Goal Setting 101 – Clarity in Expressing your Vision

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To understand the importance of Goal setting, you must also focus on the concept of: “Begin with the end in mind.”

Where do you see yourself in 5 or 10 years? Imagine what it feels like to be passionate, in focus and congruent with thought, word and deed. Some can do this right now.

For the rest of us, we need to step back a few steps.

Let’s start with your life, as it exists today. What are your biggest weaknesses – or your greatest challenges? What are the behaviours and environmental circumstances that are holding you back from moving forward? Have you developed habits that sabotage any chance of meaningful change and improvement? Is your comfort zone so desirable that you paralyze your spirit and repeat another day – just like yesterday? This may not be you but perhaps it is someone you care about?

If so, then perhaps we are challenged to think about a few examples that may provide the starter fuel to our goal of setting a clear vision for our future.

I would like to suggest that this may be because we come from an area of scarcity instead of abundance. Sadly, many of us resist goal setting because it puts us in a place of fear or regret, doubt or shame. This scarcity focus will crash any chance of dreams as they might become nightmares.

There is good news! We can use a simple technique to put your goals in a positive light.

1. Write out as many goals as you can imagine. At least 20.

2. Write out goals or dreams that you have already accomplished or received.

 

What?

 

That’s right. In order to place your mind in an area of abundance, you need to describe in writing your goals and dreams that are already in your life.

It may be – I want a loyal loving dog that I can come home to and this companion loves and accepts me for who I am.   If you have that pet, then write it out somewhat as shown.

This exercise not only gives you great appreciation and gratitude but it is essential in your goal setting exercise. You see beyond the benefits just mentioned, it places you in a position of abundance.

3. Now write out your goals, alternating between the dreams that you have achieved and the ones that are still out there.

This technique will enable you to interleave the positive ‘abundant’ goals with the ones that may trigger doubt, remorse, shame, guilt and all of the other chains and anchors stopping you from making wonderful life filling progress.

Once that is done, you will have made a large step towards building up a powerful list of achievable goals.

Please try this now. 20 goals of hopes and dreams and 20 goals that are already in your life. You will be able to pair them down later.

I should caution that once you have these goals, you may experience some emotions that might be uncomfortable. That is normal. It is like receiving a gift that you feel you don’t deserve. Accept these feelings but then place them to the side as you understand the importance of having your goals serve your needs – (not the other way around).

Credit: life Coach School – Brooke Castillo podcast Ep. # 3 How to Set Goals.

Leadership and Life Coaching – Time to Get Serious

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I am so excited to start providing better content for your needs.

It’s time to roll up our sleeves and get serious about what is important.  The fundamentals that are important to you and valuable to your immediate world – and finally that in turn will become a benefit to our larger world; a human world where we find our path.  A world where we listen to the needs of others and become more effective at helping others and as a selfish benefit, we become more fulfilled in the process.

Are you ready?

I am.  I will be making mistakes along the way but with your input and feedback, we can make changes that improve lives – one step and one person at a time.

So, how do we do this?

First, we realize that we need a vision.  A goal.  There is no sense pursuing a path without understanding the objective.  The Why?

If we want to change in meaningful ways, then our vision must be clear.

How can we articulate our vision?  Many of us know that we want to be better.  We ‘feel’ that in our bones.  Yet we can’t express it with clarity.

In the next blog, we will start with ‘Clarity in Expressing Your Vision’.  Funny play on words but pertinent as we cannot guide ourselves or others until we have that objective completed.  Martin Luther King Jr. was able to express his vision.  As did John F. Kennedy, Steven Jobs, Richard Branson, Ghandi and the list goes on.

 

Enjoy life and see you soon. We are in for an afterburner ride to success and fulfillment.

Exciting Radio Interview

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Wow, the wonders of our internet age. I joined Twitter; gathered a following and followed others; made some connections and within no time, I have an interview invite from someone more than 3,000 miles away.

Domonick Domasky is an author and host of an Inspirational Talk show.  His friendly approachable character made the opportunity to share some stories a pleasure.  If you have time to sit with a cup of your favourite beverage, I invite you to listen in.

Just click on the Title below.

Taking Flight to Your Dreams.

Aviation is Now Normal – What a Pity

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I recently saw the trailer to the upcoming documentary, Invisible Highway.

I look forward to seeing the program as it is aligned with my deepest beliefs.  My love of flying, my gratitude to the pioneers and visionaries that have made the amazing strides in flying efficiency and wonder.  These men and women  have steered my  soul since I was a teen. It saddens me to think that most of us have become complacent, even openly critical about our air transportation system.

It is legitimate to feel frustrated if you have an expectation, however we also sadly miss the opportunity to be grateful.  We lose when we don’t make that marked effort to appreciate how fortunate we truly are. The fact that just a century ago our world had no ability to connect at these speeds and locations.  Today the masses have access to safer transportation and you no longer need to be in the elite or the daredevil class to fly.  This gift is only due to man’s curiosity, courage, tenacity and belief in a dream.  Let us continue to nurture these virtues. Let’s not lose out on the pleasure and fulfillment of gratitude.

Flying has come so far and it is moving faster and better at exponential rates.

Hang on for the ride.  I know I am.

Your Life – Painter’s Canvas or an Office InBox.

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Many of us seem to live our life as a never empty inBox.  Tasks stack up and we work through them.  Just when the pile is getting lowered, another pile of duties and problems roll in and we are forced to handle yet another crisis or mundane task.  This is hardly an appealing way to look at our lives and for many the option of breaking free from this drudgery seems hopeless.

But what if we kept these tasks. Continued to handle them and yet felt freedom and creative energy of a brilliant artist?

What?

I propose that we chose our state of mind

You cannot control what happens to you, but you can control your attitude toward what happens to you, and in that, you will be mastering change rather than allowing it to master you. ~ Brian Tracy

So how do we make this subtle but critical twist?

In aviation, we often complete repetitive tasks that require attention and precision but can become at times boring or laborious.  One of the joys of flying is that every trip or mission is different and even though many of the tasks may seem the same we have an opportunity to perfect them. Just as a musician makes a better example of her work each time she plays a piece, a pilot can see the results of his efforts at the conclusion of his flight.  A debrief will illuminate what went well and what could have been improved.

The best way I know to stay focused and motivated on each and every flight is to conduct it like I was given a blank artist’s canvas.  Each check, radio call, communication with the crew or timely switch selection is recorded like a painter’s brush stroke.  Some perfectly placed and others –  well ‘smudged’ at best.  The satisfaction is stepping back and looking at your completed piece at the end of the flight. What went well and what could have been improved.

So how can you turn your tasks from a dreary mundane inBox into a creative Canvas.

Remember, there are no shortages of canvases. Tomorrow, you will have more tasks and problems that challenge your creative gifts to solve.  Try to imagine them as a chance for you to paint a canvas that is a fine piece of art.  Attempt to execute the routine and the mundane in creative motivating ways that solve problems more elegantly and with less effort.  Perhaps benefiting more of those around you.

This perspective can change your outlook to your working world, whether at home, office or away.

Good luck on your new painting!

Accident analysis – Reason’s Model how does this apply in Life

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What can we learn from Accident Investigation in our own lives?  And, what valuable life lessons can we use daily?

Dr. Reason provided a model that has become known as the Swiss Cheese layers for accident prevention. His example demonstrates how a  variety of processes can interrupt the chain of events leading to an accident.  However each step set in place no matter how close to perfection,  has holes (like swiss cheese) and when the holes line up, a chain of events that can lead to an accident may occur.

So, when it comes to our own lives, what can we do to ensure a safe and desired outcome – in any endeavour?

1. Build layers of protection into our lives.

Here are some examples. We can think of healthy exercise, proper eating, and rest, as layers of defence against disease and illness.  Or, planning our budget, building a savings and investment portfolio to assure financial independence when we no are no longer able or have the desire to work.

2.  Pre conditions.

Fatigue, complacency, attitude, beliefs.  These behaviours can set us up for a disaster.  Samples include: Allowing insurance policies to lapse, driving while tired, believing preparation is unnecessary without regard to the potential failures and hazards. These can all result in reduced layers of protection.

3. Unsafe acts.

Most of us have survived some pretty foolish acts.  Perhaps it involved excessive alcohol/drugs, a daredevil stunt or simply ignoring an obvious precaution.

These are just a few of the latent or active failures that allow an accident chain to breach through all of the layers of defence.

We not only want to have a healthy successful life, but we also enjoy the journey when we can overcome challenges and risk.   The greater the challenges, often results in the most satisfying rewards.

Smart risk therefore, is when we consider the hazards, plan our defences and then tackle the challenge with the confidence that we have put effective planning and preparation in place.

To have a truly exciting and satisfying life we must occasionally take actions that expose us to risk.  It is also most satisfying when we can achieve difficult goals by skillfully navigating through various challenges and hazards.

By creating effective layers of protection as demonstrated in Dr. Reason’s model, we can confidently take the risks required to achieve our goals.

 

The Gift of Giving – It’s not for who you may think

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Growing up, I was amazed at how happy those that served others often felt. They seemed to have a truly inner satisfaction that the rest of us were missing.

I also wondered why I didn’t have a ‘calling’ like so many others to volunteer as willingly as I should.  What was I missing that led me to chose more self-centered pursuits?

Some research shows that people normally develop through 3 phases of maturity.

Dependant, independent and interdependent.

The first is obvious as an infant; we are totally reliant on others for our nurturing and survival.  Once we become able children we exert our independence – pushing away help and accepting the challenges on our own.

Finally, we realize that our needs are best met by enlisting the help of others to match up with our own efforts to produce a finer result.

So that may serve our needs but what about the needs of others?  What motivates us to reach out and help?

Ironically it may even be a selfish act.  Needed, altruistic and admired – but selfish all the same.

Why?

Because it meets our needs more than we can possibly understand.  By turning around the paradigm of looking after ‘me’, we find that joy, freedom, inspiration and satisfaction flow richly into our lives in ways that we never expected.

So how do we start?

  •  Observe.  People who need your help are all around. You know when you start to focus on any idea and it will start to appear all around you.  Just bought a new white car by Nissan?  Notice all of the white Nissan’s on the road? – so it is with people that could use a hand. Think about helping others and your thoughts will manifest the opportunity.
  •  Take action. Small at first, but make the first step. Say hello and then while assessing their needs, determine how you may help.  Ask, “Can I help you?”  It doesn’t have to be perfect, and you may meet rejection but above all don’t take it personal. Many in need don’t see it or don’t trust and they certainly are not in the most receptive state of mind.
  • Be Generous.  Your time – your money – your energy and maybe most difficult – your pride and reputation.  It costs to be generous – but as many will attest – it is more than worth the investment.
  • Tune out the radio station – WII FM  ‘What’s in it for me’.  When you truly give without expectation of return, you will soon find that the returns are not external.  They come from within. And when that happens, you have reached lasting joy that just can’t be derived from material or selfish means.

Like most pursuits, they take time to master. And the learning can be filled with ups and downs.  Know in your heart you are moving in the right direction and by taking small – real steps each day, you will meet your goals.  (And your needs!)

6 Steps to Better Decisions

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Where do we start with our decision making?  Have we thought about it?  Do we have time to think about it?  After all a decision is demanded of us  – and soon.

Identify the problem. Is there a problem? What are the threats. What is the timeline? Who and what will be impacted? In military terms we gather intelligence, identify the threats, determine axis of attack, assess environmental factors, determine the optimum ingress and egress routes and develop contingency plans.  This planning process involves information gathering.  Sometimes the problem is very simple – or it can be dreadfully complex.

Here is an example of 6 steps.

  1. Identify the objective
  2. Evaluate the threats
  3. Analyze the options
  4. Chose the best course of action
  5. Execute the decision
  6. Record, evaluate, debrief

These may seem like a  military style list for decision-making, yet we can easily use it in our own lives and the principles still apply.

  1. First you need to understand what it is that the decision pertains to, i.e. your understanding of the problem and the need to make a decision.  Look ahead and attempt to predict what impact will occur if no action is taken.  This provides the motivation to move to the next steps.
  2.  Intelligence gathering is the method that Militaries analyze and evaluate the threats.  As we have now analysed the problem and decided that some action may be necessary, we need to gain as much ‘intel’ as possible in the context of making the best choice in our decision.  Threats are not only enemy defences but can include environmental conditions, equipment and training limitations of our personnel, communication limitations or anything that can have an impact on the outcome of our actions. Time becomes an element that limits your research. However, overlooking this step is the biggest cause of failure and regret down the road.  How often have we seen the consequences of poor decisions where the subject uses the feeble excuse of ‘I didn’t realize that?’
  3. Analysis – aah, death by analysis.  It can be paralysing.  In our example, we simply weigh the value of each factor.  Environment, resources, risks and benefits all play into our judgement.  This third step has 3 subsets.
        • a. Weigh the relevant factors. This assures that we are giving appropriate priority to the elements that impact each choice.
        • b. Next you need to consider how the factors that impact your decision. This includes even the lower priority factors in (a.)
        • c. Finally, evaluate the benefits and risks of each choice available.
  1. Choose. This is often the most difficult for many.  Choosing. Did you analyze correctly? Are you missing key information? Did you consult and collaborate? If you have doubts on these questions then it will be an anxious choice indeed.  The less time available, the more you need to leverage your research by enlisting the help of others. We often think and behave with the philosophy that we can’t afford the time to ask others.  Be careful. Is that true or are you simply afraid they may not agree with your prognosis.
  2. Action. It’s time to ‘shoot the puck’.  You will never know whether your choice is correct until it turns into action. This will lead to a best option and finally the act of taking action on your decision. If you are still hesitant at this crucial time, I suggest that you ‘trust your gut’.  I have used this many times when I have dilemmas and the analysis doesn’t provide the convincing argument.  I simply lie back on a bed, with hands at my side and eyes closed.  I imagine or visualize either option, and try not to argue the benefits or risks. I simply ‘feel’ the effects of each scenario.  It often becomes crystal clear in a matter of seconds.  (Disclaimer – It has worked for me.  I make no claim you will have the same results or your decision was best with this method).  That said, it is an amazing feeling to have that clarity when it happens.
  3. Debrief. Many people fail to take this opportunity. Post game analysis is essential to making better choices in the future. It warrants your time and effort. If you were successful, the serotonin kick your body provides you and your team is worthy of celebration. You should also capture all of the factors that helped you in that choice.  If it was the wrong decision, you have just created a fabulous learning opportunity.  Great leaders, inventors and creators have all failed and often.  Don’t cheat yourself.

It’s OK to make a wrong choice. Guess what? We’re human! Let’s just make sure it wasn’t as a result of poor effort. The secret is to practice making decisions. That sounds strange but the impact of making deliberate decisions following these steps will make you better and better at ‘knocking them out of the park’.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Where do we start with our decision making?  Have we thought about it?  Do we have time to think about it?  After all a decision is demanded of us  – and soon.

Identify the problem. Is there a problem? What are the threats?  What is the timeline?  Who and what will be impacted? In military terms we may gather intelligence, identify the threats, determine axis of attack, assess environmental factors, determine the optimum ingress and egress routes and develop contingency plans. This planning process involves information gathering. Sometimes the problem is very simple – or it can be dreadfully complex.

Here is an example of 6 steps.

                  1. Identify the objective
                  2. Evaluate the threats
                  3. Analyze the options
                  4. Chose the best course of action
                  5. Execute the decision
                  6. Record, evaluate, debrief

These may seem like a military style list for decision-making, yet we can easily use it in our own lives and the principles still apply.

                  1. Identify. First you need to understand what it is that the decision pertains to, i.e. your understanding of the problem and the need to make a decision. Look ahead and attempt to predict what impact will occur if no action is taken. This provides the motivation to move to the next steps.
                  1. Evaluate. Intelligence gathering is the method that Militaries analyze and evaluate the threats. As we have now analysed the problem and decided that some action may be necessary, we need to gain as much ‘intel’ as possible in the context of making the best choice in our decision. Threats are not only enemy defences but can include environmental conditions, equipment and training limitations of our personnel, communication limitations or anything that can have an impact on the outcome of our actions. Time becomes an element that limits your research. However, overlooking this step is the biggest cause of failure and regret down the road. How often have we seen the consequences of poor decisions where the subject uses the feeble excuse of ‘I didn’t realize that?’
                  1. Analysis – aah, death by analysis. It can be paralysing. In our example, we simply weigh the value of each factor. Environment, resources, risks and benefits all play into our judgement. This third step has 3 subsets.
                  • a. Weigh the relevant factors. This assures that we are giving appropriate priority to the elements that impact each choice.
                  • b. Next you need to consider how the factors that impact your decision. This includes even the lower priority factors in (a.)
                  • c. Finally, evaluate the benefits and risks of each choice available..

 

                  1. Choose. This is often the most difficult for many. Choosing. Did you analyze correctly? Are you missing key information? Did you consult and collaborate? If you have doubts on these       questions then it will be an anxious choice indeed. The less time available, the more you need to leverage your research by enlisting the help of others. We often think and behave with the philosophy that we can’t afford the time to ask others. Be careful. Is that true or are you simply afraid they may not agree with your prognosis.

 

          1. Action. It’s time to ‘shoot the puck’. You will never know whether your choice is correct until it turns into action. This will lead to a best option and finally the act of taking action on your decision. If you are still hesitant at this crucial time, I suggest that you ‘trust your gut’. I have used this many times when I have dilemmas and the analysis doesn’t provide the convincing argument. I simply lie back on a bed, with hands at my side and eyes closed. I imagine or visualize either option, and try not to argue the benefits or risks. I simply ‘feel’ the effects of each scenario. It often becomes crystal clear in a matter of seconds. (Disclaimer – It has worked for me. I make no claim you will have the same results or your decision was best with this method).
                1. That said, it is an amazing feeling to have that clarity when it happens.6.             Debrief. Many people fail to take this opportunity. Post game analysis is essential to making better choices in the future. It warrants your time and effort. If you were successful, the serotonin kick your body provides you and your team is worthy of celebration. You should also capture all of the factors that helped you in that choice. If it was the wrong decision, you have just created a fabulous learning opportunity. Great leaders, inventors and creators have all failed and often. Don’t cheat yourself.It’s OK to make a wrong choice. Guess what? We’re human! Let’s just make sure it wasn’t as a result of poor effort. The secret is to practice making decisions. That sounds strange but the impact of making deliberate decisions following these steps will make you better and better at ‘knocking them out of the park’.

Ladies & Gentleman, This is uh – your Pilot?

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It is a little humiliating to share my first P.A. with you as a new pilot with Air Canada.  Being a Fighter Pilot, this skill was not part of my portfolio.  You can imagine, I was anxious to do it just right. The plane was a Boeing 727 and I was the third pilot.  Sitting sideways as a Flight Engineer wasn’t the biggest thrill after the ethereal excitement of flying F-18’s but it was a starting position in a great new career.  Our 137 passengers were enroute from Ottawa to Edmonton and I was going to provide them with an update on our route.  Being prepared, I wrote my script about an hour early so I would have time to practice and complete my many systems checks prior to the grand oration.

 

‘Ladies and Gentlemen, boys and girls, I would like to give you an update from the cockpit.  We are at 35,000’ over Lake Winnipeg and our time to destination is 2 hours and 10 minutes. The latest weather is … blah blah blah.’

 

It was written, read and rehearsed in my head until I was certain I would do the company and most of all my entire crew, proud.  So, time passed and I eventually picked up the mic – and gave it my best.  I was quite proud, as it went well with no uhhs and or lengthy pauses. I even did the translation into French.  So feeling relieved, I continued my duties and light conversation with the other two pilots.

 

Then the flight attendant came up and asked if we had a map.  A map?  We’re pilots! Of course, why would she ask that?  They were actually aeronautical charts but they provided us our position and we knew exactly where we were.  This was before GPS, I might smugly add.  Then she said, never mind – it is just there is a German tourist onboard and he thinks of himself as a pretty good navigator and wondered where we were.

 

When she left, I leaned forward to glanced outside from my heavily instrumented side panel console.

 

My heart sank.

 

We were not anywhere near Lake Winnipeg – yet!  I had picked up my personal script early and rattled it off while over the numerous tiny lakes of Northwest Ontario.

 

I can’t remember if I confessed my error to the others. I think I did and they laughed it off – but I never forgot that day.  Could that be a lesson for prepare and then prepare again? Or was it simply a lesson to prepare, then sit back and assess all of the environmental and external variables before pick up the mic?

What Circle are you focused on?

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In the previous post, I mentioned a puzzle – the C. of C. made smaller by the C. of I.?

You have seen the image so you certainly know the answer – the Circle of Concern1 made smaller by your Circle of Influence1.  The diagram shows that as we build the inside circle of influence, it begins to expand and reduces our outer circle of concern.  Examples may be distant wars or the economy causing concern and a feeling of helplessness.  However, perhaps our action as a fundraiser, or an advocate for the poor gives us the power to act and make a difference. Starting small and close to our personal areas of influence enables us to raise our influence so that we may affect greater change over time.  I have used this concept often in my life and minimize my circle of concern by working on the former.  This concept has become quite popular (simply Google search to view this model) and I had forgotten that the amazing Stephen Covey in his 7 Habits series described the original concept.

Increasing your circle of influence involves living in the moment all right, but more importantly it embraces the concept of ‘can’.  I can be more caring  – or – I can be more active. I can make small changes (or large changes) in my community/family/self.

A dear friend was becoming increasingly anxious as she felt she was losing control over her adult child.  This all too common scenario plays out, as the ‘child’ is now independent and is making choices that their parents may not agree with.  This helpless feeling can be overwhelming and all consuming as it was in this case.

A gentle reminder of her power within the circle of influence helped her to refocus on what she could do.  In her case she knew that she could be effective by just being supportive and kind.  She would also seek to be a good example and to pray for guidance.  By focusing her energy on the small things that she could do, it shrunk her outer circle of concern (and worry).

Have you wasted energy and time in the anxiety-pumping region of concern?  What tools have you used to build up your level of influence?  Did you start with small steps?  Kindly, let me know your comments below.

I can’t wait to share the next topic and a great strategy I developed for my family – especially in moments of great concern.    Clue –Turning (____)  into (_____).

 

1. Stephen Covey – 7 Habits of Highly Effective People