Learned Anything New?

We constantly hear that what you know and who you know are the twin paths to success. I believe that, and yet I'm constantly amazed at how little responsibility people take for up-grading their skills.

This week, I learned that a local garage requires their mechanics to spend more hours (and more dollars) per year on continuing education than most states require for doctors, lawyers, or other professionals. Think about that the next time you take your car in for repairs--or the next time you talk with your physician!

I try to "practice what I preach" and Saturday I'll spend the day with friends and colleagues learning more about doing business online. We'll look at best practices for marketing, for attracting traffic to our websites, and for cross-promoting each other. We'll have plenty of time for networking and fun, but the key is that twice a year, we are committed to learning to build our businesses and do our jobs better.

Periodically I hear frightening accounts of how few books the average person reads, or how few classes they take after they leave school. I remember once hearing a friend say that if her employer wanted her to get more education, "they'll have to pay me for it." What a tragic attitude!

The keys to success are being able to do more, quicker and better than your competition, and most of the time that means KNOWING more than the next person. It means knowing more about language and culture, knowing more about your industry and having better contacts. It means knowing HOW to learn, and using it to your advantage.

As Brian Tracy has said for years, read the books. Attend the seminars. Take the classes and expand your world. Jim Rohn puts it this way: "Work harder on yourself than you do on your job."

To "work less and earn more" you've got to know more than your competitors. This week, sign up for at least one seminar. Check a book out of the library. Sow the seeds for your future.

See you at the top!

Dustin Craig Mitchell

Do You Prefer Pleasure or Is Happiness More

I while ago I read Martin Seligman's excellent book, Authentic Happiness and he makes a wonderful and vital distinction. Would you rather experience pleasure, or happiness?

It's an interesting question because our culture has clearly chosen pleasure. Going back to Sigmund Freud's argument that behavior is guided by our desire to avoid pain and maximize pleasure, modern society has voted for pleasure. Interestingly, Seligman argues that this is ultimately futile, and I would argue that it is ultimately self-defeating.

First, Seligman's argument, as I understand it.

Almost all pleasures are most intense when experienced in moderation. He points out that if we eat chocolates one at a time, our pleasure sky-rockets. But if we eat them one after another, we soon lose our sense of pleasure, and if we are forced to continue eating, we quickly tire of them and may even get sick.

This is true of almost all pleasures. Think of being stuffed with your favorite food, or having to endure a back massage that lasted for days on end. Even sex is exhausting after a certain point.

The point is that while pleasure - good food, good wine, good friends, etc - is a wonderful addition to life, our society has taken the quest for pleasure beyond the point of rapidly diminishing returns. We seek more and more toys, more and more pleasures in a never-ending quest to be entertained, and ultimately these "pleasures" cannot sustain us. The data is clear. The evidence is in: Pleasure for its own sake does not work!

Here's one fascinating specific: When people are measured while watching comedies on television, even while they are laughing, their actual emotional state shows a mild level of depression! Think about that, and it's implications!

Interestingly, however, when we substitute "gratification" or "fulfillment" for pleasure, our sense of happiness actually increases, and the increase remains over the long term!

Seligman defines gratification as the fulfillment of our values or the completion of long-term goals or purposes. He quotes extensive research that people who achieve their long-term goals are far happier than those who primarily pursue pleasure or fun.

Isn't it interesting when science catches up with the wisdom of the ages? From the beginning of time, our religious leaders, poets and seers have advised us to spend our lives on things that will outlast us and to invest ourselves in the fulfillment of our dreams, rather than the pleasures of the moment.

Now, science says they were right!

If you want more joy and long-term happiness, mix small amounts of pleasure (chocolate, roller-coaster rides) with lots of time and effort devoted to your dreams. Too much chocolate ultimately leads to satiation and regret, while persistent effort on our most important projects ultimately creates "the good life." The choice is yours. Which would you rather have?

Pursue happiness. It's the ultimate high!

Dustin Mitchell

Want to be a leader? Stay ahead of the pack!

One of the most over-looked traits of a business leader is that they actually lead.

As I work with business owners and managers, one of the things I observe is the need for the leader to stay ahead of the pack. There are a zillion things to do as the boss. It is easy to get bogged down in day-to-day operations and we forget to maintain a vision for the business. And yet your employees, your customers and the future of your business depend on your ability to set the standards and lead the way.

Bill Gates is reported to take a week off for thinking every three months. I understand he maintains a retreat on Hood Canal and often goes there to review and renew. Apparently, the practice has worked well for him.

Benjamin Franklin treasured the time on his trips across the Atlantic because it gave him perspective. C.S. Lewis often took walks of up to 20 miles in the country for time to think. Hundreds of successful business leaders have reported that their most productive time is the hour they spend planning.

When I coach business leaders, I encourage them to divide their planning and visioning time into two components: Business Design and Personal Growth. Both are essential.

Take time to lead. Design the future you want for your business, and in your personal life. Choose the course, develop a strategy. And then, be sure your personal development program equips you to be the leader your company will need down the road.