davidNprogress

“The person without goals will end up working for someone that does” Yes, it is that time of year again. As we near the flip of the calendar many people get excited about the psychological turn to a New Year and set goals. I think we have all been there with plans to lose weight or to finally make that life-changing career move. It is reported that 41% of us “usually” set New Year's Resolutions and 42% of us never set make a resolution. Sadly of those that do set goals, only 9.2% feel they have experienced success in achieving them. Given this very poor result, it is no wonder so many do not bother and it shows the power of optimism that so many keep trying. I am a goal setter. It is not something I do as much as it is part of who I am. Going back over 15 years I have my goals and result of these goals documented. It is interesting each year to reflect on some of my older objectives as they provide insight into points of time in my life. Some success highlights looking

This week is Thanksgiving and there is no doubt that many folks will take time to reflect and be thankful. That is a very good thing. The truth is that the spirit of thankfulness is something we should have every day of our lives and there is no need to make it a holiday. At the same time, the coming together of family and friends plus a chance to eat three slices of pie in a day is something I do not plan to pass up. Daily thankfulness and an attitude of gratitude are important for a happy life. Gratitude or “the state of being grateful” would seem like a simple thing, unfortunately, there are way too many people that just do not get it. When we place ourselves in a grateful state the world seems less burdensome and the future is brighter. I believe that anyone can dig deep no matter their current situation and find a reason to be grateful. Not only does this state feel good but there are many studies that show people who live with a spirit of gratitude experience

That is me at the bottom right Last night was the last Bike Lab group ride of the season. I made it to more group rides this year than any year in the past as part of my goals for 2017. I had tremendous gains in my cycling fitness this year and more importantly, for me, I got out of my comfort zone to participate in group rides with people I know we're faster than me. All at the ripe age of 50. Through all these years starting more than 30 years ago, cycling has been something that has brought me fun and fitness. It all started back in college when I finally got fed up with being overweight and out of shape. It was a $75 mountain bike from Wal-Mart that first got me moving. Since that time I have owned several bikes and have ridden thousands of miles. Along the way, I experienced adventure, learned about perseverance and continued to battle my weight. I can’t imagine what my life and fitness would have been like had I not strapped on a helmet for the first time

Let’s face it.  We all have faults that make us at times less than the person we would like to be.  Awareness of these issues for me has been a bit of an obsession which I know is a result of my personality type. I have taken assessments galore, sought feedback from those around me and spent considerable time in self-reflection.(a true INFP)   Awareness of my gaps have been critical to my growth over the years and many times has served as motivation for education or behavioral changes. However, there is an important watch out that took me a few years to understand.  Back in my early days of introspective I more often than not found myself focused completely on “fixing” all the things that in my mind I saw as negatives. When I was a trainer, I would take one or two negative comments and obsess over the feedback totally ignoring the value of the many positives.  When I became a manager, I took the DiSC assessment and scored very low in the directive quadrant which is somewha

The voice--We have all heard it. It comes at us in those moments when we take a new step toward achievement or when we are thinking about taking a risk. For some people, the voice is good and motivational. It tells you that you are worthy of success and that you can meet your goals. For many others, the voice is different and debilitating. “Don’t bother with the diet. You have failed losing weight in the past and this time will be no different” “Don’t go on that blind date. You suck at relationships and are destined to live alone” “Don’t sign up for the run. You have never really exercised before and it is just not possible.” “Don’t go back to school. Your previous educational experience was a struggle and you are not smart enough to succeed.” "There is no point to getting out of debt. You will never be financially free" Your inner voice can get so full of don’ts that eventually it shoves out all the dos leaving you in a pattern of regret. H

The New Year for many people brings a desire to set goals. The most popular of course is usually related to fitness. Other popular goals include reading more, learning more, being a better parent, getting out of debt and on and on. Getting the right information to make all of these things happen can be difficult. For me, one of my best growth tools over the years has been listening to podcasts. A podcast is great for the convenience of listening while on the go and the vast variety of topics make it an ideal source for learning things that might normally be out of your wheelhouse. I have many favorites and thought I would share mine in case you might be looking for some new outlets of curiosity in 2017. The Art of Manliness : An eclectic podcast covering a variety of topics specifically targeted for men. Based on Tulsa, the host Brett McKay graduated from the University of Oklahoma so you know he is going to be great. Ted Radio Hour : Just about everyone has heard of TedTalks.

The calendar has turned to a New Year and as usual for a lot of people I am spending time today being reflective of the year that was and the year that is to be. I started 2016 once again in the middle of the work storm of layoffs. In my 20+ year career with my employer I have survive an estimated 11 of these and they never get easier. Good came from this experience as it was the final factor to motivate me to fulfill a long time goal of getting the SRHM-SCP certification. Basically this is a competency test for HR professionals and I jumped in to take the highest level of the exam. Fear of failing the test and excuses around the time needed to study had kept me from this goal for many years. I will never forget those moments in the car right before going into the testing center as I sat in nervous anticipation. A couple of hours later my hands shook as I waited at the computer for my results.   Yes I passed and as I stared at the screen it was hard not to shout out in jo