Sam Makhoul – Page 18

August 30, 2011

Five Ways to Be Awesome At Work

In Australia we have a saying on the football field. It goes, “go hard or go home.” I like this quote because I believe that work should be a place that challenges us and not a place where we cruise. Like sport, it should push us to create, innovate and deliver outstanding performance.

I have collated the following five tips from watching the best athletes hard at work (whether their sport is on the sporting field or in the corporate world).

1. Show up: Awesome people rarely take a sick day. My barometer is this: I only ever take a day off if I do not have enough energy to perform my tasks. I know that a lot of organisations tell staff to stay at home because they do not want to infect others. But this has gone too far. Some stay at home at the first sign of a sniffle. Lets get real. Staying at home is not going to prevent a cold spreading. We are so connected these days at our children’s school, on public transport, and at the grocers that stopping the spread is near impossible.

2. Support your Team: Care for the people you work with. No one is perfect and everyone deserves a break. Answer someone’s phone if they have left their desk briefly; cover a shift for them; show them how to use the business tools, whether it’s a computer system or a machine. Celebrate their wins and never-ever put them down.

3. Be Energetic: You cannot be awesome if you do not have high energy, period! So work on the three pillars of good health: nutrition – exercise – relaxation (See my previous journals).

4. Be Expressive and Enthusiastic: Speak truthfully at work. Say what’s on your mind. Do not agree with ideas just to be popular. That is a form of lying and in the long run costs the business money in failed projects. People appreciate honesty, not popularity. So speak up and express your opinion. Also, make sure that what you say is enthusiastic. The most enthusiastic people in a room are usually the most successful.

5. Be Awesome At Home First: I know many people who are awesome at work but lead a mediocre life at home. Why? Not because they do not care, but because they don’t know how. How? Simple! Apply the four tips above at home. Show up – many of us get home but never truly show up because we are still thinking about work. That’s just the same as being absent. Be Supportive – do your fair share of chores, help your kids with their homework and, encourage your family to believe in themselves and their abilities (never-ever put them down!) Be Energetic Expressive and Enthusiastic – be a fun person at home, not just at work.

In my next journal entry I am going to share with you 8 tips on how you can go from being “AWESOME” to being “LEGEN…. wait for it…. DARY”!

August 17, 2011

You’re Living in the Past Man!

I love that line from Seinfeld.

When it comes to work and working I want to ask you THREE questions. The answers to these questions will determine whether you are living in the past. And please be honest with your response.

1. Are you earning instead of serving?

2. Are you earning instead of learning?

3. Are you earning instead of Enjoying?

If you answered yes to all three then yes you are living and working in the past.

Some of us view work as separate to and a negative part of life. A “must do” and a “have to do” to make money so we can be happy in our personal life. This sort of thinking is outdated and frankly twisted. It is a product of the industrial revolution where we had to toil.

In truth working is an important part of who we are. Being productive makes us feel good. In fact research shows that Working with purpose contributes to our health and wellbeing.

So change your focus. See work as serving – serving others and making a difference in society is what its all about. See work as learning – working is meant to be a place where we are constantly learning and challenging ourself. And see working as enjoying yourself – do this by having fun in the context of your work and celebrating your achievements often.

Trivia: Who said “You’re living in the past man!” to George? And in what context?

August 10, 2011

GET OVER IT!

I meet many talented people in my travels who fail to live to their fullest potential. The usual reason given is fear of failure. But I say that we must never underestimate the other reason why people fail. That is, some of us spend a lot of time and energy dwelling on problems and wallowing in bad things that may happen to us from time to time. This keeps us from moving on to the good stuff and ‘getting on with it’.

We were never taught at school how to deal with setbacks. We were never given a formula or strategy. Which is pretty silly because you would think that this is a very important life skill. Sure, men are told to ‘harden up’ and women are told to ‘get over it’, but in this ultra competitive age, such advice does not cut it. It only sweeps the issue under the carpet.

I have a three step process that I use personally and share with my mentoring clients. I find it very effective and I’d like to share it with you.

When bad things happen in life, we are faced with three scenarios of acceptance. Something truly empowering happens when you accept your problems. Your heart will feel calmer and your mind starts to focus on the solution. You may not be able to change the past but you sure can do your best to shape your future.

There is a time when you have to accept what life brings you and not resist it or deny it. There is a time for action and a time for reflection and acceptance. It is no use getting upset about the things that are outside of your control. At these times, you should open up your journal and pour your heart’s feelings onto the pages. After you do this you must ask yourself two very important questions.

Firstly, ‘Is there anything I can do to fix the problem or meet the challenge?’ If so, then you must take action with courage.

Secondly, ‘If I cannot do anything to fix the problem, is there anything I can learn from what happened?’ If so, then at the very least you can prevent it from happening again.

In both cases, you are accepting the challenge and not running away from it. The only difference is that one requires you to take action with courage and the other requires you to learn from it and move on.

Thirdly, if you can neither learn from or fix the problem then you must turn to ‘gratefulness’ as your hearts safety net. When we find it very difficult to accept terrible things that may befall us in life, all we can do is be grateful for the life we have. We can always be grateful for something in our life. Reminds me of the old arabic proverb which goes something like this, “I cried because I had no shoes, until I saw a man with no feet.” It’s all about focusing on what you have, rather than what you don’t have. I can go on and on about this simple life lesson; instead I urge you to read Chapter 15 of my book, “A Higher Branch” about the story of young Jessica and how she overcame her eating disorder simply by changing her focus in life.

My personal philosophy is that not knowing what happens next in life makes it interesting (That’s why we love to watch sport). Life is like sport. All we can do is play our best game. Sometimes we win and sometimes we lose. The main thing is to stay in the game.

July 19, 2011

What is your ONE thing?

In the last few months of coaching I have noticed a trend. One that is encouraging. I have noticed that many of us think that there are a myriad of obstacles that is holding us back from pursuing the life we really want; when in truth it is often only one thing. That’s right, you heard me correctly. Only one! And I don’t mean only holding you back in your career or business. It could be holding you back in all eight areas of your life.

So all you have to do is go searching for that one thing that’s holding you back. Sometimes the search is within you and sometimes it is external. It could be a food you need to eliminate that unburdens your body and unleashes your energy. Or it could be a fear that’s holding you back from taking action with courage. Or it could be as simple as making that phone call or enrolling in a course.

Here are a few real examples:

One client changed his exercise routine from weight training to jogging and cycling. It suited his body more. He was more relaxed, more energetic and more confident. It showed in his performance at work. He was more upbeat and enthusiastic. He was focused. At home he was happier. It changed all areas of his life.

Another client merely changed the time of day she worked out. It made all the difference.

Another eliminated coffee and alcohol.

Another started working from home one day a week.

Another started waking at 6am instead of 7.

Another went back to Uni to study.

Another changed jobs.

In all these cases the transformation was huge and immediate. When you have the courage to take action on that ONE thing, it’s like breaking the shackles and unleashing your passion onto the world. It is truly amazing to witness this.

So my question to you is, WHAT IS YOUR ONE THING?

June 7, 2011

IS FINANCE KILLING YOUR ROMANCE?

I bet that most of you with a mortgage carry it around like a subconscious load. You tell yourself: ‘my life will be better once I pay off my mortgage’. Consequently you defer your happiness. You worry about your finances to the point where it kills the romance for life. The conversation with yourself usually goes something like this: “When I have more money or when I pay off my mortgage I will eat better, I will exercise, I will be a better husband/wife, I will change jobs and do what I really love, I will spend more time with my children, I will read more books, I will go on more holidays, I will be a better person, I will be happy!”

The sad fact is that by the time you pay off your mortgage you may have compromised too many areas of your life. You may have put on unwanted weight or developed health problems. You may feel unattractive. You may not enjoy a satisfying relationship with your spouse. You may not have a good relationship with your children. Or you may not have developed enough lasting friendships or an active social life.

Living like this for a long time creates momentum in the wrong direction. And momentum is hard to shift. The good news is that you can reverse momentum by hitting the reset button at any time. How do you do this? It starts with a simple decision to change course. When you make that decision you stop momentum dead in its tracks. And when you take action you will start to have momentum in the right direction. You may start to act on any one or all of the following areas of your life that need changing. It may be:

• Having high energy & enthusiasm
• Looking more attractive
• Excellence at home
• Excellence at work
• Connecting with your partner
• Connecting with your children
• Having more friends

An amazing thing will happen when you take daily action to change your life for the better. As sure as night follows day you will attract success into your life. You will look better. You will feel better. You will attract good things into your life including more friends and more money. You will get the promotion. You will have more fun. Your mortgage will then take care of itself and probably be paid off much quicker.

So what actions can you start taking daily? Eating the right food and exercising daily is a very good start. When you begin the journey of self-discovery and self-mastery you will be amazed with the financial and relationship success that will flow into your life. And yes your mortgage will be last thing on your mind but the first thing to benefit.