“Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent
will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with
talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb.
Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts.
Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.”
– Calvin Coolidge
To be persistent, you must first be committed to a worthy goal. A goal worth pursuing is connected to a vision. Take time to identify your vision and the primary goal related to it. By doing this first step, you will set the stage for success. The goal drives your actions. Being persistent and determined in taking actions directly related to achieving your goal allows you to apply your talent, genius, and education to stay on track until you achieve it.
Archive for the ‘Bomes' Productivity Points to Ponder’ Category
Persistence
Friday, April 15th, 2011World-Class Customer Service
Thursday, March 24th, 2011Customer service is key. In today’s business environment, organizations that focus on excellent customer service stand out in the crowd.
We just received the following two e-mails from associates about Apple’s customer service:
1) Just the other day, Apple got a return of an iPad 2 with a sticky note that said, “My wife said, ‘No.’” This news got to two executives, who sent the guy a free iPad with a sticky that read, “Apple said, “Yes.’”
2) My Macbook Pro died. The next day, I had an appointment at the Apple store and took the dead laptop with me on a lark. The “genius” there found out my warranty had expired two months ago. Without me asking, he extended it and gave me a new $1,000 processor. He then apologized that it would take two days to get it back to me. I went from really liking Apple gear to really loving Apple…just like that!
If a hugely profitable, fast-growing company can provide exceptional customer service like these examples demonstrate, there’s zero justification for other companies to skimp on customer delight!
The key to customer service: They simply put the customer first.
How We Judge Ourselves and Others
Friday, March 18th, 2011Have you ever noticed how often people judge other people? judge themselves? judge situations? We do it so often that we may not even be aware of it. It gets many of us in trouble in our personal and professional relationships because of the different way we judge others versus the way we judge ourselves. This difference becomes apparent in this statement:
WE JUDGE OTHERS BY THEIR BEHAVIOR, BUT WE JUDGE OURSELVES BY OUR INTENTIONS.
As a result, we have the tendency to pass blame onto others while we let ourselves off the hook.
Get out of the blame game. Be accountable by taking responsibility for everything that goes on in your life. “The-blame-stops-here” approach will give you more power to create the life you want.
A Plan to Get What You Want!
Tuesday, March 15th, 2011SOW A THOUGHT, AND YOU REAP AN ACT;
SOW AN ACT, AND YOU REAP A HABIT;
SOW A HABIT, AND YOU REAP A CHARACTER;
SOW A CHARACTER, AND YOU REAP A DESTINY,
–Samuel Smiles
What destiny are you creating for yourself? It all starts with your thoughts. Look within you and around you to see who you are and where you are in your life.
If you do not like it, the good news is you do not have to stay there.
Start with new thoughts. They will lead to new actions, which will become new habits. Eventually, they will provide a different outcome and a different character.
Your true destiny will then become yours.
We must move to Action
Wednesday, March 2nd, 2011“WHAT WE THINK…OR WHAT WE KNOW…OR WHAT WE BELIEVE IS, IN THE END, OF LITTLE CONSEQUENCE. THE ONLY CONSEQUENCE IS WHAT WE DO.”
–John Ruskin, The Crown of Wild Olive
Lecture IV:The Future of England, section 151(1866)
Every day we speak to people who are stuck in their thoughts and beliefs. Because they spend so much time in their thoughts wanting to get things perfect before they do anything, they prevent themselves from taking necessary action. Some people have difficulty starting. Other people have difficulty finishing. Our mentor Alan Weiss emphasizes that we need to move when we are 80% ready. The goal is success, not perfection.
Ruskin’s words of wisdom still ring true today.
Our Dominant Thoughts
Friday, February 25th, 2011“OUR LIFE ALWAYS EXPRESSES THE RESULT OF OUR DOMINANT THOUGHTS.”
–Soren Kierkegaard
We need to be constantly aware of what we are thinking about. What we think about (and don’t think about) impacts the results we get.
We need to force ourselves to be in the present moment and look at what we can do about our personal and business lives right now. Thinking about the past or the future drains our energy away.
Stay present and do what needs to be done.
If You Do What You’ve Always Done, You’ll Get What You’ve Always Gotten
Friday, February 18th, 2011On February 2nd of every year, we view the movie Groundhog Day. Bill Murray stars as a mean and self-indulging character who finds himself stuck living in the same day. Everyday, he wakes to be living in Groundhog Day on February 2nd. No matter what he does, it’s like everything is erased. Nobody (except him) remembers anything…and they all start the same day again…and again…and again with a totally clean slate from just having lived that day the day before.
The same pattern continues until Murray’s character begins to change his inappropriate behavior. He becomes a loving, caring person bringing happiness into people lives even though he knows they will not remember what he did because he assumes February 2nd will continue to be the day he lives in no matter what he does. Regardless, he continues in his new ways.
Finally, he has a Groundhog Day when he does everything right.
The next day moves to become February 3rd. His consistent actions changed everything–but it all started with what he did differently.
IF YOU WANT SOMETHING DIFFERENT YOU HAVE TO DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT.
First: Who? … Then: What?
Sunday, February 13th, 2011We expected that good-to-great leaders would begin by setting of a new vision and strategy . We found instead that they first got the right people on the bus, the wrong people off the bus, and the right people in the right seats–and then they figured out where to drive it.
The old adage “People are your most important asset” turns out to be wrong. People are not your most important asset. The right people are.
– Jim Collins, Good to Great
The Pursuit of The Lombardi Trophy
Monday, February 7th, 2011A few quotes from the Coach:
Coaches who can outline plays on a blackboard are a dime a dozen. The ones who win get inside their player and motivate.
The dictionary is the only place that “Success” comes before “Work.” Hard work is the price we must pay for success. I think you can accomplish anything… if you’re willing to pay the price.
Individual commitment to a group effort – that is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work.
Review the Annual Review Process, Then Dump It!
Monday, February 7th, 2011Our article accessible through the link below appeared in The San Diego Business Journal.
We think the Annual Review Process gets in the way of a Company being their best. Please read and let us know what you think.