 Do you have a day in your week where rather than doing things, you have the time to think about the things you are doing and whether you are actually doing them right, or are you even doing the right things? When people lose their Mojo it's because they've lost control. There's no conscious focus on what they are doing, how well they are doing, what they doing and whether they are in fact even doing the right things. They are instead just on autopilot ticking boxes, getting stuff done without really being concerned consciously about what they are doing. It's worth doing an audit through your day to move from the red work to the blue work, from a state of doing, to a state of being. It requires pulling back, breathing, and just taking your time to think about where am I at? What am I focused on, and am I focused on the right things? This surely must be one of the greatest things we could teach our children. GB
0 Comments
 Here's a great example of combining resilience, problem-solving, being of service, and seizing an opportunity. Recently, healthcare workers in Oregon were on their way back from a vaccination site when a trailer crashed on the snowy road leaving travellers stranded for hours. Carrying precious cargo the volunteer workers had a choice. Stay in the car with the heaters on and surely the vaccines will spoil, or take the initiative, be resilient, step into the cold and find a new solution. Rather than let the shots expire from lack of proper refrigeration the volunteers went car door to car door in the snow asking stranded drivers if they wanted to be vaccinated. Living by their mission and mantra "the number one rule right now is nothing gets wasted". There is so much gold in this short story when considering mission, problem-solving, innovation, resilience, greatness, and just doing the right thing in the face of a problem and hardship. Great story. GB
 Over 100 years ago, it's said that a New England mill instituted the 5 day work week to accommodate a Jewish and Christian day of rest. Everyone followed suit. This five days on, two days off cadence still exists, but I wonder for how long? Is the term weekend going to become redundant like... Old Spice or Darrell Lea... yeah it's still around but not that relevant.... (except to those of a certain age). With work from home, a dismantling of the on/off switch, the blend of work and play, the many constant demands, 24hr shopping, longer retail hours... will the weekend, well disappear like the Polly Waffle? At the moment the term exists but the application and meaning of a weekend has changed dramatically... can the term survive? Does the weekend just become another day that ends in Y... and become totally irrelevant to the next generation? GB
 Many feel insecure in their job, their relationship or their social status. Insecurity is said to be an uncertainty or anxiety about oneself, a lack of confidence. Most often it is said to be a negative, a bad thing to have. Architect Frank Gehry is said to be one of the greats. His buildings are unique, break rules, break common convention and of course with that comes controversy. However, he said that when he does not have insecurity he starts to worry, he thinks its a good thing. He said "when I feel too secure, I know I am on the wrong track." Many successful people seem to have this insecurity... it drives them, it makes them want to break with convention, be uncommon. It isn't the insecurity itself, it's the way we process it in our mind and give it meaning. It's how we define and use it as a superpower. GB
 When business is not good the first thing a marketer will do is change the logo. And sadly leaders trust them and follow along. It's not the logos' fault. When you've been outmanoeuvred by a competitor, failed in your service levels, denied innovation and put profits and margins in front of people, you can find yourself playing catch up. So what do you most marketers do? Change the logo. That should fix it. The problem is that the mistakes and shortfalls that got you to where you are in the first place haven't gone away, all you've done is change the logo. It's not the logos' fault. Recently the new GM logo was released. They went on about how the vibrant blue tones evoke clean skies, zero-emissions and the energy of the Ultium platform [GM’s EV battery system] ...the underline of the “m” connects to the previous GM logos as well as visually representing the Ultium platform, the negative space of the “m” is a nod to the shape of an electrical plug...And so they went on. Playing catch up to the likes of Elon Musk who told the world about electric vehicles a decade ago and started to break the paradigms of what vehicles, whether they be electric or not, could be ...was ignored. It's not the logos' fault and the change in the logo won't fix a lack of leadership, a lack of innovation, a lack of current strategic intention that makes a great company great now, and into the future. Don't let anyone tell you that just changing the logo will fix your problems.
 Could savouring the colours of a sunset actually be a form of meditating? Could truly savouring the first mouthful of a meal or sip of a drink where you use your senses to capture the taste, texture, fragrance and delight actually be a meditation? In a world of consumption that desires more and more and more, we are less likely to take the time to truly savour the moment in whatever form. Be it the sunset or sunrise, the look in a loved ones eyes, the touch of a baby's hand, the pride of looking at a well mowed lawn, a split-second of gratitude when you peruse a meal you painstakingly prepared, the art of a well crafted note, or simply the satisfaction of finishing a book ....that moment where we truely savour something to me is a form of meditation or mindfulness. It is said the definition of savouring is "to enjoy or appreciate (something pleasant) to the full, especially by lingering over it." It's also said that a definition of mindfulness is "A mental state achieved by focusing one's awareness on the present moment." When we really savour a moment or a thing, or an experience we must bring one's awareness fully to the present moment and so, although there are a myriad of means and methods to meditate, in my mind the most simple way to do it today is to savour a moment, a thing, an experience or an event.
 Lenny Kravitz on writing his book "Well, I never thought about writing the book. I don’t think that my life is that interesting. [But] I’m glad that I did because writing this book was the best form of therapy I could have ever taken. This was a story about me finding my voice and I didn’t want it to be about stardom or fame. Writing will provide the same level of therapy, a lot will be healed."
Journalling, writing your thoughts down to get them out of your head, can help to move you in a new or different direction. In order to heal from 2020, grab your journal and get the year out of your head…. the good, the bad and the plain ugly. In order to leave the year behind, put to rest what has gone on and set yourself up for a new year of opportunity, as different as it may look. Reflect on 2020, get it out of your head, down on paper, review, reflect, ponder, realign, readdress, recalibrate and start to look forward again. In this way journaling can allow your brain to let go, reimagine, and then have the space to dream what’s possible for you.  The Hasegawa’s family sells toasted mochi out of a small timber shop next to an old shrine in Kyoto that started to provide refreshments to weary travellers in the year 1000. Now, more than a millennium later, COVID 19 has devastated the economy, and its once reliable stream of tourists has evaporated. But Ms. Hasegawa is not concerned about her shops' finances. Like many businesses in Japan, her family’s shop, Ichiwa, takes a long view — a really long view. By putting family tradition and legacy over profit and growth, Ichiwa has weathered wars, plagues, natural disasters, and the rise and fall of empires. Through it all, its rice flour cakes, the mochi, have remained the same. This company's operating principles and beliefs are completely different, their first priority is carrying on… to pass the baton to the next generation. To survive for a millennium, Ms. Hasegawa said, a business cannot just chase profits, it has to have a higher purpose. In the case of Ichiwa, that was a religious calling: serving the shrine’s pilgrims. There is so much to be learnt from this message. GB
 "That's the Underblenge (Ekino Plunge-Dermer) it has the strongest suckers of any creature and it kills it’s prey by sticking itself to their face and suffocates them to death, but it can’t catch them, cause it can’t move from the rock it was born on"… Ricky Gervais to Parkinson. Parkinson “ Where do they come from these creatures". Gervias “there is no creature you could invent that is stranger than a sea slug or an elephant, so you have to go outside logic”. The true creative process is not bound by logic. airBnB, Uber, Apple Watch capabilities, Elon, drones, the list goes on… common today, unheard of years ago. Why? Because they go outside logic… until… SOMEONE DOES IT. That’s the key in creative sessions, alone or in a group - Defy logic, anything goes, go outside what is logical in your creative brainstorming.. and as we progress more and more will go outside logic. Do it to yourself, attack yourself, defy logic or allow your competitor to do it to you. Front toward enemy. GB
 C.S.Lewis said “fellow schoolboys can teach fellow students just as effectively as the teacher”. It’s the difference between saying ‘I’m an expert and I’m going to teach you something’, and saying ‘I’m a fellow student and I’m going to share what I’ve learnt and maybe you can take something from this’. We consume so much information every day, yet little is being turned into true knowledge we can recall and use on demand. We consume, but how much do we learn? So, the first step…curate your learnings, cut out and store what you want to remember and recall (journal, Evernote, Pocket, One Note, Google doc) … then teach someone else what you have learnt, but be humble, not a bragger…. share don't preach…. help without the ego. You learn better, you are being of service to someone else and you continue to build your ability to problem solve as well as your legacy. GB
 "The pandemic has allowed me to do much more blue work and I feel guilty.” This is a comment made by a business leader in the audience of a keynote I delivered last week. It’s amazing that society has made a leader feel guilty for taking time out to sit quietly, visualise the future, solve problems, dream, strategise and actually think really hard about problems and possibilities. The forced isolation has given leaders a chance to sit and truly think without interruptions, distractions, the temptation of jumping into more and had it not been forced upon that leader, chances are they would have conformed to what is expected of a business leader, which is to be busy, distracted, rundown and doing not being. Never feel guilty about being present, being a great leader, and being the best you can be based on your ability to sit for long periods of time and think really hard about something.
 In this week’s fascinating conversation on The Mojo Sessions with a drug smuggler called Luis Navia who shipped product for the biggest cartels in Columbia and Mexico including the infamous Pablo Escobar….we spoke about his upbringing, his parents and his constant desire to live up to his family name. Luis said his Dad was a great man. He said great people don’t need to tell you how great they are. They let their actions speak of themselves. Why is it that so many people on LinkedIn post pictures showing how great they are? Selfies, pictures of awards they won, their new product, pictures of themselves with celebrities, pictures of them on stage, in the limelight, with their new book…. yet if it’s true, great people don’t need to tell you how great they are, why are so many putting themselves and their desire to impress others or themselves …..before a deep desire to help others?
 Mathew McConaughey has been all over the media promoting his new book Greenlights, a book that explains how he's been able to catch green lights throughout his life and turn red lights into green lights. I am really enjoying the book. He is a great actor let's face it... Dazed And Confused. Dallas Buyers Club. Wolf of Wall Street. I'll do a review Greenlights for The Mojo Sessions Patreon supporters next week. There are many things I like about this book but one thing that is a standout is that he does not just read the book, he performs it. Many if not most audiobooks are read by the author or a contracted reader. In this book it’s actually a theatrical performance by McConaughey which brings the book to life. Not only is he a great actor but is also a great storyteller which resonates in this book.
There is one moment where McConaughey goes to his Dad and says that rather than be a lawyer, he wants to go to film school. His Dad, who he thought would be upset, said alright, "Don't do it half assed". Man, how many people go into meetings half assed, do a sales call half assed, present to their staff at the start of a conference half assed, sit with a friend distracted over coffee...and so half assed, can't be half assed so miss a workout... it's #gold. We wonder why we don't get the result we are after... maybe because we do shit half assed.... and in doing so, teach our children it's ok to be half assed. I rate this guy. JKL. #mojo #dontbehalfassed #greenlights  The term brand originally came from the cowboys who would brand their cattle to know which cattle belonged to which property owner. That brand became the representation of that property, that property owner and all they stood for. In the last few weeks I have become engrossed in the brilliant series Yellowstone on Stan. It’s a story about a Montana family, the Duttons who own and run a cattle property called Yellowstone. An underlying story line is just what the Yellowstone brand means to the family. John Dutton (Kevin Costner) says to his head wrangler Rip “The brand isn’t something you earn, it’s something you live up to.” Imagine if you and everyone in your company lived up to the highest possible standards that you as a leader set for the brand. Standards that every team member wanted to be a part of… aspired to achieve and be proud to associate themselves with. Wear it with pride where other people look at you and say “you really get to work for them?”. It would be something others would write about. Sadly for many, the brand is just a logo to stick on an invoice. To have a brand to live up to, you need to have an imbedded mission you would sacrifice for, true authentic values, strong leadership and consistency over the passage of time. It’s doable.
 Michael Parkinson "Have you always been very single minded about your career?” Sharon Stone “No, I think there were times in my life when I thought I was supposed to do exactly what other people told me to be - a really good person and a good girl and follow the rules and try to do just what they said, and I was a complete and utter failure, and I think many times in our life when we try to be good we absolutely missed the possibility of being great because we're so busy trying to please other people’s agendas that we never figure out what’s right for us, and once I finally got passed out I was able to let go.”
There is so much richness in this short piece from one of the great interviewers of all time… in Parky’s TV series on air now. Question….Are you running your own agenda today or doing a good job working to other peoples expectations and agendas? It’s a wonderful lesson for your children to help them carve their one true identity and path.  Is there a balance between what you are taking in and what you are giving away… in your personal life, your charitable work, your company your team… if you sat with a set of scales, and loaded one side with all the new information and learnings you took in this week, how much you read, listened to, made, created, was curious enough to ask questions about…….and the other side how much you gave away… how much you talked, how much you wrote and sent, how much you shared and commented … how would the balance be? On one side of the scale is doing, the other being. On one side the red work, the other side the blue work. The difference between knowing the path and walking the path.
Weigh it up.  In ancient times, library entrances said "healing place of the soul" and "medicine for the mind”. Just the ritual of going to the library says to yourself books and learning are important. There is something special about walking into the quiet of a library a place filled with the most incredible knowledge from the greatest minds the world has ever seen… wall to wall knowledge and its FREE! Even the act of going to the library and just slowing down and thinking, journalling, browsing, wondering for even just 20 minutes supports wellbeing in itself… just that act… and it is all FREE!
 How do you express your creativity away from work… or in fact at work? Like any muscle your creativity must be worked in order to improve. The more you put stress on a muscle, it then repairs and becomes better, stronger, more productive. Creativity is no different. The question is where in your day or your week are you expressing your creativity? Working your creative muscle? For many their day is a blur of meetings, messages, posts, quick glances, distraction, and email. I find during interviews with those who are the highest performers, those making the biggest difference, they have a non-negotiable part of their day when they become a maker not a doer. A creator not a responder. An innovator not an imitator. It’s worth doing an audit of your day tonight to work out where tomorrow are you able to express your creativity.
 The Mojo Sessions is my new interview series that you can find on all your favourite podcast platforms. The Mojo Sessions are interesting conversations with the most interesting people, free from the waffle, sponsors and advertising that clutters a great conversation. It’s a more intimate profound conversation that draws out the true story, the interesting lessons and the most valuable takeaways. My first two guests are locked, loaded, recorded and ready for you to check out on Apple Podcasts.To hear the sessions follow the link: https://apple.co/31Zj1Kd
 Increase the flow of blood to your brain and you increase the function - your ability to have good ideas, to problem solve, to find another way… do that, and you win. After all, your success in business is based on your ability to creatively problem solve for your customers or clients. Provide a different, better or more valuable solution than your competitors, then you win the work. So when it comes down to it, when you have better ideas for your customers, you win. To do that you need better thinking and problem solving. To do that you need better blood flow to your brain. To do that you need to stimulate your brain through learning, reading, observing, great conversations, journalling, deep work…. Increase the flow, increase the function. Right now, if the Espresso makes you think, or ponder even for a moment, you are increasing the flow, and thus increasing the function of your creative mind.
 Trevor said to me, "After hearing you speak today, I realise, I have sold my dreams short”. Sadly that’s common, and we look at people like Elon Musk and think, I could not do that. We compare ourselves to his outcomes and not the process of what it is that he does daily….to consider how WE can start to stretch ourselves for OUR dreams and get beyond our own small limited thinking and dreams. Our children are told to follow their dreams, “you can do and be anything you can dream of" ...but as they get older we quickly snap them out that notion and belief that you can do anything you dream of and introduce them to the real world, that dark place where dreams are for the select few. When I heard Trevor say that he now consciously understands how he has sold his own dream short it made me realise how all of us should stop, do an audit on our own thinking in any aspect of our lives and ask "am I really thinking big enough and am I dreaming of what I want and not what I think I can do within my comfort zone?" When you dream within your comfort zone then yes you are going to sell your dream short.
 The Chairman of a business group said to me… “I’m a songwriter and a poet… do the work, I know how hard it can be”. We were debriefing “Innovation in the Pandemic", a new speech I am delivering from my new virtual keynote studio. Many of us need to be intentional about creating. Intentional about the effort we put towards creating an idea or solving a problem. Intentional about finding space for our brain to have the bandwidth to join the dots into something different and novel. Intentional in our conversations to listen for the spark of an idea, the kernel of a new thought…. it takes intention, attention, discipline and well… as he said… it’s work, sometimes hard work… but do the work. James Dyson, Branson, Elon Musk, Scientists, Beyonce, The Boss, Dr Dre… you name it… great creators, the people who see things differently, they do the work. It takes work to think really hard, to sketch new idea, to make the space to dream, to make a call to action… do the work. Sit and think really hard about a problem or an idea, it takes work to intentionally think hard about something.
 People don't have short attention spans, they have short interest spans. If they're interested, they'll give you their full attention. This is an important distinction. We judge students, employees, friends, anyone we are talking with or spending time with when they get distracted… normally by technology. You are less distracted when you are actually interested in what you’re doing. People can work hours with no break, no food, not even going to the toilet where they are completely immersed and interested in what they do. When you find yourself with a lack of discipline, a real lack of focus, and a feeling of frustration because you can’t concentrate, then maybe it’s worthwhile taking a step back and appreciating you are not really interested in, what you are doing, acknowledging that, reevaluating the task and thinking….is there anything of true interest in this conversation, this project, this presentation, or this mundane task? What could be of interest if I thought about it differently for a minute? I guess if you find nothing that is of genuine interest to you the next question should be... do I outsource this? Remember when people talk about passions, do an audit and work out specifically what it is that you have no problems applying discipline to, you have no problems focusing on, you have no problems being distracted from, and there lies most probably something you are truly passionate about and have a keen interest in. If you have a short attention span more than likely you're working on stuff that doesn’t really interest you.
 Mark Twain said “ Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority it’s time to pause and reflect". During that time of reflection, knowing you are standing away from the majority, there is a certain joy. It’s called JOMO, the joy of missing out. Missing out on the disconnection with your family, friends or teammates when you are looking at your phone, the joy of missing out on distraction. The joy of missing out on a foggy mind and a lack of energy because you said no to an unhealthy, focus draining lunch. The joy of missing out on an unproductive drowsy morning because you got a full restful, restorative and peaceful night’s sleep. Or maybe is the joy of missing out on an unproductive day because you plan your day the night before and attacked the day with intention. JOMO is a term I heard Jason Fried co-founder of Basecamp mention during a conversation. Maybe it’s time to consider JOMO and do away with the FOMO.
“I have my mind inside the bicep when I do my curls, my mind is inside the pectoral muscles when I do my bench press, I'm really inside and it's like I gain a form of meditation because you have no chance of thinking or concentrating on anything else at that time” - Arnold Schwarzenegger. Arnold’s book Total Recall is an amazing account of how he has methodically and systematically planned and executed his career. Real estate, bodybuilding, movies, politics and charitable work is all designed, visualised and put into action with extraordinary outcomes. Focus is a key superpower for Arnold. You may not exercise your biceps or pecs but take advice from his process. When you are reading, be inside the book. When you are writing a proposal, just be inside the work and leave the outside world outside. When you are talking to children, be inside the conversation. When you are engaging with a team member, be enveloped by the conversation. When you are enjoying a movie, be in the story. When listening to music, be in the band. Cal Newport author of Deep Work said that focus is the new IQ. Arnold’s example of focusing intently on what it is you are doing at that moment is a stepping stone to your future IQ.
|
|
RSS Feed