“One of the secrets of a successful life is to be able to hold all of our energies upon one point, to focus all of the scattered rays of the mind upon one place or thing. “     Orison Swett Marden, M.D. Goals become a bigger part of our conversation during the first few months of each new year.  By February, many of us have already given up on our New Year’s resolutions. Forget the time of the year because goals can be sidelined at any point in our lives. We may have been really good for a … [Read more...]

“Remembering that I’ll be dead soon is the most important tool I’ve ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything – all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure – these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is important.” Steve Jobs We are busy people in a very busy world. Electronic gadgets consume us. A device has been created to do anything you want it to do. If it does not exist, just wait a few … [Read more...]

“Success is a journey, not a destination. The doing is often more important than the outcome.” Arthur Ashe Time seems brief when we compare some of our most cherished events to the journey required to get to these special moments. Our oldest granddaughter’s graduation from college is a great example. For Gabrielle, this commencement at Auburn University in north Alabama represents the end of a four-year voyage and the beginning of the rest of her life. This is a joyous celebration! My wife … [Read more...]

“Don’t ever let somebody tell you . . . You can’t do something, not even me. All right? You got a dream, you gotta protect it. People can’t do something themselves, they wanna tell you you can’t do it. If you want something, go get it. Period.”  Chris Gardner, author of a New York Times Best Sellers book, The Pursuit of Happyness Our backyard in Birmingham, Alabama was quite long, with the ending border tangent to the alley where our garbage can was placed. In the left corner near the alley … [Read more...]

“I follow three rules: Do the right thing, do the best you can, and always show people you care.”      Lou Holtz Do you believe there is anything special about the number 3?  Some say it is magical. Others suggest a spiritual connection. Even if you find nothing special about the number 3, you are aware of frequent references to it. Here are some examples: Mind, body and spirit The Wizard of Oz movie themes: Brains, Courage and Heart Earth, wind and fire Three-legged stool of a … [Read more...]

“Investing in yourself is the best investment you will ever make. It will not only improve your life, it will improve the lives of all those around you.” Robin Sharma I am a business owner. You are a business owner. Yes, all of the readers of this newsletter are business owners. And the one business that all of us own is the business of our personal life. It is the most important business you will ever own. Because of this truth, business articles that are written for business owners, also … [Read more...]

“To improve is to change; to be perfect is to change often.”  Sir Winston Churchill Identification of costly behavior is one of the topics in our meeting. The ideas expressed on how to do this are really good. One committee member states the obvious; “If we identify the costly behavior without any effort to change that conduct, we are left with the potential for costly incidents.”  Two other staffers express the need to have ‘buy-in’ from all team members. With similar thoughts, another member … [Read more...]

Taking time to do nothing often brings everything into perspective. Doe Zantamata “Alright, let’s go walk on the pier,” my wife announces. It is late in the afternoon. Our Australian Labradoodle, River – who completely understands southern drawl  English—is already up and jumping like crazy at the door!  One of his favorite things to do is to walk on our 960-foot pier that protrudes over the wetlands, ending at Alligator Bayou. The attraction is the marshland, with its distinctive smell and its … [Read more...]

“I am definitely going to take a course on time management. . . just as soon as I can work it into my schedule.”       Louis E. Boone How do you manage your time? Do you have a strategy? Maybe a tactic or two? I would love to hear your ideas on this subject. Here are some ‘best practices’ that have helped me over the years.  I continue to employ each of these tactics. Plan tomorrow today Before you go to sleep, pinpoint the three most important tasks or activities you need to … [Read more...]