Jason Womack

Oh, one more picture from the Admiral's Cup triathlon on 30 May 2009

  I'll get mine in the mail this week (I didn't stay for the awards ceremony)...

Admiral's Cup, 2009 (sprint distance triathlon)

Admiral's Cup Triathlon - Sprint Distance
30 MAY 2009
400 meter swim / 12 mile bike / 3 mile run
Air Temp: 64 / Water Temp: 50 / Wind from NW / Ocean Current toward SE
2009 Admiral's Cup Triathlon Race Results by EternalTiming.com

 I've always thought it would be amazing to have a "race report" written before, during and after a race. But, as I'm nowhere NEAR a professional athlete, the day after will have to do! Below, just a couple of pictures of the event, and a little (I promise, just a little!) commentary about the connection I see between performing on the field, and performing in the workplace. Please click on each picture to see it a little bit bigger. (Send me an invite to Facebook, and you can see more commentary on each photo!)

 

Since starting to race as an "age-grouper" competitive triathlete in 2001, as well as starting the path toward owning and operating my own consulting firm, I've found at least four connections to performing on and off the actual "field."

Right Mind: On the way to the event, I "rehearsed" the course in my mind several times. I'd completed this race many times over the past few years, and knew "most" of it. When we arrived, and listen to pre-race announcements, we learned they had changed the run portion to be a 2-lap, out and back twice, route. With the swim and the bike the same, I was able to quickly and effectively visualize this new run course.

I do a very similar activity before each coaching call, on-site coaching program and seminar. (In fact, I also visualize submitting an article, if that's what I'm working on!) I have found this to be an extremely powerful process...To see it before I see it! (For the intro to our last OjaiInstitute TeleSeminar, click below!)

See It Before You See It 01

Right Equipment: Gear makes a difference...It just does. I've got PLENTY of tri gear, and I admit I'll probably buy some more before the year is over. There is just something special about setting up in transition area and believing that I do have quality equipment, sized right, maintained properly, and ready for the race. I like to "forget" about the gear I have, and just work.

This is why I wrote the book, "Maximizing Microsoft® Outlook®." You see, too many people let their tool / gear / system slow them down. The moment you have to "think" about whether or not the tool will do something (or, worse, when you get frustrated that it DOESN'T do something!) you slow down. Your attention is compromised, and your performance drops.

Right Support Team: I wouldn't want to race alone; a team makes (more) things possible. I like to arrive to my races early enough to set up, and then spend a few precious moments with friends and family who come down to support me through the day. Years ago I read several books by Steven Covey, and even went to a few seminars. One of them talked about making "deposits" into an "emotional" bank account. During the race, I want people yelling my name...Before and after I need to let them know how much I appreciate them.

The "mentoring" program I started for clients years ago works as an 8-week "check-in" process that uplevels their work/life game. The people who are attracted to this process always realize within 2-3 weeks how critical it is to have people "on their team." (Or, as Jim Collins says, "on the bus!")

Right Results: I'll always remember the time I was talking to a 6th grader at a race years ago. He was there to watch one of his brothers race...When he found out I too was competing, he turned to me and asked, "So, are you any good?"

It's a good question to ask yourself when you look in the mirror in the morning. "Am I any good?" It doesn't matter what the subject is, just ask yourself and see what happens. On the way to the race yesterday, I was focused on Placing in the top of my bracket. I had heard they were only giving awards to the top two athletes in each age group, so that gave me one of two chances to earn the medal.

All the training, mental visualization, gear and support paid off. I had a good day, placed second, and am already getting ready for the next race!

Woo Hoo

!

Besides time your next most valuable resource is your ATTENTION

Today's Productivity Principle:
Besides time your next most valuable resource is your ATTENTION.

According to research (see the book Mindset by Carol Dweck), we are constantly bombarded throughout our day by bits of information that compete for our attention. We have to “task switch” dozens - if not hundreds - of times per day. Each time we stop our train of thought or action and turn it to something else, we lose both time and attention.

Use your systems to effectively manage the fragments of ideas, tasks, projects and interruptions you think of throughout the day. Here is a Productivity TouchPoint® for you to print and review...Hope it helps!

Please feel free to print and/or pass on to a colleague!

Download 3 ways to manage time

How do you "respond" to being "proactive" in your space?

Hey...Look around!

WHAT is out there grabbing at your attention? No, not "who" (that's you!)...What is it?

You see, we all respond to our space. Whether you work in an open office environment, behind closed doors, in a den or even at the kitchen table, what you SEE can very well impact what gets DONE.

Are you hyper-focused on getting things done - attempting to end each day having "done more?" Maybe you have recognized that your SYSTEMS may actually be getting in the way of your ability to produce...

While coaching an executive in Denver, CO, we found that the 7-15 phone calls he was getting per hour were significantly impacting his ability to develop his book of business.

His work - his world, really - was made up of handling the next crisis or budding opportunity. Good...As a mortgage specialist that's where he makes his money. Not so good...He had a large team of people who were NOT getting those phone call "interruptions."

We coordinated the kinds and types of phone calls to more elegantly (and in a more timely manner!) get back to the people who needed his input and advice. And, a part of his system that could handle the calls that other people could respond to. Look around, where can your "processes" map to your "systems?"

When is your time to do nothing? What do you do then?

While presenting a seminar in London for a group of senior leaders in Investment Banking, one of the managing directors asked about simply taking time off to do nothing.

It's a good question. In fact, it's so important to study, I'd like to invite you to take out a pen and paper and make a list using this prompt:

If I had an hour, this afternoon, to do nothing...I would:

______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________

Chances are you'd do something; I mean really! Read a book, walk the dog, glance through a magazine, call a friend, send an e-mail, take a nap, watch TV, ... Something.

Ya see, here's what I've found: Most people don't want more time to do NOthing. What they want is the ability (and capability) to switch off from what they HAVE to do, and get to what they WANT to do.

Up until now, they've labeled that as doing "nothing." In fact, it's really about doing "something."

Years ago, I learned from a mentor of mine - my dad - just how important it is to have a list of things that could be done "if I had the time." It was a lesson he started teaching me in high school, interestingly enough while I was going out for the baseball team!

Here's the lesson in a nutshell: There will be times tomorrow where you will have a break "in between." In between calls, meetings, your commute, waiting in line, etc. Have, as an option, one of those things handy that you "wish" you had time for during the normal "day-to-day" balancing act of life and work.

Take it from me, this is how I "find time" to train for triathlon, build friendships, study for my "next" credential, relax (yes, have some 10-60 minute relaxation "things to do" as well on that list!).

Please share in the comment section below!

Making forward progress with your weekly meeting

It was an honor to share the screen with Joe Bruzzese, author of the newly published book, Parents' Guide to the Middle School Years. He has now recorded over 160 3-5 minute shows (of course, with me the show was just over 9 minutes!) at the website: www.ThinkingForwardTV.com.

As a trusted expert (and all around great, great guy) in the area of work life balance, family communication and education, Joe and I discuss top strategies for improving the weekly meeting in the workplace. We found the weekly meeting to be a common space between the world of work and life outside the workplace where I could also share my ideas for families who hold a weekly meeting at home. You get the best of both worlds from us today with one top strategy for moving you forward.

Free tuition to the next Ojai Institute TeleSeminar - Registration experiment

Ok, we're trying something out. Normally these conference calls cost $37 (tuition). If we can get 65 people to sign up in the next day and a half, we'll run the program for free.

All you need to do is visit the Ojai Institute website, scroll down to the application, fill out the form, and press submit!

Easiest way to do this, send this link to a friend you'd like to join us on the call Friday morning...Thanks!

Want to see what these are like? Click on this recorded presentation...The Ojai Institute.

Where Do We Go From Here? Chaos or Community?

In the last book he wrote before passing (Where Do We Go From Here? Chaos or Community?), Martin Luther King, Jr. wrote about progress, obstacles, and freedom. Reading this book long ago, I built another perspective and deeper understanding of this part of American History. I also enhanced my own understanding of day-to-day experiences in this thing called life. Combining what I thought about and what I read about, here are a few of my observations:

Progress: The line of progress is seldom straight and narrow.

What is the most desired way to reach a goal? In most cases, I hold a vision or idea of what the end-result will be, and as I make progress toward that end, information, people and experiences come forward I could not have imagined. I can think of several things (my house, my company, my hobbies) that I did not plan or consider even one year before they showed up.

Obstacles: There may be things that pop up to distract me from making consistent progress.

Why do interruptions occur? I encounter obstacles, make changes, reevaluate ideas, and coordinate action based on pre-conceived goals and outcomes. I have learned to be more patient and accepting. In many cases, an obstacle on the front end turned into an opportunity, facilitating the process of getting from here to there.

Freedom: Negative words fall on my ears like a language I don't understand...

My hearing is tuned to notice people speak of possibility. I am concerned with the power of semantics...the power of "word-association" is very strong. If I hear words like "can't, won't and never," I turn to face a new direction. I find true freedom when I participate fully in day-to-day life. Every now and then I get a glimpse of why I'm here - during a conversation with someone, while I'm writing an article, as I prepare for a seminar - that is very precious and meaningful; I am easily motivated and inspired to continue.

What "time zone" are you managing right now?

I'm cautious when I tell people about my own time management methods, and how I have enough time and energy to get it "all" done. The benefits are so incredible, and yet people seem to "excuse" my results with explanations:

      "Oh, you don't have kids...just wait..."
      "You're still young...just wait..."
      "You don't work for my boss, you don't know what stress is..."

Implied in each one of these is that if I had all they had, I would not do this much. Everyone in history has had the same amount of time; the same number of minutes in a day, hours in a week, weeks in a year. I've learned in the past 3 decades that it's not so much about managing my time. Instead, I manage my focus, my attention and my priorities; then, the right things happen, "at the right time."

Some of my self-management mentors are: Nelson Mandela, Lorraine Monroe, and  Anne Lamott. There are others, but when I think of these people I think of folks who are indeed "too busy" to get anything done; yet consistently and consciously, they put their attention and intentions on the line. These folks just may be the busiest people on the planet!

Managing time is, for me, about matching my "attention" with my "intention." Let me say what I'm going to do, promises to my self and others, and then complete those agreements in the time that I promised...that's being productive, and that's lowering stress.

Here are 4 ways I look at time management:

- what I did yesterday ... past
- what I'm doing right now ... present
- what I'll probably do tomorrow ...future
- what I could do tomorrow ... the unknown surprise, an opportunity, new possibilities

In my day-to-day interactions I want to make ensure that I have enough time to work on the area that speaks to me most clearly at each moment.

Did you know this Microsoft® Outlook® Calendar tip?

Just made a video to answer a question a client sent in about the Outlook Dashboard.

Hope you get an idea or two!