1. Figure Out Your “Why”

There’s a beautiful quote on my coffee table that says “When you lose sight of who you are, you end up chasing more of everything else. ” Life presents us with so many distractions and unless we are completely focused on what we want, we run around chasing a bunch of things until we find what we desire.

One way to figure out what you want out of life is to figure out, why do you exist in the first place? Or perhaps a better way to look at it is – what would you like your purpose to be in life?

When you spend time figuring that out, all of a sudden you feel an immense sense of peace because now it becomes so much easier to make decisions about what you want to do. If an opportunity presents itself and its in line with your purpose then you automatically say yes to it. If it doesn’t meet the criteria then it’s an automatic no.

Knowing your “Why” makes life so much easier.

2. In 2017 – Pick One Theme to Focus On

I don’t do New Years Resolutions but I focus on carrying a central theme throughout the year that is based on something that I feel I need to master in order to turn my dreams into reality.

For example in 2015, I decided that Australia is not big enough for me so I decided to look at establishing my speaking career in south east Asia. So that became my focus for 2016 and my theme was “Add Value Internationally”. Which is how I organised my 10-gig international speaking tour without having any contacts.

Towards the end of last year I decided that I need to create more opportunities for myself because I still can’t find the right people to help me get to where I want to be. So this year, in 2017 I’ve decided to share my work with more people in the hope to attract the right people and opportunities to me. So this year’s theme is  “Do the Work.”

3. Develop Discipline

The most successful achievers around the world have an incredible sense of discipline, but they weren’t born like that. It took a LOT of hard work to remove their bad habits and focus on the right things. And if you want to conquer 2017 then you need to do the same.

Start with something small. For example, make your bed EVERY morning. This simple act has many psychological benefits and it’s a great way to start off your discipline journey. For those of you who already make your bed, great! Try another challenge.

Contrary to popular belief, success in anything is achieved by doing a whole bunch of little things extremely well. These little things then all stack up, one by one, over time to give you a massive shift in your current circumstances towards where you want to be.

Dream, Build, Inspire, Lead!

AJ~

P.s. If you really want to conquer 2017 then check out my affordable mindset training courses to help you achieve everything you want.

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Let us remind ourselves that what helps us survive and thrive during uncertain times is our ability to come together as human beings to conquer challenges. I say this because despite all this meaningless rhetoric being voiced around the world by “leaders” attempting to divide us, there is still an underlying code in our DNA that unifies us to help others.

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I feel as though the problem is that stupid people are breeding and worse, they appear to have taken leadership positions around the world.

This isn’t an attack on any one leader, country or particular industry. It’s a comment on humanity and the potential that all of us have as human beings to change the world to better ourselves and others around us.

And that involves rising up above the mediocrity perpetuated by society today and challenging the status quo.

As the musical philosopher M Jackson once wrote: “If you want to make the world a better place, take a look at yourself and make a change.”

For those of you who want to make that change, here’s a simple leadership framework that you can embrace immediately to help you rise above, challenge the status quo and achieve personal success.

A Simple Leadership Philosophy

Years ago when I was honoured as The NT Young Achiever of the Year, people asked me what drove me to become so successful. At the time I didn’t think I was THAT successful (and I still don’t) but I guess a lot of people saw my achievements as something they would like to achieve in their own lives. So I shared my philosophy with them: Dream, Build, Inspire, Lead!

These four words govern everything I do in life today and provide me with a framework to keeping on achieving things in my own life and for those around me. Here’s how they break down for me.

Dream Great Dreams

The first step in this leadership philosophy is to “Dream great dreams!” and don’t let anyone take your dreams away from you because when life throws all sorts of garbage at you, your dreams and your passion for them will help pull you through the dark times.

Leadership first starts with a vision and the more concrete and crystal clear your vision is, the more success you will have in turning it into reality.

For me personally, my dream is to change the world. How I’m going to do that, I really have no clue but looking back on my life so far I’ve created a lot of opportunities for others that have changed their world. So I guess I’ll just keep on doing what I’m doing.

Build Amazing Things

While I stress the importance of dreaming great dreams, there are millions in the world today who let their dreams die in the light of day. What sets a dreamer apart from an achiever is what they build to turn their dreams into reality.

You need to take your big, crazy, wild, out there dreams and shift your thinking on how you can build something amazing from them. And yes it does need to be amazing because mediocrity has no place in your life now.

When I put together my business technology training centre, the content that we were teaching was one of a kind in Australia. The project was unique enough to stand out from the crowd and get the attention it deserved to attract the right businesses to attend the sessions we ran. My partners and I built something amazing and turned one of my dreams into reality.

Inspire Those Around You

There’s a big difference between inspiration and motivation and the two terms are constantly used interchangeably by mistake. Inspiration is the feeling you get when you hear how someone else has overcome challenges or achieved something that you think is amazing.

Can you imagine what it would be like if you were that source of inspiration for those around you? How different would your workplace, classroom, boardroom be if that were the case? How much would productivity increase if you had inspired workers?

Today I’m inspired by a lot of different things but most of all lessons from those who have turned their own dreams into reality. I find deep comfort in reading the journey of others because their struggles are my own right now and if they made it through then so can I.

Lead Through Motivation

Once you have your vision, built something amazing, have a bunch of inspired people around you, the final step in Dream, Build, Inspire, Lead! leadership philosophy is to commence leadership by motivating your followers.

The old school method of leadership was to lead by example however in today’s modern world that is the quickest way to fail. The example you set might not resonate with your followers and that will cause a disconnect in how effective you are as a leader.

Leadership is about turning a vision into reality and in order to do that you need to employ a bunch of different techniques to understand the world of your followers. You need to have the answers to questions like “what drives them?”, “what do they fear?”, “What do they deeply care about?” and so on and so forth. Knowing the answers to these questions will help you “sell” your vision to them in a way that will motivate them to take action to turn your vision in to reality.

So many leaders get this wrong today because they are too lazy to do the hard work it takes to honour, respect and love their followers. Having said that, I understand that it might be impractical to know the inner worlds of every single follower but simply not doing so due to impracticality is no excuse.

True leaders know how to inspire and motivate their followers because they care. It’s as simple as that.

Now for those of you working in a big corporate environment, I understand that I haven’t touched on the organisational psychology required to define and develop leaders within an organisation but at the end of the day while those tools and techniques are quite effective (and amazing!) I believe there are millions around the world who want to become leaders and just need somewhere to start upon their journey.

The Dream, Build, Inspire, Lead! leadership philosophy provides you with a simple framework to achieve anything you want in life and become a leader worthy of followers who aspire to do great things. It’s a good starting point for your leadership journey.

I want to close my thoughts on this conversation with you by asking you to consider one last thing:

There are three types of people in the world today: Those who make it happen. Those who watch it happen. And those who wonder what happened.

And my question to you is, which one are you?

Until we meet again, I wish you nothing but success upon your leadership journey.

Dream, Build, Inspire, Lead!

AJ~

p.s. If you enjoyed this post, you might like to take a look at our Mindset Training programs to help you achieve the most out of life.

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Leave a comment below and visit her new blog Healthy Mummies.

-AJ~

* * * * * * * * * * * 

Discovering Different Roles

Women take on many roles within their family – mother, wife, daughter, sister, cleaner, chef, taxi, personal assistant, nurse….should I go on?  

When you’re first child arrives your sense of self gets a fair blow physically, mentally and spiritually. Looking in the mirror you think, ‘really, are you sure? Is that really me?’

The answer to that is obvious; of course it is you, just a different version. Not better, not worse, just different.

Woman can be extremely critical of their appearance and the media certainly doesn’t provide many positive examples. I remember looking down at my post pregnancy body and I didn’t even recognise it, it was like I was looking at someone else.

The Challenge of Change

For some people this change can be very difficult almost as if it is expected that we should be able to automatically handle it all with ease.

The hardest part for some women can be the transition from career/business woman to wife/caretaker. There is an expectation that because we are competent in one area of life we should automatically have all the necessary parenting knowledge and skills.

Furthermore, for those of you who are very results focused and driven by achievement, the mundaneness of motherhood can be a real challenge.

Managing Physical Realities

What most new parents don’t take into account is how physical realities like sleep deprivation put pressure on the most solid of relationships.

At one point I had 4 children under the age of 3 ½ – at the end of each day I would sit on the couch and cry out of pure exhaustion, I probably did that for 3 months after my twins were born.

It is easy to become resentful that you have given up your previous independent life to take care of others – but no one said it was easy!

People often comment ‘I don’t know how you do it’. But like most parents some days I fail miserably and others run smoothly, at some point you have to take responsibility for your choices, move on and be proactive.

How to Reclaim Yourself

Here are my four most important tips that may help you maintain a sense of self and still be able to give yourself unconditionally to your family. In my opinion that is essential to surviving parenthood.

Find time just for you

Suddenly after becoming a parent your needs are put on the sidelines for a while but it doesn’t have to be like that for long.

Even in the early days find time just for you, this could be as simple as sitting quietly for 10 minutes or having a shower uninterrupted. As your kids get a bit older you might join a fitness class or book club – it doesn’t matter what it is as long as it separate from your role as mother.

I decided that I would take on further study. I knew I wouldn’t be able to afford childcare for four kids so close in age, making going back to work impossible. So to break up the monotony of nappies, washing, feeding etc. I found an online course that was flexible enough to work around my family commitments.

I also invest time into my health by going to the gym.

Establish boundaries & expectations

Every relationship works differently in terms of the roles and responsibilities each partner takes on.

Communicate clearly with your partner about what you expect of them and what you are willing to do to meet them halfway.

For example do you share household chores? Who takes the kids to their afterschool activities? Who wakes up in the night to attend to the children?

In our house I am responsible for most of the children’s needs whilst my husband works and studies. When he can he will help with household chores or looking after the kids whilst I go to the gym and study myself.

So we don’t share a lot of roles equally but it works for us. Some of you out there might prefer to split all roles within the house equally between parents. Whatever works!

Be Realistic

You are setting yourself up for failure with the assumption that everything will go to plan.

The nature of kids is that they will sometimes get sick or other unexpected things will pop up. Plan time for yourself but be prepared that you may need to be flexible and have a backup plan.

If it all falls apart the world will not end, just get back on track as soon as you can.

Be Organised and Efficient

Things won’t just happen, you need to make them happen.

Have a plan of what you want to achieve and discuss it with your support network to see if it is possible (or at least a modified version).

Sometimes the only time I have to go to the gym is 8-9pm when I am exhausted and ready for bed, but if that’s what it is I make the most of it.

Being a parent is a damn hard task at times and also the most rewarding thing you will ever do!

By reclaiming your sense of self you not only allow yourself to become a better parent; you are being a great role model for your kids!

BIO:

Clare Walker is a mother of 4 (aged between 4-7), a qualified physical education teacher, personal trainer and has almost completed a psychology degree. In her ‘spare’ time she volunteers a lot of hours at her children’s school as the Walking School Bus Coordinator and other roles, trains clients from home and has a passion for mental and physical health.

Clare has just started a new blog called Healthy Mummies to follow her journey of parenthood and to provide tips to women/mums on fitness, nutrition, mindset and more! Check it out!

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Whenever you meet a dream killer, try not to take what they’re saying personally. See once upon a time they used to be just like you, with massive dreams and aspirations of living a truly amazing life. Until they too met a dream killer who successfully managed to kill their dream. The reasons vary greatly but that’s the general gist of it.

Whenever I meet a dream killer I acknowledge that they are offering their “advice” to me because they truly believe that it is the best course of action based on their own perspective.

And the only reason I don’t listen to them is because I have my own perspective. I see things differently about the world that they don’t see. And based on my perspective I truly believe in taking my own path to achieve everything that I want to achieve in life.

One of my core beliefs that I share on stage when I inspire cool young people is “Those who don’t believe it can be done should not interfere with those doing it already.” And that brings me to the brilliant tale of the humble bumble bee.

And no I’m not talking about The Transformer here. I’m talking about the real insect.

See scientists believe that the bumble bee cannot fly. Its wings are quite small and its body is quite big and according to the laws of physics, scientists believe that the bumble bee simply cannot generate enough lift from its tiny wings to move its massive body.

But the bee doesn’t know this, so it keeps flying.

The humble bumble bee is a beautiful reminder that if we truly believe in something based on our view of the world then we should ignore the dream killers and continue upon our journey of discovery.

The Challenge

This week I challenge you to ignore any dream killers that you might meet. Remember the the story of the humble bumble bee and don’t take what they’re saying personally because at one time in their lives they were just like you. And then they had their dreams beaten out of them. It’s up to you to live the life you want to live, just like the bumble bee. Go make a difference!!!

Dream, Build, Inspire, Lead!

AJ~

p.s. If you enjoyed this post, you might like to take a look at our Mindset Training programs to help you achieve the most out of life.

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The video below is based on my philosophy of entrepreneurship, but not the traditional definition of an entrepreneur. My definition is how I see the world – through the eyes of an entrepreneur: ideas, barriers and outcomes.

The video explains this in greater detail so please check it out:

The Challenge

This week’s challenge is to start developing your Entrepreneurial Mind and tackle your challenges to achieve anything you want in 2014.

I wish you nothing but success in your endeavours and I look forward to spending the year with you through my blog.

Until next time…

Dream, Build, Inspire, Lead!

AJ~

p.s. If you enjoyed this post, you might like to take a look at our Mindset Training programs to help you achieve the most out of life.

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Why I Love Nelson Mandela

In my mind Nelson Mandela was an icon who faced so much negativity and adversity. Despite this, he never gave up on his dreams of a better world. I constantly wonder what makes a man endure so much suffering and triumph in the end? What went through his mind in order to survive? Did he ever think of giving up?

Sadly with his death on the 5th of December 2013, I’ll never get a chance to ask him personally. Luckily though, thanks to the magic of the interwebz, some of my questions have already been answered.

My Favourite Story about Nelson Mandela

My favourite story about Mr Mandela is from an interview with Australian tv journalist Andrew Denton, where Denton interviewed former United States President Bill Clinton.

During the interview Denton asked Clinton about his friendship with Nelson Mandela and specifically did Mandela offer Clinton any advice during the time when he was about to impeached in parliament.

Here’s what President Clinton said:

“I asked Mandela once about the suffering in the prison, and I said he was a great man to invite his jailers to his inauguration, but didn’t he really hate the people who imprisoned him – the big people who imprisoned him? And he said, “Yes, I hated them for a long time, but then, after about 12 years, when I was breaking rocks one day, I realised they’d already taken so much from me. They’d abused me physically and emotionally and they had separated me from my family. It eventually broke my marriage up. I didn’t get to see my children grow up. Finally I realised they could do whatever they want and take everything I had except my mind and my heart,” he said. “Those things I would have to give to them.” He said, “I decided not to give them away.” Then he looked at me and smiled and said, “And neither should you.” It was an amazing moment…And ever since then, it’s helped me so much. You realise there’s things in life you can control, things in life you cannot control. And you just have to not give your mind and heart away”

Source: http://www.abc.net.au/tv/enoughrope/transcripts/s1157592.htm

Now that’s deep!

Nelson Mandela on Life

Here’s another clip of President Clinton talking about the lessons in life that he learned from Nelson Mandela:

For those of you who can’t watch the video, here are some gems:

“No matter how much responsibility he had, he remembered that he was a person first.”

“He tried to make every young South African feel like they could be part of the future”

“The great gift he had was not to be a great person, but to make you feel like you want to be a great person. He made everyone else want to be bigger.”

Nelson Mandela – An Ordinary Hero

You know, I’ve never been interested in politics or activism, especially political activism but I do greatly admire the extraordinary leader that Nelson Mandela was.

In saying that, I understand and appreciate there must be some deep lessons to be learned from these topics that made Mandela into such a great leader. Perhaps I should revisit them through new lenses?

Nelson Mandela was an extraordinary human being who truly changed the world for so many South Africans because he refused to give up on his beliefs no matter what happened to him. He is a shining example of what humanity is capable of achieving if the desire and support is there.

President Clinton is right. Even in death, Nelson Mandela inspires you to want to be a greater person. Now that’s a powerful legacy to leave behind and that’s how I choose to remember him.

Dream, Build, Inspire, Lead!

AJ~

p.s. If you enjoyed this post, you might like to take a look at our Mindset Training programs to help you achieve the most out of life.

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I have some truly amazing people in my network and last week I got to catch up with a couple of them, who inspired me beyond belief.

Most of the people in my network are connections that I’ve built over the last six years through Twitter.

While that might sound a little weird, I’ve been using the internet for years to build connections with people that I could not normally get access to through traditional face to face type networking events.

My core philosophy for networking is to connect amazing individuals with other amazing individuals and that lets me cultivate an incredibly powerful network of people who open up a lot of doors for each other. And occasionally I’ll get to walk through a couple of those doors.

Let me introduce you to a couple of amazing people in my network.

Exhibit A – Steve Sammartino

During the week I got to see Steve Sammartino (@Sammartino) speak on Digital Disruption at a local networking function. Steve’s an amazing guy who I honestly believe has built a time machine and has come back from the future to inspire and educate us on what’s comming. If you’ve ever seen him speak you’ll know what I mean.

I’ve known Steve for years through Twitter and I truly love his work on entrepreneurship and business philosophy. The funny thing is that I’ve only met him three times over the last six years yet whenever we catch up it’s like we’ve known each other for years.

Exhibit B – Jen Frahm

Later during the week I got to catch up with another power connector in my network – Jen Frahm (@JenFrahm), who is an expert in change management and a true master of her craft.

While I’ve been talking to Jen for the last 6 years on Twitter I’ve never actually met her in person until last week. She’s everything and more in person and is one of those rare individuals who takes the time to listen to people’s ideas and give constructive feedback that builds upon those ideas instead of just killing the dream.

If that wasn’t enough, she organised for a personal tour of her new project – The NAB Smart Shop at 700 Bourke street.

The technology in that place truly blew me away and for a retired ICT guru like myself, it was an amazing integration of technology, people and processes that I felt would provide a comforting experience for NAB’s customers. That’s a big statement when you consider how most people are treated when they walk into a bank.

By now you’re probably wondering how you could build up your own personal network full of great people like Steve and Jen. Let me share my method by telling you a story about this random kid I met on the way to see Jen.

Exhibit C – The Crystal Kid on the Tram

As I waited for my tram into the city, this fifteen something year old kid, wearing strategically faded jeans and a hoody, skated up to me on his board and asked me if I have the Tram Trakker app on my phone so that he could see how far away the tram was.

I pulled out my phone and embarressingly told him that I did have the app, but didn’t quite know how to use it.

He sat down next to me and within 30 seconds brought me up to speed on the app and all of its features like some top notch salesperson with years of training.

DAMMMMNNNNN!!!

After my little tutorial, we started talking about the magic of technology and then I asked him what his story was, if he was still in school or doing something else. He said that he was doing an apprenticeship to become a plumber.

I asked him why he chose that career path he said it was a great career to fall back on as there’s always money around if things go horribly wrong.

That was an incredibly well thought out answer so I asked him what he wanted to do instead if that was his fall back plan.

He said he’d like to travel the world and create art by blowing glass.

Now he’s got my full attention because he’s a smart thinker and has incredible dreams too.

We hopped on the tram and the conversation continued with what I do for work and then progressed onto philosophy and ultimately spirituality. For the next 10 minutes we discuss karma, re-incarnation and the existance of a higher power.

I never thought in a million years that I’d be having an incredibly insightful conversation like this with some random kid from the tram stop.

We continued talking, getting along like a house on fire when finally he announced he was getting off at the next stop.

We started saying our goodbyes and he pulled out a small pouch that he was wearing around his neck. He reached inside the pouch and pulled out a small crystal and asked me if I knew what it was.

I admitted I had no idea. He then handed the crystal to me and said “Well whatever it is, it’s yours now.”

And that just blew me away.

Here was a complete stranger giving me something that obviously meant a lot to him only because we shared the same philosophy about life.

DAMMMNNNNN!!!

I thanked him prefusely and explained that I didn’t have a crystal to offer him in return. Instead I reached into my pocket and gave him one of my business cards and told him that if he ever needed any doors openned to make his dreams come true, he was to contact me and consider it done.

He was blown away by that simple gesture.

We shook hands and then he stood up and I’ll never forget what he said to me as he was leaving: “Maybe some day we’ll gravitate towards each other again. Thanks!”

Damnnnnnnn…that’s deep!

And that Achievers is the essence of cultivating a powerful network. Here are the steps broken down:

1. Always look for an opportunity to have a conversation

2. Be authentic and show a genuine interest in the person you are talking to

3. Forget about the outside world and be present in the moment

4. Ask questions that add value to the conversation not ones that just satisfy personal curiosity

5. Do whatever you can to move people closer to their dreams

6. Create a lasting experience and leave people better than when you first found them

And that brings us to this week’s challenge…

The Challenge

This week I challenge you to add one new person to your network using the above steps.

Remember it’s never about increasing the number of people in your network. It’s about finding the right people, connecting with them, adding value to them and then working together as a group to add value to the rest of the people within your entire network.

Everyone in my network follows the exact same five steps outlined above and if I want to remain valuable to my network, I have to work hard to keep doing those same steps myself.

It’s a shame that more people don’t share this philosophy when building up their own network as a lot of people just play the numbers game and treat the people that they meet as items on a list. But that’s probably why they’re not successful Achievers like you and I, dedicated to turning our dreams into reality.

Let me know how you go on this week’s challenge by leaving a comment below or on Facebook, Twitter or Google Plus.

Until next time Achievers…

Dream, Build, Inspire, Lead!

AJ~

p.s. If you enjoyed this post, you might like to take a look at our Mindset Training programs to help you achieve the most out of life.

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For the past few months I have been trying to get my event, Young Entrepreneurz Day off the ground. It’s all about teaching entrepreneurship to high school kids because I believe that Entrepreneurs have the real power to change the world, and I want to grow as many entrepreneurs as I can during my lifetime.

While I’ve been getting a lot of support for the event, there’s been an incredible amount of barriers that I’ve had to smash through in order to turn this dream into a reality.

Two weeks ago came another big show stopper where I suddenly found myself being blacklisted by the Northern Territory Government and not being able to email anyone with an NT Government email address nor anyone with an NT Schools email address.

As my event is for high school kids this was a HUGE barrier for me as people are emailing me asking questions about the event and I can’t respond to their emails because I’m blacklisted.

I contacted the support people at the Government IT Help desk and told them what the problem is and if there was anything they could do to help me. I used an alternative email address so that they could actually email me back if they needed more information from me.

Instead of using my alternative address, the help desk emailed me back at my blacklisted address and asked me to email their boss to get authorisation to work on the problem.

So again I used my alternative address and emailed their supervisor asking for authorisation to work on the problem.

I got a response from their supervisor asking who I was and what was the nature of my business and dealing with Government.

I told them who I was, what my company does and how I’ve had a trusted supplier relationship with the NT Government for the past 8 years and an continue to be listed as a preferred consultant for the Department of Business. I also mentioned that the emails are in relation to my event on the 19th of October and that it’s crucial that I continue to email my contacts within government otherwise it’s a business interruption issue and I’ll have to cancel the event.

They replied back asking for a phone number, which I provided and then I got ignored for a couple of days.

I followed up afterwards and got a reply from them stating that they can’t find me in the Yellow or White Pages and have doubts about my existence.

FARRRR OUT!!!

Why on earth would I spend my advertising budget on outdated media channels for my digital marketing consultancy?!?

Finally I got on the phone to them and convinced them that I’m a real person with genuine intentions and that I needed to email school kids and my contacts in Government in order to proceed with the event otherwise it wouldn’t go ahead.

From the conversation we had, I’m not entirely sure that they actually have read the background information to my issue so after speaking with them I decided to forward them a copy of my original email that caused the problem.

They wrote back immediately saying that one line in my email signature could be causing the problem. There’s a lot of spam going into Government emails and as a result I should be clear on my intent and purpose when emailing students and teachers and that I should probably call them first before I send my email.

FARRRR OUT!!!!

Firstly, the email is a REPLY to people who have already emailed me, it’s not spammy at all. Second the line picked up is in my email signature and part of how I market myself to prospective clients instead of using traditional media like the yellow and white pages. And third, it doesn’t tell me how to get myself off the blacklist, which is what the support call was about in the first instance!

I emailed back saying that doesn’t really help me resolve the issue at hand because I’m still blacklisted and ask if there’s anything they can do to help me because I’m dead in the water without being able to email anyone.

They email back saying the issue has been logged and they will get in touch with me when someone investigates. They don’t however give me a ticket number even though the issue has been logged.

I responded by asking for the ticket number and that’s where the conversation ended as I received no more replies.

They just left me all alone to figure out the problem on my own without any more help from them. Perhaps they thought if they ignored me for long enough I would go away?

That’s just so incredibly sad.

They’re clearly in a position to help me but it’s probably  just that they don’t have the knowledge and are afraid to admit it – which is incredibly frightening as they’re in a key leadership position within their business unit.

I’m not going to name names or titles here because that’s not what this blog post is about.

It’s about people being in a position of power to help and they choose not to because they just don’t care.

And I think that’s incredibly wrong! It’s the saddest thing in the world to turn your back on someone who asks for your help because you couldn’t care less.

What’s even more interesting is that when I shared this story with some friends they all said the same thing:  “Oh that’s just Government” or “That’s the way the world is.”

Well I say SCREW THAT!

Those are all excuses for mediocrity and mediocrity doesn’t change the world. It destroys it by breeding a culture that perpetuates a lack of accountability.

But how exactly does one turn things around within an organisation that has such a culture? 

Well as an Achiever, you start by putting your foot down and saying that you will no longer tolerate mediocre performances from yourself. With everything you do, you show up to the best of your abilities. All the time.

Once you have mastered that then you move to making all those around you accountable. If you make a promise to do something for them you move heaven and earth to keep that promise. Likewise if they promise something to you, make sure you hold them accountable for it.

Changing corporate culture can’t be done overnight and it is a long and painful process but it’s not impossible. It just requires hard work, dedication and some serious inspiration and motivation to make it work.

And that brings us to this week’s challenge…

The Challenge

This week I challenge you to abolish mediocrity within yourself. If you say you will do something for someone within a certain time – do it! Hold yourself to a higher standard and don’t accept anything less.

As the great pop philosopher M Jackson once said “If you want to make the world a better place, take a look at yourself then make a change.”

Let me know how you go by leaving a comment below or on Facebook, Twitter or Google Plus.

Until next time Achievers,

Dream, Build, Inspire, Lead!

AJ~

p.s. While waiting for Government to help me, I had some tech friends look into my problem and it’s actually got nothing to do with government blacklisting me. There’s actually a 3rd party blacklist out there and somehow my address ended up on it and because Government use that list for their spam filters I automatically got blocked. The people I’ve been dealing with should know how this works – especially given their job titles, but they don’t. And they don’t care. And that’s just plain sad.

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My friend Natty P is an amazing guy who has had a variety of jobs throughout his life. He’s been a DJ, a panel beater, a chef, a web developer and everything in between.

Years ago we used to work together and we would catch up for lunch quite often. During one of those times he told me the most profound thing and it changed the way I’ve rolled out through life since hearing it.

At the time we were talking about his inability to get ADSL into his new apartment and how he was being too nice about it all and wasn’t complaining enough to his service providers to get results.

From what Natty was saying he was well within his rights to shoot the lot of them for all of the conflicting information they were giving him but instead of being really angry about the whole thing, he was quite calm.

He said to me “I don’t get angry very often. I’m so busy doing so many things that I don’t have time in my life to get angry.”

How interesting!

The more I thought about what Natty said I realised that its so true. This was something that he felt so strongly about that it was almost like he created a policy behind it to make sure that he didn’t lose time and energy on getting angry. Instead he chose to focus on other more meaningful things in his life.

This was part of his personal policy.

For those of you who don’t really know about what policy is, think of it like a set of rules and regulations designed to guide decision making on a particular topic.

Policy serves as guidance to decision makers when faced with a particular decision. Sometimes the decision making process can be very clear cut however at other times you really need to examine policy to ensure that the decisions made are concurrent with the rules of that particular policy.

For example, at work there will be tons of policies about appropriate computer usage, or policies on annual leave. Managers wishing to make decisions on these things will refer back to the policy to ensure they are operating within the corporate rules and regulations.

On the flip side, if you find that policy is hindering your ability to make good decisions then it might be a chance to review that policy and update it.

So how does this relate back to the concept of Personal Policy?

Well if you think about it, in life we’re faced with many decisions and we base our decisions on our experience and the experience and advice of others around us. So by developing our Personal Policy we are able to make better decisions especially in less than ideal circumstances.

For example, if you decide that you want to save up for a deposit on a house and all your friends want you to go out with them and spend money, then you might be more inclined to stick to your policy and save the money instead. You formulate your policy on what is most important to you and work from there.

The Challenge

This week I challenge you to come up with 5 rules that you wish to incorporate into your Personal Policy.

They might be something simple as “My policy is to spend more time reading Dream Build Inspire Lead!” or something more complex as “My policy is to improve my connections with people who can influence my career”.

Whatever it is, write it down and stick to it. You’ll find your decision making becomes a lot clearer when you have your Personal Policy to guide you along the way.

Until next time Achievers…

Dream, Build, Inspire, Lead!

AJ~

p.s. If you enjoyed this post, you might like to take a look at our Mindset Training programs to help you achieve the most out of life.

i-source: http://www.xennix.com

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