Category Archives: Personal Development

How Are You Doing So Far? 1

Personal Development • Tags: , , , , ,

images (24)My oh my it’s hard to believe it’s July 1st already. Where has all the time gone? How are you doing so far? It’s time to dust off your 2014 list of “New Year’s Resolutions” and evaluate your progress to date. Are you still on track to accomplish the goals you set for yourself? If you aren’t – don’t get discouraged. You still have time to get back on track. You still have time to adjust your sails and make a dash for the finish line. Now is not the time to give up and quit the race. Now is the time to kick yourself in the butt and get moving.

“Wishing and hoping won’t make it so – Life is a planned event” What needs to happen between now and the end of the year for you to accomplish at least one of your goals? You don’t have to accomplish them all so pick one. Pick the one that will benefit you the most. (Exercise more, save money, learn to dance or write a book) After you’ve decided on which one – put a plan together to accomplish it. Break it down into small bite size pieces. Step one do this – Step two do that – and so on. After you’ve listed all the steps needed to accomplish your goal, hang it up on a wall where you’ll be able to see it. As you complete each step stoke it off your list. Mapping your progress is a great way to keep yourself motivated.   It’s a great way to keep you on track. Now get to work – times a wasting. 🙂

Copyright (c) 2014. Brian Smith – PLD. Not to be reproduced without permission. Are you or someone you know looking for a speaker who can entertain and inform on a variety of soft-skills topics? Contact Brian today. He will work with you to insure your event is an overwhelming success. To find out more about Brian and what he can do for you visit http://briansmithpld.com

Fatherhood Doesn’t Come with an Instruction Manual

Personal Development

Enhancing Lives & Transforming Leadership

137r2v8t0hcp5mae.D.0.Happy-Father--s-Day-QuotesMy Dad passed away in November of 2012. There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t think of him. I still haven’t deleted him from my Skype contact list. (We Skyped each other on Sunday afternoons) I’m reminded every Fathers Day of how much I’ve lost but also of how much I gained. I have my memories to comfort me. I’m glad that I was able to kiss him on the forehead and tell him that I loved him as I left his hospital room. The last words I heard him say was that he loved me too. If your father is still alive don`t miss the opportunity to let him know how much he means to you.

The truth is we don’t get to pick our Dad. I lucked out. I got a Dad who loved me unconditionally no matter how many times I screwed up –…

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Bigger is Bigger But Not Neccessarily Better

Competitive Advantage, Customer Service, Personal Development • Tags: , , ,

bigger 2Have you walked around a large department or food store lately? Too big to fail? I’m not so sure. I’m not convinced bigger is better. Bigger is bigger but not necessarily better. I spent 30 years in retail – managing and owning multi-million dollar businesses so I understand a bit about product selection and customer service. If I had to make a choice I’d spend my money on customer service every time. After all – how many different types of hammers do you need? At what point do customers give up looking at all the different models of toasters on the shelf and just pick one – any one? Too many choices of anything tends to numb the brain.

Who are you building your stores for? You or your target customer? The population is aging. They want to be able to get in – find what they want – and get out. They want to be able to walk around your store without having to walk endlessly in circles or guess where the exits are. They want to be able to find a sales person when they need help. They’d like to shop in a warm, friendly, inviting place – not a store that overwhelms, confuses and intimidates them. I may be dating myself but I remember a time when 25,000 square feet of retail space was the ideal size of store. Big enough to carry a large assortment of products with some breadth and depth. A store that you could manoeuver around in with ease.

The “Information Overload” epidemic continues. Here’s a case in point. I met up with some dear friends for lunch yesterday. My friend and I love hamburgers and fries so we decided to check out a popular burger place. Do you really need to list 12 different hamburgers on your menu? It’s a hamburger! – Enough already! What ever happened to the good, better, best selection process? Have we reached a tipping point yet? I certainly hope so. I think we are making life way more difficult than it needs to be. We need to go back to a simpler time.  Bigger is bigger but not necessarily better.

Copyright (c) 2014. Brian Smith – Reformed Control Freak. Are you looking for a speaker or workshop facilitator who can deliver an entertaining and informative session on a variety of soft-skills topics? Contact Brian today. He will work with you one-on-one to insure your event is an overwhelming success. http://briansmithpld.com

The Secret to Success is Between Your Ears 1

Leadership Development, Personal Development, Planning, Self-Help, Soft-Skills Training • Tags: , , , , ,

secret 3Think it, act it and eventually you’ll become it. The secret to your success is between your ears. However, just thinking about success isn’t good enough. You actually have to go out and apply yourself. That’s the difference between successful people and the not so successful people. Successful people work at it. Successful people get up off the couch and get after it. Successful people hit the ground running.

What would you rather be doing with your life then what you are doing right now? I want you to think about that for a moment. What does the ideal career look like to you? If you wanted to start your own small business, what kind of business would it be? If you want to take on a leadership position in your organization, what role would that be? Life – your life – is a planned event – wishing hoping won’t make it so. Put a plan together and then work your plan.

Good habits = good results. We are adults and we can develop new habits. What new habits will you need to develop to open your own small business? What new habits will you need to learn to get promoted? I know it’s easier said then done – but it can be done. Do you need to learn how to be more patient, open-minded or a better communicator and listener? Will you need to be better at planning and managing your time more effectively?

When you change the habit – you change the result. All you need to do is just stop doing one thing and start doing another. And once you’ve done it often enough it will become you. You will have developed a new habit. Once you’ve made up your mind what it is you want, and how to go about getting it, eventually everything will fall into place.

Copyright (c) Brian Smith – Reformed Control Freak. Are you or someone you know looking for a keynote speaker, planning a lunch-n-learn or organizing an event? Brian can deliver an informative and entertaining presentation on a variety of soft-skills topics. Contact Brian today – He will work with you one-on-one to insure your event is a success. http://briansmithpld.com