Category Archives: Uncategorized

Career, Goal Setting, Life Lessons, Success, Uncategorized, Values

“Success – How Do You Define It?”

Leave a comment

I’m often asked what it takes to be successful. Are there some key steps to achieving career success? With that in mind, I’d like to share some ideas on how to do that:

  • Core Values: Always remember that keeping the customer first, being innovative, having integrity and respect are not just catch-phrases but represent the core to an organization achieving long-term sustainable success. Keep this in mind when you have to make decisions that will be defining moments of your character.
  • Me, Inc.:  The days are gone when you could show up, do your work and expect to be noticed; therefore, you have to distinguish yourself through personal branding. Personal branding is more than just your external appearance, knowledge, skills and abilities; it’s linking all that to who you are at the heart – your values, your vision.
  • V2PR: Values, Vision, People, Results. 
    • Values – know upfront what your values are. You know what they are when you live them regardless of the reward or consequence. Once you know your values, determine if they are aligned with your organization’s values. Your organization needs you to be accountable to their core values because you are an integral part of their success.  
    • Vision – Understand where you want to go and again  determine if your vision is aligned with your organization’s vision; know what your resources are to achieve your goals and know that you help your organization achieve their vision when you meet and exceed performance expectations.
    • People – know that people, both internal and external customers,  are why your company and your job exists. Treat them with respect.
    • Results – know your key performance indicators (KPIs) and achieve them. That’s a key way to get noticed and recognized for being a valued contributor.

 All these elements will help you to be successful, to stand out as a personal brand. 

That’s what success is – preparing for opportunity before it happens so when it does, you can achieve your goals. “You can work hard at a job and make a living but if you work hard on you, you can make a fortune. A fortune not just related to money but a fortune in terms of knowing you have lived up to your potential.” (Source  of Quote – Author Unknown).

 Don’t fear failure. Rather fear not living up to the greatness that is within you.

 Something_To_Think_About_ logo without backgorund

How do you define success? Are you taking action on a daily basis to achieve your goals? If not, what’s holding you back? If you knew you could not fail, what would you do?

Go back

Your message has been sent

 

Goal Setting, Life Lessons, Resolutions, Starting Over, Uncategorized

Starting Over

1 Comment

 “There is no disgrace to start over and begin anew. 

       Bebe Moore Campbell, Journalist & Writer

I was watching Dr. Phil and he said two profound statements that when I first heard them, I said “This is deep.” So I thought I would share with you.

  • Profound statement 1: Dr. Phil was talking to a father who had lost control of his kids and his family. There were many reasons but a key reason was that he was focused on giving things vs. giving time because he thought this would bring his family happiness. Dr. Phil sensed the frustration of the father and said to him “You are not a bad person. I know that you are willing to die for your family but are you willing to live for them.” This is when I had my first “this is deep moment.” I thought about what I value most and asked myself, am I fully present? Am I showing right now in my daily interactions and communications that I’m here for those people who mean the most to me vs thinking that I will have plenty of time in the future to show that I care.
  • Profound statement 2: “There are moments in life where all things wrong can be turned around.” As I reflect on the past 8 months of 2014, like many people I think about what went well, what went wrong, and what I want to be better moving forward. However, to truly have the life that we want, we have to decide to not let what happens to us in life make us become a passenger along for the ride. Rather, as motivational speaker Les Brown would say, we have to be the driver and say to ourselves “I got this. I am happening to life.” We all know that rough times will befall us but it is our reaction to it that impacts our success.  So when life happens and you fall down: GET BACK UPAND START OVER.  KNOW THAT YOUR DREAMS CAN BE YOUR REALITY – YOU JUST HAVE TO CLAIM YOUR DESTINY!!!

Something_To_Think_About_ logo without backgorund

Think about from a professional and personal level, what do you want to change for the better; what can you start over and begin anew? What’s in your control? Who are your resources that can help you achieve your goals?

Go back

Your message has been sent

Communication, Parent, Uncategorized

The Power of Words: “What Are You Teaching Others to Live With”

Leave a comment

“Learn to speak kind words.  Nobody resents them.”

 Carl Rowan, Syndicated Columnist

 I have a 5-year-old son. As a parent, I’m always looking for ways to be both a better parent and a better person. Last year, I read something that touched my heart and my mind. My heart because it caused me to be self-reflective on how I interacted and communicated with my son.  My mind because it was simple but deep. Deep in the sense that I could see how I could apply what I read to my life personally and professionally.

With that said, I’d like to share what I read, which on the surface is about the positive or negative impact that a parent can have on a child based on how they communicate and interact with their child.

Beneath the surface though, we can get a greater meaning. . . It’s also about the power of one. The power of one person deciding what type of impact that they want to have in their interactions and communications with those in their lives:

“If a child lives in criticism, he learns to condemn; if a child lives with fear, he learn to hate; if  a child lives with pity, he learns to feel sorry for himself; if a child lives with praise, he learns to be appreciative; if a child lives with acceptance, he learns to love; if a child lives with honesty, he learns truth; if a child lives with sincerity, he learns to have faith; if a child lives with love, he learns that the world is a wonderful place in which to live.” (Source – Dennis Kimbro, Author of “Daily Motivations for African-American Success”)

After reading this, I thought to myself, “When I interact and communicate with others each day, what am I teaching them to “live with?”  Am I providing positivity or am I allowing the not so positive things that can sometimes happen in my life to create negative experiences for those who share my life, my space.  Am I taking responsibility for my actions and reactions when I have not exhibited the best of me to those in my world? What can I start doing now to create positive communications and experiences for those that I interact with?

 Something_To_Think_About_ logo without backgorund

What can you do to create positive interactions and communications with your co-workers and those you see daily or regularly? What’s in your control? For the next 30 days, can you pledge to be positive in how you interact and communicate with others? If everyone on your work team and/or your personal life committed to be positive for the next 30 days, what difference would that make in your daily work experience… what difference would that make in your world?

Go back

Your message has been sent