Achieving Goals

The Growing Bamboo

Someone told me about the Bamboo Tree and how it grows, and I felt it was a great metaphor for business. Apparently, the Bamboo Tree when first planted takes a long time to start growing. What happens are the roots are the first to grow into the soil. They grow to establish a healthy foundation to support this slim tall plant. When the roots are ready, the Bamboo Tree begins to grow at an alarming rate. I did some online research and this is what I found:

“Bamboo has an amazing growth rate. It is much like a telescope in its growth habit as it emerges. Its growth has been measured at almost four feet in a 24-hour period during the spring shooting period.”

If you’re in business for yourself or if you’re an innovator where you work, hang in there! When it comes to announcing a new brand within a brand, I tell my clients that all campaigns go through three phases. The first phase is creating overall awareness. The second phase is people starting to talk about it. The third is action. Hang in there. Not everyone is going to embrace or accept your idea. You must prove yourself. You will have early adopters who will get it and see your vision. Spend your time with these people. They will help spread the word to others. Go where the water is flowing. When you hit a rock (a “no” person), flow around it.

Be patient and you‘ll find your roots holding fast—and your Bamboo Tree beginning to grow at an alarming rate. I’m still growing my roots, but my plant is starting to sprout!

Joe

ACTION PLAN: Find three people of support this week!

Napoleon Hill, what a guy!

Napoleon Hill is an old business success author who wrote the book, Think and Grow Rich. He is the first to be quoted as saying, “What the human mind can see and believe, the human mind can achieve.” Walt Disney also believed in this way of thinking. I love dreaming up an idea and then taking small steps every day developing and nurturing it and sharing the idea with others.

Sometimes, though, I notice that when I meet people with great ideas they are afraid to share them with me. I find that these people never see their dreams or ideas take root because they are scared to plant the seeds. They think, “You’re going to steal my idea if I share it with you.” Hey, if you’re not going to share or implement your own ideas, what makes you think another person would? I find these people stifling their own ambition. Furthermore, I see people with great ideas who give up on them too soon. They think the first time they tell people about the idea it’s going to shoot off like a cannon. It doesn’t work that way. People need to hear an idea several times.

My suggestion to you is this: To know if your idea is solid, begin by explaining it to friends and family to see what they think. Then start sharing it with business associates and colleagues. What do they think? If a large number support your idea, then find opportunities to share with others you don’t know. By now you should have enough feedback to determine whether your idea could be marketed and sold. Next, begin sharing your idea with potential buyers. Spend time with those who resonate with it right away. Also, hear out those who disagree but don’t waste energy trying to convince them. Move on to those who give you a “yes”!

Every great idea has its day, but that day needs years of teaching and preaching before “the” day of breakthrough can happen. It’s your day … have at it!

Joe Kiedinger

ACTION PLAN: Are you up for being great?

Life Is Amazing

It’s amazing the roller coaster ride this thing called Life is. Frank Sinatra had it right with his song, That’s Life … “You’re riding high in April, shot down in May. But I know I’m gonna change that tune, when I’m back on top in June.” In his book, Good to Great, Jim Collins talks about the flywheel. It’s the idea that we need to relentlessly push this big heavy flywheel over and over again until the momentum of our efforts gets that sucker to spin on its own. And when it starts spinning fast enough, you can’t stop it!

I’m sure you have feelings now and then about what you do and where your life is heading when you think, “I’m never getting ahead!” You just have to figure it out. We all have doubts once in awhile … but you know what, I find the thing that picks me up is when I spend time with people who support what I’m doing. That gets me refueled to go out and keep at it. I’m always reminded that today is rarely what confuses us. It’s the past, trying to change things we cannot; and the future, trying to predict what’s coming.

There is not greatness in not ever overcoming adversity. Seek and you shall find—and remember: The harder you work, the luckier you’ll get!

Joe Kiedinger

ACTION PLAN: Seek and you shall find. Ask and you will receive.

Don’t Give Up!

These Wisdom on Wednesday articles truly are an archive of my professional and some of my personal life as well. It’s enjoyable for me to look back at past issues to bring myself back to where I was at the time. The first article was written in February 2004. By this February I will have written 364 articles. Pretty crazy, huh!? It’s funny because I had so many friends and family members question not so much my ability to write articles but my ability to consistently write articles.

Well, I’m still writing. Only one entry missed its Wednesday mark because of technical difficulties, but it got out on Thursday. Don’t give up. If you have a dream, don’t give up. Remember: You can alter your dream or bend the rules as you get older, but don’t let go. It reminds me of that Christmas special growing up. I think it was called, “Santa Clause Is Coming to Town.” There was a terrible snow wizard who crossed young Chris Kringle’s path. He turned out to be a good guy and he sang the song, “Put one foot in front of the other, and soon you’ll be walking across the floor. Put one foot in front of the other and soon you’ll be walking out the door.” The message is simple but clear. As an old Chinese proverb says, “A journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step.”

Remind yourself of the almighty weapon to any dream: patience. Just start. Start with one small action and do something little each and every day to bring you closer to your goal, until one day you wake up and you are living it! Put one foot in front of the other…

Joe Kiedinger

ACTION PLAN: Start walking!

I believe that inspiration is all around us and it seems to hit us when we’re not even looking for it.

How many times have you seen a sign at a restaurant, read an article in a magazine, or met a person who just made you stop in your tracks and think, “Wow! I’ve never thought of it that way before”? I think we’ve all had these moments of clarity when we sort of reevaluate our lives and walk away feeling a little taller, a little wiser, and a lot more inspired.

Here’s a quote I ran across that might inspire you:

“The adventure of life is to learn. The purpose of life is to grow. The nature of life is to change. The challenge of life is to overcome. The essence of life is to care. The opportunity of life is to serve. The secret of life is to dare. The spice of life is to befriend. The beauty of life is to give.”
~ William Arthur Ward

This quote just screams “Servant Leadership” to me: learning, growing, changing, overcoming challenges. Caring about, serving, and giving to others. That’s what it’s all about! I’m feeling inspired, how about you?

Joe Kiedinger

ACTION PLAN: Pay attention to all that inspires you this week—you’ll be surprised!

They’re 45 years old and retired!

Danica and I had a real treat of a weekend. Our babysitter watched our kids. We left Friday morning for St. Paul to visit my sister and brother-in-law. Those of you with kids I know you love’em but getting away alone is definitely welcomed every now and again. When I got home my seven-year-old said, “So Daddy, are your batteries charged up?” Aside from each of us suffering from a severe cold, we had a wonderful time. Saturday was picture perfect and the temperature was perfect at White Bear Lake, 20 minutes from St. Paul. My sister Kathy has a boat that she and her husband harbor there.

We spent the afternoon cruising around this clean, clear lake. Kathy pointed out a few mansion-like homes around the lake. She told us some of the stories that went with a few of them. Many of the stories went like this: “… that guy invented ‘X,’ sold the company and retired at 45.” Every story had a relatively young person inventing something and landing into a pile of money. I love hearing these stories. I love stories of an idea going big. It fires me up because I love entrepreneurship and everything that goes with it. However, I especially love the buildup to the sale. These stories when told by others typically leave out the part about entrepreneurs mortgaging everything they owned because of the dream. They don’t tell you about the years of sweat and tears … the immense amount of time talking to thousands of people until the idea gained momentum.

I love these “crawling stories.” You know, the stories of the early years. Where are you in your story? Are you patient in your pursuits? A person is like a fine wine. You can produce cheap wine pretty quick, or you can allow it to ferment and build your own flavor. Make sure you keep your eyes on the big picture. Have patience, be diligent and make a difference in whatever you do.

Joe Kiedinger

ACTION PLAN: Practice patience. Write down three initiatives or relationships where you are going to practice patience.

Breaking the mold!

Being an innovator and inventor, I find it exhilarating to go from the extreme of a person not understanding your new idea to the opposite which is completely embracing and even endorsing it. This has become my journey with The About Me Card program. This process for me has taken more than three years. Most people get frustrated and give up. They have a product or process that they know will be successful but when they are met with resistance they say, “Forget it!” I am not a patient person by nature. I am often antsy and uncomfortable when things are not moving fast enough. Then I realized, “Hey, I’m a human being! I can choose to be patient if I want to be.”

I know it seems impossible for some to be patient. I had to learn to be when it comes to others embracing a new concept or change. I’ve learned that the first meeting when presenting a new idea has the same weight as the last meeting, as this is when people decide to accept your idea because they fully understand it. If there were 100 meetings between them, they would all carry equal weight. People need to be reminded. You must not steal that process from them. Or more accurately, you can’t take it from them. It is what it is.

We all must learn on our own terms and for the “new idea person” that means patience and perseverance … That’s all! Hang in there long enough and you’ll be a star!

Joe Kiedinger

Action Plan:  Practice patience this week. Perhaps with just one person or one project. It’s necessary for success!

Let the Water Fall

I hope you had a wonderful Independence Day. Certainly with that opening sentence I could go into any and all things patriotic. And although I love this country and wouldn’t want to live anywhere else, I’m going to forgo the obvious subject and talk about my holiday weekend. If you live in Wisconsin (or perhaps most of the Midwest), you experienced a soggy 4th of July.
Our July 4th tradition involves my family, my mom and dad, and my brother and his family heading to my land in northern Wisconsin where we fix a few things, enjoy great conversation, and just hang out and catch up. The kids enjoy boating, jumping on the trampoline, playing Bocce ball, and jumping in and out of the inflatable baby pool.

Saturday was gorgeous but Sunday it rained. We began a new tradition this year. A few years back when I was camping in Michigan, I met an Eagle Scout who taught me how to cook a full turkey outside using charcoal. He made a Dutch oven out of rebar, chicken wire and aluminum foil. He was a regular MacGyver! Cooking a turkey this way creates the juiciest bird you ever tasted and a full 22 lb bird takes only about three hours to cook. The grand cookout was scheduled for rainy day Sunday. My first reaction was to skip it and take everyone to the bowling alley. My wife, Danica, however, stopped me and said, “So what if it rains? Cook the bird. A little rain is not going to alter our plans.”

As it turned out, we had a fantastic experience. The rain ended up being only a drizzle on and off for most of the day. My dad put together a makeshift roof over the Dutch oven using a tarp. We sat for three hours taking turns adding charcoal and watching the kids have a great time. The rain really began coming down at around three o’clock when the bird was done. We moved the picnic table into the garage and enjoyed our feast while watching the rain fall on our fields. It was amazing.

We too often allow the chance of rain to spoil our plans. The truth is if you let the rain fall you really only need to make slight revisions to your plans. The event often becomes more memorable and enjoyable. Life is full of rainy days. The rain represents challenges that are often not. Don’t be afraid of these challenges. Welcome them and you may discover a more memorable and exciting life.

Joe Kiedinger

ACTION PLAN: What was the last obstacle you overcame? Overcome one today!

Initiative equals success!

Today’s wisdom comes from Dr. Zimmerman. You can find out more about this at www.DrZimmerman.com   He says that to reach big-time success a person needs to read a lot of books and work very hard. But if he had to summarize the root of success it would be those who initiate succeed. To initiate anything, you need two ingredients: Drive and Commitment!

He also shares two rules:

1. Do more than you are told, do more than is expected.
2. Discipline yourself to keep keeping on.

It’s important, he states, to discipline yourself to excellence so others don’t need to. Think about it for a moment. Look at the people you’ve promoted—haven’t they delivered to you more than you expected? They are self-driven and confident in finding their own solutions to challenges. This week begin your journey of being excellent.

REMINDER: For our La Crosse area fans, you’re invited to attend the About Me Card World Premiere in La Crosse tomorrow! It’s free! Come and see the debut of this new Servant Leadership software that creates understanding between people in minutes! Click on aboutmecard.com to find out more.

Joe Kiedinger

ACTION PLAN: Find two things you are working on this week that you can do more with than what’s expected.

Marry the right person…

I received an e-mail from an amazing Servant Leader last week, and I want to share a part of it with you. The attachment I received was titled, “21 Suggestions for SUCCESS.” The author is H. Jackson Brown, Jr. The first suggestion is something I couldn’t agree with more: “Marry the right person. This one decision will determine 90% of your happiness or misery.” I’ve been married once before and it wasn’t pretty. I know what it’s like to choose the wrong partner. I learned from it, believe me! This time around, though, I hit a home run! I often tell Danica that my success is her success. If she weren’t encouraging and supportive and humorous during tough times, I would be a wreck.

She focuses me in a way she will never know. Danica is very humble and she doesn’t realize the effect she has on me. I tease her (but it’s true) by saying. “Do you want to see your influence on my personal success? Leave me. Then you’ll see how I would fall apart.” When you find the right one, it’s the spice of life. Hopefully, I received a few positive points by writing about Danica today. I appreciate her so much.

Do you show the special person in your life appreciation? Do you realize how much this person is tied to your success? Some of our greatest business leaders—both men and women—have had supportive and nurturing spouses, who contribute so much to their success. I hope you’re as blessed as I am. Life’s a blast!

Joe Kiedinger