[VIDEO] Duncan Nugget® #77: When The Pot Is Hot

Any great cook or professional chef knows that it’s best to start cooking when the pot is hot.

That goes for ovens, pans, and grills, too. They should be the ideal temperature when you start cooking. This small, vital step is one of the secrets to cooking a great dish.

It works the same way with ideas or things you want to get done. The best time to build momentum is when you first think of an idea or start on a task.  The motivation is there. The excitement is there. The desire is there.

The pot is hot.

Take some immediate action steps that you can use to measure your progress. Wait too long and your pot gets cold.  The motivation is gone. The excitement is gone. The desire is gone. Not cool.

Million-Dollar Question:
Isn’t it time for you to start
cooking up some more success?

A Lesson On Perfection From Jeff Bezos, Founder Of Amazon

It’s common knowledge that when people obsess over ”things not being perfect” it can cause them to become frozen with the fear of failure. Still, many people still struggle with it. So, what can be done about this?

Whenever I’m struggling with whether or not to implement a plan or idea because “it’s not perfect” I take a look at great leaders and entrepreneurs who launched services and products that weren’t perfect. The one who has been coming to mind as of late is Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon.

[VIDEO+ACTIVITY] Duncan Nugget® #103: Focus On The Task At Hand

Picture this:

I’m standing 3 feet away from my 5-yr old son, Mekhi. I call him. He doesn’t answer. Hmm…

I say his name a little louder, “Mekhi!”

Still no response. Grrr…

“MEKHIIII!!!”

Believe it or not, he still doesn’t respond. I’m thinking, “Oh lord! My child is deaf.” But that’s not it. He can’t hear me because he’s watching his show. He’s focused.

If you’re a parent, you’ve experienced this. If you have parents, you’ve done this!

You’re probably thinking, “That is not focus. He was ignoring you.” Ha! I can see where you’re coming from, but wait. Isn’t that what focus is?

The ability to ignore anything that has nothing to do with the task at hand. 

HINT: When engrossed in something you are passionate about, you have that ability.

Million-Dollar Question:
What are you so passionate about
that you ignore all distractions and
focus on the task at hand?

[VIDEO] Duncan Nugget® #78: Seize The Opportunity

Recently, I asked a friend, “Why are you procrastinating about this opportunity?” He answered, “I’m not procrastinating. I’m being patient.”

There is a thin line between patience and procrastination.

On one side, you seize opportunities. Awesome. On the other side, you snooze on opportunities. Not awesome.

“Opportunities multiply as they are seized.” That’s from the Art of War. It means that when you snooze on one, you miss others you can’t even see. That’s why you must understand the difference between patience and procrastination.

Patience is taking a calculated risk. Procrastination is avoiding risk.

Patience is making time to learn what to do. Procrastination is knowing what to do and not doing it.

Patience is saying, “This will take awhile so, let’s get started now.” Procrastination is saying, “I’ll get to it sooner or later.”

Of course, later never comes.

Million-Dollar Question:
What opportunity do you need to seize right now?

[INFOGRAPHIC] Is Social Media Ruining Students?

[VIDEO] Duncan Nugget® #197: Protecting Your Momentum

There are few things harder than starting.

Starting what?

Anything that’s a worthwhile endeavor.

It takes a lot of energy to get started. The Space Shuttle uses the most fuel during take off. Your car uses the most battery power when it’s starting up. Think about that. It recharges when it’s running.

Getting started in school or starting a new job, exercise program or business, is challenging because you’re creating momentum and fighting inertia: the natural tendency of an object to resist a change in motion.

Be careful. It’s the start-up phase that breaks a lot people. But not you, right?

You want to take at least one action step, daily, that will help you build and protect your momentum because one thing that’s harder than starting is starting over.

Million-Dollar Question:
What are you committed to doing to
build and protect your momentum?

[VIDEO] Duncan Nugget® #245: Single Point Of Focus

“Here’s a question for you… What did you do when you hit that point where you knew you were doing things to make a difference but, it just didn’t seem like it was enough? What kept you motivated and focused so that you weren’t thinning yourself out trying to be apart of to many causes?”

Two things:

1. Great leaders are seldom, if ever, satisfied. They are always tweaking things to become more efficient, effective, and productive. They are always striving to do better. They always feel as if there is more to be done. More progress to be made. So, if you feel like that…congratulations.

2.

Duncan Nugget #245:
Focus is difficult to achieve because
it requires sacrifice.
It requires you to give something up
in order to accomplish more.

One day it finally dawned on me that most successful people and great leaders have a single point of focus—one main thing that they are obsessed with getting done. They may be busy doing other things and have other interests, but they are still honed in on that single point of focus. Ultimately, they refuse to allow anything to get in the way.

Million-Dollar Question:
What’s your single point of focus?

_____________

[I was asked this question via the National Society of Leadership and Success Facebook page.]