Who is Driving?

When it is time to make decisions (important or otherwise) who is driving? It is you or your ego?


My ego wanted to kick in this week and I struggled to keep it at bay. Wifey and I bought a new car. As a male, I wanted the latest and greatest with all the bells and whistles and for it to be brand new and shiny!


Once I was able to put my ego to one side I could see that as much as I wanted a shiny new car, a 10% saving on the cost of the car to have a one year old model with 10 thousand kilometres on the clock made sense. The difference between the two cars was minimal (16 inch rims vs 17 inch rims).  


Even though I could tell myself "I am worth a new car" (and I know I am), the 10% saving was worth it. Now I can invest that 10% rather than just spending it.


When you are making your decisions, how big an impact does your ego have? Don't get me wrong, as the Skyhooks said, "Ego is not a dirty word". But we need to make sure that our ego is not driving us.


So who is driving?

What Inspires You?

Inspiration is a critical part of life. It gives us strength, courage, compassion as well as helps us to generate ideas on what to make, what to do, how to behave and who to be in business and in life.


The Winter Olympics started a few days ago. Many people are inspired by truly spectacular athletes who compete. Others, like me, are not. (I really just don't like sport!!). We can be inspired in different ways. By nature, by music, by other people, by companies, by children, by art, by theatre, the list goes on.


What is important is to know what kind of things inspire you and then make time to seek out inspiration - not just wait for it to come to you.


So what inspires you?

Can you Believe it?

It is February already - can you believe it?

One month down and 11 to go (that's 8.3% of the year gone). So are you 8.3% along the path of your goals? Have you met 8.3% of your annual targets? For many of us, this month has flown by. I am sure that many people will say "I was on vacation", "business is slow in Jan", "the tennis was on" or some other observation about January and what they are doing. These are valid points, but they are not the point I want to make.

My point is to remind you that "How we live our days is how we live our life".

• If you are not 8.3% along the path of this year's objectives, what can you do about it today?
• If you are not showing the kind of attributes you want people to be saying about you on your 80th birthday, what can you do today?
• If you are not being the person you want to be in the world, what can you do about it today?

Can you belive how easy it is to have a fantastic life? Simply start by having a fantastic day.

Enjoy!


Image: Vodaphone Zoo Zoo Calander

Don't just DO something, Sit there!

It has been a scorcher of a day here in Melbourne.  To escape the heat, I thought I would sit outside in my back yard and just enjoy the cool change.


I have been privileged to witness an amazing light and sound show.  The sun is reflecting off the low cloud and changing colours from orange and amber through to pinks with cloud whisps being different gradients.  Meanwhile, the breeze is rustling through the nectarine tree as the neighbours cat prowls through the yard giving me the "what the hell are you doing sitting on your back step" look.


I could have taken a photo but it changes so much, it's not the same.  But you may have seen something similar at some other time.  It is not the vista that I wanted to share anyway, but the moment.


It's been a hot day.  I have been thinking about things I have on this week, thinking about a friend who has just ended a relationship, another recovering from surgery, family who have just moved house, how knackered I feel in the heat..... you know, a typical day.  Taking the time to just step outside and sit here has been fabulous.    I am taking the time to be a human being not a human doing.


Doing this has forced me into the moment where I can see that life is ok.  Not life and everything will be ok but it already is ok.  Things are great!  I have some amazing things happen in my life, I have some amazing people around me (particularly wifey!) and some fabulous opportunities are happening.  It is fantastically refreshing to be present and sit and appreciate my surroundings.  


What about you?


Sometimes you need to remember the age old truth.  Don't just do something, sit there!

How is your Copy and Pasting?

I see many people who are masters at Cut and Paste. But it is not their documents they are cut and pasting, it is themselves!

• They read management books and do exactly what they say.
• They hear jokes and tell them as if they are their own.
• They go on management training and try and be exactly like the training examples.
• They read biographies and try to be like the heroes they idolise.

Lots of copying and pasting.

 

Don't get me wrong. I am a big fan of training, biographies, books and jokes. But I am a bigger fan of authenticity.

 

Use the training, the books, the event - whatever it is - as a stimulation to be you. Get the idea, the inspiration, the stimulation and do it your way. Don't be a pale copy of someone or something else. Be a shining example of the authentic you - warts and all!

 

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Need some inspiration? Due to the success of the initial Get More from 2010 session, another will be run in early February. Email 2010@warwickmerry.com if you are interested. Detail on the session can be found at www.warwickmerry.com/GM201

How is your Awareness?

As you know (or if you didn't, you do now), I ride a big motorbike. It is a great deal of fun but I am the first to admit that it is not without its dangers! Yesterday, on the way to record a radio play (that's a whole other story) I was nearly run off the road!


To be honest, it happens quite a bit. But there is a secret to surviving it unscathed, maintain your awareness.


I was on three lane freeway, behind a big Ford doing 100km/h (60m/h) and I knew there was a large white car next to me and a car behind each of us but much further back. All of a sudden, the car next to me indicated and started to change lanes. Nothing gets the adrenaline pumping like a car merging into you! Knowing I had the space, I could brake solidly and drop back letting the driver occupy the space I was previously in without there being any accident. It was then that the driver noticed me and gave me a wave!!


Has something like that happened to you? Maybe not on the road, maybe it was at work or with a personal relationship. Something happened that you knew COULD happen but weren't sure if it would.


Again, the secret to minimising the negative impact is to maintain our awareness. If we are too focussed on the details, we miss opportunities or can get blindsided by crisis. Make sure that you keep an awareness of the bigger picture at all times.


What do you need to be aware of today?

What Motivates you?

What Motivates you?

Technically the short answer is "Pleasure" and "pain".

The truth is we are motivated about the idea of an event or thing or what we think will happen if we do or dont have/do a thing.
The issue is 80% of people are motivated by pain and only 20% by pleasure - yet pleasure is more sustainable!


Everyone is different. The key is to tap in to what motivates us as an individual and use that. So what keeps us going when we want to stop? what drives us when we can't help but move forward? What is the "Idea" or "Vision" we can't live without?


Mine is the idea of a business operating how I want it to, a family life that supports me and I can contribute to and to be the man I can be.


So again, what motivates you?