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Happy New Year: Focus On What You Can Change by David Guerra

image of fireworks explosion in a new years celebration

FOCUS ON WHAT YOU CAN CHANGE – So you won’t waste your time with something you can’t.

2020 has arrived. All the excitement, angst, anticipation, planning, goal setting and what not the time has come and there is no going back. No matter how much we want, there is no going back. However, far too many of us bring along (into the new year) things that keep dragging us back to the past. Thus, we never can move forward. However, by recognizing what you can and cannot change in your life can you begin to eliminate that which will cause you to spin your wheels and begin to grow those things in your life that you can change.

 

MOVING FORWARD

As I mentioned at the top of this post, the year 2020 has arrived. Time has us moving forward and for all of us moving forward is critical to our future success. Yet, we cannot go forward with things we cannot change be securely and firmly attached to our backs. No one can go successfully into the future where the things you cannot change continue to hinder us.

It is critical to moving forward that we move forward into 2020 and beyond, unencumbered (or lightly encumbered). The driving force that leads people towards success is knowing that any unnecessary item, belief, mindset that is not able to be changed will slow down the attempt at success. That is why reducing the load will allow you to move faster toward achieving your success.

 

RECOGNIZING WHAT YOU CANNOT CHANGE

When it comes to lightening the load the first thing to address is knowing what to cut loose. Lightening the load is done by successfully identifying what cannot be changed. The ability to successfully identify what cannot be changed is by far one of the easiest things you can do. Find that that is providing you resistance, friction, what you feel is holding you back. What makes that easy, is that you know what is holding you back, who is providing the friction, and what is offering the resistance.

Sadly, most people stop short of doing something about the resistance, the friction, and what is holding you back. Once identified, there is something you can do. It might be something that will cause you consternation but it is truly the only thing that can be done: STOP DEALING WITH THE PEOPLE AND THINGS YOU CANNOT CHANGE.

 

RECOGNIZING WHAT YOU CAN CHANGE

Recognizing what you can change is even easier to do. Start at the center. Start with yourself. That’s right, it is that simple. You are your most valuable asset.

Think about this: If you cannot take charge of yourself, then what good will you be to those you lead.

This means if you cannot work on change for yourself then how can you expect to inspire and motivate others? Thus, first and foremost you will work on determine what you have to work on, then make a list of your findings. Once your list is set, prioritize those items. Get To Work!!!

Remember, going forward you must actively focus on those things you can actively change. Focus that which you can control and never forget the mindset and beliefs of others are some of the things you are not going to change. So do not try. Just focus on yourself then working to change other aspects of your life will fall into place.

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David G. Guerra, MBA
email: [email protected]
twitter: @daveguerra
instagram: dave_guerra
facebook: thedavidguerra

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Question of the Week: COMMUNICATION SHOULD BE A TOP PRIORITY FOR ALL LEADERS?


The Walking Leader (dot) com’s Weekly Leadership Poll Question for this week (09/29 – 10/05) is: COMMUNICATION SHOULD BE A TOP PRIORITY FOR ALL LEADERS? (click here to answer)

Communication is the only priority. When it comes to leaders becoming leaders, staying leaders, and making new leaders communication is king. By this I mean there is no other form that will convey the message and sustain the message greater than communication.

Communication in all its forms is what drives leadership.

Whether it be written or spoken, the message of the leader to her followers and the message of the followers to the leader must be clear, concise, well read, understood and can be acted upon with impunity then the conveyance of the message is success. Why with impunity?

Impunity is defined as the “exception from punishment or freedom from the injures consequences of inaction“. Thus when the message is clear, concise and understood, there should be no worries about what actions need to be taken, as there is no misunderstanding. Unfortunately, not all forms of communications are this way. Most messages are riddled with ambiguity and most of all uncertainty. It’s a miracle any work gets done at all.

So, as the leader must lead by example it falls upon the leader to deliver any message (in any format) in a manner that the message is understood and can be acted upon. It is when a leader fails to deliver that caliber of message that the followers cannot act on the message. When open ended questions are asked the answers will vary almost to the level of missing the point of the question altogether and that is when the ambiguity and the uncertainty creeps in.

It falls on the leaders, all leaders at all levels of the organization, to ensure that they work on improving their communication skills. Whether it is practicing your speeches, practicing and honing their writing skills, or creating better graphics they have the responsibility to ensure the message is understood.

Of course, there are applications and software packages that will change text or create better looking designs but where is the leader learning to improve? If the leader turns over those functions of communication to a software package and washes his hands of personally improving the content then how is that leader getting better? The leader is not getting better.

The leader got into a position of leadership begin by doing the dirty work and the leader must continue to do that to dirty work even if it means cracking open a thesaurus, every once in awhile. Therefore, the leader must do everything he or she can to improve themselves personally and professionally. If they have to give the speech how are they going to get better there are no applications for that? What there is, is standing up in front of a mirror and practicing and speech over and over again.

Because the message is so important, communication IS a Top Priority. As I mentioned, Communication is what put the leaders in that position they are now. Communicating is what will keep them there. Communicating is how they will make new future leaders. And again as always, that is nonnegotiable!

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David G. Guerra, MBA
email: [email protected]
twitter: @daveguerra
instagram: dave_guerra
facebook: thedavidguerra

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About Work-Life Balance by David G. Guerra, MBA

Work-Life Balance

Work-Life Balance.

We hear that all the time and what we think about when we hear those words in that order is a misnomer. There is and there never will be WORK-LIFE BALANCE.

First, what is Work-Life Balance? Wikipedia defines Work-Life Balance as “a term commonly used to describe the balance that a working individual needs between time allocated for work and other aspects of life. Areas of life other than work-life can include but is not limited to personal interests, family and social leisure activities.”
What does all that mean? It means people will work diligently to ensure that they are living a 50-50% life. Meaning 50% of life is dedicated to work and the other 50% is dedicated to life outside of work. Well that is not the literal meaning, it is meaning most people find easy to accept, latch onto and try (fruitlessly) to accomplish.

Why Fruitlessly? It will not yield positive results. In fact, trying pull a King Solomon (splitting everything down the middle) is not going to work for a sustained duration. Sure, it might look good at first but it will start to buckle and fail. Eventually, both sides start to suffer in that ultimately the mindset of “it all has to balance” will take over. Once that mindset sets in it is extremely difficult to get back on track but it can be done. Unfortunately, it involves re-wiring their way of thinking, believing, and behaving.

What will work? What works is believing that there can never be true balance when it comes to Work-Life Balance.
No Balance? Exactly, there can never be true work-life balance. One side has to give a little more. That’s what we have to work on. Not on the balance but on that the other side does not hit the balance. Picture a playground see-saw one side is one the ground and the other side is high in the air. You get on one side and you go to the ground. Your clone else gets on, weighing the same as you, and you balance out. Now add some work files to the side your clone is on and now it starts to sink. What do you or your clone do? Your clone works diligently to finish the assignment. Slowly, the teeter-totter goes back to balance. Then just as quickly, your son forgot to tell you about the extra early Friday practice, so now the balance shifts and your side of the seesaw starts to drop and the process repeats.

While it might sound similar to the 50-50% balance mindset. It is with one major exception and it is to ensure that you recognize things in life will happen to keep you off balance. The thing is not to get so wrapped and stringent on ensuring you remain 50-50 all the time but that being out of balance is a natural state and so long as you do not let one or the other take completely over, it is OK to remain slightly off balance.

Do not overthink it. Do not expect to control it. Most of all when it comes to Work-Life Balance the only option is to know you cannot win at this game. The rules are always changing. Therefore, just go with the flow when it comes trying to manage Work-Life Balance.

*no Clones were harmed in the writing of this article