52 Solutions for Those Who Need a 25 Hour Day
52 Solutions for Those Who Need a 25 Hour Day has been released, and is now available at Amazon.com! Visit www.gewood.com for purchase information.What are you capable of achieving? Have you set goals and met them?
You don’t know what you have the capacity for until you reach for it. You don’t know what you are capable of achieving until you must or you choose to reach for it.
We all know people, who against great odds have done some pretty incredible things. Sometimes adversity created a context that meant they either reached for ‘the impossible’ or collapsed. Other times it was a conviction that they could reach some hitherto unattainable goal that drove them forward.
The point is, you just don’t know what you are capable of.
There are, however, some things we do know.
- You are capable of more than you think you are. If you are able to think, “I could never do it” then you are capable of thinking, “Maybe I can go a lot farther toward doing it than I previously thought.”
- If you don’t even try it is a ‘for sure’ that you won’t achieve it. In fact if you don’t try, you won’t achieve anything.
- If you do try, you will have the satisfaction, whether or not you ever achieve it, of having given it your best shot.
- Every small step achieved builds confidence. It provides proof that you can if you try. One step builds on another and leads to success.
When you achieve it, who knows what else you might actually be capable of. Maybe way, way beyond your previously small thinking.
So, what are you capable of? You don’t know. And I don’t know. But I can predict that you are capable of achieving far more than you currently think you can.
I thought this article by Pam Taylor really spelled out pretty well, some of the things we Christian leaders need to keep in mind before helping in Haiti. It’s a timely reminder of what we all need when wanting to assist others.
For the Love of Haiti
Armchair quarterbacks try to come up with the answers for how to make things work in the rescue efforts in Haiti, following the earthquake. “Why don’t they just…” is often heard wherever people gather. It is all said in an effort to try to find solutions for the daily images of pain and suffering we see broadcast by the media. We are a nation that wants to help. But without knowledge of the culture and the way it functions, our hands are tied and there are bottlenecks preventing or slowing down help getting to the people its intended for.
It is difficult to understand why the help Haiti needs is not readily available in their country already…or why they can’t just google Amazon and have it delivered right to their door.
Even in the best of times, Haiti does not have the resources that we have learned to take for granted. Could it be that at least some of the problems come from confusion caused from trying to “help” Haiti through the filter of our own North American cultural mindset and habits? If that were indeed true, and I believe that it is, what can we do?
A Haitian doctor expressed sincere gratefulness on a news segment, but he then said, “But, this is our country. Don’t tell us what we have to do.” He is a doctor. An educated man. Are you wondering why he said that?
I have been a missionary to Haiti. Was it easy? NO! Not at all. It was indeed a great culture shock. I was, however, fascinated with their culture and with the strength of the people. My own faith seemed puny compared to the faith of the Christian Haitians I came to know and love. I was grateful for their patient perseverance as they taught me how to survive in their land. The nights were eerie with the sounds of the voodoo drums and the dogs howling in response to the evil that was being called forth. It is a place where faith and character are stretched.
So following this earthquake disaster, what can we do to help the people of Haiti the way they want to be helped?
Before anything, we must pray. Pray for wisdom, for cultural understanding, for a peaceful spirit, and a kind heart. Pray for humility. Then, before you dive in:
1. Ask them. Then listen and say it back to be sure you really understand. This is basic to any relationship. Ask what they want. Ask what they need. Ask how soon they need it. Ask what part of it they want you to do. Ask if they have ideas how it can be provided in a way that would be helpful to them…maybe by providing work for them or by providing income for their country. Remember that we don’t know what we don’t know. And they can tell us what we don’t know.
2. Ask about cultural sensitivities. In our zest to meet the immediate needs, we don’t want our help to be perceived as interference, and we want it to be helpful long term, so cultural awareness is a necessity. We mustn’t think we already know. The why is an important aspect that is sometimes overlooked. No matter what previous experience you have had with disasters, all new disasters are unique. Go with fresh eyes and open ears.
3. Listen to them. They had an earthquake. They have great need. Some have never been poor. They have been among the elite and they don’t know how to cope. And many others have been poor for a very long time. This earthquake has compounded their problems, but it does not mean that they should have to sacrifice dignity and honor. All people are empowered and excel when they are treated with respect. We have two ears and one mouth. Perhaps the Creator wanted us to listen with a non-judgmental heart to those in need, twice as much as we speak.
4. Pray for the ongoing, ever-changing wisdom that is needed. It’s all about being the hands and feet of Jesus. If we keep asking Him, “What would YOU do, Jesus? Give me YOUR heart,” He will answer with a smile!
Pam Taylor is a freelance writer, Biblical lay counselor and life coach. Her passion is to help others discover their God-given strengths and invest them fully for His Glory. A former missionary in third world countries and a homeschooling mom, she understands the hidden desires of a woman called into the service of her Lord. You can reach her at www.loavesandfishescoaching.com
PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
CONTACT:
Gary Wood, President and Director
Christian Coaches Network
705.687.2711
gary@christiancoaches.com
www.christiancoaches.com
The largest public search platform worldwide that is devoted entirely to finding professional Christian coaches has changed leadership.
On February 1, 2010, Executive Coach, Gary Wood assumed leadership of the Christian Coaches Network from founder Judy Santos, who has provided vision and direction to the organization for the last 12 years.
She says of her choice of Gary Wood as successor, “He has been on the CCN Advisory Board since it’s inception in 1998. I have worked with him on various projects, taught with him and appreciated his wisdom and friendship over the last twelve years. I pass the torch to him with confidence and a sense of peace that this is a change that was orchestrated by God.”
Currently Christian Coaches Network supports hundreds of professional coaches from 11 countries and a broad spectrum of life experience, professional background, expertise and denominational affiliation.
Individuals or organizations who are searching for a professional coach can now find CCN members who represent almost every area of personal, business or ministry specialty, ranging from life, relationship and marriage coaching to career, leadership and executive coaching.
CCN provides support, connection and professional development opportunities to members. This is supported by three levels of recognized certification within the Christian coaching field.
CCN’s new Director, Gary Wood is a professionally credentialed coach who has more than 35 years business and ministry experience. Since 1998, through his executive coaching firm G.E.Wood and Associates, Gary has worked with an international clientele of corporate, government, business and nonprofit leaders.
In recently addressing member coaches, Gary said of his additional role, “I may assume the public face of CCN but I am far from the total substance. Together we make the whole. The very fact that CCN continues forward bears out the fact that God has plans … plans that include each one of us.”
ABOUT – To learn more about Christian Coaches Network and its membership services or to search for a professional Christian coach, visit their website at www.christiancoaches.com.
END
One trait of a good leader is their not-to-do list. Written or remembered, the successful leader’s not-to-do list saves them from a lot of stress and the potential for overload and burnout.
Great leaders know so well what they will say ‘yes’ to, that saying ‘no’ generally comes easy.
The not-to-do list allows us to create boundaries around out time and talents. It allows us to avoid being spread too thin. It prevents us from potentially slipping into attitudes that devalue others and depreciate ourselves.
Those leaders, executives, owners and professionals around us who we admire for really achieving good things, do not get involved in everything. They understand their limits and work within them. Whether they operate a successful business from home or run an international empire from the office with the commanding view, these men and women have clear boundaries.
Sometimes they tick people off when they say ‘no’ to a request. But they get things done … the right things … things that move causes, projects and programs forward. They appear to have a great ability to focus on those priorities that will best advance the ball.
“Today many are harming themselves through the temptation to do more than their limits will allow. Walking, running, and ambition are not necessarily unhealthy. Too much, however, is universally unhealthy. Overload is like that. The problem is not with the ‘load’. The problem is with the ‘over’. Richard Swenson, Margin, 1992, NavPress
We live surrounded by the cult-of-busy. People busily doing things, but achieving little, happy to have the bragging rights of being ‘too busy’ under the guise of complaining about work.
The leader ought not to live like this. Yes, you may be busy. Let’s not kid ourselves. There is a lot on your plate. But your busy is directed and engaged. It is focused on priorities. It takes its energy from attending to those things which are most important and which when achieved will make the biggest impact.
Creating the First Draft of Your Not-to-Do List
- Answer this question, ‘What matters?”. Check last weeks to-do list against this question. Were you working on what matters? Did you achieve those few things that would make the biggest difference? Or did your time get chewed up with items of lesser importance? Or worse yet, frittered away?
- Write down those things which you are not prepared to do or which are simply not effective things for you to be doing. As a leader there are some key activities that you should be spending considerable time on and others that are just not the best use of your time.
- Think about how willing you are to allow other people to do what needs to be done. Can you let them take the responsibility? Possibly fail to get it as well done as you think you can do it? Deal with the consequences? In other words before you make your not-to-do list, think about your attitudes toward others and just how important you find yourself to be.
- Write the not-to-do list.
Possible Not-to-Do’s. I will not:
- Say yes to every request for my presence at some function.
- Agree to sit on as many boards.
- Take my work home on these nights of the week.
- Allow that particular area to run understaffed, causing pressure on me.
- Agree to as many conference calls.
- OK so many meetings that require my involvement.
- Agree to speak as often in places that involve considerable travel.
- Allow interruptions during my most productive hours.
- Agree to hear a problem without the person providing a potential solution.
- Stay any longer in an area than 10 years.
- Try to troubleshoot technical problems myself.
- Accept the invitation to long lunches.
You get the idea. See how you do with your list. And then execute it with intention and focus. As you work with your personal coach, develop your personal not-to-do list. Let it guide you as you become increasingly more effective.
As an executive coach working with leaders, it is important for me to assist my clients in being more effective and productive. The not-to-do list is a simple lifelong tool, probably underestimated, that can make a big difference in seeing real, measurable improvement in that very same effectiveness and productivity.
Decision making is influenced by dopamine levels.
So reports an interesting January 8th article from the BBC News on a study at the Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuro-imaging at UCL.
Study lead, Dr Tali Sharot noted, “Our results indicate that when we consider alternative options when making real-life decisions, dopamine has a role in signalling the expected pleasure from those possible future events.” The doctor went on to say, “We then use that signal to make our choices.”
In that same article, Professor John Maule who works at Leeds University Business School on decision making, noted that “… in recent years people had begun to realise emotional or “gut instinct” decision making was just as important in human choices as analytical decision making.”
In my thinking this translates … we analyze all the facts but decisions are often made largely on feelings.
We have a gut instinct, a sense of whether or not something is going to be pleasurable and to what degree, a sense very early on of whether or not it might be ‘for us’ or not. We feel it deep down. Either that is affected by dopamine levels or it creates them which then get translated through the wonder of our whole person into decision making.
Interesting. Since it is out of my professional depth, I’ll only fall back on what I do know for sure. Truly, we are “fearfully and wonderfully made”, Psalm 139:14 The Bible.
There are 9 common traits of history’s most effective leaders. This according to Charles A. Tribbett III, Andrea Redmond, and Bruce Kasanoff, authors of the 2004 book, Business Evolves, Leadership Endures.
I think it is worth reviewing their observations in 2010 and I certainly recommend reading what they have written. As we are called on to provide effective leadership, each one of these traits is worth striving for.
1. The Commitment Not to Lead a Little Life: If there is one trait that leaders share throughout history, it is the unshakeable commitment to live a life that matters.
2. Vision: To lead others, leaders must have a destination in mind and be absolutely commited to making a vision come true.
3. Voice: Armed with commitment and vision, leaders need a voice – a manner of communicating that others not only hear but also wish to follow.
4. Heart: Leaders with heart are capable of inspiring others through example, whether this takes the form of incredible work ethic or a contagious passion.
5. Team Building: To leave a lasting legacy many leaders build organizations that are not dependent on one person, but are self-sustaining entities in which people and processes work toward common goals.
6. Backbone: There are times when mere talent and insight are not enough, and leaders have to summon unimaginable strength and internal fortitude to persist in the face of overwhelming obstacles.
7. Listening: Real listening empowers leaders as it conveys the information needed to make wise decisions.
8. Emotional Intelligence: By understanding and managing not only one’s own emotions, but also those of other people, leaders earn deserved respect, trust and confidence.
9. Diversity: History, business and nature teach us that the surest way to survive – and thrive- over the long run is to foster diversity of thought, behavior and approach. Tomorrow’s leaders must master diversity.
Like me, you probably don’t feel like you are the epitome of all nine of these characteristics. But, along with many other traits that the leaders you respect show, these nine can challenge us to reach up and forward to be the best that we can be.
There is a common thread to much ministry burnout and it is leaders going above and beyond their original assignment.
You take a Christian worker who loves the Lord, and has high expectations of ‘what God will do’. Make them a key decision maker carrying major responsibilities. They will prove themselves highly committed, heavily involved and willing to take on a demanding workload.
They will also, with great regularity, ratchet up.
Ratcheting up simply means you take the assignment (.. as the Lord has assigned to each his task. 1 Corinthians 3:5) you are sure ‘God has given you’ and you add to it. In this one area discernment often seems to be neglected.
While working you also see something else worthwhile to be done. You add it to your to-do list. You see a need here and a cause there to be addressed. Few step forward to help. And you do it … and do it … and do it.
Pretty soon you are doing more than the original assignment. You have ‘ratcheted up.’ And you may be on your way to ministry burnout and the signs of career burnout that are so common to any leader who is experiencing significant stress.
You become resentful of the task and critical of the people who have not volunteered. A gnawing ache develops in your gut and unwanted attitudes invade your thinking.
The cure? Know so well what you ‘have been called to do’, that saying ‘No’ to what you have not been called to do will be much easier.
In other words, know your priorities so well, that you say ‘No’ to those requests, no matter how good they are, that are not absolutely yours to accomplish. (If it isn’t an absolute yes, it’s a no.)
This is not to take away from doing what you have been assigned with excellence. Excellence is about depth not quantity.
Saying ‘no’ may allow others to step up and take responsibility, giving them the joy of seeing good things happen that are attached to their efforts and faith.
If the priorities and assignments all seem to blend into one and you find it difficult to sort them out, you may need to work with a life or leadership Coach for a period of time to gain some perspective.
Many people have been robbed of useful service because other well meaning Christians, most often leaders, have taken the task to themselves. If it is important, then God has prepared or is preparing the worker.
You are not the solution to every need.
Over several years, I have developed 14 decision making questions leaders should ask BEFORE agreeing to serve in any capacity, paid or voluntary, business or nonprofit.
As my coaching clients have spent time with the questions and their answers, good decisions have been made.
Here are a ten of the fourteen questions. If you are being asked to assume responsibility, whether it be a promotion, new company or new leadership role, take the time to sit down with a piece of paper and a pen and write out your answers. That way you will be very intentional and capture your thoughts concisely. This will enable you to make a better decision about your future.
- Am I really committed to this cause and the people it represents? If you are not, don’t put yourself or them through the pain. Those who take ownership will put their all into it and stand a far better chance of success.
- Do I have confidence in the senior leadership and feel I can support them? If any doubt lingers about the senior leadership, deal with the questions now. You will have a lot to do with them and your current inkling may end up your lengthy headache … or worse.
- Can I make the time for this leadership responsibility without creating excessive stress? In reality, how much time do you think this will take? Knowing your own style, will you allow it to consume your time to an unhealthy degree. Preemptive action may be necessary.
- Do I and my spouse agree about this decision? If you don’t … don’t. If you enjoy a good relationship with your spouse, they are your first line of defense in making a good decision. They know you, care about what happens to you and how it will impact the family.
- Leadership issues take discernment. Am I a discerning person and can I improve that competency? Some leadership positions require real wisdom. There are tricky issues to deal with. If that’s not you, then say no. If you are willing to grow in this area, then move forward humbly and open to learn.
- Do I have any hidden agenda that could sabotage meetings or others on my team? If being in this role is all about you, your agenda may be the unspoken problem in every meeting. Deal with that stuff now, not later. Be up front about truth.
- Are there any continuing things in my life that if people knew about them would disqualify me from serving? Get those things cleaned up now. Don’t live with guilt and the fear of being ‘found out’. Failures are not final. Learning from them is priceless.
- Am I a good team player or do I generally want my own way? The organization is headed for trouble with a dictator at the helm. If you see yourself as the great ruler, get down off your pedestal. Learn how to work with the team. Provide great leadership and you will garner the respect that can dramatically move things forward.
- How have I been prepared for this task? Experience, skills, interests? Simple question with big importance. What has brought you to this point? The sum total of who you are will determine where you go and how you lead the organization or project forward.
- To what degree am I willing to change so that I can make a more effective contribution? There’s the rub. Are you willing to change? Those who are intentional about looking hard at themselves and making real personal and professional change, move forward. Others languish at the level of their refusal to do what’s needed to reach up to their potential.
Leaders and professionals experience burnout. Dealing with burnout at Christmas can be especially discouraging. The world around you is happy. And you are sapped of emotional energy to enjoy it.
Start here. Ten steps to address burnout.
- Rule out anything medical. Make sure what you are feeling doesn’t have its roots in a physical problem.
- Know that there is hope. This is not a hopeless situation without solutions. Just know that that is the case.
- Take responsibility for change. Take ownership for turning this situation around.
- Face the fear. Change will involve moving into new territory and leaving old. Be very clear about what it involves.
- Develop a strategy. Clarity rules. Having a plan for letting things go or for adding new ways of working takes a lot of pressure off.
- Name the one thing. One thing will make the biggest difference. One thing can probably unlock the road block to solutions. Name it clearly.
- Have support. Don’t run solo through this time of life. Have good people with you and behind you. Hire a personal coach if need be.
- Take significant action. That’s exactly what it will take. No playing around the fringes. Do what needs to be done to change what needs to be changed.
- Know that burnout is not permanent. This will come to an end. Do it on your terms as far as possible.
- Draw on your faith. God is available 24/7. There is no time you will catch Him off duty. Call out to Him for strength and solutions.
This is a turning moment in your life and work. And that should make Christmas look just a little bit brighter this year. Solutions are possible and with your intentional action are at hand.
The hallmark of a small business entrepreneur is that they can give a fast response.
We all have a sense that corporate and government wheels grind slowly as decision making winds its way through successive layers of bureaucracy. But the small business person can make a decision quickly. Do they? Often yes. But many times no.
Often hanging on to a dream, a method, a boast, an image or a feeling, the small business entrepreneur waits too long to respond quickly to reality and implement needed changes. The result is that they either run out of time or money and suffer the consequences.
Odd, isn’t it that these business leaders can make a lightning fast decision and turn their small enterprise in a new direction. They have the ability to change quickly. All they need to do is say the word. But they hesitate.
Hesitation isn’t because of outside influences so much as it is because of those internal ’struggles’ to hang on to that dream, that way of doing things, the pride that made the boast, the image that has been put out into family and community and the feeling of control that the unfamiliar path would challenge.
Those who run successful small businesses make considered but quick decisions. They don’t let internal self-talk and feelings get in the way of taking the actions that are needed to move successfully forward.
Don’t wait too long to make needed adjustments. Be honest with yourself about what is holding you back from doing what you know needs to be done. Then decide and move fast.
Running a small business isn’t for the faint of heart. But to those who can make the decisions that need to be made, it can be a very successful, lucrative and totally fulfilling enterprise.
