This is the final post in my 16 lessons learned over (my first) 16 years in business. For a summary with links to the other 15, scroll down to post 15, Use Wisely Your Power of . . ..
I announced this lesson during our online party last Friday, as promised.
But now it is time to share it with you.
The title of the post, could have been written for better search engine optimization, but that would have given you the answer.
The biggest lesson I've learned in 16 years in business is that in order to be more successful, you must continue to learn.
If you are thinking to yourself, "Duh Kevin, that isn't so profound," read on - because that attitude certainly isn't conducive to the learning mindset. (And a open, curious learning mindset is extremely valuable!)
As human beings, we are learning beings. We are truly at our best when we are using our gifts, including our gift of learning, to it's fullest extent. I've learned this, and while I believe it with all my heart, but I can tell you that until I'm blue in the face and it won't motivate you to act as a learner more of the time.
I could also tell you that the key word is being a continual learner is the key. I used to think we needed to be continuous learners, but I believe there is a key difference. Continually means being on a path. Continuous means never stopping. It would be pretty hard to always be learning (at a conscious level). The only thing I can think of that we truly do continuously is breathe. Beyond that, we need a break.
I'd like to continually eat, but not continuously eat. I'd like to continually laugh, but not continuously laugh. I think you get the idea. we can't consciously continuously learn, but to become our best selves we must continually learn.
I've learned that be be a great learner, we must be continually learning, which includes rest and reflection.
And I've learned, that as valuable as this discussion of continuous vs. continual might be, this won't likely move you to learn more intentionally either.
But this might.
Think for a minute about what you want more of in your life. Think about your goals, dreams and aspirations. Whatever they are, and whether they are personal or professional in nature, you can not achieve them without learning.
If you already knew everything, everyone and all of the particulars, you would have already achieved those things. Learning is by definition a part of the journey towards anything we want and desire.
Would you like to get to your goals faster? Would you like the accelerant, the secret sauce to faster achievement?
Learning.
Learn more and learn faster and you will accelerate your progress towards achievement.
Create the habits, discipline and mindset to become a continual learner and you will have found the secret sauce.
Perhaps it is ironic that a guy who says he is in the learning business sees this as his biggest lesson. Ironic, perhaps, but no less true.
This is the tenth in a series of 16 daily posts celebration things I've learned in 16 years in business. Please scroll down to read others, and if you want to read the introductory post to the series, you can do so here.
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I was very fortunate to grow up with supportive parents; parents that loved me, supported me, and believed in me. Looking back, while I knew those things, and valued them, I didn't necessarily realize that this wasn't every one's life experience. the older I get, the more I see that not everyone had that experience. And the more I think about it, the more I value those things from my parents and others close to me then . . . and now.
In my work with, and speaking and writing to leaders, I often talk about this important starting point that too often gets left out of discussions of leadership and life success.
It is left out because it is assumed, or perhaps misunderstood. Yet since it is too often lacking, it is ultra important that we talk about it.
The starting point of all improvement, all growth, all project success, all creativity, all coaching, and much more is belief.
If you don't believe someone will succeed, will you help them (or help them as effectively)?
If you don't believe the project will work, will you give it your all?
If you don't believe the effort is worth it, will you expend it?
If you don't believe it is possible, do you realize it isn't?
And let me get more personal. . .
If you don't believe in yourself, will you ever reach your potential?
If you don't believe in yourself, will you even try?
I sometimes end emails or notes, and sometimes even phone calls with: "I believe in you."
People need to know that you DO believe in them. Our belief will help build their belief and their hope, and is an far-underestimated part of our ability to help others.
This idea or lesson was on my list of posts for this series. But it rose to become today's post when I say this video yesterday.
Watch it, listen to it, and ask yourself this question.
Do YOU believe in you? (Because even that needs to come before you can believe 100% in others.)
This is the third lesson in my series of 16 lessons learned from 16 years in business. Read the introductory lesson here.
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My Story
Over the course of the life of my business, I have gotten lots of advice. Most all (I assume) well meaning, sometimes profound and timely, other times confusing and often contradictory. I've gotten advice from friends, family, and clients. I've gotten advice from other consultants. I've gotten advice from experts. seminars, magazines, books, blogs, podcasts, CDs, and tapes (hey, 16 years is a long time).
I have, of course, given lots of advice too - that is part of what I get paid to do, and I'll give you some more before this post is complete.
So I've thought alot about advice, taken some and rejected some, and here is what I've learned:
You should listen to it all, then listen to your heart. Decide what to do and move on.
Our Lessons
There are really four pieces of advice in that short sentence, let me talk briefly about each and how to apply them to your personal and professional endeavors.
Listen to it all
To be a learner, to be in a mode of growth, we need seek it out and listen to want we find. Please read broadly, please ask people what they would do, and search for ideas, solutions, and approaches. Be a sponge to these ideas, take them in with open arms and an open mind.
Listen to your heart
Some of the advice you may not like and may not agree with. Don't dismiss it out of hand - give it time to percolate in your mind. Some of the advice will be recurring - if you hear the same thing over and over, maybe you should listen a little closer. And some of the advice will seem immediately accurate and agreeable to you. While this might be more pleasant it also requires you to reflect on it a bit - while it may be comfortable, it might not be right.
Decide what to do
All of this is preamble to deciding. Advice and counsel is great, and in the end you must decide which advice to heed and which advice to ignore or delay. You can't do everything - even if you received 5 pieces of great advice, you might not be able to apply all of them at the same time. Decide what you will accept and use right now.
Move on
In the end any advice, counsel or feedback is only valuable if you take action! This is part of "moving on." The other part of "moving on" is letting go of the advice you haven't chosen to take now. You've decided and taken action - don't let the naysayers or other competing options you didn't choose weigh you down. Move on!
This is my advice on receiving advice. There are lessons for giving advice inside of this post as well, but for now I will leave you to ponder those for yourself. (Sometimes the best advice is simply pointing people in the right direction, and letting them own the ideas).
This is the first in a series of 16 posts this month, written as a celebration my 16th business anniversary. Each post will share a lesson I have learned and hopefully successfully translate it into a lesson you can apply to your professional and personal success.
My Story
When I started my business I thought about many things I'd need to be good at. I wanted to be the best trainer I could be, I wanted to be excellent at instructional design, I wanted to be a successful marketer and builder of Client relationships. I worked to build all of those skills (and still do today).
Looking back over 16 years in business, the skill that has arguably been the most important to my growth and success isn't on this list, and wasn't on my radar at that time time - the skill of writing.
16 years ago I knew I could write if I had to, but it wasn't something I thought too much about. A couple of years later I wanted to communicate with Clients about what I was learning in my work with other Clients. That marketing idea became a faxed newsletter called Vantagepoints. After a few issues, it morphed into a story about learning from any life situation and moved from fax delivery to email and changed from just going to Clients to going to whomever wanted to read it. Eventually over 6000 people read it and the best stories became my first book - Vantagepoints on Learning and Life.
Over five years ago I began writing this blog (now with over 830 posts). I write another blog specifically on leadership, have written over 250 articles (and a new one each week),and produce three weekly email newsletters.
Along the way, I have also written another book of my own (Remarkable Leadership), am finishing two more this year, and planning at least one for next year, and have been a contributing author to over 20 other books.
Clearly there is a marketing and promotional value to all of this writing. But there is a much larger lesson here and it applies to all of us - whether we want or need to promote ourselves or our products or services. Let's talk about them now.
Our Lessons
1. Writing helps us learn. A key component of the learning process is reflecting on what has happened to us to determine what to repeat, and what to change next time. Writing about our experiences can really help us in this reflection in powerful ways. I can honestly say that all of the writing I do, would really be worth it, just for what I learn from the process.
2. Writing clarifies our thinking. Ideas can swirl in our mind and we can think about something, but when we put the pen to paper or our fingers on a keyboard and put our thinking into words, we become much clearer and our thoughts become more real and more actionable.
3. Writing makes us smarter. As a published author I often find that people now assume I'm smart because I wrote a book! While I don't know that my name on the cover of a book proves that, if you take the first two lessons - writing helps us learn and clarifies our thinking; the fact that writing makes us smarter is obvious. As we write we discover new things and new ideas. The process of writing allows for learning and the words we write provide more learning too.
4. Writing is about the process, not about the reader. As a author, this isn't completely true - as I write this I am thinking about you as my reader, and trying to write as clearly and persuasively as I can. AND, I know that one reason many people don't write is that they don't want others to read it, or don't think anyone else would want to read it. So to sell you on the decision to write, please know that all of the benefits listed so far are about you and not about the reader. If you write in a journal or a on a secret hidden document on your computer, you will get the benefits regardless of your grammar, style or spelling. If your goal is to have others read what you write, great! But don't think writing has to be about others - the personal benefits are huge!
5. We all have something to write about. We all have 24 hours of day experiences each day. We all have a lifetime of memories, thoughts and ideas. Sorting, compiling, referencing and using them is plenty of fodder for the type of writing that most of us can and need to do.
6. Writing is a habit. Most people I talk to about starting a blog say - I don't know what to write (see #5) or, I don't have time to write. If you believe in the benefits, you will find time to write. Admittedly, I have commitments to writing that keep me on track, and I don't always want to write. But I know, for all of the reasons I've listed (and a whole lot more), writing is important. And like anything important in our lives, we can make it a habit.
And lastly, this article isn't just about writing. The last lesson is to figure out the skills that really matter most. Often the skills we think are most important or valuable, really aren't. I see it in all of my work. People want to get better at their work and make assumptions as to the best ways to do that. Look beyond the technical aspects of your work (in my case, being a better trainer, for you perhaps being more expert, learning your products better, getting an advanced degree) - look deeper. Ask yourself what are the underlying skills that help me really achieve my goals? Another way to figure this out is to ask smart people who have been where you want to do - find a mentor and ask them.
If your goal is to write your memoir, Great American Novel, or to become a professional writer, hopefully this post was helpful and inspiring. But I really wrote this post for the rest of us (myself included).
One of the things I've learned in 16 years of business is that writing makes me a better business person and a better human being.
This post, as the title suggests, talks about how we learn, and equally importantly, how we can teach new technology. While I hope you read the post (hint, hint), one of the key points is that it isn't about the tool or the software, but the process of learning it. In other words we don't want to learn the technology, we want the benefits that can be derived from using the tool.
This is true for technology, and true for learning and teaching anything else as well. When we focus on the benefits, the "why" we are will far more motivated, dedicated and even disciplined in learning anything.
...
Jim's post uses Twitter as an example of a technology, so I wanted to comment briefly on that as well. The learning I received from reading Jim's post came from Twitter.
Why?
Because the note Jim sent me about it, came from Twitter. I read Jim's blog but I doubt I read every post. Being connected there allowed me to think about and learn something great - and do it much sooner than I might have otherwise. I am sure he sent me the message in part because of a brief conversation we had on a related topic recently.. on Twitter. It continues to build my relationship with Jim. Because the post mentions another speaker and writer, Mike Figliuolo, I have now read his blog and connected with him on Twitter.
My hope is that the "Twitter part" of this post is an example of one of the principles in Jim's post - that it shows, through a story process, some of the benefits of Twitter. If you are on Twitter, or if this post intrigues you enough to check it out and gain the benefits I am gainig, make @Figliuolo, @Canterucci and @Kevineikenberry three of the first people you follow.
This is my first (of what I hope will be many) video blog posts. The production value and my "performance" will get better (I promise!). This is of course what being on a path of learning is about - we don't need to wait until things are perfect to get started.
Aside from that, I think the message of this video is important for all of us, and yes, I DO love my watch.
If you are intrigued by the Now Watch you can check it out here.
This is the sixth post in a continuing series designed to help you create a great 2008 - using questions to reflect on last year, and project into the future. All of the questions and additional information can be found in this tool, available for you to download now.
The sixth question is:
What will I learn?
I believe this question is extremely powerful because it makes us intentional and conscious as learners. In many ways this is the necessary follow-up question to the second in this series - What are my goals?
Why?
Because when we set goals by definition identifying gaps in our knowledge.
In my experience most goals require more than just time or other resources - they also require that we learn some things! So if you have been following this thread and (hopefully) answering these questions for yourself, go back to question 2 and start there in creating your learning list for 2008.
My list for 2008 includes:
- How to use and extend Web 2.0 tools for the benefit of our clients - current and future. - How create and tell stories more effectively. - Write to elicit more emotion from the reader. - implement ideas with greater speed. - ways to collaborate more effectively.
As with many of these questions, I haven't shared my full list, but rather a sampling. If you are also interested in learning these things, or if you may be able to help me as a mentor, coach, or teacher, let me know - I am VERY open to learning these things in any way that I can!
As with all of these questions, I welcome your comments and answers.
How Will I Apply My Most Valuable Lessons From Last Year?
Posted at 9:49 PM on Monday, January 07, 2008
This is the fifth post in a continuing series designed to help you create a great 2008 - using questions to reflect on last year, and project into the future. All of the questions and additional information can be found in this tool, available for you to download now.
The fifth question is:
How will I apply my most valuable lessons of last year in the New Year?
To answer this question, you must know your most valuable lessons from last year.
Duh.
The best (and perhaps only if you haven't already thought about it) way to answer this question is by doing the reflecting questions earlier in this series. If you missed them, click the links in the paragraph above. :)
For me the way I will apply my biggest lessons will be to make decisions consistent with those lessons. For me this includes, asking for help, deciding on what is most important, planning my time more effectively and being more focused. My biggest lessons from last year require me to make different choices.
On most counts (though not all) I am doing much better than I had in the past. This shouldn't be a surprise - success is, after all a journey.
While it is a journey, it does begin with decisions - decisions that play a big role applying my lessons from last year.
As with all of these questions, I welcome your comments and answers.
This is the fourth post in a continuing series designed to help you create a great 2008 - using questions to reflect on last year, and project into the future. All of the questions and additional information can be found in this tool, available for you to download now.
The fourth question is:
How will I strengthen my strengths?
I will strengthen my strengths in several ways.
I will recognize them. I will be grateful for them. I will practice them. I will teach them.
While you may have more specific answers, based on your strengths, I believe that all of us can answer this question at least in part this way.
This series and this blog in general are two of the ways that I will strengthen my strengths, and I hope you see that it mirrors all four of my points above.
As with all of these questions, I welcome your comments and answers.
This is the third post in a continuing series designed to help you create a great 2008 - using questions to reflect on last year, and project into the future. All of the questions and additional information can be found in this tool, available for you to download now.
The third question is:
How will I best use my skills?
My answer to this one is simple. I will use my skills to serve others.
I believe this approach I allows me to not only serve others, but reach my personal and business goals, and ultimately make the world a better place.
I plan to do this by writing, speaking, listening, consulting, and training. I plan to do this by caring about the needs of others.
So, how will you best use your skills, as an individual, as a team member, as a leader (insert any other role in your life here)?
As with all of these questions, I welcome your comments and even your answers.
At this time of the year, either just before or just after the New Year begins, many people set resolutions for the coming year. One of the reasons that many people don't succeed with the resolutions they set is that they haven't put those resolutions in context - they haven't reflected on the past to set goals that will have a better chance of success.
Reflection is of course only half the picture. The picture of Janus, the Roman God of beginnings and endings (and the root of the name of January) at the start of this post is on purpose. We must look back to learn and set context, then when we look forward in projection, we will have much greater success.
In this spirit, I will blog for the next thirteen days on the 13 projection questions in my free tool. I invite you to join me to read and answer the questions for yourself. I hope you will comment and if you blog, pick one or more of these questions to answer on your blog as well.
The point of all of this is to help all of us create a great 2008.
This is the final question in a series of 13 designed to help you capture the best from the past year. To learn more about this project and to download a tool to help you with your process for completing this year and starting next year more successfully, check out this post.
Here's today's question:
What else do I want to reflect on?
As I have worked through the first twelve questions I have found myself continuing to reflect on things related to my father's life and death. These events will be a defining part of my 2007, and I continue to learn lessons from these events.
While the other 12 questions I have shared with you are all valuable, I don't profess that they are complete or perfect. That is the purpose of this question. Your mind and heart have likely told you what else you need to be thinking about and learning from. That has been the focus of all 13 questions - to provide you questions to aid, advance, and accelerate your learning.
Tomorrow we begin to look forward as I initiate a series on the 13 projection questions - the questions that when consiered along with the 13 reflection questions - will help you create the best possible 2008. (So I hope to see you here tomorrow - and the following 12 days.)
In the meantime, have a happy and safe New Year's Eve!
This is the twelfth in a series of 13 questions designed to help you capture the best from the past year. To learn more about this project and to download a tool to help you with your process for completing this year and starting next year more successfully, check out this post.
Here's today's question:
What am I most grateful for?
I love this question. I believe we are better people when we ask ourselves this question. So while I am suggesting that you ask yourself this question today, you can ask (and would benefit from asking) this question anytime.
The things I am most grateful for are my faith, family, and my health (and the health of all of those that I love and care for).
When you ask this question you may start with the biggest things for you, like those items I just shared, but you will also want to think about what you are grateful for in other areas of your life. Since this is a blog about learning, personal and professional development, some of the things in that area that I am thankful for include:
- those I work with - our Customers - those who read my writing - our new office - books
Ask yourself this question and begin to make a list. Keep thinking and keep writing for as long as you can. Come back to the list and re-read it in a couple of hours and add to it.
As we move into the second half of our questions in this series your answers to this (and the other questions) will be valuable to you.
This is the eleventh in a series of 13 questions designed to help you capture the best from the past year. To learn more about this project and to download a tool to help you with your process for completing this year and starting next year more successfully, check out this post.
Here's today's question:
How am I different now than at the start of the year?
I recently heard one of the presidential candidates asked about why their view had changed on an issue. Their response was something like: "I don't think we want a President who never changes his mind, who doesn't listen to new arguments, who isn't open to change."
This is an incredibly valuable question, because while you have surely grown and changed in many ways over the past year, it is sometimes hard to see or notice. Asking this question is like taking a fresh look at the plant in your living room, or seeing a niece of nephew after several months and thinking - "My how they've grown!"
Just like we don't notice the changes in the plant, and yet notice changes in children when we haven't seen them in awhile, we might not take notice of the changes and growth because we live with ourselves everyday.
When I ask myself this question I notice growth in a variety of ways. I have learned much about the publishing process over the past year, I have learned more about real estate and a variety of other legal matters. These lessons make me different and more versatile in conversation and in my thinking.
On a professional level I have become more disciplined in some areas, and while there are many ways I hope to continue to improve in this area, I am pleased with my progress. Personally, I believe I am less selfish than I was this time last year (a trend I hope continues far into the future).
This question provides you a new snapshot of yourself. Remember how much you enjoyed the family photos that came in your Christmas cards this month? Taking this personal picture will be far more valuable to you in the coming months.
Take that snapshot now - as yourself - How am I different now than I was at the start of the year?
This is the tenth in a series of 13 questions designed to help you capture the best from the past year. To learn more about this project and to download a tool to help you with your process for completing this year and starting next year more successfully, check out this post.
Here's today's question:
How have those people changed my life?
Taken by itself, this is a big question! Put in the context of yesterday's question - it is a bit more manageable.
When I think of all the interesting people I've met in the past year, I can think of a variety of ways they've impacted or changed my life. This series of emails is one example.
Though I have been blogging for a long time, I learned some things in the the last month or so from some of my new friends this year. It convinced me to re-invigorate (at least in my mind) my efforts as a blogger. Several events have taken place and more are to come all designed to help this blog become a more valuable place for readers to come, read, learn and participate.
I believe this renewed focus will have a very positive impact on my business and my life, and for the advice and example of several people I am very thankful.
This is just one example of how the people I have met this year have made a difference for me. There are many other examples - and I'm sure you have many examples too. I urge you to ask yourself this question, then think about your answers. Lastly, make the time to thank those people who have made a difference for you.
This is the ninth in a series of 13 questions designed to help you capture the best from the past year. To learn more about this project and to download a tool to help you with your process for completing this year and starting next year more successfully, check out this post.
Here's today's question:
Who are the most interesting people I met?
I've been looking forward to this question! I have met LOTS of interesting people this year. Among the first that come to my mind are three people that I actually haven't met; we've only converse on the phone and through email.
A ton of great people at the 800-CEO-Read author Pow-Wow that I could put on this list. (You can read posts about that event and the folks I met here and here.)
One of my favorite bloggers, Lisa Haneberg in June at ASTD.
Denis Waitley, one of my favorite authors, briefly, as well.
I could go on here, but you don't want to read that long...
Beyond all of these wonderfully talented and interesting people I also met hundreds of workshop participants, folks in organizations we consult with, and people in audiences at my keynotes.
I'm surely blessed.
One of the reasons I propose this question to you is for exactly that insight - I believe that most of us will look back on a year and identify many interesting people that we have met. Of course, the greater value to you (and them) comes as you build a relationship and go beyond just meeting someone. I could say much more about this point, but I don't want to give away too much about tomorrow's question.
Come back tomorrow for my thoughts on Question 10 - and again if you haven't yet downloaded the full tool with 26 questions to make your 2008 great, you can do that right here.
This is the eighth in a series of 13 questions designed to help you capture the best from the past year. To learn more about this project and to download a tool to help you with your process for completing this year and starting next year more successfully, check out this post.
Here's today's question:
What obstacles did I overcome?
And a followup:
And, how did I do it?
In a way it is a good thing I skipped a day before posting this one. Why? Because this question(s) has been the hardest for me to answer so far. For some of these posts I have thought a lot about what I would include here in the blog, but there were many answers in my mind or in my journal to choose from.
The same has not been true here. I can't really identify/remember a significant obstacle in the past year (other than the one I mentioned in the post for question #7). As far as overcoming that one, that is a work in progress.
One could conclude that if a person didn't have an answer for this question that their year has been perfect - no obstacles might sound pretty good. I'm not sure that is the case, though I have certainly been blessed throughout the year. For me it is more about perspective. I don't typically think about obstacles. I try to see opportunities. I try not to look for events or situations to blame, but rather try to look at myself.
While I am not trying to hold myself up as a perfect example, I believe there is a message here. When we focus on what is our control, when we think about what we can do (notice today's followup question), we have shifted focus away from the obstacles. As we become more fully functioning as professionals, leaders and humans, we are better able to work from this perspective.
None of this negates the value in identifying obstacles that we did overcome and identifying the approaches we used. There is rich learning for us in these questions when we do encounter obstacles that must be surmounted or removed.
This is the seventh in a series of 13 questions designed to help you capture the best from the past year. To learn more about this project and to download a tool to help you with your process for completing this year and starting next year more successfully, check out this post.
Here's today's question:
What were my biggest challenges or obstacles?
The answer for me is clear - I need to get better at execution and implementation. At The Kevin Eikenberry Group we are excellent at surfacing ideas and opportunities, and while we do get a lot done, we don't do as well in this area as we could. Let me rephrase that and put the focus where it belongs. I as a leader am an obstacle in this area.
If you have been reading this series of posts you will know that this issue was the core of my answer to question #4 - Knowing What I know Now, What Would I Do Differently?
I think it is completely natural that your answers to these two questions might be related, in fact in some cases after thinking about this question, you might have other, or more complete answers to #4.
Perhaps you are thinking of an external obstacle or challenge - the loss of a job, a Customer, or perhaps a change in the economy. While these things may well be obstacles, I encourage you to think about your challenges with a personal focus. Consider what role you played in creating or sustaining this obstacle. Equally important consider what you did (or can do now) to overcome that obstacle or challenge.
That last sentence is a bit of a preview to Wednesday's question, but for now, ask yourself about your obstacles and challenges, and enjoy a very Merry Christmas!
Note - Tomorrow is Christmas Day and I won't be posting in this series. I'll be back on the 26th with the 8th question. (If you don't have the tool to help you Make 2008 Great, click here.)
This is the sixth in a series of 13 questions designed to help you capture the best from the past year. To learn more about this project and to download a tool to help you with your process for completing this year and starting next year more successfully, check out this post.
Here's today's question:
In what ways did I contribute?
My goal with this post isn't to brag or boast about the ways that I contributed in the past year. Though you won't likely be answering this question in a public forum like I am (but if you are a blogger reading this, I'd love for you to join this series in some way!), your goal isn't to be boastful or self absorbed either.
We all can contribute in many ways - we can give of our time, talents, thoughts, and treasures - any and all of these gifts can contribute to the lives of others in meaningful ways. I encourage you to think about this question from the different areas of your life, remembering the contributions large and small that you have made over the past year.
One way that I, my family and The Kevin Eikenberry Group contributed this year was to provide 2700 "I am Remarkable!" wristbands to elementary and middle school kids in Indianapolis public schools this fall. These were distributed in backpacks for these kids by the great folks at Jireh Sports during their Back to School Blast.
It is our hope that these bands serve as a reminder, and perhaps, for some a realization, that they truly are remarkable.
Asking yourself today's question is critical to giving yourself a more balanced view of your efforts and results in the past year. Perhaps this question will be easy for you to answer, or perhaps it is among the harder ones I have posed to you so far - either way, your list is impoortnat, and the relative ease in answering might give you a sense of your focus in the past.
If you found this hard to answer, consider how to be of service in new and different ways in the coming year (or even yet today).
Today along with the core question of your contribution, consider the following corollary:
"What was the impact of my contribution?"
Your answers to these questions will help you get out of yourself and into a perspective of service. This perspective will serve you as a leader, member of any community, or in any part of your life.
This is the fifth in a series of 13 questions designed to help you capture the best from the past year. To learn more about this project and to download a tool to help you with your process for completing this year and starting next year more successfully, check out this post.
What will be my greatest lasting memories of this year?
My most lasting memories of this year will be of my Dad. He passed away on May 11. He was my first teacher, the first leader I observed and experienced and my mentor. Of course he was my dad. He was also my friend.
I've already posted some of the lessons from this event, which is why I can consider this one of my greatest lasting memories of 2007.
I don't want the value of this question to be lost in my particular answer. Most everyone treasures their memories more than material things. Why else would people rush back into burning homes to get their photo albums? (I've never seen a news story with video of people risking life and limb to save their plasma TV).
The value of this question is that we should be consciously capturing and holding on to our most valuable memories. While pictures are nice, having the memories locked into our lives is more important. These can become a source of strength, confidence, learning and satisfaction throughout our lives.
Doesn't it make sense then to think about this question, to make sure that those memories are locked tight into our hearts and minds? I encourage you to ask yourself this question and think about (and write down) your answers.
Knowing What I Know Now, What Would I Have Done Differently This Year?
Posted at 6:31 AM on Friday, December 21, 2007
This is the fourth in a series of 13 questions designed to help you capture the best from the past year. To learn more about this project and to download a tool to help you with your process for completing this year and starting next year successfully, check out this post.
Knowing what I know now, what would I have done differently this year?
From a business perspective this one is pretty easy. I would have focused more on execution. My team and I are pretty good at coming up with new ideas and figuring out how to use and leverage those ideas. We aren't quite so good at execution.
An outsider might say that we do get a lot accomplished (and I am very proud of the progress we have made), but I know that we are leaving ideas on the table unimplemented for too long.
For any leader there is a balance required here. Any of us can execute everything on our list if we are never expanding our list of ideas, tools and techniques. At the other end of the spectrum we can all get better at prioritizing - taking the number of ideas and opportunities and prioritizing them to help us focus.
Squarely in the middle of this continuum - between small list and awesome prioritization is EXECUTE the list! I wish that I had done a better job of executing.
Notice too that I am not saying I wished I had worked more hours! My challenge, and I believe the challenge for many of us is to follow-through more effectively, and do that more productively.
As I write this, I sense that I may have more to say about it. If/when I do, I promise to let you know.
So, my question to you is, Knowing what you know now, what would you have done differently last year?
This is the third in a series of 13 questions designed to help you capture the best from the past year. To learn more about this project and to download a tool to help you with your process for completing this year and starting next year successfully, check out this post.
What accomplishment am I proudest of?
I am proudest of the fact that Remarkable Leadership is being read and used by people to help them improve their lives and results. I wrote the book to have an impact on the world, and to read and hear from people about how it is having that impact is extremely gratifying.
As a side note, you can see how today's question connects to yesterday's question - which was about accomplishments in general. By asking ourselves which of these accomplishments we are proudest of, it helps us look at our values and refocuses us in gratitude for the things that have happened to us in the past year.
So what about you - what accomplishment are you proudest of? (feel free to share your answers in the comments!)
This is the second in a series of 13 questions designed to help you capture the best from the past year. To learn more about this project and to download a tool to help you with your process for completing this year and starting next year successfully, check out this post.
What did I accomplish this year?
As I will do with each of these questions during this journey, I won't bare my soul with my complete answer, but I will share items that are true for me and perhaps hold a message for all of us.
The immediate accomplishment that comes to my mind is the publishing, and so-far successful marketing of Remarkable Leadership: Unleashing Your Leadership Potential One Skill at a Time. This was a goal and a book that had been on my list for some time and I am proud to see it serving others on their path towards remarkable.
There is an important nugget in the paragraph you just read. That nugget is "on my list". A part of my process for thinking about accomplishments is to look back at my goal list and see which of them have been achieved. I am pleased to be able to check several as completed and that brings me a sense of accomplishment and pride. If you don't have a list, don't lament, but you may definitely consider working on one moving forward. (We'll talk more about that later in this series of posts.) When we feel pride and accomplishment it creates a momentum - a positive energy that can drive us forward to more and bigger future successes.
Another accomplishment for has been my growth in balancing the various parts of my life. While for a variety of reasons my overall life is fuller and "busier" than it has ever been, I feel good about my personal progress in balancing these things and prioritizing the most important to me more effectively.
While most people would value balance (however they would define it) I encourage you to answer this question by thinking about accomplishments in all areas of your life - from social, to business, to health, financial, spiritual and more. By thinking about your accomplishments in each of these areas you will be reminded of more of them and feel the gratitude that comes with that recognition.
The purpose of asking and answering this question is to foster a sense of gratefulness as well as the positive momentum that comes with confidence and accomplishment.
Yesterday I released a new tool to readers of my Unleash Your Potential newsletter. This tool titled, Make Your 2008 Great - 26 Remarkable Questions to Unleash Your Potential is available for free to anyone who would like to have it.
This tool is designed to help you reflect on the past year, and project into your future - to help you learn from the past, and plan for the future. (To read my article that expands on this idea, click here.)
This post is meant to make this tool available to everyone who would like to use it and to announce that starting today (with my next post) I will introduce one question from the tool each day for the next 26 days. Along with sharing the question, I will share at least in part, my answers to these questions.
I know that this exercise will be valuable for me. Sharing at least part of my answers in this public forum is designed to model and hopefully inspire you to join me to taking 26 steps to make 2008 your greatest year yet.
Come back each day (or better yet, subscribe to the RSS feed if you haven't yet) so that you can learn fomr my actions, and consider the questions for yourself.
Again, you can get the complete tool with the 26 questions, commentary on each, and a space to write your responses all for free here.
Note - we ask for your email address when you request this tool because we are creating a more complete product based on these questions. When you download this tool now you will be eligible to recieve the full product with my compliments when it is completed - because you took action now.
I've been a lover, collector and reader of quotations for a very long time. I've published quotations with questions to ponder (to help us all turn the quotation into a learning opportunity) for many years. This email service, which used to be delivered five days a week and is now delivered once per week is called Powerquotes.
Today we re-release the Powerquotes website with some great features, including a daily blog of some of the past quotations (with links to the questions).
I encourage you to take a look and join the fun - either the weekly email or the now daily blog.
(For Powerquotes on steriods - where completely different quotations, questions and action steps are offered to you five days a week via email delivery, check out my Powerquotes Plus service.
Unleashing Your Remarkable Potential is Kevin Eikenberry’s guide to helping you have amazing success while developing your professional and personal potential.
For more information, visit Unleashing Your Remarakble Potential to read past issues and either subscribe to the ezine or the Blog.
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Welcome! This was the home of my blog from March 2004 – November 2009. For my more recent writing to help you become more effective and successful, join me at our new blog – Leadership & Learning with Kevin Eikenberry
This is the third in a series of 13 questions designed to help you capture the best from the past year. To learn more about this project and to 
Unleashing Your Remarkable Potential is Kevin Eikenberry’s guide to helping you have amazing success while developing your professional and personal potential.
Welcome! This was the home of my blog from March 2004 – November 2009. For my more recent writing to help you become more effective and successful, join me at our new blog – 
