Articles

What’s it about?:Purpose and Pizzas

Purpose matters

And without it, you can feel lost.

Lacking passion.
Lacking drive.
Lacking motivation.

A job with no meaning is a guaranteed way to live life like a zombie.
No feeling.
No fun.
Just working.

And for some people, having purpose means changing the world.
Thinking big.
Global change.

Making a difference to humanity and the planet.

But it doesn’t have to be that way.

Purpose can be found in many ways.

Which reminds me of the happy pizza chef.

You see…

When I was filming the first version of my LPS online training course several years ago, I was filming in a small city in Lithuania.

And after 8 hours of filming in front of camera each day , I was pretty tired! So I kept going back to the same Italian restaurant next to my hotel.

And there was an open pizza kitchen, where the pizza chef was working away each night.

What really struck me…

Was how happy he seemed.

Smiling.
A spring in his step.
Content.

So after my 3rd or 4th pizza (not in the same night!) I started chatting with him.
And I mentioned that he seemed so happy with his work.
And he agreed.

So I asked him what was so good for him about his job.

And his reply was something like this:

“Well you see. You may think I am just making pizzas. But I am not. I am making memories. People come here with their friends and families. And they share and enjoy my pizzas together. They connect. And it’s the best feeling in the world to know I have played my part in those experiences.”

Now – if that’s not a clear sense of purpose, I don’t know what is!

Makes you think, doesn’t it?

Do you connect with the purpose behind what you do each day?
Does it resonate with you emotionally, not just intellectually?
Or is it just a job that pays the bills?

I’m off to remind myself of my sense of purpose and make sure I live it every day.

How about you?

To your fulfilment.

Steve

What’s it about?:The Wisdom of Pooh Bear

Have you found your Pooh?

(Please notice the spelling here – otherwise that would be a really weird way to start today’s message!)

I am talking about Pooh Bear of course, and the simple wisdom we can learn from him.

You see…

I was listening to one of my favourite books yesterday, the Tao of Pooh by Benjamin Hoff.

And it reminded me of how many people are still searching for their “inner Pooh Bear”.

Sadly, many never find it.

The human psyche is so beautifully described in A.A.Milne’s stories of Pooh.

First there’s Piglet.

The worrier.
The anxious mind.
The “What if….” part of us that worries about what has not yet happened and is nervous and on edge.

Then, there’s Eeyore the donkey.
The depressed part of the human mind.
Nothing is possible.
Nothing can be changed.
The part of humans that replies to a simple “Good Morning” with questions like “Is it a good morning? Doesn’t seem that way to me.”

And not to forget…

Owl.

The intellectual.
The scientist.
The character who wants an explanation for everything.
The person who thinks a lot.
Can always search for answers and a reason.
When sometimes there just isn’t one.
(At least not one that science or intellect can explain)

And then there’s Tigger.

The bouncy tiger who can do and be and achieve anything.

“Can tiggers climb trees?” asked Piglet.
“Of course we can!” replied Tigger.

Tigger bounces up a tree.
Only to find he can’t get down and is stuck.

And now to the voice of wisdom.

Pooh Bear.

How can Pooh be described?

Well, Pooh just…. “is”.

The mindful.
The wise.
The intuitive.

The part of us which knows that the only true quality to be found in life is in the moment of now.

Simple yet true.

“What day is it?” asked Piglet.
“It’s my favourite day,” replied Pooh.
“Why is it your favourite day?” snapped Owl.
“Because it’s today,” said Pooh.

Bad memories of the past.
Regret.
Dwelling on mistakes.

They do not serve you in any way.

Worries about the future.
The “what if…?” questions you can’t answer.
Attempting to control things in an unpredictable world.

Guaranteed to bring unnecessary anxiety and stress.

Enjoying the simplicity of now…

The sweet taste of the honey (Pooh’s favourite.)
The smell of the flower.
The laughter with a friend.
The warmth off a hug.
The taste off your favourite tea.

The sunset across the ocean.

Herein lies the quality of life.

Something a small bear called Winnie the Pooh knows all about.

I’m off to find my inner Pooh Bear and be less of a Piglet, Owl, Eeyore or Tigger.

How about you?

To your fulfilment.

Steve

What’s it about?:Clarity on what REALLY makes humans happy

“Money can’t buy you love (or happiness)”

If there’s one question I’ve been asked more than any, it has to be,

“Steve, what makes people happy?”

My answer?

I don’t know. It’s a personal, subjective thing, right?

But I do have some pretty good guidelines I can share with you taken from credible psychological studies.

You see…

Money doesn’t make anyone happy.

Sure it gives security.
Sure it gives choice.
Sure it gives status.

But it won’t ever make your heart sing.

And it won’t be what you think about on your deathbed when you reflect back on the happiest moments of your life.

Psychological studies agree with me.

And here’s the great news!

To start boosting how happy you feel today is free and it’s easy.

So here’s just 5 proven tips to rocket your happiness levels into the next galaxy…

1 – Grab 7 minutes of exercise per day

…and let those feel-good endorphins fly into your body and energise you.

2 – Give more authentic compliments

It’s true, a genuine act of giving a compliment to another person (“you look great today”, “I just love your enthusiasm”)
will boost serotonin levels in your blood and you’ll feel great.

3 – Dream dream dream

You see, sleep is our natural way of dumping any negative emotions (we dream out suppressed negative energy!).
So if you had any challenges the day before, providing you get a good night of healthy sleep and had several dream cycles, you will wake feeling fresh.

You have dumped your emotional baggage in the land of dreams and are free and ready for the challenges of the new day

4 – Smile and laugh more

Young kids laugh or smile around 500 times a day on average. Busy executives are lucky if they top 15 smiles a day on average.

Each time we smile it increases our levels of happy hormones and improves our attention and focus.

So who’s smartest here, kids or executives?

Make a conscious effort to smile and laugh more.

5 – Be more and do less

Your official title is a human being, not a human doing.

So why is it that so many people do, do and do more but don’t prioritise time just to “be”?

And what is being?

It could be many things…

A reflective, peaceful walk in nature.
Meditating and learning to switch off your busy thoughts. Time relaxing with your favourite music.

There are endless ways to “be”, you just need to prioritise them.

I’m off to focus on what really makes us happy. How about you?

To your fulfilment.

Steve

What you will get:A chance to re-learn some of the things you did naturally as a child

“When do you let your inner child free?”

I had just finished 2 days of emotional intelligence training with 30 warm-hearted Lithuanian social workers, and was sat enjoying a good steak.

And then it hit me!

So much of what I teach to business leaders are things that children do naturally.

Until we as adults teach them not to!

So why not interview some school children on the wisdom of leadership?

The result?

3 months later, with the help of my close friend and colleague, Irma Liubertiene, I published the book “Leadership Through the Eyes of a Child”

A book packed full of simple wisdom from the minds and hearts of Lithuanian school children.

Here are just 3 of the lessons you and I can re-learn from children (I say “re-learn” because they were very natural to all of us at one time)

1. Play more and have more fun

Have you ever noticed how kids love to play?

And then play some more…
And then some more!

Are they just immature and foolish?

Absolutely not!

You see…

When you play and then play some more, you lose yourself in the act of playing, and you enter a state called the “flow” state.

The flow state is when you lose yourself in the moment of intense concentration and fun.

And being in the flow state has so many benefits…

The part of your brain responsible for self criticism and worrying about unnecessary things shuts down

You reach your highest level of achievement, concentration and performance when you are in the flow state

Your creativity increases dramatically and you will start to experience lots of new ideas

2. Kids want to understand things

“Why is the moon round?”
“Why is the sky blue?”
“Why do I have to eat vegetables?”

Kids ask “Why?” questions a lot.

Why?

Because they want to understand the meaning and purpose behind things.

And isn’t that a really healthy thing to do?

Unfortunately, many adults stop asking “Why” and just accept things as they are.

They stop asking vital questions like…

Why do I do the job I do?
Why am I so tired all the time?
Why have I given up on my dreams?

3. Smiling and laughing

A recent study showed that children laugh or smile on average 300 times a day.

How many times does the average, busy, business person smile or laugh each day?

Around 15 times!

So who is wisest here, kids or business people?

You see…

Each time you smile or laugh you release “happy hormones” like serotonin and dopamine.

So you feel happier, more focused and more energized.

So is it time for you to re-connect with your inner child?

I’m off to go and play and laugh until my stomach hurts. How about you?

Your success partner

Steve

What you will get:The flip side of negative experiences.

Bad is Good.

At least sometimes.

It’s just at the time, it may not feel good.

You see…

Some of your greatest learning and wisdom will come from negative experiences in your life.

Once the pain has passed.
Once the anger has faded.
Once the hurt has gone.

Take a moment now…

…to think of something in your life that triggered negative emotions in you.
A real challenge.
A loss.
A fast track to your anger button.

And now, spend a few moments reflecting on how the event helped you.

For example…

Did it help you grow stronger and discover inner resilience and strength you don’t know you had?

Did it help you appreciate aspects of your life that you were taking for granted?

Did it help you become wiser?

Did it help you to strengthen an important relationship?

Did it help you make important choices?

Did it help you become more honest and open and express your feelings?

Did it help you to become a more compassionate and forgiving person?

Did it help you gain clarity on what is right for you?

And now…

Think about how this learning has helped you and will continue to help you in the future?

The growth it gave you that will stay as a part of you .

The new opportunities it has revealed to you.

The clearer perspective it gifted you.

You see…

Bad is often Good.

It just takes a the good a little time to emerge, once the fog of emotion has cleared.

Because every time that mist rolls in from the sea, you know it will not last.

You know mist always passes and is followed by rays of sunshine.

I’m off to reflect on how much the negative experiences in my life have given me.

How about you?

To your fulfilment.

Steve

What you will get:A chance to review your current energy levels

“Are you managing your energy spirals?”

“I feel tired most of the time”
“I just don’t have the spark I had when I was younger”
“I wish I had more energy”
“I just want to collapse in front of the TV when I get home”

Sound familiar?

Who doesn’t want more energy?

More energy to work.
More energy to play.
More energy to do all the things you want to do.

Over the last decade, I have coached thousands of fellow leaders, and one of the most common things people want to improve is their energy.

So where do you start?

Well the first thing to realise is that there are different types of energy.

There is your…

Physical energy
Mental energy
Emotional energy

And your…

Spiritual energy

Your physical energy is about your fitness, diet, weight and general health.

Your mental energy is about your mindset, positivity, optimism and general outlook towards life.

Your emotional energy is about how your are feeling day to day and the balance of positive emotions and negative emotions you have

And your spiritual energy is about your connection to something bigger – perhaps God, nature, a higher purpose or the universe.

And what’s more, the four types of energy are all connected.

Picture the scene…

You’ve had a bad day at work and are feeling irritated and demotivated (emotional energy)

…so you skip your evening run (physical energy)

…and you sit and worry about the problems of the day (your mental energy)

…and totally forget to get a sense of perspective on what really matters (your spiritual energy)

Before you know it…

You are trapped in a negative energy spiral!

But hang on a minute!

You can reverse this anytime you want!

So you decide to focus on 3 good things that happened today (mental energy goes up)

…and that triggers some good feelings and you start to smile (emotional energy goes up)

… which means you decide to go for that run after all (improves your physical energy)

…and whilst jogging you notice the beautiful nature around you and get a clearer sense of perspective of what really matters (spiritual energy is up)

In fact, you just activated your positive energy spiral.

I’m off to actively manage my energy spirals – How about you?

To your fulfilment.

Steve

What you will get:Tips to Overcome Procrastination

“It’s the silent Dream Killer!”

It creeps up on you.
Like a silent killer.
And it keeps coming back.

Until one day…

You have missed your chance.
Your dreams will never become a reality.
It’s just too late.

What am I talking about?

PROCRASTINATION.

That horrible little thing that stops you doing the most important things.
Those important things that will lead you to a better life – giving your more time, more success and more freedom.

“I’ll just do it later”
“This needs to be done first”
“Just a few minutes on Facebook can’t do any harm.”
“I’ll just watch one more episode of Breaking Bad”

Sound familiar?

And what’s more…

Some people become professional procrastinators. Experts in the field.

Here’s what they do…

Step 1 – Become aware of what they really should be doing
Step 2 – Find other less important stuff to do
Step 3 – Kid themselves step 2 is needed
Step 4 – Start feeling guilty or stressed for not doing step 1
Step 5 – Repeat for life

So remember…

Procrastination is not just about being lazy. Sometimes you can work really hard at doing what you should NOT be doing!

Here’s my top tips for busting procrastination:

1. Open a loop. Once you have actually started the task you SHOULD be doing, it’s harder to stop. Even if you only get 2 minutes into it.

2. Use a FOCUS alarm like “Pomodoro” (Google it if you do not know what it is). It will help you break down your task into shorter concentration periods.

3. Always be clear on the WHY of doing things before you start doing them. Tasks without a clear purpose can lack motivation and may seem meaningless

4. Create a clear destination postcard. Before you start visualize the outcome and see, feel and hear the benefits of completing the task

5. Make a promise to others. When you commit to doing a task and make a specific accountability time and date to at least one other person, your chances of completing the task increase by around 30%.

So are you ready to make sure the vampire of procrastination does not suck the lifeblood out of your dreams?

I’m off to focus on a meaningful task, how about you?

Your success partner

Steve