Teacher was late 111 times but defends his good math teaching Dan Miller

Over the weekend I read several interesting pieces related to the issues we see at 48 Days.  I’m including a few here with questions for you to respond to: A new study from Pew Research Center found that 61% of 19-34 yr olds get their political news from Facebook, whereas only 19% look to local or national TV as their source. We no longer trust the “news” as being unbiased so we might as well get our updates from people...

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Get busy living or get busy dying. Dan Miller

Get busy living or get busy dying. Thanks for the help – I got a $3000 scholarship How do we move from knowledge to understanding How can I get people to take me seriously without a degree? The people I want to coach don’t have any money I am a working mother but do not enjoy my job at all Did I make a mistake in getting out of the way of the train?   “It comes down to a...

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Do the brave thing – imagine you could have a different life Dan Miller

In the Escaping Shawshank experience we all went into prison cells – to think about what is holding us back.  Many of us tapped into memories of “failing” at something and how we are allowing the feelings associated with that to hold us back from attempting anything new.

It reminded me of the old 1998 movie,You’ve Got Mail with Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan.  In the movie Joe (Tom) opens one of his big bookstores right across the street from Kathleen’s (Meg) quaint little The Shop Around the Corner.  When it became clear Kathleen’s little bookstore could not survive the competition she decided to close the doors.

Not a failure – just a new beginning

In reminiscing with her elderly bookkeeper Birdie she lamented that she felt like a failure.  To which Birdie replied,

“You’re not a failure.  You’re doing the bravest thing possible. You are daring to imagine you could have a different life.”

Whoa – how’s that for a different perspective.  Now think about a time when you felt like a failure.  Maybe it’s right now – you’re thinking about quitting your job, your business is tanking, you have not lost the weight you wanted to shed, or your relationship with your spouse is still dismal.  If you draw a line in the sand and say you’re not going to do that anymore, you’re not failing; you are daring to imagine you could have a different life.  And if you can’t imagine a different life you’ll continue to think about what you just came from – and will likely repeat it again.

Resource:  The first step in identifying work where you’ll be successful, a business that “fits” you, and how you can build loving relationships, is to first understand yourself.  If you haven’t yet taken the DISC profile, check out this overview of the personality styles.  It could open the door to a different life – a life that you are beginning to imagine.

Maybe you’ve seen a marriage you would like to model.  You want to supercharge your own relationship to one of mutual support and encouragement.  Here are some tips to get you started:  48days.com/marriage

Remember, when you decide to make a change:

“You’re not a failure.  You’re doing the bravest thing possible. You are daring to imagine you could have a different life.”

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Pity the person who has no one to……… Dan Miller

I just returned from our Escaping Shawshank event in Columbus, Ohio.  And there I was reminded of the profound effect of others in our lives – good and bad.

With the growth of the entrepreneurial model I see lots of people who think they have to “make it on their own.”  Nothing could be farther from the truth.  As I think about my own little business I think about my daughter Ashley who coordinates all our communication and websites and runs our live events.  Terri oversees product fulfillment and customer service.  Brian handles all the web and promotional aspects, Jen coordinates the 48Days.net activities, Andy addresses the technical details of our business, there are designers who create covers and book layouts, the virtual assistants who scan the internet for relevant content, the editors and PR people who help with book sales, and the list goes on and on.  And of course me wife Joanne helps me in a multitude of ways – traveling with me, encouraging me, loving everyone who comes to our live events, and much more.

Yes, I’m a business owner – but guess what – I’m a poor people manager and I love to work alone.  But without the complimentary skills of all those other people I could accomplish very little.

Today I heard reference to this verse from Ecclesiastes.  It’s often used as a reference to marriage, but it also speaks to the process of being successful in any area of your life.

⁹ Two are better than one,
because they have a good return for their labor:
¹⁰ If either of them falls down,
one can help the other up.
But pity anyone who falls
and has no one to help them up.  Ecclesiastes 4:8-10 (NIV)

Do you have others around you who are ready to pick you up if you fall down?  If you’re a writer, speaker, coach, employee, entrepreneur, free-lancer, independent contractor or college student – you need people to come alongside you to reach any extraordinary level of success.

I’m meeting people all around the world who follow @48DaysTeam on Twitter, Dan Miller on FB, participants in our live events  and those involved at 48Days.net – just a few of the ways we are connected with people we are helping and who are in turn helping us.

Who are the people who are “helping” you in your success?

Want to know how to nurture the help of your spouse?  Check this out – 48days.com/marriage

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Are you ready for your finest hour? Dan Miller

 

1. I am in my mid 30’s and I feel like I am stuck in my J.O.B.
2. I’m a single parent and need to find creative ways to increase my income.
3. Would sharing about my own past struggles undermine my credibility as a coach?
4. I’m in my late 30’s and have been diagnosed with a chronic condition that makes it difficult to walk or even stand sometimes.
5. Can my husband make a living with his motorsport photography?

“To every man there comes in his lifetime that special moment when he is figuratively tapped on the shoulder and offered a chance to do a very special thing, unique to him and fitted to his talents.  What a tragedy if that moment finds him unprepared or unqualified for the work which would be his finest hour.”  Winston Churchill

“To every man there comes in his lifetime that special moment when he is figuratively tapped on the shoulder and offered a chance to do a very special thing, unique to him and fitted to his talents.  What a tragedy if that moment finds him unprepared or unqualified for the work which would be his finest hour.”  Winston Churchill

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What’s that you have in your hand? Dan Miller

Remember when God spoke to Moses at the burning bush?  God told Moses he wanted him to go back to Egypt and lead the people out to the promised land.  Moses looked around and said – “You’ve got to be kidding – I’m not the person for a job like that.”  God assured Moses he would prepare the way and he would provide some pretty convincing miracles.  Still Moses had a hard time believing he was up to the task.  He pleaded – “I can’t speak well, I don’t have a college degree, I’m a convicted felon – please, send anyone else!”

Now here we have someone with an obvious opportunity.  Wouldn’t you like for God to lay out such a clear plan for you; and to promise success in advance.  That wasn’t good enough for Moses.  He kept trying to convince God he didn’t have any of the necessary requirements for accomplishing this big job.  Moses said “they won’t believe me.  I don’t have anything to qualify me for doing something great.”  God said, “What is that in your hand?” If you don’t remember, it was his shepherd’s staff, which turned out to be a pretty significant part of his leadership.  He turned it into a snake, parted the Red Sea with it and did some other pretty cool stuff.

If you think you’re stuck, don’t have any unusual talents, don’t have the right degrees, and don’t have the credibility to have people take you seriously – let me ask you a question: “What do you have in your hand?” What natural talents do you have?  What is it that you do with excellence?  Do you make beautiful candles?  Delicious bread?  Encourage the elderly?  Grow stunning flowers?  Handle your children with grace?  You get the idea – just look at what you have right in front of you.

With God’s help you may already have everything you need for greatness.  Don’t sidestep your opportunity when you hear your call.

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How do you expect me to work in this mess? Dan Miller

Several times recently I have observed the work areas of other people.  Some are in a cramped and cluttered cubicle, one friend works on a board over stacked concrete blocks under the stairway in his house, another uses a shelf inside a closet, and another has found his dedicated work space eliminated because of his growing need for storage for his online business – so he just grabs his computer and stands wherever he can.  I often see at-home offices that are combinations of cobwebs, tangled wires and cords, bare walls, dirty carpets, and half-filled coffee cups.  I see others who have no office but go hang out at Starbucks, surrounded by people coming and going, kids crying and trucks passing by. 

Personally, I could not do any valuable work in those conditions.  If we consider our “work” doing the  minimum to get a paycheck, then I suppose any conditions will do.  If we’re just cranking something out and the quality is not a big issue, then doing it hit and miss in the middle of chaos and disruption is probably sufficient.  If your work uses only your left brain – you’re just putting pieces together, or counting widgets, or assembling boxes – then I suppose the conditions are not as important.

But if we consider our “work” our art, the release of the very best that we have to offer the world, then I think the setting is of maximum importance.  Creativity, brilliance, mastery, talent, virtuosity, and genius are not likely to be engaged if our back is cramped and a co-worker just bounced a paper airplane off the side of our head. 

I consider my working area a sacred space.  (I resist even calling it my office because of the connotation of hard work, bright lights and pressure.)

Here are some dictionary definitions of “sacred”

• reverently dedicated to some person, purpose, or object
• highly valued and important
• regarded with reverence
• secured against violation, infringement, etc.
• entitled to reverence and respect

That’s where I’m likely to do my best art.  If it’s distilling the wisdom of the ages into a new book to give hope to people today, or coaching someone, or scrolling through the tons of questions coming in to then deliver a weekly podcast, or making comments on Facebook, or even just working with my accountant on understanding the flow of money that has been entrusted to me, I want the peace of my sacred space to set the tone. 

I had trusted advisors help me design my work space – the colors, the lighting and the sounds – because I knew it would be the place I would either create mediocrity or excellence.

So what about you?  Does your work space impact your “art” or are you immune to your surroundings?  How have you designed the space that nurtures the release of the very best that God has put in you to share with the world?    

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People who avoid failure also avoid success Dan Miller

People who avoid failure also avoid success

1. You’re making me hate my job more.  Would I be better off not listening?
2. What would you do every day if you had a billion dollars?
3. How do you look for a job in the same field without your boss finding out?
4. It feels like I am avoiding failure by not attempting to succeed.
5. How can a Podiatrist generate income outside of just seeing patients?

 

“Winners are not afraid of losing. But losers are. Failure is part of the process of success. People who avoid failure also avoid success.” – Robert T. Kiyosaki

Ten characteristics of Poverty

Resource Today – Text 48Days to 33444 for Dan’s 7 tips to running a Mastermind

Other Resources:

Today’s show is brought to you by Audible.com– use this link to get a free audio book

Coaching with Excellence – September 3-4th

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Filling your head with meaningless information won’t get you a job Dan Miller

I’ve got a new resource for you that could explode your level of success – see end of article.

We are releasing the all new 48 Days to the Work You Love seminar on September 1st.  Because of the continued workplace volatility we are getting a lot of pressure to make the course “certified” for use in traditional colleges and universities.

While that sounds appealing, the deeper I explored the process the more disgusted I became.  I do want people to experience the freedom of finding their passion and applying that in work that is meaningful, purposeful and profitable.  But I can’t get excited

Make sure you can show competence, not just knowledge

about the process that would make this “certified.”   Unfortunately, there are requirements that defy everything I believe about showing competence. To me, “education” is broadening your life with experiences and understanding and that can take place as you’re traveling through Switzerland or starting your own delivery business.  That education may be more valuable than sitting in a classroom and just regurgitating what’s in the textbook.

Academic certification requires certain things like seventy-five hours of coursework. It doesn’t matter if the content can be conveyed easily in forty hours. I would have to artificially create seventy-five hours, even if that included just busy work to meet the requirement.  Their model, then, for proving your competence is to regurgitate what was in the material. So we would have quizzes, tests, and essays where you feed back information that was in the textbook.  You could cite the average time on a job and how unemployment has changed over the last 20 years.  You would know how many small businesses are starting every month and what the average income of a teacher is.  And what that means, and this just absolutely destroys me, is that a student could get an A in the course, 48 Days to the Work You Love, and yet never get that first job, never get a promotion, never find their passion, never find work that they love, or never start their own business. They could fail at all those parameters by which I measure success and still get an A in the course.

So I’m really outside the academic model. I’m happy to be there, frankly, because I think the academic model we have in the United States right now is the next bubble that’s going to burst. And there are a whole lot of people that are saying that. People like Mark Cuban and Mike Rowe and lots of other bright people that are seeing what’s happening. It’s a really broken model where we’re encouraging students just to fill their head with the knowledge that you can access from an iPhone in three seconds.  Yes, times have changed. Why would to fill your head by memorizing the capitals of all 50 states or the names of all the presidents?

Here are a couple recent questions from Who Wants To Be A Millionaire:

• “Nephelococcygia” is the practice of doing what?
• Which First Lady was a ninth-generation descendant of Pocahontas?
• Who did artist Grant Wood use as the model for the farmer in his classic painting “American Gothic”?
• What letter must appear at the beginning of the registration number of all non-military aircraft in the U.S.?

Will knowing these answers open new doors of opportunity?  Will those come up in an interview?  We need people to help people solve problems. To come up with solutions, unique ways of seeing new opportunities and creative ways of relating to other people.

Those are the kinds of things I want to convey, and so proving competence in my courses is not just a matter of feeding back what the materials say, or memorizing insignificant information.  Rather, describe to me a project that you’ve worked on. Let me see a blog that you wrote. Tell me about the landscaping business you had last year or the woodcarving business that you just started. Tell me something that you’ve done where you’ve put legs on an idea and created an economic model that will benefit you. Show me the invention you’re working on.  Describe how the job you have now fits you or how you just discovered a unique way to blend your passion, talent and money.

There’s a lot of research to support that getting a 4.0 in college is not a good predictor of any kind of success by however we measure that. We have to move past this valuing of knowledge to understanding and application.  Learning is easy – mastery is challenging.  And unfortunately, a lot of our academic program doesn’t require that. We just show knowledge and that’s it. Knowledge doesn’t do anything for you unless you move all the way through to understanding and application.

And here’s my recommended resource.  “How to run a Mastermind Group”  I don’t remember the symbol for Barium from the chemical chart of elements I had to study years ago (I’ve replaced that path in my brain with something meaningful), but Mastermind groups have been my constant source of new inspiration, support and motivation for me for many years.

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