Saturday, November 20, 2010

Ownership

We all know it: "If you keep doing what you're doing, you'll keep getting what you're getting." We firmly believe this to be true at ActionCOACH. Whether your behavior and attitudes are positive or negative, productive or unproductive, you'll get consistent results for your consistent actions. And while consistency is important, let's shift the focus away from that part of this principle and focus instead on "you."
Let's examine another one of the ActionCOACH 14 Points of Culture:

Ownership
I am truly responsible for my actions and outcomes and own everything that takes place in my work and my life. I am accountable for my results and I know that for things to change, first I must change.

The key to positive action and growth in your life and your work is YOU. Nothing will change for the better until you do. There are several tools that ActionCOACH uses to help business owners establish where they are at and how that relates to where they want to be. Today, make your bucket list - write down 100 things you want to do before you die. Establish what you want.

Brad Sugars says, "In order to have, one must do, ... but in order to do ... one must be!" The next step is to establish a system of learning and growth for yourself. Just like we said before, nothing will change until you do. You won't get what you want until you are willing to become what it takes to achieve your goals. For business owners, this often means a period of accelerated growth and learning that will effectively change them and their corporation. At ActionCOACH we use forms to track processes like these - for example, check out the Personal Learning and Achievement Log. If you don't know what it is that you don't know yet, start by checking out the business books referenced in my library (on the right side of this blog). Check out the Business Tools offered by ActionCOACH, as well as the Business Library. Put yourself on the road to your dreams by expanding your wealth of knowledge and skills, and by setting milestones to map your progress. In time you will be able to look back and see where you have been. And look forward to where you are going to end up. Those dreams are within your reach - begin today by taking ownership and establishing your system of growth to achieve them!

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Abundance

At ActionCOACH, we have 14 Points of Culture. Today I'd like to talk about the fourteenth:

Abundance
I am an abundant person, I deserve my abundance and I am easily able to both give and receive it. I allow abundance in all areas of my life by respecting my own self worth and that of all others. I am rewarded to the level that I create abundance for others and I accept that abundance only shows up in my life to the level at which I show up.

Let me illustrate this point with a personal experience:

A woman is waiting patiently while the clerk rings through her purchases. At the completion of this process, the clerk tells her what she owes. In response, the woman offers her debit card. The clerk puts the card through, only to have the sale return incomplete. There is something wrong with the card. Before the woman has time to be flustered, the next customer in line steps forward and offers to pay for the woman's purchases with their own card. For a moment, both the woman and the clerk stare confusedly at the customer. The customer is completely unruffled, offering their card and suggesting that the clerk ring through their own purchases as well and add them to the current total. The clerk gains control of her surprise and takes the customer up on their offer. The woman is astonished, but starts to offer her gratitude in several expressions of surprise and thankfulness. The customer simply smiles and says, "Enjoy." The woman, still marvelling and thanking the customer, gathers her purchases and walks out.

Is their any confusion about the principle of abundance shown in this example? Abundance means there is enough (and more) for everyone, and from our own gratitude grows a desire to share what we have with others. When we act on that desire we start a ball rolling. Was there anyone in this experience that didn't remember it clearly that evening as their spouse or friend asked them how their day went? Was there anyone that didn't stop for a moment to evaluate what happened, and ask themselves why a complete stranger would suddenly become involved in another's life and make it that much better (even if only for a moment, with one purchase suddenly and unexpectedly paid for)? Everyone should have taken a moment to quietly celebrate in their own hearts the principle of abundance. Celebrate it today - give what you have to give to someone who could use it. No strings attached, no begrudging the gift - just celebrate. Be the one to show the world the meaning of abundance.