Goals are for Losers Part 2

Everyone needs a good system for their life. If you've ever held a job, in a position that was previously held by another person, you know the feeling. When that person had absolutely no system in place, it was quite the heart ache for you to unfuck the disaster. But when that person who came before you had a solid system, And they were able to teach it to you before they left, the transition was sweet as pie.

A good system makes you feel good… Today! Your system can drive you towards higher levels in every area of your life. It's much easier to wrap your head around succeeding today, in your system (today), rather than having some far-off goal that you're always pretending is more important than how you feel now.

I get it. My favorite people espouse goals as well; Zig Ziglar, Jim Rohn, Tony Robbins, Sean Covey, the list is endless of people, who I love l, that guarantee that goals are the best way to go.

Your system is the anti-goal. You can still use goals, but use them exceedingly sparingly. Be prepared for the goal to stop your energy in any and every area of your life, except for the pursuit of that goal. Meanwhile be conscious of the great capacity for your life to improve with setting in play certain practices and procedures, policies and habits, relationships and boundaries that will all coalesce into your "System". They will essentially push you up against the good life.

Your system will be worth 1000 goals and will also give you the freedom to be energetic and productive today.

Mastery of Perception

Mastery of perception is the mother of the fulfilled life. You see, we think we see things as they are, but we really see things as we are. The way we view the world is really like a pair of glasses that we put on each day. And we decide if we're going to put on the glasses of optimism and hope, or the glasses of negativism and despair.

Marcus Aurelius once said, "remove the complaint of the harm that was done and you remove the harm". If only we would stop complaining about the thing, it would go away. Another person said, "everything you encounter is a mirror". You may choose to see the beauty of God in it, or you may choose to see yourself differently (and that's the one foot view, the point blank, the in your face... bitch). So the perception, and the focal point of our daily lives, becomes what drives how we feel. The sum of how we feel each day determines the quality of our life as a whole.

Most of this is not new news. It is old news, in fact. So, what is the high level 10,000 foot view? How, with a capital H, can we begin to change for the better our perception of the world around us? The number one way we can change our perception of the world around us, in a way that benefits us the most, is to embrace the fact that things in this "life happens FOR us, and not TO us".

 

I'm not sure where this phrase originated, but I've heard it said by Jim Carrey and Tony Robbins and probably a few others. This is a great starting point by which to frame your entire life. The most beneficial part of this belief is how it recruits all of your faculties to use both transgressions and negative points in your life as well as positive points in your life to create something that is going to benefit you.

 

If you learn to do this well, it becomes like a superpower.

Goals are for Losers!!! ...Part 1

Scott Adam says goals are for losers! There is a lot of evidence supporting his claim.

 

You might not recognize Scott Adams by hearing his name or looking at his face. In fact, I'm noticing a trend in a lot of people who do great work. They look like freaking weirdos.

 

 

But you would certainly recognize him from reading his work.

 

 

 

 

 

 

With a graduate level degree in business ,I certainly know a lot about goals. I can teach you a lot about goals using the smart system. I can even teach you the formula for making a goal in a way that makes it really easy and effective (courtesy of: The Four Disciplines of Execution).

 

Here is the format. Create your goals like this.

 

From x to y, by when.

Examples 

From 28% margin to 30% margin, by September 31st. 

From 200 pounds to 180 pounds by December 31st. 

Filter your goals through the SMART system.

 

S- is for specific 

M- is for measurable

A- is for attainable 

R- is for relevant 

T-is for time bound

 

The literature on how to make this process work is endless, as are the "gurus", seminars, workshops, and meat beatings. However, let me just illuminate the fact that this process really doesn't work, at least not the way you would hope it would. Here is why:

 

1. Goals don't work because they make you feel in adequate in the moment, like what you are or what you have is not enough right now. It eliminates the possibility of being successful on the day that matters most...today. 
2. The achievement of the goal a misnomer at most and elusive at best. As soon as you achieve the goal you are looking for the next best thing. Never ending chasm separating you from fulfillment.

Wouldn't be easier to set up a process that allows you to win every day?

 

   (EZRA POUND)

 

Ezra pound said, "only emotion endures". So, if we measure the quality of our today using emotional capital,we would rather not wait until a goal has been attained.  We may decide that we would rather be successful each and every day.

 

Starting Something New

So if you've never seen Seth Godin, he is a funky looking dude with usually some bright ass yellow or otherwise colorful glasses on. He is also a bit of a genius, who would rather say that we all have genius within us, than to admit to his own.

 

 

He is also a dude who has a lot of interesting and cool thoughts on a number of different subjects. The thing that caught my attention about Seth is when he was talking about trying something new. Seth says "trying is the opposite of hiding". 

I feel like Seth's entire volumes of work all kind of revolve around one principle, which is just trying a number of different things, until something works. The problem is that many people, myself included, feel like trying something needs to have a reward at the end..some reward that is, at very least, equal to the effort we put into it. Seth would say that this is not always the case exactly. Seth would say that success is not a straight line in fact, "success is never a straight line".

He was on the show today, Chase Jarvis live. And Chase had said that at times in his creative career he had thought thoughts like "what would happen if this doesn't turn out well?" (referring to a piece of art he was working on).  Chase then went on to explain that that thought pattern in and of itself is destructive for an artist.

I think with Chase Jarvis and Seth Godin are both trying to absolve themselves of is that the business mentality of X plus Y equals Z. I am a business major myself. I work for a large bureaucracy as well. I know how important goals are. I know how important not wasting time and energy is. I know how important certain initiatives can be, because of the outcomes that they will produce.

However, Seth and Chase are talking about our own personal lives, and furthermore our ventures as entrepreneurs. In the pursuit of these adventures, it is important to go out and experience and do things and try things that are different and new.

On his interview on Chase Jarvis live, linked below, Seth gave what I think is the best example of this using a bowling metaphor. He said if you had unlimited games of bowling you would want to go out and you would try different types of throws to experiment to see which throws work best for you and knocked down the most pins. If you only had a limited the number of games or a limited amount of resources, you wouldn't be that creative. You would probably throw in a straight line every time using the most predicted method of success. 

 

Chases interview with Seth Godin: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xMxAZhgVvU

In this world the resources for being, a photographer for example, our nearly unlimited to those of us who live in developed nations. Therefore, there is no reason to not go out and try a bunch of new things and see what sticks. The only reason that might hold us back, the only thing that might hold us back, is fear of what others might think and fear that we may be wasting our own valuable time. 

My Name is Principles

My name is principles. I am timeless, universal, and good. I apply in all situation and circumstances. There is no getting around me. Many will break themselves against me. Others will align themselves directly to me. Those who align will experience the untold benefit of my universal power.

Understand that I am unlimited. However, for the sake of understanding, here are two of me:

1. Personal Responsibility

Whatever you are, wherever you are, you have some wiggle room. Things may seem like they are hopeless. Things outside of you may seem to push in so forcefully that even breathing is a difficulty. The important thing to remember is that I am a principle. This is how I will I can help:
No matter what your situation, you have an actionable option. In other words, there is something you CAN do. Those who choose to do what they can do, rather than think or speak for what they cannot do, operate under the principle of personal responsibility. When one is forced to the extreme of being physically incapable of action, that person can still choose his or her own MINDSET. Those who use me align themselves with the greatest force of energy this world has ever know.

There are a few known benefits to exercising personal responsibility. Those who do what is in their power to control their own circumstance find that their degree of control grows greater and greater. Additionally, the things that previously caused many worries become outside of reach, lost, and undone. Worries no longer surface as worries, but occurrences. Worries no longer surface at all.

2. Empathy

The world is not your perception of the world. The world itself is typically much different. Knowing this is the first step towards aligning oneself with me. Empathy means understanding how another interprets the facts that are available. Under the principle of empathy "facts" becomes a loose term, as things become increasingly defined by perspectives, rather than realities.

The principle of empathy requires you to see through the eyes of another and to walk in his or her shoes. The time and labor spent in this endeavor seems burdensome. However, it will often save exponentially more time in the mid to long term range.

Empathy deals with relationships. Relationships are complicated by the underlying fact that humans are spiritual beings living in human form. The humanity of us will often deny the movement from our own personal perspective to the understanding of the perspective of another. The spirit, on the other hand, knows no difference. The spirit only knows one way, the way of unity and truth.

Empathy allows us to gather information that our own selves may never have discovered in solidarity. It allows us to form deep and enriching relationships. It allows us perspective that can ease and even alleviate the pain of our own deep rooted insecurities.

In closing, I am principles. Two of me are personal responsibility and empathy. We form what can be known as the best parts of the individuals and relationships respectively. While one builds upon another, both endure forever. Consider us your ally, if you embrace our construct. Consider us your grim reaper, if you neglect our permanence.

-Strength of GIF

The Daily Decrease

 “It’s not the daily increase but daily decrease. Hack away at the unessential.”

Bruce Lee

The clarity that comes from a day of pure focus is truly enriching. I have had days like this, ones where I did not even want to sleep at night for not knowing what excitement might arise in the next few moments. I feel “on point”. It is a day like when problems to stress feel more like challenges to overcome. It is a day like when people to change feel more like people to love. These days do not come often enough, and I want to know why.  

There is nothing quite like it, living in the moment. Some even define happiness this way.

To just look around me, I see many things that represent open loops. I see tangled up headphones, unopened mail, and an unread book. These loops want to be closed somewhere deep down inside of my psyche. It may not be running in the foreground, but it is definitely in the background

Rather than close these loops right away, and give myself the proverbial fish. I would rather unveil the deeper meaning of these things, and with any luck teach myself to fish. 

The Bruce Lee quote above has not left my memory since the first day I read it. It reads, “It’s not the daily increase but daily decrease. Hack away at the unessential.” I was looking for a different quote of his when I came across this one, but it had such powerful meaning, that it effectively stuck deeper than what I had originally had in mind.

Now I need to know, I must know. What is all of this stuff?

There is stuff around me, stuff in my head, and stuff on my computer screen. Much of this stuff serves only as a reminder of a thing that still needs to be done that hasn’t been gotten to yet. If that is the sole purpose of something, why do I allow it here?  

Bruce was right. Hack away. I know what is important to me. Love is important. Understanding and ACTING in an unconditional and abundant way towards others and myself. The things that do not fall in line with this vocation of mine should be on the chopping block of the unessential.

This could mean:

·      A happy stomach that does not have to deal with junk food.

·      A happy Goodwill that gets to profit off of all my junk.

·      A happy recycle bin that gets to deal with my unessential emails.

·      A happy wallet, unburdened at the cost of the unnecessary.

·      A happy mind that is well focused on the joy and/or challenge of the moment.

But will it?

The problem is that my hacking away arm has not been in use for some time. Lack any muscle that does not get used, it has begun to atrophy. It may take some effort to donate that first item, close that first account, or give rest to that nagging thought.

I may take comfort two enduring principles.

1. If I use my muscle consistently, over time it will get stronger. Pretty soon I will be the Bruce Lee of a deeply focused life. All I need is a little consistency. Removing the clutter leaves room for focus, which leaves room for removing clutter. This is a good cycle.

2. It is easier to destroy than it is to build. Building takes time, effort, and diligence. I have rightfully chosen the difficult path of building throughout the depth and breadth of most of my life. Just look at me now, I have chosen to use the Internet as a means of communicating love instead of controversy. Controversy is much easier to stir up, but it certainly is a means of destroying. Building, rather than destroying, has been a hopeful thread in my life’s fabric.

HOWEVER, in the spirit of Bruce Lee, I believe I will give myself permission to do just the opposite. I CAN let go of the unessential, even to the tune of destroying it. I can refuse the otherwise “good” things that tend to be the enemy of what I have chosen to be the fundamental essence of my life. I will aim at this.

Forget that Lee could do 50 one-handed chin-ups or multiple one fingered push-ups or eat raw vegetables (a feat difficult for most). Remember what he said. Hack away at the unessential. It is not about the increase. It just isn’t.

-Strength of GIF

CAPSIM Objectives

If you are undergoing the CAPSIM simulation, this post is specifically for you!!!

I just want to share with you some the key objectives you will need to reach to be successful in the simulation. Obviously, the goal of the simulation itself is to teach you how to create a winning strategy. I wont help you with that here. I would not want to steal any of your fun away. Rather, I will list the key metrics you need to meet while crafting your winning strategy.

In essence, I will summarize a few key points that are listed in greater detail in the CAPSIM users guide. If any additional information is needed, just leave me a comment and I will be sure to get back to you.

Here is what we will need to do:

1. We are trying to gain an increasingly larger amount of market share every round. Since there are five teams, we will all start out with 16.67% out of 100%. Capstone>Page 1 (if you have four teams, each will start with 20% market share)

2. We need to keep our contribution margin above 30%. Proformas>Income Statement. This shows that we are keeping costs down and operating efficiently as we increase our market share. Anything below 30% costs us major points on the final grade.

3.  Have the highest profit possible for each product. Proformas>Income Statement.

4. Have a positive projected cash position. Finance tab. If we do not have a positive cash flow, CAPSIM will automatically take out a loan from “Big Al” to pay for our outstanding debt. Al charges really high interest and we lose big points on the final grade.

5. Have no more than two months inventory on hand at the end of the year, and NO stock outs. Stock outs costs us BIG money!! Excess inventory costs us money too, but not as much as a stock out. Capstone>Page 4>Unit inventory

6. Meet, to the best of our ability, all customer buying criteria based on % of importance. Capstone>Pages 5-9>Customer Buying Criteria in the top left hand corner.

7. Invest in plant capacity and automation to keep our ability to produce up to par throughout all six rounds.

That is all I have time for at the moment. If there is interest generated on the topic, I will be glad to go into further detail. I wish you all good fortune in your efforts!!!!

-Strength of GIF

PS, here is some additional information on how to do your promotional budget: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7is7eXFOT0