Feb 26, 2016
This is an Ever Better milestone podcast that celebrates the first ten episodes!
I'm introducing a new "journal" format with this episode where I
reflect on and share ten practices from my guests on getting ever
better. I discuss their practices, how I apply those same
practices, and a short clip from one show.
Here’s what sparked the idea for this format…
I unearthed a 5-year journal that I bought for myself in January 2015 – over a year ago.
The idea behind this journal is that every day of the year, over a 5 year period, I would write a short answer to the same prompt. For example, the question for January 24 is “If you were going to start your own company, what would it be?” The prompt for January 6 is “Today was tough because _______.”
Through using this journal I would build up an incredible record of my activities, perspectives, goals, and thoughts. I thought that this was a fantastic idea! I bought the journal with a commitment to writing in it every day for the next five years. Unfortunately, I only wrote eight entries in 2015. All but one were in January.
Those few entries from last year were fascinating. In one of them, I promised to share a positive and optimistic attitude to help others. I also wrote about completing my eBook, Ever Better, my website, and creating a line of clothing for women to wear as they recover from a mastectomy.
One year later, although I didn’t record my progress in the journal, I have come so much further than I anticipated. My family is well, my eBook is published, and I decided not to put my energy into creating a line of clothing…at least not yet. But I did create this podcast to share discussions about continuous improvement with people who are living inspiring, joyful, and daring lives.
It turns out that I am sharing a positive and optimistic attitude and I’m not doing it alone! Every week a guest has been joining me and together, we have been able to share so much more than I could on my own.
If I had faithfully written in my
journal I could have followed my daily progress and I would be able
to read what Lisa from ten months ago or even six months ago was
thinking about. So I’m going to make another attempt at writing in
my 5-year journal. And starting
with this episode I'll create Ever Better Podcast Journals where I
discuss practices and lessons my guests have shared.
I’m starting this week by sharing
ten practices for getting ever better from the first ten
episodes.
And then I’ll work podcast journals into my regular schedule. I will produce several discussions with a guest and then create a “Journal” episode where I reflect on lessons from my guests and what I’ve learned in my own life.
Before I dive into the ten practices I want to thank my guests who shared their life journeys and insights with us. My gratitude goes out to:
Deb Williams, Nathalie Nozile, Jesse Mejia, Connie Inukai, Anne Meador, Dan Horowitz, Gregory Berg, Laura Zam, Mark Neidig, and Cheryl Wood.
Most of these men and women have never met. They live throughout the U.S., from California to Virginia, they have diverse backgrounds yet they have great similarities in approach to their lives, careers, and their relationships. They have made amazing leaps in their personal and professional lives. And continuing to get ever better runs through everything they do.
So without further ado, here are ten practices for getting ever better from my first ten guests.
Practice 1: DON’T GIVE
UP
Never give up on something that you believe in and is important to you. Keep working, thinking, and talking about what you’re trying to do, and eventually things will come together. Your outcome may not be what you expected or what you most hoped for, but giving up will shortchange your experience and your potential outcome. It’s okay to make a decision to pivot and take a different direction or to walk away from a no-win situation; but to completely abandon a dream, a goal, or a business because it’s gotten too hard, will result in future regret.
Deborah Williams, my first podcast guest, discussed challenges that she overcame by never giving up and taking them on one day at a time.
Her real estate investments had become a significant financial drain, she was facing a divorce, and suffering from clinical depression. Listen to Deb's podcast episode to hear her describe her experience, how and why she never gave up.
Practice 2: LIVE AND WORK WITH A MISSION
I feel most fulfilled and happiest when I’m working with a purpose. I’ve mentioned SOS Children’s Villages on several podcasts. It’s an international non-profit that I worked for that provides long-term homes to orphaned, abandoned, and foster children around the world - and I loved helping to make a difference. In fact, my co-worker used to joke with me about me about how I smiled while sitting alone in my office working.
Through this job I met Nathalie Nozile, my guest on episode 002. Nathalie grew up in an SOS Children’s Village in Haiti. She is now an attorney practicing in Florida helping children and families in need. And as the Jolie-Pitt Legal Fellow in Haiti she helped to create adoption laws that are now protecting vulnerable children.
Listen to Nathalie's podcast episode to hear about her mission of helping children and families in need.
Practice 3: HONE YOUR CRAFT
Jesse Mejia, my third guest, talked about the importance of improving through practice. He first joined Toastmasters in 2008 to develop his public speaking skills and through delivering and refining his talk over several years, he became a Toastmasters District Champion. He is now a professional speaker who delivers keynote presentations.
Listen to Jesse's podcast episode to hear about his journey to become an award-winning public speaker.
Practice 4: DON’T STOP AT ONE CAREER
Most of my guests have had more than one career. It’s not that they whimsically decided to start over. They worked hard and in most cases found great success and satisfaction from a first career, and through following their interests and their aptitudes, they landed in a second, third, or fourth career.
Connie Inukai, my guest on episode 004 recently retired from teaching at the college level and reinvented herself as…an inventor! As she told her story it was clear that she always fostered her children's entrepreneurial interests and had created a network of people who could help her to pursue her own ideas.
Listen to Connie explain how she brought the Tip n’ Split to market in her second career.
Practice 5: BUILD COMMUNITY
Gathering like-minded people together in-person, virtually, via Skype or some other means can lift up everyone involved. Community members can lean on each other when they need a boost, wisdom, or to share great news! I’m involved with my neighborhood community and have long been a vice president of my neighborhood association because I believe it’s important to help build community where I live, work, and play.
As a side note, the movie Terminal, with Tom Hanks, is an entertaining example of how it’s possible to build community under any circumstances.
Anne Meador, my guest on episode 005, created the Working Women Entrepreneur Podcast as a first step in developing a community of women entrepreneurs, many of whom are also working full-time jobs. She just took the second step of creating the Working Women Entrepreneur Mastermind Community that will enable these same women to get to know each other beyond their podcast interviews.
Listen to Anne discuss why she is creating a community for women entrepreneurs.
Practice 6: FOLLOW YOUR INTERESTS
I create Ever Better Podcasts because I’ve been an avid podcast listener for many years and was looking for a way to share positive, inspiring messages. After meeting several podcasters at Camp Good Life Project and learning more about what happens behind the scenes, I recognized that the vehicle I’d been looking for was already very present in my life. So, I followed my interests and the Ever Better Podcast was born!
Dan Horowitz, my guest on episode 6, followed his interest in meteorology and it led him to a rewarding career in all things digital. Listen to Dan's story.
Practice 7: CREATE AND SHARE
Practice 7 is to make something of your own, with your voice and your message that reflects your values. And then to share what you’ve created. This allows you to touch others’ lives and to contribute your point of view.
That’s what I’ve done with this podcast and it’s one of the topics I discussed with Gregory Berg, my guest on Episode 007. Greg is a multi-media storyteller and he produces the Life on Purpose Podcast. During his shows he frequently talks about valuing the freedom to produce content that is important to him. He and his guests are passionate about living life more mindfully and this shines through in his show.
Listen to Greg discuss the freedom we now have to create and share.
Practice 8: RITUALS
Practice 8 is incorporating rituals into your life. My guest from episode 008, Laura Zam, uses the concept of canonical hours to organize her day so that rather than having a daily routine, she follows an established schedule but incorporates spirituality and mindfulness into even her most mundane activities.
I’m not sure if my routines could be called rituals but it’s something I’ll be more aware of in the future. Here’s what Laura had to say.
Practice 9: SAY HELLO
Mark Neidig, my guest in episode 009, has lived in The Gambia and throughout the US and builds a community around himself everywhere he goes. He starts by saying hello. He now lives in Orlando, FL and recently sang in a backup chorus for Barry Manilow – for the second time. Is he a professional singer? No. But he enjoys performing and he’s great at meeting people!
On the podcast he told the story of how he solved a problem with his television by putting up a sign in his new condo, introducing himself and asking for help. With minutes, someone knocked on his door and offered to help. This person then invited Mark and his wife, Deb, to a party where they were surrounded by people who are very involved with the arts in Orlando. Within a few months Mark had joined a choir, the Board of Orlando Arts, and because that group is known and trusted by Barry Manilow, Mark and his wife were invited on-stage to be a part of the show. And, a similar scenario played out for Mark a few years earlier when he moved to Washington, D.C. And it was there that he first sang backup for Barry Manilow.
Like Mark, I also speak to people wherever I go. At Starbucks, on the metro, in the elevator, and at conferences. Because I project a friendly attitude, people often say hello to me first. In fact, I met one of my best friends, Elise, while riding the metro in Washington, DC.
Here’s Mark explaining his practice of saying hello.
Practice 10: TALK TO YOURSELF!
Practice ten is TALK TO YOURSELF! As I interviewed my guests, all of whom I perceive to be self-confident and successful, I found that they work at projecting confidence. A common practice is using affirmations or self-talk. Cheryl Wood, my guest on episode 010, talks to herself to get pumped up before delivering a keynote speech and even founded a highly successful conference as an outcome of talking to herself.
She has a practice of saying “OK Cheryl, play time is over, let’s get to work! And that habit led her to create the highly successful Play Time is Over Women in Business Conference.
Here’s Cheryl describing how she cheers herself on!
After speaking with Cheryl, I realized that I do something similar. I subscribe to Seth Godin’s inspiring daily blog posts and often read them out loud to motivate myself. Here’s one of my favorites:
The only way to become the writer who has written a book is to write one.
The only way to become the runner who has just finished a run is to go running.
You might dread the writing or the running or the leading, but it's the key step on the road to becoming.
If it's easier, remind yourself what you're about to be.
- Seth Godin
What are you going to say to yourself today and what will you do for the rest of this day, or tomorrow, or next week? Whatever it is, make sure it will take you at least one step closer to being what you want to be.
Keep getting ever better and I’ll talk to you soon!
Lisa
P.S. For a limited time, I'm giving away a copy of my eBook, Ever Better, Five Resources for Continuous Improvement in a format you can print or read online. Sign-up here.