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Balancing Act: The Newsletter (No. 221, January 2018) BALANCING ACT: BLENDING LIFE, WORK, AND RELATIONSHIPS® Balancing Act® is our registered trademark. You are encouraged to share the contents with others with appropriate attribution. Please use the ® whenever the phrase "Balancing Act" is used in connection with this newsletter or our workshops. Balancing act is in four sections this month: 1. Techniques for Balance 2. Musings 3. The Human Condition: Resolutions 4. ORTIYKMWOYBNT-O Department FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER! YOU CAN FIND ME HERE: AND FIND ME ON FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/RockStarOfConsulting Free consulting newsletter: The Million Dollar Consulting® Mindset: Listen to my new, free Podcast Series on iTunes or on ContrarianConsulting.com: The Uncomfortable Truth 
There's something comfortable about "leaving a year behind," sort of chucking all that baggage and interference that got in our way, right? It's a new year, we're out of the tunnel and into new territory. Except the baggage is actually still with us and the territory hasn't changed. We're simply a year older, not necessarily wiser. For many, it's like "surviving" not thriving. "We got through the last one, so there's a good chance we can get through the next one!" I'd like to share some experience that might help make the new year truly exceptional for you in your life, relationships, business, and worldview. There are two aspects: control and leverage. Take control of those things you can, which is usually much more than you suspect. You can't control the weather or the tax laws, but you can create alternate plans for your activities and access expertise on how best to organize your income and tax liabilities. If you complain about your job and do nothing to improve it, you surrender control. If you speak out, and/or actively seek to leave it, you improve your control. I've heard too many people say they can't "control" their family relationships. That's because they don't try, and don't attempt honest communication. Use leverage to improve your life. Too many people view change as an excuse to protect themselves, hide, and create defenses. But the default position should be leverage: How do I create opportunity and improvement from this change? If a client makes a new request, a resource is no longer available, or financial conditions shift, what can you do to exploit the new reality? Many of us are reliant on people and conditions simply because of inertia, and change allows us to consider whether we should make positive improvements. You can see how control and leverage complement each other. I've learned that we all have more control than we think, but we tend to ignore it or surrender it. No one "steals" it, we don't claim it. If you really want a "new" year, then adopt a new attitude. Maximize your control of your life and leverage the changes that inevitably occur frequently. Your old "baggage" won't be able to keep up with you. 
Resolution: A firm decision to do, or not to do, something. You're going to have trouble with them, you and I both know that. So I'm going to help you by recommending 13 generic resolutions that you can probably keep, depending on your discipline and self-control. Well, maybe some of you can keep them. Actually, if one of you can keep them, send me a note next December.
Mark your calendar and let me know how you make out. 
This morning at 6:25, the dogs and I pull up to the Dunkin' Donuts window to get our order. As usual, I ask for something for the dogs. Since the owner of this franchise, in a moment of abject stupidity, decided that employees could no longer provide free dog biscuits or munchkins to the dogs because "he was going broke," the employees discovered that an abnormal amount of plain donuts had become "damaged" or "dropped" and were useless to sell. (This is the Mafia equivalent of a dining room ensemble "falling off a truck.") These "damaged" goods became dog food, though they are always fresh and even sometimes warm. They're kept alongside the window. The woman at the window handed me some donut pieces while she went to make the latté. Normally, I get a third of a donut, from which Bentley gets two-thirds and Puppy one-third. However, this morning I had half a donut, and I felt it was too much for either of them. So, staring at the remainder in my hand, and realizing I seldom ever eat a donut, I popped it in my mouth before the dogs came back to claim it. As I chewed I turned to the left and saw the woman, with my purchase, slowly shaking her head, concluding there were no dogs and it was just my way of getting a free piece of donut. I couldn't say anything with my mouth full, the dogs were absolutely silent and crouching on the rear seat. She handed me the coffee and slammed the window shut. 
NEW: THE FOURTH MILLION DOLLAR CONSULTING® CONVENTION April 18-20, 2018, Boston Featuring my special guest Chip Bell, general sessions by Suzanne Bates and Dorie Clark, 12 concurrent sessions, networking events, cocktail reception, and…me! We already have nearly 100 people on board, join us for what participants call "the best event of its kind in the world": Sign up here: The Fourth Million Dollar Consulting® Convention My collected IP in text, video, audio, workshop, and electronic availability, about $75,000 worth from the past decade and more, is available for one payment for lifetime membership. This was formerly up to $4,500 annually, and is now $2,500 for lifetime access, and we are continually adding new IP. Go here: Lifetime Growth Access
SPECIAL: Many of you have seen the work that the crew did with Marshall and my videos promoting our work on Lifestorming. That book is now in three languages and is the top selling self-help book in South Korea. Marshall's use of videos vaulted him from a couple of hundred followers on LinkedIn to over 900,000 today. Many of you are trying to promote your work, books, and social media numbers, and with good reason and intent. You can access our joint videos here (click on the upper left box to view more videos) I'm offering a unique experience to a few of you: You will appear in a dozen similar videos with me, discussing as peers your work and your client results. These will feature the same candid conversations, inserted stills, and great editing, and run for about five minutes each. This will be a conversation, not an interview. I'll make sure you absolutely shine—star quality. We'll have makeup and hair expertise on site in one of my fabulous New York suites with the film crew. The entire process should take about three or four hours. I'll send you preparation considerations. You need to have these resources/attributes/content: Client results stories to tell, the ability to answer my questions briefly and extemporaneously, the ability to ask me incisive questions about your field (e.g., retention, strategy, change management, coaching, leadership. operational excellence, etc.). You need to be willing to have fun. I'll put you at ease, but I'm not going to dominate these. It's important we talk as peers. We'll schedule at our mutual convenience in The City. The fee includes: the crew's time and labor; post-session editing; makeup and hair on site; your room in the hotel; my work with you before, during, and after; 12 video segments of five minutes (approximately); my promotion of the videos over a year on my social media platforms and blog (if you so desire). Obviously, I'll also be using these in my promotions, gaining you still more exposure. The fee is $15,000. Call me if you'd like to talk about it.
Having problems viewing this email, click here. © Alan Weiss 2018 |
Balancing Act® is our registered trademark. You are encouraged to share the contents with others with appropriate attribution. Please use the ® whenever the phrase "Balancing Act" is used in connection with this newsletter or our workshops.
See Writing on the Wall, featuring Koufax the Wonder Dog.
Two new podcasts every week. Special cigar smoking room.
No one is going to be impressed with you if you're not impressed with yourself. Alan Weiss |
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