Procrastination, Part II

Yesterday I shared with you two points John Maxwell says will help to fight off procrastination. Here are his final two points:


3. Break down your big tasks. Connie Gersick of the Anderson Graduate School of Management at UCLA says that the average person doesn’t get seriously down to work on a big project until midway between the start of the project and the deadline, whether an hour or a year away.

If the size of a task causes you to procrastinate or completely shy away, break it into smaller, more manageable tasks. Then, give yourself an immediate deadline for accomplishing each task.

Ray Kroc, an American entrepreneur famous for significantly expanding the McDonald’s Corporation since 1955, said, “Nothing is particularly hard if you divide it into small jobs.”

4. Step back and see the big picture. Don Shula, former head coach of the Miami Dolphins, once said, “If you stacked [the mediocre] teams up against one of the perennial contenders, the talent gap might not be as great as you’d expect. It’s the philosophy gap that separates them. The losers lack something vital: a sense of purpose.”

Often people fail to start or complete a task because they don’t see any connection between what they’re doing and what they really want to accomplish. If you sense that what you’re doing is not blazing a trail toward a desired result, it’s probably time to rethink your pursuits. If you know that your work will move you closer to your goals, you will be more inclined to see the task through.

Even if you have procrastinated in the past, you can begin working today with a new outlook on getting things done and use some fresh methods for avoiding procrastination in the future. Make yourself a promise today to put an end to the phrases “woulda, coulda, shoulda” in your life.

Now that you know that, what is it that you have been putting off?

Woulda, Coulda, Shoulda

H. Jackson Brown, Jr. once said, “The biggest gap in the world is between I should and I did.” Is that true with you?

If you have an issue with procrastination, John Maxwell has some words of advice for you:

If you struggle with procrastination, you’re not alone. To be successful you must learn to close the gap between what you should be doing and what you are actually doing. Start by following these four steps:

1. Disrupt your regular routine. It doesn’t matter how hard or long you work if you’re not accomplishing what needs to be done. Sometimes changing how or where you work can increase your productivity significantly. Start by shuffling the order of your daily tasks. If it makes sense, begin your day with a task you normally reserve for the end of the day or vice versa.

Also, try changing your work setting. Go to a park. Work by the pool. Break out of old familiar patterns.

And another way to get more done is to steal an hour each day. Get up an hour earlier. Begin work on a project during your “off” time. The idea is to take the pressure off yourself by starting a job or doing a task when you’re not actually supposed to be working.

2. Get your first failure out of the way. Author Henry C. Link said, “While one person hesitates because he feels inferior, the other is busy making mistakes and becoming superior.” Plan and execute your first failure so that you no longer have to fear it. If you need to make sales calls, dial up your first potential client and expect rejection.

Keep calling until you get that first “no.” If you’re brainstorming to solve a problem or complete a project, start by weeding through the bad ideas then move on to better ones. Once you’ve expected—and overcome—one failure, others don’t look so intimidating.

Tomorrow, I will share John's 3rd and 4th points on how to overcome procrastination.

Under Pressure

Yesterday, my wife Connie called me. At that exact moment I felt I had about 14 things that needed to be done in the next 4 minutes. In 4 minutes I needed to leave for an appointment. I was stressed.

Needless to say, I was not as pleasant as I should have been with my wife. She was simply calling to share part of her day with me and I was very short with her.

In spite of the way I acted, I believe being calm under pressure while we are at work is one of the best ways we can show others the effect of Christ on us. Most people are not very nice and they are typically short with others (like I was with Connie) when they are under pressure.

In Bleedership, I devoted an entire chapter to Calm Leadership - that's how important I think this is.

Many people have told me that being calm is not their nature. I believe it is a choice. I just read something that Joyce Meyer wrote which said, if you are in the middle of one of your tantrums and your pastor knocked at your door, would you put on a calm front to greet him or her? Most would do that which proves this is a choice. Let's make that choice. It can have a significant impact on those who don't know Jesus.

To Whom Much is Given, Much is Expected

I'm sure all of you have seen that Michael Vick plead guilty to dog fighting. Very sad for him. Very sad for his family and friends. Very sad for the NFL and his teammates. Very sad for his young fans who looked up to him.

A good reminder to us that we must do all we can to do what is right, otherwise we can hurt many more than just ourselves.

Why Should I Trust You

Anyone who has entered into a new situation with new people knows that you typically are not trusted at first. You need to earn the trust of others. So how do you do that?

In an article entitled Starbucks Spirituality,

Daniel Hill suggests that 90 percent of the accusations Christians face are rooted in mistrust. "I don't find that people have a problem with Jesus," he says. "They have a problem with Christians."

Anyone who claims authority today—politicians, parents, or pastors—will face the question of trust.

The answer requires more than words. Christians, with PowerPoint presentations and four-point evangelistic outlines, have mastered the art of proclamation. But words alone aren't going to answer the trust question.

Trust is built by actions, not words.

Have you ever heard the expression, I can't hear what you're saying because your actions are speaking too loudly?

Made to Work

In a marketing newsletter I subscribe to, an interview Jimmy Kimmel did with George Foreman was discussed. Jimmy asked George why he still worked - and worked so much - given that he was certainly wealthy enough not to, and still never sacrifice a desire.

George joked about his ten kids needing fed, but then his straight answer: "When I was washed up as a fighter and dead broke and nobody wanted me for anything, I told God that if I ever got another good job, then I'd never stop working, and I'm keeping my promise.

"I'm grateful and excited every morning when I get up to go to work because I can go to work. Working is what a man is to do. Work is honorable and noble."

Well said. I agree with George, and God does too (see the scripture below) - we were made to work. So let's decide to enjoy it and let our light shine for others to see!

The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. Genesis 2:15

Manager of the Universe

I receive an e-magazine called Men of Integrity from Christianity Today and this article really spoke to me as I have a tendency to try to take on too much a lot of the time. I know this is an area God is working on in me. How about you?

In an earlier era, George McCauslin, a distinguished YMCA director, was serving a "Y" in western Pennsylvania that was losing membership and had financial difficulties and terrible staff problems. McCauslin found himself working 85-hour weeks and getting little sleep at night. Even when he took time off, he was fretting about the problems of this "Y." A therapist told him that he was on the verge of a nervous breakdown.

So McCauslin took an afternoon off, and, taking along a pen and pad of paper, went for a walk in the woods. His tight body and neck started to relax. He sat down under a tree, got out his pen and pad, and wrote God a letter. "Dear God," he wrote, "today I hereby resign as general manager of the universe. Love, George."

"And wonder of wonders," recounted McCauslin, with a twinkle in his eye, "God accepted my resignation."

This week is about turning our anxieties over to the One best equipped to handle them.

Survival Tactics

Zig Ziglar recently wrote the following:

The giraffe is the largest mammal that gives birth while standing up. I don't speak "giraffe," but I can imagine what the baby giraffe must think when he bounces on the ground from that great height. He just left warm, cushioned quarters in which all his needs, comforts and security were provided. Now he finds himself bouncing off (comparatively speaking) hard, cold, unwelcoming ground.

Almost immediately thereafter, a new trauma occurs in the baby giraffe's life. As he struggles to his knees, Mama Giraffe gets busy "persuading" him to stand up. She does this as he wobbles to his feet by giving him a swift kick to prod him to faster action. No sooner does he reach his feet than Mama delivers a booming kick that knocks the baby giraffe back down. . . . I can well imagine the baby giraffe thinking, "Well, make up your mind, Mom! First you kicked me to make me stand up. Then you kicked me back down!" . . .

That process is repeated several times because Mama Giraffe loves her baby. . . . Mama Giraffe knows that the only chance for survival her baby has is to be able to quickly get up and move out of harm's way. Yes, kicking the baby up and down seems like a strange way to show love. But for a baby giraffe it is the ultimate expression of love. Caution: That approach definitely won't work in the "people" world, but the principle will. Real love is evidenced when you do what is best for the other person, whether or not they appreciate it at that moment.


I thought how much we can learn from this in many of our relationships: with employees, with children, with our spouses and with our friends. Is there anyone you need to show real love to by speaking the truth in love?

Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into Him who is the Head, that is, Christ. Ephesians 5:15

Bait and Switch?

I recently had a phone conversation with a new Christian author. He wanted to send me a copy of his book to review and to see if I knew of any places he might speak. I said I would love to read his book and see what he has to say.

He then said, "OK, I'll mail it to you. All I ask for is a $20 donation."

I was taken aback. I thought he was giving me a copy of his book. I felt taken advantage of. I might have bought his book had he asked me in the beginning.

Anyway, even though I believe his heart is in the right place and he is trying to serve the Lord, he made a negative impression on me. Let's try to learn from him and do better ourselves.

It's Not About Me?!?

The first line in the best-selling book by Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Life is "It's not about me."

In many respects this realization should help us to relax a little. If it's not about me, it must be about Someone bigger - it is - and He must have things under control - He does.

In Leading Blog, there is an interesting post about this. It reminded me of a quote I heard from a well-known football coach before his team was about to play in the Super Bowl. To try to lessen their nervousness and fear he said, "There are over a billion people in China who don't care whether we win or lose so just go out and play hard and have fun."

We tend to take life way too seriously, as if it is all about us. If we could all take the advice the coach gave his team, our lives would probably be a lot more fun...and productive.

To read the post at Leading Blog, go here.

5 Signs You Have A Bad Boss

In his article, Brian Simkins gives us the following 5 signs to determine if we have a bad boss:

1. Your boss asks you to do things he or she is unwilling to do
2. Your boss takes credit for your work without giving you recognition
3. Your boss is late
4. Your boss asks you to cover
5. Your boss doesn't defend his or her empoyees

I thought this was instructive, not because of how we can look at our boss, but in how we look at ourselves. Do you do any of the above?

To read the full article, go here.

Judgment

I heard Stephen Covey talk about an incident when he was on a subway on a Sunday morning. It was very peaceful until a man and his three children got on his car. They began hitting people's newspapers, making lots of noise and disturbing everyone...everyone except their father.

Stephen said he became very angry at this man for not doing anything. He said he was furious.

Finally, he had enough and he asked the man to control his children.

The man sheepishly said, "Oh, you're right. I'm sorry. I guess they aren't sure how to react to the news they just heard. We are coming from the hospital and they just learned their mother has died."

Stephen said his entire demeanor changed in an instant. Instead of being angry, he immediately was filled with compassion for this man and his children.

I often think about this when someone treats me poorly or cuts me off in traffic. I have no idea what is going on in their lives so I need to cut them some slack.

Zig Ziglar wrote something about a similar topic - go here to read more.

The Secret to Life

In an article in Christian Business Daily, Gerald Chester writes about some authors who wrote a book titled, Success Built to Last. In the book they state that the secret of life is really quite simple—it is serving people by doing what you have a passion to do.

Chester continues that:

Since we are created beings, a person’s passions, unimpaired by sin, must be created as well. If God is both strategic and intentional about how He creates, then a person’s passions are precisely what he or she needs to accomplish his or her divinely ordained purpose. It follows then that the greatest need of any created being is to discover the Creator and then to discover the Creator's reason for creating that person.

This implies that at the most fundamental level the secret of life is to serve others by using our divinely ordained passions to help others discover their divinely ordained life purposes.

Good stuff. I encourage you to click here to read the entire article.

How to get Ahead on the Job - NOT

How do people get ahead in the workplace? One way seems to be by making their subordinates miserable, according to a study released on Friday.

In the study to be presented at a conference on management this weekend, almost two-thirds of the 240 participants in an online survey said the local workplace tyrant was either never censured or was promoted for domineering ways.

"The fact that 64.2 percent of the respondents indicated that either nothing at all or something positive happened to the bad leader is rather remarkable -- remarkably disturbing," wrote the study's authors, Anthony Don Erickson, Ben Shaw and Zha Agabe of Bond University in Australia.

First of all, I don't buy this. I do believe that some bad bosses do get ahead and aren't punished for bad behavior - after all I worked with one of the all time great bad bosses (see Bleedership). But I believe in the end they are seen for who they are (my boss was eventually fired, although it was 1 month after I quit).

For the sake of discussion though, let's pretend the above study is correct. How should this change our behavior?

It shouldn't. We should not be caught up with what others are doing. We need to work on ourselves and be the best worker and person we can be.

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--His good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12:2

Tony Dungy on the Importance of Practice

I hope you have enjoyed Tony Dungy's thoughts on FCA's core values and how they relate to football...and to life.

He summed up his comments with one final thought on...

Practice

When you’re looking to develop these core values, my advice is to practice. If you only practice one day a week you’re never going to be as good as if you practice every day. And, that’s what it’s all about, really. It’s reading and understanding what God wants you to do and then putting it into practice. When you come up short, don’t give up. Continue to work at it. Say, “OK, Lord, I fell short in this area. Give me another opportunity so that I can continue to work on it.” The more you practice those values, the easier they become, and the better you get.

If you would like to read his comments in entirety along with what others have to say about Tony, click here.

Tony Dungy on Excellence

This week I have been posting Tony Dungy's comments on the core values of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA). Today, Tony discusses...

Excellence

I talk about excellence a lot because, I think, from a Christian perspective, that can get lost. We talk so much about how it’s “just God’s will” and that we want to serve Him, but He wants us to be excellent in what we do. I love Paul’s statement in 1 Corinthians that in a race we all run to receive a prize, but he says to run to win. We can’t forget that part.

Now, we are bound by rules, and we are not going to cheat or do certain things to win, but that is still the goal: to be excellent. And there is nothing wrong with that. As Christians, it is great to be able to show the world that, yes, we can do it the Lord’s way, but we can be excellent while we do it.

What it means to be an excellent coach:Being an excellent coach means doing everything as well as you can do it. That is everything from preparing your players to dealing with the media. Whatever is in front of me, whatever is on my plate as a coach, I want to do it as well as I can because there is never a time when I am not to be exemplifying Christ. Whether it is running simple drills behind the scenes during practice or making a decision with one minute left in the Super Bowl, I am going to do it as well as I possibly can. I think that is part of what the Lord wants us to do.

Common areas in which we skimp on excellence:
We are all human, and I think we all have a drive to succeed; but once we reach a certain level, we think, “I’m doing OK. I’m doing well enough in my position.” Regarding the drive to be better and better, we sometimes think it is wrong, but there is nothing wrong with that drive as long as it is carried out in the right way with the right perspective.

It’s human nature to say, “Well, I won’t give 100 percent. I’ll give just enough to do my job well.” Or, if I am lifting weights, to say, “I could do one more repetition, but I don’t want to push it.” But the Lord would say, “Do as well as you can with the gifts I’ve given you.”

What I look at is whether or not we are doing absolutely everything we can with the talent and opportunity that God gives us. That’s how I see excellence. I can win every game and still not be playing excellent if I am not giving everything that God is giving me.

Tony Dungy on Teamwork

Tony Dungy continues with his view of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes third value:

Teamwork

Jesus always pointed out that everybody was important, but nobody was so important they couldn’t get by without them. And that’s what you are trying to sell to your team: that everybody has a role. No matter how small they think it is, even if they are not necessarily the star, they are important. But by the same token, nobody is so great that we can’t survive without them. And that’s what good teams have. It’s not a matter of having the most talented guys, but of having the most cohesion, the most ability to work together. Christ and His team had the common goal of spreading the gospel. And if we, as a team, also have a common goal and work together, we can do great things. But if we are fragmented and have different agendas and ideas, if we are not working together, no matter how much talent we have, we are not going to be successful.

How the spotlight affects teamwork:
Sometimes you get a situation in which some players say, “Well, I’m not a starter or a key component, so my job is not important.” You have to make them understand that you do need them. Even if their job is small, they need to do it exceptionally well in order for the team to succeed. The other side of the coin is that person who always feels that everything depends on them because they are in a star position. You need to let them know that there’s not as much pressure as they might feel. It’s telling them, “You’ve just got to do your job. Yes, it’s a big job, but we have other guys who also have to contribute. You aren’t the only one out there.” Ultimately, it’s balancing that spectrum and not letting one group feel too much pressure while another group feels like they are not needed. As a team, we are a unit, and everybody works together. And if we work together as teammates, we can do much more than 53 individuals working separately.

Tony Dungy on Serving

Tony Dungy had this to say about FCA's second core value:

Serving

Ever since I’ve been in a leadership position, my focus has been the model of Christ as the servant-leader. There are different ways to lead, but I’ve always felt that it’s better if other people follow me because they want to follow, not because I’ve been put up there as the leader and they have to follow. To do that, you have to earn people’s trust and their respect; and the way to do that is to show them you are there to help them. As coaches, that is our job—not necessarily to win a championship, but to help all the players, everyone in the organization, do their jobs as well as they can.

Practical ways for a coach to serve: I really try to, number one, be a role model and serve my team spiritually. I want to teach them as much as I can about football and how to be better players; but I also want to help them be good people, do well in the community and do well after football. So, I try to present those things to them so that they can see that football isn’t the end of the road. Therefore, I am hopefully serving them as individuals, serving their families, and also serving them by giving everything I have to make them the best players they can be.

How Christ’s example of serving factors into coaching: To me, Christ’s model was the best. He had quite a few disciples, but there were 12 guys He really poured Himself into. He did so much to make those guys the best team they could be. At times, that involved teaching, it involved His being the example, it involved one-on-one talks.

For me, it’s the same thing. I want my players to know that I’m not the one trying to be up front and get all the rewards, but I’m really there to make them the best team they can be. That’s going to involve working as hard as I can, spending hours studying the other team to get our game plans ready, and doing everything I can so that they can play well. And more than that, it is being involved, being there for them, being a sounding board and trying to help their families.

Tony Dungy on Integrity

One of my favorite people in all of sports is Tony Dungy. I have so much respect for him - the way he leads, the way he treats others and the way he has overcome adversity. I was so pleased to see an article in the monthly magazine put out by the Fellowship of Christian Athletes in which Tony shared his thoughts on FCA's core values. I will be sharing these thoughts throughout this week.

Integrity

To me, integrity is what you are all about. It’s what is inside of you. And what’s inside is going to come out when it gets to a critical situation. In my opinion, that’s the difference between a championship team and a good team. It’s the difference between a person you really want to follow and one who is just another person in your life. With people of integrity, you know what you are going to get because that person is the same way all the time; situations don’t change them.

How integrity factors into my role as a coach:From a leadership standpoint, I want to display integrity with my players. They have to be able to count on me to be the same, no matter what. If I tell them something about my personal life and I don’t follow through on it, how can they believe anything I try to teach them on the field? To have that trust and have them follow me as a leader, they have to believe in me. Integrity goes hand-in-hand with trust. You can’t have a good player-coach relationship or a good staff relationship without trust.

The importance of a Christian’s integrity:It is very important for a Christian athlete or a Christian coach to model integrity because once I have gone out there and said, “I am a Christian. Here are the principles I live by”—if I do anything that undermines that, it hurts the cause of Christ. Once people know I am a Christian, I can’t afford to walk differently than I believe because everybody is going to see—especially in a coaching position when eyes are on you all the time.

How I handle a breach of integrity, both internally and externally:It is tough on me when I don’t follow through with what I say I’m going to do because I know that eventually it’s going to come to light and not only make my job tougher, but more than that, it’s going to cause people to question what Christianity is about. With others, I try to be a little more forgiving. It’s the world that we live in, and sometimes that’s going to happen. I try to forgive people because that’s what Christ is all about.

Tomorrow we will discuss SERVING.

We'll Miss Ya Dan

On August 17, Dan Patrick will broadcast for the last time on ESPN. This will be a sad day for many, me included as I love his subtle humor.

When asked in Sports Illustrated why he is leaving this is how he responded:

It's (ESPN) a protective cocoon I've been in for a long time. I had started to take it for granted. I don't think I challenged myself, and I don't think I was doing great work.

There is a lot we can pull from and learn from those few sentences but the primary thing that hits me is that he has realized that he has been in his comfort zone.

That is where we all naturally want to be - our comfort zones.

However, if we want to grow, the only way this will happen is if we get outside of our comfort zones. We must break through our fear.

So what are you putting off doing out fear?

5 Ways to Overcome Bad Boss Syndrome

As many of you know, I had a very difficult boss in a previous job that led me to write the book, Bleedership, Biblical First-Aid for Leaders. As a result, anytime I read anything about bad bosses, I am eager to see what is said.

Joseph Liberti had an interesting Blog post on this subject. In his article he states that "people don't leave organizations, they leave supervisors." He then shares 5 useful tips to use if you want to avoid being a bad boss. To read his post, click here.

No Margin, No Mission

A good friend of mine is an executive at our local YMCA corporate office. He said someone once gave him great advice regarding the importance of finances within the local YMCA branches, "No margin, no mission." In other words, the Y must be financially solvent or they will not be able to serve the community.

Michael Pink had this to say in his Blog:

The purpose of a business is to make a profit. There it is. I said it. That ugly word in the minds of so many Christians, which might explain why so many are so broke in the business world. They think profit is evil or bad or at the very least, inappropriate - unless it happens by accident or as a result of doing other things well but minus the profit motive. Believe it or not, you can desire a profit and work hard to generate one without being guilty of coveting or piercing yourself through with many sorrows due to the love of money. But that requires spiritual maturity. Selah.

Before I get too many angry emails, let me also say I believe that our businesses, our sales careers, in fact all of our vocational life should truly bring glory to God. That is to say, when others see our companies, our track records, our job performance, they attribute our success to the God whom we serve. But if we fail in business, regardless of how nice we were or how pious, they will not be able to see that God is indeed Lord in all areas of life. That He is only relevant to “spiritual” issues and perhaps “marital” issues, but completely irrelevant to the business / commerce side of life and therefore to be ignored until a major crisis comes up.

Let me further add, that I also believe business is merely a context for building relationships. First of all with God - if we choose - and then with others. God loves work and so does Jesus (John 5:17) and He quite enjoys going to work with us and helping us build quite the business. Not necessarily a large business, but an excellent one.