Welcome to this edition of Monday Magic. Our theme this week is about doing something differently. We’ve all heard those stock quotations about being different:
- Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results
- If you want something different, you have to do something different
- We are creatures of habit
We all also know that it is easier said than done. Thinking and acting differently require a conscious effort to break out of the rote. Today’s version of magic will highlight resources and thought streams to help you create differences in your work, life, and attitudes about both.
Opposite Week Tracker. David Seah is a designer who creates some of the most usable productivity tools that you will ever encounter. And most of them are free. One of his latest tools is an Opposite Week Tracker designed to help you create and use a checklist when you reach decision points. Try his tracker. It will not only remind you to think about what you are doing, but will give you the opportunity to evaluate your success in doing different things.
Find Different Friends. One way to discover and implement differences is to hang with different people. In direct sales, we can do this easier than in other professions. For example, if you want to recruit more people, then rub elbows with the consistently successful recruiters. When we think about social media, the opportunities become nearly endless. Who are your online friends? Who do you follow? Susan Payton, of the Sparkplugging Blog group, discovered that she needed some different online friends. You can read about her process when she asked the question, “Are you hanging with the wrong people?”
Plan for Renewal. The blogosphere was overwhelmed with year end and new year resolution posts. This is one I found just before the holidays that I want to mention now that we are past the holidays. Thinking and working on alternative actions requires mindfulness. It doesn’t just happen randomly. Karen Wallace recommends some simple, quiet, and soft ways to create that space in The Calm Space.
Pick Wisely. One of the bloggers I consistently read is Leo Babauta, who has created a new blog, 6 Changes, to explore a method of creating change by working on six in a year. You can read about his reasons by clicking here.
On behalf of the authors of the DSWA Coaching Center, we urge you to subscribe to the blogs that you find worthwhile. If you are a blog neophyte, the process isn’t painful. Most blogs, like this one, offer you an opportunity to subscribe by email. If you are just starting, choose that option and when something new is posted, it will show up in your inbox. If the article isn’t working for you, hit delete and wait for the next one. Not every post will touch your head, heart or hands, but none ever will without your initial click.
We’d love to hear your reactions to these brief articles. Pick one, read it, and offer a comment. What have you been reading lately? Share it in a comment or even a guest post. Get Free Updates to the DSWA Coaching Center by Email here or via an RSS reader in the top right sidebar. We would love to have you on board.
About the Author: Neil Phillips is Director of the DSWA Coach Excellence program and founding partner of Team Connections. Get more from Neil on his Direct Selling Notebook and Twitter.
