Native Americans have a ritual referred to as a ‘vision quest’.  A young man is sent into the wilderness on a solitary trek to discover the Great Spirit’s vision for his future.  It’s one of a variety of ways one might gain clarity on his or her life mission. Consider the Japanese proverb: “Vision without action is a dream.  Action without vision is a nightmare.”  

Do you have clear answers to these 3 questions?

1. What is your compelling life mission that drives all your major life decisions? 
2. What are your core values -- those bedrock behaviors you vigilantly live every day and refuse to violate? 
3. What are your most ambitious goals for the next 1 to 5 years that fuel your fire?

 
Would it shock you to learn that most people have no answers to any of the three?

Excuses are Never a Solution

I work with companies and people where it becomes clear if they are merely going through an activity or they truly have a goal they are accomplishing.  To make a point, I recently met with the senior management team of a family run hotel/entertainment company.  They had recently acquired a number of new properties and were deciding how to accomplish the task of incorporating them into their system. 

I asked them “what do you want the guest to remember about their stay at your hotel?”  Their lack of response told me everything I needed to know.  They had no vision – just a notion that they needed to renovate the hotel. 

Think about the last time you stayed at any hotel – did your stay create any memories or a desire to return.  Now think about a recent trip to Disney or Atlantis.  I suggest those thoughts bring back memories of the good times.

Walt Disney had a vision for his properties.  Sol Kerzner’s vision for Atlantis was to “Blow the Guest Away”.  Having worked with both organizations it is clear these leaders have communicated their vision to their entire staff. 

My point – Do you have a vision for your business or your life.  What is it you want to accomplish or do you just go through the actions? 

In past newsletters I have shared my life’s vision as “Planting trees that I will never sit under.”  My purpose is to help companies and individuals achieve their best without any desire for recognition. 

I am proud that I have quietly built many iconic projects, built several great companies and helped many individuals start on a path to achieve their goals and success.  They each take the honor for their efforts – because it was accomplished by their efforts – not mine.  I just guided them or asked questions that focused their vision and established their goals.

So what is your life’s vision and how do you find it.

ACTIONS FOR YOU

The process is not hard – just thoughtful and dedicated thinking.   Who is to say your life’s vision will not change or modify over time – so start with an idea and let it evolve. 
Stephen Covey’s second principle – Begin with the end in mind.  Maybe start with an idea of “how would you would like your eulogy to read?”  What accomplishments or sense of purpose would they describe?  The real secret is to begin - start the process.

Consider an out-of-town getaway.  New scenery can lend a fresh perspective.  Your worth it!  Write down what you like to do, who you like to be with, what things you like to have. Dream a little.  
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When you think you have finished – reread your list – it will spark new ideas and desires and then do it again.  A theme will emerge of what could be your focus.   Run with it – try it on – see how you like it and then improve it when it is the right time. 

In the end – you will have a vision for your life.

A Person’s Name are the most important words

When I answer a phone call or get letters that start with “Donald” I immediately know that this is not a person that I know.  To my friends and clients, I have been “Don” for more than 40 years. 

In “How To Win Friends And Influence People”, Dale Carnegie says: “Remember that a person’s name is, to that person, the sweetest and most important sound in any language.” 

Same goes for mispronunciations and misspellings.  If you want to get ahead in life and business -- then being respectful of others is essential -- making this a lesson worth learning.  Especially since our Amway business is all about people. 

Excuses are Never a Solution

The common response is” But I’m just terrible with names.”  Or, “I have a horrible memory -- I hear a name and forget it seconds later.”  

Really?  Where in life does a genetic handicap entitle you to bungle a critical point and still enable you to be successful?  Just like everything else, you can learn – IF YOU WANT TO LEARN. 

It is amazing how people will learn what is important to them – video game techniques, new moves for a game, a new baby, advertisements for something they want, but the name of a new acquaintances, customers, prospects, restaurant servers, or neighbors just eludes them.

Carnegie tells this story in his book:  Benton Love, chairman of Texas Commerce Bancshares said, “The executive who tells me he can’t remember names is… operating on quicksand.”  Amen.  

The late Sam Walton was known for remembering names of Walmart store workers whom he met once and didn’t see again for over a year.  His employees revered him for this.  Is it any wonder?

ACTIONS FOR YOU

Get serious.  The human brain is the world’s most sophisticated computer with memory capacity so infinite, you’ll never use it all.  There’s lots you can do.  Here are a few suggestions…  

When introduced, pay attention.  Repeat the person’s name.  If there’s a nametag, read it.  Be curious and ask about an unconventional spelling or the derivation of an unusual name.  People don’t get upset -- they love telling these stories.  

Ask what they like to be called:  Elizabeth, Liz, Beth?  On many occasions people thank me profusely for this, adding that no one ever asks, they just assume, and usually assume wrong.  

Quickly introduce the person to someone else and tell something about them that you just learned.  

Keep files of names, biographies, photos -- with proper spelling and preferred nicknames.  Review the files before gathering with friends or clients.   

Write down preferred nicknames for later reference.

Invest in a memory skills course or buy a book or audio learning program… they’re everywhere.  

Anyone can do this.  Anyone.  Including you. 

It will increase people’s desire to be around you and part of what you are doing.

Business consultant Brian Tracy says there are only two outcomes when you take action:

• you succeed; or
• you fail

If you succeed, you do more of it. If you fail, you learn valuable new information, allowing you to course-correct, adjust your action, and go again. Keep repeating this process.

Any action is better than no action. What you learn will eventually get you onto the right track. 

REFLECTIONS 

I went back to reread some of the past newsletters and this was from 2015.  It is interesting how the start of a new year will often cause us to reflect on what has been accomplished and what is yet to be done.  Have you reflected on what was completed?
I was listening to CEP the other day and one of the speakers shared that

“this is your life – make something out of it – no one will do it for you”. 

Do you have things you want to accomplish?  Are you planning any trips soon?  Are you working towards some comfortable latter years?  Has your child’s (or grandchild’s) education been paid for? 

Now is the time to take a moment and set those dreams into your day planner or on a sheet of paper to hang on your bathroom mirror.  You will be amazed what you have accomplished by this time next year.

IT IS YOUR LIFE – LIVE IT TO THE FULLEST

ACTIONS FOR YOU

Dream building is nothing more than thinking about what you would like to do and then develop a plan on how to get there.

Dreams can build hope and hope is such a powerful feeling.   When you have hope you can move mountains.  Without hope, people give up.

Our business is the supplier of HOPE.  We provide people with a way to obtain more if they want to do a little work for it.  It is not hard, but we make it hard by casting our limitations on others.  Just because you are afraid to introduce others to the plan, doesn’t make others.  You have a SOLUTION for people to grow and have something more of life than what they currently have.

You hold the bottle of hope – SHARE IT WITH OTHERS and see how they latch on to the dream.

Remember – the secret of the Amway business is not about you, rather it is about helping others achieve their goals and dreams – when that happens, the results are endless.

In the morning do you:  sleep late, get up at the last minute, rush through morning activities, gulp down an unhealthy breakfast while getting dressed, or wolf down something in the car, or skip it altogether, then fight thick traffic and make it to work barely on time or embarrassingly late.  

What a way to start your day on the wrong foot.  

Laura Vanderkam, offers a better solution.  In her book, “What the Most Successful People Do Before Breakfast” she shares her research that revealed highly accomplished people use their morning hours with fitness workouts, inspirational readings, journal writing, catching up with news and most importantly, planning their day.  What is the most important part of this activity is the discipline to “Just do It” – don’t make excuses for not doing it. 

Interestingly she points out that weekends contain 60 available hours (6 pm Friday to 6 am Monday).  Backing out the 24 hours for sleep (8 per night), you still have 36 hours -- almost the equivalent of a full-time job.  Plan those hours -- just as you would plan your job. 

Break the weekend hours into 5 big time blocks -- Friday evening, Saturday afternoon, Saturday night, Sunday afternoon, Sunday night -- you realize you could fill those with 3 to 5 different activities that will make your weekend worthwhile and memorable, instead of wasted.   

The lesson?  Do your most important activities first thing in the morning, before breakfast.  You’re stronger, fresher, more alert. and what he did to get back in control.  He and Cathy worked hard to get back on their feet.

ACTIONS FOR YOU

Why not start today?  Make a list -- right now of 1 to 3 key activities that would jump-start your day to success.  Then set your alarm earlier than normal -- allowing time for the new activities -- and get moving.

If you’re thinking “Hold on, I’ve got 2 young kids in different schools.  It’s hard to roust them out of bed, they dress slowly, are finicky about breakfast, barely make the bus, force me to be late for work, so this is impossible for me” … then you should know that people just like you -- with all those same barriers -- were part of Vanderkam’s research -- and found a way to do it.  
 
You can do it too – We all can.