Author Archives

Garry Brackett

BA - Fort Wayne Bible College
MAR - Trinity Evangelical Divinity
D.Min - Grace Theological Seminary
Birkman Certified Coach
John Maxwell Certified Team Member
Myers/Briggs Certified
FIRO-B Certified
TKI Certified
25 Years Executive Coaching

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Does Working Toward My Dream Satisfy

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If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with success unexpected in common hours – Henry David Thoreau

Achieving a dream is about more than just what you accomplish. It is about who you become in the process – John Maxwell

There is always a huge gap between the birth of a dream and the achievement of a dream. The question that you have to ask yourself is whether it will be a fulfillment gap or a frustration gap. One is rewarding, the other frustrating and difficult.

Here are six (6) insights to finding fulfillment in the gap.

Fulfilled people understand the difference between the dream and it’s realization – If you have answered the Reality Questions positively your dream is achievable. However, the ideal picture that you have in your head is not. It is vital that you understand this if you want to be fulfilled while striving for your dream. If you don’t you are destined for frustration.
Fulfilled people understand that the size of the dream determines the size of the gap – The bigger the dream, potentially the more fulfilling it is. If you are going to live in the land of MOAG – Mother of All Goals – then you need to expect the mother of all gaps.

Fulfilled people keep dreaming while making the journey – This is possible by allowing yourself to keep dreaming. Dreaming is an important part of the process of inspiration, motivation, and fulfillment.
Fulfilled people appreciate each step forward in the journey – I know a businessman that owns a Kubota Tractor dealership. When i would ask him how he is doing his response was always, “Everyday is a holiday and every meal is a banquet!” did he arrive at his dreams? NO! He was fulfilled and appreciate every step in the process. John Wooden – 8 National Championships – declared the journey to be the most important of days in his life, not the victories.

Fulfilled people make new discoveries while living in the gap – You have the potential to make many wonderful discoveries in the pursuit of your dream. None will be greater that what you discover about yourself. Did I make the dream or did the dream make me becomes an important question. In the end it is not our dreams that we conquer. It is ourselves!
Fulfilled people buy in to the natural law of balance: Life is both good and bad – Optimists tend to believe that all of life is good. Pessimists tend to believe that all is bad. The reality is neither are correct. Life is both!Only people who accept and embrace the truth are able to find fulfillment. You must be proactive in good times and bad times. Successful people do what is right no matter how they feel, and by doing right, they feel good.

LINKS

Shepherds Advantage Leadership Podcast is now on iTunes – SUBSCRIBE

Shepherds Advantage Leadership Podcast is now on Stitcher – SUBSCRIBE

FREE GIFT – “The Art of Balancing Candor With Care” – Click on the icon at the bottom of the page

Executive Coaching Service– Private message me for details on this customizable service

Music: “Gratitude Mood” by David Arivett. You can learn more about his music by clicking on his name. THANKS DAVID!


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Will Power

Authors Roy Baumeister and John Tierney

Tidy Up!

“Another simple old-fashioned way to boost your willpower is to expend a little of it on neatness. As we explained in chapter 7, people exert less self-control after seeing a messy desk than after seeing a clean desk, or when using a sloppy rather than a neat and well organized Web site. You may not care about whether your bed is made and your desk is clean, but these environmental cues subtly influence your brain and your behavior, making it ultimately less of a strain to maintain self-discipline. Order seems to be contagious.”

Now I ask you, “Is that amazing or what?’ The tidiness of our environment affects our willpower.

Does your desk need to be tidied up a bit?

did you make your bed this morning?

Is your house clean?

We may not be consciously aware of it, but research shows that environmental cues subtly influence our brain and our behavior. Let’s invest a bit of our willpower to clean up our environment so that our willpower can grow through an orderly environment.

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Am I Moving Closer Toward My Dreams?

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The mere possession of a vision is not the same as living it, nor can we encourage others with it if we do not, ourselves, understand and follow it truths. To be blessed with vision is not enough, we must live them! – High Eagle

Author of Life’s Little Instruction Book, says there are two rules of perseverance: Rule #1 Take one more step. Rule #2 When you can’t take one more step, refer to Rule #1. That is exactly what it takes to achieve your dreams; the will to take one  more step when you have convinced yourself that you can’t do it!

If you are going to accomplish your dreams then you will need to live our these seven (7) insights on moving closer to your dreams.

Recognize that quitting is more about who you are than where you are – Most people stop themselves from reaching their potential. People who achieve their dreams do not have an easier path than those who do not. The one guarantee for failure is to stop trying. H.E. Jensen stated, “The man who wins may have been counted out several times, but he didn’t hear the referee.”

Improve your vocabulary – Saying that you believe in yourself will not guarantee your success, but saying you don’t believe in yourself will guarantee your failure. Bill Boeing, Founder of Boeing Aircraft in 1916 had a quote mounted on a plaque at the company headquarters; “It behooves no one to dismiss any novel idea with the statement that it can’t be done. Our job is to keep everlastingly at research and experiment…to let no new improvement in flying …pass us by.”

Recognize that waiting for everything to be right is wrong – If your ship does not come in, swim out to meet it. WHY? Our dreams do not move toward us, we must move toward our dreams. It is time to quit waiting for……

Perfection

Inspiration

Permission

Reassurance

Someone to change

The right person to come along

The kids to leave home

An absence of risk

The pain to go away

Change Your Thinking – Successful people do not think about what must be done. They focus twice as much on what they have accomplished and how they are capable of accomplishing what they set out to do. John Wooden stated, “Things turn out best for people who make the best of the way things turn out.” Successful people simply think differently – they keep thinking, learning, and moving forward.
The resources for your dream stop at the moment you do – Many times we feel that we must have all of the resources in hand before we venture into our dream. When that type of thinking occurs we neither have movement or resources. It has been said that effort only releases its reward after a person refuses to quit.

Practice The Rule of Five – List or create five things that can be done daily that will move you toward your dream. Daily means – EVERY DAY!

Remember that when you have exhausted all of your possibilities, you haven’t – If you want reach your dream, you can’t give up. Even if every avenue looks like a dead and you feel that you have exhausted every possibility, you haven’t! Jack Dempsey stated that a champion is one who gets up when he can’t.

LINKS

Shepherds Advantage Leadership Podcast is now on iTunes – SUBSCRIBE

Shepherds Advantage Leadership Podcast is now on Stitcher – SUBSCRIBE

FREE GIFT – “The Art of Balancing Candor With Care” – Click on the icon at the bottom of the page

Executive Coaching Service– Private message me for details on this customizable service

Music: “Gratitude Mood” by David Arivett. You can learn more about his music by clicking on his name. THANKS DAVID!





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Willpower

PRE-COMMITMEMNT!

“The essence of this strategy is to lock yourself into a virtuous path. You recognize that you will face terrible temptations to stray from the path, and that your willpower will weaken. So you make it impossible – or somehow unthinkably disgraceful or sinful – to leave the path…. If you do not want to gamble at a Casino, you would be better off not going to a Casino and walking past the tables while expecting your friends to stop you from gambling.”

Pre-commitment is mainly an offensive weapon! Do not take your credit card to the department store. Plan your meals by the week so that you will not determine what you will when it is past dinnertime with nothing prepared. Stop buying junk food in small packages – keep it out of the kitchen all together. Planning to have children – starting a savings fund of about $10,000 to ease the financial burden of having a child.

Play more OFFENSE and stop claiming about your failures to everyone around you!

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Am I Willing To Pay The Price?

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Always remember that striving and struggle precede success, even in the dictionary – Sarah Breathnach

Dreams are quite personal, aren’t they? The sacrifices associated with our dreams are also quite personal. Have you ask yourself the cost question; “Am I willing to pay the price for my dreams?”

Every dream has a price tag that has been paid before success. What will you pay for your dream? We do not have the privilege to sit with each other to engage the question on a personal level. There will be unique price tags that each of us will pay. There are five insights that are true for every person who pursues their dream.

The Dream Is Free, But The Journey Isn’t – All dreams begin with joy and excitement of accomplishment. You are not thinking about the cost at this stage. But at some point you have to make a transition from believer of the dream to buyer of the dream. No dream comes into reality without someone paying for it.

The Price Must Be Paid Sooner Than You Think – As soon as you start the journey toward your dream price, becomes an issue. WHY is that? Dreams confessed create conflict; dreams begun create a crisis. Dream believers are in abundance, dream buyers are rare! The sooner you pay the price for your dream that greater the rewards and dividends later in life.

The Price Will Be Higher Than You Expect – John Maxwell has stated that in all of his conversations with successful people he has never heard anyone say “Getting to the top was much easier than I anticipated.” Paul Hogan, the actor that played Crocodile Dundee responded to the question about his success with this answer; “The secret to my success is that i bit off more than I can chew and started chewing as a fast as I could.”

The Price Must Be Paid More Than Once – This point may be a big surprise to you. In fact the price tag for dreams may be paid multiple times. In fact let me say that we will pay regularly for our dreams. But realize that the greater the price, the greater the emotional return. You cannot get to the mountain top by carrying everything with you. You have to release many things and let them go – that is part of the price!

Is It Possible To Pay Too Much For Your Dream? – The cost of our dreams can be quite high. That does not mean that any price paid is worthwhile. Some things are just too costly! You do not want to ruin your health or sacrifice your family or compromise your values. Think about it this way; make a short list of things that you will protect at all costs. This will be a guide to let you know when the price is too high.

Ralph Waldo Emerson; “Whatever course you decide upon, there is always someone to tell you that you are wrong. There are always difficulties arising which tempt you to believe your critics were correct. To map out a course of action and follow it to the end requires courage.”

LINKS

Shepherds Advantage Leadership Podcast is now on iTunes – SUBSCRIBE

Shepherds Advantage Leadership Podcast is now on Stitcher – SUBSCRIBE

FREE GIFT – “The Art of Balancing Candor With Care” – Click on the icon at the bottom of the page

Executive Coaching Service– Private message me for details on this customizable service

Music: “Gratitude Mood” by David Arivett. You can learn more about his music by clicking on his name. THANKS DAVID!

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Willpower

Rediscovering the Greatest Human Strength by Roy F. Baumeister and John Tierney

“Now that we have surveyed the problems caused by lack of glucose, we can turn to solutions and to cheerier topics, like good meals and long naps. Here are some lessons and strategies for putting glucose to work for you: Feed the beast. By beast, we don’t mean Beelzebub. We mean the potential demon inside yhou or anyone spending time with you. Glucose depletion can turn the most charming companion into a monster. The old advise about eating a good breakfast applies all day long, particularly on days when you’re physically or mentally stressed. If you have a test, an important meeting or a vital project, don’t take it on without glucose. Don’t get into an argument with your boss four hours after lunch. Don’t thrash out serious problems with your partner just before dinner.”

Glucose is the key to willpower? Seriously!

The authors are suggesting that no glucose, no willpower. YES, they are suggesting that the quickest way to loose willpower is to let your glucose levels get low. Answer; eat nutritious meals before tackling difficult tasks or serious discussions. Foods like vegetables, cashews, fruits, fish, meat, – good fats.

You thought healthy eating was about being on a diet! Consider healthy eating being part of strong willpower in your life.

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Willpower

Rediscovering The Greatest Human Strength by Baumeister, Roy F., Tierney, John. Penguin Group 2011.

“The result, after dozens of experiments in Baumeister’s lab and hundreds elsewhere, is a new understanding of willpower and of the self. We want to tell you what’s been learned and about human behavior, and how you can use it to change yourself for the better. Acquiring self-control isn’t as magically simple as the techniques in modern self-help books, but neither does it have to be as grim as the Victorians made it our to be. Ultimately, self control lets us relax because it removes stress and enables you to conserve willpower for the important challenges. We’re confident that this book’s lessons can make your life not just more productive and fulfilling but also easier and happier.”

Baumeister is a leading researcher on self-control and Tierney is science writer for the New York Times. Together they write and improving willpower is the surest way to a better life.

Willpower is what gets us through. People with high willpower:

  • Get more done
  • Achieve greater success
  • Are above average in their abilities
  • Stand out from the crowd

We will explore this book over the next few posts. Leave a comment below and share your thoughts about your personal journey regarding will power.

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Include The Right People

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It marks a big step in your development when you come to realize that other people can help you do a better job than you can do alone – Andrew Carnegie

A dream is a compelling vision you see in your heart that’s too big to accomplish without the help of others – Chris Hodge

If you desire to realize your dream, you need a team to help you. It is hard to list all of the ways a team can help you. Here are a few suggestions to consider…

My team makes me better that i am.

My team multiplies my value to others.

My team enables me to do what I do best.

My team allows me to help others do their best.

My team gives me more time.

My team provides me with companionship.

My team helps me fulfill the desires of my heart.

My team compounds my vision and effort.

My team empowers me to realize my dream.

It is not enough to have a dream – you need a dream team!

To Recruit a Dream Team – Transfer The Vision.

Transfer The Dream Logically

If people do not believe they will not buy into the dream. Communicating the dream logically is the first step in gaining credibility with people. You need to demonstrate that you have a grasp upon the situation that you are describing. Secondly, you must have a sound strategy. Strategy breaks down a vision into manageable parts. This communicates this dream is attainable.

Transfer The Dream Emotionally

When you can present your dream logically people will most likely stop resisting. In order for people to connect, you must connect emotionally.

What people do not feel they do not buy into. Show people your dream from their perspective. Appeal to their senses! Show people your heart. People will but into the dreamer before they buy into the dream itself. To transfer a dream emotionally let them see your heart. Sharing your hope tells the story of your dream.

Transfer The Dream Visually

Make your dream visual – bring it to life! If people cannot see the dream, they will not buy the dream. Coach John Wooden perhaps did this the best by transferring his dream of integrity and excellence to every person who played basketball for him.

LINKS

Shepherds Advantage Leadership Podcast is now on iTunes – SUBSCRIBE

Shepherds Advantage Leadership Podcast is now on Stitcher – SUBSCRIBE

FREE GIFT – “The Art of Balancing Candor With Care” – Click on the icon at the bottom of the page

Executive Coaching Service– Private message me for details on this customizable service

Music: “Gratitude Mood” by David Arivett. You can learn more about his music by clicking on his name. THANKS DAVID!





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Trust Is The Foundation of Leadership

Trust Makes Leadership Possible

How does a leader build trust? By demonstrating competence, connection, and character. People will forgive an occasional mistake in execution if they can see that a leader is still growing. They will grant time to connect. But they will not tolerate character lapses.

CASE STUDY – King Solomon

Study Questions

After reading Proverbs 16:8-18 What are the leadership implications of the writer’s statement that it is better to be poor and righteous than rich and unjust?

What are the characteristics ascribed to kings in this passage of scripture? List as many as possible

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What Is My Strategy?

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We must look for ways to be an active force in our lives. We must take charge of our own destinies, design a life of substance, and truly begin to live our dreams – Les Brown

In a study that was done by ThinkTQ on how people think about their strategies for achieving their dreams. Here are the results.

26% focus on specific tangible targets.

19% set goals aligned with their purpose.

15% write down their goals in detail.

12% maintain a clearly defined goal for major interests.

12% identify related daily, weekly, and long term goals.

7% take daily action toward the attainment of at least one goal.

It appears that Americans fail in the critical area of their performance. Simply stated they do not move their dreams from their heart and head into their life. People fail to take action. Mark Twain stated it best; The secret to getting ahead is to get started. The secret to getting started is to break down your complex tasks into small manageable tasks and then start on the first one.

It is true isn’t it that you cannot begin to achieve your best unless you set aim on your life. Here are three steps to consider. The first action step is to assess what is my position? Jack Welch said that strategy is first trying to understand where you sit in today’s world. Not where you wish you were or where you hope to be.

The second step to consider is what is my future position? In other words what will my dream look like when I achieve it? If you do not know where you are headed then any road will take you there.

Thirdly, What is the pathway from here to there. Exactly what are the actions steps that moves me to my future. The real difference between a dream and wishful thinking is what to do day by day.

John Ruskin stated once that what we think, or what we believe, or what we believe in is of little consequence. The only consequence is what we do! With that said consider the following three insights.

Do something.

The process of dream achievement begins with doing something. John Hancock, signer of the Declaration of Independence stated, All worthwhile people have good thoughts, good ideas, and good intentions, but precious few of them ever translate those into action.

Do something that relates to your dream.

There are always a number of humans that are about to live. We are waiting for things to change, until there is more time, until we are less tired, until we get a promotion, until we settle down – until, until, until!

Do something every day that relates to my dream.

The success is within your daily routine. Focused persistence daily is the key to achieving dreams.

However beautiful the strategy, you should occasionally look at the results – Winston Churchill

LINKS

Shepherds Advantage Leadership Podcast is now on iTunes – SUBSCRIBE

Shepherds Advantage Leadership Podcast is now on Stitcher – SUBSCRIBE

FREE GIFT – “The Art of Balancing Candor With Care” – Click on the icon at the bottom of the page

Executive Coaching Service– Private message me for details on this customizable service

Music: “Gratitude Mood” by David Arivett. You can learn more about his music by clicking on his name. THANKS DAVID!