An innovative mind never goes away. It challenges, not always accepts the easy answer and tries to find ways to improve or create new ways of doing things. While suppression might be the natural response because that's the way one might understand and attempt to control the outcome or process, it sometimes lacks the effort of understanding. Times are faster, and getting even faster. It requires innovation, and out of the box thinking. There is no longer the luxury of time to think things through so throughly. At a time of diminishing resources, expectancy of quick and accurate answers and the human element; how can one reasonably assume that all of this can occur with the status quo. Truth is, you either embrace innovative minds or you spontaneously combust.
Friday, August 31, 2012
Thursday, August 30, 2012
You Are Who You Are
Ever get the feeling at times that some people around you try and put you in a box? That you're supposed to think like them, act like them, be like them. I think we need to be more accepting of who people are. We are all here for a purpose beyond what we understand and were made exactly how we were supposed to be. We all have our strengths and all have our weaknesses, and how much better would we be if we leveraged our strengths as a whole to cover the weaknesses? I feel a John Lennon song playing in the background..imagine all the people...just kidding. All I can do is my part to get better at accepting people for who they are. By the way, I don't believe in boxes.
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Distractions
There are times in our lives when we are offered opportunities to have a new perspective. I almost feel like life starts off as a blurred lens constantly being polished in order to have the ability to see things clearly.
I haven't been in touch with this blog for a bit because I was in the process of gaining a new perspective. I don't like to blog while my thinking is blurry or when I'm trying to gather my thoughts in a positive manner. Truth is, I've allowed distractions to get in the way.
Distractions can create a bit of a whirl wind state. Eventually, you start at the bottom of the tornado and then quickly end up at the top and wondering how you got so far off the ground.
My new slogan: "While there may be many influences around, it's always good to keep your feet on the ground."
It's amazing how many things there are in a day to distract us from what we want to do or what we are supposed to do. So, I've actually started to write it down. Sounds simple, right? I mean we're taught this in grade school. Write down this, keep track of that...as responsibilities get greater and time gets more narrowed, you can tend to forget some of the fundamental things. Just write down what it is that you want to do and post it in a place you go to routinely.
The ultimate goal being learning how to step back, look at what it is that you want and stay on the ground while you go after it.
I haven't been in touch with this blog for a bit because I was in the process of gaining a new perspective. I don't like to blog while my thinking is blurry or when I'm trying to gather my thoughts in a positive manner. Truth is, I've allowed distractions to get in the way.
Distractions can create a bit of a whirl wind state. Eventually, you start at the bottom of the tornado and then quickly end up at the top and wondering how you got so far off the ground.
My new slogan: "While there may be many influences around, it's always good to keep your feet on the ground."
It's amazing how many things there are in a day to distract us from what we want to do or what we are supposed to do. So, I've actually started to write it down. Sounds simple, right? I mean we're taught this in grade school. Write down this, keep track of that...as responsibilities get greater and time gets more narrowed, you can tend to forget some of the fundamental things. Just write down what it is that you want to do and post it in a place you go to routinely.
The ultimate goal being learning how to step back, look at what it is that you want and stay on the ground while you go after it.
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
How To Be Successful
One definition of success is "having succeeded or being marked by a favorable outcome."
Seems like a very simple statement for a such a complex subject. I think of success differently, "the understanding that your purpose is to be successful continuously, not just momentarily."
The meaning of success is changing. It's no longer one thing that defines being successful. It's a continuous trend of doing things successfully. Think about some of the athletes. In the spotlight, in the press, in every other conversation that people have. In a moment being unsuccessful in character, they lose everything. Are they still successful? Guess, it depends on who you talk to.
Success isn't a get rich quick scheme or a moment of doing something good that gets attention. It's a way of life and it's a part of a person's character. Some of the most successful people are good at being steady at balancing the most complicated parts of being a human being. Not all can do this. Few will do this.
Seems like a very simple statement for a such a complex subject. I think of success differently, "the understanding that your purpose is to be successful continuously, not just momentarily."
The meaning of success is changing. It's no longer one thing that defines being successful. It's a continuous trend of doing things successfully. Think about some of the athletes. In the spotlight, in the press, in every other conversation that people have. In a moment being unsuccessful in character, they lose everything. Are they still successful? Guess, it depends on who you talk to.
Success isn't a get rich quick scheme or a moment of doing something good that gets attention. It's a way of life and it's a part of a person's character. Some of the most successful people are good at being steady at balancing the most complicated parts of being a human being. Not all can do this. Few will do this.
Sunday, October 31, 2010
How to Make Six Figures a Year
People often ask me what it takes to make six figures a year. My answer: When hard work meets opportunity. Notice that I said didn't say luck or falling into things.
True story: I remember the day my world changed. The bus fare changed from $0.40 to $0.75 and I had no idea how I was going to get to work. I didn't have a car and I made $2.13 an hour plus tips. To top it all off, I was a high school drop out that earned a G.E.D. because I knew it was better to have that than be a high school drop out. I mean, my thought process was why even graduate high school? I thought it was a joke. Full of people who fit a mold or category and conformed. Why did I want to do that? They didn't understand me. I was forced to understand them. Why be a part of a system I didn't believe in?
So, there I was trying to make bus fare; deciding my life and what I was going to do. I moved out early in life and after a couple of years had nothing to show for it. I had no medical, no car, no house, nothing. Just my paycheck to paycheck living. How frustrating is that after two years?
Something had to change. I couldn't keep living like this. I couldn't just work and not believe in what I was doing. I decided to go to college. I had to take a placement test where I found out I needed take remedial courses and didn't meet basic education requirements; meaning, I had to take remedial courses that wouldn't count as credit towards a degree. I had a high school freshman education and entered into college as such. It was so tough. I felt so behind. I mean, the pressure was on. I was receiving financial aid and completed almost 38 credit units in one year. To do this, I completed 12 credit units in a single summer. Very tough to complete that much curriculum in that short of a period.
Many of my friends came back the second semester with a tan and well rested and here I was, a sophmore and already exhausted. To add to it, I became part of a student worker program and had to work 20 hours a week to start.
My father was suddenly stationed from San Antonio to California and I made a tough decision to stay behind to finish school. That didn't last long before I realized that life was starting to get harder for me and I needed my family. Nearly four months to the day, I moved to California and started to work on educating myself. I started to work full time in the clerical field (at the time I was making more than minimum wage and thought I had finally made it).
It felt good to start making a steady income. Something I could count on. Something I could hold on to. I worked up the ladder in the financial field, then budgeting, then program management, then contracting. All in all, I spent nearly 10 years of working full time to get an associate's degree, a bachelor's degree and then finally a master's degree in business administration. Some weeks I had to work 60 hours and also had school assignments due. Talk about tough.
Each time I achieved a different degree, I applied for a job that required more responsibility. Soon that paid off when I went to apply to be an adjunct instructor teaching business. Varying view point than what I experienced several years prior. I didn't want to graduate high school, but now I wanted to teach? How ironic is that?
Truth is, I believe in teaching with all of my heart. That is because people had chosen that profession and I chose to learn, which ultimately has led to my success.
I noticed that there was a Director position available at an educational institution and thought to myself, I may qualify, but will they give me a chance?
To my surprise they did and I accepted. I never could have placed myself here, but it fits. I get to collaborate with the smartest minds and value the educational process more than I could have imagined. We are all life long learners and the moment we humble ourselves and realize it, the more we might be able to reach our full potential.
So how to you make six figures year? You work hard, never give up and never settle. Most importantly realize that you determine your potential and your potential isn't what people tell you your capable of. Your potential is up to you.
True story: I remember the day my world changed. The bus fare changed from $0.40 to $0.75 and I had no idea how I was going to get to work. I didn't have a car and I made $2.13 an hour plus tips. To top it all off, I was a high school drop out that earned a G.E.D. because I knew it was better to have that than be a high school drop out. I mean, my thought process was why even graduate high school? I thought it was a joke. Full of people who fit a mold or category and conformed. Why did I want to do that? They didn't understand me. I was forced to understand them. Why be a part of a system I didn't believe in?
So, there I was trying to make bus fare; deciding my life and what I was going to do. I moved out early in life and after a couple of years had nothing to show for it. I had no medical, no car, no house, nothing. Just my paycheck to paycheck living. How frustrating is that after two years?
Something had to change. I couldn't keep living like this. I couldn't just work and not believe in what I was doing. I decided to go to college. I had to take a placement test where I found out I needed take remedial courses and didn't meet basic education requirements; meaning, I had to take remedial courses that wouldn't count as credit towards a degree. I had a high school freshman education and entered into college as such. It was so tough. I felt so behind. I mean, the pressure was on. I was receiving financial aid and completed almost 38 credit units in one year. To do this, I completed 12 credit units in a single summer. Very tough to complete that much curriculum in that short of a period.
Many of my friends came back the second semester with a tan and well rested and here I was, a sophmore and already exhausted. To add to it, I became part of a student worker program and had to work 20 hours a week to start.
My father was suddenly stationed from San Antonio to California and I made a tough decision to stay behind to finish school. That didn't last long before I realized that life was starting to get harder for me and I needed my family. Nearly four months to the day, I moved to California and started to work on educating myself. I started to work full time in the clerical field (at the time I was making more than minimum wage and thought I had finally made it).
It felt good to start making a steady income. Something I could count on. Something I could hold on to. I worked up the ladder in the financial field, then budgeting, then program management, then contracting. All in all, I spent nearly 10 years of working full time to get an associate's degree, a bachelor's degree and then finally a master's degree in business administration. Some weeks I had to work 60 hours and also had school assignments due. Talk about tough.
Each time I achieved a different degree, I applied for a job that required more responsibility. Soon that paid off when I went to apply to be an adjunct instructor teaching business. Varying view point than what I experienced several years prior. I didn't want to graduate high school, but now I wanted to teach? How ironic is that?
Truth is, I believe in teaching with all of my heart. That is because people had chosen that profession and I chose to learn, which ultimately has led to my success.
I noticed that there was a Director position available at an educational institution and thought to myself, I may qualify, but will they give me a chance?
To my surprise they did and I accepted. I never could have placed myself here, but it fits. I get to collaborate with the smartest minds and value the educational process more than I could have imagined. We are all life long learners and the moment we humble ourselves and realize it, the more we might be able to reach our full potential.
So how to you make six figures year? You work hard, never give up and never settle. Most importantly realize that you determine your potential and your potential isn't what people tell you your capable of. Your potential is up to you.
Friday, October 29, 2010
Balancing Responsibilities
When I grow up, I want to be a ballerina, gymnist, dancer, singer....
The response: You have to pick one thing and be good at it. There is no way you can be all of those things.
Fast forward to 30 years later, I'm a wife, daughter, sister, friend, leader, athlete, manager, planner, collegue, teacher, singer, chef, author...
It is in us at a young age to want to do more than one thing. Why not plan big? Why not be all of the things that you are capable of? Why not push the envelope everyday?
I remember being frustrated trying to be all of these things. My time seemed to go from task to task and then I'd fall asleep and do it all over again the next day. Looking back, it was because I didn't balance all of the responsibilities that make me who I am. When would I have time to fit in writing or singing or the things I really enjoyed in life? When did I get so busy?
I had to start making some changes. I had to start thinking differently about things. Especially, about how I manage my time. I also had to realize a few things that I hadn't faced before, like maybe not being the best at everything, but good at several things. Here are some lessons learned that I would like to share:
Lesson #1: YOU control what you spend your time on. Pretty powerful words. Some may say, what do you mean? I have so many responsibilities, how do I get to choose? I have to pay bills, I have to change diapers, I have to... Yes, there are some things YOU have to do and somethings you don't need to do. My first order of business. Writing out the things I need to do versus things I need to have done. I realized that I was spending at least four hours a day every weekend cleaning my house. Is this something that I really need to be doing? What about having someone else do it? How can I afford to have someone else do it? I pay about $50 every two weeks to have my house cleaned. The in between weeks, I do a light cleaning, maybe about a half hour. I started to look at my services. Do I really need Direct TV's ultimate package with all of the channels? Do I really need a cell phone and a home phone? It's amazing where you might be able to squeeze out $50. I figure, if I can spend $50 on a tank of gas, I can figure out how to spend $50 getting four hours of my life back per week. For those who think they are the only ones who can clean their house good enough, it's not going to be perfect. Let it go. We are talking about 4 hours a week to help balance other responsibilities that you may have.
Lesson #2: Realize it's okay to be good at lots of things and you don't have to be the best at everything. Eleanor Roosevelt said it best: "Sometimes your best is not enough. Sometimes you must do what is necessary." This is one of the hardest lessons I had to learn. I am programmed to be the best all of the time. Truth is, it's not going to happen. If I spend less time trying to be excellent and more time trying to be good, I have more time to spend doing other things. Sometimes good is good enough.
Lesson #3: Do things that are fun. Life is full of demanding responsibilities and it doesn't get easier with the more you take on. When I am working loads of hours and am not taking the time for my other responsibilities, like singing, writing and cooking, I feel unhappy. The pleasures that you have in life are your responsibility. We tend to get programmed to just be productive. We are not robots. There are other sides that require attention also. As a mentor once said to me, "Do something everyday that expresses yourself." It could be singing in the shower when I'm getting ready for work. It could be writing just a little bit everyday, but I always make time for the things that let me express myself.
Lesson #4: Attitude is everything. I firmly believe this. There are situations that are challenging, but they can be turned into something positive. I work in a profession where I get to hear a lot of negativity. I mean, I control funds for a living. I'm the person that has to say no sometimes and I get to hear the brunt of that. People don't like to hear the word no. Even though it is challenging, it can be positive. How you perceive things is critical. You can let the negativity get to you or you can be the driving force to change negative behavior by setting an example. It's not easy and it's not going to be. I am accountable to myself for how I let things affect me.
Lesson #5: Reflect, reflect, and then reflect again. Reflection is important in order to really understand what is going on in life. I sometimes plan situations out in my head and think about how I might have done things differently or a better way to do things. Sometimes when I reflect, ideas pop in my head. In order to become self aware, you need to reflect on your actions, your responses, your attitude and your perceptions. Even a simple 30 minute meditation exercise may help with this. It is a time to be still, but sometimes I use that time to reflect.
As my responsibilities continue to grow, I will have to adjust how to balance them. I have to believe that I am capable to do all things that are in my heart. That they are there for a reason and that is because I am meant to do them.
The response: You have to pick one thing and be good at it. There is no way you can be all of those things.
Fast forward to 30 years later, I'm a wife, daughter, sister, friend, leader, athlete, manager, planner, collegue, teacher, singer, chef, author...
It is in us at a young age to want to do more than one thing. Why not plan big? Why not be all of the things that you are capable of? Why not push the envelope everyday?
I remember being frustrated trying to be all of these things. My time seemed to go from task to task and then I'd fall asleep and do it all over again the next day. Looking back, it was because I didn't balance all of the responsibilities that make me who I am. When would I have time to fit in writing or singing or the things I really enjoyed in life? When did I get so busy?
I had to start making some changes. I had to start thinking differently about things. Especially, about how I manage my time. I also had to realize a few things that I hadn't faced before, like maybe not being the best at everything, but good at several things. Here are some lessons learned that I would like to share:
Lesson #1: YOU control what you spend your time on. Pretty powerful words. Some may say, what do you mean? I have so many responsibilities, how do I get to choose? I have to pay bills, I have to change diapers, I have to... Yes, there are some things YOU have to do and somethings you don't need to do. My first order of business. Writing out the things I need to do versus things I need to have done. I realized that I was spending at least four hours a day every weekend cleaning my house. Is this something that I really need to be doing? What about having someone else do it? How can I afford to have someone else do it? I pay about $50 every two weeks to have my house cleaned. The in between weeks, I do a light cleaning, maybe about a half hour. I started to look at my services. Do I really need Direct TV's ultimate package with all of the channels? Do I really need a cell phone and a home phone? It's amazing where you might be able to squeeze out $50. I figure, if I can spend $50 on a tank of gas, I can figure out how to spend $50 getting four hours of my life back per week. For those who think they are the only ones who can clean their house good enough, it's not going to be perfect. Let it go. We are talking about 4 hours a week to help balance other responsibilities that you may have.
Lesson #2: Realize it's okay to be good at lots of things and you don't have to be the best at everything. Eleanor Roosevelt said it best: "Sometimes your best is not enough. Sometimes you must do what is necessary." This is one of the hardest lessons I had to learn. I am programmed to be the best all of the time. Truth is, it's not going to happen. If I spend less time trying to be excellent and more time trying to be good, I have more time to spend doing other things. Sometimes good is good enough.
Lesson #3: Do things that are fun. Life is full of demanding responsibilities and it doesn't get easier with the more you take on. When I am working loads of hours and am not taking the time for my other responsibilities, like singing, writing and cooking, I feel unhappy. The pleasures that you have in life are your responsibility. We tend to get programmed to just be productive. We are not robots. There are other sides that require attention also. As a mentor once said to me, "Do something everyday that expresses yourself." It could be singing in the shower when I'm getting ready for work. It could be writing just a little bit everyday, but I always make time for the things that let me express myself.
Lesson #4: Attitude is everything. I firmly believe this. There are situations that are challenging, but they can be turned into something positive. I work in a profession where I get to hear a lot of negativity. I mean, I control funds for a living. I'm the person that has to say no sometimes and I get to hear the brunt of that. People don't like to hear the word no. Even though it is challenging, it can be positive. How you perceive things is critical. You can let the negativity get to you or you can be the driving force to change negative behavior by setting an example. It's not easy and it's not going to be. I am accountable to myself for how I let things affect me.
Lesson #5: Reflect, reflect, and then reflect again. Reflection is important in order to really understand what is going on in life. I sometimes plan situations out in my head and think about how I might have done things differently or a better way to do things. Sometimes when I reflect, ideas pop in my head. In order to become self aware, you need to reflect on your actions, your responses, your attitude and your perceptions. Even a simple 30 minute meditation exercise may help with this. It is a time to be still, but sometimes I use that time to reflect.
As my responsibilities continue to grow, I will have to adjust how to balance them. I have to believe that I am capable to do all things that are in my heart. That they are there for a reason and that is because I am meant to do them.
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
What Does Leadership Mean?
Recently, a team building consultant asked a group of people, "Who here likes to be managed?" Nobody raised their hand. "When asked, who likes to be led?" This seemed a little more acceptable. Truth is, people need to be inspired. People need to be motivated. People need to be trusted and people need to be led. This is not to devalue a manager or supervisor role, but to reach deep into what motivates people, what inspires people and what helps them to become great at what they do. It's not the role of a leader to micromanage this process. It's the role of the leader to provide the pathway and up to the team member if they choose to go down the path. Ask any leader, "What inspires a leader?". The good ones might say by inspiring others, they then become inspired. It's a relationship. It's a common purpose. That people become the best at what they do and develop into the leaders one would hope they become.
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