doug smith training

A good habit is simply a goal you complete every day without any fanfare. -- doug smith  

Has it drifted away? Have you lost track of an important dream? Is that goal sitting idle? No matter how far you've drifted away from your dream it still is there waiting for you.  Maybe it changed. Maybe it's re-calibrated. Maybe it is something you have to learn all over again. It's still there... -- doug smith  

  How do you feel about keeping score? In nearly every job (could it even be in every job?) we are forced to keep score. One metric after another lets us know whether or not we "measure up" to the company standards. Oh, sure they change, which makes it necessary to react and shift our efforts, but inevitably there are measurements to meet. People are going to keep score anyway no matter what we do so why not help them to count what matters most.  Measuring what does not matter is a waste of time and  profound aggravation. Negotiate what to measure before you get measured and see if it makes a difference. And if you don't have the freedom or influence to negotiate those measures, master them until you do.  -- doug smith

  Have you ever said something and you knew that it was wrong as soon as you said it? What happened next? Sometimes we find ourselves defending our position even after we realize that our position is flawed or even downright incorrect. Why do we do that? We have the freedom when we are communicating to change our minds. We have the freedom to re-state what we said, to reframe it in a way that makes more sense, to come to terms with a better truth. We don't have to defend something just because we said it. Maybe we shouldn't have said it to begin with! -- doug smith

  Coupled with healthy habits, good goals get great results. -- doug smith

  Before you commit to a goal be sure to determine what motivates you about the goal. What does it give you? What's the reason behind the reason?  How vital is it? When does the time come when you only work on goals that matter to you? Now. The time is now. -doug smith

  You could spend a lifetime studying leadership and what leaders do. You'll likely spend your lifetime doing that whether or not you planned on it because when it comes to leadership there is always something more to learn. Most of what high performance leaders do is solve problems and achieve goals.  Much goes into that. Projects come and go. People help (or don't) and they also come and go. To move forward, to implement plans, to make the world a better place, leaders need to solve problems and achieve their goals. What do you think?

  Why do we solve problems? Well, of course, to get rid of the problems. To accomplish our goals. To make work and life better for all of us. And there's more of course. We learn. We build relationships. We expand our thinking. We become more resilient. Solving problems comes with nearly unlimited benefits. The goal of solving a problem often goes beyond solving the problem. Be sure to celebrate the bonus -- it is likely to help you the next time you work to solve a problem. -- doug smith

Problems come in many forms. How we look at them matters. Some problems are poorly framed expectations. Whatever we'd been expecting was inaccurate and maybe even unreasonable. That we didn't get what we expected was not because of a problem, but because of what we expected that never had a chance. If a problem seems unsolvable it is worth at least asking: was my expectation off on this? Is it really a problem at all? -- doug smith

How do you feel when things take longer than you expected? Complications, surprises, mistakes, barriers -- all kinds of things can make an easy path into a complicated trail. We're lost, but if we're paying attention, we're learning. Sometimes you need to spend a long time lost to find a better way to get there. -- doug smith  

Do you agree, or disagree? Independence is a dance best not interrupted. I can be convinced either way. Just please don't interrupt. -- doug smith  

  I've known people who are so creative that they not only let their imagination run wild, it gets them into trouble because they let it drive everything. If you run away to join the circus, you could end up being a clown. If that's your goal, then great. Just know the possibilities of an unregulated mind. You can allow your imagination to run wild without putting it in charge. Yes, we need creativity. Go for it often and with enthusiasm. And, we also need clarity: what are we trying to achieve. We also need courage: will you stay the course when you're challenged? And, we also need compassion: can you pursue your goals while caring about other people? Go ahead and think outside of the box -- just don't fall into a hole you can't crawl out of. -- doug smith