December 2014 Newsletter - Why Replacing You Should Be Your #1 Goal for 2015

Letter from the Editor

By now most, if not all, of your holiday celebrations with family and friends are wrapping up, with the exception of ringing in the new year! As you prepare to welcome 2015, have you thought about what you want your new year to look like?I’m not talking about the normal New Year Resolution that is quickly tossed aside. I’m talking about what YOU really want and how you are going to make it happen. Yes, you need a plan... yes, you need a team... yes, you need to be 1000% committed to getting what you say you want. But, before you jump in to whatever goals you set, please take part in this simple year end exercise. It will change your outlook; your attitude and the results you attain in 2015.

Year-end Completion Exercise:

Sometime within the next few days, I want you to sit down in a quiet space (by yourself, with your significant other, or your family as a whole) and write down all of the things you have accomplished since January 1, 2014. Write down all of your accomplishments including: personal, business, health, financial, recreation, communication, relationships, and anything else you can think of.The purpose of this exercise is to shift your focus from any negative self-talk to positive; from a glass half-empty way of thinking to a glass half-full way of thinking! By focusing your energy on the good you do and the goals you have achieved, you instantly create a whole new attitude about where you are in life and what your abilities are. Standing there, you can then take on your plan for reaching your 2015 goals from a much more powerful state of mind!Do you want to know how to make your list even more valuable? Teach from it! You can keep the list hidden in a drawer for your eyes only, but consider the value you get from sharing it with others. Your kids will get lit up seeing all that has been accomplished as a family. Your team will be energized through the realization that they are a part of a dynamic team, and you will teach others the value of acknowledging their own accomplishments.So, please, get out your paper and pen, take some time to reflect on all that you, your family, and your team has accomplished this year, and write down everything you can think of! Instantly, you will transform your attitude and the prospects for your new year too!For more information and a complete explanation of the end-of-year completion exercise, take 45-minutes and watch the recording of my most recent webinar - “New Year. New Attitude.” Best Wishes to You for an Outrageous and Happy New Year!Clay S. Nelson

Why Replacing You Should Be Your #1 Goal for 2015

The last several years have no doubt been difficult on your business’ bottom-line, and with the economy once again moving along, succeeding in your #1 goal of growing your business actually seems attainable! But, if you aren’t careful, you can actually hinder your progress. Don’t get caught up in “doing it all” in order to grow your business! Instead, make replacing YOU your #1 goal and the rest will follow!What do I mean by “Replace You?” What we’re talking about is how to raise the bar on who you are being as a leader; taking on a mindset where you can step out of controlling it all, grow your team, teach others how to do what you do, and be the leader you need to be in order to have the freedom to grow your company to its greatest potential!

Think about it:

• If you do it all, where do you get to rest?
• If you do it all, where does your mind have a place to create from?
• If you do it all, how can you take on whatever is necessary to move on to what’s next for you and the company (and team) you lead?

The consequences of “doing it all” are clear, but fear can keep even the greatest of leaders from truly stepping out of doing and simply being. The problem with this, however, is that there is a limit to how much you can do yourself, and it has a negative impact on your team as well! The cost of choosing not replace you includes:Poor morale—If you don’t allow your employees to contribute their talents to the good of the company, they will eventually find a place to work where they can contribute and where their talents are recognized and put to good use. Note: The number one need an employee has is to be acknowledged!Burnout—You as a leader can’t do it all, and if you insist on doing it all, eventually you will run out of energy.Not seeing the big picture—When you are busy micromanaging your team and your business, you risk not seeing the big picture, missing opportunities, and making hasty decisions that in the long run are either too costly or are out of line with what your plan says you want to achieve! And, if you don’t involve your team in what it takes to do what you do for the business, they can’t see the big picture either... they don’t have a clear vision of why anyone is doing what they do, which diminishes the energy and the passion they put behind the job they do.Limiting growth—If you as a leader insist on being involved in absolutely every detail of your company – what you produce and how it is produced, knowing about every change order, micromanaging office staff, or even insisting that all communications with clients filter through you – then you are the limit to that which can be achieved!Remember: What’s next for you as a Visionary Leader—who’s replacing yourself—is about being outrageously committed and present to who you are being inside of that commitment. Standing there, you can then create a vision and plan of action for getting anything you say you want for your company (and yourself and team)!So while replacing you can be a scary thing, just imagine:

• Having a team empowered to accomplish your vision.
• Your team thinking not just in terms of checking off tasks from a list, but in terms of asking, “How can we do this better and more efficiently? How can I contribute to the success of the company?"
• Your business working without you having to be there.
• Having time for yourself and your family!
• Being the visionary, the creator of new ideas and goals, rather than doing all of the work.

Just imagine what you, your company, and your team can accomplish with that kind of power, clarity, and team work behind it!Make Replacing YOU your #1 goal for 2015 and as both you and your team grow and move forward to what’s next... you will see that anything is possible!Editor’s Note: Be sure and see next month’s issue of More Than Just a Thought, for the steps you need to take and systems you need to put into place in order to reach your goal of Replacing You.

Create More Fun

When you think about what you want your new year to look like, be sure to include the goal of having more fun!Yes, there is always work to do, but don’t be someone who sacrifices fun whenever anything else remains incomplete or unfinished in your life because you just don’t “have time!” Fun is an important part of life. It helps you relax, reduce stress, and stay sane in the midst of a crazy world. Fun can be in the form of physical activities, hobbies, volunteer events, games, movies, or anything else that you LOVE to do. If you are having trouble thinking of something fun, just observe kids of any age...they will remind you what fun is all about.Here are some examples to get you started:

• Throw a party for no reason at all
• Draw pictures in the sand or snow
• Camp with your kids in your own backyard all night
• Give flowers to a total stranger you pass on the street
• Take a bath by candlelight with soft music
• Go play paintball
• Participate in a volunteer run/walk for a charity
• Commit to having a good, out-loud belly laugh every day, even if you just laugh at yourself
• Get some fun friends and spend time with them

Keep in mind, FUN doesn’t have to cost anything either! You don’t have to go on vacation or on a shopping spree to have fun, but to make sure your fun doesn’t get pushed aside when life gets hectic, you do have to plan for it and actually schedule it in your calendar... in Ink!Schedule time for daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly fun activities that light you up just thinking about doing them. Now, put your plan in the car, on your bathroom mirror, and up at work—everywhere you need to put it so you don’t ignore it! Ask your spouse or significant other to hold you accountable for keeping your appointments with FUN. Let the fun begin, and remember—there is no FUN prison!