August 23, 2011

It’s time for the 4th quarter, where games are won or lost.  It’s time to dig down and find it in you to pull out a win.  It’s where people discover what they’re made of.  It’s time to put the rally cap on.  It’s whatever you wanna call it when time is running out.   “But wait Shane, I thought the 4th quarter begins October 1st?...”  I say no. I say get a jump on everyone else.  You're just coming out of the Dog Days of Summer and rather than slowly getting back into things, I say jump in with both feet and act like you don’t have much time left.   

Remember when it was snowing out and we were all watching the Dick Clark New Year’s Eve show (maybe I’m dating myself here...) with all the New Year stuff?  Some of us put pen to paper and came up with what we were going to have accomplished by year’s end.  Some of us pondered and put into perspective how this year was going to be different. Others just celebrated that 2010 was over.  In any case, it’s time to dust off and re-focus, re-calibrate, and get going.  Time is of the essence!  How do you do it?  Good question.  Try these methods on for size.

May 3, 2011

You’ve probably heard this saying.  When someone is lost or in the middle of nowhere, they might refer to their location as, “they’re in BFE.”  We’re not going to focus on what you think it stands for, because I mean it a little differently, as in where’s the Blame, Fault, and Excuses?  Although, in my opinion, they refer to the same state of “lostness”.

March 29, 2011

“I wanna pay waaaay more taxes!”

Yeah that’s right!  I know.  That’s not something you hear every day.  If I’m paying more in taxes that must mean that either a) we got a HUGE tax hike, b) I’m crazy, or c) I must be making a boatload more money.  Of all the potential options here, I like “c” the best.  I surely don’t care to have the other two!  Yeah, I know what you must be thinking... “Great Shane, thanks for the magic bullet and secret to our financial lives... ‘aspire to pay more in taxes through making more money.’  You’re a rocket scientist... Thanks!  Why didn’t I think of that?  Duh...” 

Listen though.  Really, how much of our time, energy, resources, and money do we spend trying to get out of paying more in taxes?  We tenaciously fight and scrap to do anything we can to avoid more taxes.  Imagine, if you will, for one whole second (or at least as long as it takes you to read this)  if we changed our paradigm in thinking to TENACIOUSLY FIGHT TO MAKE MORE MONEY!  I think we can all agree that we are truly blessed to be Americans.  We can chase our own dreams, desires and passions.  We get to chose what we do for a living!  We can be anything we want to be.  We REALLY CAN do this IF we tenaciously go after it.

November 12, 2010

Sometimes I like to bring out different tools, examples, or stories in order to help my clients see something from a different perspective.  I do this because there is not a one size fits all approach in business coaching.  I like to think of it as a “business whisperer” approach.  In other words, how do I get my point across to this person or organization so they can relate to it?  

A couple of days ago, my daughter gave me this poem that she had written on one of the tools I like to use… Dr. Seuss… specifically the book, “Oh the Places You’ll Go.”

Out of the mouths of babes... I love you Regan.

The Inspiration of Dr. Seuss

“All the Places you’ll go”
by Regan Siegfried

Do you know; all the places you’ll go?

All of the happiness, love, and strife

All the things that will cross your mind

All the people; cruel and kind

The places you’ll go; the places you’ll see

Nobody knows; no one exactly

Head held high in the air, high with pride

You can cross any obstacle; no matter how wide

Listen to his thoughts, his good memories

Cat and the Hat, The Grinch; yes indeed

He’s not a nuisance; not a weed

What he is, is more like a seed

To start the growth of your future; may it be bright

One of those bright moments, may happen tonight

Do you know; all the place you’ll go?

Do you?