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“You know those goals you’ve set for yourself, those dreams you’ve been waiting for the perfect time to live out? It’s time.” – Maria Shriver

What have you been waiting for? It’s the rare person who does not have dreams, goals, wishes; those someday, when the time is right, maybe when I have more…whatever.

NEWS FLASH…

There is no perfect time, no right circumstance, and no magic window of opportunity. There is only now. Now is the time to stretch out of your zone of security and comfort and reach higher. As my very wise father used to say, “Get your rear in gear!” (Except he used a slightly different word that I will not print on this blog for sensitive eyes to read.)

I have some tips to impart before you embark on your quest for all of those magnificent dreams:

Get very specific about what you want

Ambiguity is the kiss of death for dreams. Be crystal clear, be specific, and if possible be vivid. Be able to explain your objective to a complete stranger – You don’t have to actually do it. Just be able to if you needed to.

Be sure that it’s still right for you

Dreams and ambitions change with time. What we wanted in our 20’s may be radically different from what we want in our 40’s. Question if the vision you had for yourself is still the future you really want.

Have your fantasy

In other words, it’s more than thinking outside the box. That phrase is so over-used that I don’t think we even pay attention to it anymore. What I want you to do is, not only think outside the box, think over the box, think under the box, forget the box even exists and think on a blank canvas. However, don’t forget that there are still opportunities inside the box. I just want you to open your mind to all possibilities (Ahem…without any illegal substances please!)

Gather the troops

Enlist help wherever and whenever you can. Telling people what you want gives you a measure of accountability. Moreover, you never know where your most valuable resource may be found. Mentors and potential partners are everywhere. For example, when I was first trying to get my career as a freelance writer off the ground, I made an off-handed comment during a massage (one of my favorite gifts) about wanting to write full-time to the massage therapist whom I had never met before. I was floored when she told me she had a friend who was looking to get some help with his blog. Hello! That’s opportunity knocking. Who knew!

Full steam ahead

Be bold. Be courageous. Be determined. Don’t be afraid to do something that makes you (or someone else) uncomfortable. Stop making excuses…If you don’t have the time, drop something else. If you don’t have the knowledge or skill, get it.

Every day that goes by is another opportunity lost. Are you going to keep wishing and hoping and complaining or are you going to go after what you want?

Now, be brave and tell me what you want. I’m listening. Put it out there. You never know what kind of support you’ll get. Post a comment or share it on our Facebook page.

Image via Wikipedia

I loved this concept from Tony Hsieh.

BUSINESS IS A GAME

Everything I know about business I learned from poker: financials, strategy, education, and culture.

FINANCIALS

• The guy who wins the most hands is not the guy who makes the most money in the long run.
• The guy who never loses a hand is nor the guy who makes the most money in the long run.
• Go for positive expected value, not what’s least risky.
• You will win or lose individual hands, but it’s what happens in the long term that matters.

STRATEGY

• Learn to adapt. Adjust your style of play as the dynamics of the game change.
• The players with the most stamina and focus usually win.
• Hope is not a good plan.
• Stick to your principles.

EDUCATION

• Never stop learning. Read books. Learn from others who have done it before.
• Learn by doing. Theory is nice, but nothing replaces actual experience.
• Just because you win a hand doesn’t mean you’re good and you don’t have more learning to do. You might have just gotten lucky

CULTURE

• To become really good, you need to live it, breathe it, and  sleep it.
• Be nice and make friends. It’s a small community.
• Have fun. The game is a lot more enjoyable when you’re trying to do more than just make money.

Tony Hsieh is the CEO of Zappos.com and the author of Delivering Happiness. Tony’s (longer) blog post is Everything l Know About Business I Learned from Poker.

What are your thoughts? Do you agree? Disagree?

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Simple Steps

Implement a daily Focus Hour. We bandy about strategies for focusing and concentrating our mind on technical or creative pursuits, but the single most useful tactic to get more done in less time is to eliminate all distractions and “uni-task.” But, but…people need me…I can’t be out of the loop. Really? Even for an hour?

Try it for a few days and you’ll see for yourself how valuable it is. For 60 minutes each day, preferably at the start of your day, shut off and shut out everything else and just focus on doing whatever task or project you’ve chosen. If you can’t manage 60 minutes, try 30. Any time you can carve out will help.

I have been doing this, not every day, but several a week and even I am shocked at how much I can get done. (Confession…I have to leave my phone downstairs and out of earshot so that I am not tempted to peek at messages.) But I am getting more comfortable with the disconnection as I start to see results.

Question everything, move forward, enjoy the journey.