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The Most Important Day Of The Year

Some of my friends think I'm a bit of a cynic when the New Year rolls around.

I think it's because I tend to hold a negative view of resolutions, goals, and promises made on the first day of a new year. I just don't think they work. Don't get me wrong...I wholeheartedly believe that resolutions, goals, and promises work. In fact, they're vitally necessary if one is to grow and develop as a person.

I just don't think we're focusing on the right number.

I'm just not a fan of date-based changes. I don't believe the calendar gives us enough sustaining momentum to create reasonable and necessary change in our lives. In fact, I think if we focus too much on the year (or even the month) we lose sight of where change REALLY occurs - one day at a time.

This is why I think it's better to make a resolution, a new habit, or a promise today...and then work on it daily.

I can understand all of the excitement that comes with a new year. It's a great party. There's some space with the holidays to spend a little time in reflection. There is also a sense of hope that the upcoming year will be a little better than the last. It can bring about a sense of a new, clean slate.

But I woke up on January 1 the same person I was when I went to bed on December 31 (actually...I didn't go to bed on December 31 because I stayed up to breathe New Year air). I think the commitment to make a change on January 1 is just as effective as deciding to start a new habit on July 27 (or any random date)  AS LONG AS a person commits to living out that change on a DAILY basis.

I guess I've seen too many people fizzle out by January 21 on date-based changes because their commitment lacked the proper motivation - the calendar couldn't keep them inspired because they were focused on the wrong number.

So I say "Welcome 2010! We're glad you're here!" But my focus is going to be on what I can accomplish with that number in the middle...I call that number: TODAY...the most important day of the year.

Are You Motivational?

I stepped down from the platform after finishing up a talk I had just given.

A young man approached me and asked me this question:

Are you a motivational speaker?

I was a little taken aback at first. There are all kinds of definitions and images of what a motivational speaker is and what a motivational speaker does. I wondered what he meant.

After talking to him a bit more, I took the question for what it was meant to be - a gracious compliment.

Somewhere in my talk he had been inspired and came in contact with the energy and excitement to move forward in a certain area of his life. That's a good thing.

Motivation can be one of the highest forms of influence. We are all naturally motivated at some level. But at some point in the aging process, we become de-motivated in certain areas of our lives. We often need someone to come along and help us reach into some of those early yearnings that we had to do significant things.

A person who motivates others isn't really doing anything to them. People really DO want to act and move in a positive direction. But they need some other human voice to speak into their lives and help them connect with what is already there.

The formula is simple: Action = Inward Desire + Outward Stimulation

This why people will pay large sums of money to hear speakers, listen to tapes, and read books that tap into their inner desire and help them move into action. They are looking for something that will engage in their passions and the deep-seeded longing to do something great.

Think about the man who looks at his bride after 20 years and says the words, "I love you." Hopefully, this is not some new revelation to her, some piece of information that she's just finding out about. In fact, there's nothing new about it all. But the message touches something deep within her and engages with her soul. It's a meaningful message that speaks what she needs and hopes to hear.

"Motivation" comes from the same root word as "movement." That's why the young man came up to me afterwards and asked if I was seeking to be motivational...because he was moved to a response.

If you, as a student leader, want to be "motivational" in your communication, consider the ways that you can tap into the things that are embedded in your audience's heart.

Needs - The things that we need on a daily basis.
Interests - The things that we're curious about or want to know more about.
Concerns - The things that we worry about or fear.
Desires - The things that we long for and deeply want.

Your team, your followers are hoping that you will be a motivational voice in their lives. Every time you communicate with them, you have an opportunity to touch their needs, their interests, their concerns, and their desires. Zig Ziglar said, “People often say that motivation doesn't last. Well, neither does bathing - that's why we recommend it daily.”

Flickr photo credit: willoughby00

Quick Inspiration In Two Minutes

I came across this video on YouTube. It pulls clips from 40 movies - highlighting inspirational speeches. There is a wide variety here. Can you name all of the movies?

Take 2 minutes...click play...and be inspired!

Found at OverThinkingIt.com.

Don't Make A New Year's Resolution!

WARNING! If you're going to make a new goal or change something that needs changing - don't do it on January 1. Start on December 31 or January 2 or any other day except for January 1.

Here's why...

Most of the resolutions that I've made on January 1 have been BECAUSE it's January 1. If there is something that you really need to work on, some decision to be made, some radical change in your life...don't let a date on your calendar be your ultimate motivation.

A Leadership Letter From My Kid's Coach

/NOTE: I received this letter in an email from Mitch's ski coach. Mitch is my third child and currently skis in the J3 class for the McCall Ski Racing Team. I was impressed by Pete Petry's challenge to equip my son mentally and physically for this year's racing season./

It takes a combination of things to become a successful athlete. If you look at any top professional athlete, Ted Ligety, Lindsey Vonn, Kerry Walsh, Kobe Bryant etc you will notice a certain swagger in addition to their outstanding athletic abilities. They seem to radiate with confidence and inner-belief no matter how good or bad the event is going. These athletes are physically strong but more importantly mentally stronger. We have all watched anyone of these athletes get behind in a competition, make a mistake and put themselves in an unfavorable position; in addition we have all watched countless heroic comebacks by such athletes; Ted’s gold medal performance at the ’06 Olympics is a great example … behind after the downhill portion of the combined event Ted let it all hang out in the slalom and look what happened …America’s newest ski racing sensation!!! Ted battled the odds and came out on top.

When Heroes Are Born

Heroes are born in crisis.

I enjoy a good superhero movie, especially the first one. What I mean is that most superhero movies end up producing sequels where the superhero faces new and different villains. But there's nothing like the first one - because that when I get to see how an ordinary person encounters the extraordinary circumstances (usually some type of crisis) that propels him or her into the role of a superhero.

For example...

• Ironman becomes Ironman because he's taken captive by terrorists and must escape.
• Spiderman becomes Spiderman because he's bit by a radioactive spider.
• The Fantastic Four become The Fantastic Four because they encounter a nebulous cloud in space that alters their DNA.
• Batman become Batman (or the better version...The Dark Knight) because he finds that crime is tearing his city apart.
• Even Superman became Superman because his planet was destroyed and his parents shipped him off to Earth.

So I'm always intrigued by the transformation. I'm curious to learn the circumstances that created the need for a hero to step in to save the day.

And here's the important thing to remember...the sequels keep coming because there's always someone out there that needs saving.

You can be a hero. It's actually quite simple. Find a crisis and step in to solve it. That's what leaders do.

You may not have "super-abilities" like the ability to fly, or walk through walls, or be invisible. But you have other abilities at your disposal that can be equally if not more powerful...

• You can listen when someone's hurting.
• You can lend a hand when someone needs help.
• Your presence makes a huge difference when someone feels all alone.
• You can lift someone's spirits by your words.
• You can share your resources with someone whose life appears empty.

Remember this - Crisis is the fertile soil that births leaders.

And when the crisis is over and the leader is identified, people often look back and realize that what the leader accomplished was oftentimes...heroic.

Flickr Credit: djwudi

Some People Just Can't Hack It Like Hackett

Lots of news, stories, and talk is floating around about the upcoming Olympic games.

One person who has caught my eye is Grant Hackett. He's the captain of the Australian Olympic Team. He's also a world-record swimmer.

An online article from the Australian Daily Telegraph demonstrates Hackett's incredible dedication to obtaining his best performance in the 2008 Olympics. Near the end of the story's account of Hackett's grueling practice regime, he is quoted saying:

"People see the events on TV, but they don't see the day-to-day work and the level of exhaustion you reach, but that's what it takes to get to this level.''

This is a great example of what it means to pay the price in order to achieve something.

In the world of student leadership, people may see a student leader who gets an office, or gets to stand in front of a lot of people, or gets a cool t-shirt that says "student leader." But what they don't see, or don't bother to see, is the immense amount of work that goes into being a student leader.

It's those who look beyond the perks and are willing to pay the price that make the best student leaders. And from what I've read and studied about Grant Hackett...paying the price makes amazing swimmers as well.

Check out this amazing underwater video of Grant Hackett in action.

Best Moment in Sports

I just got done watching the 2008 ESPY Awards. There were a couple of standout moments for me.

The first moment that gave me goosebumps is when they gave out the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance to Kevin Everett. Kevin was paralyzed on a tackle during the Buffalo Bills season opener. They never expected him to move again...let alone walk.

When they announced the award, they showed a video and then said, "Ladies and Gentlemen...Kevin Everett." And here comes Kevin walking onto the stage. Like I said...goosebumps.

The second award that got my attention and stood out above all of the others was the award for "Best Moment" in sports. The finalists were: Jon Lester's No-Hitter, Danica Patrick's Indy Win, and the incredible show of sportsmanship during the Central Washington Vs. Western Oregon Softball game.

The girls from the softball game won. And deservedly so.

Sara Tucholsky (Western Oregon) hits a home run. Her first home run. Ever. It's the go ahead home run. In the excitement of watching her hit go over the fence, she rounds first and misses the bag. She quickly realizes that she missed the bag and turns to go back. POP! She tears her ACL in the process and drops to the ground. She can't continue. ESPN writer Graham Hays describes what happens next...

Umpires confirmed that the only option available under the rules was to replace Tucholsky at first base with a pinch runner and have the hit recorded as a two-run single instead of a three-run home run. Any assistance from coaches or trainers while she was an active runner would result in an out. So without any choice, Knox prepared to make the substitution, taking both the run and the memory from Tucholsky.

"And right then," Knox said, "I heard, 'Excuse me, would it be OK if we carried her around and she touched each bag?'"

The voice belonged to Holtman, a four-year starter who owns just about every major offensive record there is to claim in Central Washington's record book. She also is staring down a pair of knee surgeries as soon as the season ends. Her knees ache after every game, but having already used a redshirt season earlier in her career, and ready to move on to graduate school and coaching at Central, she put the operations on hold so as to avoid missing any of her final season. Now, with her own opportunity for a first postseason appearance very much hinging on the outcome of the game -- her final game at home -- she stepped up to help a player she knew only as an opponent for four years.

Read the article in it's entirety here

Players from the opposing team carry in the winning run. It's an incredible story of sportsmanship and doing the right thing.

As I watched the ESPY's tonight, I saw a lot of people applauded for something that they get paid a LOT of money to do. I'm not taking anything away from them. It only adds to the monumental moment that occurred when a couple of players on a softball field reached out to another player (who wore a different color jersey) and made history by putting her on their shoulders and carrying her.

Think about it. As Zig Ziglar says so well, "If you help enough other people get what they want, then you'll get what you want." Perhaps this is the year that you step up and step out as a student leader and put a few people on your shoulders - helping them to round the bases.

Photo Credit: ESPN-Blake Wolf

Pondering The Potential Of A Student Leadership Position

Are you thinking about running for or applying for a student leadership position?

I say...GO FOR IT!

Over the next few weeks, all the slots will begin to fill up with those students who will work hard to make next year - the best year ever! You should give it a shot. You'll never know unless you try.

Here's some things to consider when anticipating a run for a student leader position:

• What makes you the best candidate?
  C'mon...brag on yourself a little here. How are you unique? What sets you apart from the rest of the crowd? I know you've got something, you just need to tap into what it is.
• What is your vision for next year and for the position?
  If you want everything to stay just the way it is then you might not be "leadership" material. But if you can dream up a better future and some of the steps that you and others can take to get there?!...well...you're in business. In fact, one of the things that will set you apart from the other candidates is the type of vision you have. Dream big, but be realistic.
• Do you have the time for this?
  Balance is important. If you are already involved in a lot of things you'll need to weigh the amount of time you can commit to this. You need to consider every opportunity in light of every previous commitment you've made. Don't back yourself into a corner.
• Do you have the support of your peers?
  This is especially important if you're entering into a student election. While everyone works hard not to make those things a popularity contest, it is important to have some people in your corner. Poll your friends and tell them what you're up to. They'll help you know where your support lies and hopefully help you get more of it.
• Have you talked to the person who currently holds the position you're interested in?
  Nobody knows the position better than someone who has done it for a year. Make an appointment with that person and find out all you can. This will also help you know where your unique skills can fit in with the unique needs of the position. Remember, you want to meet with this person to LEARN everything you can. Don't spend the time trying to tell the person all the ways you would change the position. That would make your meeting less than productive.
• Be excellent in the election or selection process.
  You want to be prepared for each hurdle you have to jump over. Be on time in signing up. Come prepared to interviews. If you're giving a speech (oh...there's so much to share here) - you need to give a confident, simply spoken story of why you're the best candidate. Don't make mistakes during this process because of procrastination, ignorance, or laziness. Bring your "A" game throughout the entire time.
• Play nice with the other candidates.
  Don't burn any bridges in this process. You never know if you're going to be working with these people in some other capacity. You may even want their help if you win...and vice-versa. Be respectful and focus on what's great about you rather than what you perceive to be wrong with them.
• Be a student leader for the right reasons.
  Anything short of doing this to serve your fellow students and make your school or organization a better place is a questionable motive. If you want to be in a student leadership position because you want to be popular, or you want some perks, or you want something to put on a resume...you probably won't make a very good student leader.

If you follow these guidelines, you'll be further ahead than most of the other students vying for these student leadership spots. If you've got more to add to the list, let's hear about it in the comments below.

5 Momentum Killers To Avoid As A Student Leader

What is the leader's best friend?

Momentum.

John Maxwell calls momentum the "great exaggerator." It makes you appear better than you really are or worse than you really are. You know when you have it and you wish you had it when you don't.

It is so important to try and keep your momentum when you have it. As a student leader, there are times throughout your student leader year when you naturally have increased momentum. For instance, the start of the school year is a time of momentum because everyone has a lot of energy and excitement for what lies ahead. But the momentum you have can be easily lost.

It's much more difficult to try and get momentum than it is to maintain and manage the momentum you've got.

Student leaders must be mindful of those things that can work against the momentum you and your team have worked so hard to build. I want to describe 5 of the most lethal momentum killers that can stop any organization or team in it's tracks.

1. Wait Until The Last Minute.
If you wait until the last minute to make a decision or to implement your plan (or even start planning) you take away your options. Options are the things that allow you to be excellent and creative. If you continually procrastinate you'll usually do what you need to in order to get by. Getting things done on time or even before they're due allows you to get creative and to hone your work. Momentum is continually ignited by action. Waiting until the last minute means that you've simply wasted time.

2. The Success Stop.
One of the biggest killers of momentum is your own success. You would think that wouldn't be true, but it is. Let's say you work hard toward planning a successful event and that event is every bit as successful as you hoped. Most people have a tendency to slow down and want to rest on that success. They keep pointing back to what a great event it was. But they fail to move forward to the NEXT event.

If you experience success, then you have some momentum built up. This is the time when you need to move forward quickly and maintain that momentum with another success.

3. Absence / Silence / Indifference
I put all three of these things together because they all define a lack of leadership when it comes to maintaining momentum. I came up with a little rhyme to help you remember what each of these mean:

Absence is when you just aren't there.
Silence is when you just won't share.
Indifference is when you just don't care.

Keeping momentum requires that you be PRESENT as a leader. You must show up and keep your people focused and headed in the right direction. The minute you disengage, you begin to whittle away at your momentum. People want to follow leaders who are present, articulate, and passionate.

4. Mediocrity.
This one is similar to, if not the result of, #1. When we begin to do less than excellent work our momentum begins to slide. People aren't excited or inspired by average. Teams that merely do enough to get by are headed for disaster. At the end of each season, it's the sports teams that exemplify their very best that make it into the playoffs.

I would add this as well - I believe it's harder to build momentum in the midst of mediocrity than it is if you were doing nothing at all. That's why you'll often see teams and organizations completely kill off something and start fresh rather than try to salvage something that continues to be mediocre.

5. Crisis in Character.
When a leader experiences a moral failure, it fractures the entire organization. Character is the foundation of leadership. While you don't necessarily have to be a leader to have good character, you most definitely need good character to be an effective leader. How many times have you seen an organization growing and thriving only to hit the skids because the leader had a character meltdown?

The minute you begin to try and separate your own personal character from your influence and abilities as a leader - you're in trouble. Remember that if you want to be the best leader you can, the first person you need to lead is yourself.

Don't allow momentum to slip through your fingers. If you begin to identify any of these momentum killers in your organization or on your team - figure out how to stop them. Otherwise, they'll stop you.