Think Huge by Mark Arnold

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!

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!

Unique Perspectives: Think Outside the Box

Example #1: Apple and Nike noticed that they shared the same consumers so they decided to collaborate to create products. Nike designed apparel that had space for an iPod and shoes with sensors that detect workout progress. Apple iPod then allows you to download from these sensors to track your work out.

Example #2: M&M’s developed a web site where consumers can become a personalized M&M. They can then share this photo on their Facebook or MySpace page.

Example #3: When Toyota first launched its new Scion, they spent 70%  on street promotions and used product placement in video games to target the younger generation.

What have you noticed in the examples given above for various companies? They have all, in some way or another, been creative by doing things differently. What I want you to do is think about a job project you have on hand, a school project that you have to take care of, an employee you have to train or maybe even an interview for a job. Now, think of a really different idea or strategy to approach that issue in order to leave a lasting impression for your audience. As with the company examples, remember to step outside of the traditional methods and do something different.

If it is at work, think of a way to get your employees involved so they feel passionate about coming to work. Train them to better retain information by doing something different like a virtual game, simulation or even have speakers from outside the industry come in with a fresh perspective.

If it’s at a job interview or job fair, make sure that you stand out from the pile of resumes being collected. Ask yourself what you can do to stand out and not be just another resume in the pile. There are risks involved with straying from the norm, but your individuality may just land you an interview.

If it’s a school project, do an activity that no one has ever seen in your class. Impress the professor by waking up the audience from the usual boring presentation to a totally different project. Have audience participation and videos in your presentation or even a skit to act out what you discovered in your research.

If it’s at home, think of something creative for a holiday present, birthday party for your family member or any other special occasion. Think how you can use your creativity to do something that is completely flattering and out of the blue. Maybe even surprise your significant other with a great night out on a random evening.

No matter what aspect in your life you are focusing on, you can choose to think outside the box. Try it out and I guarantee that you will get the best feeling! Remember to Think Huge and try something different!

Running in the Rain

“I like rain, actually.”
—Bill Rodgers, running legend and former Boston & New York City Marathon winner

I’m nearing the end of my training for the upcoming White Rock Marathon. On one of my training runs last week I encountered some serious rain and water issues. It had been raining for two hours before my morning run so the streets were already saturated. And when I started the rain was still going strong.

So throughout the eight miles, I encountered (or shall I say “immersed my feet in”) puddle after puddle after puddle. Once I finished and dried off, I realized there were three Think Huge lessons I learned while running in the rain:

(1) You are going to step in puddles—Okay, you may call it something else but since we’re using a rainy running metaphor we’ll call it “puddles.” And sometimes, you just step in them. There were times I was literally ankle deep in water for multiple steps: my shoes and socks were drenched. I could have stopped but chose to persevere instead. Life is like that—you will have times when you’re going to get pretty wet in life. You have a choice to make: quit or persevere.

(2) Sometimes you won’t see the puddles—I wear glasses and can’t see much without them. When I’m running in the rain I don’t tend to wear them because the lenses get too wet to do any good. So on that morning I was running without glasses in the dark—which meant I didn’t see many of the puddles I stepped in. Once again, life is like that as well—you won’t always see problems coming your way. In fact, there are times when you’ll be completely blindsided. You can whine about it and have a sorry attitude. Or you can decide to directly meet the challenge with a positive attitude. Your attitude (even in the midst of puddles) makes all the difference in the world.

(3) You have to determine when to push through and when to redirect—At one point in the run I didn’t just encounter ankle deep water: I came to a low-point where the water started getting up to my lower calves. I looked ahead and saw more rushing water—and that’s when I turned around! As noted above, life is like that—while perseverance is key to success (and a think huge principle), perseverance doesn’t mean stubbornness. While you never give up (notice I didn’t stop running), there are times when you will need to redirect or go another way.

Life is not always a walk in the park—sometimes it’s a run in the rain.

Think Huge!

Book Review: Tribes

One of the best-known marketing authors today is Seth Godin. He has written classics such as The Purple Cow and All Marketers Are Liars. He is a prolific writer and blogs regularly. His most recent book, Tribes, is already a must-read not only for marketers but also for executives and anyone wanting to lead a change.

Godin defines a tribe as “a group of people connected to one another, connected to a leader, and connected to an idea…a group needs only two things to be a tribe: a shared interest and a way to communicate.”

As with his other books, Godin makes you think a great deal with Tribes. He will challenge you and in many ways get in your face, especially when it comes to how you create value and how you communicate with your customers.

For those of us in marketing, we must think not about how to sell something, but rather how to create a tribe of people who will use our products and services. A tribe of people who will listen to what we have to say.

Godin covers topics such as leadership, change, story telling, social media, organizational structure and more. There is something in this book for everyone. But don’t read this book if you want to be comfortable: Godin will push your buttons and challenge you (which is a good thing).

There are several parts of the book that I underlined and were some of my favorite quotes, including:

“It turns out that people who like their jobs the most are also the ones who are doing the best work, making the greatest impact and changing the most."

and

“Today marketing is about engaging with the tribe and delivering products and services with stories that spread.”

and

“Cynicism is a lousy strategy.”

In fact, his cynicism quote hit me so hard I posted a recent blog on Overcoming Cynicism.

Tribes is not for everyone and certainly isn’t a typical business book. It does not offer a step by step method for how to create a tribe. There is no sequence to Tribes. The book reads like Godin’s blog: random musings from the author. While that is not necessarily a bad thing it does get old after awhile. There were several times I had to put the book down because he kept jumping from point to point.

While the dysfunctional organization of the book may cause your head to spin, I still highly recommend reading Tribes. It deserves its place on Seth Godin’s book Hall of Fame.

Who is your Yoda?

I am a self-proclaimed Star Wars geek. Of course, I have seen all six movies and one of my greatest thrills in life was introducing my daughters to the two beloved trilogies (no, I never made them dress up as Princess Leia for their Halloween costumes!).

One of the most famous characters in Star Wars lore is Yoda. The Muppet-manufactured, wisdom giving Jedi always had just the right insight. His famous sayings included:

“Do or do not. There is no try.”
“Size matters not. Look at me. Judge me by size, do you?”
“Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering.”

Yoda knew just what to say and when to say it. He gave sage wisdom and counsel.

So who is your Yoda? We all need at least one or two people (or Jedi!) to keep us on the right path (and for you Star Wars fans, that means avoiding the path to the Dark Side). People who will help us when we face challenges at home or work. People who will give suggestions when work is overwhelming or when personal relationships are struggling. Life is not perfect—and we need to turn to others for help.

Before he passed away, my dad was my Yoda. Whenever I was facing a challenge at work or a career crossroads, Dad would offer advice (whether I wanted him to or not!). Today, I’m fortunate that my wife gives me insights along with a few trusted colleagues I greatly respect.

What makes a good Yoda? Every Yoda should:

(1)Provide you the unvarnished truth and not idle praise—You need people who will “call it like they see it.” In difficult situations we sometimes turn to people who will just listen and commiserate with us. While that is important, a true Yoda will tell you the truth: even if it hurts.

(2)Give short words of wisdom and not long winded answers—Do you know any old windbags? People who love to hear themselves talk. That is not a true Yoda. If you notice those quotes above Yoda was always giving pithy answers. Someone who can quickly succinctly summarize your situation and offer quick words of advice is a true Yoda.

(3)Have your best interest at heart—Yoda never had a hidden agenda; and someone you are turning to for counsel should only have one thing in mind: helping you succeed. You need people at work and life you can absolutely, 100% trust.

Everyone needs a Yoda. You need someone who can help you with your personal and professional life. We are not designed to go through life without help.

So who is your Yoda? Submit a comment telling us who your Yoda is and why.

Think Huge!

FIRST GRADERS INSPIRE ADULTS TO DREAM BIG

After hearing this inspiring story from Jenn Bills of PTP NEW MEDIA, I asked her to share it as a guest blogger for the Think Huge blog.

I always look forward to chatting with my friend Britt, a first grade teacher. Of course, I enjoy spending time catching up, but I also enjoy hearing the silly (but very honest) things that her students say. At this age, her students are interested in everything, but have not developed the ‘adult’ censor quite yet. Britt said this refreshing dose of honesty is one of her favorite things about working with this age group.

At my most recent meeting with her, she added that along with honesty, her students still maintain their ability to dream big. She elaborated that their dreams could be grand and huge because they did not even think to add limitations or stipulations. Britt felt that her students opened her eyes and reminded her to Think Huge about her dreams. She said her “Whoa!”  moment came when she let each student say what they wanted to be when they grew up. Doctor, teacher and firefighter were at the top of the list and Britt was moved to see the look of true excitement on each child’s face. Nothing stopped these kids from Thinking Huge, they were open and honest about what they truly wanted to do.

At the end of the this exercise, one of the more outspoken students raised his hand and asked Britt what she wanted to be when she grew up. She laughed, but then realized she actually was what she wanted to be. Her dream was to become a teacher and she succeeded. The sense of satisfaction through a recognition of her passion and having the vision to see it through is why Britt could smile.

Children have the ability to open our eyes and teach us great life lessons, some that we may have even forgotten along the way. In your professional life, are you happy with your career choice? Are you passionate about what you do? If you are unable to answer ‘yes’ to both of these, then take a step back and allow yourself to THINK HUGE. What is your huge dream?  Take a cue from Britt’s first grade students and remind yourself to THINK HUGE!

Life Physicals Just As Important As Health Physicals

 
Last month I had my routine physical. My doctor is big on having these exams every year. It’s so important to him, the exam is actually a two-parter: one week I go in after fasting the night before and give blood. Then two weeks later I come back so he can poke and prod me some more and review the blood work results

When I asked why these routine physicals were so important, he said “one of the best ways to detect and prevent major medical problems is to have regular health checkups.”

How does this apply to Think Huge? One of the best ways to elevate your life and business is to routinely give yourself a life physical. That doesn’t mean checking your blood pressure and doing other medical tests. It does mean that on a regular basis we should ask ourselves some important life questions.

Below are five quick questions to ask yourself about your life physical. With each question, rank yourself on a scale of 1 (not doing well) to 10 (exceeding at it):

(1)    Are you doing what you’re passionate about?

(2)    How happy are you with how you’re spending your time? Are you pleased with your pace of life and are having time for work, family and yourself?

(3)    Do you have a support system in place (home and work)?

(4)    Are you learning? What are you doing to improve your learning?

(5)    What goals do you have? Do you have goals for all areas of your life (physical, professional, social, mental, spiritual, etc.)?

Now let’s add up your score. Here’s what your score means:

0 to 10: Time to go the ER now! You should make some serious changes to your lifestyle.

11 to 20: You’re not on life support, but you’re too close to it. Examine all areas of your life for potential changes.

21 to 30: You’re just average—don’t you want to excel? Make daily improvement steps in all areas.

31 to 40: Most areas are okay, but here may be one particular issue you should zero in for improvement.

41 to 45: You’re in solid shape. You may only have to make a few minor tweaks.

46 to 50: You’re a super star! Keep up the good work!

How did you do? Hopefully, you’re life is balanced and on target. If not, maybe now you have one or two areas to seek improvement.

Think Huge!

Think Huge! Think Career...

As I have been interviewing several candidates this week for an entry level position, I started to think about creative ways to get a job. The standard ‘send in your resume and hope they call back’ just doesn’t cut it right now. To show interest, I have seen many people make the right impression by doing a follow up call or emailing to check in on the status of the position. What if this isn’t enough? What can you do to Think Huge during the job search?

David Rowe knew that getting a job would be tough, but he did not want to settle for something that he would not like either. To battle this tough situation, David decided to Think Huge. He decided to go beyond the traditional approach and walk the streets of London with a sandwich board that read “Job Wanted.” The first steps were hard, but he pushed himself to persevere. Even his father bet him that he wouldn’t do it. David’s creative vision for his job search landed him a job interview and a collection of business cards.

Kelly Kinney also decided to Think Huge with her job search. After continuously applying for jobs and not hearing anything back, Kelly changed her approach. She recognized that one of her strengths was to connect with people through publicity.  She saw a guy with a shirt that read “Unemployed” and decided to take it to the next level. She put her resume on the front of a t-shirt with her cover letter on the back. Kelly has had several offers because of her t-shirt resume. Potential employees recognized her ability to Think Huge through her creative approach.

During the second round of interviews that I conducted, one of the candidates (without being asked) designed two ads specifically for this interview. This communicated an incredible amount of initiative on their part. This applicant definitely stood out by applying the Think Huge principles of taking the time to design the ads, thinking of the people that she is interviewing with and having the vision to show me that she can do this job effectively.

These are just a few fun examples that I came across as well as my personal experience through the interview process. What’s your Think Huge story?   Shout back and leave a comment with your thoughts.  I would love to hear about more creative job search techniques.

Think Huge With Kerrie Hilton

I first came across Kerrie Hilton on Twitter.  As I do each week, I look for inspirational stories of how others Think Huge and then share them with those who follow me on Twitter.  However, how I found Kerrie’s story was different.  I first saw @12monkeys had congratulated @runkerrierun for her inspirational story.  As I Think People (one of the six Think Huge principals), I joined the conversation and asked @12monkeys to share her story.  Kerrie then sent me a link to her blog post where I was intrigued and excited to see Kerrie living out the six Think Huge principals in her own life.

To begin, Kerrie started out with Think Vision.  One can’t Think Huge unless they know exactly where they want to go. For Kerrie, she had a vision, “I decided to do something, I did it, and as a result I lost 55 lbs. and ran a marathon in 7 months. ”  However, it was not always easy and there were many personal obstacles Kerrie had to overcome.  Kerrie notes, “In Feb. 2009 I was an overweight stay-at-home mom that was happy, but didn’t like the direction ‘my’ life was going in. With 3 kids it’s easy to lose sight of your own needs. ”

Next, Kerrie begin to Think People.  Thinking huge will get one absolutely nowhere unless they involve people in their life.  For Kerrie she had support. “I started a weight loss plan with my friend Jackie’s help and started running, which isn’t something I was ever particularly good at,” Kerrie stated.  In addition, Kerrie also mentioned, “I decided to run a marathon after consulting my husband, who said, “Go for it.” Without the support of my husband and oldest daughter it would not have been possible.”  By having the support of those around her, Kerrie was able to put her vision into action.

As she begin to run the marathon, it became clear to Kerrie that she needed to Think Perseverance.  Thinking huge is not a “name it and claim it” gospel. One will encounter trials in life and thinking huge means overcoming those obstacles.  Kerrie had to do just that and recalls, “Soon, I started to feel sick and by mile 15 I was slowed almost to a walk. It felt like I was running though knee-high mud though I was pushing as hard as I could. This had never happened in training and actually 15 miles became ‘no big deal’ for me. I decided not to panic; no way would I have ‘DNF’ beside my name (the dreaded “did not finish”).”

In reflection of the race, Kerrie realized she had accomplished something incredible was able to Think Learning. One will only grow as much you are learning.  For Kerrie, she mentioned, “This was more incredible than any race I’ve ever run because the training was such a sacrifice and juggling schedules with 3 kids was such a struggle. I learned that no matter how prepared you are, you have to run YOUR OWN race, or the outcome will not be what you expect.”

Throughout her entire marathon journey Kerrie, it was important for Kerrie to Think Time.  Truly thinking huge means we are investing our time in the right way.  Kerrie recalls, “The best part for me was looking at my picture at the end of it all. I went from a size 16 to a 6 and ran a marathon in 7 months.”

Finally, a key reason Kerrie was able to achieve her goal was because she was able to Think Passion.  One needs to love whatever they are doing in life.  Kerrie remembers, “It really was as easy as deciding to do something and then taking the steps to make the changes to get it done. I truly think that anyone can do whatever it is they want as long as they have a goal, motivation, and most of all, support. Ordinary people can do extraordinary things”.

What’s your Think Huge story?  How have you been able to use the six Think Huge principals in your life.  Shout back and leave a comment with your thoughts.  I would love to hear from you.