Here is your September/October issue of Take Charge Success
Strategies.

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Volume 6, Number 7 October 2006

Publisher: GoalMinds, Inc. Mailto: info@goalminds.com
http://www.goalminds.com Copyright 2006 GoalMinds, Inc. All rights reserved

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'You see things; and you say 'Why?' But I dream things that
never were; and I say 'Why not?' --George Bernard Shaw

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IN THIS ISSUE
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1. Are you on the way to Abilene? By Roberta Young

2. 'On the Happy Life' by Seneca

3. Visualize Don't Fantasize

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'No executive has ever suffered because his subordinates were strong and
effective.' --Peter Drucker
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1. Are you on the way to Abilene? By Roberta Young
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Today's leaders often find themselves discussing how they
can 'do more with less' to meet requirements that
continually go unfunded and understaffed. Isn't this similar
to the book The Abilene Paradox by Jerry B. Harvey? In the
story a Texas family travels a long distance to Abilene on a
dry hot day for ice cream. It's the type of day where the
dust sticks to you. The car windows are down and the car
does not have air conditioning. When the family arrived in
Abilene the ice cream place was closed, forcing them to
return home disgruntled. Once they returned home each family
member made an admission that they went because they were
under the impression the other family members wanted to go,
when in fact nobody really want to go to Abilene at all.

What stops someone from pointing out the opportunities and
limitations of ideas or mandates? What causes us to travel
to Abilene when we know there are better options? Some would
say that most people do not speak up in group settings
because they have fears - fear of not being accepted, fear
of losing their job, fear of being labeled as 'not a team
player,' and fear of admitting they are wrong. In some cases
their fears may be justified, however in most scenarios they
are probably not. Yet as leaders we continue to travel to
Abilene by 'doing our best, being a team player, and
focusing superficially on the mission at hand.' How much
longer can we do more with less?

Leaders need to recognize their fears and feel comfortable
speaking out. There should be no shame associated with
admitting a project is failing or that a project the boss
wants to do is just a bad idea - especially when there is
valid justification. In fact, there could be great benefits
for speaking out at the appropriate time. If a project is
failing, new ideas could be generated on how to save it -
ultimately saving time and money. In the case of the boss's
bad idea - if presented tactfully, he or she may appreciate
the honesty. You may find that there are others who really
don't want to go to Abilene either. What is the worst case
scenario? They tell you to do it anyway, or they give the
sinker of a project to someone else. Either way you have
done your job, which is to act in the best interest of the
company or organization.

As leaders we are called to stand up to our values and the
values of our employer. We are paid to think in terms of
what is best for the company or organization and what works
with the company or organization's mission. If what we are
asked to do does not support the mission shouldn't we speak
out? Why do we so often compromise the mission to fulfill an
agenda? Why do we smile and do our best to support programs
that are continually failing? Why do we knowingly travel to
Abilene?

In acknowledging that we are on the road to Abilene we are
essentially taking out the road map to determine if there
are other possible directions we could go, searching for
better solutions; solutions that support the mission and its
inherent values. One of the biggest challenges facing
leaders today is speaking up - saying 'I don't think we
should go to Abilene today.' When leaders can do this and do
it effectively so that positive change results, they will
find a more productive work environment, employees willing
to go the distance, and perhaps just a little more with
which to do a little more.

Author: Roberta Young, Historical Landscape Architect
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Communication and success go hand in hand. The more
effectively you communicate your ideas, the better your
outcomes will be. You'll communicate powerfully and with
confidence and achieve the results you desire.

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You will find easy to follow tips in '101 Ways to Improve
Your Communication Skills Instantly,' by Jo Condrill and
Bennie Bough, Ph.D. To add this tool to your personal growth
toolbox, ask for it at your local bookstore or library.
Order online from Amazon.com or the Tool Shop at
http://www.GoalMinds.com

Go a step farther and learn how your preferred Listening
Style affects your ability to get your message heard and
understood. You can complete the Personal Listening Profile
online just as the DiSC.
Http://www.goalminds.com/perlistprof.html

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'Until all of us have made it, none of us have made it'

--Rosemary Brown
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2. 'On the Happy' Life by Seneca
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First, therefore, we must seek what it is that we are aiming
at; then we must look for the road by which we can reach it
most quickly, and on the journey itself, if only we are on
the right path, we shall discover how much of the distance
we overcome each day, and how much nearer we are to the good
toward which we are urged by a natural desire. But so long
as we wander aimlessly, having no guide, and following only
the noise and discordant cries of those who call us in
different directions, life will be consumed by mistakes -
life that is brief even if we should strive day and night
for sound wisdom. Let us, therefore, decide both upon the
goal and upon the way, and not fail to find some experienced
guide who has explored the region towards which we are
advancing; for the conditions of this journey are different
from those of most travel. On most journeys some
well-recognized road and inquiries made of the inhabitants
of the region prevent you from going astray; but on this one
all the best beaten and the most frequented paths are the
most deceptive. Nothing, therefore, needs to be more
emphasized than the warning that we should not like sheep,
follow the lead of the throng in front of us, traveling,
thus, the way that all go and not the way that we ought to
go.

-- Seneca ['On the Happy Life']

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'In each of you, there is a seed...a seed of vast
potential.' -- Paul Bauer

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Great new podcasts! ===========================================
Two brand new free podcasts that you can listen to and download
at www.successtalk.com/jocondrill The Hollywood Extreme
Workout with Shawn Leslie Jenkins and Take Charge of Your
Life teleseminar that Jo presented for Queen Power. Shawn
will make you sweat just talking about his extreme workout!
This fast-paced show is loaded with information about his
life's journey from break-dancing in the streets of Detroit;
to Morehouse College in Atlanta; to the YMCA in Hollywood;
to the state of the art facility, the 360 Health Club in
Reseda; and beyond. There's more to Shawn, though, than
physical fitness. Shawn has gained fame for his charitable
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needy. The interview is available 24/7. Listen, laugh, and
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Take Charge of Your Life. The message is clear, the process
is simple, the enthusiasm is contagious. In this teleseminar
Jo tells you how to use her step by step process to
Transform Your Life, Your Business, Your Family, Your
Relationships and Your Finances and create the life of your
dreams! Jo shares her personal real-life success steps with
you. Download or stream this podcast of Jo's telseminar now!

Tune in to www.successtalk.com/JoCondrill and keep checking
back to listen in on new Podcasts.

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3. Visualize Don't Fantasize
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The key to reaching your goal, of achieving your vision, is
belief. Dr. Norman Vincent Peale said the first thing is to
get your consciousness soaked with faith. William James, the
noted psychologist, agrees that the most important thing at
the beginning of any enterprise is belief.

Do you believe you either have or can acquire the things
necessary to attain your dream? If not, that belief must be
developed before you can have what you want. You've probably
heard the cliché, 'seeing is believing.' The truth, is
you've got to believe it to see it. Soak your consciousness
in faith. We become what we think about most of the time.

Begin to think how things will be when you reach your goal.
Jonathan Swift spoke of 'the art of seeing things
invisible.' Norman Vincent Peale called it 'imaging,'
Eastern thinkers speak of 'visualization.' Whatever the
label, it is a powerful process. It requires you to move
beyond merely thinking about what you would like to
accomplish, and to picture it vividly. It is the way to find
the answers to what you believe you might want to become or
achieve.

Find a peaceful place to be, away from distractions. Try to
detach yourself from concerns with the mundane details of
life. Turn down the constant chattering that takes place in
your mind. Relax and let your mind go free. Look inward, as
you ask yourself important questions about what you want out
of life. Do this repeatedly for short intervals of time. Do
not expect answers all at once.

As you practice the technique of fruitful dreaming, banish
anxiety and negative thoughts. There is no need now to
concern yourself with the specifics of how you are going to
get to that place you are imaging. In fact, such concerns
are counter-productive at the start. It is important that
you not be a 'nay-sayer,' so burdened with doubts that there
is no room to soar. See the end result you want; claim it in
advance.

When do you find time to visualize? You don't find time, you
must take time. Few people have extra time to spend. What
are you thinking about while getting dressed? Why not
fast-forward and think about having reached your goals? Set
aside some private time--upon awakening in the morning and
just before going to sleep at night. Your subconscious is
most receptive at those times when you are just becoming
fully awake and just before drifting off to sleep. Our
subconscious cannot tell the difference between what is real
and what is vividly imagined. The key is to focus on what
you want, and then vividly imagine it. Plant the seeds in
the subconscious and it will work for you, whether or not
you are thinking about your goal.

You must develop belief--in yourself, that you can reach
your goal, and belief that you deserve to reach your goal.
When you decide to pursue your dream, then you will have the
power to persevere on its behalf. You will be ready to take
the actions that will make it reality.

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