Attitude Shaping and Shifting: Aerobic and Anaerobic Exercise

Aerobic exercise which uses oxygen and sustains an elevated heart rate for several minutes at a time like walking or jogging is a huge strategy for shaping your attitude. Anaerobic activities like weight lifting do the same. In my darkest moments, I have learned to maintain a regular exercise schedule. Without question, exercise reduces stress and anxiety and elevates my mood to the point I can at least keep my head above water. It makes the good times even better, some days inducing a mild euphoria like an exercise high.

There may be multiple reasons for this but science seems to suggest that one is bio-chemical. Moderate exercise releases chemicals in the brain that do wonderful things for your mind and emotions. Synergistically, I believe this works with a sense of mastery or accomplishment that comes from knowing you did something good for your body. As a practical matter, exercisers weigh less than they otherwise would which means they can exert less energy on routine daily activities. Exercisers generally look better, all things being equal others respond to them better, and they often have more self confidence than they other wise would. They get sick less, recover quicker, and live longer. They usually spend less out of pocket on health care, especially later in life. They may qualify for health insurance or better health insurance which again means they pay less out of pocket. They can often purchase life insurance at a discount.

You don’t have to torture yourself either. Most of these benefits are available for walking 20-30 minutes a day. I’d write more… but I have to go exercise!

Attitude Shaping and Shifting: Acting The Part and Physiology

It’s been reported that actors and actresses who immerse themselves in a character in order to play a part sometimes actually take on the some of the psychological characteristics of the person they are playing. Apparently this can happen to the extent that they need some therapy to return to their core personality. For example, if they play a character who is deeply depressed they may actually become deeply depressed. Behavior, even pretend behavior becomes reality for them. Similarly, kids and young adults who immerse themselves in role playing games can actually struggle with identifying the real world. In some cases this has led to tragic consequences.

On the flip side, this can be good news. In some measure we can become more joyful just by acting cheerful. Have you ever been in a heated discussion with a spouse, friend, or parent only to have the phone ring? Not wanting to drag the caller into the trouble, you immediately change your tone, expression, and entire demeanor. Frequently the phone call changes your whole mind-body state and the trajectory of your day.

There is a place for honest grief after a serious loss. But sometimes we feel bad just because we have gotten into bad habits of physiology. Shift your physiology and your perspective may change almost immediately.

I find I think more constructively when I’m walking quickly with my head up, talking rapidly with a lot of inflection and enthusiasm in my voice, and smiling. If you struggle with smiling, stick a pencil or pen between your teeth and hold it for a few seconds. This simulates the physiology of the smile and can actually send signals to the brain that apparently releases chemicals that create a joy response. If you doubt this, try it right now.

If you are really having a bad day try skipping. It’s really hard to stay feeling bad when you’re skipping. My wife Susy, taught me about “sock slides”. Strip down to your bear stocking feet, take a good run, and then slide across a tile or hardwood surface. She is much better at this than I am but I still have fun.

Sing! We can sing because we’re happy… but we can also become happy because we sing. Try Opera. You don’t even have to know a song. Have a conversation in Opera. What ever you were going to say…. Just sing it in your best Opera voice. If you don’t have a good voice it’s even better… at least funnier. You might even want to have an Opera party where everybody sings to each other. Greet each guest at the door in your best Opera voice…. “Weeeeeeeelcooooooome toooooo ooooouuuurrr huuuumblllle hooooome”.
Make it up as you go. To get in the spirit check out Adam Sandler’s Opera Man skits on You Tube.

Sales trainer and motivator Zig Ziglar recommends rolling out of bed each morning, slapping your hands together, and enthusiastically saying, “This is a great day to go out and gettem”. I am a morning person, but even for me this is a little over the top. Still the principle is there. Start each day by taking control of your physiology. Act the part and perspective you would choose before you feel it. I prefer telling my wife I love her, walking purposefully to the coffee maker, and then out to retrieve the paper…. Okay… in case a neighbor is reading… some mornings I stumble, but I still have a plan.

For the servant sales person I think there is a physiology and posture that will suit you. You may have figure out what it looks like over time on your sales calls. It’s a blend of physically demonstrated humility, confidence, competence, and cheer. It may need to morph some from call to call as you ask yourself, “What does this customer or client need from me right now?”

Attitude Shaping and Shifting: Poetry Meditation and Memorization

Poetry memorization is not as popular in this generation as it has been in past ones. Other than the memorization that comes with remembering song lyrics and a few lines from Dr. Seuss I think it has almost ceased to exist. I’m kind of ambivalent about this… in fact I hesitate to write about it here… and now that I’ve started I’m not sure which direction to take. Clearly, it’s not my deal.

Still I think poems have been great shapers of perspective in the past and can be re-harnessed in this and future generations. I mentioned Dr. Seuss. I think his lines from Horton have actually enhanced a decision or choice on occasion. I hear them over and over in my head just as I did as a kindergartener on Captain Kangaroo some 45 years ago…

“I meant what I said
And I said what I meant,
An Elephant faithful,
One hundred percent.”

I memorized a short one some time my early twenties. It comes to mind now and then when I am frustrated about some circumstance going on in my life.

Two men in jail
Standing behind bars,
One saw mud
The other saw stars

This short one serves as kind a kind of inspirational warning encouraging us all to play a bigger game in life:

Some men die by shrapnel
And some go down in flames,
But most men perish inch by inch,
Playing little games.

When I moved away from home for a short time, this one seemed to resonate with my heart:

Grieve not for me,
who am about to start
a new adventure.
Eager I stand,
and ready to depart,
me and my reckless, pioneering heart!


I keep a few longer ones on file, but have never gotten around to memorizing them. Like I said, it’s not my deal. But if you think it might be yours, give it a shot. Stick an inspirational verse on a 3x5 card and carry it around with you to look at through out odd moments of the day.

Attitude Shaping and Shifting: “Maxim”ize Your Life

Maxims are just short pithy quotes or sayings designed to convey a truth or principle of life. I recommend collecting and storing the good ones by subject and memorizing the best ones. They will elevate your thoughts, shape your perspectives, and alter your behavior over time. Winston Churchill wrote, “Quotations, when engraved upon the memory give you good thoughts.” And Samuel Johnson, “He is a great benefactor of mankind who contracts the great rules of life into short sentences, that may easily be impressed on the memory, and so recur habitually to the mind.”

You should collect and memorize the ones that resonate and have meaning for you but here are some of my favorites:

"When predictability goes up, impact goes down."
Howard Hendricks

"You have a strategy that is perfectly designed to get the results you are getting."
Andy Stanley

"Every adversity carries with it the seed for an equal or greater benefit."
W. Clement Stone

"It’s your job as a leader to create an atmosphere that… transforms antagonism into creative energy."
John Kao, Harvard Business School

“He who can copy can do.”
Leonardo da Vinci

“The way we see the problem is the problem.”
Stephen Covey

"It is possible to move a mountain by carrying away small stones."
Chinese Proverb

"I have a plan of action, but the game is a game of adjustments."
Mike Krzyzewski, Basketball Coach, Duke University

"I wake up so excited I can’t eat breakfast."
Stephen Spielberg, Film Maker

"I tap dance to work each morning."
Warren Buffet

You can find another set listed in the right hand side-bar of this blog that specifically have to do with selling.

Also, some of the most powerful maxim’s you can memorize are found in the Bible. Over the years I have committed dozens of these to memory:

“Be bold and strong and remember the Lord your God is with you where ever you go.” From Joshua 1:9
(I have recited this one over and over as I was walking into tough cold calls)

“For I know the plans I have for you says the Lord, plans for good and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11

“All things work together for good to those who love God and are called according to His purpose.”
Romans 8:28

“A gentle answer deflects anger, but harsh words make tempers flare.” Proverbs 15:1

Attitude Shaping and Shifting: Affirmations

Affirmations are short statements that say the things you want to exist as though they already do. They are designed to shape and shift your belief system about yourself and the nature of life in general. Many trainers, coaches, and counselors are fans of this strategy and it can be helpful for a lot of people.

After having said that, they are not solve alls or magic wands that necessarily alter and shape reality to your liking. In my own experiments, I also find they are more effective if you have plenty of evidence to support their truthfulness. Affirmations will not overcome the laws of nature or over ride the will of God. Gravity still exists no matter how many times you affirm your ability to fly unaided by an airplane or other device. I will not become a super star in the NBA no matter how often I affirm it. Affirmations will not make up for lack of talent, height, or other requirements. Affirmations as a technique have also gotten deeply entrenched in New Age philosophies that can do damage. They can range from the mildly humorous to the ridiculous. Shirley McClain’s affirmation that she is god or you are god doesn’t make it so.

Affirmations may however enhance talent and gifting and reinforce helpful beliefs that will create a better more successful life. I recommend affirmations that are rooted in reality. To do this, make a list of your strengths. What are your talents? What skills do you possess? What are you passionate about? Write the answers to these questions down and turn them into affirmations.

If you have a talent for oral communication and have honed your skills as a communicator write:

I am a great presenter!

If you are competitive and like trying to figure out how to win in a marketplace full of competitors write:

I love to compete and win!

If you have a desire to truly serve your customers write:

I am a servant salesperson who consistently takes care of my customers!

It is much more effective to tell yourself the truth. Some suggest taking a weakness and essentially lying to yourself about it, believing that over time the affirmation will take hold, thus turning the weakness into a strength. I’m not saying this has never happened, I just have my doubts.

Everyone reading this has plenty of strengths. Make a list, turn it into an affirmation, and try reading them daily. See if it doesn’t shift your thinking and send a surge of enthusiasm and energy pulsing through your body.

Attitude Shaping and Shifting: Appreciation Lists

What are your favorite things? Who are the people, places, experiences, and things you appreciate? There is no better way to reshape your perspective on life than to regularly sit down and list the things you value. Sometimes I do this on 3x5 cards at odd moments in a restaurant. Sometimes I use a 8 1/2 x 11 writing pad on the air plane. The discipline of committing these things to paper seems to have more impact on my attitude and outlook than just going over them in my mind. Maybe even put them in a media like our You Tube friend did.

There is a tendency in human nature to look for what’s missing. This is valuable also and that’s where our goals come from. But an excessive focus on what’s missing is a sure recipe for unhappiness. After a time of great loss it’s natural to obsess on what’s missing for a season. Don’t worry about that too much unless you get stuck there for a prolonged period. In those cases, counseling may be helpful to get you moving through the grief process.

Here is a partial list I wrote on a recent plane trip:

My Faith
Susy, my wife
My mom and dad
My 102 year old grandmother
My extended family of aunts, uncles, cousins, step children, and in-laws
My church family and pastor
My friendships all over the United States
USA… Is this a great country or what?
The company that employed me for 15 years
My boss for the last 8 years
Sammy, my Labrador Retriever
Starbucks…. Especially the Green Tea Frappacino and the ambiance
Our house
My library of books
Zip lining in Kauai
Barnes and Noble…. Borders… any bookstore…. New or used
USA Today
Maui Jim Sunglasses
Guacamole with Pico de Gallo
My morning coffee with flaxseed and flavored creamer
Fuggazi (Local Restaurant) especially the Tostada Pizza
California Pizza Kitchen …. Everything
Chipotle …. The burrito bowl
Hang gliding off Look Out Mountain
Pilot G2 Mini Pens
Moleskine for jotting down ideas
3x5 Cards
Movies with popcorn, candy, and soda
Black graphic tees
Zippered Hoodies
Roller Coasters
Flip Flops
Levi 504’s
Google
Blogger and writing
Nike Free Styles
Costco
Target
Almonds and Cranberries all mixed up
Nascar ride at 165 mph
Room and Board Home Furnishings
Business Animals… my stuffed animal collection of business mascots
Crème de mint Altoid Breath Fresheners
Dentyne Ice Chewing Gum
Blackberry
Indoor skydiving
Hampton Inns
Apple Store
Apple and Peanut Butter
Walking mainstreet… especially with Susy
Classic Rock
Lifestyle Fitness Center
PF Chang Lettuce Wraps
Barbeque
My Ipod

From a Servant Selling perspective you might also list your customers and clients. Consider making a list now of the people you have sold products or services to. You might also send them a note of appreciation letting them know how much you value them and their business.

Attitude Shaping and Shifting: Selective Television

Garbage In Garbage Out. I sometimes wonder how many dreams, marriages, healthy bodies etc… has been ruined by television. Still, there are some great television shows. Resist the temptation to watch television purely based on what you find entertaining. Move toward choices that will inspire you, increase your knowledge in important areas, and help make you more successful. I love sports of all kinds, but it is very easy to get drawn into spending excessive amounts of time watching other people pursue their goals and mission in life while important parts of your life go unattended. I would suggest a limit of one hour a day with rare exceptions.

Here are some choices I have found worthwhile. I don’t watch all the shows regularly, but I still find them valuable on occasion.

The Big Idea with Donny Deutsch (CNBC) Great inspiration for work and business
The Dave Ramsey Show (Fox Business) Excellent ideas on personal finance
Mad Money with Jim Cramer (CNBC) Good investment strategies
Joel Osteen - Inspirational Pastor
Hour of Power with Robert Schuller - Inspirational Pastor
Ed Young - Inspirational Pastor
Larry King Live - Stay up on culture and current events
Dr. Phil - General wisdom for living
The O’Reilly Factor (Fox News) - Political viewpoint with a conservative slant
Hardball (MSNBC) - Political viewpoint with a liberal slant
Fit TV - Cable channel devoted to Health and Fitness Programming
The Learning Channel
The Biography Channel
The History Channel
House and Garden Channel - Inspiration for your dream house
The Food Channel - Inspirations for your inner chef
American Idol - This show is really about people pursuing a dream


Do I watch junk? Very rarely.

I also recommend taking the TV out of your bedroom. It will likely improve your marriage and eliminate a lot of mindless channel surfing and watching just for background noise.

Attitude Shaping and Shifting: Laugh

The study of humor and laughter, and it’s psychological and physiological effects on the human body is called gelotology. Who knew?…. In 1979, writer Norman Cousins wrote about how laughter helped him recover from a serious illness. He took Marx Brothers films and watched them on a daily basis. Since then, numerous studies have tended to support the value of humor in treating everything from colds to cancer. Even the Bible tells us in Proverbs 17:22 “A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person’s strength. "

But it doesn’t take a scientific study to know that laughter changes your mind body state for the better. Increase your time laughing and it’s almost guaranteed that you’ll improve your outlook and attitude. And like any lifestyle, laughter can be cultivated as a habit.

Here are a few suggestions:

1. Hang out with other laughers and people who are fun. Laughter like yawning and lots of other things is contagious.
2. Learn to find the funny side to every day calamities. The fender bender car accident, the hotel toilet paper holder placed just out of reach, and the stubbed toe all can be laughed at, if not immediately, then shortly there after. Most of us, myself included, usually take ourselves way too seriously. There is a huge difference between lumpy oatmeal and a lump in our breast but often we react to them just the same.
3. Collect a few good comedy albums. I don’t think I’m a prude but I suggest staying toward the cleaner end of the comedy spectrum. I won’t argue that some of the other comedians aren’t very funny because some are. I just think that in the long run you’ll be happier and healthier if what you laugh at is clean. I’m not just talking about language and sexuality. Put down humor isn’t a good idea either. I grew up listening to Don Rickles. But like a lot of things, it’s all fun and games until some one gets hurt. The person that listens to put down humor can quickly slip into putting their spouse and kids down to get laughs at their expense. This can do serious damage.

My favorite style of comedy is observational which is what Jerry Seinfeld is so great at. He does a whole thing about cotton balls and how women need thousands and men don’t seem to need any. He sees the funny side of things we all see but don’t really pay attention to. Jay Leno and David Letterman do observational humor often about the news of the day. If you want to get inside the head of some of the comic greats Laugh.com has a whole series of interviews. My favorites are the Seinfeld interview and the Johnny Carson Interview.

To try some fresh comedy you may not have heard, check out albums by Jeff Allen, Michael Jr., Gilbert Esquivel, Brad Stine, Thor Ramsey, Ron McGehee, and Kerri Pomarolli. Their albums are all available on Itunes.

Lastly, start your day in the comic section of the newspaper. Some days it’s one of the few positive things you’ll read there. I recommend clipping and collecting your favorites. I have several hundred collected on the topic of selling alone and sometimes use them to introduce a topic in sales training. My favorites are Frank and Earnest, The Far Side, Herman, Ziggy, Peanuts, Bizzaro, and Dilbert. I also keep my eye out in the Wall Street Journal and various business magazines.

Attitude Shaping and Shifting: Read Great Books

There are a handful of books that have profoundly shaped my perspectives, attitudes, and consequently the course of my life. Without a doubt, Norman Vincent Peale’s “The Power of Positive Thinking” was a huge book for me as was Robert Schuller’s “Move Ahead With Possibility Thinking”. Both were barrowed from my dad. When I read them around age 19 I had never considered the idea that you could improve your life by improving the quality of your thinking. In fact, I believed thoughts just came to me. It never occurred to me to introduce thoughts with intention or that those thoughts could impact my behavior, emotions, energy, or choices. Schools don’t teach this stuff.

A few years later I came across Zig Ziglar’s “See You At The Top”. This introduced me to the power of self-image and goal-setting. Zig also introduced me to power of audio recordings while you drive. I was so changed by his material that I got a job as a marketing rep for his company and went old to sell his books, tapes, and video programs for a year.

In the mid 1990’s I came across a book by Peter Senge, titled “The Fifth Discipline”. It is perhaps the most challenging book I ever read and it probably saved my career several times. In short, The Fifth Discipline is “Systems Thinking” which the book defines as “Seeing Wholes, Interrelationships, and Patterns of Change Rather Than Snap Shots”. It’s sprinkled with examples and principles like, “cause and effect are not closely related in time and space”, “faster is slower”, “small changes can produce big results–but the areas of highest leverage are the least obvious”, “the easy way out leads back in”, “the cure can be worse than the disease”, and “today’s problems come from yesterday’s solutions”. These ideas led me on what became a 15 year journey to effect change in one organization. Without this books influence I would have thrown up my hands, left, and been much poorer for it.

“In Search of Excellence” by Tom Peters and Bob Waterman had a huge influence on me. I have continued to listen and read Tom Peters over the years to great effect. I still go to his web site regularly for fresh inspiration. A lot of the Servant Selling ideas come from Peters because as much as any writer I know he really gets that successful business is really about serving customers and serving the employees who serve customers.

In sales and marketing, Al Ries and Jack Trout’s books have been a big influence. “Positioning: The Battle For Your Mind” and “Differentiate of Die” really taught me about the different ways to positively stand out in a potential customers mind. And Seth Godin’s “Purple Cow” books took the ideas of Ries and Trout and made them catchier and more memorable. Larry Wilson’s “Changing The Game: The New Way To Sell” had a lot of influence on me. “Conceptual Selling” and ‘Strategic Selling” by Robert B. Miller, Stephen E. Heiman, and Tad Tuleja have written the foundation for my Servant Selling philosophy as it applies to how to get face to face and what to do when you get there.

John Maxwell’s books have influenced my thinking on leadership greatly. A favorite is “Leading In 360”. Jim Collin's book "Good to Great" is a work I refer to often. I am a huge fan of the strengths movement. I enthusiastically endorse anything by Marcus Buckingham, especially “Now, Discover Your Strengths”, “Go, Use Your Strengths”, and “The One Thing You Need To Know”. It’s not a book, but his video “Trombone Player Wanted” is a must see. Tom Rath’s “Strength Finder 2.0 is excellent as is Howard Gardner’s ‘Frames of Mind” and Thomas Armstrong’s “Seven Kinds of Smart”. The book by Armstrong is a highly readable simplification of Gardner’s work.

Although I’m a Protestant, I have been hugely influenced by the books of a Jesuit Priest by the name of John Powell. I first received a couple of titles from a Catholic friend and went on to read everything he had published at the time. My favorites were “Unconditional Love” and “Fully Human, Fully Alive”. Francine Rivers book, “Redeeming Love” is my favorite in Christian Fiction.

I don’t read an enormous amount of fiction but I loved J.R.R. Tolkien’s “The Hobbit” and “The Lord of The Rings” trilogy. I’m currently reading the C.S. Lewis Trilogy of “Out Of The Silent Plant”, “Perelandra”, and “That Hideous Strength” out loud at night with my wife. This is Science Fiction/Fantasy and is equally thought provoking and fun reading. My first Sci-Fi book was “Enders Game” by Orson Scott Card. I like the CIA spy stuff that Vince Flynn writes about his hero Mitch Rapp starting with “Separation of Power”. Katherine Neville’s “The Eight” was a fun mystery/adventure.

I don’t think I’m exaggerating when I say I’ve owned over a thousand books in my lifetime. My library is smaller now than in the past but honorable mention should go to hundreds of authors. I feel if you get one good useable idea from a book it was worth the price. Books don’t have to be read cover to cover either. They can be scanned with great value.

Attitude Shaping and Shifting: Movies That Move You

Most of us go to the movies or rent something from Netflix or Blockbuster for sheer entertainment. I’m no exception. There’s nothing wrong with some good old fashion escape. But movies do have the power to induce states of mind and even change behavior.

Movies make us laugh.
Movies make us cry.
Movies make us think.
Movies inspire.
… and some movies are a waste of time or worse. Some even encourage irresponsible behavior. Here’s a list that you may want to consider actually purchasing and watching repeatedly.

The Pursuit of Happyness (A Must See Film For Sales People)
Cinderella Man
Eight Below
Rocky
Rudy
Sister Act
Lord Of The Rings
Bend It Like Beckham
Shrek
The Lion King
Ali
Babe
A Beautiful Mind
A League of Their Own
Braveheart
Chariots of Fire
Conrack
Cool Runnings
Dances With Wolves
Driving Miss Daisy
Mr. Holland’s Opus
Erin Brockovich
Field Of Dreams
Forrest Gump
Free Willy
Gandhi
The Karate Kid
Lean on Me
Malcolm X
Miracle on Ice
Ray
Remember The Titans
Schindler’s List
Seabiscuit
Searching For Bobby Fisher
The Shawshank Redemption
Stand and Deliver
Without Limits
The Patriot
Four Minutes

If you own a video Ipod you can download some of these great movies and watch them while waiting in doctors offices, on the treadmill and other places that make sense throughout the week.

Attitude Shaping and Shifting: Audio Talks and Teaching

Audio recordings have done a tremendous amount to shape and shift the way I think and feel on a daily basis. Over the years I have purchased and listened to literally thousands of hours of teachers and inspirational speakers. I started out in the era of cassette tapes, moved to the compact disc, and am now transitioning to the Ipod.

If you are an outside Servant Sales Person meaning your job is go out get the business vs. waiting for it to walk in the door, chances are this means you spend countless hours in your automobile. If you are in an industry where you have to hear a lot of no’s to find a single yes it can get discouraging. And some of these no’s aren’t nice ones. If this is the case, there is no better antidote to that discouragement than having an inspirational speaker or teacher waiting for you when you get back to the car. They can guide your thinking back onto something productive help keep you knocking on the next door.

Over the years I have listened to a lot of people. Some are sales trainers, business people, pastors, and professional speakers from any number of backgrounds. Many might disagree, offer vastly different perspectives, and even find it odd that they are on a list together with the others. Here are some of my favorites:

Tom Peters
Stephen Covey
Zig Ziglar
Brian Tracy
John Maxwell
Tony Robbins
Joel Osteen
Robert Schuller
Rick Warren
Larry Wilson
Rob Bell
Andy Stanley
Erwin McManus
David Allen
Ken Blanchard
Tom Hopkins
Joyce Meyer
Chuck Missler

You’ll find that you respond to some speakers more than others. Some you will respond to for a season and then you’ll need to move on to someone else. Some you will get tired of and then come back. Some you may never tire of.

Podcasts
One great new option in the last few years if you have Itunes is to down load podcasts. These are regular programs of both an informational and inspirational nature. Some are audio only and some include video. Check it out.

Attitude Shaping and Shifting: Attitunes… What’s On Your IPOD? Part 2

Like I said in yesterday’s post, music is one of the most powerful state of mind and emotion producers in the universe. To harness that power with understanding and intention puts you at great advantage. Sales people are especially subject to attitudinal challenges do to the amount of rejection they often face and music can provide a powerful offset. I have often used some of the recommended selections when I’m cold calling to keep my attitude up.

If you want to learn more about the intricacies of using music, I recommend “Tune Your Brain - Using Music to Manage Your Mind, Body, and Mood” by Elizabeth Miles. She has broken music down into 7 categories according to it’s impact. They include Energy, Relaxation, Focus, Healing, Uplifting, Cleansing, and Creativity.

In the meantime, here are some more of my favorites. I suggest experimenting with these and others you find on your own. Apple’s Itunes has just introduced a great new program called the Genius Sidebar. If you highlight one of the songs you already own, it will pull up similar songs that you may enjoy. This is a great help in building a music library that suits you.

No two people will respond the same way to piece of music. Your response may even change based on arrangement and who the performer is. An example of that is “Take the ‘A’ Train”. Duke Ellington’s Band did a great job popularizing this jazz tune. But when the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra did it, they took it to another level. Some of this is taste, but personal preference is huge when your goal is to take charge of your mind/body state.

Contemporary Christian
The Great Adventure - Stephen Curtis Chapman, Emanuel - Amy Grant, El Shaddai - Amy Grant, Indescribable - Chris Tomlin, Mansion Builder - 2nd Chapter of Acts
Praise and Worship
People Just Like Us - Hillsong, All The Power You Need, Hillsong,
Hear Our Praises - Hillsong, Church on Fire - Hillsong, Shout To The Lord - Hillsong,
You Are Good - Israel Houghton, Cover The Earth - Lakewood, You Are My King (Amazing Love) - Newsboys, He Reigns - Newsboys, Blessed Be Your Name - Tree 63,
We Will Glorify - Twila Paris, He Is Exalted - Twila Paris
Jazz Without Lyrics
Take Five - The Dave Brubeck Quartet, Drum Boogie - George Krupa and His Orchestra,
In The Mood - Glenn Miller and His Orchestra, Green Onions - James Taylor Quartet,
My Favorite Things - John Coltrane, So What - Miles Davis, Well, Git It - Tommy Dorsey and His Orchestra, Take The “A” Train - Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra
Contemporary Instrumental
Silhouette - Kenny G, Songbird - Kenny G, Pastel - Kenny G,
Small Town Girl - Larry Carlton, Smiles and Smiles To Go - Larry Carlton,
Minute by Minute - Larry Carlton, Bubble Shuffle - Larry Carlton, Tequila - Larry Carlton,
Stiletto Heels - Richard Elliot, On The Town - Richard Elliot,
In Your Face - Richard Elliot, Over The Rainbow - Richard Elliot,
Pipo’s Song - Spyro Gyra
Electronica
Push The Limits - Enigma, Battle Without Honor or Humanity - Tomoyasu Hotel
Classical
Eine Kline Nachtmusik - Mozart, Sunrise - Strauss, 1812 Overture - Tchaikovsky,
Ride of the Valkyrues - Wagner, Hallelujah - Handel, Symphony #5 - Beethoven,
William Tell Overture - Rossini,

Attitude Shaping and Shifting: Attitunes… What’s On Your IPOD?

I can beat a song that will make dead men’s hearts rise to be strong and go into battle and win.

Napoleon’s drummer at Waterloo

What music can do is to sneak inside of us and inspire us and ignoble our spirit to triumph over any obstacle, adversity, disaster or dismay that may defeat us.

Jack Canfield, Co-author, Chicken Soup For The Soul


Music may be the most powerful shaper of mind set and resulting emotions we have access to. Unfortunately few of us really take charge of this tool and use it to it’s full potential. Many of us allow the local disc jockey or some greedy record producer to decide what music you fill your life with. Many times it’s influenced heavily by who you hang out with.

You need to pay attention to lyrics specifically. Beyond that, play stuff that consistently leaves you feeling good and encourages you to be a better person. If you are a person of faith you have more options than ever before. I love both secular and sacred music of all kinds. My favorite is classic rock, but I listen to Contemporary Christian, Jazz, R&B, Show Tunes, Reggae, some Country, Alternative, World, and even some Hip Hop occasionally. You can find at least some inspirational music in nearly every genre. Here are some on my IPOD:

Classic Rock
Dream On - Aerosmith, Bounce - Bon Jovi, Roll With It - Steve Winwood,
Never Surrender - Corey Hart, Bright Side of the Road - Van Morrison,
Your Only Human - Billy Joel, Don’t Stop Believin’ - Journey, Don’t Stop - Fleetwood Mac,
While You See A Chance - Steve Winwood, Give To Live - Sammy Hagar,
Lucky Day - Meridith Brooks, Shine - Meridith Brooks,
Make Your Own Kind Of Music - Mama Cass Elliot, Don’t Let The Good Life Pass You By - Mama Cass, Always Look On The Bright Side - Art Garfunkel, Beautiful - Carole King,
Simple Things - Carole King, Make It Big - The Beach Boys,
Take The Weather With You - Jimmy Buffet, Breath In Breath Out Move On - Jimmy Buffet, Don’t Give Up - Peter Gabriel, Things Can Only Get Better - Howard Jones
Alternative
Beautiful Day - U2, Holiday In My Head - Smash Mouth, All Star - Smash Mouth,
Greatest Day - Bowling For Soup, If Everyone Cared - Nickelback,
The Future's So Bright - Timbuk 3, Hallelujah - Jeff Buckley
R&B
You Gotta Be - Des’ree, Uptight (Everything’s Alright) - Stevie Wonder,
Ain’t No Stoppin Us Now - McFadden & Whitehead, Dream Big - Sakai, Leap of Faith - Sakai
Pop
Beautiful - Christina Aguilar, You Get What You Give - New Radicals, New Attitude - Patti Labelle, When You’ve Been Blessed - Patti Labelle, The Power of The Dream - Celine Dion,
When The Going Gets Tough - Billy Ocean, One Moment In Time - Whitney Houston,
Reach - Gloria Estefan, Always Tomorrow - Gloria Estefan,
Coming Out Of The Dark - Gloria Estefan, Get On Your Feet - Gloria Estefan,
Make It Happen - Mariah Carey, Hero - Mariah Carey
Raggae
Three Little Birds - Bob Marley
Rap/Hip Hop
Dream Big - Jet Baker, Champion - Queen Latifah, Pray - MC Hammer,
Too Legit To Quit - MC Hammer, No Stoppin' Us - MC Hammer
Country
Up - Shania Twain, I Could Not Ask For More - Sara Evans, Born To Fly - Sarah Evans,
Blessed - Martina McBride, The Impossible - Joe Nichols, My Life’s Been Grand - George Strait,
Live Like You Were Dying - Tim McGraw, My List - Toby Keith,
It’s A Great Day To Be Alive - Travis Tritt
Blues
When Love Comes To Town - Jonny Lang and Joss Stone, Anything’s Possible - Jonny Lang,
Turn Around - Jonny Lang
World
Somewhere Over The Rainbow/What A Wonderful World - Israel Kamakawlwo’ole
Easy Listening/Jazz
High Hopes - Frank Sinatra, Come Blow Your Horn - Frank Sinatra, Pocketful of Miracles - Frank Sinatra, Pick Yourself Up - Natalie Cole, When Your Smiling - Frank Sinatra, Wonderful World - Louis Armstrong

Lyrically this is some of the strongest music you can find. In the next post I’ll share some of my favorites from Contemporary Christian Music as well as some of my favorite non-lyrical music.

Attitude Shaping and Shifting: Asking Questions Move Your Perspective

Another way to shift and shape your own attitude is to regularly ask yourself good questions. This strategy has been used by a number of successful people as far ranging as motivational speaker Tony Robbins and Ben Franklin.

In his book, “Awaken The Giant Within” Robbins suggests some questions that are designed to move people into states of happiness, excitement, pride, gratitude, joy, commitment and love. He believes that quality questions create a quality life. Here are a few he recommends:

MORNING POWER QUESTIONS
What am I happy about in my life now?What about that makes me happy? How does that make me feel?
What am I excited about in my life now?What about that makes me excited? How does that make me feel?
What am I proud about in my life now? What about that makes me proud? How does that make me feel?
What am I grateful about in my life now? What about that makes me grateful? How does that make me feel?
What am I enjoying in my life right now?What about that do I enjoy? How does that make me feel?
What am I committed to in my life right now?What about that makes me committed? How does that make me feel?
Who do I love? Who loves me?What about that makes me loving? How does that make me feel?

EVENING POWER QUESTIONS
What have I given today?In what ways have I been a giver today?
What did I learn today?
How has today added to the quality of my life or how can I use today as an investment in my future?

THE PROBLEM SOLVING QUESTIONS
What is great about this problem?
What is not perfect yet?
What am I willing to do to make it the way I want it?
What am I willing to stop doing in order to make it the way I want it?
How can I enjoy the process while I do what is necessary to make it the way I want it?
If you struggle with a question, simply add the word “could”. Example: “What could I be most happy about in my life now?”

Benjamin Franklin kept his life in constant evaluation by asking himself two questions every day of his adult life. In the morning he would ask, "What good shall I do today?" This was followed up by his evening question. "What good have I done today?"

As a Servant Salesperson you might ask yourself each morning, “Who and how will I serve people today?” In the evening you might ask, “Who and how did I serve today?”
Consider journaling answers to one of these questions each day. Notice which questions place you in the most productive state of mind.

Attitude Shaping and Shifting: Association... People and Perspective

Who do you hang with? The people you spend time with shape your attitudes and perspectives powerfully. If you want to be a Servant Sales Person, find and spend time with other Servant Sales People. It’s incredibly difficult… in fact, nearly impossible to rise much above the level of your companions.

A handful of times in my life I have essentially stopped spending time with people who weren’t going where I wanted to go. If you are in California and on a bus with a bunch of folks who want to go to Alabama, it’s not going to matter how much you wanted to get to Pennsylvania. In a few cases you might talk a few passengers into getting on another bus headed for Pennsylvania and going with you. But chances are most everyone who started out committed to Alabama will end up there. If you want to change destinations, change buses.

Find a group of people who are going where you want to go. Find a group who are already committed to great service in your profession. Seek them out. Cultivate their companionship. Learn from them. Make a contribution to their life and they will seek you out. Then watch the relationships shape your attitude, mind set, and thought processes. You will feed off each other and spiral up.

Don’t assume this message is just for teenagers struggling with peer pressure around choices they make with regard to their involvement in drugs and sex. It’s for everyone. A few months ago a series of articles appeared in the newspapers on recent studies that concluded that adults who hung out with people who over eat and get fat tend to over eat and get fat. If you want to get skinny, get some skinny friends. I don’t mean to be harsh here. I have to be very careful with my diet and exercise because I gain weight easily. I’m just saying if your best friends exercise for an hour, 5x per week you are more likely to do the same. If your friends split dinner with their spouse or order salads and smaller portions, you probably will to.

This is true with nearly every area of your life. If you want healthy attitudes and habits around money or marriage, finance or family; get around people who are good with these things. It’s not much harder than catching a cold.

Attitude Shaping and Shifting: "How Are You?" Part 2

Pat Croce is right. My friend Joel Hedland, who is an associate pastor at my church has a buddy from Phoenix who was riding a motorcycle up in the Denver area a couple of weeks before I am writing this. He hit a road hazard that sent him flying off his bike head on into a semi truck or tractor trailer rig. The first one to reach him was a women who brought a blanket to throw over the body, assuming he was dead. When she got to the body and started to cover it up, she heard this voice, “Hey lady, I’m still alive.” A doctor was second on the scene and immediately called for a helicopter to airlift to the hospital. He had to have a leg amputated, but miraculously he is back to work as a supervisor for a landscape company only two weeks after the accident. According to Joel, his friend has not lived the most religious life in the world but while re-counting his memory of the incident, he clearly remembers flying through the air and experiencing a presence that told him, “I’m protecting you.” He also said, “Hey Joel, don’t feel sorry for me, I’m doing great.”

So how do you normally answer the most common of all questions? Over the years I have collected positive responses to the question, “How are you?” or “How are you doing?” Here are some in my collection. Many are from famous or semi-famous people.

Awesome
Blessed
Better than I deserve (Financial Guru Dave Ramsey on his call in radio program)
Celebrating another day in paradise
Double thumps up
Excellent
Fantastic (Actor and California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
Great (Pat Croce)
Happy to be alive
I'm so happy I could eat a banana sideways (Speaker, Zig Ziglar)
Incredible
Just like I’m going through a swing door on someone else’s push (Speaker, Zig Ziglar)
Life is good
Magical
On top of the world
Outstanding
Phenomenal
Spectacular
Super
Super good, but I’ll get better (Speaker, Zig Ziglar)
Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious
Terrific
Thumbs up
Unbelievable (Sales Trainer Tom Hopkins… says this answer cover it either way… bad day/good day
Victorious
Wonderful
Xtra-Good
Yes (Usually with a fist pump)

In the movie When Harry Met Sally, Meg Ryan’s character Sally Abright is sitting across a deli table from Billy Crystal’s character Harry Burns. After a long drawn out, now famous theatrical portrayal of “excitement”, an older woman at the next table tells her waiter, “I’ll have what she’s having”. Why don’t we all lead lives that encourage others to want what were having? It can start with our response to the simple question, “How are you?”

Attitude Shaping and Shifting: Answering… “How Are You?”

Of all the questions in the world, there is probably not a question asked more frequently than, “How are you?” or some variation of it. Your answer to that frequent question does a lot to set your attitude in place for that moment, maybe even the rest of the day. There is a place in life for an authentic negative response. A visit with a therapist, an occasional conversation with a close friend about perplexing dilemma or problem come to mind. You might even tone down your answer when responding to someone who you know is struggling with some weighty issue or grieving. The book of Proverbs tells us in chapter 25 and verse 20 “Singing cheerful songs to a person with a heavy heart is like taking someone’s coat in cold weather or pouring vinegar in a wound. Romans 12:15 echoes the same sentiment when it says, “Rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep”.

After having said that, positive responses will do more to help shape your attitude and emotional state. They will generally also make you a more enjoyable and attractive person to be around. In his wonderful book, 110% - 110 Strategies for Feeling Great Every Day, Pat Croce starts off the Introduction with this:

So, how are you?
These are the standard replies:
“Not bad.”
“Okay.”
“Pretty Good.”
“Hangin’ in.”
“Hangin’ on”
“Fine.”

Just once, try this instead: “I feel great!” Say it with gusto, with conviction, with
wattage.

And then watch the other person recoil. The reaction will be somewhere
between disbelief and envy…

And, yes, I know exactly what you’re thinking: “Oh, please. It is not possible
for anyone to feel great, to be in such an effervescent mood all the time.

Well, of course it’s not.

But in the bleak moments, there are thoughts you can summon to help
overcome depression, pain, sorrow, and negativity. Because for the most part
we—and not our circumstances—determine the way we feel.

Attitude Shaping and Shifting: Learn To Move Your Mind

Learn to move your mind from unproductive mindsets and attitudes to constructive ones. If you drove into a neighborhood with run down houses and un-kept yards, you could drive to another one. In fact you could drive to the nicest neighborhood in town. You could get out and take a long walk. I’ve actually done this.

You need to learn to move in your mind. Think about the nicest place you’ve ever been. My wife and I just got back from exploring some of the most beautiful beaches in the world. I can choose to return there in my imagination every day if I want to.

To leave a negative place and enter a positive one it’s sometimes helpful to find a neutral one to make the transition. You can do this simply by paying attention to your breath. Inhale slowly and pay attention to your chest rising. Exhale and notice it go down. Repeat this for 10 breath cycles. Then take charge with one of the strategies suggested in the posts listed over the next few days.

Attitude Shaping and Shifting: Atmosphere-Creating The Environment

One of the most powerful ways of shaping and maintaining powerful perspectives and mindsets is to take control of your environment. We shape our environments and then our environments shape us. If your home, office, or automobile is dirty, dingy, or in a state of chaos you will find it difficult in deed to shape and maintain powerful attitudes. I know from experience, when I am surrounded by clutter, my frustration level multiplies. I tend to save stuff so I have to guard against this constantly.

Consider the following elements of the environment in which you work and live. What impact are they having? Sometimes even small changes can have big attitudinal payoffs. You may not be able to make everything perfect but over time develop a consistent commitment to the ideal. Keep improving everything and eventually you will have something you love that elevates your thought life and boosts your spirits.

Consider…

Positive Energy
Arrangement
Order
Cleanliness
Light
Color
View
Privacy
Nature
Fresh Air
Scent
Favorite Objects
Seat Comfort
Beauty
Art
Pictures and Portraits

Also consider change. When predictability goes up… impact goes down.

If you share space with a spouse, children, or co-workers you may have to negotiate and compromise. You will want to find out what kind of environment inspires them and begin taking measures to create that as well. But begin taking charge of your environment in small ways each day and notice the difference.

Make sure you include your customer in your thoughts. What elements will allow you to better serve them? What will likely lift their spirits? If you take care of creating an uplifting environment for them, they will in turn take care of you.

Attitude Shaping and Shifting: How To Install Powerful Perspectives

Here you have 29 perspectives or attitudes that will lead you toward a life and career of service and success. I hope your next question is “How do I assimilate these mind sets and make them habitual parts of my life?” There is a lot of material available on which attitudes are helpful. There is much less information on how to install them. You can have the best computer program in the world, but if you leave it in the box uninstalled it won’t do a thing for you. Similarly, you can own a lot of books on thinking that will help you succeed, but if you don’t figure out a way to make these viewpoints a part of you, no advantage is gained.
Over the next few weeks my posts will cover multiple installation strategies designed to make your attitude choices consistent parts of your life. Like the mindsets they are designed to install, each will require intention, practice, and discipline. Most are fairly simple, but they will require effort. They are also synergistic. Get seven or eight working together and you will increase the power of each exponentially.
My experience is that you will also have to deal with bugs and viruses in the Perspective Programs you install. You should also be alert for the latest updates to keep everything running at maximum efficiency. You can’t just install them and forget about them.

Perspectives That Serve # 29 - Win/Win

The Win-Win perspective is really part of the Whole Systems model. In my exercise regimen that I described on the last page. I focused on my body fat % and cardiovascular health while ignoring specific parts of my muscle-skeleton system. The ignored parts kicked back hard. Today I focus on an exercise plan where all my body parts can get there needs met.

All the stakeholders must be considered in any endeavor to create a healthy fully functional system. There are four positions you can take in relationship to all stakeholders. Win/Win must always be the goal. Lose/Lose must always be avoided. The other two, Win/Lose where you win and another stakeholder loses, and Lose/Win where you lose and the other stakeholder wins must be avoided at all cost. The reason: Because lose/win and win/lose always degenerate to lose/lose. Always. Always. Always. Was I clear enough? Always.

If you want to create sustained wins in anything, win/win is the only game that will get you there. Cultivate this perspective. Develop it. Whenever you make a decision on anything as simple as how fast to drive your car, consider the impact on yourself and the other stakeholders.

Perspectives That Serve # 28 - Whole Systems Thinking

The “Whole Systems” Perspective is the practice of stepping away from the single focus of the tree and looking at the entire forest. It is the discipline or framework for seeing wholes, patterns, and interrelationships. We usually focus on isolated parts of the system rather than looking at how the system connects and interacts. Domino Toppling is one metaphor to explain it. If it is staged properly, the push of a single domino can set off a chain reaction of other dominoes going down in multiple lines and directions. All businesses, economies, eco-systems, everything operates like this.

Many times the solution is miles away from where the problem presents itself. Case in point: Medically, if you want to protect your heart from heart disease, floss your teeth daily. Who would have thought that gingivitis resulting from poor dental hygiene would have anything to do with heart disease, but it does.

The systems thinking mental model recognizes that solving one problem often creates other problems. For example, years ago I committed myself to a lifetime of vigorous exercise that would help me solve the problem of weight gain and poor health. In the first few years this worked great...until I began to experience over use injuries. First it was rotator cuff problems in racquetball. I took up running and triathlon's which led to sciatica and lower back problems. This all has forced me to step back and consider a more holistic approach that involves a more measured exercise regimen using elliptical trainers, treadmills set at a mild incline to reduce pounding, and targeted strength training to develop the muscles around my shoulder and back.
In selling, the whole systems model helped me to step back and look at how what I did affected the other departments in the company. Just focusing on the isolated parts that I’ve been assigned responsibility for didn’t work very good. I learned to look at the whole company and the needs of each department. If you want to read a good primer on this, I recommend, The Fifth Discipline by Peter Senge. It is in my top ten of life changing books. It is deep reading, but I believe it can change your life too.

Perspectives That Serve # 27 - Self Starting

The perspective of the self-starter is, “I’m going to make something happen”. The self-starting perspective doesn’t look to others for motivation. They look within. This is fundamental to entrepreneurial endeavors and any kind of outside selling where you don’t have to report into a manager regularly.

This perspective was formed in me from day one. My dad and both grandfathers were self employed most of their adult lives. When my dad was 19 he owned a gas station. At 23, he build his first house and was off in the building game for 30 years. Then he purchased a temporary personnel franchise. My mom’s father bought 4 ranches and farmed them until the day he died. My dad’s father was a produce broker and then sold real estate toward the end of his life. I grew up in this wonderful atmosphere where everybody loved what they did and went to work in an environment of their choosing. My uncle’s owned their own businesses as well.
I started my first business when I was 18. When I went to work in sales, my managers were always hundreds of miles, sometimes thousands of miles away. No one ever had to tell me to get up. No one ever asked me to write this material. No one said, “get up early and write”. No one asked me to be writing this at 7:16 am on Saturday morning*. It comes from within.
If this doesn’t come natural, you need to start cultivating a shift in perspective immediately. Everyone can be a self-starter and work from that mental model daily. You can see yourself as self-employed no matter who signs your paycheck.

The self starting perspective must drive your Servant Selling Orientation as well. This must come from within. The Servant Heart that is required doesn't come from some manager following you around and holding you accountable. It must over flow from who you are at some deep level.

*I wrote this post on a Saturday even though it is being posted on a Friday. Most are written in advance and tweaked at the last minute.

Perspectives That Serve # 26 - Unlimited

Have you knowingly or unknowingly placed limitations on yourself? Some people have very low limits on what’s possible. Some sales people quit after they make their sale for the day or the week or what ever the quota is. Do whatever you have to do to remove those limitations and restrictions.

Sometimes “our limit” is imposed by others and sometimes it is self-imposed. Ultimately though, limits are all self-imposed because even when others place them on us, they only have impact to the extent that we buy in. In fishing, the limit is placed there to leave fish for others and maybe protect the eco system. When other people limit you, they may just be trying to protect you from disappointment. They may have a very positive intention. In other cases it may be driven by envy or jealousy. In other words they may be trying to protect themselves.
Identify the places in your life where you or others have placed limitations on you. Begin to push out and expand those limitations today!

Perspectives That Serve # 25 - Trust

To be successful in selling or anything else for that matter you have to trust other people. You even have to trust yourself. And I believe you have to trust God. In the case of trusting other people you have to do it in spite of the fact that some of them will let you down. Like Lucy’s running gag with Charlie Brown where she repeatedly pulls the football away, some will even intentionally mislead you.

Another way to say this, is that you have to be vulnerable. Vulnerability suggests that you risk being hurt, even that you will be hurt. But the reward of vulnerability is that you develop wonderful relationships in business and in life. Vulnerability is worth the risk.

I don’t think this means you have to trust everyone carte blanc. I think it makes sense to use judgment and discernment. When trust is violated, it must be earned again. Sometimes it means as Ronald Reagan said in negotiating with the former Soviet Union, “Trust But Verify”.

Former Dallas Cowboy quarterback Roger Stauback, has built a very substantial commercial real estate firm. They have a very unique guarantee in their industry. If a client is not 100% satisfied with their service, they will negotiate the commission down as low as zero. That takes a lot of trust. But when you trust other people like that you build trust. I have worked for Olan Mills, a national portrait company for about 15 years. One of the things I'm proudest of is our unconditional guarantee. We will retake, retouch, or refund an Olan Mills Portrait with no limitations on time. We do this in an industry that has a standard 30 day return policy. Over the long haul, trust is reciprocal.

Perspectives That Serve # 24 - Toughness

Robert Schuller says, “Tough Times Never Last… But Tough People Do.” Toughness is critical in many jobs. Some jobs require physical toughness. In outside selling you must cultivate mental and emotional toughness. The reason is that you will probably hear the words “no” or “not now” a lot more than you hear the word “yes”. Some of the “no’s” may even be particularly unfriendly. Others may be out and out rude. This can wear on you.

Mental and emotional toughness develop the same way physical toughness does… through repeated exposure to challenge. Calluses develop on your hands over time when you use a pick and shovel. I know this because I grew up working in a family construction business. Mental and emotional calluses grow similarly. Over time with repeated exposure to “no”, “not now”, and even “get out” you get tough.

From a Servant Selling perspective, the toughness you develop must be a humble toughness. You must cultivate the ability to absorb emotional hits without reacting to negative comments in kind, but rather to always with kindness. Part of your service is going out and talking with people about something that may be of great value to them even when they don’t always recognize that value. Some days this requires sacrificing your ego.

Perspectives That Serve # 23 - Self Confidence, Self Esteem, Self Image

Self Confidence is a kind of optimism turned inward. Like optimism, to be valuable it has to have some basis in reality. I don’t think it should be pervasive or necessarily generalize to every area of your life. Healthy self confidence should be rooted in your talent, your experience, your training, your skills. It is not egotism if you properly understand all of your talent and even the opportunity for training and experience are gifts of God.

Self Esteem is about how much you like yourself. Like self confidence, the people that appear to have it the most may actually have it the least. I was not born with a tremendous amount of self confidence or self esteem. Over time I have had to develop them. Learning that God not only loves me, He actually likes me is a first step. As Robert Schuller says, “I’m not what I think I am, I’m not what you think I am. I am what I think you think I am.” Read that over until you get it. It took me a while.

Self Image is about how you see yourself. When you imagine yourself performing a task, what do you see. It’s not just about the outcome, it’s about the process. I have a positive self image as a public speaker. Much of that goes back to a speech I made in 6th grade. I can still see it in my minds eye. Having a positive self image as a speaker increases my self confidence as a speaker. Self Confidence, Self Esteem, and Self Image are slightly different things but they all tie together and influence each other.

In selling, self confidence will help you make the big sales call, the tough sales call, and transfer to your customer. In other words, if you are confident in yourself, your potential customers will be more likely to have confidence in you and award you the business. Self esteem will help you feel worthy of career success and avoid self-sabotage.

Self Image will allow you to imagine successful calls and presentations in great detail, increasing the likelihood of positive outcomes. From a Servant Selling perspective it is critical that you develop the self image of a servant. You must see yourself as a representative that gives consistently high levels of customer service adding value to your clients. Again, see it in great detail with very specific behaviors. And check with your customers regularly to make sure your self image isn’t a hallucination. Some sales people are service legends, but only in their own mind.

Perspectives That Serve # 22 - Scoreboarding

A mind set for scoreboarding can help you. John Maxwell says, “What gets measured, gets done”. This is true for the individual and the organization. If you are serious about doing something or accomplishing something or fixing something, figure out a way to measure it and post the measurement. If it’s your weight you want to change, weigh yourself daily and keep a written chart.

You can put a number on anything. Use, let’s say –10 to +10 for any experience. Maybe you want to enjoy exercise or cold calling or expense reports more. Put a number from –10 to +10 on your usual experience with –10 being the worst experience you can imagine and +10 being the best experience you can imagine. Let’s say with exercise you are on average a +3. Sit down and make a list of what it would take to get you to a +5. When you get to a +5 sit down and think about what it would take to get you to a +7. I’m not saying you can get to +10 on every activity but you can move the number.

What do you need? Can you combine the activity with something? Maybe you need to add music. Maybe you need to add another person. What will make this experience better by 2 numbers? Keep working on it.

Sports is almost defined by numbers and statistics. Basketball, baseball, or football without a scoreboard would be almost pointless. I keep meticulous score when I golf that goes way beyond strokes per hole and total strokes. I keep a running tally of the number of fairways I hit, the puts per hole, and sand saves. When I was a kid collecting baseball cards I was obsessed with memorizing statistics on my favorite players. I had a baseball encyclopedia that had stats for every season for every player since they started keeping records. As a baseball player, even as an adult, I went home after every game and figured my stats for the game and my batting average for the season to date.

In selling, my sales improved when I started keeping meticulous records. The sales people I know who do very well in my industry all keep track of numbers. Numbers also allow for competition which almost always increases performance. The following is one of my favorite stories…

The great industrialist Charles Schwab was quite disappointed when the workers in his steel mill were not meeting their production quota. He asked the foreman what was wrong. "I don't know," he replied, "I've pushed then and threatened to fire them, but nothing works. They seen to have no incentive to produce."
Later, just before the night shift came on, Schwab went back to the plant and asked the supervisor how many heats his crew had processed that day. He was informed it was only six. Schwab took a piece of chalk and wrote a large figure "6" on the floor and walked away. When the other workers came in, they asked what it meant. "The big boss was here today," the manager said. "He asked how many heats were made and then chalked the number on the floor." The next morning the night shift rubbed out the "6" and replaced it with a big "7." When the day workers returned and saw the higher figure, one man exclaimed, "We can do better than that!" His fellow employees caught his enthusiasm, and when they quit that night, they chalked on the floor an enormous "10." It was a 66 percent increase in just 24 hours and all because of Schwab's creation of a make shift scoreboard!

Perspectives That Serve # 21 - Serving

From the blog name you can tell this is the signature perspective on this site. It is the view point that runs through everything else I talk about. It ties or binds all the other principles together. I also believe that if you internalize this perspective or attitude well, it will naturally lead you into all the others.

Zig Ziglar said it well, “You can get everything in life you want, if you help enough other people get what they want”. Reciprocity is built into the fabric of life. When we go out and try to take what we want without thinking of others, we always end up hurting ourselves. Some of us don’t believe this and end up paying the consequences of a terribly miserable life. Most of us sort of understand it, and pay lip service to the idea or live with this attitude part of the time. Then we go on to live very mediocre lives. A few of us get it, build our entire life and career around it, and go on to greatness.

Jesus taught that a heart for service was the path to greatness. A desire to genuinely help people is what will catapult your to the top of your profession whether that be sales or whatever. It will also weave maximum joy and fun into your life and work.

This doesn’t mean that we don’t take time off and restore. The need for appropriate self care and a day of restoration is also built into the fabric of life. To embrace serving others and ignore restoration and self care is a quick path to burn out. In my experience as a manager, women struggle with this more than men. They often work a full-time job during the day and then try to be a full-time stay at home mom at nights and on week ends. This just ends up sucking the life right out of them.

So the service perspective always must include time for genuine self-care and self-love. The other centered life focuses beyond yourself but it includes yourself. The Bible tells us to love our neighbor as ourself. Self love and serving others are complimentary concepts not conflicting concepts. On any given day, there may appear to be a conflict, but the perfect resolution always exists if we look for it. This doesn't mean that everyone will always be pleased with us. Often a life of service involes telling someone no or not now. Jesus himself didn't heal everyone, and in at least in one case he put it off until way it appeared to late. A man died and a family was disappointed. But Jesus timing was always perfect.

Perspectives That Serve # 20 - Responsiblity

“Well... they are multi-purpose pliers.” When the defense contractor spokesman for Pratt and Whitney was questioned about charging the Pentagon $999.00 for a pair of ordinary pliers, this was his response.

“Everybody kept their shoes there. The maids...everybody.” Imelda Marcos on why there were more than 3,000 pairs of shoes in her closets a Malacanang Palace.

I struggle with taking responsibility just like you do. I’m generally convinced the problem lays with every one else just like you are. We are probably both right. We are not the ones responsible. The problem is that that attitude or mind set leaves us in a negative emotional state feeling victimized and dis-empowered.

Brian Tracey says the short cut to positive emotions is to take responsibility. He recommends the regularly repeating the affirmation, “I am responsible”, “I am responsible” regularly throughout the day. Try it.

Another one of my favorite authors is John G. Miller. I recommend his short classic on the subject, QBQ! The Question Behind The Question. John eloquently describes how certain questions take us down the wrong path.

“When is management going to _______?”
“Why are we always so _________?”
“When are the customers going to _______?”
“Who is supposed to be _________?”
“Why do I always have to _________?”

He suggests replacing them with empowering questions like:

“What can I do to improve ________?”
“How can I do _______ better today?”
“How can I support _______?”
“How can I adapt to ________?”
“What can I do to increase _______?”

Early in my sales career, a manager from one of the other departments called me to let me know about a problem on one our projects. I immediately realized I had blown it and told him so. There was this long pause on the other end of the line. Finally he replied, "I don't think I've ever heard a marketing rep take responsibility for a problem before". Apparently he was all ready for a battle and to make his case. Quite unintentionally I took the wind out of his sales. From that day forward I always maintained a great relationship with that manager.

The perspective or additude of personal responsibility is critical if you want to be a servant salesperson. The buck must stop with you. This doesn't mean that you are to blame for everything that goes wrong. It does mean you see yourself as responsible in making sure your customers are delighted at the end of the day. If something does go wrong... and it will... it is your job to coordinate making it right. It is also your job to gain influence over time with in your company. It is your responsibility to work with peers, supervisors, and subordinates to insure systems and processes are constantly being improved.

Perspectives That Serve # 19 - Realism

Realism is the third leg of the triangle that goes with optimism and pessimism. Pessimism asks a very valuable question, “What could go wrong?”. Optimism asks a very valuable question, “How can I contribute toward a preferred future?” Realism asks the question, “What exactly is happening in this situation?” Getting good reality is critical to making good decisions in life and business.

Optimists, all too often, see a preferred future and hallucinate that it is happening. Reality is not what you wish to happen. Pessimists do just the opposite. All too often they see what could go wrong and hallucinate that it is happening. Reality is not what you fear is happening. Optimism and Pessimism are both valuable perspectives as I have already said in previous posts. But realism is critical. If you’re not seeing reality, your actions and responses will always be inappropriate in the marketplace.

Servant Selling begins with getting reality. Your ability to see clearly what is going on with your client/customer defines your ability to add value. And adding value is the bottom line in Servant Selling.

Perspectives That Serve # 18 - Pessimism

Okay...my Dad is gnashing his teeth and Norman Vincent Peale is turning over in his grave. But the truth is pessimism asks a very valuable question, “What could go wrong”. It has great value if it isn’t allowed to lead the ship. In Learned Optimism, cognitive therapy leader Martin Seligman says that pessimism is essential to some jobs and some tasks. Estimating for example, like in construction requires that a person think through all the things that can go wrong and build contingencies into the cost. My Dad who is a natural crack optimist, and who has worked as a top notch builder most of his life, struggles with turning off the optimism at estimating time. Even his contingencies are optimistic. He naturally sees everything going well. My mom has been a good balance for him on this. If only she had become the estimator, I would be laying on a beach somewhere in the Carribean right now.

Many marriages are shared by “gas pedal people” and “brake people”. I guess this is okay, but somehow I think it would work out better if everyone learned to use the gas pedal and the brake on their own. One person’s refusal to use the brake causes the other to over use it.

If you have an estimating part to your selling, like our company does, learn to flip the switch over to pessimism when performing that part of the sale. Of course you can overdo anything. And an essential optimism is critical to selling. Other wise you would never walk out the door and make the first call. When I sell, I ask "How would dad think?" When I estimate, I ask "How would mom think?"

Perspectives That Serve # 17 - Passion For Your Work

While writing this I am going through an extended rough patch at work. I think a lot about putting my resume together and finding something else. Almost daily I hallucinate how much better things could be if I was in charge along with a group of friends affectionately known as “the anarchists”. Something as simple as getting a good product sample is like pulling teeth. The problem has been raised for several years now.

The challenges are intense and most days I am bone tired at the end. But still I am passionate about what I do. I like most of the processes and tasks. I like the people I work with. I like that I get to travel. I like that I don’t have to go to the same place everyday. I like the variety. I like the product I represent and I like what it does for people and organizations. We are clearly the best in our industry.

On my worst days I wish I could push a button and get off. But for the most part I like what I do and truly feel sorry for all the others that have to work at the kind of jobs they do. One way or the other most of us get paid to solve some kind of problem. Sometimes those problems are brutal. Ultimately you have to ask yourself if over all you are well suited to the process. If you are, crank up the passion. Turn on the gas. Set yourself on fire. If not, tune up your resume. Don’t hang around being miserable and making everyone else miserable.

Perspectives That Serve # 16 - Owning Your Territory

When I hire sales people I look for people who I think will want to own their territory. I want people who want to exert domination over a competitor by offering superior products with superior attitude, attire, and service. I look for Sumo wrestlers who are driven to push there opponent off the mat. In other martial arts there is talk about owning the mat. That is taking control of your space.

This attitude leads to going out and talking to a lot of prospective customers and leaving information packets with a quick follow up strategy whenever no one is in the office. This attitude leads to making clear, concise, competitive sales presentations that clearly distinguish what sets you apart from the competition.

What owning your territory does not mean is just as important. It doesn’t mean slandering your competition. It doesn’t mean bad mouthing the other rep. A competitive spirit is a wonderful thing for a sales representative. But the urge to go negative must be channeled back into positive energy, hard work, and honestly communicating what is unique about you and your company. This serves the customer, the company, and the sales representative in the best possible way.

Perspectives That Serve #15 - Optimism...Continued

When I sell I tend to be an intentionally selective optimist. For example, I never thought it served me to walk into every door believing that I would walk out with a contract that day. Every fiber of my experience told me otherwise and I never saw the benefit of trying to conjure up a belief like this.

My optimism tends to run along the following lines:

I believe that if I make enough sales calls that I will eventually run into to someone who wants to buy.

I believe that when I prepare well, I will present well and 95% of the time win the business. I was usually shocked when I lost on a presentation.

I believe that God has gifted me with the creativity to do business with just about everyone in my territory... over time.

I believe that most of the time I can take a negative customer experience and turn it into a positive customer experience.

I believe that over time I can work with my peers in such a way that they will create positive customer experiences.

Perspectives That Serve # 15 - Optimism

Optimism is the mother of all positive perspectives, mindsets, view points, or attitudes in the world of selling. More is written about optimism than all the other perspectives combined. I think that is unfortunate which is why I list it as number 15 instead of number 1. But make no mistake, optimism is a critical perspective if you want to be successful. It's just not the only one.

Optimism asks the question, “What can I contribute toward a preferred future”. Optimists sell more than pessimists for one simple reason. You work harder to make the sale you think you have a good chance of making and hard work pays off. You prepare more and better for the sale you think you have a good chance at making. If you are convinced that you don’t stand a chance you won’t do what’s necessary to be successful. If you are optimistic that sales calls will eventually turn into contracts, you will make more sales calls.

Beyond that, in general people prefer to be around optimists. If you give people hope, if you give them a lift they will prefer working with you. In short it makes you more likeable. And people prefer to work with people they like. This isn’t mysticism over mind over matter.

What is optimism? There are several definitions I like. Zig Ziglar says optimism is going after Moby Dick in a row boat and taking the tarter sauce with you. It is the 65 year old man asking out the 25 year old women, buying a house in a neighborhood with a new elementary school. It is the man thrown out of the 10th story window who can be heard going by the 5th floor yelling, “So Far So Good”.

Cute ideas about optimism but my favorite definition is simpler and much more serious. Simply stated, optimism is the belief that you can make a difference, contributing toward a preferred future. It is the opposite of fatalism which is the belief that you can’t make a difference, that everything is already set in stone. In selling, it is the simple belief that you can influence your destiny by how many calls you make, who you call on, and how well you make those calls. Notice I didn’t say control your destiny, I said influence. I do believe there are other factors besides your behavior. But optimism leans toward the belief that your behavior is the most important factor.

For now I am leaving out the Spiritual Factors. Optimism has a very close cousin called Faith which the Bible describes as the confidence of things hoped for, the evidence of things unseen. I absolutely believe in a God who does intervene regularly in the affairs of men and women, even sales people, but that is a related and different subject.

Perspectives That Serve # 14 - Learning

Learning is the naturally positive mindset of the scientist but we all can cultivate this for our benefit. It starts with curiosity and asking questions. Questions like “Why does this happen?” and ‘What’s really going on here?” You can even take negative emotional states like anger, depression, or anxiety; tear it apart, re-assemble it and learn how to avoid those negative states more often.

Let’s take depression for example: A great question to ask yourself is, “How do I do depression?” For me it might look something like this:

1. An event happens
2. I interpret the event as something that will likely lead to pain
3. I entertain other potentially painful consequences
4. I mentally rehearse or dwell on the interpretation
5. I discount the potential positive possibilities
6. I share all of the above with other people and reinforce it with my words
7. I look for those who will agree and argue with or avoid those who disagree
8. I adopt a physiology consistent with negative emotions
a. rate of speech
b, tone
c. posture
d. walking pace
e. expression
f. activity level
9. I tell myself it is only natural to feel this way
10. I look for others who will tell me it is natural.

What I have learned here is the way I do depression. I have also learned that I can interrupt this pattern at a couple of points and depression won’t set in. Now flip it over. How do I do Joy and Happiness? How can I reinforce the patterns involved?

Selling, and any profession for that matter is a virtual laboratory of learning opportunities. I encourage you to learn from other peoples experiences in the form of books and tapes. Learn from successful colleagues and peers. Learn from the best in your industry. Learn from the failures in your industry. But most of all learn from each sales call. Every sales call, every appointment, every presentation, every sale won, every sale lost is a class room in miniature. John Maxwell says, “Experience is not the best teacher. Evaluated experience is the best teacher.” He is absolutely right. For many people, experience is not a teacher at all. It’s the evaluation that makes the difference. You need to develop a systematic method of learning from your experiences. Maybe this means writing in a journal every night. Maybe you could start your own blog, write a book, or teach a class. At the very least, sit down with yourself on a regular basis and evaluate your experiences. Look for the learning everyday.

Perspectives That Serve # 13 - Innnovation

Creativity and innovation are for me what I call entry point or square one mind sets. That is, creativity is an easy perspective for me to access and it allows me to slide into the other powerful perspectives without a lot of effort. I talk more about this in a later post a few weeks down the road. You may have a completely different entry point perspective.

Creativity is the design or thinking part and Innovation also includes execution or implementation even in tests, trials, or pilots. I don’t know if the dictionary would exactly make that distinction, but I think of it that way. This is a core mind set or attitude. I’m convinced that everyone is incredibly creative in some niche or subject but many just don’t have the confidence necessary to activate it. God is the ultimate Creator and we are made in His Image. Therefore creativity is standard equipment.

One of the simplest ways I know of getting into a creative mindset is to write a challenge or outcome at the top of a sheet of paper and as fast as you can write down ten possible ways to meet the challenge or reach the outcome. The most important part of this strategy is that you have to temporarily remove the critique. You have to write as fast as you can disciplining yourself not to think about what idea is best or how difficult or impossible it might be to implement an idea. The phrase that kills… “I/We have to be realistic here.” No you don’t. You may eventually choose to be realistic but not in the early part of the exercise.

Try doing this once a day on any topic. This will build your creative muscle and almost always put you in a positive emotional state. From a Servant Selling standpoint, start out with a question like, "How Can I Personally Better Serve My Customers?" Then list 10 ways...

1. Return phone calls quicker
2. Increase the clarity of my presentations
3. Implement a customer survey

After you make your list of 10 items, you can then drill down. Take one like, "Return Phone Calls Quicker". Now try to list 10 things that would increase your response time.

This is the creative phase. Make sure you move quickly into the implementation phase where you try stuff and evaluate it. Do this with every part of your job and you will rapidly

Perspectives That Serve # 12 - Humor

I possess a dusty dry sense of humor that some people get and some don’t. I have the quintessential poker face that doesn’t express too much or tell you a lot about how I’m feeling. Some people say I am too serious, but that usually stops after they get to know me. I laugh pretty much daily at myself and the seemingly bizarre circumstances I find myself in. Comedies are my favorite shows and movies. I enjoy stand up comedy. I love observational comedy like Seinfeld and for me Johnny Carson will always be the late night king… but Letterman and Leno are good too. I choose friends more because they make me laugh or because we can laugh together at the same things. I choose churches because I think humor and laughter are Godly qualities. The Bible says a merry heart is like medicine. Animals especially make me laugh. Cats and dogs with their personalities crack me up. Zoo animals too, but I don’t get to the zoo as much as I should. You might guess that comic strips make me laugh. I am a newspaper fanatic who sometimes reads 3 or more a day, and I often turn to the comic section first. Children make me laugh especially when they do things that adults find particularly appalling. And I guess the adults being appalled is at least half of the laugh.

I’m learning to laugh at myself more. Not that there hasn’t always been plenty of material. I think I’m just now getting comfortable in my own skin and realizing it’s okay to laugh at my many imperfections, inconsistencies, contradictions and the like. I don’t tell jokes too well if they are more than 3 or 4 lines long. I get the story part messed up. In fact, usually by the time I’m done with a long story, the only thing that’s funny about it is how badly I screwed it up. One liners I’m good with. Recognizing my limitation is helpful.

I try to stay away from negative humor that has the potential to injure. After having said that I do have a pretty sharp needle and like to think I can dish it out and take it pretty well.

As you read this, you maybe thinking about your own humor style. We all need to laugh more. Humor is a critical mind set that we all need to cultivate daily.

Sales is a profession replete with opportunities to laugh everyday. The customers, the circumstances, and the company you work and I work for provide almost endless opportunities if we are open. I grant you, some of the humor may border on tragedy as well, but it’s funny if you choose to see it that way. Sometimes, it’s so bad, laughing is the only good option. My friend, Earl Estep may be the best I know at finding the humor in sales situations. I usually talk with him several times a week and he always has a funny spin on something.

Consider putting together a humor journal. Write down the happenings of your day. What could be funny if you chose to look at it that way? Even simple things like tripping, dropping papers in a puddle, and rejection on a cold call can be an opportunity to laugh. Human beings are proof positive God has a sense of humor.

If you are struggling to find humor this morning, YouTube has an almost unlimited supply of funny material. Here is something to get you started...

Perspectives That Serve # 11 - Gratitude

My grandmother (pictured above) who just turned 101 this year is my model for gratitude. I’m not sure she always had it naturally. Be she has it big time now. Somewhere along the line she cultivated it. It’s evwen a bit abnormal at this stage of life, maybe even supernatural. She has aches and pains. Her body doesn’t work all that well anymore. She is still sharp mentally for 100, but nevertheless declining as you might imagine. Still she maintains a discernable attitude of gratitude. She is grateful for the littlest things imaginable. A piece of candy, a visit, the smallest gift. She still enjoys, savors, and chooses to be grateful.

I have to admit I’m still cultivating this one. I have to work at it. When I do, the pay off is big emotionally. There is nothing worse than a whiney, crabby life. Whining always locks in negative emotions. You guarantee feeling bad. So why do we do it? Why do we whine and complain if gratitude gives us the positive payback of good feelings? I think the answer might lie in the word “delay”. I think there is a quick immediate relief that comes when we whine and complain. We also sometimes get a quick response of pity. Friends and family will play the violin over our sorrows for a time. In the short run this feels good… maybe addictive good. But like a drug that works and gives a short term payoff you start needing more to feel good and then you are hooked, wandering around looking for any pity pusher we can find.

The emotional payback of gratitude pays off slowly. Like any good nutrient for our body, it gets in our system and builds up over time. With repeated use, gratitude builds into a positive emotional fire that glows and spreads as we keep it stoked and replenished with fuel.

Think about your job in sales. What do you like about it? Do they pay you? Mark that down. Do you have any health insurance benefits? Mark that down. How about a retirement program? Mark that down. Do you have opportunity to earn more as your effectiveness grows? Mark that down. Do you have customers that appreciate the value you bring? Mark that down. Do you have freedom to make your schedule? Mark that down. What else could you be grateful for if you chose to? Even if you’re considering a change or looking for an even better opportunity, you can still be grateful that you have a financial foundation from which to look. Continue this line of thinking into the other areas of your life. What’s good about your faith, family, and friendships? Do you have generally good health? Consider the country you were born into. Few places on the planet offer more opportunity. Most of us have so much more to be grateful for than we imagine. But we have to cultivate the perspective.

And one more thing… Something magical seems to happen when you cultivate gratitude. You end up attracting even more things to be grateful for. It’s a virtuous cycle that spirals up. The more you are grateful, the more you have to be grateful for. Positive things begin coming into your life. The rate can even be exponential. Write me and let me know how this happens for you!

Perspectives That Serve # 10 - Future Orientation

A future focus or orientation is critical. You are going to spend your whole life there. My Dad has this in spades. He has always had a bent this way, but it is even more impressive at age 74 (when I’m writing this) during a phase of life where the tendency is to slough off and reminisce about the past. For Dad, life is still all about the future.

One of my favorite Bible verses is Philippians 3: 13-14. It starts out like this,
“ Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race…” Of course we can all learn and grow from each of our past life experiences. Productive reflection is critical if we want to optimize our future. They key is to squeeze all the learning out of an experience and then move on to the future.

Many people live a “whatever” life. There is no direction, destination, or preferred future that they care about. This certainly isn’t they way life is meant to be lived. To live fully we must have a series of “I can hardly wait” activities, events, goals, and plans lined up in front of us. These “I can hardly wait” things can be simple daily routines that get us out of bed in the morning as well as once in a lifetime peak experiences. In fact, I believe we all need a good healthy mix of both.

I have an extensive life list of big and small adventures that I am incorporating in my life...my own "Bucket List". I have bungee jumped, gone around a NASCAR Track at 165 MPH, gone hang gliding, bicycled to Death Valley, completed triathlons, biathlons, 1/2 marathons, and more. This coming weekend (as I write this) I am flying to Denver to go indoor sky diving with some friends. But I also look forward to reading the daily news paper, exercise, a trip to Starbucks, my breakfast fruit medley, my protein shake, writing, training, coaching, volunteering at church, a movie, a massage, an occasional TV show, and walking my dog. I most look forward to any activity with Susy... walks, meals, a movie, watching an episode of American Idol, working on a church project, just hanging out, a drive to the beach, dancing, sharing ideas about books we're reading... it's all wonderful.

I intentionally intersperse my days, weeks, months, and years with a whole potpourri of “I can hardly wait” activities. Your peak experiences, life list, and perfect day may look totally different than mine. But you can begin to shape and mold a life you can’t wait for.

This applies to your sales career at least three ways. First, there should be aspects and activities in your work that are intrinsically rewarding. There should be big chunks of work that you look forward to just because it is enjoyable. Second, there should be career goals and milestones you are reaching for. You should have something meaningful to accomplish. Hopefully this accomplishment ties into some mission that makes the world a little bit better. And thirdly, the income should provide opportunities to reach a preferred future in others areas of life as well. A good income can help you reach other faith, family, finance, and fitness futures that are important to you.