Three or four months ago I went through a process of planning the next two years of my business. I think it is time to revisit that and refocus on the things that I need to focus on.
I write about Finisher's Qualities each week because I feel I am an observer. For the last year or so I have tried to find examples in all walks of life that I could take a look at, study, and describe that could help me be a better Finisher. I hope these things have been helpful to you as well.
One of the things that this blog has helped me become is a better observer. I also like to think that I am more aware of the situations I am in as I try to be a better Finisher. Out of that goal for this blog has grown a new focus on "digital coaching" for me and my business, Brain Bucket.
As a result, I will be launching a new blog related to the section of digital coaching that I find people talking to me about. I will be incorporating some of the observations about Finishing into that blog...but, this will be the last post on The Finisher's Blog.
Stay focused. Know where you are. Make your finish happen past the finish line. Work Smart.
Thank you!
Monday, April 14, 2008
Monday, April 7, 2008
Finisher's Know Where They Are
Kansas Jayhawks made it into the Championship Game.
KU is the team I cheer for after I cheer for Davidson.
KU played an amazing game, almost gave it away, and then re-focused to pull away for the win.
I was thinking about the game and wondering why that happens so often in sports and in life. I was just talking to a friend last week about getting close to a goal and then losing focus.
Why is it that just when all the hard work and focus are finally paying off, I am getting work like I want to, or KU goes up by 28 in the first half...there comes a point when you lose focus.
If you were to ask someone what they were doing at that moment, (as I am sure Bill Self was doing!), they would probably be able to tell you the game plan, or they would tell you something that got under their skin, or ... I don't know.
Finisher's figure out where they are at that moment. They figure out what they are doing, what the other team is doing, and they figure out what is going on in their head.
And that is what Kansas did. They "woke up", they snapped out of it. They did what a lot of teams would not have been able to do...they RE-focused.
Bill Self re-calibrated his game plan...or he thumped it back into his team's heads.
I often find myself wandering off course. Why do I do that?
I don't know...but I think the big lesson here is that even the BEST champions (or almost champions!) do it. AND, it's what you do AFTER you lose focus that counts.
The Finisher's Quality then, isn't being focused ALL the time...it is knowing where you are...it is refocusing when you lose focus.
Great Finishers have the ability to ReFocus.
KU is the team I cheer for after I cheer for Davidson.
KU played an amazing game, almost gave it away, and then re-focused to pull away for the win.
I was thinking about the game and wondering why that happens so often in sports and in life. I was just talking to a friend last week about getting close to a goal and then losing focus.
Why is it that just when all the hard work and focus are finally paying off, I am getting work like I want to, or KU goes up by 28 in the first half...there comes a point when you lose focus.
If you were to ask someone what they were doing at that moment, (as I am sure Bill Self was doing!), they would probably be able to tell you the game plan, or they would tell you something that got under their skin, or ... I don't know.
Finisher's figure out where they are at that moment. They figure out what they are doing, what the other team is doing, and they figure out what is going on in their head.
And that is what Kansas did. They "woke up", they snapped out of it. They did what a lot of teams would not have been able to do...they RE-focused.
Bill Self re-calibrated his game plan...or he thumped it back into his team's heads.
I often find myself wandering off course. Why do I do that?
I don't know...but I think the big lesson here is that even the BEST champions (or almost champions!) do it. AND, it's what you do AFTER you lose focus that counts.
The Finisher's Quality then, isn't being focused ALL the time...it is knowing where you are...it is refocusing when you lose focus.
Great Finishers have the ability to ReFocus.
Monday, March 31, 2008
Great Finishing Doesn't Always Equal a Win
I am a Davidson College Alumni.
It was absolutely from another world amazing to be upset about being one shot from the Final Four this weekend. Amazing.
And, it made me think about Great Finishers and my 7th grade soccer team.
Every year at my little school, there was a game between the 7th graders and the 8th graders. We thought this was the year for the upset. The thought of not winning NEVER entered our mind or our discussions before the game.
We played like 9th graders that day, but the game was even and nobody scored. Until in the final two minutes, the 8th graders scored and hung on to win despite how well we played.
I can still remember how upset we were, and to this day I remember the Varsity soccer coach's talk afterwards.
"The 8th graders always win. That doesn't mean that you didn't play well. I have never seen such a close game. But, the 8th graders played and lost last year, and they know what they have to do. They always win."
Davidson College almost did it. In fact, they DID do it to a lot of teams in this year's tournament.
Finishing means maximizing your abilities, living in the moment, working and playing for your teammates...all those great things that Davidson did do throughout this whole season.
But the big guys always (well almost always) win. Kansas was clearly the better, deeper and bigger team.
Davidson lost, but I think this run and this experience will inevitably take them to a different level in their lives, at the school, and of course...next year when they get to the Final Four!
Go Wildcats!
It was absolutely from another world amazing to be upset about being one shot from the Final Four this weekend. Amazing.
And, it made me think about Great Finishers and my 7th grade soccer team.
Every year at my little school, there was a game between the 7th graders and the 8th graders. We thought this was the year for the upset. The thought of not winning NEVER entered our mind or our discussions before the game.
We played like 9th graders that day, but the game was even and nobody scored. Until in the final two minutes, the 8th graders scored and hung on to win despite how well we played.
I can still remember how upset we were, and to this day I remember the Varsity soccer coach's talk afterwards.
"The 8th graders always win. That doesn't mean that you didn't play well. I have never seen such a close game. But, the 8th graders played and lost last year, and they know what they have to do. They always win."
Davidson College almost did it. In fact, they DID do it to a lot of teams in this year's tournament.
Finishing means maximizing your abilities, living in the moment, working and playing for your teammates...all those great things that Davidson did do throughout this whole season.
But the big guys always (well almost always) win. Kansas was clearly the better, deeper and bigger team.
Davidson lost, but I think this run and this experience will inevitably take them to a different level in their lives, at the school, and of course...next year when they get to the Final Four!
Go Wildcats!
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Brain Bucket Subtraction Update
Hello all,
I have heard from many of you about the several things you are subtracting from your working lives. I think everyone has at least had this on their minds over the past couple of weeks. I am here to tell you it is not too late to join the Challenge!
The goal here is to first DEFINE what your world is.
Then, lay out how will you become the Best in the World ... the best in YOUR world.
Then, Subtract the other stuff.
SO...if you have subtracted things from your life and you have not posted it on my blog, by all means share it with us!
Leslie has an interesting take on this on the Brain Bucket Forum thread called Subtraction is Hard. At the moment, that is the only discussion thread. Anyone interested in more?
I heard from Jerry Smith, a personal and business coach, who said he is subtracting non-agenda meetings...read his comment to this POST. You should also read his Balance Life / Work blog.
I have heard from others. Comment to this post and be featured!
It is another week and time for another subtraction. Last week I subtracted obsessive email checking. By not "working in my in box" I had to plan my work and as a result...I worked WAY more efficiently.
My subtraction for this week:
It is a personal one that is having a HUGE impact professionally. One of my goals is to wake up earlier and not be so rushed in the morning. The ONLY way I can make that happen is to Subtract my late night TV habit.
Therefore...as much as I enjoy give in to my late night nature...I am going to subtract my two plus hours of couch potato time that comes AFTER 10 p.m.
What can you subtract?
I have heard from many of you about the several things you are subtracting from your working lives. I think everyone has at least had this on their minds over the past couple of weeks. I am here to tell you it is not too late to join the Challenge!
The goal here is to first DEFINE what your world is.
Then, lay out how will you become the Best in the World ... the best in YOUR world.
Then, Subtract the other stuff.
SO...if you have subtracted things from your life and you have not posted it on my blog, by all means share it with us!
Leslie has an interesting take on this on the Brain Bucket Forum thread called Subtraction is Hard. At the moment, that is the only discussion thread. Anyone interested in more?
I heard from Jerry Smith, a personal and business coach, who said he is subtracting non-agenda meetings...read his comment to this POST. You should also read his Balance Life / Work blog.
I have heard from others. Comment to this post and be featured!
It is another week and time for another subtraction. Last week I subtracted obsessive email checking. By not "working in my in box" I had to plan my work and as a result...I worked WAY more efficiently.
My subtraction for this week:
It is a personal one that is having a HUGE impact professionally. One of my goals is to wake up earlier and not be so rushed in the morning. The ONLY way I can make that happen is to Subtract my late night TV habit.
Therefore...as much as I enjoy give in to my late night nature...I am going to subtract my two plus hours of couch potato time that comes AFTER 10 p.m.
What can you subtract?
Finishers Make Time to Focus
I have heard from many of you that you continue to look for things to Subtract from your working lives. (If you haven't read about my Subtraction Challenge...do so HERE)
In keeping with the idea that I need to connect the dots that get us from being a great Finisher to how and why that is important to your business.
Finishers Make Time for Focus -
I have recently started reading a very strong blog called Zen Habits. As of today he has more than 46,000 readers...maybe we should pay attention to how he is doing that!
Leo has a very good post this week called How to Make Time for your Personal Goals.
The quote he has at the bottom of his post from Yoda is one of my favorites.
"Try not. Do or do not. There is no Try."
You can focus on your goals, personal and professional. Instead of giving in to the crowded nature of our days....stop.
Stop and Make Time to Focus. Great Finishers do this. By blocking the non-essential stuff out, you will create time in alliance with your motivation.
Oh...and go check out this week's Subtraction Challenge update HERE.
In keeping with the idea that I need to connect the dots that get us from being a great Finisher to how and why that is important to your business.
Finishers Make Time for Focus -
I have recently started reading a very strong blog called Zen Habits. As of today he has more than 46,000 readers...maybe we should pay attention to how he is doing that!
Leo has a very good post this week called How to Make Time for your Personal Goals.
The quote he has at the bottom of his post from Yoda is one of my favorites.
"Try not. Do or do not. There is no Try."
You can focus on your goals, personal and professional. Instead of giving in to the crowded nature of our days....stop.
Stop and Make Time to Focus. Great Finishers do this. By blocking the non-essential stuff out, you will create time in alliance with your motivation.
Oh...and go check out this week's Subtraction Challenge update HERE.
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Finishers Persist
If you are pushing to the edge of your industry, or your position, or your career choice, there must be something to push against.
Finishers Persist, even flourish, when the Way gets harder.
As the line from "A League of Their Own" goes, "Of course baseball is hard. It is the hard that makes it great. If it wasn't hard, everybody would do it."
How do you learn to persist when The Forces of Mediocrity (a recent Seth Godin Post) start dumbing down your remarkable plan?
First you have to fail and learn by failing. In tennis, getting to and winning a third set or a fifth set (if you happen to be in a Grand Slam), is a big hurdle. Some players feel the pressure and learn to focus on the details and plans. Other players get off track, lose focus and even though they won the second set by playing better than their opponent, lose the third 6-0.
You have to lose a few third sets before you start to figure out how to win them.
Great Finishers Learn to Fail.
Persistence does not Mean chasing down every attack
Many years ago when I loved cycling I was watching a stage of The Tour De France. A rider was in the leader's yellow jersey and the elite riders in the race were at the front of the big field. This leader was a very good rider, but he did not have a strong team. As the road went up a huge mountain, the other leaders of other teams began attacking. One after another they launched attacks trying to get away from the yellow jersey. Each time someone attacked, the leader of the race tried to chase them down. The problem was, as soon as he chased one down, another attacked. Within 15 or 20 minutes, he was unable to chase the attacks and was left behind.
The smarter thing would have been for him to rely on people who had an interest in the outcome as well. "If you want him to win the race, let him go...I'm not chasing him down."
Persistence does not mean chasing down every attack. Sometimes there are people who can and will help you out because their interests align with yours (even if only temporarily).
So, as Seth Godin implores...persist. If you are struggling it is because you are pushing.
Finishers Persist, even flourish, when the Way gets harder.
As the line from "A League of Their Own" goes, "Of course baseball is hard. It is the hard that makes it great. If it wasn't hard, everybody would do it."
How do you learn to persist when The Forces of Mediocrity (a recent Seth Godin Post) start dumbing down your remarkable plan?
First you have to fail and learn by failing. In tennis, getting to and winning a third set or a fifth set (if you happen to be in a Grand Slam), is a big hurdle. Some players feel the pressure and learn to focus on the details and plans. Other players get off track, lose focus and even though they won the second set by playing better than their opponent, lose the third 6-0.
You have to lose a few third sets before you start to figure out how to win them.
Great Finishers Learn to Fail.
Persistence does not Mean chasing down every attack
Many years ago when I loved cycling I was watching a stage of The Tour De France. A rider was in the leader's yellow jersey and the elite riders in the race were at the front of the big field. This leader was a very good rider, but he did not have a strong team. As the road went up a huge mountain, the other leaders of other teams began attacking. One after another they launched attacks trying to get away from the yellow jersey. Each time someone attacked, the leader of the race tried to chase them down. The problem was, as soon as he chased one down, another attacked. Within 15 or 20 minutes, he was unable to chase the attacks and was left behind.
The smarter thing would have been for him to rely on people who had an interest in the outcome as well. "If you want him to win the race, let him go...I'm not chasing him down."
Persistence does not mean chasing down every attack. Sometimes there are people who can and will help you out because their interests align with yours (even if only temporarily).
So, as Seth Godin implores...persist. If you are struggling it is because you are pushing.
Monday, March 3, 2008
The Finisher's Challenge
As I look for ways to connect Finisher Qualities with my business life, I decided that to find ways to connect and learn from a group and then observe the ways that people Finish, or Close, or Just Do IT would be the most beneficial for me and the most interesting way to approach a blog.
With that in mind, this week's post is about Subtraction.
Have you signed up for the Brain Bucket Subtraction Challenge? If you don't know what I am talking about...go HERE.
Are you looking for ideas about why or how or what you should do?
HERE is a great recent post from Tim Ferriss, audacious author of The Four Hour Work Week. If you haven't read this ulitmate Finisher's book about the MOST Addition by Subtraction way to design your life...you need to do that HERE.
HERE is an interesting post from Seth Godin...yea i know...I always point you to an interesting post from Seth. Sue me. This post is about quitting the stuff that doesn't propel you towards being the Best in The World at what you do. It is this idea + the Tim Ferriss lifestyle design stuff that lead to the Subtraction Challenge.
I hope you give this a try...take something OUT of your life and see how it affects your focus, motivation, and effectiveness.
With that in mind, this week's post is about Subtraction.
Have you signed up for the Brain Bucket Subtraction Challenge? If you don't know what I am talking about...go HERE.
Are you looking for ideas about why or how or what you should do?
HERE is a great recent post from Tim Ferriss, audacious author of The Four Hour Work Week. If you haven't read this ulitmate Finisher's book about the MOST Addition by Subtraction way to design your life...you need to do that HERE.
HERE is an interesting post from Seth Godin...yea i know...I always point you to an interesting post from Seth. Sue me. This post is about quitting the stuff that doesn't propel you towards being the Best in The World at what you do. It is this idea + the Tim Ferriss lifestyle design stuff that lead to the Subtraction Challenge.
I hope you give this a try...take something OUT of your life and see how it affects your focus, motivation, and effectiveness.
Monday, February 25, 2008
Finishers Look for Subtraction
Here at the Finisher's Blog, I try to observe and report what makes people great "finishers" in their chosen fields / areas. Then I try to connect those observations to business work...sales work...marketing work.
This week's observation is counter intuitive and a lot of people don't want to try it.
Great Finisher's subtract stuff from their list without apology.
(Here comes this week's Seth Godin Moment)...
Read The Dip...Seth's great book about when to quit and when to stick. He recently blogged about this idea HERE.
The idea is that you have to become the BEST in the world...and you get to define how broad your "world" is. In his blog post, he says that means you have to eliminate all the "a little of this...and a little of that" stuff. Be strict.
Great Finishers...whether they are in sports, in sales, in business or in real estate... SUBTRACT the stuff that is keeping them from being the best.
Addition by subtraction is not a new idea...but applying it to your day and applying it to your business WILL help with finishing.
What can you subtract this week?
Click HERE to see our SUBTRACTION CHALLENGE.
This week's observation is counter intuitive and a lot of people don't want to try it.
Great Finisher's subtract stuff from their list without apology.
(Here comes this week's Seth Godin Moment)...
Read The Dip...Seth's great book about when to quit and when to stick. He recently blogged about this idea HERE.
The idea is that you have to become the BEST in the world...and you get to define how broad your "world" is. In his blog post, he says that means you have to eliminate all the "a little of this...and a little of that" stuff. Be strict.
Great Finishers...whether they are in sports, in sales, in business or in real estate... SUBTRACT the stuff that is keeping them from being the best.
Addition by subtraction is not a new idea...but applying it to your day and applying it to your business WILL help with finishing.
What can you subtract this week?
Click HERE to see our SUBTRACTION CHALLENGE.
Monday, February 18, 2008
Finishers Seek Stress
The great Seth Godin wrote a post about stress the other day. He inspires me even in his "worth thinking about" moments.
HERE is the post entitled Stressed.
This is great stuff to think about if you are a marketer ... what is the language we use and how does it color our approach to what we do.
I also think that Seth's post is very applicable in the Finisher's Qualities arena...
Great Finishers seek out stress. If you can't turn stress to your advantage...if you can't take the stress that will come when you "put yourself out there" or when you find yourself in a stressful situation... then you will not finish.
The movie "Miracle" was on this weekend...it is the story of one of the great jobs of Finishing in sports history.
The 1980 USA men's hockey team grew and learned how to finish.
10 days before they defeated the USSR 4 to 3...they had lost to them 10 - 3.
Herb Brooks had put his team into a very stressful situation BEFORE the Olympics started so that when the tournament started...they had already gone through it.
Great Finishers seek out stress, fail, and then seek it out some more.
Thank you Seth for helping me with my blog this morning! I was stressed about what I was going to write about!
HERE is the post entitled Stressed.
This is great stuff to think about if you are a marketer ... what is the language we use and how does it color our approach to what we do.
I also think that Seth's post is very applicable in the Finisher's Qualities arena...
Great Finishers seek out stress. If you can't turn stress to your advantage...if you can't take the stress that will come when you "put yourself out there" or when you find yourself in a stressful situation... then you will not finish.
The movie "Miracle" was on this weekend...it is the story of one of the great jobs of Finishing in sports history.
The 1980 USA men's hockey team grew and learned how to finish.
10 days before they defeated the USSR 4 to 3...they had lost to them 10 - 3.
Herb Brooks had put his team into a very stressful situation BEFORE the Olympics started so that when the tournament started...they had already gone through it.
Great Finishers seek out stress, fail, and then seek it out some more.
Thank you Seth for helping me with my blog this morning! I was stressed about what I was going to write about!
Monday, February 11, 2008
Start Well to Finish Great
Great Finishers don't learn how to finish by accident.
Sure, we all understand that (performance enhancing chemistry aside) our sports heroes get great because of hard work over a period of time.
But how many times do you hear the story of a sports figure who is full of talent and never realizes their "potential," or they never achieve their big goals..whatever those may be?
How many times do you hear a nutty sports commentator say, "Well, the wildcats just wanted it more."
Ummm...no...the other team "wanted" it just as much, and god was just as much on the other team's side as she was yours...
No, I think the difference between finishing well and not quite getting there is how you START.
Over the years, Seth Godin has talked about doing the hard work early so that your project finishes well. This week his take on this subject is contained in a post called "Soggy"
How do you start well? I believe that you start well when you know worry about the details when others say, "let's just get started and then we'll figure that other stuff out later."
I am usually that guy! So, my lesson to myself this week is:
Finishers Get the Hard Stuff Done First.
Sure, we all understand that (performance enhancing chemistry aside) our sports heroes get great because of hard work over a period of time.
But how many times do you hear the story of a sports figure who is full of talent and never realizes their "potential," or they never achieve their big goals..whatever those may be?
How many times do you hear a nutty sports commentator say, "Well, the wildcats just wanted it more."
Ummm...no...the other team "wanted" it just as much, and god was just as much on the other team's side as she was yours...
No, I think the difference between finishing well and not quite getting there is how you START.
Over the years, Seth Godin has talked about doing the hard work early so that your project finishes well. This week his take on this subject is contained in a post called "Soggy"
How do you start well? I believe that you start well when you know worry about the details when others say, "let's just get started and then we'll figure that other stuff out later."
I am usually that guy! So, my lesson to myself this week is:
Finishers Get the Hard Stuff Done First.
Thursday, January 24, 2008
The Finisher's Blog
Starting Fast and Figuring Out the Finish
I started writing blogs several years ago, but never worked that hard to define my niche, differentiate my content, or plan my approach.
Then I decided to blog about something that I struggle with personally and in my business and to make this blog an exploration of those failings as well as a series of observations about people I think are great finishers.
Here are some Finisher Qualities I have identified and written about, along with the link to my posts from the past year.
Here is my first post on the subject - The Finisher's Blog
The Qualities of a Great Finisher:
Accountable to themselves - Roger Federer-Model Finisher
"Finish" interruptions: The Productivity Formula
Do NOT deal try to motivate with information: What Does "I Don't Know" Really Mean?
Do Not seek the path of least resistance: Finisher's Never Weaken
Know When to Focus...and When to Drift: Knowing When To Focus
See the "Shot" Early: Finishing When You Are Busy
Never quits...even when everything is going badly: Finishing and Not Finishing
Think First...Then Act Decisively: Compost and Finishing
I started writing blogs several years ago, but never worked that hard to define my niche, differentiate my content, or plan my approach.
Then I decided to blog about something that I struggle with personally and in my business and to make this blog an exploration of those failings as well as a series of observations about people I think are great finishers.
Here are some Finisher Qualities I have identified and written about, along with the link to my posts from the past year.
Here is my first post on the subject - The Finisher's Blog
The Qualities of a Great Finisher:
Accountable to themselves - Roger Federer-Model Finisher
"Finish" interruptions: The Productivity Formula
Do NOT deal try to motivate with information: What Does "I Don't Know" Really Mean?
Do Not seek the path of least resistance: Finisher's Never Weaken
Know When to Focus...and When to Drift: Knowing When To Focus
See the "Shot" Early: Finishing When You Are Busy
Never quits...even when everything is going badly: Finishing and Not Finishing
Think First...Then Act Decisively: Compost and Finishing
Monday, January 14, 2008
Compost and Finishing
This weekend I decided to build a compost container and it taught me something about Finishing.
Problem:
I have a number of large trees in my yard and I am tired of bagging up the leaves and sending them off to the landfill.
Solution:
Build a compost container to turn the leaves into supercharged compost for the extensive garden that is now in the works.
Lesson - In order to finish well you have to learn to walk the fine line between thinking and doing.
I write this "Finisher's Blog" because I am often chastised for my lack of finishing. So, I was determined to be a doer this weekend and to actually finish the compost handler. No such luck.
Weekend laziness + fun kid-time + cold temperatures kept me inside too long. So, I finally went outside to get started...as always determined to finish strong.
I started building without thinking enough about what and how, etc.
Normally, I spend too much time thinking and planning and thinking some more before I actually DO anything. This time, I launched into action without the thinking...and it slowed me down later.
Lesson Learned...think first...then act...but don't think too much.
Problem:
I have a number of large trees in my yard and I am tired of bagging up the leaves and sending them off to the landfill.
Solution:
Build a compost container to turn the leaves into supercharged compost for the extensive garden that is now in the works.
Lesson - In order to finish well you have to learn to walk the fine line between thinking and doing.
I write this "Finisher's Blog" because I am often chastised for my lack of finishing. So, I was determined to be a doer this weekend and to actually finish the compost handler. No such luck.
Weekend laziness + fun kid-time + cold temperatures kept me inside too long. So, I finally went outside to get started...as always determined to finish strong.
I started building without thinking enough about what and how, etc.
Normally, I spend too much time thinking and planning and thinking some more before I actually DO anything. This time, I launched into action without the thinking...and it slowed me down later.
Lesson Learned...think first...then act...but don't think too much.
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