doug smith training

Is it hard to muddle thru when people keep talking about how hard it is and how senseless it all seems? Of course. But it is not senseless. And the hard stuff build resilience to make us stronger, smarter, and more open to change. Everything you've ever done has helped to make you better. Keep going. Keep growing. Stay strong. It's hard to resist a relentlessly positive outlook. Stay positive because positive prevails over negative. It might take a while, but positive wins. -- doug smith

Are you struggling with motivation? Do you know someone else who is? You do get to choose how motivated you'll be. Go big. -- doug smith

What motivates you, moves you. -- doug smith

How much time do you spend motivating your team? Trick question? How about this for a bold answer: all the time. Every moment that you spend with your team is an opportunity to motivate.  When you inspire your team their performance elevates. But, where to begin? How do you get that fully energized, totally motivated team? The first step to motivating others is wanting them to be happy. Wanting them to be happy enough that you ask. Wanting them to be happy enough that you collaborate on creating an environment where their happiness can flower and grow. No problem, right? Try this: ask them what motivates them. What energizes them? What gets them excited? And then?  Listen. -- doug smith Call to Action: Stay curious about what makes your team members happy. Ask!

Something someone said in one of my workshops keeps popping back and I'm glad that it does. We were talking about dealing with difficult people, with difficult situations, with difficult times, and he said he approaches everyone from the same hopeful stance of "unconditional positive regard." It's not something anyone has to earn. It's not something anyone can push away. It's a calm, focused, giving, loving way to look at those around us. Who around us? Everyone. I have failed at this many times, even since hearing the words of "unconditional positive regard" and yet I do not surrender to the negative that creeps in when I'm off my game. Like a gentle redirection, like a soft return to the breath, I can think "unconditional positive regard." Today is a great day to create a great day! -- doug smith

Energize your team by keeping your goal both challenging and fun. -- doug smith

High performance leaders spend much of their time coaching their people. We coach so that our team members can learn to generate the energy and effort they need to do their best work. We coach so that our team members will light up. But, sometimes, the light within our team members wanes. Sometimes, they need a boost. Sometimes they need us to light the way for them. Bring the light. Light the way. Keep them on track. Then, watch them shine. -- doug smith

If we don't share what motivates us we shall certainly share what de-motivates us. Energize yourself to energize your team. -- doug smith

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to live at a different time? Do you ever long for old times when things seamed simpler? Of course, none of us has any choice in the matter of time. The time is now. What we have is now. And there's good news. Now is the best time (to think any other way is to cause yourself unnecessary grief.) We each live in a time and place designed to bring out our best. Let's smile, roll up our sleeves, and get moving. -- doug smith Leadership Call to Action Just for fun, and a little easy motivation, draw a smiling face in today's place in your calendar or planner. If you don't use one you can draw in, insert an emoji. Smile. Today's for you!

Competition is useful. Usually, cooperation is better. Incentives have their value, internal motivation is massively more powerful. While high performance leaders DO focus on achieving their goals and delivering positive results, part of that is built around healthy relationships. Take the time to get to know your team members. Listen to their stories, their heart songs, their hardships, their views. When they achieve their goals, reward them with signs of your appreciation. And, when they consistently act as responsible adults within your relationships to achieve those results, show your appreciation. It doesn't need to cost any money. Sometimes a "thank you" is enough. We need healthy relationships to sustain trust. Without trust, a team member could be tempted to game the system in order to hit the numbers. That's not what you want. Sustain the relationships to keep the results both strong and ethical. Be careful about rewards that only recognize results.

Have you ever excused yourself from creating because you weren't in the mood? Have you ever talked yourself out of an important piece of work or creative activity because your mood was all wrong? How did that feel? Did it help or hinder your mood? Creativity likes all moods. The creative muse doesn't care about your mood swings. It won't run and hide from you just because you aren't feeling at your best. The creative muse can help you with that. So what if you're not in the mood to create? Create anyway. Make something. Design something. Paint, play, write, tune, dance, cut-and-paste-something -- just go ahead as if the mood were optimal and guess what? Your mood will mysteriously rise to the occasion. Do something really great -- create! -- doug smith

Make sure that your goals for each day give you something to feel good about achieving. If your goal doesn't make you feel good, it's too small! -- doug smith

Find encouragement for your goals but don't wait for it to find you. You're in charge of your own motivation. -- Doug Smith

If you stopped right now, took a walk, then took the rest of the day off, would you have accomplished something meaningful? Would you have achieved a goal? I can get stuck. I can procrastinate. But give me a goal, and I'm all over it. Goals get us going. Get going! -- Doug Smith