Thank you! Beautiful set of additions and they reenforce the themes of paving a path forward, and continuous growth. I especially like the question “are you setup for success?” It’s a nice, cutting question.

@ Alik

That’s a good point on knowing the rules. It’s easy to have crossed-expectations if you have one set of rules, but everybody is playing by another. Once you know the rules, it’s easier to match expectations or re-negotiate success.

Beware of experts is a beautiful reminder that at the end of the day, you have to think for yourself and your accountable for your choices.

@ Fred

Beautiful articulation of an important point. It’s one thing to have a different sense of value, but you’re right, you have to first start with what are you missing. It might be as simple as the wrapper, or not connecting the dots to values.

@ Positively Present

Thank you! The sum is definitely more than the parts in this case, but each lesson can stand on its own as a way for improving your personal results.

@ Jannie

Thank you! The Rule of 3 is an important part of Monday Vision. Simply defining your top 3 results for the week can go a long way.

@ Daphne

Thank you! You’re right, the sum of all of us, is more than just one of us. The key to our individual results really is our own motivation and skills, especially influence (it amplifies our impact.)

@ Nadia

Very well put. I’ve noticed that too. There is a high correlation of success and those who embody their work. One of my great mentors early on taught me to “own” problems.

The Donald is actually a results machine. I have one of his books and I was surprised by how much precision he had as well as rigor.

@ Karl

Thank you. Scattering definitely happens and it does seem like a key to improving effectiveness is improving focus and having themes.

One of the best approaches I’ve found for nailing a project is reducing the timebox. I’ve found that spreading things over time can

@ Melissa

Thank you. You’re right – each of these lessons could easily fill a chapter. I’ve been trying to find an intermediate step between a full guide, and a post. I think a simple way might be to produce more free e-Books. I can always do full guides down the line, but this will help me flow more value.

I’ve been working on number 7 for awhile. I love the ideas behind the project. I get a little carried away and a lot less gets accomplished. What I’ve been doing is letting my ADD take me to another project, but as soon as the idea is down then I go back to the original project. I use a timer to make this happen (when I can remember) to make sure that I don’t get too carried away. I’ve been more focused and a lot more has been accomplished in the last few months.

The one thing that I have noticed among those who are really successful at what they do is that they embody their work. I don’t mean that all they do is work but rather their area of expertise is a part of their being and they can talk about it anywhere and anytime. They know their subject so well that they do not need notes or charts or whatever. Actually, anyone who makes their job look easy, really has worked really hard to make it look like that.

Yesterday I was in NYC for the day and walked by the Trump Tower which made me start thinking about Donald Trump. I have a lot of admiration for the guy and have read many of his books. The man is very smart and very passionate. In one book, he said know your subject and know all the details and I apply that to my passions which has made a huge difference.

Am excited about the Monday Vision for this coming week for me. I’ve been with my young daughter about 24/7 for the past 2 weeks but she’ll be attending a camp away from me this coming week, for 6 horus a day so this Monday’s my day to drive myself to where I want to go, to grow by making a list of 10 things to do first, and focus on my strenths as I make my actions speak louder than my words.

I’ll keep you posted about my progress on my blog, of course! Look for it in my “A.K.” category in the next week or two.

“Stay in the game” is a very good barometer to tell me whether i am on track or not. Once I know what what game they play i strive to drive my part. The hardest part is figuring out the rules of the game and the players, the real ones

Loved Jason’s “Do not take it personally” and especially “Beware of experts”.

Here are few a key lessons I’ve written down over the years that follow in the same vein:
– Know your values, be consistent
– Know your strengths and play to them
– Know your weaknesses, don’t let them be liabilities, pick partners who can cover your gaps
– Understand your center and know what it feels like when you are knocked off balance
– Don’t take it personally, keep ego out of your decisions and reactions
– Ask yourself, are you set up for success? If not, what needs to change? Change it!
– Don’t be afraid to ask for help.
– Beware of experts. Use your own brain, don’t delegate your critical thinking to others.
– Don’t become a bottleneck on your team. Easy for managers to fall into this trap.
– Before you delegate anything, understand how you would personally get it done.
– Take time to blaze new trails, let others follow in your discoveries
– Take risks, don’t be afraid to fail
– When you fail, fail fast so you can learn quickly and move on. Don’t drag it out.
– Give and get feedback in real-time. Just like dogs, people need the feedback immediately to make the connection
– Understand how others see you. If its not how you want to be perceived, figure out how to fix it.
– Understand your value. What do you bring to the table?
– If something smells fishy, dig deep until you find what’s making the smell.
– Understand your long-term goals. What are you working towards?
– Set yourself up for flexibility. Your situation is guaranteed to change, make it easy for yourself to adapt.