FROM THE DESK, MIND AND HEART OF JEFF HODGES
Hey Everybody,
It's great to be with all of you once again. I have grown to look so forward to the writing of these newsletters that I just can't imagine a week without writing one. It not only helps you by giving you valuable information to use in your business and personal life but it's a learning experience for me each and every time. I always come away in the end with a new look on things and, often times, with a lot more knowledge than I, myself, had when I first sat down to write. I would like to welcome back all my long standing, devoted readers and welcome aboard all my new arrivals. As always, if you have missed an edition or are new and want to read all my previous writings you can do so by simply going to either........
http://www.letmemakeyousuccessful.com/links.html (bottom left corner of page)
OR
http://www.jeffhodges.blogspot.com
**************************** Success University **************************
Have any of you heard of a publication called EMPOWER MAGAZINE ??? Empower Magazine is a magazine that spotlights very successful companies. In their latest issue they devoted the ENTIRE MAGAZINE to Success University !!! Now, why would they do that ? They did that because they recognize Success University for what it is......... THE BEST OF THE BEST !!! They recognize that this three year old, debt free company, whose mission is to empower others to take control of their lives through personal development, embodies the true Spirit of Entrepreneurship. You simply WILL NOT FIND a higher caliber of people with more love in their heart and devotion to what they do than in Success University !!! They've completely changed MY life. Let them change YOURS !!!!!!
http://www.jeffhodges.subuilder.com
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As some of you know, I am writing a book. While I have not yet decided on a title for the book, the core issue that I cover in it is PROPER DECISION MAKING. This is a very important part of anyone's life and yet it is usually one of the most neglected areas of day to day life. What I would like to do is to share with you the actual Formula that is the basis for my book. So, basically, you are getting an exclusive preview, if you will.
People go through their entire lives living in the midst of the results of the decisions they make. Everything from what career path they choose, to how they take care of themselves, to how they raise their children and interact with their spouse. The problem is that most people don't realize the power behind this daily event of decision making and some give it no more due diligence or focus than breathing. They just do it, often times, without thinking about the choices they are making. I call this the "flip a coin" syndrome because that's about all the effort or care that goes into it for some.
You see, life is a chain of events, each causing the next to happen. Every single time you make a decision about something, no matter how seemingly small, it directly affects the next event, and the next, and the next. Just think about it for a minute. Sometimes when I sit back and think of all the crossroads in life that I have found myself at and the possibilities of what could or would be different about my life it can really be scary. But the fact of the matter is that I am exactly where I put myself. There are no accidents, coincidences, magic wands, bad luck or anything else responsible for my life or yours except the decisions we make each and every day. That having been said, here is the Formula that I use and it serves me well.
EVALUTE: Let me ask you a question. When you get up in the middle of the night to do whatever, (drink of water, restroom, etc.) do you do it in the dark or do you turn on a light so that you can navigate the room based on what’s in front of you at that particular moment? Proper decision making is based entirely on having all the available information possible at that moment so that you make the best possible decision, given your current situation.
FORMULATE: The next step in the decision making process is formulating all the possible decisions that you could make in regards to the subject matter at hand. Just think of a professional football team for a moment. Their situation is changing from one minute to the next during the game. Think of their playbook as a pre-written guideline that encompasses a very large number of possible scenarios on the playing field. After EVALUATING their situation they then FORMULATE a plan of action by using one of the plays in the playbook.
PROJECT: This is where you consider the possible outcomes of the potential pathways you have chosen. You MUST be able to, as much as is possible, pre-determine the outcome of whatever decision you make. If you can’t tell with a reasonable degree of accuracy what is most likely to come from your decision you are pretty well shooting in the dark. This process can be time consuming and sometimes even frustrating but will be time VERY WELL SPENT !!! Compare it to playing chess. The game is literally won or lost based on your ability to look far enough into the game to PROJECT the outcome of a series of complex moves in secession. He or she who can do that one thing the best will, in all likelihood, emerge victorious.
DECIDE: Alright, now for the fun part !!! Now, you have to DECIDE which of the FORMULATED paths that you have PROJECTED is the right one for you. No problem, right ??? Yeah, sure !!! Indecision is a horrible thing and CAN be your undoing. You see, the best decision you could possibly make is worthless if it’s not made in a timely fashion because time changes the conditions and renders your original evaluation NO LONGER ACCURATE !!!
EXECUTE: Finally, we get to the piece of the puzzle that brings it all together. Let’s face it, if we don’t act on or EXECUTE our decision then the rest of the entire process was for nothing! What would we have accomplished by all of our efforts involved in the other four steps if we didn’t EXECUTE our decision. It was once said that ,”A good idea without action is worthless.”. You have to take the plunge. It’s so sad that this one very important phase of the decision making process is, all too often, left out and, as a result, many missed opportunities have resulted. Les Brown said, “Live full but die empty.”. Don’t miss out on what life has to offer because you had a really good, well thought out idea and let it pass you by simply because you didn’t act on it !!!
Well folks, that’s it in a nutshell. It’s not really rocket science but, at the same time, it’s a process that we all go through every day of our life except that most of the time there is no CONSCIOUS THOUGHT put into it so it is done so haphazardly that the results are quite often, shall we say, LESS THAN FAVORABLE!!! I hope you will take these five steps and apply them to your lives so that you spend much more time ENJOYING your life and much less time correcting mistakes or living with the ones that you CAN'T correct.
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"No problem can be solved until it is reduced to some simple form."
– J. P. Morgan, Financier
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I want to go off in a little different direction today on the subject of business. I want to talk about children. You see, I've had the distinct honor over the course of the last few weeks to spend some time with and get to know my new friend and mentor, Philip Dale Smith. Dale, as he is affectionately known by many, has spent the majority of his life (about half a century) devoted to children. A list of Dale's accomplishments are that he is a two time winner of the Toast Masters International Speakers Competition, an award winning children's picture book author and novelists, has founded numerous youth camps in the U. S. and Canada, and conducts parenting seminars for adults as well as school programs for children.
While my main focus is on the adult world, Dale has given me much food for thought. Being exposed to his materials such as his books, audios and websites has put my mind to thinking in a little different perspective. It has really had me thinking about the fact that, in relation to the business world, children are basically adults that haven't grown up yet !!! Now, before you start cracking jokes and saying things like "Way to go Einstein !!!!" allow me to elaborate.
I realized that while we go through the process of raising and educating our children we normally place all the focus on just learning the basic skills, such as math, science and language. It came to me that we are missing a piece of the puzzle here. Just because they are not adults yet doesn't mean that we should wait until they are to teach them the importance of what they learn in school in regards to the real world and how it is applied.
What I'm eluding to is that as you go through the motions of running your business you should take available opportunities to expose your children to what you do. They may not have a specific interest in what you have chosen as a career path but that doesn't matter. The idea here is to give them first hand exposure to what you do and what you need from you formal education to do it. Think about it for a minute. How many times have your children complained about not understanding why they have to learn math or science or what ever class it is that they hate? How many times have they used that as an excuse for not taking the class seriously or for doing poorly at it? If they were exposed to the workings of an average business day how long do you think that it would take for them to catch on that they DO need all those things that they are being taught and that they are NOT wasting their time learning them?
I'm far from perfect and I feel that, in many areas such as this, that I possibly short changed my own children by not realizing this years ago. My children are all grown and on their own now but there are many people who still have plenty of time to grasp this concept and hopefully instill a new found excitement for learning in their children as well as a much needed understanding of the impact that it will have on their lives if they don't take full advantage of the educational system. Just stop and think for a moment of all the times that you have went to do something in your business that called upon a particular skill and you thought to yourself "Man, I sure wish I had paid better attention in class and I wouldn't be asking someone else to help me with this !!!" Give your children an edge. Show them what you do, show them how what they are learning in school directly relates to it and get them to understand that it is within their own power to brighten their future and make life CONSIDERABLY easier for themselves !!!
NOTE: Do yourself a big favor and visit Dale's sites. You'll be glad you did. Dale is a PHENOMENAL individual full of Love, Caring and a WEALTH of knowledge and Life experience !!!
http://www.everykidawinner.com
http://www.thefamilyminute.com
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"You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth."
- Kahlil Gibran
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"I trust the time is coming, when the occupation of an instructor to children will be deemed the most honorable of human employment."
- Angelina Grimke
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As we draw to the end of another wonderful night together by the campfire, I eagerly await the coming of the new week. It never fails to be filled with new adventures and new opportunities. The main thing is what you do with those opportunities. There is an ancient Chinese proverb that says "Opportunities multiply as they are seized, they die when neglected". Think about that for a moment and then take on the challenges of the coming week with a SEIZING mentality !!! Remember, a concrete block can be a Stumbling Block OR a Stepping Stone. The choice is ultimately yours. So my friends, until the Good Lord affords us the opportunity to share each others company once again, remember to always....................
JUST SAY “NO” TO NEGATIVITY !!!
Sincerely,
Jeff Hodges
JeffreyHodges@thedreameffect.com
http://www.thedreameffect.com
http://www.letmemakeyousuccessful.com
http://www.jeffhodges.subuilder.com
http://www.jeffhodges.blogspot.com
270-320-1324
Skype ID : jeffhodges1
