Run 2 Something

Is there a difference between running from something and running to something?  What happens in the horror movies when someone runs from something?  Make yourself a mental picture or choose your favorite scary flick.  It is a dark dreary night.  A person is minding their own business, walking through the woods and all of a sudden they hear something.  They take off running.  The purpose is to run away as fast as they can from whatever they heard.  The next thing you know they trip, fall, and the villain is on top of them and you never see that person again.

What happens in real life when you run away from something?  Picture a couple of different scenarios.  How about the person in the abusive relationship?  Or maybe it is the person that has a job they just hate and they constantly complain about it.  Have you noticed that many individuals that are in these situations tend to find themselves right back in a similar situation?  It is because they are running from something instead of to something!

How about a famous biblical story? (Remember my blog on Don’t Throw the Baby Out with The Bath Water?  Don’t disregard the whole message just because I made a biblical reference. Here is the link if you need a refresher, http://run2something-jpe.blogspot.com/2011/03/dont-throw-baby-out-with-bath-water.html ).  What happened to Jonah when he ran from something?  He found himself not in the same situation, but in a much worse predicament.  A fish’s belly!  When he made the honest commitment to stop running from something but rather run to something (with a little persuasion, thank you God), things turned out much better for Jonah.

Yes, there is a difference when running from something and to something.  When you run to something, there is a much greater purpose.  First, you usually analyze your current situation.  For example, I am in an abusive situation and I don’t want to be in it anymore.  Or, I am in a job that I constantly complain about, and I want to move on to a new job where I can be happy and have purpose.  Once the situation is analyzed a person running to something will make a plan.  What are the steps to get out of an abusive situation?  Is it to attend counseling?  Is it being around people who love you more in order to increase your self esteem?  The journal of family violence has conducted studies that show women in abusive relationships have lower self esteem.  Higher self esteem can help one identify abusive situations in order to better avoid them.  Once the plan is identified run to it!  How about that job?  Is it the career, the people, or your attitude that makes your job miserable?  Make your plan.  If it is the career, then make a plan to get the proper education, prepare a resume, and interview.  Then you run to it!

Once you have your plan in place you must run.  Not walk, jog, or trot.  But run!  To run means to go with great haste and quickly.  I encourage you to stop the procrastination and run.  Display a little faith and courage and Run 2 Something.

“Come on Johnny…Straighten it out!”

“Come on Johnny…Straighten it out!”

Children’s sporting events are one of the best places to go to hear some strange things.  Do parents and fans realize what they are truly saying? For example, you can go to a baseball game and hear a parent yell, “Come on Johnny, straighten the ball out!”  Go to a football game and you will hear things such as “Throw the football straight.  Make the tackle.  Kick the ball through the uprights.”

Why are things like this said? Do you really think Johnny deliberately hit a foul ball?  Do you think that the kicker didn’t realize he had to kick the ball through the upright?  Did the quarterback throw a “duck” on purpose?  And of course the defensive players know they are supposed to make tackles.

As parents and fans maybe we should concentrate more on the process and technique instead of the outcome.  To prevent a foul ball maybe we should yell, “Keep your elbow up”.  A kicker should be reminded of the process that will help him execute better.  “Head down and follow through!”

How does this apply to achieving success?  I believe that when the outcome isn’t what we expect we should focus on the process instead of the outcome.  My wife is an Independent Beauty Consultant with Mary Kay Cosmetics.  If her sales are not where expected it is not beneficial for me to tell her that she should sell more.  (Of course, the weather is improving this time of year.  So those nights I already sleep in the dog house will not be quite as cold.)  Instead, I help her with the process.  We might talk about things such as how many phone calls she has made to her clients, how many appointments she’s made and held for facials, and if she has been able to send reminders to her customers about monthly specials.  Business statistics will show that taking the time to concentrate on the process that generates activity is actually what produces the outcome of higher sales.  So in trying to help my wife with her business, I must remind myself that yelling from the stands, “sell more, sell more, sell more” doesn’t correlate to success or motivate her to do better.

If you or your child’s grades aren’t what you intend, then chanting “Come on Johnny, study more” may not be the answer.  Instead, why not try concentrating on the process that generates better grades?   How does Johnny learn best?  Is it reading the material, listening to lectures on the material, or is it writing the material?  Knowing the answer to these questions can help Johnny focus on studying the best way for him.  When and where is Johnny studying?  That is a very important part of the process. Studying right after school may be a bad idea.  Has Johnny had time to rest and take a break from school?  Have you had time to rest after a long days work before you jump into studying?  Do you study in a quiet place or do you study with light background noise?  All of these are important parts of the process that change the outcome.  So, no more yelling, “get better grades”!

If you are not achieving your desired outcome I encourage you to look at the process through which the results come, whether that is how many phone calls to make or how many hours to study.  In other words, is the process what it needs to be?  The next time you get ready to yell something at someone who doesn’t seem to be doing their best and getting their desired outcome, I encourage you to think about the process.  Maybe you can help them think about the “nuts and bolts” of the process that will get them the results that will allow them to achieve their goals.

Don't Throw The Baby Out With The Bath Water

Have you heard that phrase before? Of course, I have heard it too. A few weeks back I was visiting the Blandwood Historic Mansion in Greensboro, NC. There was a wash basin in the upstairs bedroom. Our lovely tour guide explained that once it was filled with water all the family members would wash themselves in the same water. The oldest would start first and the family members would take turns from oldest to youngest, including the baby. You can imagine how dirty the water would be once the last child washed. Hence, the phrase, “don’t throw the baby out with the bath water”.

Why do I mention this concept? On numerous occasions I have witnessed individuals disregard someone’s entire presentation because of one comment. For example, an insurance agent from Florida recently held a conference call for his peers throughout the Mid Atlantic Region on how to retain business after a rate increase. Several individuals dismissed the whole call because they felt that the techniques only worked in Florida and they wouldn’t work in a state like Virginia where they were from. I know people who have considered a whole book worthless due to one comment they didn’t like or agree with. I think this is a costly mistake that many individuals make. You do not have to disregard a whole presentation because of one comment.

It was reassuring to discover last week that not everyone makes this mistake. I was talking to an individual that read my first blog posting, “Keep an Eye on Two People”. He was able to apply the message to his work at GE. As a new employee at GE he was questioning his worthiness compared to his peers. He then looked around and found that one person that made him say “If he can do it I can do it too”.  He had the skill to apply the message to a different situation than the illustration. My dear friend didn’t dismiss the whole message because he couldn’t relate to wrestling. Therefore, he didn’t throw the baby out with the bath water.

I encourage you to take something from every situation in which you find yourself. Don’t dismiss an athlete’s presentation because you aren’t an athlete. Don’t dismiss a musician’s message about how dedicating hours to practice makes you a great trumpet player just because you don’t play the trumpet or you aren’t a musician. Look for the relevant information in every situation and apply it to make yourself a better person.

Keep an Eye on Two People

I have found this helpful to keep my success on track. First you must find the person that makes you say, "boy, if they can do it I can do it too." then you must find the person that makes you say, "I want to be just like them." I will use my background in wrestling to explain.
Warm up time at a wrestling tournament looks like a circus. There are hundreds of kids walking, jogging, running, and prancing around the mats to get warmed up and ready to go. You will see some Stretching and others paired up drilling their favorite move. If you pause for a second you will most always find the two people you need to keep an eye on in order to be successful.
The first one: it is the one that has already accidentally bumped into a several dozen people trying to gracefully walk his way around the mat. He has tripped and fallen two times just trying to step up onto the two inch thick mat. However, somehow some way he gets his hand raised as the victor when the match is over. I always look for this person. It makes me say, "If he can do it I can do it too."
The second one: This is the easy one to spot. It is the one that several people are watching with open mouths. It is the one that looks like they have been cut out of stone. They prance around the room eloquently warming up and missing everyone that falls into his path. He drills his wrestling moves with the greatest of ease and the smoothest technique. When the six minute match is over his hand always gets raised. I always look for this person. It makes me say, "I want to be just like them."
Find you two people to keep an eye on and it will help you makes strides toward your goal. Who is the person that makes you say, "if they can do it I can do it too." Secondly, find that person that makes you say, "I want to be just like them."