You've heard that everything is energy. I don't get the science that well but it is clear that feeling higher energy makes you attractive, or even magnetic, while negative energy brings you, and everyone around you, down. People are always asking me how I stay so positive or how do I keep my energy so high. One big factor is that I sleep well at night. Here are 9 things to keep the winds in your sails, so you keep moving forward. (Remember it's a process, Aristotle said excellence was the sum total of your habits, not a one-time event.)

9 Insanely-Fantastic Groove Keepers 

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"The idea: memorable/braggable/WOW projects. I contend you won't get there --period-- unless you can accept 'the word' ... and the concept ... and the need for ... WOW. (Or memorable ... cool ... rockin' ... braggable ... insanely great --- the latter from Apple's Seve Jobs.)

But it's even a bigger deal than that: Can you tune into the WOW Channel...daily? Can you develop your personal WOW-O-Meter? In your most routine affairs?" -- Tom Peters

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In just a few minutes, I'll be doing my first presentation to a video camera for a live audience (it's corporate, not for television.) When people ask about public speaking coaching at Mixonian Institute, that often segues into a conversation about much people hate speaking in public or talking in front of any group. (Much to my surprise, this affects even the chatty folks!) You read a lot about self confidence here because that's the term that comes to mind when people think about public speaking: having or not having enough self confidence to get your point across in an engaging manner. However, it might be more effective to forget about feeling self confident and focus on being fully present in the speaking situation. Read more »

"Many people think they want things, but they don't really have the strength, the discipline. They are weak. I believe that you get what you want if you want it badly enough." Sophia Loren

At my house we're all into getting Miranda off to college next week.  (Not sure how we got to this point because she was just born!!!)

Of course I hate that she's leaving us. It's a four-hour drive!

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A question for you: If you wanted to ask a specific question to someone in a company, would you burst into the company reception area, jump up and down screaming, "HELP ME, PLEASE HELP ME?" Probably you're thinking, "Does she mean 'with meds' or 'without meds'?"

Most of you probably would not run into another person's office screaming simply because you don't have the time. Some of you, however, send emails that have the same effect: they create a lot of noise and annoyance but don't really get you anywhere. Lucky for all of us here you have easy email etiquette in one short blog post. Getting this down is absolutely essential leadership communication!

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If you're in sales, you may think that you get paid for getting those contracts signed. The truth is, that's the fun part, like the closing for a real-estate agent. The fun of handing over the pen to sign the big deal is what you do for free. What you really get paid for is something else.

I am rereading this book called Rise: 3 Practical Steps for Advancing Your Career, Standing Out as a Leader, and Liking Your Life. Highly recommended!  Author Patty Azzarello shares the scoop on what it takes to make it to the top of the corporate food chain. Not that I want to do that, personally speaking, but I am terribly curious. Haven't you wondered how Mr. X or Ms. Big made it to the executive suite? Especially when you see they're not any brighter than you are? (You do learn the answer to this in her book.) Of course I also want learn how to meet those people and I want them to work with Mixonian Institute! In this book, Patty shares the idea of what you really get paid for. Read more »

"There is nothing in a caterpillar that tells you it's going to be a butterfly." Buckminster Fuller 

Although we never met, Buckminister Fuller is a personal hero. Inventor of the geodesic dome and recipient of 44 honorary doctoral degrees, as a freshman in college he was booted out of Harvard. Several years later, when his infant daughter died, Fuller contemplated committing suicide but decided to continue his life, but as an experiment. He called himself "Guinea Pig B." Read more »

If you're like me, you may find it grossly unfair to realize this rather large inconvenient truth: doing your job to perfection, helping others get their work done and being the one to stay late, come in early and put in some time on the week-ends is a clear path to complete career failure. Using this strategy may (perhaps) allow you to keep your job, but definitely it puts you off the map for promotions and juicy assignments. Doing what is expected of you takes you nowhere. I sensed the truth of this early in my career, in my first corporate job in the 6th largest bank in Venezuela many years ago. Being somewhat dense, it took me a couple of decades to figure out what it really takes to gain recognition for your talent and contribution. Read more »

Guess what!? If someone is texting while you're taliking to him/her, that person is really not listening to you.   That person is busy but definitely just going through the motions in your conversation and if you're over 30, I'm sure you get that. What we have is an epidemic of distraction.

The consequence of massive distraction is lack of engagement,a new buzz word, but for a good reason. Lack of engagement, or "here but not really" is a state of existence damaging companies, families and all sorts of relationships. Lack of engagement comes from F A T I G U E, lack of attention, or too many distractions and the false belief that multitasking is actually productive. Add to mix employees who are doing too many tasks and experiencing too much anxiety as they hear from their unemployeed former colleagues. Poor health may be another factor. And no one really has time to do anything about it. Read more »

Ruben and I had delicious fun last night with a bunch of friends who came over for dinner. It was great introducing this eclectic group of friends to other and watching them connect. Years ago I would have wondered if I had chosen the right mix of people, or the right menu, or if my house was truly suitable (meaning big enough or clean enough) for the soiree to be smashingly successful. Now I know the truth: successful parties, or successful projects of any sort depend on your management of the internal factors, not the external variables.

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