Striving towards Excellence

Law of the hourglass

-Karthik Gurumurthy

All of us need to be sensitive about this. It is called Law of the Hour glass.

People read about time management and talk about time management. But is that all worth it? Reading alone is not just worth it, but keeping an eye on the time and having a sense of urgency is vital. I read Todd Duncan's book (High Trust Selling) and he gives a great example which illustrates the whole point.

Take the example of a close football game. If the losing team has the ball they typically use a "two-minute" offense to help them run as many plays as possible with the remaining time. Their objective is to call the best possible plays before time runs out. If in the end they lose, you might hear, "They didn't lose the game, they just ran out of time." That might make for good consolation but the bottom line is they lost the game!

Likewise, you must manage your moves during the day so that you make more revenue. Create ways to help you make your best moves before time runs out. How can I prospect more, set more appointments, make time to study and prepare better, learn to overcome objections easier, build a better referral network or learn to go deeper with clients and referral partners?

If you don't know what's important you will make the wrong moves. Event management do the things that have the greatest ROI. You need to learn how to get first things done first. You must prioritize your events. It is important that you understand that the most important things generally require the greatest skill, the greatest motivation and have the greatest risk but these activities also provide the greatest return.

Todd believes strongly that you need to know what your hourly rate is and that you need to doing work that is commensurate with your hourly rate at least 75% of every day. You are just keeping busy if the work you are doing could be done by someone else for less than your hourly rate. You are productive when your time is spent on doing things that command your greatest talent and provide the largest return. Are you managing your business or is your business managing you?

Consider this, If you want to take your earnings from $30,000 to $60,000 you need to start doing $60,000 things while you are earning $30,000. As Todd says, "If you don't do something differently, you'll be then where you are now only later."

What are you excited about?

-Karthik Gurumurthy

Couple of days back, I was in Barnes and Noble South Coast where I stumbled across the book "Idea Man"- written by one of the founders of Microsoft and the right hand man of Bill Gates, Paul Allen. As the title was catchy and would like to know his thought process, I was skimming through the book. I did find some nuggets towards the end of the book.

He wrote:

    “Some people are motivated by a need for recognition, some by money, and some by a broad social goal. I start from a different place, from the love of ideas and the urge to put them into motion and see where they might lead.

    “The creative path is rocky, with the risk of failure ever present and no guarantees. But even with its detours and blind alleys, it’s the only road that I find fulfilling.”

Here’s a man who, through the ideas he pursued with Bill Gates and the value he provided, became a multi-billionaire at a very young age. And, while the money was simply a means to an end that allowed him to pursue that which he chose to pursue, it certainly wasn’t just about the money.

For Paul Allen, it was about the ideas; it was about putting them in motion; it was about seeing where they would lead.

What is it about for you? What moves you? What motivates you? What gets you up in the morning?

I think  that is the difference maker. We need to find out what motivates you.

No, not what motivates Paul Allen; it’s about what motivates YOU. It’s about what YOU will throw yourself full-force into.

Once we are clear about that,  rest of it is all history.

Time drainers

-Karthik Gurumurthy

One thing that God doesn't distinguish between a ditchdigger and a Multimillionaire is he gave everyone an account of 24 hours. Steve Jobs has 24 hours, you and I have 24 hours. What makes one person more efficient than others is how the 24 hours are spent. Take some time to figure out how much of your time is spent in activities which are going to help you in your goals you have set for yourself.

The three major time drainers would be the following:

#1: Not having a to-do list

Not having a to-do list for your day, month or year can cause you to waste lots of time.  Why?  Because you will probably attempt too many taskd and get very little done; the key is to focus your days, months and or years solely on your priorities.

The Lion Tamer at the circus uses a pistol, a whip, and a chair to control the lion.  The chair is said to be the most efficient at controlling the lion.

Why do they use a chair?

The bottom of a chair has four legs, and when pointed in the direction of the lion, the lion becomes unsure as to which leg to focus its attention on, and thereby loses his or her train of thought.

Don’t be like the lion, with so many things to focus on that you get off track; while nothing gets accomplished.

Maybe you want to take a day and focus on organizing your house, or take a year and focus primarily on getting in shape or creating a prosperous mind, but keep your focus single.  You will accomplish more when you have singleness of purpose.

#2: Chatting on the telephone during your productive zone time.

I have specific times that I will answer my phone. If someone calls outside of those hours, I will return their call when it’s most convenient for me.  You can waste a lot of valuable time just “shooting the breeze” at times where you could have done more productive things.

There’s nothing wrong with “chatting on the phone,” as long as it doesn’t conflict with your other priorities.  It’s important to preserve the times when you are most productive, and dedicate those hours to producing your best results uninterrupted.

Don’t become the victim of someone else’s boredom.  In other words, when someone has an hour to kill, don’t let them kill your hour too.  Take control of your telephone time, and it will help you take control of your day.

#3: Watching the News

How many people spend hours a day watching the news, or reading about the news on the Internet?  A lot.

Why should you avoid watching the news?

It steals your time from doing more important things; things that will actually enhance your life and make you feel good about yourself (such as working out, communication with your spouse, or making strides towards achieving your personal and professional goals).

Unless your job requires it, there’s no real need to know about all of the murders that are taking place, not to mention every single theft…it is ridiculous waste of time.

While they are telling you about all the murders, they are murdering your time and killing your productivity.

I once heard someonesay (something to the effect of) instead of showing the news, they should just flash, “Things Are Getting Worse!!!” across the screen.

Now, I don’t believe things are getting worse, I believe things are getting better (society is evolving for the better, no matter what the stock market says).  However, the picture that the media portrays is that things are getting much worse, and really fast.

I don’t want to fill my mind with such rubbish. We never have cable in our place and we don't regret that decision. I would rather choose to focus on the good, thereby increasing the good in my own life.

Now, I’m not suggesting that you become a hermit, and find a rock to hide under. It’s OK to find out things which might help through the Internet because I can click and choose what enters my mind.  I don’t want to be bombarded with the negativity from the media (I usually give myself a time limit, such as 5-10 minutes).

What if World is coming to an end or what if something major happens and I Miss it.

Don’t be concerned that you are going to miss the next great tragedy if you’re not tuned in. If something big happens, you’ll find out about it, trust me ;) .

A majority of the time there is virtually nothing you can do with the bad news from the media, except to become more afraid, lowering your consciousness and the collective consciousness of the entire population; increasing the chance of this negativity re-occurring.  This is a huge waste of time; you should take this precious time and do something that enhances your life.

What is the solution then?

My coach TD and Suparna recommends having a to-do list and not-to-do list which covers it all.

For some people, watching the news (or surfing the web for the news) is just a daily habit.  Try replacing that habit with reading a good book or material which will help you achieve your goals.

Instead of taking in bad news, take in some positive news, because you are the summation of the information you take in. 

Most people have several anti-virus programs to protect their computers. How about protecting your brain which is lot more valuable?

I definitely know that you are engineered for greatness.

What we can learn from Zig Ziglar

-Karthik Gurumurthy

One of my favorite self-help books is "See you at the top". It was written by Zig Ziglar. Zig Ziglar is an American author, salesperson and a motivational speaker.

Sometimes, a simple quote can change the way you see something, and that is what Zig Ziglar does so well.

With all that said, enjoy the quotes below and think about how you can apply them to your own life. Is there something that can be improved? What steps can you take today to improve what you already have?

• "You can have everything in life that you want if you will just help enough other people get what they want."  Being selfish in life might make you happy in the short-term, but sooner or later you’ll realize that what really matters is helping others. It is what brings joy into your life and gets you up in the morning. I am by no means saying to neglect yourself, because if you do not help yourself, you cannot help others, so there’s always a fine line of balance.


• "The greatest good we can do for others is not just to share our riches with them, but to reveal theirs." Everyone has at least one gift and one passion in this life, usually more. Sometimes we’re blind to what’s in front of us, and we need someone else to point out the obvious.It took me a long time to realize that I really liked writing. Writing is something that comes naturally to me, and I love it. If it is one of my riches I do not know, but for now it certainly seems like it.


• "Your attitude, not your aptitude, will determine your altitude." It is not your inherent ability that determines your success, but your attitude. I’ve seen people have everything delivered to them on a silver platter and fail miserably. They gave up at the first sign of trouble.I’ve also seen people succeed with very little. If you’re determined to succeed, you won’t stop until you do.


• "Every choice you make has an end result." What kind of choices are you making today, and how will they affect your life one day, one month, one year, or ten years from now?Are you constantly avoiding going after your passion because you’re afraid of what might happen? Are you waiting for the stars to align so you can go after your dreams? The decisions you make today are the ones that shape your life, so choose wisely.


• "If you learn from defeat, you haven't really lost." I failed a lot before I succeeded and started making a living from my online business. Although failing hurts, I no longer look at it as defeat. I learn from each failure, and from each mistake I make.It may not be obvious what I’m learning all the time, but sooner or later it dawns on me. When you’re starting out with anything new, such as going after your passion and your dreams, you will make a lot of mistakes, and it will feel like you’re failing, but in reality, you’re making progress.


• "If you wait until all the lights are "green" before you leave home, you'll never get started on your trip to the top." This is an excellent quote, because a lot of people want to wait until things are perfect until they start going after their dreams. If you’re one of them, you most likely will be waiting your whole life. If you want to do something other than you’re doing now, then go after it, and start doing it in any little way you can. Stop waiting for permission. Stop waiting for things to work out. Start doing what you can do today, conquer your fears and take things from there.


• "Sometimes adversity is what you need to face in order to become successful." Adversity doesn’t feel nice, but it is sometimes just what you need in order to be successful. We don’t have a crystal ball, so we can’t really see that today’s adversity is tomorrow’s success.Don’t judge the mistakes you make, the failures you have and the adversity you run into, because you never know if all of those things lead to something wonderful.

My wife Shobana and I felt that we should have read this book in high school. What you get from the book is nothing but Golden nuggets of wisdom which you can implement it every single day!

Nuggets from "Go Givers Sell More"

 

The Law of Value: Your true worth is determined by how much more you give in value than you take in payment.

The Law of Compensation: Your income is determined by how many people you serve and how well you serve them.

The Law of Influence: Your influence is determined by how abundantly you place other peoples' interests first.

The Law of Authenticity: The greatest gift you have to offer is yourself. The most significant way you have of adding value to others' lives is by honoring your own nature—by being genuine and not trying to be someone you're not.

The Law of Receptivity: The key to effective giving is to stay open to receiving.

Nuggets from "9 things a Leader must do"

-Karthik Gurumurthy

 
 

I am currently reading the book "9 things a Leader must do" by Dr. Henry Cloud. The book is a must-read for everyone. Leading organizations is one thing, but the first person to lead is leading oneself. This book has lot of small stories which illustrates the point. One of the things which caught my attention after today's reading was what the author mentioned about how to be a successful leader. 

The author said,  "To be a successful leader, you many not keep everyone around you happy. In fact, if you are successful in any arena of life, you are guaranteed to tick some people off! When all people speak well of you, it means that you are duplicitious and a people-pleaser. You cannot speak the truth, live out good values, and choose your own direction without disappointing some people.

The key is not to count your critics, but instead to weigh them. Forget the popularity polls. Don't try to avoid upsetting people; just make sure you are upsetting the right ones. If kind, loving, responsible and honest people are upset with you, then you had better look at the choices you are making. But if controlling, hot and cold, irresponsible, or manipulative people are upset with you, then take courage it might be a sign that you are doing the right thing and becoming a deja vu leader!"

So true isn't it! It resonates well with what Bill Cosby said " He who pleases all pleases none".

Self Mastery

 

Stephen R. Covey once wrote, “the undisciplined are slaves to moods, appetites and passions”. And in the longer term, the undisciplined lack the freedom that comes with possessing particular skills and abilities – e.g. to start a new habit.

Self-Mastery involves acting according to what you think instead of how you feel in the moment. Often it involves sacrificing the pleasure and thrill of the moment for what matters most in life. Therefore it is self-discipline that drives you to:

    * Work on a worthwhile idea after the initial rush of enthusiasm has faded away
    * Go to the gym when all you want to do is lie on the couch and watch TV
    * Wake early to work on yourself
    * Say “no” when tempted to break your diet
    * Only check your email a few of times per day at particular times

In the past self-discipline has been a weakness of mine, and as a result today I find myself lacking the ability to do a number of things which I would like – e.g. to update my weblog three times a week. But I have improved, and I can say that it is self-discipline that got me out of bed this morning at 5am to do my reading for half an hour and then write this article. Believe me, I would love to be curled up in bed right now, but this desire is subordinated by my inner sense of purpose.

If you struggle with self-discipline, the good news is that it can be developed. For example, it is only in the past  year that I have trained myself to workout three times a week. The following are what I have found to be the five traits of self-discipline:

1. Self-Knowledge

Discipline means behaving according to what you have decided is best, regardless of how you feel in the moment. Therefore the first trait of discipline is self-knowledge. You need to decide what behavior best reflects your goals and values. This process requires introspection and self-analysis, and is most effective when tied to written expression. I highly recommend taking the time to write out your goals, dreams and ambitions. Even better, write out a personal mission statement. I found that writing such a statement gave me a greater understanding of who I am, what I am about and what I value. Dr. Covey has an excellent Mission Statement Builder on his site.

2. Conscious Awareness

Self-discipline depends upon conscious awareness as to both what you are doing and what you are not doing. Think about it. If you aren’t aware your behavior is undisciplined, how will you know to act otherwise?

As you begin to build self-discipline, you may catch yourself being in the act of being undisciplined – e.g. biting your nails, avoiding the gym, eating a piece of cake or checking your email constantly. Developing self-discipline takes time, and the key here is you are aware of your undisciplined behavior. With time this awareness will come earlier, meaning rather than catching yourself in the act of being undisciplined you will have awareness before you act in this way. This gives you the opportunity to make a decision that is in better alignment with your goals and values.

3. Commitment to Self-Discipline

It is not enough to simply write out your goals and values. You must make an internal commitment to them. Otherwise when your alarm clock goes off at 6am you will see no harm in hitting the snooze button for “just another 5 minutes….” Or, when initial rush of enthusiasm has faded away from a project you will struggle to see it through to completion. My senior associate TD always mentions that "commitment to continuity leads to emotional stability."

If you struggle with commitment, start by making a conscious decision to follow through on what you say you’re going to do – both when you said you would do it and how you said you would do it. Then, I highly recommend putting in place a system to track these commitments. As the saying goes, “What gets measured gets improved”.

4. Courage

Make no mistake, self-discipline is often extremely difficult. Moods, appetites and passions can be powerful forces to go against. Therefore self-discipline is highly dependent on courage. Don’t pretend something is easy for you to do when it is in fact very difficult and/ or painful. Instead, find the courage to face this pain and difficulty. As you begin to accumulate small private victories, your self-confidence will grow and the courage that underpins self-discipline will come more naturally.

5. Internal Coaching

Self-talk is often and by default negative, but it can also be extremely beneficial if you have control of it. When you find yourself being tested, I suggest you talk to yourself, encourage yourself and reassure yourself. After all, it is self-talk that has the ability to remind you of your goals, call up courage, reinforce your commitment and keep you conscious of the task at hand. When I find my discipline being tested, I always recall the following quote: “The price of discipline is always less than the pain of regret”. Burn this quote into your memory, and recall in whenever you find yourself being tested. It may change your life.

Nuggets from Laws of Lifetime Growth

-Karthik Gurumurthy

At what age, did we stop growing taller? The age when the human body stops getting taller is debatable, but it’s somewhere between the ages of 16 and 21. I often wonder at what age most leaders stop growing. Unfortunately,most people settle into average by the end of their twenties'. Rarely will you find a person committed to a comprehensive personal growth plan into their 30’s, 40’s, or beyond.

As children we grew year after year with some growth spurts, sometimes unnoticeably, but our bodies were always growing.

The growth of a leader can be similar. At times, it may feel like the wheels are spinning and no headway is being made. In other seasons, new breakthroughs and victories are clear indicators of a growth spurt. To grow consistently, the key is to manage your daily agenda. I wish I could pass along an easier solution or secret formula for leadership growth, but daily discipline makes all the difference between growth and stagnation.

I would like to share some nuggets from the book "The Laws of Lifetime Growth", written by Dan Sullivan and Catherine Nomura.

 

1.  Always Make Your Future Bigger Than Your Past.

“The past is useful because it is rich with experiences that are worth thinking about in new ways-and all of these valuable experiences can become raw material for creating an even bigger future. Approach your past with this attitude, and you will have an insatiable desire for even better, more enjoyable experiences. Use your past to continually create a bigger future, and you will separate yourself from situations, relationships, and activities that can trap you there.”

Abraham Lincoln said, “The best thing about the future is that it comes only one day at a time.” The secret of your success is determined by your daily agenda. We spend each day either repairing the past or preparing for the future. We can try to fix our past, but we can’t rewrite it; we can only author our future.

The future is that time when you’ll wish you had done what you aren’t doing now. Don’t fear failure so much that you refuse new things. The saddest summary of a life contains three descriptions: could have, might have, and should have.

 

2. Always Make Your Contribution Bigger Than Your Reward.

“As you become more successful, numerous rewards will come your way: greater income, praise, recognition, reputation, status, capabilities, resources, and opportunities. These are all desirable things, but they can be growth stoppers. They may tempt you to become fixated on just the rewards, rather than focus on making still greater contributions. The way to guarantee that rewards will continually increase is to not think too much about them. Instead, continue making an even more significant contribution.”

To make your contribution bigger than your reward, adopt an anti-entitlement attitude. Believe you must give before you receive. Expect to serve before feeling like you deserve a reward. Determine success by the seeds you sow rather than the harvest you reap. Each morning, I ask myself, “Who can I add value to and how can I do it?” It’s amazing how much I’ve been able to contribute by answering this simple question each day and following through to help a friend or colleague.

3.  Always Make Your Performance Greater Than Your Applause.

“The greatest performers in all fields are those who always strive to get better. No matter how much acclaim they receive, they keep working to improve their performance. Continually work to surpass everything you’ve done so far, and your performance will always be greater than your applause.”

To make sure your performance stays a step ahead or your applause, be growth-driven instead of goal-driven. I’m not criticizing goals, but if we aren’t careful, they can limit our growth. If we set them too high, they de-motivate us. If we set them too low, we are tempted to relax when we hit them rather than pushing for our best performance. Growth is a long and consistent process. No substitutions can be made or shortcuts taken which avoid the day-to-day process of growth.

4. Always Make Your Gratitude Greater Than Your Success.

“Only a small percentage of people are continually successful over the long run. These outstanding few recognize that every success comes through the assistance of many other people – and they are continually grateful for this support.”

We see the value in people and things through proactive gratitude. Once we see this value, we naturally treat these people and things with greater respect. People and resources are drawn to where they are valued most. The world responds to gratitude by making more of everything we appreciate available to us.

To adopt an attitude of thankfulness, Oprah Winfrey keeps a gratitude journal. She recommends her habit to others: “Every night, list five things that happened this day that you are grateful for. What it will begin to do is change your perspective of your day and your life. If you can learn to focus on what you have, you will always see that the universe is abundant; you will have more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never have enough.”

Nuggets from It's your time

-by Karthik Gurumurthy

 

 

I am currently reading "It's your time" by Joel Osteen. Lot of valuable nuggets from todays' reading. I would like to share whatever I could recollect from my notes.

You are closer to your goals than you think. Greatest difficulty always comes right before the birth of a dream. You may not realize that you are in labor right now. When you have struggle, you could say, " This is the greatest attack I've ever faced."

Instead of getting down and thinking, "Poor old me", learn to turn it around and say, "Yes, this is the greatest attack that I've ever been through, but I know it means that I'm headed for the greatest victory that I've ever seen.". Remember it's always darkest before the dawn.

It is so important to keep reminding yourself that Creator of the Universe is directing the steps. He has you in the palm of his hands. And even though this is difficult, I know it is a matter of time before it turns around. Just know that the payday is coming.

Remember to fan that flame. Thank you God that I will have strong finances. Thank you that you are leading me and guiding me.

God is in complete control- so be a prisoner of hope.

Get up each day expecting his favor.

God is breathing new life into your dreams.

Tell yourself each and everyday. The tide is coming back. Today is the day. I am closer to achieving the goals than I think.

It is always darkest before the dawn.

I know God is in control. At the right time, he will bring the right person and the right opportunity. Always remind yourself that your time is coming.

Don't let bad breaks change your meaning and purpose. You may been through unfair situations. Let me assure you God still has a great plan for your life. When you go through tough situations you can say, I may have been through a lot, but I have come too far to stop now. I refuse to get bitter. I refuse to live life in the negative. I know God has great things in store.

When you feel like dying, you should talk about living. When you feel like giving up, you should talk about pressing forward. My good time is coming. I am a victor and not a victim.

No matter how long it's been, no matter how tempted you are to get discouraged, get up every morning and just declare it by faith. "My time is coming, The promise is on me, and I will not die until I see it come to pass".

Your best days are not behind you. They are still out in front of you. God will open up new opportunities. He will bring the right people across your path because you've been faithful.

Stay in faith. Be a prisoner of hope. God will put the right people in your path. You must block out negative thoughts and say, "you know what, this is for me. With my faith, I will ignite this moment. With my faith I will bring forth the dream on the inside".  Scripture encourages us to fan the flame.

It is my time to come up to a new level. I have seen it happen for others, but it's my time to see God's blessings and favor. It is my time to accomplish my dreams.

I want you to have a bigger vision for your life. In your future there are God-ordained moments, he has them planned out for you.

David Psalm 31:15 "God, I already know you have supernatural breaks planned out for me. You have the right people, the right opportunities, so I will not be stressed out. I will stay in peace knowing that you will get me to my final destination."

God has preordained moments of favor for you. He has already lined up the right people, the right breaks, the right opportunities. He's prearranged them for your future.

You will look back one day and say, "Man that was a blessed opportunity. I could have never orchestrated that all on my own."

God has marked moments of favor for restoration. He knows how to get back on the right track.

So go ahead and get your hopes up. Believe that no matter what you have or your haven't done, your best days are still out in front of you. In God's eyes, your future is looking extremely bright.

Every setback is simply a setup for a comeback. God not only wants to bring you out better off than you were before.

God is not limited by the economy. God is not limited by our education or lack of it. God is not limited by the environment we were raised in. God is limited by your beliefs. Believe that things are shifting in your favor.

When you sense it is your season, you need to declare it. Words have creative power. You may not feel well., but it's good to announce."Health is coming my way. I will live and not die".

When you stay in faith, God will cause you to hear what you need to hear.

I can hear the sound of abundance. I can hear the sound of health. I can hear the sound of restoration. I may not be able to see it, but that's okay. I can sense it down inside. I know my set time for favor is coming. I  know my hour of deliverance is on its way.

You have been preprogrammed to live a victorious life. Each one of us has potential waiting to be released. All of us have gifts just waiting to be activated.

What others say and do cannot stop you from fulfilling your destiny. What somebody says about you doesn't change the DNA God put in you. You have a purpose. You have a destiny that is not given to you by other people. Your destiny was handed down by Almighty God.

If you'll stay in faith, no matter what has come against you, at the right time your seeds of greatness will activate and you will fulfil your God-given destiny.

 

Character of a leader

-Karthik Gurumurthy

I was browsing this amazing book "21 indispensable qualities of a leader" by John Maxwell. One chapter a day really makes you a leader if you follow that chapter & implement it. It begins with chapter 1 as character. He talks about a guy who manufactured small planes & successfully sold over 50 planes to companies. In that 50 planes he sold to, couple of planes crashed! So he asked every customer of his to ground their planes till they fix the problem.. After 2 years of investigation & zero business, he simulates the case where the planes could crash.. Now to try this he himself takes the flight & nearly crashes before he manages to escape & ground the plane. This is what the author calls as character.. He risked his life to make sure his customers are safe. That is really a test of character!