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Review: “The Art of Accomplishment” by Nicholas Townsend Smith

By Royale on September 8, 2011 in Books, Energy, Goals, Work

I was thrilled to be asked to review this book! I love reading…well…anything really, but I especially love reading something I can share with my readers that is 1. useful and 2. affordable.

“The Art of Accomplishment” by Nicholas Townsend Smith is both. From the book:

I know if you apply my methods, your life will change, as it has for me and so many others. If you follow these methods, you will become one of those people who reaches his or her goals.

Let me ask you this: what do you think it means to accomplish?

I”ll tell you what I think it means. If I could give you one take away from this book and nothing else, it would be this: to accomplish something is simply to complete it. If you start finishing what you start, amazing things happen.

However, I will warn you that accomplishing anything requires effort. If you picked up this book thinking it would be a get-successful-easy methodology, you picked up the wrong book.

Put it down before you actually EARN something!

Nicholas delivers his insightful information with analogies we can relate to and useful strategies we can all apply.

Read an excerpt from one of my favorite chapters:

REDEFINE PERFECTION

How many times have you thought to yourself that if you did not do something perfectly the first time, then you wouldn’t do it? If you looked like some kind of an idiot, you wouldn’t even try?

The word perfect originated from the Latin word perficere; per meaning ‘complete’ and facere meaning ‘to do’.

To do something perfectly never meant to do things flawlessly or without defect; we redefined it to mean that. The original meaning of the word perfect was to do something and to finish it.

As you now know from the Certainty Cycle it is really hard to know if something does or does not work if you never finish it. It is in finishing things that we discover the results. If you finish what you start, then you are performing perfectly even when the results are not flawless. Perfection is what allows you to make adjustments and continue on to flawlessness.

As a little bonus, I want to share with you the process of perfection. This is a five step process and will help you accomplish every goal you set:

1- Intention – What is it you are stretching toward? What is the goal you would like to reach? Establish your target and determine the high probability path for reaching it.
2- Trigger – Establish a trigger that gets the process started. You could have an intricate goal and system put together, much like a Rube Goldberg machine, but nothing to trigger the next action, so it really doesn‟t matter. The trigger is the item or action that gets you moving toward your goal.
3- Perform – Now that you have the goal, the system, and the trigger, the next step is to do your system; to act.
4- Complete – Finish what you start. Perform to completion because this is the only way you will know if your system works or not.
5- Adjust – Make adjustments to your system and actions until you are getting the results you want.

The process of perfection is a simple tool that will assist you in reaching your goals every time. Do you want to perform perfectly? Do what you say you will do and finish it! That my friend, is perfection.

Nicholas Townsend Smith is quickly becoming the most powerful performance trainer in America. His transformational style and commitment to individuals has generated lasting change in business owners, organizational leaders, executives, employees and individuals across America and into Canada. His clients’ results have been astonishing; from establishing high paying contracts to increasing health, each person has used concepts from Nick’s seminars, webinars, teleseminars and group and individual coaching to accomplish his or her desires. More information on Nick and his work can be found at http://clearpathtraining.com.

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Why Flexibility Might be Your Most Valuable Strategy

By Royale on August 8, 2011 in Lessons, Mood, Personal Growth, Work

Image via Wikipedia

Be flexible.

Once I get something in my mind, a plan, a decision, a thought, I can be like a dog with a bone. It can be tricky to let go of it and go with the flow. I was taught, and to certain degree it’s true, that success and responsibility require perseverance and adherence to the plan.

At the same time however inflexibility creates an enormous amount of inner stress and is often insensitive to other people and their needs. You’ll find that if you adopt the goal of becoming more flexible, some wonderful things will begin to happen. You’ll feel more relaxed, yet you won’t sacrifice any productivity. You may even become more productive because you won’t need to expend so much energy being upset and anxious.

I’ve learned to trust that I can meet my deadlines, achieve most of my goals and get what needs to be done completed without stressing about sticking to the plan. And quite honestly, it’s a lot more fun!

Give it a try! What have you got to lose? Except some Stress…

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Why White Space is Too Important to Ignore

By Royale on July 25, 2011 in Productivity, Time

Allow white-space in your calendar. I know that sounds blasphemous but really nothing substantial happens in a vacuum. Nothing new can be created unless there is room to allow for forward movement. Too much of anything, even good things are still too much.

Creating blocks of time in your calendar where absolutely nothing is planned contributes to a feeling of peace, the feeling that you have enough time. If you wait for everything to get done before you allow time for creativity, brainstorming and planning for the future, you’ll rarely, if ever, find it.

Instead, your schedule will quickly be filled up by the details of everyday demands as well as with the requests of others. It seems everyone wants and gets a piece of your time. Everyone, that is, except you.

Do yourself and your business a favor, leave some white space on your calendar. You may be surprised at how productive this time might be.

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Explore, Expand, Evolve – What Does it Mean? Why You Should Care

By Royale on July 6, 2011 in Life Balance, Personal Growth, Work

To my way of thinking there are three aspects or necessary components to growing in life, work, fulfillment, success, balance, relationships, anything really.

Explore, Expand, Evolve

This is the whole philosophy of my business, my writing and my coaching. It’s also how I try to live my life.

You really need all three to be your most effective, to live your best life, to have your most successful career. They work together, building on one another and circling back and forth to form an intricate web which is the foundation for all growth, in business and in life.

But what do these words mean? How do they apply to you? To your business? To your home-life?

Here’s the boiled-down Cliff Notes version of my understanding and my practice.

Explore = Assess

Observe the situation, the problem, the reality, the goal
Learn more about options, choices, motivations, thought and behavior patterns
Generate ideas, contemplate possible solutions
Who am I? As a person, as a professional?
What am I doing? Or not doing?
What do I want to accomplish?
What is missing? Or what is not working?

Expand = Move forward

Be more productive
Formulate a plan
Take action
What do I need to do to get from A to B, or A to F?
Where can I get help?
How can I best use my time?

Evolve = Change

What do I need to change?
What isn’t working?
Where am I stuck?
Do I need to shift my focus?
Revise plans and strategies
Modify behaviors
Break patterns
New habits

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Change is Necessary to Move Forward

By Royale on July 1, 2011 in Personal Growth

Image by mattwi1s0n via Flickr

“Growth is the only evidence of life.” ~John Henry Newman

We are often paralyzed by this weird inability to make changes even when we know that we must in order to move forward.

Why is that?

I think it is really because we have this innate fear of making a wrong decision. So to avoid that terrifying (in our minds) possibility we avoid making any decision at all. This usually results in life (or other people) taking the decision out of our hands, which is what we were secretly hoping for anyway.

That way we don’t have to take responsibility for the consequences of our non-decisions. See, it was somebody else’s fault.

But that behavior keeps us stuck in a holding pattern, not unlike a car on a one-way street sitting at an intersection.

You can’t turn around and go back.

You have to choose which way to go. Right or left. The road less travelled or the road most travelled. Just choose.

If you don’t, you will sit idling until you run out of gas. Not a happy prospect.

The moral of the story is decide…something…anything. If it doesn’t work out, you can choose something different next time. Most often it’s not a matter of life or death. That’s just a story we tell ourselves.

BE BRAVE! BE BOLD! DECIDE! MAKE A CHANGE!

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Stop Complaining So Much!

By Royale on June 22, 2011 in Happiness, Mood, Personal Growth, Work

Learn to accept in silence the minor aggravations, cultivate the gift of taciturnity, and consume your own smoke with an extra draft of hard work, so that those about you may not be annoyed with the dust and soot of your complaints. ~William Osler

To complain according to dictionary.com means to express dissatisfaction, pain, uneasiness, censure, resentment, or grief; find fault: He complained constantly about the noise in the corridor.

In my experience, real-life occurrences of complaining are more about whining, moaning and *itching about something or someone that has upset or ticked us off, but which we really have no intention of doing anything about. So why bother?

Just for today, commit to cease complaining. You may be surprised if you pay attention, by how often we complain to others or in our heads. Notice how much calmer and happier you are. Now use all of that energy you saved to move forward and do something positive in your life.

If you are interested in learning more, read Complaint Free World by Will Bowen.

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Complete Contentment is Not a Fable

By Royale on May 6, 2011 in Happiness, Health, Inspiration, Life Balance, Relationships

Complete contentment may be one of the most treasured states that we will ever have the opportunity to experience. It’s there somewhere buried under the surface of stress, worry and anxiety. We just have to dig down deep and pull it up. Re-frame our focus and be open to a different way of looking at our lives.

Yes, we’re busy. Certainly we have way too much to do and not enough time to do it in. Of course we’re under stress and pressure. Undoubtedly we’re exhausted and overwhelmed. And? That’s life my friend.

If we step back for a minute, don’t we like something about our work? We surely love the money and benefits we get from it if nothing else. Perhaps we even get satisfaction or recognition from it. If not, then at least it finances the rest of our lives.

We certainly value and love our children, family and friends. They’re annoying at times, but funny and supportive at others. We may never know what to expect, but they add something of significance to our lives and keep us from being dull.

We can even the respect how tired we are. That usually means that we are contributing something to the world and hopefully accomplishing our goals and that feels good.

Contentment not a place you get to, but a place inside you that you can step into and experience at any time. It is quiet and busy, calming and energizing all at the same time. It may be submerged under chores and worries, busyness and chaos, but if you look deep enough it’s there – I promise. You just have to look!

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Do You Consider Yourself an Optimist?

By Royale on April 22, 2011 in Inspiration, Lessons, Mood, Personal Growth

Something to think about…

The Creed for Optimists

Be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind.
Talk health, happiness, and prosperity to every person you meet.
Make all your friends feel there is something in them.
Look at the sunny side of everything.
Think only of the best, work only for the best, and expect only the best.
Be as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own.
Learn from the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future.
Give everyone a smile.
Spend so much time improving yourself that you have no time left to criticize others.
Be too big for worry and too noble for anger.

Prefer an online version?

Optimist International recently introduced desktop designs featuring tenets of the Optimist Creed. The complimentary designs are available for download from the Optimist.org.

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That Guilty Overworked Feeling: How to Reduce It

By Royale on March 16, 2011 in Health, Mood, Personal Growth, Work

Guest post from David in Australia!

Everyone is feeling overworked these days. But stress relief is on the horizon. Take a look at these ten tips on how to avoid that guilty feeling that you’ve been overworking yourself beyond what is good for you.

1. Stop Complaining
If you think you’ve got too much work, the most important aspect is how you react. If you do nothing but complain, think about how you react to someone else complaining about their job. Stop your complaining before your life is ruined. Remember, complaining is a toxic poison that will kill you. Top performers do not talk about how they’re being overworked.

2. Prioritise
Prioritise your work by realising what work you have to do, what work you should do, and what work you can skip doing entirely. No matter how much you think you can do everything, realise that doing everything is simply not possible. Cutting corners is not something to avoid; embrace the fact that you cannot do everything all the time.

3. Organise Your Time
Your time is your most valuable resource. Use a system to set up your tasks for every day, week and month so that you can see your commitments at one glance. Set aside some time every week for leisure time, for family time, and for hobby time. Take time for a vacation, and keep your personal relationships at the top of your list.

4. Cut Back on Busy Work
There’s that work we all have to do that does nothing to produce what we want. Concentrate on the 20% of the tasks on your To-Do list that return 80% of the profit. Don’t worry that you’re ignoring work; take pride in these unproductive work tasks you can forget about because you let them fall away. Delegate if you have to.

5. Stop Working
Keep track of the time you spend working, and do not let the rest of your schedule suffer. Understand that an extra few hours you spend on work when you’re exhausted is not worth the effort. Get a good night’s sleep, and come back tomorrow to that task refreshed and better able to do what needs to be done.

6. Dedicate a Space
Besides dedicating time and effort for work, set aside a workspace where you do your work. Let everyone know that when you’re in that spot, you are working and the DO NOT DISTURB sign is up and blinking away in bright neon. It goes beyond privacy; it’s all about focus on the task.

7. Set Expectations
Let your co-workers, your manager or supervisor, and your clients know what they can expect from you. Tell everyone what your commitments are at the start of any task related to them, what your boundaries are for that task, and the structure of the working relationship. Be ready to stand by what you say.

8. Learn to Say no
In conjunction with the last tip, learn how and when to say “No.” If you take on a task that will eat up all of your time and effort, yet you know you cannot commit those resources, have that word ready. Think of alternatives, though. Can you pass the job to a freelancer looking for work, or out-source the job?

9. Talk and Listen
Having someone just listen to you is great. Cultivate friends and colleagues and even mentors and managers who will sit down and listen to you unburden yourself -remember, no complaining. And be ready to return the favour and let your ear be available for them.

10. Stay Healthy
Do not take your health for granted. Sleep, diet and exercise are all important, and must be fit into your schedule. Get at least five hours of sleep a night – we know no one has enough time every night for eight hours. Eat good healthy food, and avoid the unhealthy stuff as much as possible. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Get fit and stay that way.

This post was written by David who is co-founder of one of Australia’s leading comparison websites where he contributes reviews of credit cards for many of the best business credit cards offering rewards such as cash back and frequent flyer points.

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Start Small and Build Momentum to Make a Habit Stick

By Royale on October 7, 2010 in Habits, Personal Growth

: Image by emdot via Flickr

“Excellence is not a singular act, but a habit. You are what you repeatedly do.”
~ Shaquille ONeal

We’re talking habits this month.

If you missed the first post in the series, Change Your Habits: 30 Days to a more Productive and Successful Life, I recommend you start there and come back.

Changing a habit is difficult. Let’s face it; you have done certain things in a certain way for probably most of your life. Trying to change those patterns is not an easy task, but it can be done. The success rate is much higher if you don’t try to tackle too much at once, otherwise you are just setting yourself up for failure. This is one of the main reasons that New Year’s resolutions don’t have a good success rate. We attempt grand, life altering changes, often several at once.

Choose one habit – Focus on changing one thing at a time. You can add another change later once you have mastered this one.

Keep it simple – I will exercise 5X per week is good. I will train for a marathon time next month is a goal and an ambitious one, not a habit. I will make 5 sales calls every morning before I check email is good. I will increase sales by 30 % = goal.

Start small – The smaller the better. It’s better to start with a small change and build on that. Wake up 15 minutes earlier, not 2 hours. Exercise for 20 minutes, not run 5 miles. Try slowly cutting back on email checking – 5X per day, then 4X, then 3X…..

Cement it – Write down what habit you are going to change. Documenting helps to solidify and cement the intention in your brain. Put it on your calendar, either electronic or paper. Schedule time for it!

Have you chosen you habit yet?

Click here to read more on creating and sticking with new habits.