Clarity

Is your coach asking you questions, or telling you what to do?

2012-02-09T02:31:00.000-08:00

Good coaches ask questions.

They are curious about you - what's important to you, what you think, how you approach things, how you solve problems and create new innovations.

They are looking for your values, your vision and your purpose.

They know you can achieve whatever you can conceive and they want to help you do that.

They know you are more brilliant, have more strength and more capability that you would ever know.

They know you can have more fun, have fantastic fulfilling relationships, you can create miracles and that you are absolutely amazing.

That's how a good coach sees you.

This is only the beginning. Get to know clarity. Email me, Mike Kennedy...

Is your ladder to success leaning against the wrong wall?

2012-02-09T02:20:00.000-08:00

Stephen Covey says it brilliantly:

"It's incredibly easy to get caught up in an activity trap, in the busyness of life, to work harder and harder at climbing the ladder of success only to discover that it's leaning against the wrong wall"

Where is your ladder leaning against?

Are you striving and working hard to achieve someone else's goals?

Are you forgetting what's important for you, by being consumed working to fulfil someone else's dream?

Are your energies, your ideas, your efforts and your creativity being scooped up and turned into IP for someone else?

It's so easy to be blinded by the power of someone else's clearly stated dream or vision.

It may be harder to construct your own vision on your own terms, but at least you get to find the right place to lean your ladder against.

This is only the beginning. Get to know clarity. Email me, Mike Kennedy...

Not an objective book review

2012-02-09T02:07:00.000-08:00

I've been reading Dr Helena Popovic's book: "In Search of My Father" and it's been an experience.

And I'm being extremely subjective talking to you about this.

She's taken me through all the difficult conversations I had with my mum when I returned to Australia to be with her as she slowly demised and finally died.

She's shared her emotional rollercoaster at reevaluating her own life, with me in the back seat hanging on.

She has the most amazing collections of inspiring and thoughtful quotes I've seen for a long time.

She also has the medical background, knowledge and experience to back up her descriptions of how to improve brain function. She shares amazing information that somehow makes sense of all the stuff good coaches use intuitively every session.

It's an experience, it's a dance for your soul, it's an education for your brain and she also has a really informative newsletter you can subscribe to on her website. www.helenapopovic.com/

She is worth checking out.

This is only the beginning. Get to know clarity. Email me, Mike Kennedy...

A photographer's secret.

2012-02-07T21:55:00.000-08:00

Dorothea Lange (1895-1965) Photographer and photo-journalist

This benefit of seeing... can come only if you pause a while, extricate yourself from the maddening mob of quick impressions ceaselessly battering our lives, and look thoughtfully at a quiet image... the viewer must be willing to pause, to look again, to meditate.
-- Dorothea Lange

- How the philosophies of the artists show us how to better run our lives and see ourselves.

"This benefit of seeing yourself, can only come if you pause a while, extricate yourself from the maddening mob of quick impressions ceaselessly battering our lives, and look thoughtfully within. The viewer must be willing to pause, to look again, to meditate."

- Now that's how a coach does it!

This is only the beginning. Get to know clarity. Email me, Mike Kennedy...

The Thousand Curts Clarity program!

2012-02-07T17:53:00.000-08:00

It's about short, regular times of clarity.

Set your watch or phone alarm to alert you every hour.

Use that opportunity to spend a minute remembering who you are, what you stand for and where you are going.

You can pull out your vision and drink from that.

Just a minute - that's all it takes.

What that will do is build momentum within you, draw your attention back to what is really important and build habits of thinking that you can stand on to achieve your important goals.

This is only the beginning. Get to know clarity. Email me, Mike Kennedy...

Can I Trust You?

2012-02-07T03:00:00.001-08:00

I spent the morning supporting a friend in court.

The judge was up the front and making calls on the people who'd come before him.

He'd look at them, ask them questions and check on the paper records.

He was looking for the adult within, someone he could connect with, who was not putting up excuses or spinning stories.

The people who came were all amazing. Some were beyond changing their ways, they weren't in control of their own lives.

Young arrogant, self richous kids with attitude - older versions of spoilt kids

Some were adults, who, through circumstances, found themselves crossing the law.

The judge viewed them all, interacted with them all, gave them all a fair hearing, called a spade a spade, contradicted lies, challenged stories, always peering over, searching for a trace of responsibility in the human before him.

I mean, that's all that you can work with. Just a bit of responsibility.

The alternative is self- centered arrogance, anger, victim-hood, conning and deceit....and you can't work with that!

And there was no shortage of that in the courtroom. Most of the people there had no idea what was going on besides their own predicament..

That is the stuff that destroys focused action, achievement, vision or any sense of will power.

I would not like to be that judge, doing that all day, hanging out with those sort of people. He was amazing..

Strangely though, that is exactly what I'm looking for with my clients - I'm searching for character, vision, values and inspiration.

I'm looking for humility, desire for success, willingness to listen to feedback and commitment to change.

I'm looking for character, responsibility, self awareness, creativity and integrity.

It's probably what we all need to be looking for with the people we do business with.

This is only the beginning. Get to know clarity. Email me, Mike Kennedy...

Apple only had one customer and he died last year.

2012-02-06T12:10:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Seth Godin for that line.

Imagine doing everything in your business as if you were the only customer.

Imagine driving your product or service so that as far as you were concerned it delivered....in every way.

Do you think that would be possible if you were stuck at the coal face, fighting fires?

This is only the beginning. Get to know clarity. Email me, Mike Kennedy...

Reviewing your Work Skills

2012-02-06T03:08:00.000-08:00

Are you up to speed with how much you have changed in your work life?

It's not just the world that's changing fast - you are too!

That's why it's important to review your work skills.

How do you do that?

It's a simple process where you review and rate 52 work skills according to two ratings.

How good are you at it
and how much you enjoy doing it

After doing this process you rate your results and find your ten highest valued work skills.

This will give you an insight into:

What you need to improve
What you need to pursue

This will also help you:

articulate the value you bring to an employer
identify where you need to be working
Clarify your strengths

This is the classic process that demonstrates the saying that: "Clarity leads you to Power!"

This is only the beginning. Get to know clarity. Email me, Mike Kennedy...

Know thy Work Values

2012-02-06T02:48:00.000-08:00

Having any clarity at all about your purpose of working involves identifying and clarifying your work values.

Most - and I really mean most people, probably around 99.5% of people at work, have no idea of what their work values are.

Simply understanding what your work values are will give you an enormous edge in your work life and enable you to achieve great things.

We go one step further.

You will come up with your eight highest work values after examining 52 work values and rating them according to how much you value them.

Not only that, you will have them positioned in order of priority.

This gives you the opportunity to make values based decisions, to find a good fit in your worklife and it even helps you articulate your values in such a way that you market yourself effectively to companies that share your values.

This is only the beginning. Get to know clarity. Email me, Mike Kennedy...

How to communicate 75% more effectilvely

2012-02-06T02:35:00.000-08:00

Our Communication Audit tool has helped hundreds of people improve their communication by at least 75%.

Why?

Because most people communicate their thoughts and ideas by opening their mouths and speaking in their own unique language.

The only trouble with this is that 75% of people misunderstand what they are saying and why they are saying it.

That's why we show people:

What their communication style is
Three other ways of communicating
How to adapt your communication to other communication styles
How to be an adaptive communicator rather than a reactive communicator

This audit process can be delivered in a group setting or individually.

The benefits of this knowledge and change of attitude are:

You will reach more people with your communication
You will be able to communicate with all the difficult people in your life
You will reduce your stress
You will be more persuasive
You will get what you want more often
Your value and effectiveness as a team member and player will increase dramatically
You will improve your results

This is only the beginning. Get to know clarity. Email me, Mike Kennedy...

AddsValue CareerPlan

2012-02-05T19:39:00.000-08:00

What we do here at AddsValue Training & Coaching for people going through redundancy or job loss is:

"Helping people move through the process of change as quickly as possible.

These people have clarity of who they are, what they have to offer and where they want to move to.

They generate job leads through their marketing efforts.

These people also are confident and competent in presenting what they have to offer companies in a compelling and persuasive manner. They convert job leads into job offers."

AddsValue have two services in our CareerPlan product:

A career plan that includes reviewing:the client's work values and skills and setting a target position and vocational goals
The strategies of jobsearch - producing a CV that is a marketing document, writing compelling cover letters, managing effective electronic job search, utilizing networking skills and learning & practicing edgey job interview skills

Our objective in creating a career plan is for our participants to find clarity in the match between their work values, their vocational skills and their desired income.

We do this in either a group or individual setting.

We use three tools to achieve this:

After working through the three tools, the participant is coached to create a Decision Making Tool. This is an individualised checklist that enables the participant to measure the 'fit' of the position leads they discover.

Vocational goals are set and the participant is ready to hit the job market with a clearly articulated objective.

Our objective in training and practicing job search techniques is for our participants to quickly generate job leads in their desired area and to convert those job leads into job offers.

We do this in either a group or individual setting.

The techniques learned are:

Hands on CV development
How to market and position your CV
How to write compelling Cover Letters
How to manage marketin yourself electronically
How to create opportunities through your network.
How to take charge in your job interview

In our CareerPlan, the enabling outcomes we create are:

People with clear and inspiring career plans
People actively marketing themselves
Confident and skilled Job Interviewees

The outcomes we create are:

Employed people with a learning plan and a career plan.
Well adapted people having successfully managed a major work change

Find out more:. Email me, Mike Kennedy...

Understanding Machiavelli

2012-01-31T23:19:00.000-08:00

Most people when they use the word "Machiavellian" they are describing a behind the scenes and devious manipulation of a situation.

It really helps when you understand who Machiavelli was, what he did and you read his classic work: "The Prince"

Here's a link to the Wikipeadia article on Machiavelli.

And here's your free ebook copy of The Prince.

Read it.

Its a great way to lose your innocence about the ways of the world....and who knows, maybe you could learn something from the old master.

Knowing the rules of the game gives you a competitive advantage.

This is only the beginning. Get to know clarity. Email me, Mike Kennedy...

What we do

2012-01-31T04:26:00.000-08:00

We help overworked, overwhelmed and stressed business ownerscreate businesses and personal lives that they love.

It’s simple.

We keep you focused and accountable to achieving resultsthat lead you to freedom, profit, leadership and time for you to have a life thatyou love, full of relationship and fulfilment.

We harness the tools, the education, the best practice and thestrategies to help you do this.

Our job is to keep you on track, to help you establish the best habits of a business ownerand to help you think clearly and thoroughly about your business planning anddecisions.

AddsValue Personal Business Coaching – Delivering your Clarity

This is only the beginning. Get to know clarity. Email me, Mike Kennedy...

Make the world a better place - with your business!

2012-01-31T04:07:00.000-08:00

There’s so much good we can do as individuals to help theworld be a better place.

It’s about finding a problem in the world that you choose todo something about.

And if you can find a problem and you can do something aboutit, you’ll always be able to make money from it.

What problem around you could you address?

What would you like to take responsibility to improve, to solve or to make better?

What would inspire you, focus you, challenge you and rewardyou?

What could you take on to do to make the world a better place?

This is only the beginning. Get to know clarity. Email me, Mike Kennedy...

Self Care for SME Business Owners

2012-01-31T02:29:00.000-08:00

The studies all reveal a sad truth.

Most business owners are flogging themselves to death for very little reward.

So how do you practice self care as a SME business owner?

You book yourself in for regular holidays.

You identify clearly the problems your business solve and the values you hold important.

You set clear, meaningful and important goals and stay focused until you achieve them.

You regularly review your progress.

You review your achievements, you bank your learnings and you celebrate your successes.

You let your team support you and give them responsibilities.

You keep them accountable to achieving results.

You manage your time effectively.

You sleep 8 - 10 hours a night.

You take at least a day and a half off.

You educate yourself.

You develop work habits that support you.

You develop personal interests that inspire and regenerate you.

You develop and maintain personal relationships that inspire and regenerate you.

You develop and maintain professional relationships that develop your capacity, your leadership and your ability to see obstacles and opportunities ahead.

You laugh more.

You take yourself lightly.

You take your business and your life seriously.

You have a coach who you trust to help you take care of yourself and your business.

This is only the beginning. Get to know clarity. Email me, Mike Kennedy...

Review, Bank and Celebrate your Achievements.

2012-01-31T02:07:00.000-08:00

Reviewing your achievements, banking your learnings and celebrating your successes, gives you a foundation that you canbuild upon.

It reminds you of how far you have come, what needs to be cleaned up and what needs to be built on the shoulders of what you have done so far.

It allows you to see continuity, progress, personal growth and increased capacity.

It focuses you to build momentum, substance and success.

You can really build upon that.

This is only the beginning. Get to know clarity. Email me, Mike Kennedy...

Transformation vs. Reinvention

2012-01-30T15:46:00.000-08:00

I see transformation as the process where everything changeswithout you changing anything. Oftentimes in our human experience, this occurs in the area of ourperceptions of our reality. New possibilities,new horizons and new focuses open up and our caterpillar nature spreads itswings into flying as a butterfly.

And,just like the caterpillar, the result comes as an enormous surprise!

It often happens as a result of a catalyst. This is a chemical term that describes asubstance that triggers off a chemical reaction. In humanistic terms, a teacher, workshop,seminar, book, movie, animal, child or a life defining experience enters ourlives and transforms us forever.

The psychological definition is spiritualtransformation

Reinvention is different. It’s a conscious process. TheWebster Dictionary defines it as: “to remake or redo again”. Its about examining your current values,current thinking and current practices, putting them to one side and replacingthem with new thinking, new values and new practices.

Business Transformation is a mixture of the two. See Wikipedia.

So where do I stand betwixt transformation and reinvention?

I see transformation as the result of a series of actionsthat fall loosely under the category of reinvention – restless minds like yoursand mind are always seeking out workshops, new ideas, new books that challengeand stimulate us. That in itself isprobably a part of reinvention – adjusting the mindset.

Reinvention for me is the conscious and focused disciplineof constantly improving myself. It’s thetrialling of new ideas, new actions, new disciplines, new thinking and newphilosophies.

What’s your thoughts about this?

This is only the beginning. Get to know clarity. Email me, Mike Kennedy...

I love my life!

2012-01-29T12:12:00.000-08:00

On a family walk through a big local park on the weekend, my son stopped off to play on the swings.

There were a group of 15 year old rowdy boys playing nearby.

One of them yelled out: "I hate my life!"

It sounded so incongruent, so wrong and so out of place, I immediatly and without thinking yelled out back at him: "I love my life!"

What we say to ourselves has a direct impact on us.

I have personally found that saying "I love my life" to myself has created a mindset that is positive and resilient and that really works for me.

I can't even imagine what that young boy's mindset is creating for him.

I hope he heard me contradict him.

This is only the beginning. Get to know clarity. Email me, Mike Kennedy...

Time to become aware of acellerating change:

2012-01-21T00:19:00.000-08:00

Yes we all know how change is acellerating - here's a short clip to wake you up to how much this is happening:

This is only the beginning. Get to know clarity. Email me, Mike Kennedy...

Chance favours the connected mind...great innovation tip!

2012-01-21T00:05:00.000-08:00

Many of us are concerned at how to be more innovative and creative in our businesses, our lives and our organisations.

There is a process in innovation called the slow hunch.

It postulates that most of have ideas, but it's only when we are exposed to other ideas, that a new solution, a new object of creativity or a new possibility can emerge and become realised.

What does that mean for you?

It means that exposing yourself to a wide range of ideas, culture, art, intellectual disciplines - creates a positive environment for your creativity and innovation.

Stephen Johnson has written a book about it - here's a http://youtu.be/NugRZGDbPFU

This is only the beginning. Get to know clarity. Email me, Mike Kennedy...

Once you've said it - you can't take it back!

2012-01-20T22:20:00.002-08:00

So many times we say things we regret....and you always know you can't take it back - it's out there!

It might just be "out there" with a relationship with an individual you value.

Or it might be "out there", being broadcast to large groups of people whose respect and trust you value.

The only solution to this is planning.

Planning comes from firstly defining the outcome of the communication: "What do I really want to happen as a result of my communication?"

Then you craft the communication, with your audience in mind, so that they will understand your communication in the way you intended.

And this doesn't always mean that you speak literally, that you simply say what you mean. It sometimes means using images, stories, analogies, slang or jargon language that your target group relates to.

I always love the way a master communicator like Bill Clinton approaches his communication. He never says what he means. He paints pictures. He musically creates emotions. He plays his audience and we love him for it - the message is anchored in us through layering a variety of mediums.

This video is a master class in the technique of using innuendo to communicate your meaning in a way, that once your have delivered your message, your intent is not obvious, but your message is understood by everyone.

This is only the beginning. Get to know clarity. Email me, Mike Kennedy...

Speaking of inspiring people - I give you: DANIEL PINK!

2012-01-18T04:45:00.001-08:00

Here's another amazing dude!

He's a career planner with an gigantic aesthetic muscle, who loves Japanese culture and cartoons and now he's talking about what motivates people.

The thing I love about his latest book is that motivation is all about your what feeds your integrity - that purpose is what lures us out of our self-centred lives.

When it comes to working with our minds, we all just want to be inspired by our work.

This is only the beginning. Get to know clarity. Email me, Mike Kennedy...

Seth Godin does it again....and again!

2012-01-18T04:20:00.000-08:00

Amazing how he does it.

He writes his thoughts and observations about change, marketing, character, courage, self sabotage, the Lizard brain....

And he just keeps inspiring me!

He just keeps me thinking!

He gives me something every time.

I don't know how he does it - he just does.

Do I have the courage to tell it like it is? Do you?

Do I have the courage to ship?

Do I like hearing it from him that it takes courage and guts to do that?

People like him feed my soul, encourage my freedom and push me to the edge of my comfort zone.

Thanks to all those people - you know who you are!

This is only the beginning. Get to know clarity. Email me, Mike Kennedy...

Affirmation for a friend.

2012-01-16T13:09:00.000-08:00

A friend recently shared with me, sleepless nights, churning their thoughts about whether they were good enough for their next step forward.

I found this wonderful affirmation from the amazing Louise Hay and made some adjustments:

Here it is my mate - read this instead of churning the rubbish of fear and self doubt. And for all the nocturnal worrying providers reading this, this one is for you.

I don't have to work hard in order to deserve a good income and incredible results.

I employ positive thoughts.

As I employ my Being, my Being employs me.

What a wonderful, brilliant, delicate, strong, beautiful energy my Being is. It blesses me with fulfilling work. Each day is new and different.

As I let go of the struggle to survive, I find that I am fed, clothed, housed and loved in ways that are deeply fulfilling to me.

I make it okay for me and others to have money without working hard at a job. I am worthy of bringing in a good income and creating amazing results with my work, without working hard at a job.

I am worthy of bringing in good money without struggling in the rat race or fighting traffic. I follow my higher instincts and listen to my heart in all that I do.

This is only the beginning. Get to know clarity. Email me, Mike Kennedy...

Chop Wood, Carry Water.

2012-01-16T12:47:00.000-08:00

The other day we were racing in the car through the city.

You know, busy, busy, busy on an errand.

In the midst of our hurry, I saw a Buddhist monk standing at a bus stop.

Suddenly time stopped, Matrix like, everything else became a blur and my focus was on this monk who was merely standing at the bus stop.

But the difference was, that he was consciously standing at the bus stop.

It was extraordinary. It was a rare moment where I suddenly woke up from my thoughts to what I was actually doing. Driving a car.

Being conscious delivers the extraordinary to our lives.

Mundane, daily tasks are elevated to lofty heights when we show up, present and accounted for in what we are doing.

Being present, chop wood, carry water.

Most of the time we are chopping wood and carrying water and thinking about something else.

No power there. No possibility there. No focus or clarity when our mind is running wild.

Bring your consciousness back to what you are doing.

Simply be in the moment.

When chopping wood, chop wood. When carrying water, carry water.

Above all, don't let your mind steal your valuable moments away.

This is only the beginning. Get to know clarity. Email me, Mike Kennedy...

Is it just me or is this merry-go-round picking up speed?

2012-01-16T07:33:00.000-08:00

2012 has begun.

All the coaching I've been doing has surprised me with the speed and fluidity of the insights and understanding.

All the reports from the stars and the soothsayers are telling us that this year will be a slippery dip.

And after seeing this YouTube piece I now know why.

This is only the beginning. Get to know clarity. Email me, Mike Kennedy...

How Stress kills your thinking!

2012-01-12T01:50:00.000-08:00

I’ve just been coaching people who are facing uncertainty in their income, their shelter and their food.

Everyone I've been seeing shows me that our human thinking is severely restricted whenever we are stressed.

When we are stressed, we lose our ability to separate ourselves from our situation – we lose our ability to think strategically.

And what I mean by strategic thinking is how people can separate themselves from being “In” their situation. They take themelves “out” of their situation and think about how to get the best outcome.

They separate themselves from their emotions, their pain and their fear so they can think calmly and resourcefully.

Hey – this is significant stuff for a coach to see – I’m always amazed at how well people respond to a coaching session – this is precisely because a coaching session creates an artificial barrier to the client’s everyday life and enables the client to think clearly….sometimes for the first time – no wonder the epiphanies flow thick and fast!

So, if you want to think clearly – separate yourself from your stressors, find a quiet spot and a friendly coach and start a thinkin’!

This is only the beginning. Get to know clarity. Email me, Mike Kennedy...

Clarity – it’s what we all want and need to succeed in our lives.

2012-01-09T02:16:00.000-08:00

It’s like air to breathe when we exhaust the known and are reaching out into the unknown.

It’s that flashing blinding moment where you see things clearly, that “Aha!” moment where you are seeing everything so crystal clear and your next step is very, very simple.

Clarity is at the end of a footpath that you have never noticed before. It’s not paved and it’s also not obvious and when you stumble upon clarity and look back the way you have come, you will see the pathway in terms of leaves, grass and bracken squashed down by your own two feet.

Clarity is very personal. One man’s clarity is another man’s mystery. The east has traditions of mysterious inscrutable figures who wait for you to find your own answers as you try to wrest their answers from them with your mind. These masters know that once the mind lays down exhausted, then the learning begins. So they patiently sit, quote bizarre pieces of poetry, tell stories and sometimes even whack you across the head with a stick.

Clarity sets you free. As soon as you hit your point of clarity, the release is palpable – a weight lifts from your shoulders, your spirits rise and everything appears possible as you soar and duck, operating on a completely different level from before clarity (BC).

Clarity leads you to Power. The power to act, the power to act appropriately and economically, the power to move forward with confidence and vigor, the power to know the situation intimately and intuitively, the power to act with self-reliance and sureness, the power to know your subject, not through your mind and logic, but through your engagement and relationship with the subject.

Clarity dissolves problems. Sometimes in the moment of clarity, the problems either completely and magically disappear or transform themselves into opportunities. The clear thinker has a completely different relationship with problems than does the normal thinker. The context of clarity is looking from a completely different point of view than the norm. Oftentimes normal thinking is caught and stuck within the thick undergrowth of how things are done and is trapped, unable to look at things from a different point of view. Clarity almost always comes from looking at things from another point of view.

Clarity taps you into your intuition, your inner wisdom and your unconscious brilliance. Clarity unlocks your being part of your human being-ness. Clarity calls you to operate from your integrity, aligned with your values and calling forth your best to perform. Clarity talks to your giant rather than your midget.

Clarity is visible, palpable, noticeable and transforms and inspires everyone it touches. You see it with great design. All great design has clarity as it’s root, it’s base and it’s reason for being. Think Apple, Porsche, or any piece of design that is astoundingly practical and simple, and you will find clarity embodied.

Clarity is valuable. It’s a scarce commodity. It solves problems quickly, elegantly and economically. When people see a product or service with clarity, they instantly understand it and see that they need it. When people are around products and services of clarity, they become devotees, enthusiastic advocates and passionate users of those products and services.

You need clarity to run everything in your life: your business, your career, your social life, your love life, your family life, your life of contribution. In fact, without clarity, your life can only operate on narrow, selfish and unfulfilling levels, you being unable to see anything beyond being a means to satisfying your own needs.

Your business needs clarity: to understand what your customers need, to find economical ways of producing what they need and to express to your customers that you understand their need and that you have a solution that suits them perfectly.

Your business needs clarity to guide and inspire everyone in the business to work towards common goals. Clarity about what your business is about, what your business stands for and where it’s going, focuses team effort to common ends, is noticeable and attractive to clients and prospective clients and helps your business stay on track.

Clarity has a cost. The first cost is the time and effort to achieve clarity. The second cost is the commitment to performing actions consistent with that clarity. The third cost is maintaining and refreshing your clarity.

Clarity takes courage. Because no one can understand the process you have taken to achieve your clarity, then you are generally operating either in a different way to everyone else or in a different part of the commercial lake to everyone else.

Clarity often sets you apart from the rest, sometimes doing exactly what they are not doing. While everyone else is pushing and shoving to move forward in the same direction, the person who has clarity is often moving with determination in the opposite direction.

Clarity is like air for anyone living outside of their comfort zone. It can mean survival, success or a completely new way of achieving great results.

Clarity – keep your mind and eyes open for it – your quality of life depends upon it!

This is only the beginning. Get to know clarity. Email me, Mike Kennedy...

Why New Year's Resolutions Fade Away......

2012-01-08T14:24:00.000-08:00

New years Resolutions are made…sometimes not even written down,

….you might even share it with a sceptical friend who says something like: “Nobody ever keeps their new years resolutions!”

And you set off, without any structure or support…relying only on your single mindedness, which quickly merges into the complexity of your everyday life reality and you are left with another broken resolution…and your cynicism grown that much more stronger.

It doesn’t have to be like this if you only……TURN YOUR RESOLUTION INTO A GOAL.

Resolutions are things that you want to happen.

Goals are things you are going to make happen.

A goal is different because you put much more structure around it.

(Click on point for more detail)

A resolution by itself is a beginning – by itself it doesn’t have a chance of being achieved.

Turning a resolution into a goal is still no guarantee of success, but it multiplies your chances of success with the layering of the different structures that keep you focused and clear about what is really important to you.

Focus and clarity maintained over a period multiplies your effectiveness, deepens your wisdom and unleashes your intuition.

Putting some or all of these structures for success will help you on your way to achieve your goals.

This is only the beginning. Get to know clarity. Email me, Mike Kennedy...

You Plan More with a Goal

2012-01-08T14:13:00.000-08:00

A well written goal describes exactly what you want to achieve and when you want to have it achieved by. It takes you to a future time and tells you what you have achieved.

This makes it possible to break your goal down into the steps needed to make it happen.

Some people like to plan forward, from where they stand to where they will be standing when they have achieved their goal. We like to work backwards from you having vividly visualised you having achieved the goal. We work through all the steps you had taken right back to where you have just set the goal. You will find doing it this way puts you in the state of mind of achievement so that your planning takes on a bold positive context.

Then you break your steps into actions which form the basis of your plan.

We help you manage your plan by holding you to account for your actions. Simply having someone who knows what you need to do each week really makes a difference.

Having a plan really helps you move forward. However there are often times when you need to adapt your plans and create innovation and strategy to take advantage of your circumstances.

The plan is a structure for you to work toward achieving your goal. In an effective plan, your actions are clearly articulated and you are accountable for making them happen.

This is only the beginning. Get to know clarity. Email me, Mike Kennedy...

You arrange support from others who come out and help you.

2012-01-08T13:56:00.000-08:00

When you set your goal it helps if you identify a couple of people who can support you:

· The Mentor

· The Cheerleader

· The Person who tells you that you can’t do this.

If you want to climb a mountain, the person who walks up and down the mountain every day is the person who is the best person to help you with advice, with advance warning, with feedback to help you improve your techniques and who can sometimes introduce you to people who can help you on your way. This person is called a mentor. They are successful in whatever field you are entering and we have some proven strategies to help you meet and enrol them onto your team.

As you move forward toward achieving your goal, it’s always helpful to have a Cheerleader to keep encouraging you no matter what happens. You have to be careful when you arrange a cheerleader. Telling them what you need from them really helps them support you. They have to be special people who are willing to encourage you no matter what. Enrolling sceptical or cynical friends in this position is a recipe for frustration, negativity and possible failure.

I don’t know about you, but having somebody who tells me I can’t do something is a real motivator to me. I always look for this character to give me me a fire in my belly – I get fired up and say: “I’m going to show you!” You keep this person at a distance, their role can help you raise your ire and fire – you don’t need to share what’s going on – your time to crow is when you prove them wrong.

Get these three roles filled and right and it’s another piece of structure to help you achieve your goal.

This is only the beginning. Get to know clarity. Email me, Mike Kennedy...

You regularly review your progress and learning on the way to achieving your goal.

2012-01-08T13:52:00.000-08:00

This piece of the success structure has a number of benefits for you:

Firstly, a weekly review keeps what’s important to you in focus. You review what you are trying to achieve, what inspires you about it and where you stand with it. It’s like coming back to step one – you are back at the start – you have made progress with your goal and whatever steps you take now will build on the shoulders of your previous efforts. It’s always easy to make new steps after you acknowledge where you are currently at.

Secondly, you focus on what’s next. You figure out what to do, how you want to do it and you fit it into your busy schedule.

Thirdly, you check your integrity. Did you keep your word? If you didn’t, what do you need to do to clean up any mess you created? Maintaining your integrity is key to growing your personal power.

Fourthly, you see where you are at with your plan – you acknowledge your progress and you see what’s left to achieve. You are up to date with your goal. You know what needs to be done. You have choice.

They say if you fail to plan, you plan to fail.

Regular planning is a key factor to your success.

This is only the beginning. Get to know clarity. Email me, Mike Kennedy...

You learn about yourself and how things work on the way to achieving your goal.

2012-01-08T13:47:00.000-08:00

Setting off in hot pursuit of a meaningful and inspiring goal is a learning experience.

You learn about you – your limitations, your strengths and your weaknesses.

You also learn about the skills needed for your success, the realities of the challenges you need to face and overcome and you also learn tricks and shortcuts that help you achieve your goal.

And everything you learn, builds more capability within yourself, both consciously and unconsciously.

Let’s face it, you are never the same after being on the journey to achieve a worthy goal.

This is only the beginning. Get to know clarity. Email me, Mike Kennedy...

You practice achieving your goal with creative visualisation.

2012-01-08T13:39:00.000-08:00

Creative visualisation is used by sports coaches in all elite sports.

The idea is to cultivate the mental state of success – this has direct and positive effect on the quality of your actions, your focus and your thinking.

Regular practice of visualising your achievement and the emotions that accompany success creates a strong subconscious magnet for your success.

Only a few practice this creative visualisation. Studies have shown that more than 85% of successful goal setters practice some form of creative visualisation

If you start visualising daily your pleasurable end result of achieving your goal, you are putting in another piece of structure to help you achieve what you are setting out for.

This is only the beginning. Get to know clarity. Email me, Mike Kennedy...

You create rewards for achieving your goals.

2012-01-08T13:28:00.000-08:00

Most of us are lousy at celebrating our successes.

Successful people always plan their celebrations before they set of to achieve their goals.

They do this to build anticipation – these people don’t wait for the light at the end of the tunnel – they create it right up front and every step of their journey is spent thinking about how great it is going to be celebrating their successful achievement.

When these people meet with challenges and discomfort, they are thinking only of their pleasurable end result and how they will overcome the obstacles.

How would it be if you created a celebration for achieving your goal and you kept that in your mind as you travelled toward achieving your goal?

What kind of difference would you think that this would make for you?

Having a celebration to look forward to nourishes your spirit, uplifts your feelings and reinforces your resolve to achieve your goals.

This is only the beginning. Get to know clarity. Email me, Mike Kennedy...

The Answer to Business Owner's Biggest Problem

2011-12-07T16:23:00.000-08:00

Overwhelm.

Detail, Problems, Compliance, Competition, Staff, Marketing, Cash flow.......

Sometimes business owners are so busy attending to the daily grind,

Putting out fires and out there in the trenches,

They discover the law of diminishing returns,

They get to the overwhelming stage of mental and physical exhaustion where the more effort they put in, the less results they produce.

One person simply can't run their business.

The answer to overwhelm is Clarity.

Not just one hit of clarity, but spaced repetition of it.

Regular meetings, where you build new visions, new strategies and new behaviours & habits.

In these meetings, you recover your reasons for being in business in the first place, where you want to take your business to and what you need to take it there.

You rediscover your ability to achieve things by building your muscles of commitment, accountaglity and action.

You know what overwhelm is.

Now you know theres a way out of it.
Ask our customers - they'll tell you!

This is only the beginning. Get to know clarity. Email me, Mike Kennedy...

Unleash Your Business Clarity with a simple process!

2011-12-07T15:12:00.000-08:00

The Promise of coaching

Is that you will be heard

You will be listened to,

Not judged, not given wise advice,

Not given pity….

Simply, you will be carefully listened to

…and in the process of that,

You will hear yourself.

You will hear what’s important to you,

Your values, your dreams, your brilliant ideas.

All of these things that get lost in the overwhelming daily details

Of running your own business, having a life and survival.

All of who you really are will become obvious in the clarity

…that comes from being listened properly to.

It leads you to insights, clarity and that wonderful state

Where everything, moving forward, is clear and obvious

With clarity, everything is full of ease and anything is possible.

That's the gift a coach has for you.

This is only the beginning. Get to know clarity. Email me, Mike Kennedy...

The MFA is the new MBA!

2011-12-05T04:39:00.000-08:00

I heard Professor Colin Rhodes, Dean of Sydney College of the Arts, speaking to Dulwich High School of Visual Arts, encouraging them to see their lessons learn about the art of creativity as preparing them for doing anything in the vocational world.

He told them that the Masters of Fine arts is now the new Master of Business Administration.

That is true in that you can slide your MFA skills to apply to a plethora of roles and positions in the vocational and business world. You still need to learn the business skills as you go, or at least listen to the advice from people expert in their field.

However these are some of the skills that are really useful for the new creative economy, That open you up to your whole brain, that you can bring to it as an artist...and as a business owner - remember - you have an inner artist:

Listen to constructive criticism. Every art student has to discipline themselves to listen to critiquing. They have to shut up, let go of trying to defend their work and listen for ways of improving their work. Actors have to take direction, authors and poets have to be edited, musicians take their dose of feedback. These are skills you have honed year after year - they are particularly useful in the business environment.

Engaging yourself in engaging your audience. This is what artists learn to do. It's not a science - it's an art! It's about knowing yourself and knowing your audience. It's about asking questions about what motivates and interests your audience, that often business owners forget. Listen and learn from performers, how to engage an audience. Your audience. That's all you need to do, day in and day out.

Letting go of the good, for the better, of the better for the best, Letting go of the best for the greatest. All artists have to learn to let go of their great ideas. Sometimes being attached to an idea will stop you creating something absolutely brilliant. Sometimes clinging to an idea is what creates problems. Pulling your sword to hack through good ideas to find a fantastic solution is what great artists do.

Knowing when to stop and start to ship. All artists have to let their works of art out into the world finished. They know that they can work a lifetime on one piece, constantly reworking a single theme. They know that their work needs to be placed like orphans out in the world. Even if they don't feel like they are finished.

So, business owners - search out your inner artist to make you a better business builder.

This is only the beginning. Get to know clarity. Email me, Mike Kennedy...

Creativity - the essential business tool!

2011-12-05T04:19:00.000-08:00

Dan Pink has been talking about this for some time.

The Master of Fine Arts (MFA) course is now the new MBA.

Our crazy connected world doesn't need the bean counters and technicians like it used to.

They can't solve the problems any more by fixing things up.

The old models can't cope with being fixed up anymore to deal with a new paradigm every day.

We need new models to be created, new solutions that relate to tomorrow, that can be taken up like the old tools of our forefathers and mothers, to build and create with.

Business is another skill set to be learnt.

Creativity is a giant waiting to be unleashed.

All my clients are creative, I always ask them to create something that will save the day, build a new tomorrow and solve mountainous problems. I never tell them how. They just find it in themselves.

I heard about a little girl who asked her art professor father what he did. "I teach people how to draw" he said. She said: "How come they forgot?"

Listen to the artists - they are talking about solutions for the problems we face every day. They are leaving clues for us in business. You might find a marketing solution by reading a book about Picasso, a business growth strategy by looking at art by Klimt or a HR solution by seeing a play written by Brecht.

Listen to the artists so you can hear your artist within.

Who knows, it might be the same voice you heard when you first were inspired to start your own business.

A business trainer once told me that business owners want so little from their businesses - she surmised that it was because after the first couple of years, after mountains of compliance and detail that most business owners she met, had forgotten the reasons they started their business in the first place. They were overwhelmed, exhausted and caught up in the detail.

Your artist is a person who you should start to get to know again.

This is only the beginning. Get to know clarity. Email me, Mike Kennedy...

Find the love in what you do....

2011-12-04T02:35:00.000-08:00

Our minds avoids, 24/7 every minute of the day and night being here and now and experiencing the joy and love of doing.

It reduces the fulfilling meaningfulness of doing into drudgery and obligations.

I love the Maori word for work: MAHI.

It actually means work with love.

What does it take to seize the moment and embrace the joy of doing?

This is only the beginning. Get to know clarity. Email me, Mike Kennedy...

The Four Areas of You.

2011-11-23T03:39:00.000-08:00

You have four areas that you operate on.

Your Spiritual Life
Your Mental Life
Your Emotional Life
Your Physical Life

These four areas need to be included in your goal setting, so that you can unleash and focus the full power of your life to help you achieve your goals.

Do you have a plan for expressing your goals in these four areas?

This is only the beginning. Get to know clarity. Email me, Mike Kennedy...

Blastting away your self limiting thoughts & attitudes!

2011-11-21T06:45:00.000-08:00

his weekend I spend with my wife Rose in a workshop called Millionaire Mind Intensive - where we worked on our Millionaire Mindsets.

Absolutely amazing workshop where we identified our self & wealth limiting thoughts attitudes and emotions.

After we unwrapped all of that garbage, we were guided to process and reintegrate new attitudes.

Great to see trainers and a workshop that have both been honed and improved over the many years the company has been in business.

Their motto was "Over Promise and Over Deliver!"

.......and they did!

Check out their website to see a great example of a honed and articulated marketing machine

This is only the beginning. Get to know clarity. Email me, Mike Kennedy...

Find the inspiration to tell your story and articulate your values and purpose.

2011-11-21T06:02:00.000-08:00

Today I came across an unexpected treasure of a business that had excelled in the area of articulating the values, purpose and story of a well-run and marketed business.

I took a backstreet shortcut to get to the Royal Prince Alfred hospital while looking for a street park.

I went past a great icon of a factory, the “Chesty Bond” underwear building, synonymous with “Manly” underwear for generations – it’s been converted into a creative inner city space.

After finally finding a park, walking to the hospital, I found this beautifully renovated shop/home in one of the residential backstreets.

It was funky, socially and environmentally conscious and these elements pervaded the business in every level of transaction and engagement.

I made a point of coming back there bringing my wife and son with me.

It’s called “BUTCH”, it’s got great coffee, good wholesome food, fantastic attitude and service from the owner, Luciana. She is feisty, ever ready to engage wherever you come from to her and she has a great way to tell the story of her establishment.

It is such a gem this place. I started to ask questions about her business and discovered that it had a clearly articulated set of values, there was a purpose to the business and they had even had a story about their reason for being attached to their menu.

One thing not on their story was how she called the place “BUTCH” – she told me she wanted to honour the “Blue Collar” history of the area – that they had food for men – simple, wholesome, easy to see and order food, that was quickly delivered to their table.

It was not lost on me that only a block away was the Iconic “Chesty Bonds” factory site - another place that always had a story to tell.

It was also obvious to me that every man who came to the shop, was given respect, cheek and the time of the day. Luciana really walks her talk. She told me she treats men and women with equal respect, but I only saw men, one after another, come into her café. Refreshing to see a place where men are welcomed and honoured.

So, if you want to be inspired to articulate your business values, purpose and story, or even if you want a good coffee and some great organic and wholesome food, a trip to BUTCH at 103 Church Street, Campertown in Sydney would be a good use of your time to see someone do those things really well. You might even want to check out their facebook page .

This is only the beginning. Get to know clarity. Email me, Mike Kennedy...

Why it’s hard for professional teachers, trainers, coaches, counsellors and psychologists to find a coach that fits.

2011-11-09T12:13:00.000-08:00

All these people work with people and techniques. They are the toughest type of person to coach for two main reasons.

The first one is about professional curiosity.

They want to see through the smoke and mirrors of a coaching session. Their attention is not on themselves, but upon the process itself. Their minds are grappling with understanding, identifying and analysing.

They have no attention on themselves, what they really, really want and what it’s going to take to get what they want.

Their intellect is searching to pull the curtains aside so they can see the levers and the processes of the coaching session. They are not interested in anything to do with improving their situation.

They get what I call the “Booby Prize” – that is, they get to be detatched, analytical and theoretical about the process.

The second reason these people are hard to coach is that they are arrogant.

Why should they allow a coach to coach them, when they are so good at coaching, training, counselling, teaching, psychotherapying their own clients, day in, day out.

For a professional to submit themselves to be coached or mentored by another professional, it’s a loss of power, a loss of control and an act of humility that most of us professionals are wary of surrendering to.

I know I’m a tough person to coach. If I recognise I’m in a process, my mind races ahead to figure it all out, instantly decimating my focus and quality of attention on what is at hand for me to deal with.

If I’m around other professionals, I have to maintain my hubris, my sense of control and expertise. That’s the price I have to pay to be coached – to let go all of thatl

So, if you are in the game, if you work with people every day, if you are great at what you do and are the catalyst for others to transform their life – be careful of the obstacles you put in the way of you being coached to have things work exceptionally well for you.

I’ve coached a lot of professionals.

Once they get past these two obstacles, they are the most satisfying of all to coach. After all, you always know that for every people professional you coach, you are improving the lives of thousands of people indirectly.

This is only the beginning. Get to know clarity. Email me, Mike Kennedy...

Unequivocally, definitely and without question: Yes!

2011-11-09T12:09:00.000-08:00

That’s what it takes to recognise your coach.

It’s also like that with a spiritual master.

But it’s not about the master, the teacher or the coach.

It’s the cry from within the student, the pupil or the client.

It’s not a reflection of the level of mastery of the coach,

Rather it’s an indicator of the readiness of the client to engage in the process.

It’s a recognition that they can’t do what they want to do alone.

It’s a recognition that they can’t see the different ways they are stuffing things up in their lives.

It’s a recognition that the pain they are going through won’t go away on its own, that they need someone to help them get through it.

It’s a recognition that what they really, really want, is beyond their personal reach.

It’s a place of humility, a place of receptivity and a willingness and openness to try something new.

If you ain’t there, no-one is ever going to be able to be your coach.

If you are there, the humble tea lady pushing her trolley around the temple will be the greatest master for you that you could imagine, unlocking all manner of miracles within you.

“When the student is ready, the teacher will come”

This is only the beginning. Get to know clarity. Email me, Mike Kennedy...

When I see your courage and wisdom…..

2011-11-09T12:08:00.000-08:00

It resonates deep within me.

It calls forth the best of me,

And from within, an answer resounds.

In observing your victory, I am infected to the core.

Inspired.

Improved.

Uplifted.

I’m a better person after seeing your courage and wisdom.

Thank you.

This is only the beginning. Get to know clarity. Email me, Mike Kennedy...

Your Mastery - when you become an Artist!

2011-11-06T19:23:00.001-08:00

In all of your years of practice,

in all that you have learned and shared,

There comes a moment in time when you

Cease to be a technician,

And your mastery appears.

It's in those time, where if you are calling yourself a technician,

It's time to change your card to you being an "Artist".

Time to stop seeing yourself as a technician and time to

stretch out and create.

This is only the beginning. Get to know clarity. Email me, Mike Kennedy...

Dance your grief away!

2011-11-06T19:12:00.000-08:00

You know you tried to run away,

thinking distance would mean something to your heart.

You moved to the city and got yourself a job, negotiated yourself a busy, busy,

place to hide,

You took yourself on a holiday, to the most beautiful place you knew of,

and every day, you only felt your heartbreak, at every stop of the bus.

It doesn't matter where you go.

It doesn't matter how busy you are.

There's a price to pay for leaving her, you deserve to pay it in full.

It honors who you are, It honors who you really are. It honors you for who you really are.

So surrender now, to this labour of pain,

Let the discomfort begin.

Allow yourself the dignity of being yourself,

Instead of running away.

Set up your life, so that it works for you.

Do what you have to do, to express all of your pain.

Buy crayons, put pen to paper, allow your heart to express,

Play music, sing your songs, dance your dance,

Catharsis is a work of art in your own lifetime.

This is only the beginning. Get to know clarity. Email me, Mike Kennedy...

On Grief

2011-11-06T18:34:00.000-08:00

Doctors sometimes think that grief is a sickness,

So they try and cure it,

They see it like it has to end as quickly as possible,

To minimise the damage done.

But I know its not like that at all,

Even though at times you feel like you are really crook,

Even though your head goes into a downward spiral,

Not unlike a heavy flu......

It just is.

It's with you every day.

It comes upon you when you least expect it,

And it always takes you to places where you don't want to go.

But it's your grief and that is really all you have, because it's what's happening to you now.

You try and run away, you ruin holidays and stick your head into your work,

But it is still there, waiting for you to pick up the tab,

To pay the bill for the risk of loving that you took,

For the highs and lows of being intimate with another,

For daring to care, for allowing it in....

That's all you are paying for....

....the price of being a loving human being.

So when the waiter dressed in black comes to your table with the bill,

Don't be afraid, you don't have to run away....

You know you had a great time of it, you know you tasted love,

Just get up and dance with him, the grief that's yours to own.

And when the music stops, and you return to your seat,

Know that you have paid your price, and that will return to you a thousand fold,

and allow you to be free - living and dancing in the moment with who you really are.

...but also know, if you refuse to pay, then pay you will,

for years and years and years....every day with you struggling to

hold down the lid of your painful, disowned grief.

This is only the beginning. Get to know clarity. Email me, Mike Kennedy...

On Friendship

2011-11-01T05:40:00.000-07:00

In the cut and thrust of life itself,

When nothing makes sense and the odds seem to great,

I hear your voice and I realise you are my friend.

You help me maintain my stand, stay true to my dreams,

You help me draw my sword, yet one more time again.

"And a youth said:

- Speak to us of Friendship!

And he answered, saying:
Your friend is your needs answered.
He is your field which you sow with love
and reap with thanksgiving.

And he is your board and your fireside.
For you come to him with your hunger,
and you seek him for peace.

When your friend speaks his mind you fear
not the "nay" in your own mind,
nor do you withhold the "ay".

And when he is silent your heart ceases
not to listen to his heart;

For without words, in friendship, all thoughts,
all desires, all expectations are born and shared,
with joy that is unacclaimed.

When you part from your friend, you grieve not;
For that which you love most
in him may be clearer in his absence,
as the mountain to the climber
is clearer from the plain.

And let there be no purpose in friendship
save the deepening of the spirit.
For love that seeks aught but the disclosure
of its own mystery is not love but a net cast forth:
and only the unprofitable is caught.

And let your best be for your friend
that you should seek him with hours to kill?
Seek him always with hours to live
.
For it is his to fill your need,
but not your emptiness.
And in the sweetness of friendship
let there be laughter, and sharing of pleasures.
For in the dew of little things
the heart finds its morning and is refreshed."

Thanks to Kahil Gibran for his fantastic poem.

This is only the beginning. Get to know clarity. Email me, Mike Kennedy...

Share your boundless Enthusiasm!

2011-10-26T18:53:00.000-07:00

Imagine your highest state of clarity, with you totally present to your purpose and your vision for your business.

Feel your boundless enthusiasm and excitement coursing through your body, feel how much you love what you do and do what you love.

Imagine what it feels like to doing exactly what you know you need to be doing.

And with this feeling, imagine yourself back in the business, with your staff, your colleagues, your business partners, your suppliers and your customers.

Notice how you just want to share your energy and focus with them, notice how you are lifting them with your energy.

Notice their resistance, their resentment and their inertia, how they are unwilling to do whatever it takes to make things work.

It's like you are a slave rower on an old Greek warship - you come back refreshed and inspired, they lock you into your seat and you start paddling with passion, enthusiasm and drive and everyone else cries out to you - "Hey - slow down new guy- you are making us all look bad!"

Winston Churchill said: "Success is going from failure to failure, without losing enthusiasm."

If that's what it takes, imagine failing publicly and coming back cheerfully for more - imagine how that will affect the people around you - they won't know how to take you - but they will know you are unstoppable and on the road to somewhere!

Winston also said:
"Never give in, never give in, never, never, never - in nothing great or small, large or petty, never give in except to convictions of honor and good sense."

Oh good reader, brave business owner - may this give you the strength to be true to your vision and purpose. May this inspire you to be the inspirational leader that you are.

This is only the beginning. Get to know clarity. Email me, Mike Kennedy...

Learn to cook your purpose!

2011-10-26T18:35:00.000-07:00

Take a list of your highest business values.

Add it to your favourite skills,

Start talking about the things that really excite you - you know - the important things!

Mix carefully.

Bake in a warm supportive environment, with someone listening carefully for the things you cannot hear....

Clarify it in writing, test it on your closest colleagues, friends, fans and mentors....

Then write a vision of your purpose fulfilled - set it within a due date and make it compelling, detailed and concise.

Then review everything in your business and your life with this context in mind - place it in front of everything you do - Build systems with this ghost in your machine.

Then set off in hot pursuit of your purpose, living a life of passion, integrity and focus!

This is only the beginning. Get to know clarity. Email me, Mike Kennedy...

The Perils of having the attention on yourself!

2011-10-26T17:39:00.000-07:00

"I'd rather be used by a purpose greater than myself that be a bag of complaints, pains and misery"

That's my paraphrasing of several quotes from philosophical giants about the futility and waste of a self centered life - especially in running your own business.

Winston Churchill said: "Success is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm"

How can you do that, if you are only thinking of your own comfort, concerns and complaints? How can you be extraordinary if you are busy covering your own back side?

If you are thinking only of yourself, your comfort and your avoidance of any pain in your business - you are in for a lesson of stagnation and possible ruin.

I know for me, when I need to put my full attention on my business, my clients or on any activity - if I have my attention on me or if I am "self conscious" in any way, I am distracted, vague and ineffective.

For businesses to survive and grow, pain is the cost you need to pay to create something that no-one else is willing to do. When your business (or your life) is all about you, you simply will avoid the painful steps forward.

If your focus is upon a purpose or concept larger than yourself, you won't even feel the pain as you surge forward.

Thinking about your own selfish needs takes your focus off reality - things become mired in neurotic complications and nothing is clear - only muddy vague perceptions exist.

However, if you manage to create a greater purpose for your business, if you can be inspired by that purpose and guided by the fulfilment of it, then things rapidly become very clear.

So, beloved business owners, give up making your business about you. Embrace your vision and purpose passionately and charge on forward, knowing that your purpose and your values are all all worth it in the end!

This is only the beginning. Get to know clarity. Email me, Mike Kennedy...