Friday, January 8, 2010

Spark People Healthy Reflections

ENJOYING THE MARATHON

Life is like a marathon. We run and run, not knowing where (or how far) the finish line lies. We focus so intensely on prolonging the race but sometimes--despite our best efforts--the race is cut short. Too often we don't relish the path of and enjoy the details instead of just pounding the pavement of life. What personal boundaries can you expand to help you enjoy your life? Today meditate on the simple joys: a warm bath, reading a book to a sleepy toddler, or spending quality time with your family and friends. All of life contains bumps in the road such as losing your job or an unforeseen illness. But it is up to us to determine the quality of our lives. Remember, we don't always determine the distance, but we can determine the path.

Book Review ~ The One Minute Manager

The One Minute Manager by Ken Blanchard and Spencer Johnson

#1 set One Minute Goals: Agree on your goals. See what good behavior looks like. Write out in 250 words or less that follow observable and measureable behavior terms, not attitudes or feelings. Read and re-read your goals. Monitor your performance and see whether your behavior matches your goals. 80/20 Rule: 80% of your results will come from 20% of your goals.

Everyone is a potential winner. Some people are disguised as losers, don't let their appearances fool you. People who feel good about themselves, work better, work smarter, and are more productive and produce good results.

#2 give One Minute Praisings: Give praise immediately. Give precise crystal clear feedback on what was done right. "People who feel good about themselve produce good results". Encourage to do more of the same. Touch them in a way that makes it clear you support their success.

Help people reach their full potential, catch them doing something right.

#3 give One Minute Reprimands: Give as soon as something is done wrong, explaining specifically. Don't attack the person, just the behavior. Tell them how you feel about what they did wrong. Be consistent. Let them know you are on their side and you value them, but not their performance in this situation. When the reprimand is over, it's over.

We are not just our behavior we are the person managing our behavior.

Goals begin behavior, consequences maintain behavior.

Effective managers, manager themselves and the people they work with so that both the organization and the people profit from their presence.

The best minute I spend is the one I invest in people.

I completed this audio book today. It was short, but had some good points to reflect on, which I will do in the days ahead as I strive to be a better manager. It is my goal to be better at managing yself, so that I profit and others will profit from these efforts. I can be keen on the areas that have mistakes and not take enough time to let the person know how good they are doing and why I think so, beyond a general statement. This must be corrected if I expect to achieve winners on my team!

Keys to Achieving Your Goals

from daveramsey.com on 08 Jan 2010


Another year and another set of resolutions. If you're like most Americans, you'll probably forget your goals by mid-February. So how do you make your resolutions actually happen this year?

First, keep in mind that goals are dreams; but don't stop at just dreaming. Turn your dreams into bite-sized pieces that will gradually create a big event in your life. If you're waiting on an outside variable to change your life, you have a long wait. You have to do something. It's your responsibility to fix your life, not someone else's. It's time to sit down, make some goals, and take control. Use Dave's online goal tracker now.

Goal setting is how you win. Once you've made your resolutions, they will drive you forward. The goals will motivate you to seek activities that will help you succeed. It's not always fun, but those exercises bring you closer to your goal and make you a winner.

If you want to actually achieve your goals this year, then consider the following:
1.Be specific.

When setting goals, be specific in what you want to achieve. Vagueness will only cause you to feel overwhelmed, and you will just give up.


2.Make your goals measureable.

In order to know if you achieved the goal, it must be measurable. For example, if you want to lose weight, don't simply write down "lose weight" as a goal. How much weight do you want to lose? Or don't just write "spend more time with family." How much time do you want to spend with your family every night?


3.Are they your goals?

Only you can set your own goals. If your spouse, co-worker or friend sets a goal for you, you're not going to achieve it. Taking ownership will give you more incentive to meet your goal.


4.Set a time limit.


Setting a time frame will help you set realistic goals. For example, if you want to save more money, list how much money a month you want to put into your savings account.


5.Put them in writing.


Putting your goals in writing will make you much more likely to achieve them. Write down your goals and review them often. This will give you motivation to make them a reality.


This is the process to succeed. Successful people reassess their lives and then start living intentionally, in writing, on paper, on purpose. Make your resolutions a reality in this year!  What are your goals for 2010? Leave a comment below.  Check out Dave's resources to help you achieve your financial goals.