March 07, 2010
The Challenge:
Do you know who all of your stakeholders are? A stakeholder can be someone that has a vested interest your performance. Be sure to think beyond your business or career. A recent article in Inc. Magazine entitled “Minding the Kids” writes about an entrepreneur parent that makes it a habit to ask for feedback from his children on his parenting performance. For this challenge, choose any of your stakeholders and ask them to give you feedback on your performance.
This task is worth 50-points on your scorecards.
Thought Provoking Questions:
Did you find it difficult to ask for honest feedback? Why?
Were you afraid to hear the results of the feedback?
The Lesson:
It should be noted that a child may find it easier to provide candid feedback than an adult. As adults we hold back because we don’t want to hurt someone’s feelings or we believe the questions may be a trap. That being said isn’t it better to hear candid feedback rather than fluff? If you are concerned about getting your feelings hurt, remind the person that you are asking for honest feedback but to be constructive in nature. Also, allow the person enough time to prepare, perhaps schedule a discussion time several days in advance. Do your best not to get defensive, remember that this is their perception of you.
The entrepreneur in the Inc. article could have chosen to read many books on parenting or time management but instead he requested feedback directly from his child so that he knows exactly what he needs to work at. Although it takes guts to ask for feedback, it is one of the best ways to understand how to get better in many facets of our lives.
“Feedback is the breakfast of champions.”- Ken Blanchard
January 31, 2010
The Challenge:
There is something misleading about being in your comfort-zone both professionally and personally. Although it feels “right” it doesn’t challenge you to expand your capacity. The more often you step outside your comfort-zone, the more confident you will be in your ability to manage the stress of new situations and environments. For this challenge, identify an area of your life that makes you feel anxious or afraid and then find a way to overcome that fear.
This task is worth 50-points on your scorecards.
Thought Provoking Questions:
What area of your life did you choose to focus on?
How did you feel after you challenged yourself to overcome a fear?
The Lesson:
There are many ways to challenge yourself in different areas of your life. The hard part is taking that first step to overcome your fear. Each time you repeat this process it will get easier, and at some point you will no longer feel the same level of anxiety. It’s at this moment that you will know you have expanded your capacity and you will have to find another fear to overcome if you wish to expand any further.
Have fun with this process. If public speaking is your fear, perhaps you take an improvisational comedy class or join Toastmasters. If need be, write a personal development plan as described in my article on WhatCollegeForgot.com and find several areas of your life to expand upon. Remember, you won’t learn new things if you don’t DO new things.
“Move out of your comfort zone. You can only grow if you are willing to feel awkward and uncomfortable when you try something new.”- Brian Tracy
January 09, 2010
The Challenge:
This weekend marks the first “birthday” of The MindSetGame.com! Looking back at this year, we’ve covered challenges that help us with four key areas necessary to achieve our dreams (discipline, direction, imagination and attitude.) With the right mindset and a little focus on these key areas, we can all achieve huge success. As a birthday treat, we should all take a moment to celebrate something in our lives with a reward to ourselves.
This task is worth 15-points on your scorecards.
Thought Provoking Questions:
What did you give yourself?
Do you make it a habit to give yourself rewards for achieving specific goals?
The Lesson:
When you achieve something, even if you feel it is small, you should always associate a reward to it. Celebrating your wins will give you satisfaction and motivation to keep going. If it’s a small goal, match the reward so you are not giving yourself a BIG reward for something that can be accomplished quickly. This approach will also help you break your larger goals into small ones so that you get to celebrate along the journey to achieve your dreams.
Have fun this week and enjoy your celebration. Also, if you have ideas for future challenges please send them in. Thank you all for your continued support and involvement!
“The more you praise and celebrate your life, the more there is in life to celebrate.” - Oprah Winfrey
December 27, 2009
The Challenge:
In the spirit of the New Year, this week we should all take a moment to define our largest resolution for the coming year. Once you are ready, the challenge is let others know about your resolution so that they can support you in the pursuit of your goal.
This task is worth 25-points on your scorecards.
Thought Provoking Questions:
How many people did you tell about your resolution?
Did you choose people that will support you in this goal?
The Lesson:
Defining our goals and dreams is only the first step along the pathway to achieve them. Knowing what we want to accomplish can be tough, but once defined the hardest part is getting started. Depending on the size of your goal, the first few steps can seem quite lengthy and overwhelming. That is where this challenge leads to its greatest benefit; by telling others of your New Year’s resolution you are inviting them to assist you in this journey as you take the first few steps.
The more people you tell the more you are welcoming the encouragements they bring, but be sure to tell only those people that you feel will provide you the proper support. In the best cases, the people you tell may even be able to connect with someone that can directly help you accomplish your goal. Lastly, by making your New Year’s resolution known, you are solidifying them from a hopeful dream to a concrete goal for 2010.
“May your thoughts, resolution and actions unify and become one so that ‘unity’ becomes possible.” - Atharva Veda