Category Archives: Adapt, Innovate, Win

Save Time and Become More Productive: Just Say “No”

Adapt, Innovate, Win

How Saying No Can Lead to Greater Success

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed and constantly pulled in different directions. We say “yes” to every request, every opportunity, every social invitation, leaving little time for ourselves and our own goals. But saying “no” more often could actually be the key to achieving greater success?

Here’s how saying “no” can propel you towards your goals:

Greater Focus and Productivity: When we say “no” to distractions and time-wasters, you free up mental and physical energy to focus on your priorities. This allows you to dedicate more time and attention to the tasks that truly matter, leading to increased productivity and higher quality work.

Reduced Stress and Burnout: Constantly juggling commitments can lead to chronic stress, burnout, and decreased well-being. Saying “no” allows you to prioritize self-care and avoid overextending yourself.

Improved Decision-Making: When you’re not constantly bombarded with requests and obligations, you have more mental clarity to make thoughtful decisions about how to spend your time and energy.
Increased Confidence: Learning to assert your boundaries and say “no” can boost your self-confidence and empower you to take control of your life.

Stronger Relationships: Ironically, saying “no” can actually strengthen your relationships. When you prioritize your well-being and set healthy boundaries, you demonstrate self-respect and encourage others to do the same.

How to Master the Art of Saying “No”

Identify Your Priorities: What are your most important goals? What activities bring you joy and fulfillment?

Learn to Recognize Time-Wasters: Identify activities that drain your energy and don’t contribute to your goals.

Practice Polite but Firm Declinations: “Thank you for thinking of me, but I won’t be able to make it this time.”

Don’t Apologize Excessively: You don’t need to justify your decisions. A simple and polite “no” is sufficient.

Embrace the Power of Silence: Sometimes, simply not responding is the most effective way to decline.

Know Your Priorities: Understand what matters most to you and align your decisions with your goals.

Be Polite but Firm: You can decline requests respectfully without feeling guilty. A simple “I’m sorry, but I can’t take this on right now” works wonders.

Offer Alternatives: If possible, suggest someone else who might be able to help or propose a different timeline.

Practice Self-Care: Remember that your time and energy are valuable. Saying no helps you maintain a healthy work-life balance.

Be Honest: Transparency can build trust. If you’re too busy or not interested, it’s okay to say so.

It’s Wise to be Selfish with Your Time.

Saying “no” protects your greatest asset: time. It’s about being able to get to the things that matter to you.

Saying “no” to prioritize yourself and your well-being is productive and healthy. You can create more space for the things that truly matter, leading to a more fulfilling and successful life.

By saying no, you create space for opportunities that truly align with your values and goals. Have you found it challenging to say no in certain situations?

Career Burnout: When Working Less Becomes a Priority

Finding Joy: The Benefits of Living Moment to Moment

Adapt, Innovate, Win, Habits

Living in the moment is the practice of intentionally focusing your attention on the present experience without judgment. It’s about savoring the taste of your coffee, truly listening to a loved one, or simply appreciating the beauty of a sunrise.

Benefits of Living Moment to Moment

Reduced Stress and Anxiety: When you’re present, you’re less likely to dwell on past mistakes or worry about future uncertainties. This can significantly reduce stress and anxiety levels.
Increased Happiness and Well-being: By focusing on the positive aspects of the present moment, you cultivate a greater sense of appreciation and gratitude, leading to increased happiness and overall well-being.

Improved Relationships: When you’re truly present with others, you can connect more deeply, fostering stronger and more meaningful relationships.

Enhanced Creativity: Being present allows your mind to wander freely, fostering creativity and allowing for new insights and perspectives.

Increased Focus and Productivity: When you’re fully engaged in the present moment, you can improve your focus and concentration, leading to increased productivity and efficiency.

Tips for Cultivating Mindfulness:

  • Mindful Breathing: Practice deep breathing exercises throughout the day.
  • Mindful Eating: Pay attention to the tastes, textures, and aromas of your food.
  • Mindful Walking: Focus on the sensations of walking, such as the feel of the ground beneath your feet and the rhythm of your breath.

Developing  the Habit of Mindfulness

Living moment-to-moment is not always automatic. When you are alone with your thoughts, returning to the present moment may take a conscious effort to use mindfulness methods like the ones above.

On the other hand, when you are in a place or doing things that bring you into focus, you are automatically living in the present moment. Engage in activities that bring you joy: Whether it’s gardening, painting, or simply spending time in nature, find activities that allow you to fully immerse yourself in the present moment.

However, the rewards are well worth the effort. By cultivating a greater awareness of the present, you can experience a deeper sense of peace, joy, and fulfillment in your everyday life.

Breaking Habits: How to Quit by Doing Something Else

When Developing New Habits Remember to Reward Yourself

Adapt, Innovate, Win

Remember to Reward Yourself

Start Small: Begin with manageable changes. For example, if you want to read more, start with just 10 minutes a day.

Be Consistent: Consistency is key. Try to perform your new habit at the same time every day.

Track Your Progress: Use a journal or an app to keep track of your progress. Seeing your improvement can be very motivating.

Stay Patient: It takes time to form a new habit. Be patient with yourself and don’t get discouraged by setbacks.

Reward Yourself: Give yourself a small reward when you stick to your habit. This can help reinforce the behavior.

Photo by Laura Peruchi on Unsplash

Horrible things happen to all of us. Things beyond our control. But developing winning traits can change the questions we ask when we meet challenges. We stop asking, "Why me?" Instead, we ask, "What steps can I take today to make things better?" Jay Wren

What Steps can I Take Today to Make Things Better?

Adapt, Innovate, Win

Horrible things happen to all of us, things beyond our control. But developing winning traits can change the questions we ask when we meet challenges. We stop asking, “Why me?” Instead, we ask, “What steps can I take today to make things better?” ~ www.jaywren.com

 

 

 

Photo by Mathias Reding on Unsplash

Professional Growth: It is not how great you were yesterday but how great you are becoming that will determine your success in life. ~ www.jaywren.com

Professional Growth

Adapt, Innovate, Win, Job Skills, Success

Professional growth: things change so rapidly that you must develop the skills and learn the information that will continue to make you an asset to your customers or clients.

Success Stories

Learn from success stories. Learn about the changes people are making to become successful. Additionally, learn about the needs that people have for new goods and services. Start with the customer and develop the ability to give them what they need.

Failure Stories

Find out what or who is failing. Additionally, find out why these businesses or people are failing. Are they making mistakes that you can avoid? Do you need to do things differently from these businesses or people? Are they failing because the needs of their customers or clients are changing? Or, perhaps, they are failing because their methods or business model can no longer provide the goods and services to the customers or clients. Look for new ways of doing things to fill the void that these people once filled.

Be Strategic About Your Professional Growth

A tactical approach to your career is how you work and make decisions each day. A strategic approach is how you manage your career for long-term success. To draw an analogy, a company may build a facility to make the products they will sell this year. However, the company may already be looking ahead to what products they will make in future. Towards that end, they lay out a plan for building a facility that meets the requirements for future products.

Therefore, you should take time to lay out a plan for developing skills on which you can build new skills. With these new skills, you may become more versatile and more effective as your career grows. For example, you may be developing the skills to manage a project. Thinking strategically, you may focus on learning to manage projects that will grow and, as they grow, create the need for higher levels of management. So, you also focus on developing skills that empower you to move into those higher levels of management.

Professional Growth Challenge

Challenge yourself to find sources of information that will keep you informed on your need for professional growth. Trade journals, business websites, daily news, and Internet forums can provide you with information on changes that affect your business or your career. Additionally, develop a network of winners who can help you know what you need to learn or what changes you must make.

Job Security: Be the Best at Selling and Delivering what People Need.

Lifetime Career Success Requires the Power to Grow.

Lifetime Career Success Requires the Power to Grow

Adapt, Innovate, Win

Lifetime Career Success: Building a successful career is a continual process of expanding your skills and your network. Don’t fear change. Embrace it.

Move beyond your comfort zone. Self-doubt is a sign that I am growing. With growth, I gain greater confidence and marketability.

The Texas Ice Houses

At one time, ice houses sold one thing: ice. People who could afford them, had cabinet ice boxes that held large blocks of house.  With the invention of the refrigerator, the need to buy ice for the ice box disappeared. In most cases, these ice houses disappeared. However, in Texas, some ice houses survived the changed. They became open air public gathering places where people could sit and have cold drinks and salty snacks. Many offered sandwiches and burgers.

In my career as a recruiter, I saw rapid changes in my industry. Through mergers and acquisitions, an industry that once had thousands of companies evolved into an industry that had fewer and yet larger companies.

However, advances in technology created new potential clients with companies in marketing services and market research. I responded with an increase in my focus to these new companies.

Starting and Evolving

The first day that I sat down to start my career as a recruiter, I had no contacts. I had a telephone, an empty legal pad, and a box of blank 5 x 8 index cards.

On the other hand, my client base continued to broaden to include companies that you might consider for your career. Here are segments of industry where I recruited.

Marketing Services and Market Research Companies, Adult Beverage Companies, Soft Drink Companies, Food Products companies, Confection Companies, Household Products Companies, Cosmetics Companies, Food Brokerage Companies, Personal Care Products Companies, Natural Foods Products, Personal Products Companies, Apparel Companies, Photographic Products Companies, Battery Companies, Power and Hand Tools Companies, Yard and Garden Companies, Over the Counter Pharmaceutical Companies, Snack Foods Companies, Cosmetic Companies, Snack Foods Companies

Lifetime Career Success

To stay in business, I had to continue to grow with new clients and new candidates who had different skills.

Yes, companies still come and go. People come and go, often into other industries and, sometimes, smaller jobs. Processes change. However, people who build new skills and expand their relationships will build security.

Success comes to you more easily when you can play to your mental strengths. www.jaywren.com

Mental Strengths: Aligning Your Career to the Way You Think

Adapt, Innovate, Win, Mental Power, Success

Mental Strengths: Some people are stronger at solving problems with one correct answer. They are convergent thinkers. Other people are stronger at solving problems with multiple solutions. They are divergent thinkers.

Aligning your career with the way your brain works will increase your ability to excel in the workplace. How can you shape your career around the way you think? Here are some ideas that may help you understand your strengths and weaknesses.

Mental Strengths

What Kind of Solutions Come to You More Easily?
To understand how your brain works, consider these two types of problem solving.

Convergent Thinking
Some people have terrific skills for solving problems that have only one answer.
2 + 2 =?
The specific answer is 4.

When people solve this type of problem, they are using convergent intelligence. Their reasoning converges or comes together to settle on this one answer. Their mental strengths can give them happier lives and more successful careers by working in roles that require convergent thinking.

Divergent Thinking

Divergent thinking skills enable people to see multiple solutions to the same problem. For example, many people climb a mountain by following a well-marked, well known path. This is the path most people know and the only path that most people take.

However, other people see multiple paths for climbing the same mountain. These people not only discover new paths.  Their discoveries may help other people find ways of doing the same thing in new and more interesting ways.

Their mental strengths can give them happier lives and more successful careers by working in roles that require divergent thinking.

What Type of Problems Do You Like to Solve?

If you like to solve problems with convergent thinking, developing careers for solving those types of problems should be enjoyable for you.

Nearly every industry needs convergent thinkers. Whether you are an English teacher grading papers or an engineer validating the structural integrity of a bridge, you must have the ability to see fundamental answers specific to individual problems.

On the other hand, some industries rely heavily on creative solutions. Inventors are people who have success with divergent thinking. They find better ways of doing things. These people innovate. They look at existing platforms like computers and create new solutions using this platform. In the case of building bridges these people can design new bridges and turn the convergent tasks over to architects and engineers who can solve the integrity issues.

When to Use Both Ways of Thinking

If you are starting a company, you may have to solve problems that require convergent and divergent solutions. You are alone or have a small staff.

However, as your company grows, you can outsource jobs that challenge your patience and effectiveness. Furthermore, you can become more successful working in the areas where your attention focuses on your mental strengths.

Career Intelligence

There is no rule that baseball catchers cannot develop the skills to play first base or that a pitcher cannot also be a pinch hitter. Likewise, broadening your skills in both convergent and divergent thinking can increase your career intelligence. You can play at a higher level in jobs that require both types of thinking.

In this case, career intelligence is viewing opportunities to become smarter and more capable by using both types of skills. Finding jobs where you can broaden your career intelligence (that is, convergent and divergent thinking) most effectively will help you become more successful.

Moreover, developing skills in areas of both convergent and divergent thinking will help you throughout your career.

At the same time, stick to your core strengths. Working in the areas where your mind is more powerful will more easily enable you to succeed. Natural catchers are more effective behind the plate than playing a secondary, more challenging position.

Summary

When are you most effective? What roles play to your mental strengths?

Some people are naturally more gifted to think convergently. These people learn quickly and can apply what they learn to solving problems

Other people are more gifted to think divergently. With less knowledge than convergent thinkers, the people see options intuitively. They excel in helping companies find new ways to succeed in failing conditions.

Rebel: The Power of Being Different

Adapt, Innovate, Win, Leadership, Success

Rebel: The world is full of successful people who conform to the norm. However, a rebel can blow past the norm and change the world.

I have never known a rebel who was boring. ~ www.jaywren.com

Companies have guidelines and rules.  But what do you do when the guidelines block you from achieving your goals? Do you have enough of the rebel in you to change your life and, perhaps, even the lives of people around you?

Rebel: Is Conforming to the System Killing Your Career?

Following policies and procedures works great for many people.  They go to work on time and do what the company asks. To the best of their ability, they try to get along with everyone.

But what if you are frustrated with squeezing your way into the norm?  What if you want to break out of the mold in a bold and dynamic way? The way of the rebel may be the answer.

Every Pathway Involves Risks.

There are people who have great careers.  They work at a company for twenty or thirty years.  Some of these people are fortunate enough to move on to another great job.  Others have the good fortune of being able to retire early.

On the other hand, for other people, the life of the conformist moves along fine until they discover that their company no longer needs them.  Even worse, they learn that their skills are obsolete long after it is too late to develop new skills.

In fact, most people find that the security of a large company disappears long before they reach financial independence.

Rebels Find Success Through Their Authenticity.

The most successful rebels are authentic to themselves. They easily sustain and succeed as rebels, because what they are doing feels authentic.

The simple writing style of Ernest Hemingway, the descriptive writing style of F. Scott Fitzgerald, the complex writing style of William Faulkner, and the clever, honest writing style of J.D. Salinger are all different. What these different styles have in common is that they are consistent in the work of these different writers.

Furthermore, their styles are not only different from the style of each other.  Their styles were different from the styles of any other writers.  All four adhered to their idea of authenticity in their writing.

Moreover, don’t force yourself to be different. Simply, let your authenticity shine through your performance.

Rebel: Examples of Success

Cultural icons like Gorgeous George, Elvis Presley, The Beatles, Muhammad Ali, Madonna, Nirvana, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and hundreds of others risked controversy to create success their way.

Innovative icons of technology: Nikola Tesla to Steve Jobs to Elon Musk have never let conformity to restrict their ability to fulfill their visions.

Iconic rebels of art: Van Gogh, Picasso, Jason Pollock, Joan Mitchell, and countless other great artists. A commitment to be innovative, sometimes shocking, and consistently authentic empowers great artist to change the way we view art.

In every field of endeavor, there are rebels who step out to create new pathways for others to follow.

Accomplishments

Accomplishments: Knowing the Purpose of Your Goals

Adapt, Innovate, Win, Leadership, Success

Accomplishments: Why is it that some companies and some people fail to achieve their goals? How can they define their goals better with stating what they hope to accomplish?

The Benefits of Knowing What You Want to Accomplish

Goals are the things we hope to do.  Before we set goals, we should ask ourselves what we hope to accomplish.

For example, a sales vice president may have a goal for the sales team to average 10 sales calls per day.  By making several calls each day, the sales team increases opportunities for increasing sales.

However, sales teams can go for days, weeks, and even years making presentations to buyers and do little more than deliver an order pad.

On the other hand, if before each call, the sales reps decide what they hope to accomplish on each call and design a presentation that will make their call far more successful.

Successful Companies

Successful companies start with an idea of whom they will serve and what these people want.

Case Study

There are two competing peanut companies (not real companies). The goal of each company is to meet consumer demand for peanuts.  However, Company A realizes that consumer satisfaction is the purpose that will create demand for the company’s peanuts. Company A focuses on taste, price, and availability to exceed customer expectation and builds greater customer loyalty. They focus on accomplishing consumer satisfaction in their product.

Career

For career success, turn the focus from what you can accomplish for yourself to what you can accomplish for your employer. ~ www.jaywren.com

In creating and updating your career plan, take a different view.  If it is your goal to make a lot of money, ask yourself, “What can do I have to accomplish earning money?”

A broader example: your career goal may be to become the president of a company. For some people, what they hope to accomplish is recognition. However, the best way to become president of a company is to accomplish the greatest sales and profits for your company. By aligning what you hope to accomplish with the needs of the company, you will have a greater opportunity to accomplish what you seek in success in your career.

Letting Go

Letting Go: Steps to a More Peaceful Yet More Powerful Mind

Adapt, Innovate, Win

Letting Go:  When I get caught up in trying to control everything in my life, I am setting myself up to suffer anxiety and anger.  Becoming aware that I am holding onto painful thoughts and feelings is the first step to a higher level of thought.

Learning to let go of things I can’t control is one of the great lessons of my life. ~ www.jaywren.com

1. Letting Go of People Who Drag You Down

It is healthy to spend time with others. But spending time with people who complain and criticize sours my mood and muddles my thinking.  Hanging out with mentally healthy people helps me become mentally and emotionally healthier.

2. Letting Go of the Past and the Future

Ruminating on the past drains my energy.  Furthermore, holding onto resentments creates a permanent state of anger.

Worrying over things that have not happened creates anxiety that clutters my mind and weakens my ability to solve problems.

Getting out of my head helps me focus on what is in front of me and around me.  This focus enables me to enjoy life and be present for my family, friends, and professionals.

3. Letting Go of Guilt

Carrying around guilt lowers my self-esteem and confidence. There are only two things I can say about guilt.  Either I was wrong and will try not to do it again. I was not wrong and I am not going to worry about it.

4. Letting Go of Fear

Living with fear cripples my mind and imagination.  Many of the things I have feared never happened.

Solutions:  When I feel afraid, I take a deep breath. I step away and take a break.  Often, exercise or rest helps me move beyond the feeling of fear.

5. Letting Go of Mistakes

Everyone makes mistakes. Smart people don’t dwell on their mistakes.

  1. Mistake made.
  2. Lesson learned.
  3. Move on.

Even if I do nothing new, mistakes are inevitable. Moreover, I allow myself opportunities to do new things.  Sometimes I am pretty hard on myself, but I don’t punish myself for being less than perfect.  In a sense, there are good mistakes in that they help me learn and grow.

6. Letting Go of Obsession over Results

When I obsess with the results and not the process, I create pain and lose clarity.

Instead of obsessing over results, I do these things.

  1. I create the goals.
  2. Then I create a plan to reach my goal.
  3. Big projects require adjustments.
  4. Therefore, I update the plan.
  5. However, despite the best plan and the best effort, failure happens.
  6. Worrying about results creates a cluttered mind that makes me less effective.

For example, a retail goal is to make sales.  A store can plan to increase its sales when it increases the number of shoppers in the store and the amount of time each shopper spends in the store. Retail stores focus on the process of getting and keeping shoppers in their stores.

7. Letting Go of Inconsistency

One of the business clichés is to embrace change. Sometimes change is good.  Sometimes change is way to get lost in the wilderness.

Change can create many feelings.  Positive change lifts our spirits.  Negative or uncertain change is stressful.

One solution is to assess the value of changes.  From there, focus your attention and your effort on positive change.  However, don’t focus on the prospects of change.  Remember, we can’t control the future.

8. Letting Go of Being Busy

Leaders set priorities based on the things they can get done today.  This process removes anxiety over things beyond their control.  Focusing on today’s priorities empowers leaders to follow the process of their plans. However, piling extra work on extra work drains my energy and takes me away from the most important things I need to do.