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November 10, 2014 by Brett Leave a Comment

Two Hacks to Help Strengthen Your Self-Image

I’m currently reading Zig Ziglar’s See You at the Top, and since I’m engaged in what I’m calling the Dan Miller Challenge, it follows that I have to select an action item based on what I’m currently reading in Mr. Ziglar’s book.

I selected Steps 9 and 10 from his chapter “Fifteen Steps to a Healthy Self-Image”:

  1. Make a list of your positive qualities.
  2. Make a victory list to remind you of past successes.

I will not share the lists with you, but I did write them out.

Honestly, it felt hokey. It felt a little silly. But it also felt good.

Many of us spend a heck of a lot of time heckling ourselves.

We call ourselves silly, dumb, hopeless, ugly, fat, unloveable, unworthy, useless.

Just yesterday, after disciplining one of my 6 year old sons (discipline that consisted of timeout for shoving his brother to the ground), I heard him in his room sobbing deeply and repeating the refrain, “Everybody hates me.”

Nothing could be further from the truth and about 10 minutes later, he and I were cutting up and laughing.

But haven’t many of us had those moments? Where we just assume we’re universally despised and ultimately broken and useless?

I don’t mean to get so heavy in a sales blog, but sales does carry with it its share of rejection. We might not tell ourselves we’re useless on the whole, but we can, after repeated unsuccessful attempts to sell our products or services, be tempted to turn on ourselves with harsh, self-critical barbs.

We’re only human. We’re a part of this group of people who are imperfect. Part of that imperfection is holding ourselves to a strange standard of perfection. When we don’t hit the mark, some of us can berate ourselves.

Therefore, I suggest that you, too, write out a short list of your positive qualities and your accomplishments. Carry it around with you.

The next thing I’d suggest is to make it a point to call out the good stuff you see in those around you. I think this will go even further in upping your mental game then having a note card of self-adulation in your wallet.

  • Compliment your spouse.
  • Call out your child’s good effort.
  • Thank a coworker for a job well-done.
  • Email an old friend and remind the friend of something you love about him.

Are these activities hokey and pollyanna?

Maybe.

Are they good to do anyway?

For sure.

Give it a shot and let me know how it goes.

To wrap up the story about my son…. when I put my son to bed last night, I reminded him, “Buddy, you know your mom and I and your sister and your brother and Mimi and Papi and Grammie and Grandpa and your friends all love you.”

He replied, “I know that Daddy,” as if he was as sure of it as anything, his earlier bout with despair far behind him. May we all live in the confidence that we are who we need to be and that while we’re not perfect, we’re still worth quite a bit. Quite a bit indeed.

Until tomorrow…

——————————————————

Recent Reading and Listening (besides Zig’s book)

A Beautiful Design (Part 8) – Woman’s Hurdles – The Village Church with Matt Chandler.

I’m not going to touch this one with a ten-foot pole, but some of the ideas about perfectionism referenced above might have been influenced by this sermon podcast. I loved this quote: “If perfection is the standard, how can we ever be at peace?”

Are You a Leader? 12 Ways to Know for Sure [Podcast] – This is Your Life with Michael Hyatt and Michele Cushatt

An encouraging podcast – both to clarify if you are a leader and to give you a blueprint for strengthening your leaderly qualities. A great, great listen.

How Do I Transition Out of My Corporate Job to Work for Myself? (and Other Listener Questions) [Podcast] -This is Your Life with Michael Hyatt and Michele Cushatt

Some questions. Some answers. The theme, in my mind, was the importance of creating value for others. Above all strategies and tactics, focus on creating value. Eventually, the strategies and tactics will become evident.

What If You Could Take a One-Month Sabbatical? [Podcast]-This is Your Life with Michael Hyatt and Michele Cushatt

A one month sabbatical? Seriously? Not possible right now, but the principle of unplugging at regular intervals is possible.  I love the observation that exhaustion is the new status symbol. That’s just plain dumb. We must recharge regularly.

 

 

Filed Under: Mindset Experiments Tagged With: Dan Miller Challenge, matt chandler, michael hyatt, michele cushatt, mindset, perfectionism, self-image, the village church, zig ziglar

October 27, 2014 by Brett 2 Comments

TED, Tucking Kids in, and Time Management

While I’m under no illusion that folks are paying close attention to this blog and my commitment to read or listen to content everyday, act on it, and write about it, I’m personally aware that I made the commitment.

I’ve found it more difficult than first imagined to make good on the writing portion of this commitment. Perhaps I should save the previous day’s activity for the next day’s writing so I can knock it out first thing in the morning.

Right now, I’m planning for a speaking engagement (the result of a commitment earlier in this Dan Miller Challenge process) and, quite frankly, it’s kicking my butt. I’ve had to prioritize that preparation because there will be very real, flesh and bone people for whom I hope to create true value. Prayers appreciated.

I don’t want to get too far afield from this challenge to keeping record on this site. This post is more self-serving than I’d like it to be, but maybe you can find a nugget or two.

TED Talks

In an effort to get a feel for well-done speeches, I power listened to and watched TED talks on YouTube all day on Saturday (two days ago). I was working on home projects, letting the YouTube channel go all day. Great stuff, although I think there’s an over-gravitas-ness of the talks at times. I’m not one to criticize, but a joke or a little levity here and there would be nice.

Tucking My Children In

Yesterday, I listened to a sermon about manhood – what it means to be a man, from a biblical worldview. Matt Chandler of Village Church in Dallas, TX encouraged men that regardless of how worn out, tired, or ‘over it’ we get, that comfort is always our enemy. Getting home from work and never moving butt from couch is a sure way to slowly bring a family into dysfunction.

Not only that, but a man is called to make sure he takes time with his children and wife, to tuck them in, to sit and ask them about their day and pray or sing with them. So… I made sure to take over tucking in duties. Even if we share it, I want to be there for my daughter and my boys, every night to give them hugs and sing them a song if they want it and to dig a bit into their little hearts.

Time Management

On the way to work, I caught a couple Ben Settle Antipreneur podcasts on time management. One of the key takeaways: pay yourself first as it relates to time. So today, I did. I worked on my upcoming talk for the first two hours before the day went haywire with other demands.  It helped set the day up to be much more productive.

In Conclusion…

Even if you’re super-busy, try to find crevices of time where you can feed your mind, heart, and spirit with quality content. Pull away early in the morning. Take a walk and listen to something. Stop for 15 minutes and read a book.

Just a suggestion.

Until tomorrow…

Filed Under: Mindset Experiments, Productivity Experiments, Sunday Siesta Tagged With: biblical manhood, blogging, Dan Miller Challenge, fatherhood, matt chandler, parenting, speaking, TED talks, time management, village church

Hello!

Brett the sales experimenter and the challenge accepter Brett - Sales and Marketing Experimenter. I'm a reluctant sales professional. I didn't start out my career in sales and marketing, but I've grown to enjoy it. Here I discuss marketing, sales, productivity, and mindset experiments that will hopefully yield greater results and a more deeply satisfying sales career.

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