On Being Flexible + Shawn Achor: The happy secret to better work

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The Master of Happiness, Mr. Alfie, Chief Happiness Officer at Insurenex

The Master of Happiness, Mr. Alfie, Chief Happiness Officer at Insurenex

“Stay committed to the outcome and flexible on the approach” is something I learned from Tony Robbins some years back.  It stuck with me since but I had not experienced it in my own life until a week or two ago.  I found myself stressed and frustrated over goals I had set to accomplish for this first quarter.  It did not look like I was going to make them a reality.  It really bugged me that I was not going to accomplish them as I said and by when I said I would.  I am big believer in the principal of doing what I say I am going to do by when I say I’m going to do it.  This belief has paid off in business and in my personal life.  What I had not recognized is that I had overloaded my calendar both from a time commitment as well as budget.  I had stretched myself out of the comfort zone with my plans.  I’ve been training for the L.A. Marathon and at the same time I had committed to doing a triathlon a month after followed by a century ride in Napa Valley, CA and then a seven day cycle ride from San Francisco to L.A.  I had also planned to relocate to a new neighborhood and at the same time signed up for some personal growth training programs that also required a considerable monetary investment.  All of this had been stressing me out.  All of this was my own creation.  When I got this clear that I was stressing over the outcomes I had set out to create Tony Robbins saying of “staying committed to the outcome and flexible on the approach” came to life.  This was only an opportunity to apply the knowledge I gained.  Getting this completely shifted my perspective and experience.  I’m still moving forward with everything I’ve set out to accomplish this year, the marathon, the triathlon, training programs, moving etc., I’m just being flexible with how and when it is going to happen.  As they say if you are not growing your shrinking and this was only an opportunity to learn and expand.

Life is what we make of it and the below video by Shawn Anchor offers some awesome perspectives.  Enjoy!

Shawn Achor: “The happy secret to better work”

Small idea, big idea, what’s the difference? + Tom Wujec on 3 ways the brain creates meaning.

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Cycling with my friend, beautiful sunrise, somewhere between Burbank and Griffith Park, 36 degrees, toes where cold but the mileage got done, happy I made it out. 12/08/2011

Cycling with my friend, beautiful sunrise, somewhere between Burbank and Griffith Park, 36 degrees, toes where cold but the mileage got done, happy I made it out. 12/08/2011

I got thinking today about my plans for the next 5 years, personal and business, for a moment I got confronted, challenged.  I started thinking how am I going to fulfill on all of it.  I’ve set out to write several books, expand my business, travel a different country for 30 days each year, participate in several endurance sport events each year to stay fit, have fun, maintain a rich enjoyable family and social life.  This may not seem like big ideas/plans to some but when I look at where I come from, a third world country, living in an adobe home with no running water nor electricity this seems big to me.  As I thought of this it hit me, where I come from has given me how I think and see my ideas – big or small.  Opening our business 14+ years ago seemed like a big idea than, looking back at it looks like a tiny baby step in the grander scheme of things.  Running a marathon looked like an impossible goal in 2003 and running one today is just a fun way to stay fit.  Traveling to China four years ago seemed like a big adventure now it looks like that is just one place I could go when there is whole world to be explored.  The perspective of the idea is all relative to our experience and ability to see things newly.  What I’ve come to realize is that there is no big or small idea it’s all in my perspective and how I use it to align my actions to produce the results I seek.  This does not take the effort and work out of it, it just sets the framework that my brain will use to think and produce results.  My ideas are going to push me out of my comfort zone in every way, it already has.  The infrastructure I have now, my support team, my own knowledge base and skill set is not going to cut it.  Awareness is the first step; I’ve already been at the drawing board, in conversations with my business partner to rethink where we are going to focus on in 2012 to build towards 2013 and so on.   My life has taught me that I can accomplish anything I set out to do when I set my mind to it and take actions in line with it.  The idea (small or big) sets the framework for the brain to think on how it’s going too fulfill on it, what actions and resources will need to be aligned.  It all stems from an idea, a dream.  Why not make it a big one, one worthy of giving it your all?  How do you create your ideas?  Do you dream big or small?  What’s driving the size of your ideas?

Tom Wujec on 3 ways the brain creates meaning offers some interesting perspectives.  Enjoy!:)

Where do you create your best ideas? + Matt Ridley: When ideas have sex

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At Trevi, Cesars Palace in Las Vegas brainstorming on a napkin for 2012, fun and productive. 12/12/2011

At Trevi, Cesars Palace in Las Vegas brainstorming on a napkin for 2012, fun and productive. 12/12/2011

Solving business challenges, coming up with new marketing ideas or planning ahead is often a challenging task to complete at the office or during day to day activities.  It’s not impossible; it’s just not the most inspiring place for me.  I’ve found myself generating the most creative free flowing ideas when I’m a few hundred or more miles away from the office.  Don’t get me wrong, there is plenty of thinking and problem solving that takes place at the office.  There is just something about a change in environment that allows the senses to expand and be stimulated newly.   Napkins and credit card receipts are amongst my favorite brainstorming boards to write on.  There is something about the impromptu and simplicity of a napkin that brings me down to the basics of what I’m out to create.  How do you come up with your best ideas?

Matt Ridley: When ideas have sex

How do you disconnect from your day to day? + Louie Schwartzberg: Nature. Beauty. Gratitude.

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Beautiful day, clear blue skies, crispy weather kept people away from the pool. Perfect for R & R, headphones on tuned to some thievery corporation to set the tone. The Palazzo, Las Vegas, NV 12/11/2011

Beautiful day, clear blue skies, crispy weather kept people away from the pool. Perfect for R & R, headphones on tuned to some thievery corporation to set the tone. The Palazzo, Las Vegas, NV 12/11/2011

I arrived early to Las Vegas for some fun and relaxation prior to the annual conference of one of our key life insurance partners.  I intentionally set out to create a fun chill weekend and not think about business, other projects or workouts.  I did some creative thinking but that was more fun than work.  The phone went off a couple of times and I snoozed it.  I took time to sit by the pool, jump in the jacuzzi, enjoy the nightlife, dance, eat good food, sleep in and lounge. I took time to bask in the lifestyle I’ve worked to create for myself.  So much of my life has been committed to my business, entrepreneurial endeavors and training for a marathon or something else that I’ve often forget to unplug, to just rest and relax.  This weekend enriched my life and it allowed me to appreciate all that I have accomplished, all that I have and the life I’ve created for myself.  How do you disconnect?  How do you step away from it all and give yourself some tender loving care?  Life is a gift, we are only here for a short period of time and none of what we have will go with us once it’s all said and done.

Louie Schwartzberg: Nature. Beauty. Gratitude talk at TED open my mind to additional perspectives on how to live life.  Enjoy!

How do you stay inspired to drive yourself and business forward over time? + Amy Purdy: Living beyond limits

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Fun and Work in Las Vegas, NV:) Enjoying the evening view from The Palazzo, one of my favorite places to stay when here 12.10.2011

Fun and Work in Las Vegas, NV:) Enjoying the evening view from The Palazzo, one of my favorite places to stay when here 12.10.2011

Creating an incredible awesome life and building a thriving business is similar to participating in endurance sports in my view.  Inspiration and determination are required every step of the way to reach higher levels of performance and quality of life we desire (both in a material and non-material sense).  I’ve learned that determination/commitment is the key but it’s inspiration that brings joy and fun to the journey.  One of the reasons I’ve come to enjoy running marathons is that it requires me to stay motivated and inspired over an extended period of time.  I need to train when I don’t want to train; I need to run even when I don’t want to run and I need to continue past set backs and perceived limitations.  I need to manage my water/food intake every step of the way and for me this a little extra delicate because of my sensitivity to simple sugar and sugar spikes (My body has Type 2 diabetes which I manage through diet and exercise, this can be a bit challenging to manage during the longer runs or back to back workouts).    I’ve come to believe that business is very similar to endurance sports, it requires motivation and inspiration on an on going basis along with carefull management of resources and understanding of the terrain.  There were several points in the early stages of our business when the thought of calling it quits crossed my mind, much the same way as it has when running 26.2 miles and the mind and body feel like giving up.  It’s at these moments when I felt like stopping, quiting that inspiration and commitment kicked in to keep me going.  I’ve learned to seek inspiration way before I need it, it helps me stay on task, focus and appreciative of the good times and the challenging times.  One of the ways I’ve found inspiration is to constantly feed myself with inspiring stories from others that have accomplished success or have overcome challenges that are far greater than what I’ve had to overcome or are up against.  How do you continue to drive youself when all you want to do stop?  How do you stay inspired to reach new levels in your experience of life? 

One inspiring story that I recently came across is Amy Purdy’s talk on TED, her outlook on life is simply amazing!

More time or more money? More fun or business growth? How about having it all?

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An early Starbucks morning to move some ideas forward, the sun is now shining through the windows, people are flowing through and its beginning to look and feel like the thanksgiving holiday is in full swing, life is good:) 11/23/2011

An early Starbucks morning to move some ideas forward, the sun is now shining through the windows, people are flowing through and its beginning to look and feel like the thanksgiving holiday is in full swing, life is good:) 11/23/2011

More time for ourselves or earn more money, have more fun or invest more time in the business is a frequent theme/challenge I hear entrepreneurs and busy professionals dealing with.  The desire to do more, build a bigger company, increase sales vs. leisure, wellness/fitness and family time, this has been my own challenge as well.  Some years back I came across Tim Ferris’s book The Four Hour Work Week and though I did not see everything as a practical step for me to take in our business at that time it did spark a series of questions and opened my eyes to some new possibilities.  One of the questions that opened up was who is wealthier, someone earning $90,000 a year working 20 hours a week and enjoying life more or someone earning $250,000 a year working 80-90 hour weeks, missing kids birthdays, fun adventures and other interest that never come to life.   A second thought that came out of reading the book was the concept of outsourcing, of embracing automation to create mobile business lifestyles.  These insights made me question my lifestyle and to look at my own unhappiness with the amount of time I was investing in our business while other dreams, aspirations were on hold.   This created a series of actions to rethink our business infrastructure and to seriously look at what really mattered to me in my life.  It made me think how my eulogy would read, there lies a man who was so dedicated to his business that he missed out on the rest of his life or there he lies having lived a fullfilling, productive, fun, adventurous, generous life with family and friends.  Life is a journey and every day we make choices to work more or enjoy more.  As a small firm this was a challenge and it took some creativity to finance it and at other times waiting for technology to catch up and/or become affordable.  The outcome today is that our company’s infrastructure is fully automated on web based platforms giving us the mobility to do business from anywhere in the world provided we have a high speed internet connection.  Our team is able to work remotely, our clients are able to get faster responses, I work 30% less hours and I can enjoy time at a coffee house or another fun spot without losing productivity.  The next adventure in the horizon is living in Spain for 30 days in 2012, once again I’m at the drawing board rethinking how our infrastructure needs to be fine tuned so that our client’s quality of service and growth plans are not interrupted and this is part of the fun.  What is more important to you, time or money?  Exploring and enjoying other areas of life or a bigger business?  What opportunities can you identify, create that will allow you to have it all?  Below is an intro to Tim Ferris’s book The 4 Hour Workweek, it may give you some ideas as it did for me.

Tim Ferris’s Book Brief: The 4-Hour Workweek

How do you find inspiration to move your business forward? Get more out of life? Make a difference?

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Officially registered for the Aids Life Cycle, June 2012

Officially registered for the Aids Life Cycle, June 2012

It’s easy to get stuck in the tunnel vision of our entrepreneurial endeavors and side step opportunities, creative ways of expanding ourselves and achieving multiple out comes that can enrich our experience of life.  I know this road all too well and have made it a point to expand my life, make it adventurous, fulfilling, fun and to use this commitment as leverage to further INSURENEX’S growth.  For a couple of years I’ve been contemplating doing the Aids Life Cycle ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles, my hesitation, I don’t have the time to train and do the actual ride which consist of cycling 545 miles over the course of 7 days.  Today, this changed; in honoring my commitment to myself I registered for the June 2012 ride.  Taking this step forces me to rethink how I go about doing my day to day and to expand our infrastructure in a way that I will have a clear schedule to train, fundraise and enjoy the ride.  I’ve come to learn that when I make a choice and take actions in that direction the environment around me begins to reshape its self, to clear the way for what I’m creating, opportunities I did no see prior all of the sudden appear.  This step has already created a conversation with my brother and business partner who is now looking forward to driving me down to San Francisco and bringing his 9 and 5 year old kids to take part in the kick off experience.  What once appeared as undoable now appears as a win win win all around.  I have started to rethink and make adjustments in my business to get more life out of it and at the same time expand it.  I will enjoy the adventure, make new friends and expand my personal/professional network that can potentially lead to new ideas and business.  I will be fulfilled in knowing that I’m making a difference in the lives of others through the funds and awareness I will generate around this cause.  This inspires me to work smarter, get more creative and how I manage myself, my resources and my time.  What opportunities for multiple outcomes do you have on the back burner that with a little creativity can come to life?