Pivotal Personal Best - the ezine

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Issue Number 79

Greetings from the Pivotal Network

 Resources for the times when you pivot – change direction – towards your personal best …

http://budurl.com/ppb1consultpivotal 

Your personal best – it’s Pivotal!

First, our inspiration

 Quotation

Rely on your own strength of body and soul. Take for your star self-reliance, faith, honesty and industry. Don't take too much advice — keep at the helm and steer your own ship, and remember that the great art of commanding is to take a fair share of the work. Fire above the mark you intend to hit. Energy, invincible determination with the right motive, are the levers that move the world.
-- Noah Porter

Book: 

What Are You Optimistic About?: Today's Leading Thinkers

By John Brockman

The nightly news and conventional wisdom tell us that things are bad and getting worse. Yet despite dire predictions, scientists see many good things on the horizon. John Brockman, publisher of Edge (www.edge.org), the influential online salon, recently asked more than 150 high-powered scientific thinkers to answer a vital question for our frequently pessimistic times: "What are you optimistic about?"

Read more or go to Amazon

More books to inspire

Change

Change and Transition - 10 Steps to Surviving Change Elegantly

If I say the word "CHANGE" how do you feel? Most people remain fearful, anxious and uncomfortable with change, despite it being a driving issue in our society. It appears that no matter how much experience we have it doesn’t get any easier.

Gaining a level of understanding that allows you to be productive, creative and flexible with your own life as well as helping others handle change is key to succeeding in today's ever-changing world.

Follow these 10 steps to help you cope with the transitions in your life:

1. Recognise that things DO change

Nothing is forever. Neither the good, nor the bad. You will be much less frustrated if you accept the change and decide to manage it, rather than desperately try and cling onto the way things used to be.

2. Pinpoint the specific change you are going through

Because any change has a number of implications in different areas of our lives, we tend to generalise the change we are going through. Stay focussed on one aspect of the change by identifying what you are most afraid of losing as a result of this change and then understanding why that loss is uncomfortable. For example, a new computer system may mean you will no longer feel competent. Feeling incompetent is a very different issue than fighting new technology, and can be easily addressed with training.

3. Accept the loss factor

Admit to yourself that regardless of whether or not you experience this particular change as 'good' or 'bad', there will be a sense of loss. This is the 'better the devil you know' scenario that leads us to put up with a situation we know isn't good for us. Clearly define the change and recognise the areas of your life that will not change as a result.

4. Seek valid information

You will doubt the facts and struggle to believe anything you hear, see or feel about the change. Write down what information you need to know and who can provide you with that data. Ask straight questions, remain open to views that may be different to your own and listen to what you are being told.

5. Take action

Now that you have information, kick-start some forward momentum by taking both physical and mental action. Focus on taking the first baby step by setting priorities, committing to someone else what you will achieve and by when, and exercise (even if it's only a 15 minute walk each day).

6. Recognise the Danger Zone

There comes a point where we choose to move on with the change and discover the opportunities it brings, or to give in to the fear of the unknown and remain fearful, anxious and in denial. Recognise that this normal, and don't allow yourself to succumb. Increasing your small, regular action steps will help you keep that forward momentum going.

7. Make a decision

All the information you gathered may seem overwhelming. To avoid analysis paralysis set yourself a deadline for making a decision and do whatever it takes - even if you resort to flipping a coin! The secret to this is to break big decisions down into small, bite-sized chunks and work on one at a time. This way, decisions are easily reversible.

8. Identify the benefits

All change has some benefits. A divorce can give us the opportunity to have control of the remote, a new job could teach us new skills and starting your own business can provide you with the chance to follow your passion. Understand what the benefits of the change are and recognise them for the great gifts they bring you.

9. Change? What Change?

I promise there will come a time when you stop looking at the 'change' as something different. You will have integrated its challenges and victories into your life and will now feel more stable and open to what the future may hold. Remember everything you have learned for the next exciting, exhilarating and, oh ok, scary change.

10. Identify a change partner

Change is a constant in today's society that you will go through many times in many different situations. Finding a change partner who is committed to encouraging you and supporting you will make the whole experience less scary and probably speedier. This may be a coach who can remain dispassionate, hold the mirror up to your fears and hold onto your highest goals. Or it might be a colleague at work who can help you see both sides of a situation.

Communication

Video:

Evan Williams: How Twitter's spectacular growth is being driven by unexpected uses

In the year leading up to this talk, the web tool Twitter exploded in size (up 10x during 2008 alone). Co-founder Evan Williams reveals that many of the ideas driving that growth came from unexpected uses invented by the users themselves.

More about the video here

From the Blogs

 Can friends make you fat?

Find Out If You Too Are At Risk

Ultimate success

Living ourselves to death

Kitchen myths

change

Optimism Increases Productivity

The Seret to attracting with your mind

How Does the Brain Form Sentences?

7 Steps to Better E-Mail Management

Video - Focus your communication

What did you say? Ways to create effective listening skills

How to work a room

Book: You’re Too Kind : A Brief History of Flattery

Backlash: How Early Adopters React When the Mass Market Embraces a New Brand

Subject lines - 15 rules to Write them Right

Time for a Data Diet? Deciding What Customer Information to Keep -- and What to Toss

Marketing your business with your mouth

Simply Irresistible! How to Sell More From the Stage … Easily, Effortlessly, and Authentically

Your Personal Health and Wellbeing

How to Increase Your Personal Energy

Successful people have an energy about them. It's one of their most valuable resources. We asked many of the most successful people we know where they would put energy on the scale of requirements for success. All placed it in their top three. They were not talking just about physical energy, but about that hard to describe internal energy - in fact, when pressed, almost all placed internal energy above physical energy in terms of critical attributes.

How do they get and maintain their high level of personal energy?

Here's what they told us about creating personal energy.

The first thing is understanding that a high level of personal energy is a critical success factor, and then placing a high value on the things that create it - and treating the things that reduce it as enemies to success.

It's knowing that personal energy comes from within. There are external sources of stimulation that can add to energy in the short term, but the real source of personal energy is inside.

Optimism, and thinking in terms of opportunities creates personal energy. Pessimism and consequence thinking can suck the energy right out of anyone - even the most optimistic.

Good health - both physical and mental - provides the platform for high personal energy. Taking care of that health is critical. At the same time many highly successful people have overcome very difficult physical and mental issues to create the energy necessary to succeed. That's where optimism and opportunity thinking are so very critical.

It's getting up and acting that creates energy. One of our leaders attended a Leadership Seminar when she was in high school. After the seminar she was asked what was the thing she remembered the most. Her answer was" To be enthusiastic you must act enthusiastic." Having actions control emotions creates personal energy.

Curiosity - a sense of discovery - wanting to know more - and then taking action to gain knowledge - creates personal energy. It's a key way to stay out of a rut. And remembering that the only difference between a rut and a grave is a rut's longer.

It's drawing inspiration from the accomplishments of others - and drawing strength from what they had to overcome to succeed. Reading biographies of successful people is a way many of our leaders create and renew their energy.

It's overcoming fear - today. And overcoming that little voice-demon that sits on everyone's shoulder and says "take it easy" and "be careful" and "this could be a mistake" and 'be afraid."

It's laughter and finding joy in everyday things. It's great to be able to laugh at a good joke - it's absolutely terrific to smile at the little child holding their mom's hand.

It's positive relationships - the kind that add optimism. And it's avoiding toxic relationships - the kind that pull down, create pessimism and destroy energy.

It's giving without keeping track of payback. Years ago one of our leaders was given a terrific piece of advice. "If you want to make a friend, let them do something for you." It works. We all - or at least most of us - want to give - to help.

It's realizing the toughest thing to do is to start - but once in motion, good things will and do happen. A very fit friend tells me the hardest part of a session at the gym is driving there. Once there, the exercise takes on a life of its own. Same thing with all kinds of things.

It's realizing that personal energy is a variable - from day to day the level of personal energy varies. But exerting the discipline to keep personal energy competitive on even the toughest day has its own rewards. Keeping the promises we make to ourselves creates energy.

A personal experience one of our leaders had illustrates that point.

She was working out at a gym. She'd had a bad day and wasn't feeling particularly optimistic or happy or opportunistic. As she worked to meet her time and distance goals, it became apparent that she was really laboring. The thought of just quitting started to be attractive. Then it struck her just how much her mental state of mind was impacting her level of physical performance. Her results that day were a good 10% less than normal performance. But at the end of the workout, she felt really good about overcoming those negative emotions to accomplish something she had promised herself she would do. That little demon perched on her shoulder had been trying to tell her to "give up", to "try again another day." She ignored it. A small victory. It'll be back, but she knows she can overcome it. That realization felt good - felt energizing. Action guided emotion.

Take a few moments - right now - and assess your level of energy. Then pick out one of the ways our leaders use to increase their energy levels. Laugh, smile, think about an opportunity. Discipline yourself to take action, and have that action control your emotions. Be prepared to be amazed at how your thoughts and actions can and will lift your energy level.

Public Speaking

 Using humour

You need to uncover the style you already have and use it, rather than use someone else's style. Select material carefully so that it compliments your style. If your humor is too much different from your own personality, it appears awkward and incongruent. Be yourself!

This is Rule #10 of the Public Speaking Rules of Humor

Blast Off to Big Results: Openings Set the Tone

When you stand up to speak, you have no guarantees that your audience will listen intently to your every word. We all know that behind those "I'm-all-ears" looks, your listeners' minds can wander. Think about how much your mind has wandered during other people's presentations!
You can't gain support, sell ideas, or push a new initiative if people aren't listening. So, it's your job to shatter that fixed facade, grab your listeners' attention, and hold on tight. You have to earn their attention right from the beginning of your talk. Here's how:

... more

Computer Corner

BASIC HTML TUTORIAL FOR NEW WEB BUILDERS: Mari Bontrager shares her knowledge and experience in site building.
http://budurl.com/ppb1computer

Books and Reading

This week’s Must-reads …

You can read all the reviews of these books at http://pivotalbookclub.com/read_right_now.htm

For kids, we looked at:

(Click on the pictures)

Want to add one to your library for free?  Check out how - at the Book Club http://budurl.com/ppb1membership

This week’s free eBook for members of Pivotal Gold: Savings Fitness: A Guide to Your Money and Your Financial Future: You worry about getting your body in shape why not your finances too? In this book you’ll find some ways to pump up your savings and investments.

The Hugo Awards are awarded annually. The Hugos are voted on by the members of the World Science Fiction Society (WSFS) and are announced at their annual convention, Worldcon. The nominees for the Hugos have already been announced, and the general reaction has been that the lists are very strong, particularly Best Novel which sees several very high profile authors go head-to-head.

If you are comfortable reading on a screen, you can get many of these books, and a lot more besides, by joining WSFS. In order to make sure that Hugo voters are well-informed, many writers, artists, editors and publishers make digital versions of nominated works available for free to all WSFS members. This year, for just $50, you can get six complete novels, three complete non-fiction books, over two dozen short stories and much more. Some of these works are available online to the general public, but others are only available through this offer. You can learn more about how to get a copy of the package at the Hugo Awards’ site.

More on Books and Reading

For your business

I just downloaded a great report by Michelle MacPhearson on leveraging Social Media sites (like Twitter, Digg, StumbleUpon, etc) for getting more traffic to your website. The best part is that you can go through the report, do the steps yourself every day for a week and then hand it off to any assistant to implement for you daily.

To get the report, go to Social Media Daily. The best part, it’s free!

Michelle’s credibility in driving traffic is legit, too. Her site ranks 107,161 in traffic volume based on Alexa’s stats, which means she’s in the top ranks in the world.

So go get your free copy of Michelle’s “Social Media Daily” report and start driving traffic to your site today.

Just for Fun

A Melbourne man has completed a six-month-long quest to turn topography into typography.

Rhett Dashwood has just published a Google Maps alphabet featuring all 26 letters which he found in man-made or naturally-occurring formations.

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Closing thought

 “One of the most tragic things I know about human nature is that all of us tend to put off living. We are all dreaming of some magical rose garden over the horizon - instead of enjoying the roses that are blooming outside our windows today.”
Dale Carnegie

My very best wishes for the coming fortnight,

Bronwyn

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