Think Huge by Mark Arnold

Favorite Olympic Moment Reminds Us To Think Perseverance

The Winter Olympics have concluded and in just two years we'll be on to the Summer Games in London. As images of Shaun White, Apolo Ono, Lindsey Vonn begin to fade I’m reminded of my favorite all-time Olympic memory:  Derek Redmond completing the 400 meter race in the 1992 Barcelona Games. Granted, it’s a Summer Olympic memory, but it is extremely powerful.

As you view the clip, notice two things:

• Redmond never gave up, despite tearing his hamstring, “Get back into lane five, I want to finish it,” he says
• Redmond needed help to finish the race (he and his dad crossed the finish line arm in arm)

I cry every time I see this video! It’s a moving image of a key Think Huge principle: think perseverance.

Is there something you want to give up on? Don’t—finish the race just like Redmond did. Also, let others assist you if you are struggling. And be sure you are helping someone cross the finish line.

Think Huge!

Run, Walk or Crawl

“Run when you can. Walk when you must. Crawl if you have to. Just never give up.”

—Dean Karnazes, the Ultramarathon Man

 

 

 

 

I love that quote from Dean Karnazes. Dean is a running icon—he doesn’t just run marathons, he runs ultramarathons. He once ran 50 marathons in 50 different states on 50 consecutive days. He ran a 200 mile relay race by himself and he also ran 350 miles once non-stop.

 

His run, walk, or crawl quote is certainly an illustration for the Think Huge principle “think perseverance” of never giving up.

 

Let’s break down the crawl, walk, run and never give up analogy into distinct areas. We all have strengths and weaknesses. There are certain areas you are weak in, certain areas you need to take to the next level, certain areas you are strong in, and certain areas you need to make sure you are not giving up on. We can use Dean’s run, walk, crawl quote as a Think Huge exercise:

 

Ø  Crawl = what area of weakness will you improve?

 

Ø  Walk = what area are you going to grow in, improve in or take to the next level?

 

Ø  Run = what area that you are currently strong in are you going to take and absolutely excel at?

 

Ø  Never give up = what area do you feel like giving up but won’t?

 

Let me explain this some more. I don’t necessarily like to use the word “weakness” but we all have areas that aren’t our strong suits. You should identify one area of weakness you will seek to improve this year. Similarly, there are also areas that you are pretty good in but that you need to take to the next level. In other words, maybe something that by practicing at or focusing on you can get even better. And of course, you have many strengths. But if we don’t focus on our strengths we take a chance of losing them.

 

You can determine an area in each of the above categories for both your professional and personal life. Need an example? Here is mine:

 

	Professional	Personal
Crawl (weakness)	Learn people’s names more quickly	Reconnect with past friends
Walk (next level)	Improve social media plan	Father (spend more quality time with kids)
Run (strength)	Sharpen leadership skills	Run “destination” races
Never give up	Improve attitude about budget cuts	Avoid burnout with balancing speaking and job responsibilities

 

Let me explain my example.

 

There are certain areas I’m weak in. I know it and I need to improve it. For example, I really need to get better at learning others’ names the first time I meet them. I need to dialogue with other areas outside my own departments more. I need to spend time outside my areas. Similarly, on the personal side of things I want to do a better job of reconnecting with past friends. So the “crawl” area is about managing weaknesses.

 

There are certain areas I’m okay in but that I can take to the next level. For example, I’m pleased with our overall social media plan. But I also know that if I spend a little more time with it and give it more attention to detail then I can improve it. On the personal side I think I’m an okay father (maybe good but certainly not great). The time with my kids is running out—to be a better father I need to spend more quality time with the girls. So in this “walk” area it’s all about the details.

 

There are certain areas I feel are my strengths. To be the best person and employee I can be I should spend time making those strengths even better. This is a strength-based philosophy. One of my strengths is leadership (please don’t take that sentence the wrong way—that doesn’t mean I’m “all that” with leadership; it just means I’m passionate about leading). But I need to develop that strength even more. I need to do things to grow in this area. On the personal side I enjoy running so this year I want to run a few races outside the state of Texas (“destination” races) so that I’m doing something different with one of my passions.

 

For the “never give up” section I have to make sure I don’t become frustrated if/when we have to cut the budget. On the personal side, I tend to juggle too much with my speaking so I have to watch becoming burned out and overwhelmed.

 

Now you can do the same. You can think of personal and professional areas. Look for specific actions or goals you’ll do in those areas this year.

 

Feel free to share your own run, crawl, walk areas and we’ll hold each other accountable.

 

Think Huge!

Do You Know Where You Are Going?

My wife and I took a vacation to New Hampshire a few years ago. It was a great time for us to see the fall foliage and changing leaves. It was truly a beautiful trip. In order to see the best colors, we took many back roads. At one point during our excursion, we were completely lost. We didn’t have a clue where we were. We just knew we were somewhere in the backwoods and back roads of New Hampshire with no idea where we were headed.

Fortunately, we had a GPS system in our rental car. When we plugged in the address of where we were staying, the navigation device quickly kicked in, telling us which turns to take, what roads to travel and how to get back to our destination quickly. If it wasn’t for that GPS system, we’d still be in New Hampshire today!

Don’t you wish we each had a GPS system in life? You know, a device in which we could just plug in where we want to go and have it tell us exactly what direction to take. Which job offer to accept. Which person to marry. When to have kids. What to do with our teenagers (okay, that one may be impossible!).

Vision, thankfully, is that GPS system for life. The more clearly you know where you are going, the more likely you are to get there. So where are you going? Do you have a clear idea about where you want to go with your career? With your family? With your life?

It’s important to answer these questions clearly. Without a clear idea about where you’re going, you cannot expect to get there. Too often, the answers to those “where are you going” questions are vague, not specific and undefined.

So how do you do this? I recommend writing a six word vision statement for your life. Focus on answering the question, “What are you about?” For example, my personal vision statement is “Elevating the lives and business of others.” (Yes, I violated the six word principle by one word!). I’m actually having my work team do this exercise: they each have to write their own personal vision statement.

The more clearly you can define where you’re going (what you want to do with your career, what you want to accomplish with your family and kids, etc.) the better vision you will have. The better vision you have in your life, the more likely you are to both think huge and accomplish huge things. Be sure to pick your vision. Don’t let it pick you.

Think Huge!

Wii Are Family: An Unexpected Gift Of Time

A colleague of mine got a pleasant surprise recently. She and her husband bought their six-year-old son a Nintendo Wii video game for Christmas and she relayed the following story to me.

“I was not excited about this purchase. Even though it was my idea to research the Wii, I got cold feet thinking about the cost. It was a pretty big investment for us when we factored in other presents we had already purchased. My husband was sold early on, and he eventually talked me into it, against what I thought was my better judgment. I’ve never been so happy to admit I was wrong. Something that I perceived as a waste of time and money has actually become more than a Christmas gift for the whole family. It has become a gift of time.

I have never been a fan of video games. Even when I was a kid, I wasn’t very good at them. So the first time my son asked me to “bowl” with him, I was not excited. But, it was important to him, so I decided to grin and bear it. What I was reminded of during that 30-minute play date was something all parents need to be reminded of once in a while – time is the best, most lasting gift we will ever give our children.

Kids have an amazing way of not caring how well we do something, as long as we’re doing it with them. I’m admittedly better at video games than I used to be, but not as good as my six-year-old. He beat me at bowling many times that first day (and many times since then), but neither one of us cared. We’re both winners, because we found a new way to maximize our quality time together. And, I have the best kind of proof that it meant as much to my son as it did to me.

After we finished playing video games that day, I went back to my computer to do some work, and he went to the kitchen table to color. What he produced was the drawing pictured here. It’s a picture of us playing the Wii together. He told me it was one of the best “dates” we’ve ever had.”

It doesn’t take a lot of money, a lot of skill or a lot of any size gifts to make kids happy. It just takes time. Find something simple your kids like to do and do it with them. It doesn’t matter what it is, as long as you’re doing it together.”

Think Huge!

Breaking Through Plateaus

“If you always put limit on everything you do, physical or anything else. It will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them.”

—Bruce Lee

 

 

 

Do you ever hit a plateau in your professional or personal life? Odds are, you have. I recently hit a plateau with one of my hobbies (or addiction, depending on your perspective!): running. My workouts were routine, my race results were down, my times were not improving. I had plateaued. To break through my running rut, I had to do different things (yoga, more running, additional stretching, etc.).

 

If you’ve plateaued in certain areas, here are a few steps you can take to break through:

 

(1)    Talk to experts

 

There are experts in every field, industry, hobby or any area you need help with. For example, when I didn’t perform well in the White Rock Marathon, I posted some questions on a Runners World forum and e-mailed some questions to a running program. The guys I reached out to were experts.

If you’re not hitting your sales numbers, ask a top-notch sales person for tricks and tips. If you’re kids are giving you headaches, talk to fellow parents who’ve raised great kids.

But seek out some advice.

 

(2)    Read and research

 

Talking to experts helps, but so does doing your own research. Google offers a wealth of knowledge. There are blogs for everything and everyone. Spending some time on the Internet can give you new perspectives on old subjects.

 

If you’re not reading, you’re not growing. When is the last time you read a business, motivation or self help book? If the answer is longer than two months you probably are hitting a plateau. No matter what area you’re experiencing “plateau-ism” pick up a book on the subject for fresh ideas.

 

(3)    Shadow someone from another industry

 

This point may not apply to personal issues, but it certainly does on the business front. For example, if you’re in the marketing profession but practice it in the non-profit area you might benefit by spending a day with someone who does marketing in a large corporation.

 

Sticking with the running analogy, not only should I talk to other runners but I should also visit with triathletes. Learning about their training and eating habits could improve my training as well.

 

(4)    Brainstorm tasks

 

Another effective technique for breaking through plateaus is to spend time brainstorming new ideas to implement. In other words, take some time to think. Too many times we get caught with the day-to-day rush of task completion.  The key there is “day-to-day.” If we just keep doing the day-to-day then we will get stuck in ruts and reach plateaus.

 

So get away from the rut and the plateau. Find a quite place and bring a notepad. Clear your thoughts. Then at the top of a piece of paper write, “Ways to Improve ____________________.” Then spend the next 15 minutes or so putting down everything you can think that could help.

 

(5)    Practice

 

I recently read Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell (you can check out my book review here). One of the key points he makes is that anyone who experiences true success practices. And not just any amount of time practicing—10,000 hours of practice. That’s a ton of time.

 

Of course, you may not be able to spend 10,000 hours to get to a point of improvement. However, if you do want to attain a higher level then you’re going to have spend time seeking ways to get better. Practice the sales pitch, practice writing, practice making phone calls, practice teaching, etc. Wanting to improve won’t happen unless you put the time into practicing.

 

 

Breaking through a plateau doesn’t just happen: you have to be intentional. Hopefully these five tips will help you breakthrough any plateau you might have hit.

 

 

Think Huge!

Discomfort is a Function of Growth

“You will either step forward into growth, or you will step back into safety.”

—Abraham Maslow

To think huge—and certainly to think learning—you must grow professionally and personally. Some of that growth could be uncomfortable, but discomfort is a function of growth. It is human nature to do what is easiest. But if you are thinking huge, you gravitate to that which is hardest.

It is so easy to get stuck in a rut. I know I’m guilty of doing that: just going through life and doing the same things. The same things at work. The same things at home. Instead of going through life comfortable, allow yourself to be pushed and challenged. That’s hard but it’s a necessity. Some of the best coaches and mentors you’ve probably had in your life are ones that pushed you the most. We all need to be challenged from time to time. That’s a good thing.

Laurie Hayes, founder of The HBB Source (a company that helps home-based business owners), noted in an online article, “One of the biggest obstacles to succeeding in business or achieving what you want in life is setting the bar too low. Most people don't like feeling uncomfortable and as soon as they're required to step it up a notch, self-doubt creeps in, turns into fear and they back away.

“In order to reach your goals, there must be discomfort, otherwise you will just stay where you've always been. When you come up with a new, big idea, it will not be in harmony with your existing way of thinking and will create a conflict in your internal vibration.”

Hayes is right—we should push ourselves beyond what we think we can do. That means growing in areas that might make us uncomfortable. You can check out Hayes’ work on her website.

So what are going to do this year that is uncomfortable for you personally or professionally? Let me give you two examples, one from work and one from home. Each year I do one “Think Huge” experience with each of my daughters. This year, my oldest daughter and are going to go zip lining. You know, the thing where you hang from a rope hundreds of feet above the ground and slide from point to point. I can guarantee you that will stretch both of us! Will we be uncomfortable? Sure, but we’re going to stretch ourselves anyway.

On the business front, I’m taking a more active approach with how I spend my lunch time. Because I’m so task oriented and try to  do so much each day I tend to eat at my desk and work through lunch. While I might cross off an extra “To Do” item I’m not getting up from my desk, getting out and taking time for something more important than tasks: people. So I’m stretching myself by setting up more lunches with colleagues and friends. Not just meeting someone to talk about an agenda, but truly spending time and getting to know each other (by the way, if you’re ever in the Dallas area and want to go to lunch or meet for coffee, e-mail me and let’s arrange a time to get together).

What about you? What things will you do professionally and personally to get away from your comfort zone this year?

Think Huge!

Patrick Henry Hughes is Thinking Huge

Note: Thanks to Tom McWilliams for sending the video link to this inspiring story.

Below is a video that illustrates how one young man is a living example of someone who is thinking huge; he has persevered more than most folks could possibly endure to live his passion. Both father and son are amazing.

Note that of his disability, Patrick says, “It’s more ability than disability.”

 

Think Huge!

Start New Year by Thinking Huge

Welcome to 2010!

 

As the New Year begins, there is no better time to Think Huge. We’re already several days into January and many of us are off and running. Activity and business, however, does not always mean success.

 

As we said in the book, Think Huge means, “Going many steps beyond where you are today and pushing past your comfort zone. In other words, not limiting yourself. We sometimes put an invisible ceiling on what we can accomplish in life. Thinking huge means removing those barriers and accomplishing our dreams and ambitions. Maybe you want to be the teacher of the year. Or the top salesperson. Or the CEO. Or a more involved parent. Or a more loving spouse. Or _______. You fill in the blank with what areas you want to think huge.”

 

You are probably thinking (or have already set) your goals for 2010. One way to set goals this year is to break them into the six Think Huge areas:

 

• Vision
• People
• Passion
• Time
• Perseverance
• Learning

 

Here are some questions to consider in each area and then examples you can use for your 2010 goals:

 

(1)    Vision

 

Do you have a vision statement for your life, department, organization, etc.? One goal might be to write your six word personal and/or professional vision statement.

 

(2)    People

 

Who do you want to be close to or get to know this year? For example, there may be a family member you want to reach out to, an old friend to reconnect with, or a child you want to hang out with more.

 

(3)    Passion

 

Is there a particular hobby or interest you want to develop more this year? Maybe this is the year you buy the Harley! One of my passions is to speaking so one of my 2010 passion goals is to do multiple Think Huge presentations (if you want to book me, click here—how’s that for a shameless self-plug!).

 

(4)    Time

 

How can you maximize your time in 2010? Maybe it’s to reduce the number of meetings you are in or to better streamline your meetings. Other time goal examples could include spending “x” number of hours a week for yourself, spending less hours at work, or improving a particular skill you have by practicing it more.

 

(5)    Perseverance

 

Is there some area of your life you are discouraged and want to quit? Don’t give up—persevere. Perseverance goal examples could be running a marathon or half marathon, finishing school, changing your job if you’re unhappy, improving your marriage, etc.

 

(6)    Learning

 

If you’re not learning, you’re not growing. What are you going to learn this year? Examples include taking a college class, reading one business book per month, attending a conference, etc.

 

 

You probably have multiple goals for 2010. Hopefully you have some in all six Think Huge areas. What Think Huge goals have you set for 2010? Please share yours in the comments section below.

 

Think Huge!

Think Huge Lessons From UT's Championship Loss

Note: I am a University of Texas Longhorn alumnus so this post is written from that viewpoint (no offense to you Alabama folks, who deserve many congratulations on your great win)

I was all decked out in my burnt orange UT gear for the national championship game: burnt orange pants, two burnt orange shirts (it was cold!), UT socks and even burnt orange slippers. Then five plays into the game, disaster struck when Colt McCoy went out with a game-ending shoulder injury.

As I watched the rest of the national championship game (and Colt’s interview after the game) in agony, I realized there were several  Think Huge lessons the game illustrated:

Think Perseverance

One of the six Think Huge principles is “think perseverance.” In the book, we note that “thinking huge is not a ‘name it and claim it’ gospel. You will encounter trials in your life and that chapter helps with tools for overcoming those obstacles.”

Last night, the ‘Horns encountered a major early obstacle: the loss of the quarterback with the most wins in college football history. But they didn’t give up. They could have easily rolled over and quit. A lot of teams would. Instead they fought and fought and fought. Even with a true freshman quarterback, UT closed the score to 24-21 with under five minutes to go. But then Alabama’s defense took over the game.

As commentator Kirk Herbstreit said after the game, “They never gave up.”

That is thinking huge. Sure they were deflated after the McCoy injury but they continued to persevere. And that’s what you will have to do in life as you think huge. There are going to be times when you’re going to get knocked out (lose your job, family member get sick, have a mean boss, etc.). But you have a choice: you can fight through those difficulties or rollover and quit. If you think huge, then you’ll never give up.

Think Passion

I hope you stayed up after the game to see Colt’s interview. He said some amazing things that are “Think Huge” principles.

“I love this game,” McCoy said. “I have a passion for this game….I would have given everything I had to been out there.”

Click here to see the full interview:

 

 

Is there anything you would give everything to do? Then that’s your passion. Whatever it is, go do it. Don’t wait. Time is precious.

How do you think Colt feels today? Some may think he feels sad that his college career is over and ended on such a down note. But I’m also betting he has a sense of joy: that for four years he lived his dream by doing his passion of playing college football.

Are you doing your passion? Think Huge offers a passion quiz to help you determine if you’re in the your passion spot or just bidding time.

While losing the  game was disappointing as a fan, it reminded me to think perseverance and think passion.

 

Think Huge!

What To Do During "Dead" Week

Do you remember “dead” week in college? That’s the time between when classes end and finals begin. In theory, you’re supposed to spend that week studying (or cramming!) for your upcoming exams. Of course, it probably didn’t always work that way.

The week between Christmas and New Year’s has also become a “dead week” in some cases. Lots of businesses close or certainly work with a skeleton crew. Whether you are in the office or hanging with your family, here are some suggestions for how best to spend this week:

Home and Personal

(1)    Reconnect with your family

Odds are, work takes you away from family time throughout the year. That’s just the way work works (so to speak). Now is the perfect time to give back some of that missed time with your spouse, significant other and children. Play a game, go to the park, do something that doesn’t involve watching TV, etc.

(2)    Read a book

Too tired to read when you get home from work? If that’s the case, this is the perfect week to catch up on your reading. While I’m a big proponent of reading business books, this is also a good time to enjoy some pleasure reading as well. Read just for the fun of reading.

(3)    Get some extra sleep

Most days you are probably rushing to the office on less sleep than you need. If you can, take this “off” week to sleep late. That may be “pie in the sky” for most of us but do your best to play catch-up with your ZZs.

(4)    Express gratitude to your loved ones

Take a few minutes to give a heart-felt “thank you” to those closest to you. Maybe write them a note or card. Of course, telling them in your own words, face-to-face is also good. While we love those closest to us,  in the day to day rat race it’s important to slow down and tell your kids, your spouse, your family how much you love them. Yes, they probably know you love them. But tell them anyway.

Work

(1)    Reflect on 2009

Take some time this week to think. Many of us are task oriented and go from action item to action item. That’s good, but sometimes we need to pause and take stock of all that’s happened this past year. Slow down. Think. Reflect. What did you accomplish this year? What areas can you improve?

(2)    Prepare for 2010

January 4, 2010 (the first business day of the year) will be here before you know it. And you will need to have your track shoes ready that day. You know there will be a ton of e-mails and projects waiting for you. With that being the case, take an hour or two (or even more) during this slower paced week and make sure you have everything in order for 2010. What projects need highest priority? What is your top goal that absolutely, positively has to be accomplished in 2010?

(3)    Organize your office

Confession time: my office is an absolute mess. I let dust pile up and stacks accumulate. Why? Mostly because I just don’t take the time to organize my office. With fewer interruptions this week now could be the perfect time to devote a few hours to your office. Another plus: you don’t want to start the new year with old files. So be sure to clean out things you won’t need for next year.

(4)    Leave early or take a long lunch with a friend

If you can, try to take some time for people this week. Have a coffee date with a friend. If you can’t get out of the office then have an extended conversation with a co-worker. And don’t always talk about work—get to know them as a person.

What other ideas do you have for how to spend this “dead” week? Post a comment and suggestion and share your thoughts.

Think Huge!