Yes, it's that time of year again. Whether you have children or not, I'm sure that you will in some way be affected by the back to school crowds. The roads will be more crowded. You'll have the flashing lights that make you drive slower through the school zones. You may have to run the kids around to different extracurricular activities in the evenings. There is a lot going on at first, but then we should all fall back into the familiar routine.

So, my question today is: The kids are back in school.  Are you?

Ray Kroc once asked it this way: Are you green and growing or ripe and rotting?

Today's World

We live in an information-powered world and a knowledge-powered economy. If you're not continually upgrading your competence, your aptitude, your attitude, you are becoming obsolete.

Henry Ford once said, "If money is your hope for independence you will never have it. The only real security that a man will have in this world is a reserve of knowledge, experience, and ability."

So, regardless of what your bank account balance was a year ago, how does your knowledge account balance compare to the same time last year?

Let's take a look back and answer these questions:

• What have you learned over the past year?

• Did you plan on learning that or was it by accident or coincidence?

• Has that knowledge enhanced your life?

• Did you learn something new in each area of your life? (Your vocation, your recreation, your relationships, your health, your wealth, your spirituality, your internal growth and development, etc.)

• Are you applying what you learned?

• Are you a better person today than you were a year ago?

The Good News

The good news is that the choices you've made in the past don't need to affect how you move forward. You can choose to look at lifelong learning as the dreaded homework assignment that never goes away. Or, you can choose to look at it as an essential strategy for living long and living well.

Learning does not take place in the box we call a classroom or in a conference room or auditorium. We learn more, we learn better, and we learn faster by doing and being actively involved.

So how will this 'school year' be different for you than the last?

Will you be committed to improving YOURSELF or just interested in improving your circumstances? To improve your circumstances, you will only need to learn the latest, fleeting tips & techniques. To improve YOURSELF, you will need to focus on learning the timeless principles of success.

Your Lesson Plans

Every good teacher knows that he or she must plan lessons in advance so that the students will get the most out of their learning time.  These lessons must include repetition, 'boring' tasks, and discipline. Why?  Because the teacher is teaching a new habit.

Just because you are no longer in a formal school environment doesn't mean you shouldn't have your own lesson plans. Take the time today - yes, I mean, today! Don't procrastinate!  Set out your goals for this coming 'school year'. Here are a few questions to consider...

• What areas of your life are the most satisfying to you right now?

• What areas of your life are the most challenging right now?

• What timeless principles could you learn regarding BOTH of these areas to make YOU better?

The Solution

Step #1: Set Learning Goals!!

In his book, The Greatest Salesman in the World , Og Mandino states,

"Today I will multiply my value a hundredfold. And how will I accomplish this? First I will set goals for the day, the week, the month, the year, and my life. Just as the rain must fall before the wheat will crack its shell and sprout, so must I have objectives before my life will crystallize. In setting my goals I will consider my best performance of the past and multiply it a hundredfold. This will be the standard by which I will live in the future. Never will I be of concern that my goals are too high for is it not better to aim my spear at the moon and strike only an eagle than to aim my spear at the eagle and strike only a rock?"

Step #2: Stick with your program even through the rough times.

Og goes on to say,

"Today I will multiply my value a hundredfold. The height of my goals will not hold me in awe though I may stumble often before they are reached. If I stumble I will rise and my falls will not concern me for all men must stumble often to reach the hearth. Only a worm is free from the worry of stumbling. I am not a worm."

Step #3: Practice, Practice, Practice what you learn & never stop doing steps #1 and #2.

Again Og's words:

"In truth, the only difference between those who have failed and those who have succeeded lies in the difference of their habits. Good habits are the key to all success. Bad habits are the unlocked door to failure. Thus, the first law I will obey, which preceedeth all others is - I will form good habits and become their slaves.

"As a child I was slave to my impulses; now I am slave to my habits, as are all grown men. I have surrendered my free will to the years of accumulated habits and the past deeds of my life have already marked out a path which threatens to imprison my future. My actions are ruled by appetite, passion, prejudice, greed, love, fear, environment, habit, and the worst of these tyrants is habit. Therefore, if I must be a slave to habit let me be a slave to good habits. My bad habits must be destroyed and new furrows prepared for good seed."

Replace your old habits with new ones...

"... for any act with practice becomes easy. Thus a new and good habit is born, for when an act becomes easy through constant repetition it becomes a pleasure to perform and if it is a pleasure to perform it is man's nature to perform it often. When I perform it often it becomes a habit and I become its slave and since it is a good habit this is my will."

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Do you need help forming new habits?

Do you need help staying focused and on track?

Are you having trouble deciding where to start?

I CAN HELP!!

The first step is to try our complimentary assessment.

If you find the information accurate, insightful, revealing, or interesting, we can take an in-depth look at your current thought habits. When you purchase a complete assessment and consultation, we will look at how your thoughts have been affecting you, and give you tips on how to recognize the Pivotal Moments in your day where you can make better choices.

Our assessment does NOT measure your personality, behaviors, or attitudes.
It goes much deeper than that by measuring your thoughts processes - HOW you think.

Skeptical? Check out our Testimonials & Our Promise

Here's what one client had to say...

"When originally approached about the 6 Advisors [assessment], I thought ‘What do I have to lose?’ That perception, although positive, quickly changed in scope after I went through my 6 Advisors report and discovered particular areas of personal focus that would help me become ‘my better self’ in business and in character. The 6 Advisors report is now part of my personal daily agenda to review and has helped me considerably to make essential changes in my life. I would personally and professionally recommend this program to anyone who is ready to understand themselves at a deeper level…even more importantly; I would recommend this program to those who are ready to make a substantial positive change in their life."

– Brad H. Clayton-Executive VP-Mobile HQ, Inc.

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Speaking of Learning...

"Being ignorant is not so much a shame, as being unwilling to learn."  - Benjamin Franklin

"Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever."  - Mahatma Gandhi

"Learning is like rowing upstream; not to advance is to drop back."  - Chinese Proverb

"The purpose of learning is growth, and our minds, unlike our bodies, can continue growing as long as we live." 
- Mortimer Adler

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Upcoming Presentations

Would you like to hear more about our assessment, coaching, processes and benefits?  If you are in the Houston area, I will be speaking at area PMI (Project Management Institute) meetings in October 2007 and January 2008. Here's a synopsis of the 1 hour presentation:

As Project Managers, you understand a multitude of processes... Change Management processes, Risk Management processes, Portfolio Management processes, technical processes.  The list can go on and on. But how much do you know about thought processes? You and every member of your team process thoughts - somewhere between 12,000 and 50,000 thoughts per day. In our hour together, we're going to discuss how the science of human values (axiology) and the 3 levels of value relate to PMBOK 1.5.5, and how you can utilize this information to more effectively manage your project(s).

Below is the information on the dates, times and locations. Please feel free to stop by (even if you aren't a project manager).

PMI Houston Galleria Chapter Pre-Meeting: Understanding Thought Processing for Effective Project Management
Date:   10/10/2007 | 5:00 PM - 6:00 PM
Place:   HESS Club
            5430 Westheimer Road
            Houston, TX 77056
            1-877-661-4377 or (713) 627-2283
            http://www.hessclub.com/

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PMI Clear Lake Galveston Chapter Meeting: Understanding Thought Processing for Effective Project Management
Date:   01/24/2008 | 6:15 PM - 8:15 PM
Place:   Mario's Flying Pizza Restaurant
            618 W. NASA Road 1
            Webster, TX 77598

Please contact me if you're interested in a presentation for your organization!

Additional Resources