Why Is a 91-Year-Old Still Growing?

“A man can fail many times, but he isn’t a failure until he begins to blame somebody else.” - John Burroughs

Jacque Fresco is 91-years-old. He is a fascinating picture of a human being. He has not limited his thinking or his attempts. He is a futurist who has conceptualized what buildings, ecosystems and life may look like by design. A movie that captures his brilliance and vision has been created.

Most of us will not live as long as Mr. Fresco. Many will not dare to think big like he has. One thing we can do, however, is adopt one simple behavior that has been the strand which has stitched his life together - constantly growing and failing forward.

Catch yourself when you get frustrated at yourself and others. Beware when you rationalize and make excuses. Those are signs of your mindset. You will eventually just grow old rather than grow.

Your Strengths Determine Your Moves

In our training of business professionals and entrepreneurs, the moves they make in their business always follow a path of their strengths. Think of a chess board. Each piece has capability to move according to its kind. So it goes with people. World-class organizations move together in concerted fashions with appreciation for each kind. If a bishop plays with moves of a pawn, it is limited. If a rook tries to move like a knight, it cannot. It does not have the inherent makeup, ability and allowance.

Successful people know their design fully and live into it. That has been my observation. In my own life, I have embraced unapologetically my strength as a Creative Designer. It is why I am able to lead with clarity and speed. It is the value I bring to organizations and teams. The liberation and fulfillment I feel for what I do is because I live fully into my strengths and limit exposure to my weaknesses.

As a business coach and speaker, I have witnessed many people who are like the car getting 8 miles to the gallon that should be getting 25 miles per gallon. They think they are operating at what they perceive is normal. I have also seen others who get the full 25 miles out of a gallon and their passion, drive and influence are measurably more impactful in their endeavors. Want greater success? Beware of what Peter Drucker observed, “Most Americans do not know what their strengths are. When you ask them, they look at you with a blank stare, or they respond in terms of subject knowledge, which is the wrong answer.” Take a next step and know your strengths intimately so you can align with your design.

Never Stop Growing

While many younger ones fall behind, this 106 year-old keeps up with the new economy. Now that’s a person who is always growing.

How Is Your Seesaw Tipped?

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence is therefore not an act but a habit.” - Aristotle

Your ability or inability to make a decision or do something worthwhile is not an accident. It is a result of who you have been becoming. The seesaw of your habits lies in whether you weight your life decisions on your fears or on your abilities. The state of that seesaw is what predicts your decision making.

Perhaps there is something you perceive as risky. Could it be that your perception is a direct result of how you have tipped your seesaw? If you have chosen the easy way or given into your fears and guised it in some virtuous story, then you will have to counterbalance all those decisions one day to do anything different. It will become harder and you will perceive more risk in such decisions than the person who has made choices on their abilities.

My business coaching clients range in their life seesaw. It is amazing to see people start the journey to tip it back towards their abilities. It takes a lot of work, but when that seesaw starts to tip back, their belief and freedom to make their dreams happen become less hindered. They are pursuing excellence rather than fear. They are choosing to become their dream rather than exist in their resignation. You are who you have been becoming. Who have you been becoming?

The Temptation to Fail

If you try hard things, it will be hard. Growing your business means growing yourself. We don’t grow because we are afraid to fail. Consider the definition of failure from John Burroughs:

“A man can fail many times, but he isn’t a failure until he begins to blame somebody else.”

Refuse to fail. You will always be succeeding then. Remember Thomas Edison and his search for our light bulb:

“I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.”

FUDS - Fears, Uncertainties, Doubts

We have a need for consistency in our life. This is what Prescott Lecky, a self-image psychologist believed. We act out of what we believe - our values. Most people are controlled by their fears, uncertainties and doubts - FUDS. We all have FUDS. However, how we let them affect us is a different matter altogether. General Patton was asked if he had fears. His response was a “Yes.” However, he stated, “I never take counsel of my fears.”

Perhaps you are stuck in a job you do not like. What is keeping you there? Or you are fearful of approaching a possible sales prospect. What stops you? Or you protect yourself from failure in all aspects of your life. Think about the remaining years of your life. Are FUDS going to control you until your death day? What a painful existence. What about choosing a life of belief. First, define what you really believe and want. If that is not intact, then FUDS will control you. There is no vision to latch on to in your life. There is nothing to anchor your decisions. Your fears, uncertainties and doubts will surely control you.

I love helping people move beyond their fears and into their beliefs. It is one of the most exciting things to witness - a fully alive human being. I hope your journey to live fully starts today.

Thinking

“There are two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle
The other is as though everything is a miracle.”
–Albert Einstein

“I am a camera with its shutter open, quite passive, recording, not thinking.” - A Berlin Diary

In my business coaching with clients, I enjoy helping people think. Einstein commented that it is one of the hardest things to do, that is why so few people actually do it. This happens every day. Ask a person a one-layer deeper question such as, “Why do you think it is a great idea?” or “What is great about the person you are commenting about?” There usually is a pause. You are requesting a thought - something that goes beyond cruise control.

Now apply it to your business. Where will you be in five years if you continue doing what you are doing currently? Think through it. What is it you believe about doing business? Who do you say “no” to? Why? Answering these questions takes thinking. If you dare enter into that struggle, then you will define your standards, beliefs and convictions and just might start living out your values - your beliefs. Dare to think.

What’s NEW On Your Resume?

I subscribe to several blogs one of which is Tim Sanders, author of Love Is The Killer App. In a recent blog Tim told a story about Jeremy Ring, an operations executive czar at Yahoo. He mentioned that Jeremy had a strong point of view that people need to improve on a weekly, monthly, and yearly basis. He mentioned that at a sales offsite in 2001, Jeremy posed the following question to young Yahoo’s: “Have you improved your personal resume in the last year? What is new on it?”

I thought what a great question. When you think of a resume, you think of a job application. I looked up the definition of “resume” in Websters Collegiate Dictionary and it is defined as: “A set of accomplishments; summary.”

So in 2006 what has changed on your resume? What accomplishments have you achieved? Not how many sales have you made if you’re in sales. Not how many houses have you sold if you are a real estate agent. What have you learned that you didn’t know? What has made you more valuable?

I thought about my own resume. It has grown immensely over the last year. I have studied and become proficient with Japanese Candlestick Charts. I have worked diligently at writing the past year. I have also become a full-fledged blogger. I have developed skills at partner relationship management and I have also devoted much time to productivity and time management. Take a moment and think what you have added to your resume this past year.

Now, what do you want to add to your personal resume in 2007? What books do you need to read? What people do you need to know? What places do you need to see? What software tools do you need to learn? What work experience would help you achieve more? If your list is really short and bland you are probably NOT growing. Think for a moment. If you continue to do what you have done the past 12 months where will you be? Tom Peters said it best: “If you don’t like change, you are going to hate irrelevance.”

Shortsighted Panic

One thing is for certain - we will all have crises in our lives. Unless we cocoon ourselves into an existence of pure safety, the challenges of life and business will touch us. Often times we forget that we are paid as professionals to solve the problems that confront us. The problems are what feed our existence and help us grow.

It is funny when the problems we face become bigger than they need to be in our minds. Instead of keeping the long view of our business - growing revenue, developing relationships, creating a brand, delivering a perfect experience - we can become overwhelmed by our predicament. We can become shortsighted. In so doing, our creativity can be paralyzed. All we have as business professionals is our ability to solve problems. Yes, we need to focus on the shortsighted things that confront us, but keep the long view in mind. You will get through your crisis. Your problem usually can be solved. That long view will keep your creativity and enthusiasm strong and your problems will just be obstacles to get through.

Your Agility and Your Ability

Think about the year 1996. 10 years ago, what were you doing? Did you use your cell phone nearly as much, if you had one? How about email? What about a web site? Or online banking? Now think about the year 2016. What do you believe will be different?

Too often people are focused on their ability. This is a good thing; however, the better thing is agility - your ability to change to the demands of reality. Are you constantly growing and able to incorporate change? Or are you finding yourself posing and pretending in situations which are new or risky? Your agility is the factor which will allow you to thrive. Without a constant attention and desire to change, grow and be agile, you may be overcome by the rapidity of the new economy.

« Previous Page — Next Page »