Looking through the "lens of improvement"

I have heard Les Brown speak a few times over the past several years; and, this year I have had the opportunity to use his advice.

• One of the things he said when I saw him speak in Las Vegas (after I presented from the same stage the day before!) was, “If you get knocked down, fall down on your back. Because if you can look up, you can get up!”

The crowd went wild!

Well, this year, I have been knocked down a couple of times. An injury, a stolen computer, some tougher-than-usual travel experiences along with the challenges day-to-day life have thrown some interesting issues our way.

• I am choosing to use these experiences to grow and go forward. Weekly, I have had the opportunity to step back and take stock of what I have done, what I am doing, and what I am going to do moving forward.

In fact, I am looking at life through an “improvement lens.”

Everything I look at – each product, each process, each event – is reviewed for an improvement. Whether is a more secure and more current computer backup, better awareness while I am training, or contingency-ready travel plans, I am looking for better ways to get things done.