. When it's time to make changes for them, it's too late and they sink.

Stay light, stay fast and agile. Follow your purpose and change your plans when you have to.
(It's totally OK. Nobody's going to judge you!)

You'll be glad you Just Did It!

Dream BIG

2010-02-15T11:46:00.000-08:00

A colleague of mine recently sent me a message.

He pushed me to dream bigger than I am currently.
He urged me to make even bigger goals for 2010 and commit to them.
Take on more to make a difference, to have more fun and to make sure that my time here is well spent and full-on worth it.

It made me really think. Am I helping as many people as I can?
Is there more than I can do?

Is there more that you can do?
Are you pushing your limits and helping others do the same?

Take the time to think about that...

You'll be glad you Just Did It!