by Kirby Hasseman
One day, many years ago, my mother had asked my father and I to move some furniture around in our house. This was early in my life, probably the first time I had been asked to perform such a “manly” job and I was happy to do it. As we looked at the group of furniture that needed to be re-located, my dad pointed the biggest couch and said, “Let’s get that one first.” He quickly explained that when faced with a tough task, “lift the heaviest one first” and the rest would seem easy. That is the exact opposite of what most people do. It’s actually the opposite of what we are programmed to do. We see something that looks daunting or uncomfortable or “heavy” and we put that off. Our brain is wired to keep us safe and comfortable. The problem is, the most important work is rarely safe or comfortable. If we want to grow, or stretch or reach new heights, we almost always have to step outside what is comfortable. We have to “lean into” the things that might make us want to pause. Because here’s the thing: Once we pause, our brain will start to look for things to talk us out of it. The brain will try to keep us safe and comfortable. So when you feel that urge to do something new, act. It’s most likely your brain giving you a signal that you are on the right path. Instead of pausing, find the heaviest, hardest, or most important task on your “to do” list and start it. Think of yourself like I was, a young kid at the beginning of a project. You need to move a bunch of the furniture in your life around, so you can create the life you want. There is going to be some sweat and some heavy lifting. So you might as well lift the heavy stuff first.
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by Kirby Hasseman
Let me paint a picture. You are on the cusp of a disagreement. This might be with a loved one. It might be with a spouse or a child. Or it might be with a customer. You have the facts on our side. You have lined up your argument. And, maybe, you are a little fired up. We have all been there. But let me give you one question to ask yourself before you pick up the phone, hit send, or “let them have it.” It’s a simple question. But it gets you to the other side of the argument. “What do I win by winning?” There are so many situations in business and in life where we dig in our heels. We are indignant. We are angry. And maybe, we are right. Maybe we have a right to be frustrated. Maybe we are justified in our anger. But do you really want to say something you can un-say? Maybe you do. But ask the question first. What is the goal? What do I win by winning?
by Kirby Hasseman
Other people’s problems often seem easy to solve. But when grappling with our own, many of us struggle. Studies tell us that phenomenon is because “other people’s problems” seem more like a puzzle to solve. It’s not too personal. So we can look at it and see a solution. But as you know, seeing a solution is not the solution. Most of us know what we should do. Or at least, we know “the next thing” we should do. We have an idea of how to solve the puzzle. Or we have friends and family that can advise us on how to do it. We know what we should do. We know what we can do. But what WILL you do? It’s why one of my favorite quotes is “The greatest distance in the world is the distance between “I know” and “I do.” Other people can help you create a plan. But only you can “want it.” Only you can decide. Only you can make it happen. Figure out the next thing. Go. Do. Today.
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by Kirby Hasseman
“If you don’t know where you’re going, any road’ll take you there.” Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland. Do you know where you are going? Do you know where you want to go? I don’t necessarily mean for the rest of your life. But do you have something you are working toward in the next 6, 12 or 18 months? So many people I meet really don’t know where they are going. They lack intention and purpose. I am talking to those people that complain every Monday that they have to go to work. Everyone gets a case of the “Mondays” sometimes. But if you are constantly bemoaning the state of your life, then you have not created a “why” that really matters to you. The thing is, you might be working a job you don’t like. But if you are doing so in order to pay for the opportunity to do something that DOES matter to you, even that menial job has a purpose. You may not love it. But you understand why you are doing it. In the book “The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F&@k,” author Mark Mason talks about this. He says that successful people don’t always love what they are doing. But they have a vision of where they want to go. Once they create that vision, then they are willing to suffer through what it takes to get there. A good example would be a marathon. When I trained for a marathon I did not WANT to run 10 or 15 or 18 miles. No one I know wants to do that! But I was willing to suffer through it…so I could complete the marathon. The same is true for whatever you are trying to do. Create the vision and the goal for yourself. Then decide what you are willing to suffer through. Let me end with a message that got sent to me today (thanks Janet McMaster). Decide what you want.Write that stuff down.Make a freaking plan.And work on it.Every.Single.Day.
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by Kirby Hasseman
You can learn a lot about business and building an organization when you learn from a well-run church. My family and I attend Newpointe Community Church in Coshocton, Ohio. NewPointe is a multi-site church and Coshocton is one of (currently) five campuses where Dwight Mason is the lead Pastor. This past weekend, NewPointe hosted a celebration with all of the campuses coming together. It was a great day. One of my favorite parts was when Dwight was interviewed about the history of the church on the main stage. In front of thousands of people, Dwight told many stories about how NewPointe began. If you listened closely, you heard lessons that would be featured in any business book. So I thought I would give you a few of them here. Play The Long Game: When building the church, Dwight had many times when he was not sure things were following his vision. But when creating something really big, you have time. You have to have patience. So often, once we know what we want, we want it right now. If you have created a really good mission, then that will take time to reach. Grant yourself some grace that these things don’t happen over night. Don’t Be Afraid To Ask: You might be excited about your vision. You might be willing to tell the story. But when it gets to the moment of truth, are you willing to ask for what you want? So many of us stop just before we do. If you know what you want (and what you need) you have to be willing ask. Create the Vision But Let The Plans Change: Dwight created a vision of trying to reach as many people as he could with his message. But in the course of his vision, properties changed, team members changed, etc. Don’t get caught up in the minutia. Create a vision that resonates with you and your team…but don’t romanticize how you get there. Be flexible. Be Ready When Good Things Come: At one point on the journey, Dwight had lunch with someone who asked “What are some things you would like to do but don’t have the money to do right now?” Dwight named 10 on the spot. As he pointed out, when someone offers you an opportunity, don’t tell them you will get back to them. Be ready for wonderful things to enter your life…so you can use them to create your vision. We Don’t Get Where We are By Chance: We get there by choice. Every day we make tons of decisions that guide our life. Will we do our very best? Will we take a risk? Will we put ourselves out there? When we fail, will be try again? You get the idea. But our life is made up of choices. If your life is not where you want it to be, make different choices. (As Dwight would say “Y’all ok?) The good news is, you have the choice to change.
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