In the sales world, one of the secrets to success is a concept I call "one more phone call".

The idea is that at the end of the day when you are ready to pack things up and head home, you make one more phone call.

I have heard many successful salespeople say that this little trick is what made the difference in their sales career.

I know all of us aren’t necessarily in sales, but we can use this same principle to be more successful.

Think about what is your "one more phone call".

What little thing can you do every day to push you over the edge?

Pick something and try it for a week and try it out.

Make it a great day.

Jake

http://www.jimcollins.com/article_topics/articles/best-new-years.html

I know it isn’t New Years, but I came across this article and wanted to send it out.

What a powerful concept. A stop doing list.

And not necessarily in the usual sense of most people’s stop doing lists from New Years.

Most people automatically think of things like giving up chocolate, quitting smoking and no more fast food as their “stop doing” lists.

And while I think Jim would certainly recommend stopping those things as well, in this article he is looking more at how you spend your time.

I love his three circles analogy.

If each of the following questions represented a circle, your ideal role in life would be at the intersection of the three circles.

1) What are you deeply passionate about?

2) What are you are genetically encoded for — what activities do you feel just "made to do"?

3) What makes economic sense — what can you make a living at?

I especially liked the last two paragraphs about his mentor, Rochelle.

Looking back, I now see Rochelle Myers as one of the few people I’ve known to lead a great life, while doing truly great work. This stemmed largely from her remarkable simplicity. A simple home. A simple schedule. A simple frame for her work.

Rochelle spoke to me repeatedly about the idea of "making your life a creative work of art." A great piece of art is composed not just of what is in the final piece, but equally important, what is not. It is the discipline to discard what does not fit — to cut out what might have already cost days or even years of effort — that distinguishes the truly exceptional artist and marks the ideal piece of work, be it a symphony, a novel, a painting, a company or, most important of all, a life.

What’s on your stop doing list?

Not sure where to start? I would suggest taking an inventory of your time for a couple of days and then reviewing it. My guess is there will most likely be some glaring areas of “stop doing” potential.

Jake

"Never give up on a dream just because of the time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway.” – Earl Nightingale

What a great reminder for us as we pursue our dreams and our version of success.

This reminds me of two major recurring themes.

First, that time is passing at the same rate for all of us. The sands pass through the hour glass regardless of whether you are sitting on the couch watching TV or out running.

Second, there is a tendency to underestimate our potential in the future. With time it is amazing what a person can become. The realm of possibility for an individual that is dedicated to a goal or a dream is vast.

Make it a great day.

Jake

Plans get you into things but you have to work your way out.

Will Rogers

Ever have that problem where you are in the middle of something and just never quite got yourself all the way through it?

Signed up for that 30 day diet program and fizzled out around day 15?

Committed to an exercise program only to give up half way through the first month?

All these great plans that we set for ourselves, but we stop sometimes when the hard work part rears its ugly head.

The reason I really liked this quote was not that it reminded me of all my half finished plans of the past. I chose it because it reminded me that plans and goals are part of the equation but not all of it.

Any time you are considering a new plan or goal, think also about the work involved. Commit yourself to working your way out once we get started.

This quote also reminded me of how we sometimes fall into other people’s plans and have to work our way out.

We fall into the plan of eating what we want when we want and now have to do the hard work of work our way out of that plan by dieting and exercising.

We fall into the buy whatever you want on debt plan and have to do the hard work of budgeting and doing without to work our way out.

We fall into the shallow and hollow lifestyle and find ourselves having to do the hard work of adding depth and meaning to our life through study and thought.

Work is a part of the equation. Learn to expect it and then to embrace it as part of the process.

Make it a great week.

Jake

I have been listening to "Good to Great" again and found another concept that I wanted to share.

In the book, the author calls it the "Stockdale Paradox".

Stockdale was a POW in the Hanoi Hilton during the Vietnam War. He survived for 8 years and had to endure unbelievable hardships during this time.

Stockdale’s story led Jim Collins to coin the concept of the Stockdale Paradox based on how Stockdale survived the ordeal.

Stockdale found the balance between faith that he would ultimately go home and making the best of the situation he was faced with.

In order to make the changes necessary to become great, Jim argues that we must face the brutal facts of our situation with an unwavering faith that we will get through it.

As you look at your life, you must face the brutal facts with faith that you can and will make the changes necessary to be great.

Whether it be the number on the scale, your bank account balance, or your health; you must face the brutal facts of your situation with faith that you can change for the better.

Take an honest look at the facts of your life. Do so with the faith and resolve to make the changes necessary to become the great person you were destined to become.

Make it a great day.

Jake

On purpose, with purpose.

This little phrase pops in and out of my head all the time.

I try to make sure that everything I do is on purpose and with purpose.

It is certainly a standard I fall short on, but it still serves as a great reminder to not let time slip through my fingers being wasted on things that aren’t important.

Try to think about this a couple of times today. Stop and check yourself a couple of times.

Are you doing things on purpose, with purpose?

Or are you doing whatever pops up for someone else’s purpose?

You can apply this to other areas as well.

Are you eating the food you are eating on purpose, with purpose?

Are you spending your money on purpose, with purpose?

Are you listening to your spouse on purpose, with purpose?

Let’s make it a great day on purpose, with purpose.

Jake

Every saint has a past and every sinner has a future.

Apparently this is on a billboard in Dallas.

Funny how sometimes a simple one sentence billboard can have so much to say.

Regardless of what you did yesterday, today can be a better day.

Cheated on your diet? Today it begins again.

Took a shortcut on something at work? Today is your second chance.

A little short with the kids? Today can be a day of peaceful patience.

Blew your budget on that whiz-bang new thingamagig? Today can be a day to rethink and rebuild that budget.

Regardless of your past, you do, in fact, have a future. How bright that future is depends on you.

Make it a great day.

Jake