Commitment, Chuck, Buck, Awe, Wonder, Pen or Pencil

“All this he saw, for one moment breathless and intense, vivid on the morning sky; and still, as he looked, he lived; and still, as he lived, he wondered.”
— Kenneth Grahame

Good morning beautiful, sexy, and motivated people.  How are you? Welcome to July of 2021!  Time seems to be flying; it was just May yesterday?  Another great night of sleep, we hit the bed at 8:30, and I’m up at 5:30, 9 hours if my public school math is correct.  I didn’t wake up, but a couple of times, I tweaked my back and would wake up when I moved wrong but quickly fell back asleep. Although I know some of my readers struggle with sleep, my wife and I are blessed with fantastic rest.

I attended an international board meeting yesterday.  The board was struggling with the “ghosting” of prospects.  May of their opportunities seemed to disappear after the first meeting.  I shared that one thing I taught in my program was the art of getting a solid commitment.  The way you do that is to be a little corny and ask if you should use a pen or pencil when setting the appointment.  The prospect is usually curious when asked that question.  The explanation is, “if we put it in pencil, it’s subject to change; if we put it in pen, you are committing to be there.” 

I want to remind you we live in an abundant society, one of mass wealth and opportunity. So don’t chase people that are unwilling or unable to commit.  Commitment is the key to solid relationships.  If you say you will do something, do it or risk losing faith from your prospect or client.  Vet those that don’t keep up their commitments, if someone commits to giving you thirty minutes of their time, but when you arrive, announce something came up, and now you only have 10 minutes, do not accept the change, reschedule or be willing to walk away.

Another tip and trick when setting an in-person appointment is to ask the question, would you invite me in to see if we can help you solve your issue? Then, when you arrive, remind them by saying, “thank you for inviting me in.” Finally, always set a time limit before the meeting and always have an agenda.  If you do those three things, you are miles ahead of your competition.

I ran a few more meetings after my board meeting; then, I taught part one of my course to a group of agents in Indiana.  I was having some internet issues out of the gate, I would be in the middle of teaching a key concept, and the damn connection would lock up, but over time, that resolved itself, and we had an excellent first class.  One of the keys to my course is to get commitments from each student. Do you see a theme here?

If you commit to activities during your day that will improve your life, your life will improve. For example, if you commit to getting your ass out of bed at 5:00 a.m. every day, it will have a radical change on how you live.  I was a 5:00 a.m. guy for 25 years, I now allow myself to sleep in until 5:30 and even sometimes 6:00, but during those 25 years, I always felt like I had a 2-hour jump on my competition. So the other recommendation I make to younger people trying to succeed is getting a routine and not breaking it.  Once you do something for 30 days, it becomes a habit; try it. 

I worked here until 3:30, then headed to meet my friend Robin and a couple of strangers for nine holes of golf. I used to play a lot; now, I maybe play one time a month; I’m choosey with my golf play, it is something that takes me away from my wife, and I’m not a fan of not living, working, and playing without my wife.

When I arrived, I hit a couple of balls and felt my back “tweak.”  I’ve never had a back issue, but during the round, my back began pulsating; it was pretty painful; I played through it and came home to get some Advil.  Welcome to your fifties, young man.  I am happy to report it’s better this morning; we have a nice hike planned at 4:30; I’ll not miss that opportunity to hang with a new friend and, of course, my wife and PVHT.

The two other men in our foursome were great slivers of humanity.  “Chuck” was an I.T. guy that got hammered by COVID.  He looked to be in great shape, go the VID whilst working out outside his gym in March; he is very concerned about significant events and will not be going to Red Rocks this year; he is taking the year off.  Again, I’m amazed that the VID was able to attack and impact seemingly healthy people.  The other feller, “Buck,” had recently just sold his company, I asked about his next mountain, and he and his wife are starting another company.  I love my fellow entrepreneurs.  I sensed that Buck does not need to work, but he has no plans to stop like many intelligent, accomplished, and motivated people.  Work gives his life meaning.

I will work with a friend to begin the foundations of a leadership development day in Indianapolis in October.   We will have speakers from all over the country coming into town to enjoy the city and give a Ted Talk on their passion and understanding of our world.  I may or may not speak; I’d don’t want to take a slot from someone with a powerful message. So if you have a talk you would like to submit, message me, and I’ll send you to our vetting committee.

Well, there you have it, another beautiful morning; I’ll share my sunrise with you.  I’m going to have a fantastic day; every day is filled with wonder and awe.  This life is a gift; each day, I unwrap another present given to me by something bigger than myself.  I am optimistic that this is the most fantastic time in human history; it’s time to open your mind to what is possible, it’s time to make some changes to become your best self, join me in sucking every drop of juice that the fruit of life offers.

“All this he saw, for one moment breathless and intense, vivid on the morning sky; and still, as he looked, he lived; and still, as he lived, he wondered.”
— Kenneth Grahame