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.

The Parable of the Treadmill

Funny thing happened at the health club this morning...the power went out. Everything was humming along, people straining through workouts, TV monitors glowing, treadmills and Stairmasters and ellipticals keeping a steady, muscular beat.

And then, suddenly, BLIP. Power gone.

I was just starting my 20 minute struggle with an elliptical machine when the club went dark. Suddenly, everyone who was running on the treadmills came to a screeching, violent stop. One woman who was tearing up her treadmill at an elite distance runner's pace fell down. The belts were silent.

Over on the ellipticals, though, it was business as usual. In the darkness before dawn, everyone who was relying on their own power was still working out, LED's still glowing, charting our progress while the rest of the health club was standing around.

It struck me that there's a lesson here. Not that you should avoid treadmills...but that if you're counting on someone or something else to provide your momentum, you run the risk of unexpected failure. When you're providing your own momentum, if you stop it's because you choose to stop.

The L Factor

I'm a political junkie. I watch all the cable shows. Read the daily blogs. Named my dog C-SPAN. :-) I won't ever join the fray because I know just how much of a bloody business it is and even the most honest politician has some dirty birds clucking in the bushes.

So as I'm watching the tremendous groundswell of support that Barack Obama (D) and Mike Huckabee (R) are enjoying lately, I keep hearing this phrase used as the reason:
"It's his likeability factor."

I couldn't agree more. If our society obsesses over celebrity, it's only natural that our leaders would be chosen more for their personal appeal than for their experience or position papers. A friend who works for a prominent pollster told me that their research shows that "Hillary will never be elected President--most people secretly don't want to look at that face or hear that voice every day for four years?!?"

Nothing can justify a superficial decision-making process...but that doesn't mean it doesn't happen. The truth is that is happens all too often. My belief is that if you're aspiring to a leadership position in any field, you need to be aware of your own "likeability factor."

Tim Sanders has a terrific book on the subject (which isn't exactly a revelation: people who are well liked are more apt to get what they want out of life than those who are disliked.) However, according to Amazon.com, Sanders does offer a valuable look at the four personality traits he says contribute to a person's likability—namely, friendliness, relevance (do you connect on interests or needs?), empathy and "realness" (genuineness or authenticity).

Check it out HERE. It's a Puzzle Principle trait worth focusing on.

The Moment of Truth

Have you seen an advertisement on Fox for their new prime-time game show, The Moment of Truth? According to a casting notice on the Internet, "Contestants who are up for the challenge are hooked up to a lie detector and asked 21 increasingly personal and delicate questions. If a player answers all 21 honestly, as determined by the polygraph, he or she could win $500,000."

(Check out the trailer HERE.)

You can guess what all the buzz will be about--a contestant is strapped to a polygraph and in front of his family, friends, and 20 million strangers admits to stealing from his children's piggy bank...or says she's secretly attracted to her husband's best friend...or tells the world that he hired a hit man to take out dear ol' Grandma for the inheritance.

Even more gut-wrenching is the fact that there's a button where the contestant’s friends and family sit that they can use once during the game to “rescue” the player from a difficult question. Except, according to executive producer Mike Darnell, the friends and family never seem to use the button for its intended purpose. When one contestant was asked if she would be more attracted to her husband if he lost 20 pounds—which is considered a relatively easy query—her husband lunged for the button.

Darnell told the press, gleefully, “This is the first game show where you technically know all the questions and you know all the answers...and yet this is the hardest game show I’ve ever been a part of in my entire life.”

Why? Because the only reason a game about scruples is entertaining...is simply because the players have none.

This is the exact reason why I came up with The Puzzle Principle. When your set of core values is so solid and so accountable that it provides a morally-impregnable solution to each and every scenario your life or career is confronted with, the answers are easy. And, more important, above reproach.

When the "Moment of Truth" appears in your life--how easy will the answer be?

Too Much Menu, Not Enough Plate

Forgive me, friends, for I have sinned--it's been over eight months since I last blogged. Not the kind of track record that leads to success.

My excuse is honest, if not creative. After taking the Managing Director job at the Sacramento Theatre Company in April 2007, I found there was just a little too much housekeeping needed to clean up the place, and on top of my consulting duties and a joyful season as PA announcer for the Sacramento River Cats, I had to let something go.

Until now.

There have been some amazing things I've learned about leadership, non-profit management, personnel issues, and communication that will not only help provide significant material for this blog but will also fill up the pages of a book I know you'll want to read.

If I ever get around to it. :-)

TBIF

Saw this post on Marc Orchant's blog on the website ZDNet and couldn't wait to share it with all the other positive people I know:

There's never been a better, more succinct statement of a fulfilling week of work that this morning's acronym form Doc Searls: TBIF - Too Bad It's Friday. Love it.

This is my last day of a busy and fruitful week at the Berkman Center. (I fly home early tomorrow.) There's progress and fun with every meeting, phone call and IM session. I'm here early this morning, freshly fueled by a double cappuccino from Peet's, to prep for a 9am meeting that will pick up where our Wednesday VRM & Public Media workshop left off.

Like Doc, I'm fortunate to have gotten my life to a place where I genuinely enjoy most everything I'm engaged in doing. That's not to say there aren't days that suck because of course there are. But when you can get to Friday and say "TBIF", you know you have gotten into a true flow state.

(I agree with Marc...that's one of the best descriptions of a fulfilling career I've ever read!)

MC Rove

Sometimes it pays to be silly. Even when you're the top advisor to the most powerful man in the world. Check out Karl Rove at the Radio and Television Correspondents Association annual dinner and roast HERE. (Caution--white men dancing. Hide the children...)

When you're in a high-pressure job where everyone seems to be taking shots at you, it's good to let loose and show everyone--especially your critics--that you have a sense of humor. Even if you don't have a sense of rhythm.

A Man With A Toothache

Life gets rough sometimes. Especially at work. Your boss gets mad, you miss a deadline, you lose a big account, or worst of all, you get fired. Studies show that:

• 40% of workers reported their job was very or extremely stressful
• Three fourths of employees believe that workers have more on-the-job stress than a generation ago
• 26 percent of workers said they were "often or very often burned out or stressed by their work"
• Job stress is more strongly associated with health complaints than financial or family problems.

No wonder that absenteeism is at an all-time high. So what's the solution? I think it's all in your perspective.

Sigmund Freud once said, "A man with a toothache cannot be in love." He meant that people tend to obsess over minor problems to the detriment of the more important things in life. A little attitude adjustment could go a long way toward fixing the problem. Dan Miller at 48Days.com has some terrific advice to help you ignore that "toothache"--

Make additional deposits of success in your physical well-being. The energy and creativity that can come from a sharp mind and body can generate the very ideas you need at this time. Organize a pot-luck with a group of your friends – you’ll be surprised how many of them are going through a similar experience and providing one dish will cost you no more than eating your own meal. Pick up a great book to read. If you read only 10 minutes a day you can read a new book a month – and that can transform your insight and preparation for new options. Stay connected spiritually. You’ll realize that in the scope of eternity, this event is probably a tiny spot on the timeline.

(I once got fired from a radio station where I had worked as a morning DJ for over 10 years...and the minute the GM broke the bad news to me, I drove home, kissed my wife and played on the floor with my 2 year-old son. Talk about perspective! )

It reminds me of a joke--these two brain surgeons were preparing for emergency surgery and one of the doctors was concerned about the prospects for success. The other doctor patted his peer on the back and said, "Don't worry...I mean, after all, it's not radio, it's just brain surgery." Again, perspective.

Your life cannot be broken without your permission. Find a way to triumph.

Can I Get A Witness?

One of the most important things you can have is an accountability partner--someone you trust and respect who loves you but doesn't have a problem telling you when you're off track. Most successful people have accountability partners and it's an invaluable asset. And it can make you a better speaker.

Have that trusted friend (or professional advisor) stop by a practice session or witness your presentation...and ask them to give you a constructive critique. What worked and what didn't and why. Things they heard the audience say afterwards. (It's great to have a friend hanging around, overhearing conversations about your performance. My wife loves to go to my shows and anonymously hear people complimenting my stuff!)

That witness can help you smooth out the rough spots and, better yet, praise you for the things that shine in your speech. You'll find your performance will improve dramatically!

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.

The Fifth Element

Breathing easier today...remember that audition in San Francisco I talked about last month? They finally called this morning and I've got a voice over gig later today. And it only took 32 days for them to decide to use me.

It doesn't always happen like that but when it does, it's good to remember the fifth element of successful performance...let's run through the list:

1. Plan -- Nothing beats great planning. Have a firm grasp of the big picture, understand WHY you're speaking, and then determine the theme and structure of your presentation.
2. Prepare -- Research, interview, get advice, and take care of the little touches that will make your speech a guaranteed success.
3. Practice -- Make sure your presentation is flawless and THEN start the rehearsal process. (Remember, practice doesn't make perfect...perfect practice makes perfect.)
4. Present -- If you've done everything above correctly, then you can relax and have fun!

and the fifth element--Patience. Everything happens when it's supposed to happen. so you might as well enjoy the ride.

The Broken Window Theory

Every time I pass a store where one of the lights on its sign is out--or worse, the sign is broken--I wonder about the quality of the service inside.

In academic circles, it's called the broken-window theory. It holds that when criminals see that even small infractions are met and punished, they know that larger crimes will be met and punished. It also suggests that when neighborhoods deteriorate, criminals will thrive.

My dad had a much simpler explanation. He always told me, "Fix the window or people will think you don't care...and if you don't care, they won't care either." The point was that taking care of the details can make a big difference with the people you do business with.

How are the "windows" where you work--anything to fix there? Is the lobby clean? How about the parking lot? Does your receptionist greet everyone in a friendly and timely manner? Is your answering machine or voice mail message clean and bright?

And the "broken-window theory" doesn't stop at the lobby--what about your sales presentations? Your brochures--when's the last time you updated them? How about your business cards? Do they make a lasting first impression?

You can improve customer response dramatically just by fixing your organization's "broken windows." (So what are you waiting for?)

Great PR!

In the Hot Seat: Actor, DJ, cook -- is there anything Mark Standriff doesn't do?


By Gwen Schoen - Bee Staff Writer


Mark Standriff, a resident actor at the Sacramento Theatre Company, is also a morning DJ on 103.9 The Fish. Sacramento Bee/Jay Mather

Wow. You can't get much better publicity than this--a terrific profile article in the Sacramento Bee! Check it out HERE.

A Few Great Thoughts

"Those who are fired with an enthusiastic idea and who allow it to take hold and dominate their thoughts find that new worlds open for them. As long as enthusiasm holds out, so will new opportunities."
--Norman Vincent Peale

"Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm."
--Winston Churchill

"One machine can do the work of fifty ordinary men. No machine can do the work of one extraordinary man."
--Elbert Hubbard

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

"People often say that motivation doesn't last. Well, neither does bathing-that's why we recommend it daily."
--Zig Ziglar

The Puzzle Principle

Later this week, I'll be officially announcing my new platform, The Puzzle Principle: How To Create Long-Term Success in a Short-Term World, in the next issue of my MARKtalks newsletter. (If you'd like a free monthly subscription, send me a note at Mark@MARKtalks.com!)

A Little "Messy" In Your Life

I just heard a report that says retail clothing stores regularly display a couple of items that haven't been folded right on top of a neatly-piled stack of merchandise. The reason? People feel uncomfortable messing up something that looks so carefully placed...and the "messy" items invite them to pick up, handle, and hopefully purchase something.

How can a little "messy" help you? We tend to see practically-perfect people as unapproachable and distant. Letting down your guard, showing some self-depricating humor, maybe even asking for some help or advice when you don't really need it will go a long way toward winning admiration and respect.

The leaders who aren't afraid to show their human side usually gain stronger and more faithful followers than those who hate to have any "messy" around them.