Ross Reck's Reminders

This means the rest are in dire need of some cheering up.

Job satisfaction has hit its lowest point in 22 years.  According to a recent article in the Wall Street Journal, only 45% of U.S. workers are satisfied with their jobs.  This means the rest are in dire need of some cheering up. The article points out that people can greatly increase their happiness at work, thus making their work situation more bearable, by getting outside themselves and focusing some time on making their coworkers happy.  The article suggests doing things like writing an email to your coworkers every day thanking them for things they’ve done or doing something for someone without expecting anything in return.  This all goes back to what psychologist, Theodore Reik, said back in 1957, “In order to be happy oneself, it is necessary to make at least one other person happy.”  What a beautiful and enduring truth. – Ross Reck

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...new knowledge to take the next step toward your goal.

Over the years a number of people have told me they’d really like to accomplish something worthy of note during their lifetime, but they’re not sure where to start.  My answer is always the same: “You start at the bottom and work your way up.”  A lot of people don’t like hearing this; they think there is some sort of magical short-cut they can take and avoid the humiliation of starting at the bottom.  Unfortunately, there are no short-cuts when it comes to accomplishing great things–you have to “pay your dues.”  Success is all about taking risks, learning from those experiences and then using this new knowledge to take the next step toward your goal.  And, the more quickly you repeat this process, the faster you move toward your goal.  As sales author and lecturer Joe Girard put it, “The elevator to success is out of order; you’ll have to use the stairs…one step at a time.”  – Ross Reck, author of Instant Turnaround!

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Most of us are not afraid to try new things; we just don’t make it a priority.  Then, when we do try something new and realize how positive the experience was, we often kick ourselves for not having done it sooner.  Trying new things enriches your life in a number of ways:  It allows you to learn and grow while adding a dimension fun and excitement.  It also broadens your perspective and gives you a lot more to talk about in your conversations with others.  So, if you want to avoid the “blahs” and make sure that  you don’t fall into a rut this coming year, make it a belated New Year’s resolution to try something new at least once a month and preferably once a week.  I’m talking about things like trying a new restaurant, brightening the day of a complete stranger, baking something from “scratch,” volunteering at a soup kitchen or taking that class that you’ve always wanted to take.  If you do this, you’ll find life to be a much richer, fuller and happier experience.  Just for the record, I tried Swiss chard this past Sunday evening a friend’s house after actively avoiding it my entire life–it was absolutey delicious.  The same thing happened last year with sweet potatoes–and the list goes on. – Ross Reck, author of Instant Turnaround!

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Everyone's A Coach by Ken Blanchard & Don Shula

During 1972-73, Don Shula coached the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League to the only perfect season in league history.  The Dolphins went 17-0 which included a 14-7 Super Bowl victory over the Washington Redskins.  How were they able to accomplish such a feat?  Yes, they were a great team and Mr. Shula was a great coach, but there’s one little known fact that helped to make this accomplishment possible–they were the least penalized team in the league that season. Why? Because Mr. Shula, and his players went out of their way to be nice to the referees and other game officials who called the penalties.  

Instant Turnaround by Ross Reck and Harry Paul

Mr. Shula always made it a point to spend some casual time talking to the officials before each game.  He also instructed his players to always treat the officials with kindness, dignity and respect regardless of what was going on during the game.  The lesson here is that great feats are almost impossible to accomplish with out getting a little help from your friends and being nice ensures that you’ll have some friends around to help you when you need it. – Ross Reck - Author of Instant Turnaround! 

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Crush It! by Gary Vaynerchuk

Over the years I’ve had a number of people ask me: “How do I go about finding my passion–something I can get truly excited about?”  Each of these people had the idea that finding their passion was like walking through a cafeteria line and picking something out.  In reality, the only way to find your passion is to throw yourself into whatever you’re doing.  Keep in mind that what may appear to be very boring at the surface is often very exciting once you throw yourself into it; but you’ll never know until you dive in.  The lesson here is that finding your passion is not a spectator sport.  Engage life fully and one day your passion will appear. – Ross Reck, author of Instant Turnaround!

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You'll find is that when you smile at people, they smile back...

While many New Year’s resolutions such as losing weight, getting organized or expanding your horizons can be difficult to follow through on, here’s one that isn’t: be kind.  All you need to do is smile and say something positive to the people you come into contact with.  What you’ll find is that when you smile at people, they smile back–even people who are total  strangers!  The same holds true when you say something positive.  And here’s the kicker: you’re the big winner in all this.  If you make it a point to be kind to others, you’ll find that you’re happier, feel much better about yourself, your relationships at work and home will improve and you’ll walk a little lighter and a little taller–you’ll also find the process of being kind a great deal of fun.  So what are you waiting for?  Get out there and start spreading some kindness.  Happy New Year! – Ross Reck, Author of Instant Turnaround!

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...gift making workshops...

For a number of years, my wife conducted gift making workshops during early December.  During these workshops, she would ask the participants to share their most cherished holiday memories.  Not once did anyone recall a specific gift.  It was always about something they had done with someone else, something they had done for someone else or something someone else had done for them.  The simple, but powerful truth here is that the holiday season is about doing and sharing, not about buying.  So, keep this in mind the next time you are stressing out over how you are going to find or pay for that “perfect” gift.  Memories are created by what you do, not what you buy. – Ross Reck, author of Instant Turnaround!

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Life comes at us fast and hard and can have its share of negative experiences such as losses, setbacks, disappointments and unfulfilled dreams.  These experiences can overwhelm us at times to the point where we focus only on them and lose sight of the many blessings that are showered on us on a daily basis.  In fact, if were to take stock, most of us would find that the blessings we’ve received far outnumber the negative things that have happened to us.  These are the things we need to focus on and be thankful for.  So, take some time this week and count your blessings.  Happy Thanksgiving to all of you! – Ross Reck

References:

• RossReck.com
• InstantTurnaround.net
• BossTrenz.com

Employees have been asked to do more and more with less and less while working longer hours in order to get things done.

Businesses have suffered a great deal during these past several years, but the people working for them have suffered even more.  Employees have been asked to do more and more with less and less while working longer hours in order to get things done.  During times like these, a simple “thank you” for a job well done can work wonders.  It says, “I know you’re working hard and I sincerely appreciate your doing so.”  A “thank you” under these circumstances can give an individual or group the energy and morale boosts they need in order to get through the day and have something still left in their tank when they leave work.  So be extra generous with your expressions of gratitude during these difficult times and you’ll find that those around you will be extra generous with the amount of effort they devote to their jobs. – Ross Reck, author of Instant Turnaround!

References:

• RossReck.com
• InstantTurnaround.net
• BossTrenz.com

Laugh

There aren’t many medicines that even come close to delivering the benefits that laughter delivers.  To start with, laughter makes us feel good, makes our burdens seem lighter and makes the difficult times seem less difficult.  In addition, laughter strengthens the immune system, helps you heal more quickly, reduces food cravings, reduces stress, anxiety and anger while providing you with a better night’s sleep.  And, the more we laugh, the more of these benefits we accrue.  The problem is that we simply don’t laugh enough.  Recent research shows that adults average only 17 laughs per day while a kindergartener laughs 300 times per day–and guess who is happier and healthier?  The lesson here is that we all need to make it a point to laugh more each and every day.  If we do, just like those kindergarteners, we’ll find ourselves happier and healthier. – Ross Reck, author of Instant Turnaround!

References:

• RossReck.com
• InstantTurnaround.net
• BossTrenz.com