Today’s chat was inspired by one of my all time favorite books – The Magic of Thinking Big by Dr. David J. Schwartz.

So my parents gave me this copy when I was in high school, and I’ve re-read it many many times since. It’s about a growth mindset. Having a mindset that says I can figure it out or I am more than capable.

If you haven’t read this book, I hope you’ll check it out, but in the mean time – are you thinking big enough?

Meaning – are you brainstorming and whole heartedly pursuing goals that are exciting, audacious, meaningful and scary at the same time?

Do they push you out of your comfort zone?

Another way to think big is to day dream. What would just be amazing for you if it happened?

Don’t just keep these ideas in your head – write them down.

Take out a piece of paper and for 15 minutes, just brain dump everything that comes to your mind of what would be amazing to accomplish, do, have, or experience.

It...

Regardless if the vision is for a specific situation - like an event or project - or for something larger like your business or organization or company, to be able to effectively drive change and lead, you must buy-in into the vision.

Your team and clients are looking to you to be excited about the vision and help them to understand it and why it's important.

If you're tasking others with projects or responsibilities that are intended to drive the vision forward, but your heart isn't in it, your team will know. Not only will this make it more challenging for your team to effectively do their jobs, it will create pressure on them to help you get on board with the vision, when it's really the other way around. Your job is to remove the barriers for your team, and if you aren't fully bought into the vision, then it's essentially adding a barrier for your team to overcome. It's a barrier you need to remove, but once you do, your team and clients will feel the difference. They may be...

Take a few minutes today and answer the following for yourself:

What part of your job or business could you do all day?

There must be one part that you absolutely love and could do all day in an ideal world - what is it?

And as you answer that, take it a step further and answer two more questions for yourself:

Why do you feel that way?

and

How can you get to do more of that activity today?

Now - put it into action and bring more joy into your day. Not only will your team, clients, family and friends be excited to see you doing more of what you love, but you'll feel more energized throughout the day while having peace that you were successful at the end of it.

I really love on-line and in-person events. It’s a great way to connect.

My corporate experience included time attending trade shows and manning booths as well as being the project manager to pull entire shows together. On top of that, I’ve done a lot of book signings since being an entrepreneur, so I wanted to share some tips so that your next event is a great success.

Let’s get started!

1 - Get clear on why you are there

To get started, how would you answer this question: Why do you want to attend or even host an event? The reason this clarity is so important is that it shapes your mindset and energy for that event. Dive into this a little deeper with this article [What's the So What?].

When you’re in the headspace that says, “I’m glad to be here!” or “It’s going to be a lot of fun!”, then that comes through in how you engage and how you present yourself.

The same can be said for the opposite.

If you’re saying to...

The first time I heard the phrase exploit the constraint was in the corporate world.

My 20 year path included some time in a manufacturing company and specifically with process improvement, turning ideas into executable strategies, and increasing employee engagement. Lean Manufacturing and The Theory of Constraints were big practices at this company. With the theory of constraints you’re figuring out where the bottleneck is, which is not only a constraint, but the most important limiting factor, and from there, figuring how to improving things so that it’s no longer the bottleneck.

You are the most important factor, and the more you’re able to focus your energies, time and attention on things that really need what you can only bring, the more productive you feel and your enthusiasm comes through. Your team will feel the shift and they will be open to following your example.

Understanding where the bottlenecks are, and if they aren't benefiting the organization,...

One of the best ways I know of to process ideas and feelings as well as use for decision making clarity is journaling. Do you journal? Even if you don't think of yourself as a writer, much less write well, you don't have to be. 

The power of journaling enables you to treat your mind as a sponge that needs to be wrung out. When there's so many thoughts running through your mind and processing any one of them feels like a challenge to actually get through, journaling is a way to get those thoughts out of your head and onto paper. It's not about how well you write, if there's errors, or if it's organized. It's not for anyone else, but you. In fact, the more you can silence the inner editor and critic and just allow whatever to come out and get on the paper, you'll feel lighter.

Like a release of sorts.

And if you take some time in between journaling and unloading what was on your mind and allow some space for it to just sit on the page, when you return to it a few hours, a few...

Have you ever heard the saying “a picture’s worth a thousand words?”

It comes from the idea that sometimes a picture can better articulate in one image what would take a lot more words to describe.

A picture conveys a message through the image which allows the receiver to feel what it means to them. They can really see the elements that are there which shape their own perception and emotion of the picture.

So using saying as inspiration, I’m curious… what's the picture of your leadership practice?

You see, the clearer you are in where you want to be, the more likely you’re gonna get there.

Let me talk through how I see this.

Think about where you are right now.

Your current state in your business or organization. Your current assessment of how you're showing up and engaging as a leader.

When you think about where you currently are – how would you describe it?

What does it currently look like?

What does it currently feel like?

Is it ideal...

Today's message is a little reminder of the three biggest gifts you can give others as a leader. These three gifts are completely within your control and totally achievable, if you believe investing in others is important and part of your role as a leader. These three gifts :

Your time,

Your attention, and

Your compassion.

When each one is given sincerely, the other person - no matter if they are part of your team, your boss, your clients, your family and friends - will feel it and know you genuinely care, and ultimately, you both are encouraged. 

What part of your organization, company or business do you love the most?

There must be one part that you absolutely love - what is it? And as you answer that, take it a step further and answer two more questions for yourself:

Why love it?

and

How can you get to do more of what you love today?

Now - put it into action and bring more joy into your day. Not only will your team, clients, family and friends be excited to see you doing more of what you love, but you'll feel more energized throughout the day while having peace that you were successful at the end of it.

Here's a productivity hack that's a quick and easy way to clear away the mental clutter by capturing your thoughts whenever they come to you - use a voice recording app on your phone.

I don't know about you, but there are plenty of times when an idea comes to me, and I don't have paper or a pen nearby. Instead, if you use the notes app on your phone, or open an email to send to yourself, you can voice your thoughts out as much as you need to, then send the email or open the notes app later when you're ready to work with it. It gives you something to start with and helps you to clear away the mental clutter, so you have more space to focus on what's going on in the present.