The Monday Mentality Gone Wild

Everybody is going to start working on something--Monday. Never today, never NOW! It's cliché and it's cliché for a reason.

The problem of course is that people are inspired to excuse themselves from far too many opportunities based on their skewed perceptions of when and what constitutes "good timing". Strung together, these bad decisions to wait, missed opportunities to act and little surrenders of initiative lead to a life of disappointment and forever hibernating dreams.

Let's look at this through the eyes of the sales person with the Monday Mentality.

Summers are like "the big Monday".

People too often think like school children and put off big efforts or new projects for September (think summer break). "I can wait and go after it in September" they say--without actually quite saying that or realizing they've gone into a mental and then practical holding pattern for 2+ months.

The Monday Mentality is more than an event though. It's a toxic way of living which affects everything and everyone around you.

So the year continues...

After the summer--if they can't quite go after it right away, in September, the keeper of the Monday-mentality limps through October, perhaps building a bit of momentum. That brings them to November--and certainly no one does business or gets into a big project around the holidays...better wait until after new years.

And the Monday-mentality is on the loose!

"Okay, let's admit it, everybody knows that sales are really slow in January and February. Let's retool or work on our plans or..."

"Let's be real, late March/early April is Passover and Easter; you don't want to bother people and their families now!"

...and then it's late June again.

There is opportunity--and success in all of its forms available to the woman or man who will stop with fairy tale seasonal excuses and get on with manually crafting their lives--NOW.

The kind of success we all want requires courage and a great dose of enthusiasm and sustained effort. Don't buy the compromise found in fairy tale excuses? You're designed for great stuff...

RR

Feeling Uninspired

You know, one of the things that I really like about the personal growth industry is that there is so much good stuff for helping humanity of varying perspectives. Another thing I like is that it's all geared to making whatever is going on better by:

• helping people recognize and enjoy what they already have.
• helping people to learn to appreciate and find the richness in "now".
• helping people find motivation.

Ironically, one of the things that can be so irritating about the personal growth world is its tendency to...always make things better, happy, inspiring...

You know, sometimes I don't want to be inspired. Sometimes, I'm confused and need to regroup. Sometimes I'm uninspired--and trying to manufacture inspiration over a tumult of other feelings can be a rip-off to experiencing other human emotions. There is nothing wrong with feeling sad. Maybe I'm a bit disappointed or lost...uninspired.

There isn't one of us who occasionally lacks inspiration. It's okay. If the there is truth in my words, let them offer permission to you to not be inspired today.

This too is uncompromised.

RR

Doing Something...

I've come to detest within myself the tendency to talk about, with impotent intention, what I want. I've been saying I want to be fluent in Spanish for 15 years and have heretofore done very little to substantiate my noble sounding professions. I've gotten my "feel good" by telling people and having them say nice things about my capacity and commitment to learn. Talk about compromise...

Enter the Japanese disaster.

After initial sickness over the seemingly never-ending disaster, I felt that same unsettled feeling I got whenever I hyped my desire to speak Spanish. We all get urges. Those who make a difference in their world (personally and globally) do something with what they know and what they know they must do.

There is so much I can't do but what I am doing is a 5k run/walk to benefit the Red Cross' efforts in Japan. What do you know you must you do in your life that you can no longer just talk about?

Doing Something,

RR

Here are the Run for Japan details followed by expectations:

• April 2, 2011
• 10:30 warm up
• 11am start time
• 11:30/12 Lunch -we'll figure something out...maybe pizza on the tall-handsome guy.
• Boxwood Park (Rotterdam) -right off of I-890 and less than 2 minutes from exit 25 of the NYS Thruway
• Goal $50,000. Yes it's an obnoxiously high goal.
• Make checks payable to "American Red Cross" and place the words "Japanese Aid" in the memo section. All funds will be directed to the earthquake and Tsunami relief efforts in Japan and the Pacific. Red Cross will send you a receipt for your tax deductible gift.
• No cash PLEASE!
• If you want to give toward this specific effort for Japan and can't make it--or you have any questions email me at: Ron@RonRenaud.com
• Email if you are coming or can reasonably say that you can vouch for x number of others coming. We need to know how many cinnamon rolls will be needed to soothe the famished runner!

Expectations:

This isn't a fancy organized run. It is a run with kindred spirits for the sake of recognizing our own blessings and good fortune while we give of our relative abundance to those who've lost much.

Be bold-dig deep and give as much as you feel compelled to give, no pressure. Well not too much anyway.

There will be no bibs -you're responsible to know who you are at the start and end of the race! That's a joke...

Sorry, no aid stations along the way but my wife and a few friends will be baking so it'll be worth your while to run back to where you started!

Winners? When you contribute to the betterment of another you win. You are cordially invited to come and win!

This isn't an event sanctioned by any running governing body. It's a 5k route that I've measured out with my car and regularly run with a pal--Scott, if you must know.

Please tell anyone and everyone you know! Let's do something special.

Peace,

RR

Although It's Been Said Many Times, Many Ways...

Paralysis by analysis.

Just do it.

Do it now.

The early bird catches the worm.

Don't wait for your ship to come in; swim out to get it.

Ow. I get it...stop thinking and do!

Well I was doing P90X today -man you just have to appreciate the good stuff they put out- when Tony Horton nailed it. He went down to bang out some push-ups and said, "This is my speed." Good form but man he was flying...

I followed Tony's lead and did more push-ups than I'd expected and after the set he told me why. He said, "Get out of your head." Yeah!! No kidding. How many times have I (before I'd even started) talked myself out of a higher count and then succeeded at underachieving? No comment!

Tony's physical expression of: stop thinking and get going, is just what the doctor ordered for many of us. Stop thinking so much about balancing the checkbook; stop thinking about making that call and stop thinking about going for that dream. Do something -now!

Thanks, Tony.

RR

If Only...

If only I had more money...

If only I had more time...

If only I could get a new job...

If only the economy was better...

If only I was appreciated more...

If only I was understood...

If only I was in better shape...

If only things were more simple...

If only I wasn't tired...

If only...

Be Good-Don't Compromise,

RR

Uncompromised Fitness

Shut up.

No, you can't have another desert this week.

Yes, you do have to eat more vegetables.

Intending to do a kick-butt workout is worthless.

Move your body, sweat, push yourself.

If you're hungry, you're probably thirsty. Drink water.

RR

Bad Habits in Moderation?

Do you know what Angry Birds is?

It is a really cool game app that engages your mind, heart and addiction gland by clever use of physics, logic and electronic force. You are an 'angry bird'. Your beloved eggs have been stolen by nefarious green pigs. Over hundreds of boards you attack and kill these pigs in the attempt to rescue your eggs.

Fine.

Except this game, is the culmination of some outrageous number of hyper-cool cosmic elements colliding. Somehow, it's actually nearly impossible to stop playing.

Funny... until I want to get something done. I've literally had to resort to saying out loud, "This is the last game." and then and only then can I stop!! I've actually gone to bed saying that I'd play for just a few minutes and an hour later I'm forcefully declaring to myself that, "This is it!"

I think I'd be better off just deleting the silly game as moderation is hard with this thing. It might sound goofy, but it is true. What's not funny is how I am with this game undermines my commitment to sleep and then I'm more tired than I want, then...

Silly little compromise and... not really.

Am I alone? What 'bad' habits do you do that moderation is hard to achieve if not an all-together myth?

RR

4:30 AM

I never regret when I get up at 4:30 AM. In my house, it guarantees me two solid hours in total silence.

Benjamin Franklin said 10 or 20 years ago (plus or minus 250), "Early to bed, early to rise makes a man (women too) healthy, wealthy and wise." I'm down with that plan.

I know there are those who get that quiet time at night (I just don't get it) but regardless of when... get you some. If you are up to anything worthwhile -and this might be a test, you need that alone, quiet, writing, reflecting and/or creative time.

I'd fallen off the wagon recently as I started staying up later so I could do more over the course of a couple days. Well that turning into several days makes morning wake up later and later. Suddenly I'm working, not at my best (4:30-6:30 AM), but just 'doing more busy stuff' between 9 and 11. Not productive. Compromised. Fatigue... ug.

Sometimes it's hard to remember what you are investing in before you get the payoff. For me, getting to bed with a book at 9:30 preferably, and 10 for sure, guarantees a happy boy in the morning.

Oye! I'll let you know how I did this week on Thursday!

17 days until my book is due to the editor! I'd better get in bed... oh wait. It's 6:45 AM!

RR

How long did you take??? ...to do what??

I write a blog for a local paper in Albany (NY) each Monday. I've been writing for some time and haven't experienced much trouble in saying something that has some value -and doing it in 30-45 minutes. That was until this Monday (8/23).

I wrote for 5 hours.

I posted it.

It was not good. Oh, it was not good.

I deleted it.

I struggled for a topic to write about.

Took 2 more hours to write something that was about 300 words!

http://blog.timesunion.com/success/the-uncompromised-honda-pilot/270/

Wow. Some days we just don't have it, at all!

Lessons for me? Write that blog in advance of my due date. I know, I know... I'm not sure what to say about another lesson but I do know that sometimes when a situation goes far past absurd, it can be surprisingly funny.

Wow... that was only 10 minutes!

RR

Watershed Moments

A watershed is where things come together to form or take on a new direction.

What are the moments that you most powerfully recall changing your life?

Who said what to you?

What did you see or do?

What decision did you make?

What were the circumstances?

I will never forget one watershed moment in my life. My brother confronted me with some hard truths regarding my decent into ignorance. It marked a turning point in my life that set me on a course for becoming a different person and doing what I so enjoy today: teaching and coaching.

I don't know if you can incite or predict a watershed moment and they aren't always cozy when they occur, but what you can do is choose how you'll respond to these moments.

On second thought, maybe you can make such a radical decision in your life that you can create a watershed moment. Hmmmm, what will yours be??

RR

Not Deciding is Deciding

iphone 4 or Droid X?

AT&T or Verizon?

Cheaper phone and longer contract or more expensive phone and simply go month to month?

I thought about what I'd do before the iphone came out and as the news of the new Droid became public. My contract with Verizon was up in May. I still couldn't decide what to do, but I don't like the phone I have now.

*The problem with writing about something as rigorous as The Uncompromised is people will hold you to that standard. Well Saturday I was at a NY state park -and there I was with my accountant, who asked if I'd gotten the new phone yet.

I won't say which phone he owns except that he nailed me on my own philosophy when I told him that I'd still not decided. The truth is I know what I want to buy but I'm being lazy by avoiding the stores and waiting for some elusive piece of conclusive evidence one way or the other. He said, "Ron, don't compromise. Just buy the phone."

He knows what I want in a phone and expects me to just decide and do. I thought I could put the decision off. In fact what I've been doing the last 3 months is deciding to use a junky phone that doesn't meet any of my needs. Hmmm. I don't like the sound of that.

And you? In what area of life have you 'decided' to put off a decision but it really has amounted to a compromise of something important for you?

RR

Do you Have Any Standards (Personal Standards)? Part 3

So what are Personal Standards (PS)?

Just a couple more things; I promise we'll get there...

Everyone wonders from time to time, with greater and lesser urgency, who they really are and what they're here to do. We're talking about identity and purpose. For life to have real meaning, people want to know who they are at their best -and what their life's work is. Who are you...really? What are you here to do?

Those are important questions to consider -and chances are if you're reading this book, you're the kind of person who is already thinking about them. You see, these are important questions to be considering, because the rigor in which you consider, meditate on, pray about and take action around these questions will dictate your clarity and ability to powerfully live them out.

By the way, how you live out your identity and purpose is your legacy. If you want to leave a meaningful legacy, you have to live a meaningful legacy. If you're going to live your legacy today, you'd better get really clear about who you are and what you stand for. That is what Personal Standards are all about.

A couple more foundational things to consider:

I believe what we typically call purpose is best broken up into two categories: First, your bigger purpose, what you were placed on this planet to do -this is your commission (your 'original instruction' as a Native American client of mine calls it) . Your basic purpose is what you do; it's your roles. ...and this, my friend, is where the action is at! So, for example whether you are a father, a sister, a husband or wife, a steel worker, a philanthropist, a professional athlete, a caretaker or whatever... Your purpose is to do what you do. Now, how well you do it-in other words, how faithful you are as you execute your various roles will not only dictate the quality of your legacy today, but it will chart the course for either clear sailing or a very bumpy ride as you consider and look to live out your commission. The moral of this story is: be good and faithful at what you do; integrity with how you live out your purposes (roles) creates its own rewards. The rest of the story is that clarity and conviction and experiencing your commission will follow.

I believe who you are, your identity, is who you are your best. Yep, people can be idiots and thoughtless, etc. But I can't get behind the notion that people are inherently damaged goods. In taking this stance I'm not saying that people shouldn't be held to account for their activities. On the contrary; I believe in people so much and I believe that they're capable of so much, that rigorous accountability, to a very high standard, is the natural response. So who you are at your best, is who you are -your identity.

Personal Standards are individually designed, specific compound declarations of your identity and purpose. What I've heard again and again for my clients, as they've taken the time to consider and live out their PS, is that first you work them (work to clarify them and speak them daily) and then they work you (revealing and changing you). Cool.

Okay! Next post I'll teach you how to create powerful, life-changing Personal Standards.

Over and out...

RR

What Compromises Achievement is...

It's 1:30PM Friday July 24 -and I have a dream.

What am I doing about it? I'm researching online, I'm thinking about what I need to do in a couple of hours, I'm considering another little construction project at home. Not a good plan.

There are so many ways to compromise the life we want to experience and things we'd like to achieve. I'd like to touch on one thing. The stall.

Yeah, better known as procrastination, the stall is a something people get really good at. And right now I'm excelling at! We are experts at kicking up a bunch of dust to make it look like we are working hard and focused. Yet as much as I want this dream of being an edgy motivational/educational speaker, I stall. I've been doing the 'working diligently coupled with the stall' tactic for a few weeks now. Now don't get me wrong, I'm making progress but just as I'm getting close to being ready to go, I sidestep my dream and my destiny. Suddenly the kitchen needs paint, the shed could be larger (I put an addition on it 3 weeks ago) and I should really... -fill in the blank with a nifty home improvement project! Honestly, if you come to my house and you can smell fresh paint all over and see new concrete and freshly utilized lumber -I am probably stalling.

What do you do to stall in your life? Hey, doing work to make the house look nicer and easier to live in is valid. It's just not valid when there are more important things to do. So, there's a bit of my dirty laundry. What do you do to avoid living your dream...your legacy?

How to Leave a Legacy...

As I was creating the Uncompromised Achievement (UA) model and trying to keep it really simple, what kept coming up for me was that everyone wants meaning in their lives. Everyone wants, no, yearns, to know that their life meant something. People not following that urge have hundreds of ways of suffocating that urge or medicating themselves from the pain of not living the life they are called to live -but make no mistake, everyone yearns to leave a positive legacy of some kind.

However what I want to talk about tonight is the very silly way that the recipe for leaving a legacy came to me. I called and left a message with my graphic designer Lorena Vogeler (www.elevedesign.com) to add something to my site. I told her to add to the page that explained the UA model, that UA allows or facilitates people leaving a legacy. Lorena is Venezuelan. So, say 'leaving' in your best Spanish accent -go ahead. The next day I checked her/our work and found that she'd not done as I'd asked. Instead she wrote, 'Living a Legacy'. At first I was frustrated as this was one of the final edits before the new site went live. Then I read it again and laughed as I realized what had happened. If you say 'live' with a Spanish accent, it sounds like leave! In this folly, I found a very important piece of my core beliefs and coaching philosophy. The way to leave behind a meaningful legacy is to right now, LIVE A LEGACY!

We can tend to dream about tomorrow and put off today's work. This won't do if you or I am to live a life of Uncompromised Achievement. I'm guilty of this kind of procrastination (ug.). More to come on this but, I've got a speech in me that needs to come out. It is a major expression of what I hope my legacy to be. ...and I'm falling a bit short of living that legacy today. Like I said, more to come.

Where's my coach when I need her??