Think Huge by Mark Arnold

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!

First Impression is Not Always the Last Impression

When you meet someone, do you automatically assume and form opinions about who they are? Do you make assumptions in your head about that person and set expectations for them? This is true for most people (even though we may deny it); we are guilty of preconceived notions upon a first impression. Do these first impressions change over time or are they set in stone for you?

If you saw a guy in old, dingy jeans and a t-shirt, would a CEO of a successful, international company come to mind? This Whole Foods Market CEO dresses in his own style, but the bottom line is that he rules the market. Or maybe there has been a time that a person looks absolutely charming until they open their mouth? We tend to jump to conclusions too quickly, which may not be the best route to take in our personal and professional lives. A famous idiom often used is “do not judge a book by its cover.” It is very important to be able to give the person a chance to prove themselves and not develop an impression.  We were taught this lesson as children, yet we tend to forget the wisdom learned at that age. Taking the time to force yourself to dismiss your immediate assumption not only allows you to see someone with new eyes, it also opens the door to a new experience.  Having the vision to recognize these situations and reroute the usual assumptions is a great way to Think Huge.

Sometimes, forming impressions lead to a form of discrimination that we as individuals may not even realize. We have certain misconceptions of various people and as human beings, we tend to identify one individual’s doing to their race, age, gender, religion or beliefs. Forming opinions according to the misconceptions keeps us from treating each other equally. By keeping your renewed vision of fairness in mind, you allow each person the opportunity to prove themselves.

 Developing impressions and assigning expectations according to them can be quite unpredictable. You may form high expectations of someone, but when they are not able to meet those expectations, it causes you frustration. This also goes for people forming expectations about you. Always under promise and over fulfill to exceed others’ satisfaction. When you are hiring someone, looking to do business, meeting for a date or even just dealing with a stranger, Think Huge about others’ possible potential. Maybe these people will return the favor and not make first impression assumptions about who you are.

 Do you believe that first impressions are lasting impressions? If so, why? Leave a comment and let’s find out!

 

Allow Time for the Unexpected

Note: This is an excerpt from the book Think Huge: Elevating Your Life and Your Business

Let’s be honest with each other: stuff happens. We get so busy with our jobs or daily tasks that we don’t leave enough time for people. We have to allow time for the unexpected.

I tend to struggle with this. I come to work with a “To Do” list that is 20 items deep. I immediately check my e-mails and voicemails, get entranced by the computer and start working on marking off those tasks. Then two hours later I look up and realize I haven’t even said “hello” to my employees! Ouch—what kind of leader is that?

Heaven forbid we’re in the middle of one of our all important tasks and one of our employees walks in and needs a few minutes of our time to talk. That’s hard. But it is reality.

In Massage Today, author Perry Isenberg noted, “You need to leave some time available for when the unexpected or ‘unplanned’ happens—and it will, more often than you think. I believe it’s important to be flexible and ‘pad’ some time in your schedule for the unexpected.”

We are all juggling a great deal. We tend to not leave time for interruptions. And many of these interruptions are necessary. Don’t juggle so much that you don’t take time for the unexpected and for people.

People can sense when they’re “bothering” us or when they don’t have our full attention. If a person interrupts one of the tasks you are doing, put aside that task and give them your undivided attention. The project will be there when they’re gone. It’s not going anywhere. Will you accomplish it faster because of the interruption? No, but you will communicate to that person that they are more important.

As you are putting your task list together, give yourself wiggle room for those interruptions. If your list is so long you will need every minute to accomplish it, then you may need to cut back on your list. You can’t make your task list so long that you don’t have time for people.

Think Huge!

Small Acts of Kindness Can Have a Big Impact

Have you woken up one morning and thought to yourself that your life is just a monotonous routine of work or school? Have you thought about stepping away from your everyday schedule to do something random to help someone out? Maybe even smile to make someone's day? Small actions like these can make life more positive and better to live for another person.

It’s the holiday season and this is the perfect time to renew your intentions and think about giving. But maybe this year, let this feeling of giving continue throughout the year. There are various ways you carry these small, simple actions out. Acts of Kindness is a great web site where you can get information about implementing ideas of random acts of kindness in classrooms, communities and foundations. It doesn’t have to be a huge dollar amount to be an act of kindness; you just have to have a good intention for it.

Think about it! Do you feel like 2009 has flown by? Time will just keep on passing by, so start your random acts of kindness now. Take a moment today to restructure your life in a way that is not centered on just your individual needs. Decide to get out there and do a random act of kindness. Maybe it will be helping someone cross a street, sending baked goods to a neighbor or even as simple as yielding for someone on the street. If you have random act of kindness suggestion, please share to encourage others to Think Huge and spread the word. That could even be your random act of kindness for today!

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.

Dubai Proves that Nothing is Impossible

What do you think about when you hear Dubai? Do the words progressive and modern come to mind? Over the past decade, Dubai has progressed from a sandy desert to a tourist hub. It has based its economy on free trade and tourism by thinking huge. Sheikh Zayed Al-Maktoum’s leadership brought these changes because as a leader, he aimed to be progressive and followed through on his goals for the state. Even after his death, his vision is still being implemented through constant change and innovation throughout the state. In one of Al-Maktoum’s interviews, the interviewer asked, “You have the tallest skyscrapers, largest malls, and the highest-rated hotels. Why are you setting records for the tallest and biggest architectural work?” His answer was quite simple, “Why not?”

Innovative projects such as Burj Al Arab, the Palm Trilogy and The World all work together to form a progressive and modern image of Dubai. Some people may have the misconception that the Middle East is not progressive, but when it comes to Dubai, that thought is thrown out the window. Dubai has exceeded all expectations; they have even made it possible to snow in a desert with the Ski Dubai project. They have truly become the desert rose and all within a decade, under one ruler. Continuously, there are more and more projects added to the list.  Right now, an architecture model of a rotating tower (Dynamic Tower) is the going to be the newest edition to the Dubai skyline. This state has continued the vision of Al-Maktoum and the passion to continue progressing ahead of the pack is what keeps Dubai progressive. One man removed ‘impossible’ from his vocabulary and decided to Think Huge.

Do you currently hold a leadership position? You may not be the head of an entire state, but you still have the ability to do great things by thinking huge.  Did you choose to go along with how things are normally done, or do you think about leaving an impression and setting standards for your successors? Think about the roles you may get, whether it is at your workplace, at a place you volunteer for, a student organization, or even at home. You may think your role is small, but you have the ability to make a difference. For added motivation, think about this; Dubai is a dot on the map, but has done such powerful things by thinking huge and using its resources well. Think about how you can leave your mark in the world and take advantage of this opportunity. Set high standards and continue to expand on these. Aim to inspire those around you as well as those that may follow in your footsteps.

Shout back and let me know how you have taken a leadership opportunity and left an impression on the position for others to follow. Remember to Think Huge as a leader!

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!

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.