Michael Hyatt's Blog, page 17

Make Progress on Goals in Only 5 Minutes

When I first started speaking and writing, I traveled to more than 60 events in a single year. It exhausted me. Friends in the industry told me this type of travel was essential, but I believed I could find a better way to grow my business. I chose to ignore the naysayers. I made a plan to cut travel by over 90% and within a year and a half, I was sleeping in my own bed almost every single night.

My friends were thinking small. We all do this. We let limits dictate our dreams. In the case of constant travel, I’m thankful I knew how to think big—even when others stated their disbelief.

In a previous post, I defined three steps to start thinking big. Below, you’ll find four more tried-and-true steps to keep thinking big.

Step 1. Outline what would have to be true.

It may be difficult to lay out the path from goal origin to goal achievement. Don’t give up. Simply ask yourself, “What would have to be true for me to achieve this dream?”

To drastically reduce my time away from home but maintain a profitable business, I needed to keep traveling for 18 months. This time would allow me to build new revenue streams and narrow my focus to local speaking engagements. By introducing new services and products, my team and I filled the gap left from conferences and events. Outlining what would have to be true made the goal attainable.

Step 2. Decide what you can do to affect the outcome.

Once you know what must be true to reach your dream, you can start checking off tasks. Focus on specific, daily actions.

Imagine you’re driving on an unlit road in the dead of night. It’s pitch-black outside except for your headlights. You can’t see everything, but you can see enough to keep moving forward.

This is how progress happens. Don’t overcomplicate it. Think about what’s next and go do it.

Step 3. Set a deadline.

To transform a dream into a reachable goal, you need to set a deadline. This will provide accountability. If you feel your hair raising at the mention of a deadline, rest assured this is the part everyone resists.

When do you plan to deliver on the goal? It could be by year-end (December 31) or it could be more near-term (October 15). It can feel risky to commit to a specific time, but without an end date, you will never get there. A goal without a date is just a dream.

Step 4. Review your goals daily.

When you lose visibility on your goals, your dream dies. Most ideas don’t simply fail. They get buried in the busyness of day-to-day life.

Incorporate a goal review into your daily ritual to stay focused on what you want most. I follow the system we developed in Your Best Year Ever. I have 10 to 12 goals for the year and 2 to 3 for the quarter. I review those on a daily basis.

This process reveals daily opportunities to move in the direction of each goal. Daily actions may be as simple as sending a text, scheduling a call, or writing an email.

“

When you lose visibility on your goals, your dream dies.

—MICHAEL HYATT

We often lead clients through an exercise called Five Minute Wins. Here’s how it works: We set the timer for five minutes and let people knock out as many actions as possible before the buzzer. The results are amazing. Most participants complete somewhere around ten actions. It’s almost always worth the time.

Achieving big requires thinking big. Make it happen by outlining what has to be true, deciding what actions affect key outcomes, setting deadlines, and reviewing goals daily.

Encore: Leadership and the Law of Replication

We all want to build a strong culture in our organizations, but leaders often exclude themselves from the expectations they set for others. By mastering the Law of Replication, you’ll avoid creating chaos in your organization and create a strong, healthy team culture based on your core values.

Start Thinking Big in 3 Simple Steps

When I was in high school, my dad paid me $20 to read The Power of Positive Thinking. It’s the only book he ever paid me to read. By the time I closed the back cover, I was addicted to motivational literature. Since then, I’ve continued to study motivations and dreams. The more I read, the more I realize—if we think small, we achieve small.

Thinking small is natural. Over time, leaders lose the ability to dream. We become risk-averse and sacrifice goals. That’s why I love motivational reading material. It reveals where I might be standing in my own way.

When we recognize the limits of thinking small, we can re-train ourselves to think big. To start thinking big today, you’ll need to follow three effective steps.

Step 1. Imagine the possibilities.

Give yourself permission to dream. This may involve suspending disbelief. Most people build a habit of objecting to goals before they even take root. Instead of thinking, “What if I fail?” think “What if I succeed?”

Dan Sullivan says entrepreneurs first achieve success because of their willingness to dream and take risks. However, once they realize initial success, many quit taking risks. Inevitably, these entrepreneurs fail.

Leaders imagine possibilities and keep reimagining what’s possible beyond each accomplishment.

Step 2. Write down your dream.

As I often say, thoughts disentangle themselves passing over the lips and through pencil tips. To give yourself a real opportunity to pursue your dream, clarify what you want. There’s something about writing that brings this clarity.

This isn’t limited to work life. When I was in college, my pastor urged me to make a list of qualities I was seeking in a spouse. I wasn’t even close to being in a relationship at the time. I made the list, and it helped me recognize Gail when she showed up.

“

Leaders imagine possibilities and keep reimagining what’s possible beyond each accomplishment.

—MICHAEL HYATT

Step 3. Connect what’s at stake.

Get clear about your why. Many people skip over this step. That’s a mistake. Knowing what’s at stake will keep you fueled up on the road to accomplishment.

I’ll share an example. A few years ago, my team made a goal to help fund the construction of a school in Kenya. Instead of simply focusing on the financial number, we needed to get to the heart of the dream. In this case, kids would not get an education if we gave up on our goal. That’s what was at stake. This drove us to keep moving until we reached our funding goal.

Now that you know the first three steps to thinking big, you can get out of your goal’s way.

Thinking big is a learnable skill. Your community can either grow or shrink your thinking. As you develop this skill, get deliberate about who you hang out with. Encourage one another to voice your wildest dreams and celebrate wins together.

Starting to think big is hard. Continuing to think big is even harder.

Encore: The Character Advantage

All leaders want to be successful, but sometimes we face situations that pit our desire for results against our values. In this episode, we’ll help you recognize that temptation and equip you to do the right thing when it’s costly. By doing so, you’ll avoid doing damage to your organization and your reputation—and you’ll build a lasting legacy of success.

9 Tips to Increase Concentration Levels

In the distraction economy, focus is a rare commodity. We can’t do meaningful work unless we maintain focus. Good leaders not only achieve greater focus but also equip team members with focus-boosting tools.

Don’t let another week go by with fractured focus. Below, you’ll find nine practices to destroy distractions in your daily work. Choose at least one of these tools to add to your work today.

1. Calendar your focus time.

What gets scheduled gets done. Block your calendar when you can get into peak performance. For instance, I do my best work early in the morning, so I schedule early alone time to complete my most important projects. If you aren’t familiar with chronotypes, consider reading When by Daniel Pink. You’ll identify when you work best so you can schedule demanding tasks in your most productive time periods.

2. Isolate yourself.

I first realized isolation was helpful when I noticed my productivity soar while seated on an airplane. I do my most creative work at 35,000 feet. The combination of white noise and distance from my community lets me crank out lots of content.

Replicate this on the ground by closing your office door or wearing headphones to signal to teammates when you’re in deep work. You may even verbalize to coworkers or your boss that you need a few hours of uninterrupted work. At Michael Hyatt & Co., we believe so much in isolation that we designate Wednesdays as no meeting days. Isolation is essential.

3. Go offline.

Turn off notifications or use a tool that blocks content. You don’t have the mental strength to overcome pop-ups on your own. I use a tool called Freedom on my desktop. On my phone, I delete nonessential apps and set screen time controls for social media apps required for work. I don’t even know the code to bypass the limits. My wife keeps the code so I can’t breach my digital distraction firewall. To win the war on focus, you must take down the tech giants.

4. Turn the room temperature down.

In a study published by Scientific American, participants were asked to proofread an article. Some worked in a room at 77°F while others worked in a room set to 67°F. Those in the cool room found twice as many errors as their counterparts. Science proves it—cooler rooms improve concentration. Optimal temperature varies by person, so test out different settings to find your perfect thermostat setting.

5. Get comfortable.

When you’re uncomfortable, you’re distracted. Find a comfortable posture. This doesn’t mean lying in bed. Don’t get so comfortable that you’ll fall asleep. I feel most comfortable working from a standing position, so I spend the majority of my days at my stand-up desk. Find what works for you.

“

We can’t do meaningful work unless we maintain focus.

—MICHAEL HYATT

6. Put on music that aids concentration.

Researchers at Stanford University studied the effect of music on the brain and found that it engaged areas of the brain involved in paying attention, making predictions, and updating memory. When I write, I listen to a playlist of instrumental and epic soundtracks. It gives me a sense of purpose. It’s designed to impact emotion, and it does. I feel more aware of my larger purpose in the world. For help finding this type of music, search the Focus genre on Spotify or use apps like Focus@Will.

7. Notice the effect of food on your ability to focus.

For some people, three cups of coffee help with focus. Others feel jittery after the slightest amount of caffeine. Pay attention to how your body reacts to what you consume and don’t skip meals. You may need snacks in your desk drawer or a water bottle with markers that track your daily hydration. Add foods known to increase brain function to your regular diet.

8. Set mini-goals.

Mini-goals are projects you can accomplish in a designated period of time. For example, I set a mini-goal to write a 500-word blog post in 45 minutes several mornings per week. I use a timer on my desktop. I know my average is 75 minutes per blog post, so setting a 45-minute timer helps me stay focused in my race against the clock. Identify potential mini-goals and allot less time than you think you need.

9. Set a timer and take frequent breaks.

Timers add deadlines. Depending on your personality type, this can be very motivating. Timers also remind you to take breaks. If you power through too long on a project, you’ll run out of battery.

Breaks take many forms. You may go on a walk, meditate, take an afternoon nap, or make a cup of coffee. Whatever you do, clear your mind for a few minutes and you’ll feel almost immediate benefits.

On a typical workday, I take a mid-morning break. I leave my office, which is located in a building behind my house, and walk inside my home to briefly chat with my wife. Later, I break for lunch and an afternoon nap. Breaks renew my energy. Each time I return to my desk, I work with fresh eyes and fresh motivation.

Distractions are everywhere. Without intentional actions, you will fall prey to them again and again. Win the war on focus by using the focus-boosting strategies above.

How to Elevate Your Public Speaking with Pat Quinn

As a leader, your words matter and you want to make them count. But speaking in public is a challenge. Even an informal presentation to the team can make you a little nervy. Speaking before the board or a group of investors is worse. What do you say? And how do you say it? This may be the most challenging thing leaders have to do. 

7 Attributes of a Healthy Business

Early in my career, there were many times I didn’t have a handle on the true state of business. As information makes its way to leaders, it gets filtered. You don’t receive the bad news you need to properly course correct. Especially if culture is out of line. To accurately monitor the health of your business, you can’t rely on internal reports. You’ll need to get intentional about tracking down the truth.

One way to improve your understanding of business health is to grow in self-awareness as a leader. This can take place through reading leadership books, investing in coaching calls, and completing self-assessments.

To help you pursue health, my team and I created a free tool called the Business Health Assessment. It’s built around seven pillars. I recently recorded a live coaching call with a business owner from Chattanooga, Tenn. We discussed his Business Health Assessment results and zoomed in on key areas needing improvement. To apply those coaching lessons to your own work, listen to our call here.

For a quick overview on the Business Health Assessment, view the 7 pillars of business health below.

1. Vision

Many people spend too much time trying to distill a vision into a clever tagline when what they really need is a clear statement. Your vision should be concrete and specific. State it as though it already exists. This adds power and intensity. Then keep the vision visible. You’re the voice of the vision. If you don’t give voice to it, no one will.

2. Focus

Focus is the application of vision. This may require pruning. Some leaders view this as a step back, but in reality, it helps you leap forward. Focus is as much about choosing what not to do as it is about choosing what you’ll pursue.

3. Team

Recruit team players based on character, competence, chemistry, and conviction. As a leader, it’s your job to call out greatness in others. Show them what they can’t see. Set standards. When they miss the mark, acknowledge their underperformance and remind them they are capable of more. High standards attract A-players. Expect results and get results.

4. Culture

Bad culture destroys business. Get serious about culture by writing down a set of core values. Let these values drive what you reward. Get clear about what’s not tolerated. Then make sure you follow your own rules. Leaders’ commitment to company values will trickle down the org chart. Build trust and engage employees by investing in your culture.

“

You’re the voice of the vision. If you don’t give voice to it, no one will.

—MICHAEL HYATT

5. Clients

Bad clients can take you out of focus and off vision. During slow seasons, you may take on demanding or unprofitable clients. Until your client list is full of highly profitable and low-maintenance brand evangelists, segment your list and give the bulk of your time and attention to your best clients.

6. Data

Data is essential to strategic planning. Good data not only tells the history of your business but also lights a path forward. This should be collected on a regular basis. Set up regular financial reports and forecasts. Then build a dashboard of key metrics so you can head off trouble before it even begins.

7. You

The best way to measure You is to review how you delegate. If you don’t scale yourself through delegation, your business will stop when you walk out the door. This is a difficult area for many leaders because much of their early success comes from their own contributions. To improve delegation, consider your Desire Zone. This is where your greatest passion and greatest proficiency intersect. This area should drive the most critical results for the business. It may involve three to five activities. Any activity outside of this area is a candidate for elimination or delegation.

Chances are you haven’t had a business checkup in a while. Click here to take the 5-minute Business Health Assessment.

 

How to Rejuvenate with a Staycation

Many leaders are running on fumes right now. We’ve been dealing with the pandemic for months. For many businesses, the climate is still uncertain. Time off seems impossible, and a lot of leaders feel exhausted and frustrated. This is a recipe for burnout.

5 Ways to Find the Help You Need

It was Christmastime. An elaborate gift arrived at my doorstep from someone trying to land an appointment with me. Although gifts can show genuine gratitude, I knew this one was intended to manipulate me. The gift giver tried to use the law of reciprocity to make me feel obligated into taking the sales appointment. It didn’t work the first time . . . or the following seven attempts. In fact, I started sending the packages back. If you want help from me, this is the absolute wrong route to take.

Leaders often make mistakes when asking for help. In many cases, they believe asking for help is an admission of inadequate leadership. This simply isn’t true.

You don’t need to know all the right answers. You just need to find people with the right expertise.

There are several wrong ways to request help. Avoid the most common mistakes with these five tips for asking for help.

Tip 1. Make it about them and not you.

Requests are not always an imposition. People want to be helpful.

When we began planning a new organizational structure for Michael Hyatt & Co., we realized we needed professional help. We thought of our friend, John, because he’s more gifted at organizational design than anyone else in our network.

In our request, we said, “Look! We need help with organizational design. We thought through our options, and we don’t know anyone better than you. We would love the opportunity to get your brain on this problem for a while.”

When asking for help, clearly state why you think the person is uniquely qualified to help. If they are anything like John, they will be happy to contribute.

Tip 2. Be positive.

“I know you’re busy and have more important things to do…” Beginning a conversation like this paints your request in a negative light. Instead, position your request positively.

A friend once asked me for marketing advice on building a business around a bestselling book. He said, “I have an interesting problem that I believe you would enjoy solving.”

The problem was posed as an exciting puzzle instead of an energy drain. It ignited my imagination and creativity. I enjoyed giving advice. I wanted to help my friend succeed.

Figure out how to frame your problems in a positive light. You’ll greatly change the outcome.

Tip 3. Ask but don’t demand.

I am often on the receiving end of book endorsements. I’m thankful for those who endorse my writing, but that doesn’t mean I owe an endorsement in return.

On a few occasions, I’ve received requests that imply they are entitled to an endorsement from me. This doesn’t sit well with me. “Remember when I endorsed you? Now it’s your responsibility to return the favor.”

Yuck. Entitlement is ugly. Instead of demanding help, ask for it. I often add an easy out at the end of requests. I’ll say, “If you’re too busy to do this or feel like you can’t, no worries. We’re still friends.” This helps the recipient know my intention. I want to invite help, not coerce it.

“

Entitlement is ugly. Instead of demanding help, ask for it.

—MICHAEL HYATT

Tip 4. If you didn’t receive a firm No, ask again.

As Anne Lamott says, “’No’ is a complete sentence.” If somebody directly turns down a request, don’t ask again. However, if you haven’t received a direct rejection, it may be appropriate to check back in.

For instance, when I wanted a specific endorsement for Free to Focus, I sent a follow-up email with this message: “I’m not sure if my email even got to you, and if the answer is ‘No,’ that’s totally acceptable. But I wanted to give you another shot to respond. This really fits your philosophy, and I’d love your endorsement.” I received a prompt response saying, “Absolutely! I don’t know how I missed this.”

Studies show a follow-up request is much more effective than an initial ask. It gets a 50% positive response. When you don’t receive a firm No, it may be worth reaching out again.

Tip 5. Reward the people who volunteer.

When people help you, reinforce the behavior, and express your appreciation. This can take the form of a thank you note or a follow-up gift.

Let the helper know you recognize the cost of their time. We never do this in advance. Remember my story above? A pre-gift sends a message of manipulation. A post-gift sends a message of appreciation.

You can’t solve everything on your own. Practice requesting assistance with these five tips. You’ll find help in no time.

How to Create More Just and Equitable Workplaces (Part 2)

As a business leader, you want to create a strong team that is highly engaged and functions well. Yet in our increasingly diverse society, that’s not always easy to do. Recent events have revealed once again the difference of opportunity and tensions that exist between races. And those problems exist in the workplace too. Many of us are realizing just how much we don’t know about creating a just and equitable workplace for our employees.