Creating Your Life

You are creating your life in every moment with the thoughts to which you give the most attention.

Most people will say that they are optimists. I do. Yet if you keep track of what you hear people say, you will soon realize that optimistic statements are not what is mostly spoken. Most of what we hear and what we each say actually is negative and pessimistic.

The problem with this is that it feeds on itself. The more you talk negatively, the more you want to talk negatively. And negativity is counter-productive or non-productive. It's not really even fun.

So I challenged myself after a colleague told me the story of a minister who had this realization about himself and decided to try to stop whining, complaining, or gossiping. He was surprised to find that it took him over 4 months to eliminate complaining from his daily language. His premise is that it takes 21 days to form a new habit, so he would wear a bracelet on his wrist and listen to himself speak. If he complained, whined, or gossiped, he would switch the bracelet to the other wrist and then start the 21-day count again.

Not until he went 21 days without switching wrists did he know he had formed a new habit of not complaining. It took him 4 months and the average this 3-year old project has found is about 6 months.

I'm on my 16th first day today and realizing that this is really hard. I think it is worthwhile even if it makes me pay better attention to what I say, because I know that it makes me think about what I will say more carefully and that makes me think better.

I hope I can do this in less than 6 months. It's gonna be an interesting journey.

You can learn more at A Complaint Free World.

If you wanna try, I have a few in my bag and I will give you your very own bracelet.

Girls are Better than Boys

A comedian wrote an article about how he is glad his children are girls.  It's funny. He points out really tangible features that make females superior to males in day to day situations.
I, of course, like this because I'm a woman and it was all said by a man, so it can't be said that I am being conceited if I agree. Not totally.
My thought though, is that if I was a company and I was hiring employees, I would make sure that I had lots of females on staff and see if that helped me kick my competitor's butt. I would make sure that at least half of my visible staff was female. Us shoppers think it is weird when we see no diversity, and that means age, race, and sexual diversity. And when we feel weird, we don't spend. Just saying.
btw - I am TOTALLY opposed to objectifying dress like some restaurants who shall remain nameless do. That is bad. That misses the point.

More Important Than Ever

I tried to make a hotel reservation online like I always do, but kept getting errors and messages that the reservation system was unavailable at this time. So I waited and went back the next day, but same problem.
So there is actually a link there saying that if I have trouble making a reservation to call the local hotel. That was a bad sign... I mean, why would you have a message about problems if problems weren't a regular thing? Now that's a problem.
I called the number and it was a horror show. The agent couldn't find my "preferred" account, asked me numerous times for the same info, called the dates and days of the week incorrectly. It was awful. I had no confidence in the process and finally ended the call. Another brand got my business this time.
Please, please, please do the BASICS. Don't be mediocre. Don't assume your website can do it all. Now in the "digital age", your personality, your live person skills are MORE IMPORTANT THAN EVER!
Here are the standards for every employee or owner before you pick up your phone or open your door:

• Smile when you talk
• Have paper and writing instrument at the ready; your system might stop or respond slowly
• Know how to use your systems
• Listen and repeat to confirm what you heard
• Do your work with pleasure, do not treat the caller as an interruption, make the caller feel like you have been waiting to hear from her
• Tell your people what you expect them to do, observe them frequently to make sure they do it, and coach them to perfection when they don't do what you expect!
• Listen to the consultants and trainers that you constantly hire to tell you what to do and then actually DO what they tell you to do

Ixnay on the Space Arbay

Boo Hoo. I am old.
I learned to type on a manual typewriter.
7th grade, 1970-something, I learned to type on a manual typewriter and the convention was that you placed one space between words and two spaces between sentences.
Well that antiquated convention should've died with the advent of the PC, but it hangs on.
It all had to do with the fact that on a typewriter, every letter takes up the same amount of space (monospaced type) on the page and so the double space made it easier on the reader's eye.  With computers and "proportional" type, letters take up as much space as they need, so the additional space is not helpful for the reader.  You can read the whole detailed story here.
Smart phones don't like the double-spacing either, by the way.  More than once I have had a text message that I sent, look really weird to the receiver with a bunch of symbols inserted where I put in 2 spaces. That's another good reason to stop double-spacing. It's real world proof that I shouldn't do it.
Even now, my thumb keeps double tapping after every sentence.
But, I am dedicated to changing the habit and working from the new info.
It is uncomfortable. But it is the right thing to do. When you get new information, you have to take new actions or make new decisions.  You can't be excellent if you do things "just because you always have done it that way".

BuzzKill

I got the most annoying video today from a so-called motivational speaker.
Gak.
The bad part was that this guy was trying to motivate me to be better by putting people down who are in a rough spell.  He tried to draw some political correlary which was not even a good example.  Just all around inappropriate.

• A. If people didn't have rough spots and need some motivation, you would be out of work, fool.
• B. Political analogies don't work with people you don't know and who likely disagree with you.
• C. Shut up.

As you can see the guy just succeeded in irritating me.  He didn't pass on anything to brighten my day or illuminate a dark spot.  He's also relegated to the Junk folder from now on.
I can't help that I am empathetic.  That is how I am wired.  I won't fault some people for not having that capacity as long as they keep it to themselves.  I will avoid people who want to blame victims and blame people feeling down.
I need a word of encouragement regularly.  I think that is normal.  It doesn't mean I am a loser or mentally deficient.  It means I am a human, and I realize realities of life... I can't be at 100%, 100% of the time. 
Herre's an analogy for that dimwit: While a cool cup of water passed to a marathon runner is refreshing and helpful, a bucket of ice water dumped over the head is not at all.
Instead, my thought today is: when somebody says something that irritates you, dust them off your shoes like so much pesky sand, and feel great realizing that you know enough not to admit their "virus" into your world.  They really don't deserve any more of your finite energy either talking about or thinking on them.
There.  I feel so much better!

Devil's Advocate

I think there is a reason and a purpose and a benefit to Devil's Advocate.  You know, taking a contrary position in order to keep a topic alive to discuss or to teach a lesson or to make sure something is thoroughly analyzed.  I get it.
But I am usually not that.  Entire TV networks and XM radio stations are dedicated to it.  Face it, you can't swing a cat without hitting 22 Devil's Advocates these days.  Why you are swinging a cat, I don't know and I wish you would stop.  But still.
The negative viewpoint is not ever missing, it is not lacking.
I, on the other hand want to be the optimist.  My questions are like: What good can come of this?  What bright spot can be seen?  How can we duplicate this greatness?  How can we turn this lemon into lemonade?
That's not simple.  It's not easy either.  But to me, it's sorely lacking and absolutely essential.

Motivated by Autonomy, Mastery, & Purpose

RSA Animate – Drive

Intoxicating

Some feedback was solicited about me and a very nice comment indeed was given.
That's good.  That's okay.
Now, here's the great part.
The comment was published in a public forum with my name and the contributor's name.
And all my colleagues saw it.
omg.
That is the most intoxicating feeling ever.
That is the only way to describe it.
It really, really, really does make a difference to notice someone and to tell them and to tell others.
Do it.
Do it today.
Watch and see how much impact it has. 
(It will be lots!)

What Did They Do B.C. (before computers)?

I phoned the doctor's office to make an appointment.
"The computer is down, so could you call back in about an hour?"
At least she didn't tell me I "...would have to call back..."  I really hate being told what I "have to do"!
Still, it is absolutely undescribably annoying that reception or scheduling or whoever the hell answers the phone there is unable to assist me if her computer is down.  Of course she can, but she has made a judgement that it is just too much trouble to do her job with old school tools like pen and paper, and phoning back a customer with information which is of course available but takes longer to acquire.
Bad receptionist.  Bad manager who probably doesn't even know she said that.  Very bad manager if she directed the receptionist to respond that way.  Very, very bad.

Status Quo isn't Okay

Last night we went to a nearby Mexican restaurant. 
So, it's Friday night, and everybody else thought this would be a great place to eat and drink too.  There were people standing everywhere; outside around the door, inside near the door, scrunched together on the 2 little benches that they had available to sit on, every bar stool and table was full, and the hostess told us we had a 40-minute wait for a bar or outside table as she gave us our pager.
So I'm looking around at all us idiots who will wait to be seated.  We're all salivating at the trays of margaritas going by and the baskets of chips and salsa. 
And now I'm wondering: why don't they have staff out here selling us drinks while we wait?  Or how 'bout free samples of some dish they want to push tonight?  Don't they see people ready to spend money?  We're captive, we're thirsty, we're hungry.  Come on! 
I guess I'm an idiot because it's too hard to do.  I mean, you'd have to hire people.  You'd have to have trays.  You'd have to have a plan for cash orders or starting a tab.  How ridiculous.  It just wouldn't work.
Harumph!
Opportunity is staring at you and you haven't done it before or seen somebody else do it, so all that money and those happy, lubed-up customers just evaporate on you, AGAIN.

What I Own

I constantly talk about responsibility and what I can affect versus what is coincidence or what another person thinks and does.  It's so easy to blame someone else for being stupid if they don't get me or agree with me.  I just need to be certain that I am speaking and acting so a normal, rational person could get it.  And I also have to realize that absolute agreement isn't a valid goal.  What is good enough to move forward?
Scott Ginsberg has a great take, and expands, on these thoughts in his blog today.  It's worth reading and he's worth following...

Loose Calf wants to Be Part of Something

Okay, the baby calf made me worry (see post below from August 5).  But I can't believe how long it took me to get the lesson he was showing me. 
You probably already have it:

• We all want to be part of something larger than ourselves.  We want to be part of something we're really proud of, that we'll fight for, sacrifice for, trust.

That's not just me.  That's Tom Peters, and Howard Schultz (Starbuck's), and Steven Covey, and every successful business person.
Sometimes we wander off.  Sometimes the grass looks greener or whatever. 
We always want to fit in somewhere.  We always want to be noticed and acknowledged that we matter.  We want to be WE.  We don't ever really want to be all alone for very long.
The only reason anybody ever leaves an employ is because they don't matter like they want and need to.  Think about it.  It's the truth. 
And so I am convicted to make sure my employees and colleagues feel like they fit, like they matter, like they are contributing something worthwhile.  I have to.

Loose Calf

I was driving down the highway and noticed a black calf walking along the outside of the fence that he should have been in.  Awww, I thought, "he'd gotten out of the fenced pasture somewhere but couldn't figure out how to get back in to be with his herd."
I thought about him for awhile going down the road, but didn't know how I could help, and figured this sort of thing happens all the time.  I remembered sometime in the distant past watching a woman try to scare 3 sheep back out of the ditch and into a fence and thought it was funny.  I am sure she would've slapped me if she knew I was laughing at her predicament that day...alas, in and out the livestock go and someone somewhere gets them back in.
Problem solved.  Except my poor little black calf haunts my dreams.  I guess there is a lesson or analogy trying to form in my head.  I hope I get it figured out soon.  I have half-baked ideas for analogies.  But my dreams are not happy, or triumphant...and that's what I write about.  So I am discombobulated now trying to figure this all out.
Oh well.  Pleasant dreams to me.  Maybe one day soon I will have a beautifully crafted analogy for loose calves and excellence.  Stay tuned.

Consider the Customer

I know most businesses aren't really Customer Centric.  They like to talk the talk and make a bunch of claims about how valuable I am to them... blah, blah, blah.
But the ridiculous people who sold me my washing machine don't even consider the customer at all in their repair business.
My "elite" washer is not even 4 years old yet.  I have faithfully scheduled the free annual maintenance since I got it.  All of a sudden, several things have gone wrong and I've had to schedule service visits for diagnostics, then the inevitable parts ordering and re-appointment to install.
These people actually expect you to set aside an 8 - 5 block of time on a weekday!  They won't even discuss a morning or afternoon.  Don't even be silly about evenings or weekends.  There is so much wrong with this I don't even need to go into it.
The repair guy apologized today when he told me he had to order the part and come back next week to install.  He explained how the company had software that scheduled his route so he could make the most repair visits in a day.  Great for the company, all that productivity and fuel savings.  Sucks for me because I have no idea when they will show up, just that it is a certain day that I have somehow carved out to be home.
Good expense decision is a terrible customer service decision.  But I am stuck.  I can't have anyone else repair my item for free. 
But, and here is the really big but, guess how many more times I buy appliances from that place?  Zero.  Those guys get a big fat goose egg for customer retention.  Don't even try to get a reference.

Winning an Argument

Customers are annoying.  It seems like they all ask the same dumb questions.  It seems like they are always trying to get more than they deserve.  They are judgemental.

I have thought this stuff in my head before.

I imagine the "farmer" at the Farmer's Market on Saturday thought that about me when I asked if his tomatoes were hydroponic. 

His response had a smart-ass, prosecutorial sound as he asked me "what's hyrdroponic?" 

"They're grown in organic matter in a greenhouse.  There aren't any tomatoes ripe in Kansas yet."

Really.  Really? 

You're out here selling your wares and already by 9:30 a.m. you've got a surly attitude.  Guess how many more times I'll stop at your booth?  Guess how many shoppers heard your retort?  Look at how many walked on by this week.

It doesn't matter how stupid our questions are.  When you win the argument by belittling and insulting us we don't spend our money with you.  Case closed.

The most asked qeustion at DisneyWorld is "when is the 3:00 parade?"  I wonder what would happen if my farmer specimen was dressed up as Goofy when that was asked.  Exactly.  I can see the steam coming from the dad's ears, I can hear the shrieks from surly children. 
At Disney, they actually figured out that what people wanted to know was where to stand to get the best view, how soon they needed to get down to the street, how far along the town it marched, etc.  And, so they came up with "insider" info to whisper to the 9000 people that ask that each day. 
Happiest place on earth gets that way with smart planning and flawless execution.

Figure out how to pre-empt stupid questions. 
Figure out what to say to things that get asked incessantly that are informative and captivating. 
Figure out how to make me feel smart and I will spend my money with you.

It Makes Me Grit My Teeth

Note to Self: NEXT TIME YOU SEE A LONG LINE AT A CHECK OUT, TURN AROUND AND WALK AWAY.
So there are signals of problems, might be technical, might be competence, doesn't really matter though, pay attention to the signals and save yourself some grief. 
When I pushed my cart toward the only open checkout and saw a line I proceeded ahead anyway.  Mistake.  Big Mistake.
I mean, seriously, the phone is ringing and this clerk refuses to pick it up.  She can't scan the products and so is trying multiple times and then typing in the bar code number.  REALLY?
It's absolutely unacceptable.  This employee and the manager to whom she reports should both be fired now, escorted off the property, and asked to never return again.  They are both incompetent.  They are both costing this business money and goodwill.  And the General Manager should fear for her job too because allowing this crap is unacceptable.
It is so easy to stand out in this world of mediocrity and incompetence.  Just do YOUR basics.  Do them well every single time and you will stand out as Brilliant!  If you can't do your basics, then get out and find another business where you can perform.  Don't make me go "postal"!

Purpose Begets Excellence

I read an injunction by Linda Byers Swindling this morning that rang out to me as I guiltily admitted to myself that sometimes I just phone it in. 
Sometimes I am not at the top of my game; I am doing things unconsciously because I've done them so many times before. 
I have never heard of Linda before, don't really know what she does or who she is.  I don't even care.  Her instructions don't require that I care because they fall into the realm of principles.  And principles are things that are the basis, they are the underpinnings, they are foundations to build upon.
The point of asking myself the 3 questions helps me set my stage, empathize with my client/customer, and be prepared to be my excellent self and not just my "show up" self.
I like it.
Here's her quote:
Before attempting to help any client, ask yourself these three questions:
1. Why do people buy my products or services?
2. What is the result if I do not help them?
3. How could I improve their experience with my company?

Evolution of a Princess

I never mowed a lawn before I got married and had a house with a lawn.  My dad always did it and never enlisted me in the lawn duty games.
My husband taught me how to start our mower and fill it with fuel and empty the clippings on my own.  It took another 20 years before I decided to learn to use a line trimmer, and then "Katy bar the door" when I've got that thing going. 
Finally today after mowing and trimming and he wasn't home to blow the clippings up off the street and sidewalk, I finally learned how to start a gas-powered blower.  wtf?  I kept not doing these things letting them reside in my husband's chore list.  But it was kind of fun.  I know, I know, by the end of July I will hate using it as much as I'll be tired of mowing and trimming and taming the property.
I laughed at myself as I remembered my mother-in-law resist taking my cheesecake recipe because if she knew how to make it she couldn't ask me to do so.
There are choices that I've consciously made.  But this reminds me that sometimes I unconsciously make a decision by not making any decision.  I felt some sort of power or self-sufficiency when I could do something that I had assigned him to do so many times.
Hmmm.  I wonder what else I am choosing not to do just by not thinking about doing it?

How Much Risk

Sliding down a mountain on a set of rails seemed reasonable enough.  I was attached to the rails, plus I had my own brake to adjust my speed as I approached curves and drops.
But yesterday my friend's husband took me for a ride on his amphibious 6-wheeler.  Now that's just ridiculous!
But was it mostly my unfamiliarity with the apparatus?  Or was it my unfamiliarity with the driver?  Or am I just not wired for this type of fun, so that newspaper headlines of people paralyzed or killed from accidents on "toys" kept flashing through my brain?  I don't know. 
There are thrills and then there are thrills.  And I can't help but wonder if excellence requires me to sometimes close my eyes, and hold my nose, and just jump in.  Because I know, I really know that progress is more important than arriving at that perfect destination.  Some days progress looks like a bungee jump and other days it might just be a bicycle without the training wheels.  I gotta jump when the risk seems possible.  I gotta at least entertain when the risk seems ridiculous to see if tomorrow it's actually possible.

It's on Me

Have you ever been to one of those drive-up places that has two lanes to place orders?  This morning I was ordering a coffee and as I started to pull to the cashier window, the car in the adjacent lane lurched ahead of me.  I didn't think she should have charged ahead of me, but it's not a big deal, one place in line.
Only, her haste messed up the restaurant's process.  She realized that she "cut" in line and so she paid for my order as well as her own.
I guess sometimes we are forced to do the right thing right after we do the wrong thing.  That is good karma I think.  When you cut in line at the coffee bar, pay for the guy behind you and all will become right with the world.

Words Are Important

How we talk, the way we articulate what we think and do is as important as the doing.  It frames the actions and sets the stage for what's to come.  And that framing is just as important for you as the doer as it is for the people you are doing it for. 
Consider the different images you get from these words:

• Customer vs. Guest
• Waiting Room vs. Lounge
• Manager vs. Concierge
• Declined vs. Postponed
• Obsessed vs. Capable
• Genius vs. Smart

The questions to absolutely know without a shadow of doubt are why are you doing what you're doing and who are you doing it for?  Knowing that helps you to decide if you are Obsessed or merely Capable.  Oops, I've given away my bias.  I'm interested in Excellence and that doesn't come from the merely capable or smart.  It is the Obsessed.  It is the Genius.

It's like a Cookie

I'm a cook.  It's a creative outlet.  It's a way to get at things I love, because I love to eat.  I fantasize about a vacation at a cooking school.  So that's who I am and it is easy for me to see connections between cooking and practically everything else I do, like writing, and advising, and coaching, and consulting, and gardening, and driving, and, and, and.
Follow my mindset here now for why you should have a personal process and why you should be loyal and fastidious about your process.  Even if you don't cook, you realize that you can't simply toss some flour, sugar, eggs and chocolate chips on a pan, shove it in the oven and out comes Chocolate Chip Cookies.  There is a required process.  Just having the ingredients (knowledge, expertise, resource) is not enough.  You have to put it together in the right way, in the right order, with the right techniques to get the desired outcome.  That my friend is process.
Do not omit creaming the butter with the sugar.  Don't omit toasting the nuts before adding.  You will end up with sometimes a reasonable facsimile, but you will not end up with the real deal.  With the authentic, the genuine, the brilliant, and yes, the excellent.

What Does It Look/Feel Like To Me

I travel by car all over the state.  Most of my stops are in small, no, tiny, towns.  I have a practice of trying to stop at least once during a one way trip to purchase something in a small town.  I try to buy from local businesses if I can, i.e., the Java Roaster versus Mc you-know-who. 
So there's my set up.
Anyway, I stopped to get fuel yesterday and soon realized that it was the second time I'd been here.  I remembered that because as I was waiting for the tank to be full, I wanted to wash my windshield.  And that's when it hit me why I didn't want to come here again!  No squeegee and no water in the prominently mounted washer/towel dispenser at the pump.
Boy does that make me mad.  I mean, really, you are selling fuel, you went to the trouble to mount this big-ass towel dispenser windshield washing thingy.  And then you lose the squeegees and you don't keep it full of anti-freezing solution.
Shame on you.
I really really remember you now and I'm not stopping here again.
For crying out loud, do the obvious important things.  Do things well.  Do things completely.  Don't aggravate your guests.

Sorry

I saw a faux sign online today that said "Sorry, We're Open".
I chuckled and then immediately thought of a few places where the sign would fit:
Department of Motor Vehicles
Dentist office
Car repair shop
Cellphone store
Airline check-in desk
But then I thought, well, that's what I think as a customer... that I hate to have to go there.
So I wonder of those unsavory places, which would actually apologize that they are open.
I kinda think they don't know, or worse, don't care and that's why we kinda hate going there.

Steve Jobs and Me

A really wealthy and really successful guy, Steve Jobs, once said that each morning he looks at himself in the mirror and asks if he knew this was the last day of his life, would he be doing what he was about to do.
It's a sort of question we imagine that guys at the top ask themselves, except he wasn't always at the top and the way that you get to your top seems to be by asking just such a question.
It keeps you from wasting time. It keeps you from spending time at something that you don't really care about. It makes you double down and do the things that you love, or plan for doing the things that you love so that one day you can stop doing the more "utilitarian" must-do things.
So anyway, more on the point, stay with me now, we all can't own multi-billion dollar companies or be a world-renowned leader. Yet we can and should be the leader of ourselves. Not unconsciously doing time at a job or doing things that don't really matter to us. And that's what I think of as excellence. It's a continual earnest quest to be better today than we were yesterday. It's being interested and curious. It's figuring out what makes us happy and finding ways to do that.
I absolutely love love love this video from Simon Sinek. He is talking about leadership and about excellent communication and excellent understanding. Take 18 minutes and see how he convicts you. If you know your WHY, and can articulate it, then HOW and WHAT are easier.
Click here.

Your Agenda or Mine

I had two retail experiences recently that had me shaking my head.
1. At the end of the exchange, the clerk handed me a curly receipt, plus some other curly "coupon" papers and then just stood there waiting for me to collect my own bag full of products and go away.
2. As he wrestled with the shopping bags that I had brought in for him to use (with his store's logo on it by the way), the clerk told me he only likes using "his" bags.
No, I'm not going to comment or coach these clerks. I'm just going to shake my head and think, what does he think he is there for? Does he really not get that he is there for me? Does he really think handing me my purchase or putting it in my cart or keeping his silly personal remarks to himself would be too much? Why in the world is standing around a cashier station with nothing to do preferable to being polite and helpful and yes, busy?
Maybe next time instead of shaking my head I will just stand there and wait for him to get that he should hand me my bag, that he should not scold me for bringing in my own bag. Naaaa. It's like talking to the dog; it makes me feel better but it just frustrates the dog.

Slowpokes Can Catch Up

Email Me for a copy of the social media catch up guide!

Stand Up

I read that your brain processes 5 - 20% faster when you are standing versus when you sit.
You also burn more calories when you stand versus sit.
Two great reasons to get up off that chair: you'll be smarter and slimmer!  And nobody's too smart or too thin.
Click here to see Ted Ings thoughts on pairing up weight loss with getting out of your chair.

Make It Fun

What a brilliant way to change behavior. 
Reminds me of Big.  Who wouldn't want to play a piano by walking up stairs?
Make it Fun.

Intereactive State of the Union

That was totally cool, that the White House had slides and details and Twittering going during the President's remarks last night.  And a State of the Union page will continue to be online and updated for several days. 
It's an example of knowing their focus audience, providing info that the audience wants/needs, and staying current instead of static. 
Great customer service model.

I Hate That Word... Make Me Swoon

Lobscouse is a word for fisherman's stew.  Big deal.  Who needs to know that?  It doesn't make me excellent.
I am talking about something else instead.  So there, Merriam-Webster.
I recently had an absolutely outstanding experience at a ski resort, from every part of our hotel to every part of the mountain.  Now we did get something substandard off the mountain, but on the mountain we were delighted time and again.  How did this happen?  Every single employee made eye contact and smiled at me.  Most asked me how they could help, or just gave help.  They even had servers holding trays of cocoa at the top of the main lift mid-morning for us - - - free of charge!  What a delight!  They had volunteers hanging out by maps ready to visit and advise us on the best trails to ski based on our skills and desires.  The way they got all those people marching the same way, was because they set out to do it, defined it, spread the word and they did it, expected it, coached it, modeled it, and rejected anybody who didn't want to do it.  And as a customer, I was happy and I was very willing to spend money and happily experience as many aspects of the resort as I could.
Okay, that was Beaver Creek Colorado.  Fast forward one week to Las Vegas and a business trip at the Flamingo.  From the time I checked in to my flight, to the shuttle, to the hotel, to the restaurants.  Blechhh!  Lackluster and usually aggravating.  Another resort town, all sorts of professionals who weren't the least bit interested in making my experience great... and they didn't.
It's soooo easy to stand out in a world of mediocrity.  It is sad that most of the world is mediocre.  It is also sad that so few of us make constant, but easy, usually free or cheap efforts to serve our customers.  Eye contact.  Using my name.  Opening a door.  Smiling.  Asking meaningful questions.  Ahhh.  It really stands out and it makes customers swoon.  And swooning makes you money.

Telegenic

This means that you look good on TV. 
To digress just slightly, I'll take a tack at this about how important our personal image is; how we look and what we say.
It seems obvious now that we rely so heavily on television and internet that we are very visual.  Every impression we make in person as well as via the airwaves builds our image.  It's never done.  It can never be assumed or simply repeated time and time again.
Excellence requires regular and constant analysis of our brand, who we are. 
It requires us deciding and knowing what we want to portray and how the things we say are internalized by our audience. 
It requires we realize who our focus audience is. 
It requires constantly changing the way we try to entice them.

Cavalier

Originally the term described a knight of the English court, it does mean bold and fearless, but has come to include a negative connotation of recklessness. 
I think always seeking excellence, setting and resetting goals based on accomplishments and uncontrollable new rules requires me to be bold and even fearless.  Or at least ignoring my fear for a bit so I can dream and pursue.  I like the imagery of being a knight with all my coat of armor shining in the sunlight as I charge onward on my beautiful white steed.  It's a powerful way to motivate. 
Don't let the Monty Python knights creep in to disturb my beautiful fantasy with the bungling, cavalier knight who gets his legs, arms, and head cut off because he is so couragous and yes, cavalier by not realizing reality and adjusting appropriately.

Fuel Your Engine

You know how I feel about reading.  I've stumbled across Fast Company's list of the top books for business owners. 
Already have a couple in my "to read" pile and have added a few to my Amazon wish list.  Take a look and see what intrigues you... oh, and if you don't consider yourself a business owner we need to talk about Brand You.
Best Books for Business Owners

Integrity

You know how sometimes people use a word and you could "read" it one way or another?  Or how some words maybe don't illuminate, but confuse?  Not so with Integrity.  You know what it means.  It is always on the high side, it is positive, it is to be sought after.  We want it said about us.  We really want to do it.  It goes with excellence.

Snitty

M-W is really testing me with this one.  Oh well, it was my idea.
Snitty means ill-tempered.
I think we obviously don't behave that way in a world where we are striving for excellence.  What I've done and see done on a daily basis is responding in kind to someone being snitty.  That's the real challenge.  I deal and have dealt with people who come to me with a snitty attitude.  What is so easy to do is to respond in kind.  Even though I know better, many times I take the bait and do it right back.  It is not a good outcome.  It escalates a bad situation and bleeds all over every other exchange for the day.
What I'm able and really willing to do depends on what's going on and who this person is to me.
I might be able to laugh and move on.  In fact, most times I can, because laughing in uncomfortable situations is usually what I just do.
I might be able to pause and ask a better question.
I might be able to walk away... or ignore it and plow ahead regardless.
No matter what, doing something different, trying not to respond in kind is definitely the best.  It definitely moves toward excellence in me.

Gloaming

This won't seem business-like, yet excellence must permeate every part of us, not just our "9 to 5" selves.  So the term gloaming refers to a time of day, it is right at dusk.  It's a Scottish term and right when I read the word before I knew for sure what it meant, I thought of my characters from Outlander.  This is a time-travel period novel.  Yes it is a romance, but I daresay, even the estrogen-challenged among you would get a thrill reading these pages.

But, I digress.  As far as excellence goes, this writer takes me excellently to ancient Scotland while illuminating the timeless principles and human feelings of courage, fear, honor, and love. 
What I love about reading this or reading any "recreational" material is how it stretches and enlarges my mind.  That's a good thing, that's a very excellent thing.

Procrastinate

As an entrenched procrastinator, I am a little miffed that this is the first word I have to speak on.  Sigh.  I have thrown down my gauntlet and now I will respond.
I put off a lot of things, and at the same time, some things really really bother me undone.  Exercise can be done another day I tell myself, yet I abhor an unmade bed or sink of dirty dishes.  Why do I prioritize my energy the way I do, what is the payoff I imagine I am getting or postponing?
Who knows for sure.  But I see how I rationalize why I do or don't do things and that is the first sign of opposition to excellence.
Procrastination is intentionally not doing something that should be done.
I guess I am the person putting the value out there whether something should or should not be done, so in the end I am lying to myself when I procrastinate.
Since excellence isn't really a destination, but a pursuit, there is no place for procrastination by those of us dedicated to excellence.
How then not to procrastinate?  Wow, is that ever a question for the ages.  For me, it begins with acknowledging that I don't want to procrastinate.  I've got to continue on the path and make some progress.  Because procrastination steals time from me, steals progress, steals accomplishment.  It makes me a liar, it makes me cheat on myself.
Wow, when I see it in the ugliest of terms, I really can turn my back and start to walk away from it.
Now if you will excuse me there are several piles of paper and clothes lying on my treadmill.

Forced Word Exercise

With the help of Merriam-Webster, I am going to use their vocabulary word of the day to fuel my rants.  We'll see if I can tie the word to excellence or its pursuit or its demise.  Tune in to see how long before I am stumped.