Karl with a K

Plan Better This Year

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 25 Oct 2016 05:26:00 +0000

Plan Better This Year

3 Mistakes Busy Professionals Make When Planning Their Year

As an executive coach and accountability partner for entrepreneurs and executives who want to improve how they lead, I see a lot of dysfunction. Working with productive and effective companies that thrive can be inspiring. Well-meaning but busy professionals are firing on all cylinders throughout the year, giving it everything they’ve got to accomplish their business goals. What's heartbreaking, is the number of professionals who give-it-their-all at the office and then have nothing left for anyone else or themselves.

Of course, the office does have one big incentive; they pay you. Still, it can feel like the other areas of your life only receive a promissory note from you. Why? Because you are deferring your dreams. Again.

I am Karl Bimshas, the founder, and owner of Karl Bimshas Consulting; an independent, leadership development and accountability firm built for busy professionals who want to manage better and lead well. Focused in the areas of leadership development and career management, I use astute insights to help new leaders and leaders in transition, to improve their self-management and team-leadership capabilities.

Candidly, I’ve seen many high-performers at work, screw up their personal planning in the other areas of their life. Many simply don’t think to use their skills to plan outside of the office, or if they do; they find a way to sabotage themselves. As a result, they typically feel dismayed and despondent during the holidays and the first part of the new year. I’d like to help turn that tide. It would help if people put as much thought into their personal values, purpose or aspirations as they do their shopping lists. If you had built a plan for your life a year ago, how much better would you be feeling right now?

Can you imagine what the world would be like if everyone had a personal success plan? Well, we’ve got to start somewhere.

I've seen three mistakes that keep busy professionals from making better personal plans. In this guide, I’ll describe those mistakes and offer suggestions on how to avoid making them yourself.

Mistake 1 - Ignoring Your Values and Purpose

Where do values come from? You know your thoughts drive your values, your values drive your beliefs, your beliefs drive your attitude, and your attitude drives your behavior. That is not a linear model; it is cyclical. Your behavior, in turn, drives your thoughts and so on and so forth. If you wanted to change your behavior, you’d need to change your attitude. If you want to change your beliefs, you’ll have to change your values.

Changing your values is heady stuff. It is possible though it takes time. Values are personal. They are enduring, and they are self-selected. Other people cannot instill their values in you, although they try. Your values are your values. They are enduring because; you’ll have already tested them. You’ve been with them for a while and have determined which ones fit with you, and which ones you reject. Whether you know it or not, you are selecting what you value. What if you want to know, and not simply accept them by default? How do you find them?

Take a look at your calendar and your checkbook. It is another way of saying priorities. Where you are spending your time and where you are spending your money is an indication of what you value. As a quick exercise, take a look at those two things, even over the last week, though it is better if you can go back a couple of weeks or months. Look at where you've been spending your time. Obviously, much of it is going to be at work, or school, or with children, which are in themselves a demonstration of values.

How much money are you spending on various hobbies, interest, or people? Those also give you an indication of what you value. Take a look and see how you feel about what you discover.

Influence Cycle

Many people have no idea what their values are. They cannot readily express them because they have not given them much thought. When I ask them, they say things like honesty, their health, and integrity. All that is great, though I look at those as the prerequisite for being a contributing member of society. They are important, but I would like to assume everybody has those as a baseline, even though we know that is sometimes not true.

Specifically which values do you want? In my practice, I take people through an exercise; that you can do an abbreviated form of on your own. Find a bunch words, I start with 425, and run through them and find the ones that speak to you. Examples include; attentiveness, balance, boldness, bravery, concern, comfort, diligence, efficiency, ease, freedom, gratitude, joy; you get the idea. Pick any number of these words, which tend to be nouns. I start my clients out with 425 of them, which is quite a bit, so we narrow the list down. After the first go around they usually still have quite a few remaining. We try to reduce it down to no more than 16 words that express the values that they find important.

I then put them through a tournament, kind of like March Madness. We pit words against each other until we get down to eight. Then again to get to the Final Four. Many people have trouble with this. “We’ll gee,” they say, “I have these two values, and they're both important to me.” First, none of this is written in stone; you can change the words around, or combine a few that are similar in meaning. You can even make up your own word if you want. They are your values. At the end of the exercise, you end up with four. Any more than four is too much; you will not pay attention to them, and that is how people sabotage their year. By not paying attention to their values, and things that are important to them.

Next, rank the final four in priority order.

Some people protest, “Well, they're all important; otherwise they wouldn't be my values.” Correct. Life is about values conflict. For example, somebody values honesty, and he or she also value family. At some point, there is going to be a situation where they are going to have to choose between honesty and family. For example; should they call in sick when they’re not, in order to spend much-needed time with their family? Or, do they leave their family at Disneyland because they made a commitment to a work situation, and they will not lie their way out of meeting that obligation?

There will always be value conflicts. You want to know what your values are and rank them so that you can make better decisions. That is ultimately what going through and understanding your values is all about. So that you are crafting your year, your months, your week, your day, and making better decisions based on values that you picked. Then, you are working toward your life, not somebody else’s.

“I don’t know what my purpose is.”

When I ask people is, “What’s your purpose?” many shrug, because they do not give it much thought. In fact, the desire to answer that question is why many people choose to start their engagement with Karl Bimshas Consulting.

I have a library of exercises that help people discover or uncover their purpose. Personally, I think everybody is exposed to his or her purpose early in life, through a combination of experiences between nature and nurture. Very few have the cognitive ability to recognize it at a young age, so their job is to uncover bits and pieces of it throughout their life.

Here's one exercise to try. It typically takes an hour, but this will give you a sense of one of the ways you can draw your purpose out I use the terms purpose, mission, and operating principle interchangeably. For me, there is an indiscernible difference.

Frequently a mission statement is that document that too many companies spend lots of time creating at a retreat, as though they were crafting national legislation. After much squabbling and debate over the meaning and grammar, they frame their words and then hang them on a wall near the front door, where it helps collect dust.

What a shame.

Although it does take time and reflection, crafting a mission statement should not consume you or your resources. The same principle holds true when crafting a personal mission statement, or if you prefer, your operating principle or purpose.

Many people do not have an operating principle that acts as a guiding force in their lives. As a result, they tend to live by accident or whim instead of on purpose.

This exercise will help form an early draft of your personal mission statement. Your mission will change over time, but not necessarily dramatically. You will continually refine and define it to fit your life experiences and goals more accurately. This is good. Remember, this exercise is designed to get you to begin thinking about your life. From that, you can build a better plan for your year.

Step One - List your strengths and characteristics.

Browse through a thesaurus or a dictionary. My clients use the Mission to Mantra Workbook I provide. Find words that are strengths of yours that you absolutely know you possess. These are words that when you hear them, you smirk a little. I wouldn’t call it a smugness, but there is that confident piece of you that says, “Yeah, you're right. I’ve got this.”

Examples of these words include; bravery, courage, competence, customer service, grace, dignity, hopefulness, justice, and wit. List the strengths that you know you undisputedly possess.

Step Two - List the ways you effectively and positively interact with people.

Similar to the word culling from step one, except this time find words that illustrate how you effectively and positively interact with others. Think about how you influence people in a positive way? What is it that you end up doing? This is not throwing a temper tantrum and pouting to get your way. These are the ways that you positively interact with people to win them over to your point of view.

Examples include; analyze, caring, creative, direct, listen, playful, repair. Think about how you positively interact with people and jot down a few that come to mind.

Step Three - Describe your ideal world.

Assume there were no constraints to achieve what you want, and anything was possible. People spend a lot of time on this. Don’t. Invest maybe three or five minutes. What is it you would want for the world if you had no constraints; no financial barriers, no relationship issues, no complaints, and no resource issues?

If that’s too far reaching for you, consider what your ideal home-life would look like? What would your ideal work environment look like? What would your ideal retirement look like? Don't agonize over this. Jot a few things down. As an example, let’s say somebody’s ideal world would be one where young children are free from harm. Maybe they see the opposite of that too frequently, and they dream of a better world.

What’s happening in your ideal world?

Step Four - Strengths and Interactions.

Go back to the words from step one and pick two strengths. Do the same from the list of selected words from step two and decide on two positive interactions; the two strongest hopefully.

To continue the example, let's say somebody picked helpfulness and dedication as his or her strengths. Their most positive interactions are listening and making plans.

Step Five - Whom Do You Serve

Pick a group of people you feel compelled to serve. Be as specific as possible. For example, “Kids” is not as strong as “Kindergarteners,” which is even less specific than “Kindergarteners with asthma.”

These should be people you are attracted to, or who are attracted to you. Maybe it is children or the elderly, or maybe a particular demographic. These are people that you enjoy being with. Sometimes you seek them out to learn from them. I know people who seek out retired military officers because they love learning, not only about their histories but also about leadership.

If you are stuck, keep asking yourself, “What kind of people?” until you’ve reached the specific group of people that you learn from and you also want to help. Describe them.

Step Six: Fill in the Blanks

Draft your purpose. Take all the work that we've done to this point, and put them together, kind of like a Mad Libs, fill in the blanks.

My purpose is to use my ___________(Strength - Step 4) and ___________(Strength - Step 4) to ___________(Interaction - Step 4) and ___________(Interaction - Step 4)
___________(Specific group of people - Step 5) so that
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
___________(Your ideal world - Step 3)

Step Seven - Rewrite and edit for clarity.

What you came up with in step six might be clunky, so rewrite it. Use your own words. Clean it up so that it flows off the tongue, makes sense, and you feel good about saying it aloud. Congratulations, you have essentially created a personal mission statement that is meaningful for you.

Step Eight - Your Mantra

With a mission statement, you get a broad perspective of your purpose. Look through it and omit any overused and inflated words like; best, excellence, leaders, quality, and premiere. Try reducing your mission statement to only two or four words, or a succinct sentence that can become a trigger for you. It is the shorthand of your purpose.

This is your mantra. You needn’t go to the printer with it; you need to live it every day with vision, passion, and action.

Mistake 2 - Ignoring The Whole Picture

A second common mistake that keeps busy professionals from making better personal plans is; they ignore the whole picture. When people plan their year, if they plan their year, it is often defensively driven.

“I’m not going to the reunion looking like this.”

“I’m not going to keep borrowing money and growing more in debt.”

“I'm not going to feel ashamed about my education.”

“Not" can be a powerful motivator. It can also cloud things out and put blinders on you.

It is important to recognize that people are multi-dimensional. No one is ever one thing. Everyone has strengths and imagined weaknesses in various areas of his or her life. Whether it be in their financial life, their career, their health, their relationships, their contribution to something bigger than themselves, and how they pursue their recreation, education, and personal life.

What is a highly satisfied person, and what would their life look like in all these areas? Obviously, it’s different for everybody, but somebody who is very satisfied financially might be financially independent, free from financial stress, and satisfied with his or her current level of income.

From a career standpoint, maybe they are in a fulfilling and nourishing career that’s on a positive path.

Their health; they are in great shape. They’re receiving effective healthcare; they are regularly exercising and eating for sustenance and pleasure and not emotional comfort.

They’re pleased and content with their current relationships, and loved by the people who mean the most to them.

From a contribution standpoint, they are giving of themselves and to others.

They are spending leisure time enjoying their interests and recreation. They’re enjoying relaxation refreshment and pleasure.

Education-wise, they’re engaged in creative and stimulating mental activities, and using resources available to expand their knowledge.

And on the personal front, they are evolving not merely improving because they continually experiment.

Not everybody is going to feel this way. In fact, it is rare that people are satisfied in all areas. Which is why I ask people to rate their current satisfaction from zero to ten, with zero being horrible and 10 being a state of utopia.

What about you? How satisfied are you in your financial life, your career, your health? How are your relationships, your level of contribution, your recreation, and education? How are your personal pursuits?

You’ve probably seen personal development people present these dimensions as a wheel, and stressing the need for balance. I disagree. Stop seeking balance, or you’ll drive yourself crazy. Have you ever tried to physically balance something on the end of your finger or your foot? It is stressful and over time it is exhausting. It consumes your focus and energy forcing you to neglect everything else.

I think of these dimensions more like an equalizer on a stereo. You get to adjust the bass and the treble to your liking and circumstances, and create the harmony that works for you. Remember, you can always adjust them. Once you achieve that, start thinking about your ideal situation.

What is nirvana to you in each dimension? What would a “ten” be for you, or a “nine” if you are the kind of person who does not give tens? What would be your ideal situation if you had no constraints whatsoever in your financial life, in your career life, with your health, with your relationships, with your contribution - this can be spirituality or giving to others, random acts of kindness, your own sort of personal creed? What about recreation and education; that is not only formal education, it is street smarts. What are you doing to continue to learn and grow? Think about your personal development in your hobby and in the things that are private and yours alone? What could it be like for you in those areas?

Consider your ideal state and compare it to where you are now. Ask yourself, what is keeping you from whatever you rated yourself in each area, to a ten in your utopia? What’s keeping you from achieving that?

It is different things for different people. I ask this question of people early on because there is usually a trend that is keeping them from achieving their goals. It might have to do with money or procrastination, or they are too tired, or too timid, or too something and not enough another thing.

Busy professionals who screw-up planning their year don't go through this exercise. They don’t give any of these things constructive thought. They do not look at the whole picture and, as a result, they misallocate their priorities away from what’s important to them. Then, they have a lackluster year and wonder why.

You don't want that, and I do not want that for you.

Mistake 3 - Weak Goals, If Any At All

In this final section, I am going to be less on the coaching side and more on the accountability partner side. You are going to get a sense of my bluntness because we are dealing with building your personal plan for your year. That is a slice of your life, and I take that seriously. I have seen too many people at the end of the year be filled with blah emotions because the year was not what they wanted. The culprit is nearly always weak goals, weak plan, and a failure to act.

What makes a personal plan weak? It’s not written. If you say you have a plan, but you cannot show it, it is not a plan, it is an idea. I am talking about a plan.

Maybe you have your plan written and formulated. You spent a lot of time on it; picked the right fonts, nice highlight coloring, it all looks gorgeous, but you have not looked at it since the day you wrote it.

If you have not looked at daily, maybe you looked at it couple times a year, when you rifled through that folder by accident. That is not a path toward success; it is a path forged by a weak plan.

When you put your plan together, if you put it together, you blindly populated it with things that are not really your goal, they are someone else's goal. Could be the goals of a spouse, a parent, children, grandparents; it could be driven by somebody who is no longer with you. You are still carrying their influence, trying to please them for some reason. You're listening to them and working on something other than your goal. Not a great plan. I mean, it could be a great plan, but if it is not serving you, how great is it?

It is likely your plan, and your goals are vague. You want to lose weight; you want a new car, you want to learn a new language, you want to travel. These are wonderful goals … in a way. You could probably throw a rock and hit ten other people who have similar goals. I am not saying your goals have to be unique, but you need to be specific with them. Vague goals get vague results.

A weak plan is a plan that is unexciting. Your plan should buoy you up. Your plan should elicit a type of excitement -- like a kid with a treasure map, looking to see what the next step unfolds. How do you stay on track? How do you get to the X that marks the spot? That is what a strong plan does. It leads you there, step-by-step, and if you are not excited by that, you have got the wrong plan.

Please do not tell me your goal is unmeasurable. I come from the school of thought that everything is measurable, but that doesn't mean you should measure everything. There are some things that are binary; it is yes or no. There are some things that are subjective; your rating 0-10, or red-yellow-green, and you can measure those units over time and see trends. I am big into taking two measurements; Your process measure, what it is you are doing in the midst of things, and, your results measure; did you hit the target that you wanted to hit?

Weak plans have goals that are unattainable. There is a thought, held by people with a no-limits mentality, who pooh-pooh the idea of realistic and attainable goals. “What is realistic and what is attainable,” they ask. “I don't want to rule anything out.” That’s fine if that's their lifestyle and that is what they want to do. I think that will distract you from your objective. I am not saying you cannot have these things that are way-faraway, that nobody else, but you can envision. What I am saying is, a plan should pull down the parts that are attainable that you can work on for now, whether the period is a month or year.

There are too many people who take the approach of, “Well, I’m not going to put any limits on my dreams. Come what may.” There’s validity to that; you never know what tomorrow may bring that could completely shatter your well-laid plans. (Which is the point of having a contingency plan, but I digress.) It is the difference between living a life with a plan that you follow as best you can, while you try to uncover things on or near the path. Or, treating life as something that you drift around in rudderless and enjoying the view. These are not absolutes. There are those who navigate between the two worlds. Nonetheless, a strong plan does not include unattainable things.

It also should not contain things that are irrelevant. They should not contain things that come out of left field, that don’t serve your purpose or values. Unless you are going to change your purpose and values, then these could reflect your new direction. How effective do you imagine a plan for irrelevant things is going to be?

A plan without a deadline does not usually get too much done. I have come across more people, regardless of their predisposition to be procrastinators or very diligent, who when given a deadline, get it done. There is an inherent motivation and momentum created when you set a deadline. Even if you cannot meet it and you negotiate a new one, there is still a sense of ownership around your plan. People who do not do that, do not have ownership of the plan, and they often don’t accomplish what they want to accomplish.

Weak plans have too many goals or too many actions. I think you should have tons of goals in your life, In fact, I think when you run out of goals, you run out of life. However, I do not think you need to be working on all those goals at the same time. In fact, you can’t. You should have a Great Goal, and then maybe two others. One that is a long-term goal that you work on a little bit every day. Also, one short-term goal, something that’s fun or distracting but still a worthwhile goal. That way your brain stays fresh and engaged moving from three different but complementary objectives. When you are filled with a dozen goals, you’re going to be scattered and distracted. The perfectionist cannot get to them all; therefore they will never be good enough. The generalist will touch on them all but will not have spent enough time with them. By the end of the year, both feel as though they haven’t accomplished anything. They tinkered with things, as opposed to achieving something.

A plan that is weak doesn't stretch you. Many people say you should always step out of your comfort zone. While it’s true, there are occasions you have to step out of your comfort zone to grow and experience new things, When you're putting together a plan you want to leverage your comfort zone in the best way possible. Your comfort zone is where your strengths lay; your comfort zone is where you can find your expertise. Your comfort zone is where everything you know, and you feel confident about resides. Why wouldn't you take all those strengths to bear, and work on something closely related. That way you can stretch. You can push at that comfort zone and expand it a little bit, instead of ignoring your strengths and whimpering somewhere in a corner because you tried something and failed. Your plan must stretch you, but it should not break you.

Weak plans don't have celebrations in them. A strong plan has celebrations built in. When you are working on something day after day, and you're moving it forward little by little, you start feeling proud. Eventually, you get it done, and nobody says anything. That sucks. You can repeat that several times, but eventually, your heart is no longer in it, you have a sense of, ‘what’s the point?’ So you disengage. That is where there's a lot of demotivation and a lot of despondency. People have worked hard, and it feels like nobody has noticed. Maybe people notice, but they have not planned to do anything about it, they just think about it. When you have a strong plan, you do more than think about it, you seek it out and act on it. You build milestones and points of celebration. It is what makes the whole thing worthwhile, and people ignore it far too often.

There is another big variable that creates a weak plan. It's too much work. People are busy, and all this planning and thinking is overwhelming. “I just want what I want,” is a common refrain of the tired and frustrated. I understand that. It is work. It's too much work, because, I think you're worth it. However, what I think is irrelevant. You are the one who has to think and answer the question, “Are you worth it?” Are you worth putting in the effort to create a successful plan for your year or even your week or day? If you are not planning ahead, you are kind of telling yourself you aren't worth it. What message is that sending your subconscious, or even to the people you interact with? They can see it. In many ways, a solid plan increases your self-worth and your greater worth.

Recap

So how do you ensure you have a better year?

Stop feeling anxious about planning your year.
Stop ignoring your values and purpose.
Remember the whole picture.
Make a strong plan.

Some may still feel some anxiety over this and say, “Well sure all that sounds great. I'll try to pay attention to my values and purpose. I am not quite sure I know what they are?” or “I kind of get the gist of the whole picture, but I need to validate it. I'm not sure I understand it,” or there's a sense of, “I don't even know how to make a strong plan.”

Answer: Find someone who does to help you.

It doesn’t have to be me, but since you are reading …

I've created, Your Personal Game Plan. It is a coaching and accountability program taking a number of elements that I've used throughout the last twenty years to help people achieve the things that they want to achieve. I’ve put it in a format to help create a master plan for you.

Here are some of the things that we do together in our one-on-one coaching sessions;

Set the stage. You clear up loose ends and make room for the things that you are going to bring in the year ahead.

An intensive goal discovery process. We learn what your initial goal is, some of the motivations behind it, and how badly you really want it.

Look at the whole picture. We do some “inside work” go through Your Values Finder, and help you build your purpose.

Your personal vision. Taking account of your strengths and weaknesses.

Effective goals. Run through a goal worksheet, create a strategic plan and a theme for the year.

High-level, year at a glance view. Populate your forecast of events, milestones, and things that you know are coming over the year.

Create monthly objectives. Based on your plan, your purpose, your vision, and your values, take monthly goals and turn them into a weekly focus and daily actions.

Your Personal Game Plan

There's a high level of flexibility in this program.

Some people want to work purely electronically.

Some people want a hard copy in front of them.

Some people have existing tools already that work for them.

Some people get bored very easily and need a different tool every few months.

We can accommodate any of that.

Although this is a clearly defined program, it is also highly customizable based on your schedule, goals, and needs.

I'd love to help you create a better plan. If you are leaning toward signing up for this, but are still unsure, you should wait. This program is for busy professionals who are confident and know what they want.

Register for a Complimentary

Goal-Setting Coaching Session Today

http://bit.ly/KBCRegister

Karl Bimshas Consulting | Helps leaders facing change

7676 Hazard Center Drive, Suite 500 | San Diego, CA 92108 | 619-497-2670

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Consolidating

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 07 Feb 2014 04:14:00 +0000

I have blogs on various topics scattered about the internet. As a result, some get neglected, and that serves no one.

Not that everything I write is a gem, but I do hate to lose it in the ether. So I've recently imported several years of posts, written on now defunt sites, to this blog.

Feel free to search through the archives. No guarantee that every link works, but if you have interest you can see the history of my writing and the (hopefully) evolution of thought.

To read more on my business blog, visit http://www.bimshasconsulting.com

If you like what you see there, subscribe to the newsletter.

Nano Day 29ish

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 30 Nov 2013 08:16:00 +0000

I snuck this one in. I thought I would blog about my progress and all that, but I was less into that this year. I was also a bit selfish. I didn't act as a cheerleader to other writers or engage in group chats as I have in the past. I even went several weeks without posting word count updates. I just wrote, and not just parts of a new novel. My energy and enthusiasm waxed and waned around multiple projects. This one's done, with a tinge of good riddance, though I know there's plenty to salvage. Happy to have completed it, happy to move on.

CareerScaping

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 19 Nov 2013 01:12:00 +0000

Great Careers Don’t Just Happen. They’re Designed!

Click here

to checkout the newest workbook

from Karl Bimshas Consulting.

Another Man's Grammar

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 17 Nov 2013 03:31:00 +0000

NaNo Day 6

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 07 Nov 2013 06:44:00 +0000

For me, the goal is to reinforce the disipline of writing something every day. Would I prefer it be around a new novel, sure. But I have several WIP at various stages, so being stuck or uninspired is not a valid enough excuse to not write. NaNoWriMo purists may consider this outside the rules, or at least the intent and spirit. Eh, maybe, but I'm not getting to worked up over it. I keep the perspective that a fiction writer sits at their desk and makes things up… so really, how mad you gonna be?

NaNo Day One

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 02 Nov 2013 06:23:00 +0000

Just over 1,700 words to start. Not bad. Will probably have to write non-linearly or I'll end up writing myself into a corner and get bored.

NaNoWriMo Eve

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 31 Oct 2013 23:50:00 +0000

After the goblins, witches and ghouls turn in for the night, NaNoWriMo (NaNo) will begin for me. Fortunately, there will be candy.

Here's what I know; the working title, the narrative point of view and a couple of themes to explore. That's about it. Normally I like to work off at least a rough outline and typically I have a few characters and situations sketched out in my mind. Not this time.

I'll use some milestones from The Hero's Journey. They'll act as guideposts to ensure I keep moving, but beyond that it looks like I'll be a pantser this year. A pantser is one who writes by the seat of their pants. I'm not going to be sitting there waiting for inspiration. I'm going to have to wrestle that out every day. That means I'll be using production goals. A certain word count (preferably over 1,700 a day) or a time commitment. Since my goals rest in reestablising a daily writing habit and uncovering a new piece of fiction buried within, production goals work just fine.

Writing without an outline is often exhilarating when creating new fiction, it gives you the freedom to capture a stream of thoughts previously unexplored. Of course, that can be frightening and a royal pain to edit. Nonetheless that's where this year is headed.

Stay tuned for updates.

For Fun - Celebrating Halloween and the Red Sox Win

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 31 Oct 2013 17:27:00 +0000

NaNoWriMo 2013

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 29 Oct 2013 17:23:00 +0000

Working Title for
NaNoWriMo 2013 Project

This year will be my 5th NaNoWriMo, (National Novel Writing Month) a creative writing project which challenges you to write 50,000 words of a new novel in November.

There have been years I’ve not wanted to participate because, “No time, no new ideas, too busy,” or some other excuse. But then I dug in and began. Sometimes I’ve shed my concerns right away, sometimes they’ve crept back, but the competitive and supportive spirit always keeps me at it.

It’s important to regularly take on a project that stretches you. All in all, NaNoWriMo is a pretty safe one. Yes, there’s time pressure. If you slack off it’s hard, but not impossible to recover. I participate each year to exercise my writing chops and to reestablish the discipline of daily writing. I do a lot of nonfiction writing through the year. November helps me create new fiction content that can sustain me. Some of the work makes it to the bookshelves, like Three Blinks and a Sigh and He Loves It When She Smiles, and some of it languishes in my hard drive, waiting for my fresh eyes and a red pen.

Each year I try to take a different approach. I don’t have a particular story in mind yet - I don’t need one until November, so why rush? This year, I’m a bit peevish. I’ve been experiencing many frustrations in various areas of my life, writing included. I’ve been amazed at the number of people who have pooh-poohed particular writing styles and themes. “Vampires are out, Zombies are in, You can’t write about that profession, Such and such doesn’t sell”. Give me a break. One of the most creative mediums we have is our language. Do not let others dictate how you express yourself. It’s okay, even advisable to be open to feedback, because you might be wrong, misguided or acting stupid. Be open to that, always, but never allow your inner voice to be deterred during a creative pursuit.

This year, I’m writing a novel in the second person narrative. Although there are a few supporters, you would be amazed at how many others say, “You can’t do that.” This year’s pursuit is dedicated to them. They may be right, but I doubt it. This year’s motivation is writing something, who knows what, in that style with only eight fingers, because my two middle ones are going to be extended way up.

I’ll post my progress, emotions, failings and tribulations here and on my Facebook page KarlBimshasWrites I hope you’ll join me.

111 Encouraging Exclamations

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 17 Oct 2013 23:34:00 +0000

Everyone could use a little encouragement. Find the phrases that you’re most comfortable with and use them often to encourage others or check them off and see how many you can use in a week.

Absolutely correct.
Amazing!
Aren’t you proud of yourself?
Awe-inspiring!
Awesome!
Be proud of yourself.
Beautiful!
Beautiful work.
Beyond cool.
Bravo!
Can you show me how to do that?
Congratulations.
Cool.
Couldn’t have done it better myself.
Crazy Good.
Dynamite!
Epic!
Exactly right!
Excellent!
Fabulous.
Fantastic!
Go for it!
Good!
Good for you!
Good thinking.
Good work!
Great!
How can I help you with this?
How does it feel to be so awesome?
I knew I could count on you.
I knew you could do it.
I like that.
I think you’re doing the right thing.
I think you’ve got it now.
I’m glad I assigned this to you.
I’m glad you are on our team.
I’m very proud of you.
Impressive!
Incredible.
It’s a pleasure to work with you.
Keep it up!
Keep up the good work.
Keep working on it.
Let’s show this to everyone.
Look at you go.
Lovely!
Marvelous!
Much better!
Nice going.
Now you have it!
OK!
Outstanding!
Perfect!
Right on!
Right!
Sensational!
Stellar!
Super!
Superb!
Sweet!
Terrific!
Thank you!
That was first class work.
That’s better.
That’s coming along nicely.
That’s great!
That’s it!
That’s really nice.
That’s right!
That’s the best ever.
That’s the best you’ve ever done.
That’s the way to do it.
That’s the way!
That’s wonderful.
The coolest thing ever.
Tremendous!
Very nice!
Very resourceful.
Way to go!
Well done.
Well, look at you go!
What a creative idea!
Wicked!
Wicked Awesome!
Wonderful!
Wow!
Yes!
You came through again.
You certainly did well today.
You did a lot of work today!
You did that very well.
You don’t miss a thing.
You figured that out fast.
You got it.
You have my complete support.
You make it look easy.
You mastered that in no time.
You must have been practicing.
You outdid yourself today!
You remembered!
You’re doing a good job.
You’re doing beautifully!
You’re great.
You’re learning fast.
You’re on target.
You’re on the right track now!
You’re right!
You’re very good at that.
You’ve figured it all out.
You’ve got it.
You’ve worked hard on this!

What are your favorite words of encouragement?

CLICK HERE FOR IDEAS ON RECOGNITION

A Birthday Gift

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 01 Oct 2013 16:47:00 +0000

Today is my birthday.

A lot of artists and entreprenuers use their birthday as an excuse to give something away. I'd prefer you buy my stuff.

But in the vein of gratitude, of which I have much, better angles have prevailed. So you can grab a complimentary download of the first three chapters of "He Loves It When She Smiles" by clicking here: Three Chapters.

If you like it, or you just want to be a good sport and buy a copy (or several for your friends) you can find it by clicking here: Buy the Book

While you're there, feel free to browse around at other titles I've written.

Either way, thanks for your support. If your a writer, keep writing. If your a reader keep reading and if you're a leader, keep doing both.

Thanks

-KB

Prepare for the 4th Quarter

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 20 Sep 2013 16:52:00 +0000

Are you going to let another year slip away without going after what you want?

I certainly hope not.

If you grap a complimentary version of Go Get It! before October 1st, you'll have 3 months to find purpose, set goals and maintain success.

(whew)

CLICK HERE

What's keeping you from writing?

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 16 Aug 2013 07:30:00 +0000

What's keeping you from writing?

You can create an exhaustive, compelling tear-jerker of an excuse, but when you strip that all away, it's probably fear.

Don't be fearful. Be bold.

The pen is your protection.

Use it and the fear dissipates.

To Apologize with Meaning

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 26 Jul 2013 20:49:00 +0000

To Apologize with Meaning

•Admit you’ve done something wrong and you need to make up for it.
•Take full responsibility for your actions and sincerely apologize to anyone you’ve harmed.
•Apologize with urgency.
•Tell anyone you’ve harmed specifically what you did wrong and how you feel about what you did.
•Recognize that what you did is inconsistent with who you want to be.
•Make amends and demonstrate your commitment to not repeat the act by changing your behavior.

As far as public apologies go, San Diego Mayor Bob Filner did pretty well, however his effort to make amends are not commensurate with his offense and there is not enough trust to believe his sincerity in changing his behavior.

Lesson:
•He waited too long.
•His "fix it" gesture is too small.
•He's trust bank account is overdrawn.

Only way to salvage position:
1. Overcompensate with making amends, personally and publicly.
2. Borrow trust from loyal surrogates who have enough public trust to vouch for him. (Extremely unlikely)

The Rambling Part

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 23 Jul 2013 04:13:00 +0000

It's been awhile since I've posted here. I've had a lot on my mind. Usually when I have a lot on my mind I write it out, so that's weird.

The focus of this space is supposed to be on my insights, rambling and sneak peeks of new projects I'm working on. Today, I'm blogging real time, unedited so it's safe to say this one is going to lean a little heavy on the rambling part.

So let's catch up.

My Company - Since 2009 I've been self employed. This has been liberating, freeing, horrendously frightful, humbling, inspiring, stressful ... and every other adjective you can conjure. My focus has been gradually shifting to where I'm currently specializing in helping to encourage professional women to maximize their potential. There are a lot of reasons for this. You can catch up on Karl Bimshas Consulting things here: http://www.bimshasconsulting.com

My Writing - Most of my writing has been focused on non-fiction. Ghost-writing, inspiration, business communication, programs and marketing. Important stuff, though it doesn't feed the soul. Earlier in the year I published my second novel, He Loves It When She Smiles a bittersweet and humorous romance set in 1980s Boston. I had hoped to get my next one out before summer's end, but numerous distractions are slowing that prospect down considerably. That is a crappy excuse I would chide any writer for making, but there you have it. The cobbler's kids have no shoes.

Insights - That's a pretty arrogant heading isn't it. The belief that I have some special insight into something that you, gentle reader could glean something from. At the end of the day, that is what we all have. A point of view, colored by our values and beliefs articulated in some form or fashion provide insight. You can agree with them or not, that's your prerogative. My prerogative is sharing them or not.
So here's one.

I don't think we're trying hard enough.

Okay Yoda freaks, I agree, there is "do or do not, there is no try" ... so, I don't think we are doing enough -- and we sure as hell can do better. In what? Everything. And you know it.

Look, I don't mind political correctness to a certain extent. There's value in being respectful and at least attempting to tolerate someone with an opposing point of view, experience, etc. It would be even better to hear them out and try to understand and then, perhaps amend or enhance your current thinking. That would be progress, show signs of intellectual curiosity, which is crucial for effective leadership, and I believe a better way to live. You don't have to agree with everything, but you don't have to be a dick either.

Let's stop deluding ourselves. Race, Gender and Class remain major problems in this country. Has there been progress? Of course. Have we regressed? Absolutely. I'm an optimist, (actually a pragmatist) I know we can fix our ills. I also know we have enough intellectual capacity and will to fix them quickly. That's more than hyperbole. We have the capacity to solve every problem we imagine. Why then, do we insist in creating future problems before we solve the ones already before us?

It is ludicrous to me, those who think we have moved beyond race, gender or class issues. I know it's not easy and today's premise could be wrong tomorrow, but do were really still need to entertain members of the flat Earth society. We have allowed our LCD to reach sub-terrarium levels. This is our own fault, but we can fix it.

First, We must stop giving air to those who refuse to acknowledge today. They are not even a funny sideshow anymore. We've allowed them into the center ring and honestly they shouldn't even be selling peanuts.

Second, after we acknowledge a problem we need to address it, not celebrate it. It's not enough to moan and groan about the way things are. Those who do that are just as bad those newly hired peanut sellers above. On and on they drone about our ills and injustices. You're preaching to the choir. Go outside and lead, dammit.

Third, as a nation we have incentives to keep growing our problems. People make money off society's ills .... a lot of money. Stop feeding them. Pick something you can fix and go fix it. Raise your own standards. Stop putting up with crap,

Okay, maybe more of a rant than a rambling. Do with it what you will.

Self Promotion #BookPush

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 19 May 2013 07:08:00 +0000

A bit of self promotion.

Here's list of books and journals I've written which are available for download.

The list is in a tweetable or other postable format, should you *cough* be so inclined to share individual titles with others.

Please enjoy.

FICTION

Caffeinated Romance: Lyrics And Poems For Everyday People Who Fall In And Out Of Love: http://amzn.to/110N6o0

Three Blinks And A Sigh; A Novel http://amzn.to/18UnB9F

He Loves It When She Smiles: A Novel http://amzn.to/110Oze1

Trouble With Women: Five Short Stories http://amzn.to/114rqS7

JOURNALS

Perspectives, a 30 Day Journal to View Your World Differently: http://amzn.to/12L7G94

Disposable Journal; Write it out and let it go: http://bit.ly/10dbIsm

NON-FICTION

Write Advice; Inspirations, tips and thoughts for Leaders and Artists: http://amzn.to/10daptx

Pushing Back the Ocean; Tide Turning Leadership Lessons http://amzn.to/15XV3xq

Go Get It! Your Guide to Finding Purpose, Setting Goals and Maintaining Success http://amzn.to/10daCgb

Time for Change: A Quick Guide to Manage (Survive) Planned (Sudden) Change http://amzn.to/YS29OC

So, I've Been Thinking; Seemingly Random Thoughts on Leadership http://amzn.to/YS2fpm

Pick a Direction and Start Moving

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 15 May 2013 17:27:00 +0000

The world is full of directionless people. There is so much uncertainty and fear and doubt - you want to just curl up tight under a blanket until better days arrive.

If you think that way, that's all you see. However, if you're open to possibilities, creative thinking and have even a teaspoon of confidence, when you ask the powers in the universe for a sign you may find one, like I did yesterday.

Clear direction spelled out on the sidewalk under my feet. Sure, it was a message meant for someone else, but it spoke to me too.

Here's what I chose to see. Pick a direction and move in that direction.

What do you see? It will tell you a lot about your mindset.

Got Dread?

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 06 May 2013 17:49:00 +0000

You know that lousy feeling you get in the pit of your stomach every time you think about a goal you're not working on even though it's important to you?

You might be disappointed in yourself. Maybe you're dwelling on things that are, or could go wrong. You might even fear success. It can all be boiled down into one word, dread.

The way to get rid of it can be found in another word, accountability.

Specifically, a weekly check-in system that holds you accountable and keeps you on track toward your goal.

The Goal Factory, is a method of producing an achievement mindset that churns out progress week after week.

Wouldn't it be a relief to finally get rid of that dreadful feeling associated with procrastination? Imagine replacing anxiety with anticipation and rekindling the excitement you had over your great goal.

Learn how one objective, four weeks, eighty-eight dollars and the desire to stop deferring your dreams can build success by visiting: bimshasconsulting.com/the-goal-factory/
or contact me directly.

New Book / So, I've Been Thinking

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 20:26:00 +0000

“So, I’ve Been Thinking; Seemingly Random Thoughts on Leadership” is a new book I've written that’s available on Amazon today. It is a collection of 30 essays and anecdotes that capture my thoughts on leadership, creativity and America.

To help celebrate the four year anniversary of Karl Bimshas Consulting, you can grab this book for free this Saturday, April 27, 2013. Please check it out and tell me what you think. Click here for book.

For the Love of Boston

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 17:30:00 +0000

I've been madly in love with Boston my entire life. In some ways, Patriot’s Day is a celebration of our first date. Even though I'm in the opposite corner of the country, that love has never felt stronger than it has this week.

Patriot’s Day is special in Massachusetts. When I was a child, I’d wear a tri-cornered hat, pull my socks up over my pant legs to mimic a minuteman, grab a toy rifle and hold my own reenactment in the backyard. My Dad brought me to Lexington Green, and Concord Bridge several times and it was always a special treat to go into town and visit the observation deck of the Pru, or the John Hancock, where they used to have an educational presentation on Boston’s rich history. I remember tiny, white light bulbs on a huge map illuminated the route Paul Revere took on the evening of April 18, 1775. After the show, I would stare out the huge windows of the observation deck and take in the panoramic view of all the wondrous sites mentioned.

Coming from Boston, I have always felt pride in terms like ‘patriot’, ‘minutemen’ and ‘the tea party’, and it has always annoyed me when other groups around the nation co-opt those words to better market their political purpose, often sullying the name and cheapening the history in the process.

Patriot’s Day has always been one of my favorite holidays. You didn’t get presents, but you got out of school or work and into the spring air. One year we joined the masses at Hopkinton, to witness the start of the big race. For most of my youth, if we didn’t watch on television, we’d fight traffic and find a place along Route 9, somewhere in the middle of the course. We’d stand on the roof of my dad’s brown Dodge Dart and wait along with everyone else, to cheer for the runners. First came those in wheelchairs whom you admired for their determination. Then came the elite runners, whom you admired for their athleticism. Then, mixed among neighbors and friends, were local heroes and personalities. Workers from big companies ran together, engaged in a bonding exercise. Small teams and individuals ran for a cause, raising funds for cancer, or a fallen family member. The roar of the crowd for this wave of runners was deafening. The cheers helped motivate people ever forward. Volunteers held out Dixie cups of water and orange slices amidst shouts of encouragement and the ever-present unrelenting applause. You couldn’t help but feel great after attending the Boston Marathon. By the time I was in college and beyond, I watched the final leg along Boylston Street, often a few feet from the finish line.

I’d often reminisce while walking the streets of Boston. When I was very young, and still in the suburbs, my mother and grandmother used to drag me on to a train to “go to the city” and shop at places like Jordan Marsh and Filene’s and I’m sure we had lunch at Woolworths. I’d be pulled along the cobblestone sidewalks of the Freedom Trail without complaint. We’d visit the Granary Burial ground, the final resting place of many early patriots, including my favorite, Paul Revere.

On other occasions, my older brothers and sister could always be counted on to score a few seats in Fenway at least a couple of times each season, when Lynn, Rice and Evans where in the outfield.

Although I visited many campuses in New England, when it came time for college, there was never any real doubt I would go someplace in Boston. I chose Emerson, where I lost my accent and found my voice. It’s where I grew up. Boston is where I met my best friends, had my first real kiss, learned how to lead, and how to write. Boston is where I fell in love. I proposed to my wife on the bridge in the Public Garden. We wed in the Copley Plaza Hotel, a block away from where the marathon finished. We lived in a small apartment above an art gallery on Newbury Street, a block away from the finish line in the other direction.

At that time in my life, I fully realized feeling of Boston being the ‘Hub of the Universe.’ It was the hub of my universe, particularly Back Bay.

I moved to California twenty years ago, but a big part of me never really left Boston. My wife and my young family would make it a point to visit my parents in the suburbs, and eventually down the Cape, whenever possible, but the trip wasn’t complete until we spent some time in the city.

Whenever a business trip brought me back East, I would nearly always finagle a side trip to Boston, even if just for a few hours.

I find it hard to describe the spirit of Boston to those who have never been. The city has an intimacy of scale, but an enormous vitality. Yes, there is arrogance, usually justified. Yes, there is belligerence, usually not justified. And, particularly refreshing after spending time on the West coast, there is brutal honesty and raucous humor. If you want warm memories in your life, spend a cold day in Boston. Last year my father and I went in for the day. The cosmopolitan energy was immediate. It refueled me. Once touched, you feel like you’ll never run on empty again.

I’ve learned that others who’ve spent formative years in Boston, and we’re everywhere, have all had similar experiences. This realization is not met with scarcity or jealousy over someone riding the coattails of your memory. Instead, there is an immediate palpable bond and kinship. Once you’re a Bostonian, you’re always a Bostonian.

Every time I see images of Boston, my heart flutters and I get giddy, like seeing an old crush. To see the horrific images coming out of Boston this week were heartbreaking, not only because of the carnage and the attack on the very spirit of the day, but also, and I know I’m not alone in this, because it felt extremely personal. The sidewalks soaked in the blood of innocent people are sidewalks I’ve travelled thousands of times. The pictures shown were of my old turf, my backyard, my front yard, and my living room. Those places were the inspiration and settings for my books and indeed my life in general. To see those sidewalks, my sidewalks, engulfed in destruction causes a pain that cuts in ways I struggle to articulate.

When organizations and individuals make declarations that this cataclysm changes the city, and the marathon forever, it simultaneously saddens and angers me. They misunderstand the spirit of the city and the resolve of Bostonians. Boston is the birthplace of the American Revolution. The city knows change, but it’s change that comes on our terms, not because of an act of terror, hate and a cowardly pitiful cry for attention from the forces of evil. This traumatic event does not undermine our values it strengthens them. Yes, evil is present, but it didn’t win. Witness the scores of people who instantaneously and heroically ran toward the blast, concerned only with helping others. Every time that happens, humanity wins. Bostonians in particular, do not cower or cave. Ever.

Perpetrators of evil will never win. There’s no other way to say it. You can never, ever, f*ck with Boston and expect to win. You will lose, and in time, Bostonians around the world, with sheer grit, will ultimately render you an irrelevant asterisk in the chronicle of our long history, enduring spirit and devotion to freedom and liberty. Boston is a gorgeous city and she’s never looked finer.

Advancing Confidently - 4 Year Anniversary

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 14 Apr 2013 01:50:00 +0000

Although I didn't articulate it well at the time, I founded Karl Bimshas Consulting in 2009 with the belief I could help people use their own hidden talents to find the aha within.

I knew that accountability, coupled with the seemingly magical formula of vision, passion and action, could help optimistic and productive people find creative solutions to their personal or professional problems.

When people proactively improve themselves they also improve those they influence. I have always believed, given enough time and mass, that influence could positively energize our nation and contribute to greater peace, prosperity, fun, understanding, responsibility and liberty in the world.

We're not there yet, but we're four years closer.

Thank you for your support. Advance ever confidently in the direction of your dreams, help others along the way, and keep smiling.

Need help along your way? Let's talk. CLICK HERE

When it feels out of reach, stretch.

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 19:20:00 +0000

Got a Spring Goal?

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 17 Mar 2013 18:39:00 +0000

Let's Eradicate Despondency

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 19:28:00 +0000

When I was in college, I returned home one Friday for a long weekend. I met my mom in the afternoon, and she told me about a troubling sight she had seen earlier in the day. A school bus had stopped beside her, and the faces of sullen and despondent teenagers filled every visible window.

“They’re kids,” she said. “On a Friday afternoon. Going home for a long weekend.” Her voice was soaked in sadness. “This is supposed to be an exciting and optimistic time in their lives. They shouldn’t look like they have the weight of the world on their shoulders.”

We lived in an affluent town, and although teen angst can run deep and shouldn’t be trivialized, I doubt few on that bus had any want unmet.

My mom reminisced over the joy she had felt as a young woman, enthusiastic over what each tomorrow held in store for her. She wistfully hinted that bringing a surplus of unbridled exuberance into adulthood helps because it takes an increasing amount of effort to retain or recapture it after sustaining the random blows life inevitably throws your way.

A quarter of a century has passed since then, and the mournful expression on my mom's face remains seared in my memory. I couldn't articulate it at the time, but on that day a seed was planted that took root and intertwined with my mission to create a movement of leaders, artists and entrepreneurs committed to eradicating despondency from the faces and hearts of the disillusioned.

When you see the sad, slack, bovine expressions of listless figures through a window, or in your bathroom mirror, you're not looking at purposeful people motivated by an exciting and worthwhile goal. You’re seeing disillusionment, worry and fear. These are horrible expressions to have painted across anyone’s face, let alone the young. Discouragement and demoralization do not suddenly appear. They are signs of erosion, put there by constant exposure to negative elements which not only rob people of their faith and ingenuity, but also insidiously subvert fledging talents with ridicule, disdain, or worse, indifference.

Consider now, the teens who carried those gloomy expressions my mom saw, are today in their early 40s. Some may have recaptured the joy and enthusiasm my mother spoke of, but many, dare I guess most, have not. Today they are your doctors, bankers, teachers and professors perhaps educating you or your children, police officers and city planners, elected officials, and cubicle dwellers who wait in long lines for their first cup of coffee in the morning and lean on the car horn and swear at no one in particular in the early evening.

I have always hated poor leadership, and I’m sure you’d agree, people who are disillusioned, discouraged and chronically disappointed with where they are in life make poor leaders. They can systematically erode the optimistic possibilities held by others. And if they are in a position of influence, they are, through ignorance more than intent, creating a new generation of poor leaders. That cycle must stop.

I believe happiness and purposefulness come about by the active pursuit of a worthy goal, therefore if you want to be happy you should never be without a great goal.

I believe most people know what they want to contribute to society, but lack the confidence to pursue their dreams.

I believe great listeners create great leaders, artists, and entrepreneurs and when you learn to listen, particularly to yourself, epiphanies become common, and it’s as easy to find the aha within as it is to find a blade of grass. You simply need to know where to look.

I believe accountability raises both your game and your aim. You achieve more when you’re held accountable for your decisions and your actions.

I believe, with your help, we can eradicate despondency from the faces and hearts of the disillusioned and dissipate its corrosive effect on the world at large.

Imagine if every woman, every man, and every child you know had at least one great goal that they were actively working toward every day? The buzz of energy produced from such productivity, collaboration and purposefulness would do more than illuminate cities it would illuminate minds long shrouded under a fog of doubt. It would raise hope, lift spirits, and propel those with a success mindset ever forward. To solve what others thought unsolvable. To achieve what all but a few thought unattainable. To refuse the deferment of dreams long-held, or thoughts long held silent. To try, to fail, to try again, without stigma or scorn.

I believe such a place and time are possible. We won't ever live in a world without conflict, but we can’t call it living if it’s in a world without goals. The best we could do then is exist, and merely existing is not good enough for me, and I doubt it is for you.

If you have a great goal, I would love to know what it is.
If you're working on a great goal, I’d love to know how it's going.
And if you need help finding or working on a great goal for yourself or your organization I’d love to talk with you.

If you can only take baby steps toward the direction I’m headed, do so by sharing this message with every woman, every man, and every child you know who needs to find one great goal. Tell them it’s possible.

Thank you and may you continue to advance confidently in the direction of your dreams, live the life you’ve imagined for yourself and help others along the way.

Yes, I’m in. Let’s Eradicate Despondency