Your Best Just Got Better

For a few moments, today, pause long enough to think of some of YOUR goals for improving and increasing your connections. I believe that you will be where you are 60 months from now… Working where you work Living where you live Loving who you love Experiencing what you experience 60 months from now you will have what you have based on the 5 or so people you connect the most with. So, starting today, think about those influential people in your life, and consider reaching out to them to reconnect. In this podcast, let me share just a couple of my thoughts about the importance of sincerely connecting with those you work, live and love with. And, when it comes to making your best even better, any of these tactics will help you connect - and communicate - more clearly at work and in life next week (or, this weekend!). Number 1: bring to mind someone influential in your life. Ok, I know that’s a big, heavy prompt. Instead, answer this question - a question I asked 120 business leaders in Mexico last Monday- “Who is someone in your life who asked you a question at some point in your career and that question made you really think? Whether you call that person a coach or a mentor, there have been people in your life who you know have helped you a long the way. This month, Get Momentum members around the world spent about an hour thinking about how their network has influenced them in positive ways, and how to continue growing those meaningful relationships through time. Number 2: how do you feel after you walk away from conversations with people? I talked about this during some of my 1X1 coaching meetings with clients earlier this week. I remember when I lived in Mexico City a long time ago, I was impressed by the culture of “togetherness” and at the same time I was enamored with the honesty and frankness of conversations. At one point, during a long dialogue with a small group of leaders, I told a story about leadership and developing leaders. No more than 2 minutes later, one of other people in the conversation referred to what I had mentioned, but he did so by “saying it more correctly.” In some of the translation that I did in my head, I had mixed up a few words and phrases. What was so amazing to me was that he was able to “correct” what I had said, but he did so without putting me in the spotlight or bringing a lot of attention to the error I had made. I walked away from that conversation feeling really good about the interaction with everyone. And, at the end of EVERY conversation with someone ask yourself how you “feel” having spent time with them. My advice, spend more time with people who make you feel good while you’re talking with them. That way, your life will change…For the better.

“If you neglect to recharge a battery, it dies. And if you run full speed ahead without stopping for water, you lose momentum to finish the race.” ― Oprah Winfrey So, quick question: How charged are your batters? And, one more: Do you have the momentum you need, to finish the race you’ve started? This week’s podcast will bring to light something that is sure to be of importance to your career AND your life. You have a chance to look at your connections. This month, members of Get Momentum are spending time, energy and focus on building important connections to the people in their networks. So far, the effects have been outstanding. I have gotten emails and been on phone calls with members from Portland, Oregon to Harvey, Western Australia as the tell me that their life is getting better as the spend even a few minutes a day nurturing their networks. In this podcast, you learn how I use my systems and tools, as well as hear about how I’ve built my own little meet-up system so that as I’m out and about I continue meeting new people, building uplifting relationships, and asking important questions to people I trust are willing to help me. Think about it: What would YOUR life be like if you had this kind of network to turn to?

There are three things you can do immediately (and one that will take a little bit longer) to create a better, more expansive, more expressive life and career. In this week’s podcast, you’ll hear the tactics the most successful people use as they get from “where they are, to where they want to be.” Now, it’s up to you - first and foremost - to identify your “There.” Where it is you’re marching toward? Once you identify that place, then it’s much easier to push the gas pedal and move in that direction. There are a few ways to identify your destination; I outline them for you in this podcast. The last tip I’ll talk about, it’s one of the most important ones I can tell you about. Looking out into your future, just go 60 months. That’s a mere 5 years. And, if it seems like a long time, just look at your life 5 years ago! I did this recently (by reading through the journal that I kept that year) and realized that what I was experiencing then, the stressors and the wins, pale in comparison to what I’m engaged in now. What does that most likely mean? The next 60 months will bring just as much newness and amazing opportunities my way. How about you? Are you ready?

Hiya. You know there is a secret to productivity you learned as a kid, and then for some reason you un-learned it. You let it go. You dropped it. Maybe it was 2nd grade. Maybe it was 12th grade. Maybe it was when you left your last job. The super-skill to getting things done is: Don’t Wait. Now, in this podcast I’m going to turn things upside down and then right side up. You’re going to have to listen to it, maybe twice, to figure out what it is that you can do about this secret. For now, let me give you one part of the secret to living a life that is better, more enjoyable, and provides a bigger/better impact to the world you live in. You ready? Make a list today, for tomorrow. Before you leave the desk, write TWO (yes, only two) things you’re going to work on before noon. Put these on a note card and tape it to your bathroom mirror. Write them on your hand. Call a friend, and ask them to text you mid-morning and at noon tomorrow. However you can create the accountability to DO what you said you’re going to do…Do it. This is one of the best way to remove distractions from your life.

How fast are you moving? Are you making as much progress on your social AND your professional goals as you’d like? After I saw a movie recently called “Million Dollar Arm,” I realized the importance of running toward a dream. During the month of May, 2014, the GetMomentum coaching community studied and practiced learning the professional skill of “Effective Communication.” So, in this week’s podcast, you’ll learn two ways to focus on important conversations, make the most positive impact you can on others around you, and end a day with less stress and feeling more accomplished. The goal of the Get Momentum methodology is to use the factors that help you get more done, easier, using high impact and leverage able activities you can repeat. Enjoy the cast! Links discussed in this episode: Where’s Womack? Find out where I am and where #CoffeeChats are going on? Let’s meet up! http://WhereIsWomack.com Subscribe to the Podcast in iTunes: http://www.wmck.co/thebetterpodcast

In this podcast, I’m going to push on you to question just how you’re managing the “difficult and challenging” emails. Listen in, you’re probably going to hear a tactic that you had thought of before, but might not be using enough these days. Oh, and at the end of this one, a special announcement for you.

What’s the biggest lie you remember someone telling you when you were young? Me…It was when someone put it into my mind that I could say “It’s not fair,” and that it would somehow excuse away whatever was going on. Sure there are negative things, there are hard things, there are challenging things that happen. But, when it comes to life being or not being fair, I think there is more to the puzzle than just words. In this podcast, I’ll share with you something I learned while standing in line waiting to deposit a check with my uncle. Sure it was almost 30 years ago, and I’m continuing to tap in to the lesson behind the memory. I hope it helps you find your own version of my story, the time I can look back on that I learned that what you step in to is what you get. Show up, do good work, and stay in touch. That’s a mantra I talk about in the book, Your Best Just Got Better. And, after you listen to this episode of the podcast, I hope you’ll look around and find a new place to “show up.” Best wishes to you!

When did you first learn about the importance of “the way you talk to yourself?” In this podcast, I’ll share with you when I started learning about the conversations “upstairs,” and how after three decades on the planet I started communicating more effectively. The impact of learning about the power of communication has been huge. Professionally, I’m more successful now than I could have dreamed. Relationship wise, things are continuing to get bigger, more fun, more important, and more challenging. And, when I started studying the psychology of the “inner voices,” and looking at how leaders define themselves, their departments and their organizations not by WHAT they say out loud, but by what’s going on INSIDE as they let the words fly… My life changed. You see, I spend my life studying things things…so you don’t have to. My goal, the overall intention here, is to make it possible for you to be better and better by taking the activities, the ideas, and the insights you get from these I read books. I attended workshops. I even studied for two years, earning a Master’s degree in psychology…All the while, studying Self Talk and performance. You want to try something amazing? Here it is: Next time you attend a meeting, I want you to look around at everyone there. From the time you sit down, until the end of the discussion, see if you can tell what they’re thinking. Not by just listening to what they’re saying, but by watching, observing, intuiting… Getting a sense of what’s going on “under their breath.” If you’d like some help with this, here’s where I suggest you start: Pay attention to what YOU’RE saying to yourself! My guess is that if you’re telling yourself things like, “This is going to be a boring meeting. I wish I didn’t need to be here. I’ve got better things to do” … if you’re saying any of those things, chances are there is someone else who is saying something like that as well!

Potential…How do you define it? And, how do you FIND it? If you’re over 40 years old listening to this podcast, you may have heard this as a kid, “You’re not working to your potential.” (If you’re not over 40, ask someone about “parent - teacher conferences” of the 1970s and 1980s. I believe all my teachers were taught to tell EVERY parent that their child wasn’t working to their potential!) In this podcast, I’m going to share with you one of the most important activities you can do to: Step One: Identify if you’re ready to reach your potential Step Two: Collect the information you need to reach your potential Step Three: Take the first step necessary to reach your full potential In celebration of the 150th episode of the Your Best Just Got Better podcast, I’ve put together a special bonus course just for podcast listeners. Of course, some requirements apply; listen in, lean in, and achieve more!

When it comes to putting your focus where it “needs” to be, how do you do that? And, how can you do it better? In this podcast, you’ll have the opportunity to look at and really question not just WHAT you focus on, but how you can FOCUS even better on what we call the MITs - the Most Important Things (in life, and at work). Before you click play, be sure to get a pen and a piece of paper, or open up a new document in your digital idea-storage system. I promise, you’ll have an idea in the next 3 minutes that will be worth your time. As you are moving toward achieving your goals, make sure you’ve given yourself the gift of your own attention. This can be in thinking, planning or even working on a specific goal, something that if you finished by the end of next month would have a significant, positive impact on your life, and/or the lives of others. As always, I wish you the best.

If you’re on a path to make your best even a little bit better, there are many things you could do…differently. In this week’s podcast, I’ll share three things I learned while I was a guest at the Four Seasons in Jimbaran Bay, Bali, Indonesia. Are you ready? #1. Anticipate their needs. If you’re in the service industry. If you’re a manager. If you’re a community leader… Of, essentially if you’re at all involved in your world (!!!) I’ll challenge you to walk out in it and ask yourself, “How can I help them today to be at their best?” Of course this is a big question; it demands you put yourself second. This is something I saw first-hand over and over again while I was here at the Four Seasons. It feels as if the staff here has a single task: to make it easy for us guests to do whatever it is we seemed to want to do…better. Imagine my surprise when we checked in, and were welcomed with refrigerated hand-towels, cooled and sprayed with mint water. I mean, c’mon, really? It was incredible. Or, when we arrived at the pool on our third day here (the first day was a work day, the second a recovery day, the 3rd through 8th days were relaxing and working days…more on that later) and as we were about to sit down one of the staff members approached me, reached out his hand and said, “Welcome to the Four Seasons pool. May I clean your sunglasses?” All I could do was nod my head up and down. (And, then my mind went crazy with thoughts… What if the flight attendant asked to clean my computer monitor. What if the barista asked to sit with my computer while I stepped away for a moment. What if… What can you imagine doing for the people around you that would make it easier for them to do what they’re about to do, better?) #2. Leave things clean(er). Ok, so pretty much anywhere you look, there is a flowering tree. And, pretty much any time of the day there is a slight breeze. So, pretty much all day long there are plumeria flowers on the ground. Yes, everywhere. So, every morning that I’ve been here I’ve adopted a routine (tomorrow will be day 8, as long as my body cooperates). I wake up around 4am. I kiss Jodi hello (she immediately turns over and goes back to sleep!) and then I head outside. There, in the small yard of our private villa is a “plunge pool.” It’s about 3 meters by 2 meters big, and there is a fountain dropping a continual stream of water in… And, that is where you’ll find me from about 4:15am until about 4:45am… So, every morning, at about 4:30 or so, I can see over my fence there is a staff member walking up and down the pathway, picking up individual plumeria flowers. One by one. So, the second morning I was here, I did a quick check. And, it turns out that they do use some of them in certain arrangements. Mostly, the two young girls who are sometimes in front of the lobby make small flower arrangements for arriving guests. #3. Celebrate the ordinary. The first day of our trip was the day I presented a 4 hour workshop on executive presence and situational leadership. Of course, in just 4 hours I could just touch on some of the topics that I’ve written and studied about over the past two decades, so I decided to focus in on three things I wanted to make sure to present effectively and efficiently. At the conclusion of that presentation, Jodi and I were invited to participate in a “volunteering event” at a local school for deaf children. On the bus ride from the Four Seasons to the school, I found myself reflecting on the “everyday-ness” that was around me. Families commuting through town, stores open with merchandise showing to the passersby on the street, an occasional ambulance or police car traveling one direction or the other. The more I thought about it, I realized that everyone around us was doing their day. In that moment, I let go of the feeling of “uniqueness” or “specialness,” and simply stepped in to being a part of the process of a day. We arrived at the school, and over the next hour or so were given a

Greetings from Bali, Indonesia. This week’s podcast is an especially near and dear one to our hearts; for, without what you’ll learn about in this podcast, I do not think we would be where we are: personally or professionally. The point of this cast is to get you thinking about the people you’re spending the most time with. The family members, the co workers, the community members, the friends; each and every person who influences you in some way or another. Sometimes positively and sometimes in negative ways. If you’d like to run a check to see how well you’re doing, just take a look at the last week. Who did you talk to that pushed you forward? Who did you talk to that drug you backward. Who did you talk to that gave you energy? You get it…These are the kinds of questions to ask yourself so that you can begin shifting - in ever so subtle ways - who you spend time with and what you will get from that time. I hope you’ll listen to this podcast, and give yourself the gift of your own attention. You’ll be better off 60 months from now if you start to work on the process I outline for you here.

My father in law is consistent in reminding me that “we have our health.” And, if you listened to podcast number 145, I talked about someone in my family whose health is compromised right now; as I record this, his life is still on the line. My ask of each and every one of you is this: Please take your health seriously. Be safe out there. Do things you know you should be doing, and learn things you could be learning. You’ve got this life to live, and we need you around, healthy and happy for a long, long time. To start and then continue this process of being more and more healthy, there are a couple of things I’m going to ask you to consider: 1. Get a check up 2. Drink a little more water today than you did yesterday 3. For the next 5 days, pick a time of the day when you can leave in the MIDDLE of the day and go for a 15 minute walk. 7 and a half minutes out, and 7 and a half minutes back. I learned about the focus on health and wellness by reading a lot of the history and biography of the martial artist Bruce Lee. One of his areas of focus was to focus on training so that you can spring back strong, and adapt harmoniously without striving hard…Or resisting. In this podcast I’ll share three things you can do to be more healthy tomorrow. Ready? You need to have numbers. You need to know what you’re comparing yourself to. I don’t want you to “WONDER” if you’re in or out of shape. Instead, I encourage you to start collecting information that has value. Information that tells you something. Information you can use to compare yourself through time. What can you measure? Here are just a couple of things: Body Weight Percent of Body fat Glasses of water you drink every day Desserts you eat throughout the week Minutes of exercise you engage in weekly …and, I’m sure there is more, but that’s not the point. Let me reiterate: The point of this is not to become some kind of a “number-crunching-health-fanatic.” No, the purpose of this is to give you something to respond to; having numbers out there may just give you the push or encouragement you need to start gaining momentum on these kinds of goals. Years ago while I was reading a book about Chinese Gung Fu, I wrote this statement in the margin (I’m reading from that page right now): “Not a response IS a response.”

I am not totally sure, but I think it's possible that some people you know may have made it through this entire day without having someone say thank you to them. Maybe, as you've been going through your day you have passed up an opportunity to look someone in the eye, pause take a deep breath in, and let them know how grateful you are. I know, I know, you are busy. As we all are. There is a very simple way you can not only find, but make, time to say thank you to the people who most deserve it. Now, I wonder if you are already thinking, “Jason, people here think you all the time. I see how people are living in a very acknowledgment rich culture.” What I am here to say, east on many years of experiential research, is when I acknowledge someone from a point of human connection, there is something different that happens to and with our relationship. In this week's podcast I outline one activity you can do immediately to test your level of gratitude. How do you score out of 100 points on the chart of gratitude? At the end of the podcast I give you a very specific, step by step way of writing a hand written thank you card. I have been writing handwritten thank you cards almost every day for more than a decade. In fact, as I’m writing this post this week, on my desk are four addressed thank you cards simply waiting for the five or seven minutes it will take to write each one. Now, in the middle of this podcast I share a personal story of something that my family is enduring right now. As you listen, I encourage you to also take a moment, bring someone you love to mind, and let yourself feel that connection you have two them. Wherever you are, and whatever you are about to do next, as always I wish you the very best.

When it comes time to follow your dreams, to achieve your goals, to reach your potential, what is the tactic you use to get there? A few years ago, I committed to connecting “seemingly” disconnected things in new (and hopefully useful) ways. One of the ways I do this is by asking people questions. Sometimes serious, sometimes light, ALWAYS interesting to me…the purpose of the questions I ask is to bring the person I’m talking to back to the present. Sure, sometimes the questions go back in the past; but, the purpose of asking them is to set the stage for a conversation that is wrapped around what is CURRENTLY going on. For example, many years ago I started asking parents, “Why did you have children?” Well, I’ve heard a few answers (there really aren’t that many unique ones) and it often leads to a larger discussion of all kinds of topics. But you know what? There is ONE answer I’ve NEVER heard parents give. And, the interesting thing is that for SOME parents, it’s the most important thing - and most time-consuming thing - they worry about right now for their children…If you’re interested in that email me, we’ll talk! In this week’s podcast, I actually tell you how you can get lost and then BE FOUND. Sure, it’s going to take a little work (and, about an hour or so) but I promise it’s worth it. Oh, and listen all the way to the end of the ‘cast…I make a great offer for you there!