I was engaging in an interesting conversation the other day. A friend of mine was feeling blue. Life sucks big time. I soon understood that my friend was focusing on small obstacles and things that are out of his control. We talked for a while. What was bringing him down? Well it was the little things in life like trouble at work, little sleep, feeling inadequate. I started by asking about what he is proud about so far. Well, my wife, kids, I actually got a great job, my education is good. These are examples of answers that fell upon the table. Yeah I know that it is a blizzard and cold outside. I know that it is the dark season in Norway right now. But there are a lot of things you cannot control, so stop focusing on the cracks in the road.

Open your eyes and take a look at the view.

Sometimes a complaining co-worker can drag you down, other days you got the huge electric bill. You might have a boss that is giving you a hard time. You might hate the weather, and the bus is late. You can’t control the weather, but you can control how you feel about the weather. Try whistling in the rain. Try walking with an upbeat joyful body posture in the blizzard when everybody is crouching. It is amazing. Being annoyed at the bus driver for being late will not get you any faster to work. Rather thank him for doing a great job, that might remove his stress and he might get you faster to work. Life is long and some periods might be super boring. This is when you must stop, and move your eyes away from the cracks in the road of life. Take a birds view and look at the long run. You might have a good marriage; your spouse might even love you. When you think about it you might even love your job! Think about why you like stuff in the first place. You might suddenly find yourself moving your eyes from the crack in the road to looking at the scenery of your life. I said to my friend stop looking at the cracks and rocks on your path and look up and around you. What do you see?

I had a pleasant call today from a fellow that was hiring one of my former employees. He was asking for my opinion about him. I get those calls from time to time and I was thinking I could share what these future employers ask about. In this way I hope I can give you a great motivation for why you should do your best at your current job. Everything you do at your current job is directly related to the next job in line. Let’s face it, not many people work crib to grave at the same place anymore, so the chances for you changing jobs is humongous. Read more… »

Imagine you could find happiness? What would it look like? Imagine that you can do whatever brings you the greatest joy and fulfillment. What would you sacrifice to find happiness? It might just be a small adjustment according to what you do today. Maybe a few things you need to do more often, a few things you must stop to do and a few things you might just do differently? I do not have the answer, as it is asleep inside you.
Read more… »

On a scale from 1 to 10, how great is your day today?

1. Really awful, I hate everybody?
2. I wish I could sleep through this day and skip it
3. Don’t look at me like that, or I will punch you nose in
4. I do not know, I do not care
5. I am awake, aren’t I? So leave me alone
6. I am feeling ok, morning kind of sucked but it is a sunny day
7. I am actually looking forward for this day, listen birds are singing!
8. You know what? I started this morning at 5 am running, I feel so fresh
9. Hi, do you know the tune I am whistling? A wonderful day!
10. I AM SO HAPPY! Life is GREEEEEAAAAT! Is it really raining, I did not notice! Wow I feel like running a mile!

Post your answer by commenting, but check back for follow up questions from me!

Never Mind the Troll

Business is a game with winners, losers, spectators and participants. It is your choice if you want to be a part of this game or not. But if you want to join the competition you mind should be tuned in correctly if you want to succeed beyond just being a participant. So what does it take to succeed as an employee in almost any kind of business? Read more… »

Do you as a leader know why you should know the values of your employees? It will help you succeed in human relations with your staff. It will help you to find rewards and what will keep them safe and secure. The values of a person are like the tag on a plant telling you how to handle it. Does Susie need a lot of positive feedback? Does John need to know that his job is safe? Does Eric need a long term plan? All these answers and more will be answered if you know their values.

Here is how you can read a person in less than 20 minutes. Read more… »