Pop Your Cherry
October 11, 2012 § Leave a comment
Flickr Credit: Richard Thomas
The new ‘do.
Today, I was out visiting my bestest Barb. Barb and I met through a common friend once upon a time at a concert. I couldn’t imagine my life without her now. Funny how that works. Anyway, that’s besides the point.
Today, I was out visiting my bestest Barb so we could catch up AND she could have some fun with my hair. By fun I mean what you see to the right. Yes, some colour. She had so much fun playing and all I could think about was how much fun I was having… and my life before life got fun.
I’m so lucky to have found a space where it’s expected that I’ll be 100% myself… more if possible. The less I bring of myself to the table, the less successful I am.
I remembered back when I was in my yonder, younger years, everyone would fawn over my long blond hair. “It’s so gorgeous, why would you ever want to do anything with it?” they’d often comment. In high school, I let my friend Marla give me highlights once. They were exactly two shades darker than my current hair colour. You couldn’t even see them unless the light hit them just so.
When I was in university, I got bold one day on a road trip to Seattle with an old class mate and chopped my hair off from my long blond locks to a cute little bob. When we got home, I found the bestest ever stylist (before I met Barb) at Swizzlesticks in Edmonton. He was brave enough to take artistic liberties with my hair. His name was Dave. I loved him (for his scissor skills – not to be confused with scissoring skills – and because he always called me his Nordic princess). He popped my colour cherry. As in… he was the first one to add anything more than those little highlights to my hair. Who knew a hairstyle could be so freeing? In later years, I looked back on this time as being the time when I was the most “me”.
Speaking of the most me, guess who’s back to super short hair and experimenting with colours? I repopped my colour and short hair cherry when I jumped ship from corporate Calgary and joined ranks with Yelp – and the more comfortable I am in my own skin, the better things seem to get.
On popping your cherry…
Whatever it is… just go do it. It’s like your first. You’re nervous and you don’t really know what to expect. But it’s something you’ve heard your friends doing and it sounds like it could be a lot of fun. So, what’s holding you back?
No matter your first encounter, finding a new cherry to pop in your life will always add some pizzazz and excitement. You got over your “real” first time and now have a blast in those encounters, right? It’s time to apply the same feelings and experiences elsewhere! (Well… metaphorically-ish). So… POP!
Keep the Passion Burning
June 4, 2012 § Leave a comment
“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”
This favourite quote by author, humourist and lecturer Mark Twain came to mind when I read blogmate Wendy’s recent post about turning 30 and how she’s determined to go for it all.
Wendy once paid me a great compliment by acknowledging that we’re very much alike, particularly in terms of our outlook, though I’m nearly 22 years older.
She will live a dynamic life and flourish at whatever she sets out to do. But then Wendy’s no slouch now, whether it’s the enthusiasm for her job at Yelp Calgary, her passion for ultimate Frisbee or the emotion her writing exudes.
I can predict this with certainty because the one advantage I have over my younger friend is experience.
I’ve seen how attitude drives altitude in life and I thrive on being connected with driven, ambitious people.
Now it’s true that I’m not a millionaire yet. While a paid off mortgage would definitely be great, I’m rich in many other intangible and important ways.
For example, I take great comfort in knowing the phrase “I’m bored” has never crossed my lips and never will.
It’s also exciting to realize I’ve yet to reach my own potential, Far from it, though I have no regrets. In fact, I know I’ve mentored and inspired others to reach greater heights. That is a powerful feeling.
There is always something more to accomplish, whether in relationships, hobbies, careers or self-improvement, in general.
The key is to continually stoke the fires of passion in all aspects of life – whether that’s examining new employment prospects, taking on volunteer opportunities or finding activities that broaden your friend and interest bases.
I draw energy from people like Wendy who strive to live life to the fullest. That’s easier said than done at times. On the other hand, have you ever noticed how much life is sucked out of you by people who are constantly negative or miserable?
Any sustainable life success is bound to occur by surrounding yourself by like-minded people.
Sometimes you can’t control these factors, particularly in the workplace. It’s certainly a rush when you provide someone with an opportunity to work on a project and they react with excitement.
As legendary football coach Lou Holtz once said, “Ability is what you’re capable of doing. Motivation determines what you do. Attitude determines how well you do it.”
I recently received a random jolt of inspiration when I spoke to Vanessa Besharah, a summer student at the Grande Prairie Regional Tourism Association office, for the first time.
She’d turned down a previously held job to take on this one because of her passion for it.
Her words resonated with me. Not too many others speak about their employment in that way.
I’ll share some other comments. They were a breath of fresh air.
“My outlook in life is that people need to stop, breathe and realize there are so many things in the world that are more important than their career and money,” she says.
Vanessa completed her business studies at Grande Prairie Regional College this spring. She believes a job should be taken because it provides happiness and enjoyment.
“To me, family and my relationship are more important than work and I would drop anything to help them because they’re the ones that are going to be there when you need them.”
Finding balance is quite simple, but it takes effort, she says.
“A lot of people stay in their comfort zone and do not take chances,” she says. “There are so many places to see in this world; people just have to jump in their car and start to drive. We need to get away from work and try to find that balance in life. On a day off, just jump in your car and explore. I was surprised how many people have not even been to many places that are only two hours away and they’ve lived in Grande Prairie their whole life.
“What inspires me so much is when you realize that it’s the small things in life you do for other people that makes them so happy and thankful.”
Vanessa leads a running group in Grande Prairie and helped members reach their goal of achieving a 10 km distance.
“I never knew it meant a lot to people, just the small things and time spent helping people. So next time just say ‘hi’ to someone or lend a helping hand or just hear someone out. It means a lot to people in ways you will never know.”
Vanessa plans to take some time to travel this fall and discover more about herself before pursuing Alberta Fitness Leadership Certification Association training.
“This will allow me to teach fitness and get paid for what I enjoy doing.”
She also plans to take human resources courses online.
“My life isn’t mapped out but I have come to term with that. I think that it’s fine not knowing what’s going to happen so you are more likely to take chances and experience what life throws at you.”
I’m certain Vanessa will go as far as her ambition takes her.
Music is often a topic when Wendy and I speak, so I can’t think of a better way to end this blog than with lyrics from Fleetwood Mac’s song Don’t Stop Thinking About Tomorrow:
Don’t stop, thinking about tomorrow
Don’t stop, it’ll soon be here
It’ll be, better than before
Yesterday’s gone, yesterday’s gone
Don’t you look back, don’t you look back.
The Easiest Lessons Are Often the Hardest Ones to Learn
April 9, 2012 § 1 Comment
Reading glasses (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
I love it when my brain is able to process things for me and still let me get a good night’s sleep. Like it did on Saturday. I woke up well rested, but also with a big “A-ha!” on my mind. In this particular moment of clarity, I saw an obvious obstacle. It must’ve been in a blind spot. I’m glad I’m learning to change and evaluate different perspectives, because now it’s staring me directly in the face.
What I’ve always known on some level, is that the way to success in any endeavor is to come at it from a space where we’re 100% genuine, authentic and ourselves. In terms of work and my career, I’ve never had any problems doing this. Thus, I’ve never really had any problems in the workplace. Most of the time, I get what I want, although it’s not always when I want it. And if I’m not getting it, I’ve got the ovaries to say something about it or stick my neck out and seek it elsewhere.
Where I run into the most difficulty is in primary relationships. I get stuck on what I think a “girlfriend” or a “wife” type is supposed to be. I put on my happy face and play the polite, nice girl from a small town that everyone’s parents would find delightful. And though those are certainly elements of my personality, I don’t allow the rest to shine on through with them. And yet, over and over, in each given situation, I would start off being myself, but the more I’d get into the relationship, the more I would play the role, and the quicker things deteriorated.
Somewhere in my logical mind, I’ve of course always known this one. I would have had to in order to have that kind of approach in my work life. It surprises me that I wasn’t able to make the connection before between my behaviour in either situation and the results I was seeing (or perhaps it was more that I hadn’t attributed this point as the direct cause of my success or lack thereof before). But alas, it’s always those things that are right in front of us that we often have the most trouble acknowledging.
A conversation I had with my friend Dave later on in the weekend regarding relationships spurred the topic of censorship. How much of ourselves do we censor in order to be the kind of person we think our other half wants to be involved with versus just being ourselves? Each of us had numerous examples of couples in our lives that we considered to be censoring dreams, attitudes, beliefs – any number of things really – for the greater good of the relationship. We also each had a much more limited quantity of examples of couples we felt had attracted their ideal mate and just worked because both parties were coming from a space of complete authenticity.
My biggest challenge now is changing the behaviour. I’ve been playing the role for so long, it’s going to take me awhile to reprogram things, undue the habits I formed long ago. But they aren’t providing the results I desire, so why continue to repeat them?
As I think about all of the steps involved, it seems like I have a relatively large task at hand. Yet, I’m reminded of an example I once read in the book by Chip and Dan Heath, Switch: How to Change When Change is Hard.
My loose rendition of the example is as follows… Essentially, there was this doctor researcher type who was supposed to head over to a developing nation and attempt to solve some of the hunger problems. He was to have a couple of years to complete the research. Unfortunately, a change in government showed up on the horizon and his contacts warned him that his time frame had just shortened to about six months. They couldn’t guarantee that they’d still be around if and when a new government took power. Six months were not enough time to understand all of the factors at play, yet him and his team decided to go in anyway. Instead of trying to identify all of the complexities of the problem, they would look for what the book calls the “bright spots.” In this particular example, the bright spots were any children in the villages that were above average health in their communities. Outliers, if you will. They surveyed families from a variety of nearby villages and found that most families fed their children rice, but the families that also mixed in a local plant had healthier children. The plant was viewed by most as something only lower class families would use, but was providing much-needed nutrients to the children that were consuming it. The researchers then encouraged all mothers to mix in the plant. A decade or so later, the average height and weight of children in the same area had risen considerably. The lesson here? Identifying all of the factors in a problem can waste valuable time. Looking for consistent examples of a preferred situation and discovering what’s being done differently in those examples can bring a simple solution to a large problem.
So, transferring over the mindset of work Wendy versus relationship Wendy is as simple as speaking my mind and going after everything I want in any given situation. If I give no regard to any “considerations” I might come up with to delay progress, I shouldn’t actually experience any delays in progress.
Wish me luck! Let’s see how this goes.
Let Me Eat Cake.
March 26, 2012 § 6 Comments
A birthday cake (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Today is the first day of the rest of my life. Alright, you could argue that every day is that. But there’s only one day that’s the first day of my 30s. And that day is today.
Plenty of folks have asked me if I’m nervous about turning 30. I’ll admit, I had a minor meltdown yesterday, my last day in my 20s, in the San Francisco airport waiting to come home. “Mini” meaning it lasted all of about 30 seconds before I stopped myself and made me name 10 things I was really sad about. After the second one it was already sounding more than a little ridiculous.
Saturday night, I was watching Fast & Furious in my hotel room. There’s a line where his yumminess, Paul Walker, is talking about Vin Diesel’s character, Donovan, to his character’s sister (Vin’s, not Paul’s). It was something to the effect of, “If there’s one thing I’ve learned from your brother, it’s that nothing really matters unless you have a code.” And so, I’ve come up with a few rules to live by of my own for this next decade of my life:
- The older I get, the less likely it is I’ll know what I’m doing. So I might as well just go for it anyway.
- The more I aim for perfection, the less likely it is that I’m going to succeed, so I might as well just go for it anyway.
- Tomorrow is not guaranteed, nor is it known. So I might as well just go for it today.
- The more I give myself what I want, the more I want others to also have more of what they want. So… I might as well just go for more of what I want today.
I see a pattern emerging. And with that… wish me luck! Time to go for it all anyway!
What exactly is it I’m going for? Well… everything. You’ll see!
The Retirement of Excellence
October 17, 2011 § 6 Comments
I was once moved and inspired by the excellence statement that circulated through ATCO from RD Southern, the company’s chairman. It goes a little something like this:
Excellence…
“Going far beyond the call of duty.
Doing more than others expect.
This is what excellence is all about.
It comes from striving, maintaining
the highest standards, looking after the
smallest detail and going that extra mile.
Excellence means caring. It means
making a special effort to do more.”
I left ATCO nearly a year ago, and the spirit behind this quote sticks with me. But, I heard someone else recently talking about a commitment to excellence. And I couldn’t help but feel the term is losing its significance. If you remember way back when David and I started this blog, we were talking about the meaning of words and which ones to ban from our vocabularies. I am hereby banning the word “excellence” from my vocabulary. Instead, well, instead.. I’m just going to be awesome.
Blasphemous! I know. Here’s the thing. Excellence to me has come to mean perfection and perfection is unattainable on a large scale. The perfect mix of life’s ingredients for me is not the ideal mix for you. It’s just not applicable when it comes to a larger picture.
Awesomeness, on the other hand… well, now we’re getting somewhere. Awesomeness isn’t stodgy, it’s more fluid. And it’s a word I use all too often. But it rings true with me, and it’s the first word out of my mouth when I thoroughly enjoyed something. Speaking of enjoyment, there’s another key word. Excellence is a measurement. Awesomeness is an experience. We’re not looking for the destination anymore, we want to LIVE every part of the journey.
Life is nothing more than the sum of our experiences… and at the end of mine, I’d like to look back with a smile and think “Holy shit, that was AWESOME!”
If I may:
Awesomeness…
Living life beyond the mundane of the everyday
Doing everything you can to stretch your comfort zone.
This is what awesomeness is all about.
It comes from an open mind, and open heart, maintaining
The highest commitment to self and to community and family,
Looking upon every day as a new adventure and thinking the stars are within reach.
Awesomeness means living for today. It means
Being with those you love, doing what makes you happy
And approaching everything not only with a commitment to service and quality,
But with a desire for joy, fun and life.
Live long, be well, be loved.
The Passion of Les Habitant Fans
April 25, 2011 § 5 Comments
It all started when I was 10 years old. I wondered what the sirens were all about as my Dad watched hockey.
I was hearing, of course, the signal to begin and end the periods at the fabled Montreal Forum where the Canadiens, a.k.a the Habs, played prior to moving in the Bell Centre.
My initiation into Hab Nation began in the spring of 1971, 40 years ago. This blog is an account of how I and other men and women across the country have become diehard fans invariably as a family custom.
I started watching the Habs play against the heavily favoured Boston Bruins, who they would upset in seven games in the first round of the playoffs that year. As I write, the Canadiens are once again the underdog versus the same team in this year’s post-season.
A love for the team attired in rouge, blanc et bleu with a CH on the front of their jerseys would be one of the things my late father and I would share over the years.
The torch has been passed on to support this storied sports franchise which has won the second most championships in professional sports with 24. Only the New York Yankees have more banners.
I was immediately hooked as the upstart team went on to win the Cup in my infancy as a fan, beating Boston, the Minnesota North Stars and the Chicago Blackhawks.
What a great time to become a fan of the Canadiens – they would capture six Cups in the 1970s, including four in a row, from 1976 to 1979.
The number of championships would dwindle after that – just two since – but the fervent desire to win never ceases in Montreal and for fans of the Canadiens elsewhere. Hockey is a religion in Quebec and I couldn’t help but be drawn in by the passion.
Although the Canadiens were not the favourites in 1971, I was attracted by their tradition for winning and commitment to be the best.
Some of my lifetime heroes came from that era of hockey, particularly Bob Gainey, who epitomized how I believe an athlete or any professional should conduct themselves — make every shift count.
He would later coach in Minnesota and was general manager in Dallas when they won the Cup. He also had executive duties with the Habs and served two stints behind the bench.
The highlight of my being a member of the Hab faithful came in 1979 during a student exchange between Northern Lights College in my hometown of Dawson Creek, B.C. and Marianopolis College in Montreal.
We’d been told from the beginning that the March 22 game between Montreal and the New York Islanders was already sold out.
On the day of the game, though, two classmates and I decided to go to the Forum to get souvenirs so we could say we’d been to the Canadiens rink.
After loading up on Hab paraphernalia, we checked in at Marianopolis College where our liaison asked us if we’d like to go to the game that night. We said in unison “What game?”
It turned out Charles Bromfman, owner of the Expos at the time, was in Florida for spring training and his tickets became available. We jumped at the chance.
I recall to this day walking around a few feet off the ground. I have never been so excited.
The Habs lost that game but would go on to win the Cup that year. They almost didn’t make it, but for the famed May 10 gaffe by Bruin coach Don Cherry. A late too many men on the ice penalty in the seventh game against Boston allowed Montreal to tie the game and win it in overtime, propelling the Habs on to the final against the Rangers.
I would get to meet Guy Lafleur, who scored the equalizing goal, years later at an oldtimers’ game in Sault Ste. Marie. I got to speak briefly with Ken Dryden who was general manager of the Maple Leafs when I attended the final game at the Gardens.
Another favourite moment was having a friend get an autographed copy of Jean Beliveau’s autobiography. My dog, Jasper, chewed the book to bits, with only the signature page remaining intact.
My wife knew how much the book meant to me so she didn’t share the news of the book’s fate until six months later.
A trip to the conference finals last spring stoked up the fire for Hab fans again. I knew my passion hadn’t subsided. It was a sick feeling losing to the Flyers.
I am not alone in my passion for following the Habs.
Here in Grande Prairie, Tom Pura at the Chamber is Commerce, is well known for being a big booster of the Habs and the Saskatchewan Roughriders.
He, too, started following the Habs in 1971.
“The obsession really hit during the four straight run from ’76 to ’79,” he recalls.
“I had to sit in the same spot in the same position to watch their games … very superstitious. They were entertaining to watch including the golden tones of Danny Gallivan and Dick Irvin. The cups in ’86 and ’93 were pleasant surprises, but nothing compares to the ’70s for me.
“I celebrated every win and took every loss hard. It seems silly to a lot of people but everyone should have a passion for something. Mine was always sports.
“I knew those teams in the 70s inside and out, every stat, every number and name, every idiosyncrasy, and we imitated our heroes in road hockey or tennis court hockey or floor hockey. I never actually played ice hockey, but I was Larry Robinson on defence and Ken Dryden in goal and Pete Mahovlich at forward because i was one of the taller kids,” says Tom. “I even remember Larry Robinson’s overtime goal as a rookie in ’73 against the Flyers. I was six not yet seven and recreating that shot from behind the blue line in my living room with a plastic stick and puck.”
For Trista Lefave, a friend from Cornwall, Ont., who’s studying at the University of Ottawa to be a teacher, following the Habs started at an early age.
“My father is a French-Canadian from Quebec and a huge Habs fan.”
Her father, whose house is a shrine to the Habs, would delight in buying Canadien-themed Christmas presents for family members.
“He bought me and my brother Habs jerseys, and other things like pajamas or blankets. He’s the one who got us into the Habs, anything Habs. And now for birthdays and Christmas my sisters, brother, mom and I give Habs presents to each other, and we passed along our love for the Canadiens to my nieces and nephews so it’s all in the family.
“I grew up watching the Canadiens play and cheering on Patrick Roy. I became a very dedicated and diehard fanatic for the Habs.”
Trista has watched the Habs play in Ottawa but awaits her first game at the Bell Centre.
Last November, she did get to meet her favourite player, forward Mike Cammalleri, along with coach Jacques Martin, assistant Perry Pearn, and former Hab Maxim Lapierre at an event at the Bell Centre. Retired Habs Rejean Houle and Yvon Lambert were also on hand.
Much like I grew up wearing a Yvan Cournoyer’s #12 jersey and admiring the speed that would earn him the nickname Roadrunner, Trista appreciates that Cammalleri is not a big player, but is a sniper nonetheless.
“He’s a true Canadian hockey player. He loves being a Montreal Canadien. I just love his whole demeanor, his dedication, passion and his attitude. He’s not as big as everyone else, but he plays with heart and shows his skills are just as great and better than some. I respect that a lot.
“The thing I find amazing is everyone who plays on the Habs always talks about what an amazing team it is to play for, how dedicated and passionate the fans are and how that makes them want to play. Brian Gionta even said he wouldn’t have signed with the Habs had it not been for the passionate fans. We love our sport and take it seriously and it’s amazing that the players see our love for the game and for them.”
Another friend, Hélène LeGendre Drake, an audiologist who lives in Whitby, Ont., returned to her Hab roots in recent years.
“When I was very young living in eastern Quebec, my Dad and I would watch the game on Saturday nights. It was the best night of the week! Aside from the game, it was so nice to see my Dad in such a good mood, and fun for me to get to eat junk food and stay up way past my bedtime,” she recalls fondly.
“My real passion for the Montreal Canadiens started about six years ago after a friend invited me to a pre-season game at the Bell Centre. Something magical happened at that game, it was so exhilarating! And after that experience, I was simply hooked!
“I knew that I would be making the trip from Toronto to Montreal many times to see my beloved team! I usually manage to attend three games in Montreal per season. I’ve even made the awesome trip to California last year to see the games versus LA and Anaheim.
“I have only met Canadien players once, at the Toronto Hockey Hall of Fame in 2006. Each player signed our poster and chatted with us a bit. It really was surreal. The only two players remaining with that team are Tomas Plekanec, who happens to be my favourite player, and Andrei Markov.
“I know now that I am a true fan of the Montreal Canadiens for life. It has become my passion. Win or lose, I bleed bleu, blanc, rouge!”
Meanwhile, here in Grande Prairie, hope springs eternal that the Habs will once again rise to the top and win hockey’s Holy Grail.
Making Your Goals A Reality
February 14, 2011 § 5 Comments
A few weeks ago, my friend, Elizabeth, was abuzz with excitement about how 2011 would be a year of significant change including her return to school next fall and starting a marketing-related business.
But where to start?
I’d read recently that while you go through a book from front to back to find out the ending, authoring a success story occurs with the goal in mind and working back.
So, I told Elizabeth that she needs to determine what her ultimate achievement is to be and then visualize the steps required to make it happen.
Organizational consultant and author Stephen Covey, in his book, The 7 Habits Of Highly Effective People, describes this as beginning with the end in mind (Habit 2).
- Habit 2 is based on the principle that all things are created twice – a mental or first creation and a physical or second creation.
- Most endeavours that fail, fail with the first creation.
The highway to success is littered with the wreckage of countless abandoned dreams. How many of us have had ideas we didn’t pursue because we didn’t dare to go to that next step?
Perhaps we were fearful of failure or simply just comfortable. Maybe other priorities got in the way.
I know Elizabeth will succeed. She’s a driven individual, passionate about her company idea and has a good business sense. Returning to school part-time will be a key to her success.
When you’re starting a company, there are all kinds of considerations, beginning with a business plan. Then there are factors such whether to be home-based or located in an office space. Should you hire staff or just bring on associates as needed? Even choosing a corporate name can be a challenge. Should your own name be attached to it or do you select something unique?
Having operated a successful business, I share Elizabeth’s excitement. There’s nothing quite like taking an idea and nurturing it into reality. In a sense, it’s like producing a child and watching it grow.
Earlier, I described reading to the end of a book to see how the story turns out. My personal goal involves writing books – the first based on a story I penned for the Grande Prairie Public Library writing competition last year – and others to be developed from the content Wendy and I produce for this blog.
So, in a sense, I’m already on my way with Book Number One. I’ve set next Christmas as a target for being on bookshelves.
But, considering Covey’s end in mind guidance, there are many steps to go. The story needs to be fleshed out further. I need to determine whether it’s a kids’ book or something for older audiences. Should it be done in a series? Will I find a publisher or self publish? Perhaps it will be an e-book. If I print, how many copies do I want to publish? What about an illustrator?
Decisions.Decisions.
I enjoy these kinds of questions. They mean I see opportunities that I’m passionate about, that I have a purpose and before long, I will have steps in place to reach my goal. When I started my business, I remember colleagues at my former workplace telling me how lucky I was.
It was good fortune to be making a quarter of my former salary with a fledgling company? Hmmm. Yeah, right! Joking aside, I do know what they meant. They wished they’d had the motivation to try something new, to follow a dream.
I never want to be left saying, woulda, coulda, shoulda, to have regrets. Admittedly, it does take strong resolve to follow through on a goal, especially something that is significantly life-altering.
American comedian/author/educator Bill Cosby offers this advice: “In order to succeed, your desire for success should be greater than your fear of failure.”
So, as we reach month 2 of 2011, what are your goals for the year? How will you get there?
Pick People For Success
January 3, 2011 § 2 Comments
Image by Noodles and Beef via Flickr
“Surround yourself with people who take their work seriously, but not themselves, those who work hard and play hard.”
– Colin Powell
Last week, Wendy discussed the concept of an internal board of directors – roles for personal governance to complement our own strengths and weaknesses.
When I read Wendy’s blog and then saw Powell’s words, it was natural to complement her thoughts by focusing on the importance of identifying others who’ll be important in reaching our goals and dreams.
The quote from the former U.S. Secretary of State is certainly applicable to the workplace. I also see a greater message in it. And that is that we should seek to associate ourselves with people who can help us be successful whether at the office, in our volunteer activities or on a personal level.
It might be that these people will work hand-in-hand with us on a project or toward a goal or help us by being supportive in some other way.
As we move into a new year, many of us will make resolutions.
If so, we’d do well to contemplate who in our lives is supportive of what we want to accomplish. Do we need to reach out and find other like-minded people to bolster our success? Should we nurture existing relationships further? Is it possible we’re around people who don’t believe in what we’re doing or are simply negative in general?
I don’t make resolutions. When I focus on one or two things to improve upon and don’t reach those targets, I dwell on the ensuing disappointment. A year ago, I simply stated that I would put the ‘10’ in 2010. In other words, I would make it the best year yet.
While I knew not every part of my life would necessarily improve, I was confident my attitude would ensure a great year over all.
Part of that was re-focusing on how people with similar values and outlooks are instrumental in fostering positive energy. Those vibes feed off each other, like flames building towards an inferno. Likewise, I’m sure you’ve noticed that negative people are like cancers in the workplace or other parts of your life.
I led a rich life prior to this year – well, except for still waiting for that lottery win to occur – but I realized how easy it is to take your eye off the prize when you allow yourself to be distracted by disruptive individuals and undesirable situations.
Once I refocused, wouldn’t you know it but new opportunities arose almost immediately. For example, the concept for a book emerged along with some people who will help me make it happen. I developed some other positive friendships that will lead to other goals being met.
Co-writing this blog with Wendy continues to inspire me. Exchanging ideas regularly with someone who’s equally driven toward a goal is motivating.
I’ve also contemplated the Powell quote in terms of the workplace. It dovetails with a thought I’ve long had – that if I were starting a new company, I’d recruit an all-star team of colleagues, based on their values, ethics, passion, energy, and desire to achieve.
Oh yes, they know how to work their asses off. Like me, they just like to have fun doing it.
I’ve always hired on the basis of skill being about 20 per cent of the equation and the rest hinging on attitude, flexibility, customer service, teamwork, and willingness to learn. There are things I can teach – like how to write more effectively. I have no desire to take the time to try to transform a negative outlook into a positive one in a busy work environment.
As a long-time volunteer, I’ve also related Powell’s quote to that sector. Who hasn’t seen their child’s team embroiled in politics when everyone says they are there for the good of the kids? On the other hand, a group of hard-working, devoted volunteers can outdistance a fundraising goal.
The challenge is that we seldom get to pick who we work with in our employment and volunteer lives. Therefore, it’s important to gravitate to those with the comparable goals and feed off each other’s energy and commitment.
So, considering the achievements you want to see in 2011, do you need to make any changes to your team?
You do it to yourself…
March 8, 2010 § 1 Comment
You do it to yourself, you do
and that’s what really hurts
You do it to yourself, just you
you and no-one else
You do it to yourself
You do it to yourself
Oh Radiohead. How much truth is in this chorus, well, you probably know because you wrote them. The song, however has just implanted itself into my brain after a morning of doubt and fumbling, and some resulting blog posts.
I really did it to myself. I did, and that’s what really hurts, I did it to myself, just me. Me and no-one else. I did it to myself.
What did I do exactly? Well I let doubt get the better of me. As much as I wish I were at the point that I could spot doubt as it was starting to plant its seed and pull it out then and there like a weed that has not yet rooted itself in the ground, I am not. And as of today, I generally acknowledge doubt after it’s had it’s way with me a few times. And when it’s done, all I can think is “I’ve done it to myself.”
However, what’s the use in beating myself up over it? There isn’t any. Doubting myself doesn’t have to really hurt. Not if I don’t let it, and not if I choose to learn from it instead of letting it get the better of me. Because if I did it to myself, I can undo it to myself. I can move past it, or I can dwell on it. I’ve never learnt anything from dwelling on an issue, but I’ve certainly learnt much from moving past it.
The choice seems an easy one now… and Radiohead’s lyrics… more a chance to blame than an opportunity to move beyond.
Pursuit Of Excellence Is Ongoing
March 1, 2010 § 1 Comment
Excellence is something that doesn’t just happen. It occurs through commitment, passion and drive to raise oneself, a team, a business or a workplace to increasingly higher levels of achievement.
It can be measured in certain ways. In a factory, for example, new processes can lead to better production. In a workplace, training can make staff more efficient.
In sport, some prudent drafting and trades can turn a mediocre team into a champion and then building an effective farm system can create visions of a dynasty akin to the Montreal Canadiens and New York Islanders who each won four Stanley Cups in a row in the late 1970s and 1980s.
Both of those teams did a lot of things well and other teams emulated their on-ice and management styles.
When you are building a program like Canada’s Olympic team, it is foolhardy to think in four-year segments of time. It seems that is what Canadian Olympic officials did with the Own the Podium Program when they talked in terms of a goal of leading the way in medals.
I was irritated last week when several days of competition remained in the Olympic Winter Games and already members of the media and even representatives of the Canadian Olympic Committee were questioning the program. They shouldn’t have been questioning the program, perhaps just the goals.
If navel gazing were an Olympic sport, Canada would be a powerhouse nation.
It was probably a mistake to have specific expectations like: Canada will win the medal total. However, the program did help create unprecedented excitement for the Olympics across the nation. It also instilled an attitude that we can achieve excellence across the board. I didn’t see it as a cocky approach or putting too much pressure on our athletes.
It would also be foolish to end the program based solely on some ill-conceived notion on how many medals we received. When I was growing up, I always groaned at how our athletes would be lucky to finish in the top 25 in most sports. Now top-10 and top-five finishes are commonplace. We went into this Olympics having never won a gold medal at home. Thank you, Alexandre Bilodeau for getting that monkey off our backs early on.
To me, if you are in the top 10 in the world in your chosen pursuit, you are pretty damned good and should be proud. The margin for error in any sport, particularly ones involving judging, is often miniscule.
Oh yes, there were disappointments, particularly in skiing events. but that is the nature of sport. Did everyone expect that all or most favourites would come through at the right moment? Let’s give credit to improvement by athletes from other countries.
And consider the unexpected results or the outcomes under extreme pressure.
Think about the courage of figure skater Joannie Rochette winning a bronze medal just four days after her mother died? And on the final day of the Winter Olympics, our 50-kilometre cross country ski team missed the gold by 1.6 seconds. The fifth-place finish was the best by our country in that event since a 16th in 1932.
There were some tearful responses from Canadian athletes who fell short of the expected mark. It is understandable to be disappointed. Our athletes should not feel they need to apologize to the nation when they do not finish atop the podium. They did not let the country down.
Instead of bemoaning our results, even before the Vancouver games were over, officials would have done well to talk about Own the Podium as a stepping stone to the next level of success, that Owning the Podium is just another name for a winning attitude.
It is no wonder why we have sobbing athletes apologizing to the nation when leaders of our sports programs are busy second guessing everything before the closing ceremonies have even been held.
I will borrow the name of a City of Grande Prairie initiative to suggest to Olympic Officials. Let’s call the next generation of Own the Podium … Pursuit of Excellence. That doesn’t have a short-lived expectation attached to it. The name inspires an ongoing sense that we will strive for better performances on an ongoing basis.
I, personally, don’t question the success of Own the Podium if medals are, in fact, a measuring stick. After all, we eclipsed our previous top medal count with our total of 26. Canada also set the new standard for gold medals by any nation in the Winter Olympics with 14.
And, hey, in Canada, when you win hockey gold, that has to be worth at least four or five more medals!
For those armchair critics who question the character or will to win of Canadian athletes, I suggest you pay attention to amateur athletics more than for just a two-week period every two years (Winter and Summer Games are two years apart). It is funny listening to people who are suddenly experts in short-track speedskating and skeleton when they haven’t seen the sport in four years.
To me, it is never is out of season to chant: Go Canada Go!
The Muse and Views 