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
Here are some questions to consider today. 1. What do you really want to do?2. What are you doing today to get there? Most people give up what they really want, for what they want “right now.” So you want to be in shape, be healthy and six pack abs. That’s what you really want. But “right now” you want to hit snooze on the alarm clock and sleep in. You really want to have a successful business and get to see your kids. But “right now” you want to play fantasy football. Now back to the questions. What do you really want to do? What are you doing today to get there? It is REALLY easy to get off track. The life you have can often get in the way of the life you want. As I say all of the time, most of the time the answer is simple. But “simple” is not the same as “easy.” So how do you stay on track? I recommend getting people in your life that help you. Don’t get me wrong. If you want something to improve or change in your life, it’s your responsibility to make it happen. But there is nothing wrong with surrounding yourself with people that would help. It’s a lot like building an organization. You are the CEO of YOU. What members do you want on your team that will help you stay on track? Do you need someone to be a drill sergeant? Some people do. Occasionally they need reminded that they need to “put in the work” if they want the results. Do you need an encourager? When you are trying new things, you will likely face some moments of failure. Remember, if it was easy, everyone would do it. Sometimes you need that person to tell you how awesome you are. Do you need a Jimminy Cricket? If you are like me, sometimes you need someone to remind you why you are doing the work. “It’s time to go home. You need to see your family.” This will help you stay in balance so you can perform your best work. No matter what type of person you need to surround yourself with (and often it’s all of these), get them on the team. That will allow you to get back out there and start focusing on two very important questions… 1. What do you really want to do?2. What are you doing today to get there?
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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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by Kirby Hasseman
As I write this I have a basement full of young ladies that will be on the local soccer team. Yesterday they had a long day of scrimmages and today they are sharing pizza and watching the video of the games in order to learn. I listen to the coaches going over lessons of strategy and positioning, and I know that today will make them better. They are bonding and laughing and questioning and learning. But it goes on outside of the spotlight. It’s not big. It’s not the sort of activity that ends up in the Under Armour commercial. But it’s the little things (like this one) that success is built upon. The same is true in sales and business (and the rest of life). We always celebrate the crowning achievement. We all want to get the kudos and the trophies and the recognition (and we should). But so much of success is built upon the days when you are just alone (or with our team)…getting better. They are built on the days when you make “one more sales call.” They are built on the times when you choose to read a book instead of watch a reality show. They are built on doing the work no one else sees. And it takes time. I don’t know if our girls soccer team will be great this year. And frankly, that’s not the point. What I do know is they are learning how to succeed. What they need to understand now, is that you have to do it every day. The same is true for building sales or content or a business. You can’t stop because it’s hard. You can’t quit because it’s inconvenient. It’s about doing the work that most people don’t see. Every day. Over time. And when you do, some day (years from now) someone will marvel at how you “came from nowhere” and are an “overnight success.” But you will know different.
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by Kirby Hasseman
“You are selfish.” When you read that sentence, or hear those words, how does it make you feel? Does it fill you with pride? Or do you turn your head or step back in disbelief? Most people, like me, get a negative feeling in their stomach if they have been labeled as “selfish.” It’s just not how most of us want to be known. But sometimes being selfish is important. Never forget the flight attendant’s speech that reminds us to secure our own oxygen mask before we help those around us. When we are creating our life on purpose, we need to spend some time being selfish, if we want to get it right. Here’s what I mean: 1. Your Purpose: I am amazed when I look at the world and see how many people have live just “happen to them.” They travel through the world with no intentionality. What type of life do you want? What do you want to be when you grow up? What do you want to achieve? The fact is, only you can answer those questions for you. You can’t find it from your parents or friends or (God forbid) your phone or social media. You have to take some “me time” and decide what you want your life to look like. 2. Your Priorities: Once you have decided what you want, now you need to be “selfish” with your time (if you want to make it happen). You will need to prioritize one thing over another. I never thought wanting to run a marathon was selfish, but long days of training take time. That time comes at the expense of other things and other people. The same is true if you are growing sales, starting a business, or launching a new career. This time of “selfish” is totally fine, as long as you have decided this on purpose. 3. Your Journey: It’s your life…not anyone else’s. As you make these choices and priorities, you might have to lose a few people in your life. But if you have created the life you want, that will be okay. Hopefully they are doing the same. Maybe you are uncomfortable with this “selfish” talk. But once you get your life moving in the direction you want, you might find a group of people moving in the same direction.
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