Creating Change

The most important changes we can ever make in our lives are the ones that require us to totally change the way we think and act. We literally move from one old paradigm to a new one that requires different thoughts, different beliefs and ultimately different actions. I want to throw out a totally different way of thinking as it relates to one important topic, work. The old paradigm is the harder you work the more successful you become. Don’t get me wrong, I am all in favor of hard work, but I detest “busy.” But aren’t these two things essentially the same? Not in the real world. I know a lot of people who stay very busy yet get nothing done. I know people who work hard but never get ahead. Here is a thought to consider. Working hard and being busy can be a form of laziness. Rather than do something that creates dramatic change, a worker stays in the comfort zone of the familiar. I call this “intellectual laziness.”

I always push my coaching clients to recreate themselves every year. The challenge is to learn one new concept or acquire one new skill that can take them to the next level in their job or personal life. The new skill or concept must relate to a goal each individual has set. If someone has set a goal to become more computer literate, the new skill might relate to learning how to market over the Internet. One loan officer I coach has become proficient in the use of Google Adwords and as a result has increased the quality and number of his online originations!

This year I have decided to learn every aspect of conducting teleseminars and webinars. With the current state of the economy the timing is good! Fewer companies have the funds to conduct onsite training and are open to long distance training.

What about you? Are you adapting and changing to create a new and improved you? It is amazing how you can improve your life with a focused effort to be better both personally and professionally. Want to take up surfing? Snow skiing? How about a new language? The possibilities of a new and improved you are endless