Cleansing Technique

Boy, do I feel light!

A little over a month ago, I was suffering through all the symptoms of overworking, overeating, and overindulging. It seemed a little counter-intuitive that I was struggling with a book that had to do with long-term success and value statements when my own values were losing a grip on my long-term vision. That's when the cleanse happened.

My wife and I went on a master cleanse program known as the "Lemonade Diet." Basically, all you "eat" for 10 days is a drink made up of fresh-squeezed lemon juice, grade B organic maple syrup, purified water and cayenne pepper. Couple that with a morning saline flush and a cup of herbal laxative tea before bed every day and Roto Rooter couldn't do a better job of getting rid of the goop. (Check the diet out for yourself HERE.)

But I didn't stop there. I decided to do a master cleanse on my life. Cleaned out the bookshelves, the garage and the closet. Wiped out all the old email and purged my laptop of unnecessary files. Got rid of everything that was clogging up my chances for success.

Lesson learned. You can't talk about a life-changing theory when you're breaking all the advice you want others to follow.

Now, I'm ready to roll. I've lost 20 pounds, have all kinds of room in my house, and best of all, I feel totally prepared to work on my long-overdue projects. Wish me luck.

Resolve To Serve

Wondering what you as the leader of your organization can do better this year? Why not resolve to serve your customers with the respect and attention they deserve?

A majority of companies lack a commitment to customers and a continuing poor understanding of the value of customers. A survey conducted by the Strativity Group uncovered these results:
-- 54 percent of senior executives admit they do not deserve their customers' loyalty.
-- 87 percent of execs don't know their average annual customer value.
-- 67 percent agree that their execs do not meet frequently with customers.
-- Only 33 percent say that they have the tools and authority to serve their customers.

The average consumer will probably show more loyalty to the businesses that show them more loyalty. The organizations who make a consistent and passionate effort to show their customers how much they appreciate them will be the ones who thrive, not just survive.

What's Your Time Worth?

So...you never have enough time to work out. The house is a mess because you're rushing from appointment to appointment. You can't finish that book you've always wanted to write because there's so much going on in your life. You're just. Too. Busy. Right?

Wrong. You'd be surprised to find out how much time you really have to do the things you really want. I found a terrific site on FineLiving.com called Take Back Your Time that actually lets you calculate where you spend all that time every week. Then go to What's Your Time Worth? for lots of practical (and maybe a little pricey) personal services that help you find that extra time you've been dreaming about.

Now. You'll have time to lose weight--20 minutes x 4 days a week = 5 pounds a month. Hiring a cleaning service wipes away the guilt and gives you 9 hours a week to organize that hectic schedule. And about that book? Zig Ziglar writes a book a year, just by writing about a page and a half a day. Takes him around 45 minutes.

You can do all that. It just takes a little time.

Stop Setting Goals!

It's frustrating to see the passion for goal-setting that continues to pervade the advice that management consultants are handing out these days. "Set challenging goals!" "Focus on your dream!" "Chart a course for success!"

Don't get me wrong. I love setting goals. I'm King of the To-Do List. But the problem I have is that too many people get caught up in the "what' and "how"...and they never ask "WHY?" Why do I need this? Why is this goal so important?

It all goes back to The Puzzle Principle--How To Create Long-Term Success In A Short-Term World. Whether you hear my speech or take my seminar, you discover that all the personal and professional goals in the world mean nothing without a clear sense of what the "Big Picture" looks like and why you want it to look like that.

Focus and direction are worthless without the values to support them. That's a success philosophy you can bank on.