W.I.N. Wednesday: Learn this lesson then move on to the next.

"Lessons are repeated until they are learned. A lesson will be presented to you in various forms until you have learned it. When you have learned it, you can go on to the next lesson.

Learning lessons does not end. There's no part of life that doesn't contain its lessons. If you're alive, that means there are still lessons to be learned."

Cherie Carter-Scott

What lessons are being repeated in your life that you need to learn so you can move on to the next lesson?

What’s Important Now? Keep learning. Keep moving forward. 

Take care.

Brian Willis

www.lifesmostpowerfulquestion.com. 

ONE QUESTION BRINGING FOCUS AND CLARITY IN THE CHAOS AND COMPLEXITY OF TODAY'S WORLD.

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W.I.N. Wednesday: I treasure my solitude.

When I saw the following I strongly resonated with the message. I am not sure of the source but I wanted to share it.

I’m not shy. I’m a noticer. I am a thinker. I’m an observer. I’m not stuck up. I’m not anti-social. I treasure my solitude. I’m not a fan of small talk. I prefer a few close friends. I am reserved, until I’m not. I appreciate true connection. If we connect, you matter to me.

Source Unknown

I am a big fan of Susan Cain’s book Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking. It has been on my recommended reading list for a number of years and I share some of my takeaways in my Excellence in Training Course and in the leadership workshops I teach.

As an introvert I treasure my solitude. To me being alone does not mean being lonely. Yes, I teach and speak for a living. That does not mean I am an extrovert. It means that like all introverts I have the ability to be a situational extrovert. Having said that I need my alone time after teaching all day to recover. I do not go out for lunch with the group when I teach and I rarely go out with people after class. At conferences I stay clear of the hospitality room, as that will suck the life out of me. Instead, I may go for dinner with one or two people in order to have a deep conversation and build connection. 

In a world of introverts and extroverts people fall on a spectrum. One is not ‘good’ and the other ‘bad’, they just are. The important thing is to avoid judging and labeling people based on their preference. Seek to understand and appreciate their preference. As a leader, trainer or teacher find appropriate ways to encourage the introverts to contribute and share their thoughts and ideas. If you are an introvert then be ok with implementing strategies to be able to manage your energy. 

What’s Important Now? It’s ok to value solitude. 

Take care.

Brian Willis

www.lifesmostpowerfulquestion.com. 

ONE QUESTION BRINGING FOCUS AND CLARITY IN THE CHAOS AND COMPLEXITY OF TODAY'S WORLD.

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W.I.N. Wednesday: Popularity or Impact

“Popularity is how many likes you collect. Impact is how many lives you enrich.” 

Adam Grant

Take time to reflect on your life and ask yourself, “Am I seeking popularity, or impact?” 

Be careful that you are not seeking popularity under the guise of impact. These are the people who jump on the bandwagon of the latest hot topic and say all the right things just to try and be popular. That is not impact. 

Impact is not about posting selfies on social media saying, “Heh, look at me. Look at the great thing I just did.” Impact is about doing the work for the right reasons. It is about doing what is right when it is not popular, easy or expedient. Impact focuses on significance, not “success”. 

If you are seeking impact you will not always be popular. Some people will disagree with the work you are doing. Some people will resent the work you are doing. Some people will be jealous because of the impact you are making in the world by enriching others. 

Impact does not have to be on a grand scale. You do not have to try and enrich the lives of missions in order to have impact. Start with enriching the life of one person and work from there. Some of the most impactful people in society are teachers, coaches and first responders who you will never hear of. They will never be rich and famous, but they will have enriched the lives of the people they came in contact with. 

Brian Decker is a retired US Army Special Forces Lt. Colonel and currently the Director of Team Development for the Indianapolis Colts of the NFL. In an interview for the Talent War podcast he was asked what advice he would give his 20-year-old self. As part of his answer he said, “What I would say is I would have learned a little quicker that it’s not about what you can do, but it’s what you can bring out in others.” That’s impact. 

What’s Important Now? Seek impact. Seek to enrich the lives of others. If that results in popularity, so be it. 

Take care.

Brian Willis

www.lifesmostpowerfulquestion.com. 

ONE QUESTION BRINGING FOCUS AND CLARITY IN THE CHAOS AND COMPLEXITY OF TODAY'S WORLD.

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W.I.N. Wednesday: The Power of Perspective

“Our perspective is the only thing in life that can significantly influence the outcome without changing the facts.”

Zach Brandon, MLB Mental Performance Coach

Two or more people can look at the same situation, the same facts and have completely different opinions and responses based on their individual perspectives. Those perspectives influence their attitudes, beliefs and behaviours. As a result they can be in the same situation, perceive it differently, respond differently and have different outcomes.

Two people can be facing the same challenging situation, but because of opposing perspectives one will adopt the victim mentality and the other will see the opportunities, take responsibility for their actions and rise about the challenges. 

Differing perspectives often result in debates, arguments, name calling, and confrontation. You do not have to look very far in today’s world to see examples of this. 

Try this exercise. Print off the number 6 in large print on a piece of paper. Place it on the ground at your feet so when you look down you see 6. Now have someone stand facing you and have them look down and tell you what they see. They will say a 9. You can argue with them, tell them they are wrong all day and nothing will change. If you simply move to where they are at in order to understand their perspective you will also see the 9. Your movement in an effort to understand their perspective may inspire them to move to where you were standing to understand your perspective. When they do they will see a 6. The result is likely that both of you will say something to the effect of, “I understand now how you could see it that way. I hadn’t considered that perspective.” It does not mean that either of you were wrong or the other was right. It does mean that you both now have a greater understanding of the other person’s perspective.

It is easy to get locked into our own perspective and fail to consider other perspectives. I fall into this trap on a regular basis. It requires that you be intentional about seeking to understand other people’s perspectives. You don’t have to agree with their perspective; you do need to seek to understand it. If we all did this is it possible there would be less conflict in the workplace and in our lives? 

What’s Important Now? Remember that your perspective is simply one perspective. Seek to understand other perspectives. 

Take care.

Brian Willis

www.lifesmostpowerfulquestion.com. 

ONE QUESTION BRINGING FOCUS AND CLARITY IN THE CHAOS AND COMPLEXITY OF TODAY'S WORLD.

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W.I.N. Wednesday: Are you willing to invest 1% of your day?

I have written before about James Clear’s philosophy of committing to 1% improvement every day.  While 1% improvement can be hard to measure what if you committed to spending just 1% of your day on self-improvement? 1% of your day is 14 minutes and 24 seconds. (You could round it up to 15 minutes for ease of the math and the timer.)

Would you be willing to commit to investing 14 minutes and 24 seconds of your day to improve your mind, body and craft? Would you be willing to put a monthly calendar on the wall and but a large X through every day where you spend at least 14 minutes and 24 seconds in some form of self improvement with the goal to have an X through every day, every month? Would you be willing to invest the time up front to determine a plan on how you are going to be intentional in investing those 14 minutes and 24 seconds? 

It may be best to start with one thing you want to add to your daily rituals such as 14 minutes and 24 seconds of reading a non-fiction book, working on an online course, breath work, body weight exercise, meditation, building mental skills or writing. One thing, every day for 1% of the day equates to a large investment in just one year. Here is the breakdown of committing 14 minutes and 24 seconds every day:

·      864 seconds per day

·      315, 360 seconds per year

·      5256 minutes per year

·      87.6 hours per year

Is 14 minutes and 24 seconds something you could commit to do every day, even on the tough days? Is it possible that if you committed to investing just 1% of every day that you could exceed the 1% daily improvement that James Clear recommends? 

“Compound interest is the eighth wonder of the world. He who understands it, earns it ... he who doesn't ... pays it.”

Albert Einstein

Consider for a moment the compound interest effect from the investment of just 1% of your day to an area of growth and development for your mind, body or craft. That small investment, repeated daily will result in a huge return. Life happens so if you miss a day, simply start over. 

A W.I.N. Wednesday reader recently reminded me of a Calvin Coolidge quote that I believe fits very well here. Thanks Samuel.

“Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan Press On! has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.” 
Calvin Coolidge

What’s Important Now? Start small. Be intentional. Be consistent. Be persistent.

Take care.

Brian Willis

www.lifesmostpowerfulquestion.com. 

ONE QUESTION BRINGING FOCUS AND CLARITY IN THE CHAOS AND COMPLEXITY OF TODAY'S WORLD.

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W.I.N. Wednesday: What you don’t see.

You see the on stage or on screen performance by the actor. You do not see all the auditions and rejections or all the hours of practice training and preparation.

You see the on field performance by the athlete. You do not see all the hours of training their mind, body and craft. You don’t see the sacrifices they made to get to where they are. 

You see the TED talk. You don’t see the hours of planning, preparation, editing, practice, editing and rehearsal. 

You read the best selling book. You do not see the unpublished manuscripts, the trashed or deleted pages, the countless edits, the rewrites, and the hundreds or thousands of hours researching and writing. 

You see the finished product. You do not see the rough draft, not the person who once sucked at their craft. You do not see the struggles, the ups and downs, the rejections, or the thousands of hours of work that made up the journey to get to the person or product you see. 

We tend to glorify the finished product and sadly we often ignore the effort that was the journey. As a result, many people on the journey do not celebrate the journey, the effort, the struggles, the setbacks, the small wins, the countless days of showing up and the growth that happens slowly along the journey. 

If you wait and only celebrate the finished product the feeling of satisfaction may be fleeting. You may feel what so many do – “Is this it? I spent all those years for this?” If you learn to celebrate the journey, embrace the struggle, embrace the suck, look for the learning, look for the good and show up every day daring to be great then when you get the finished product you celebrate the accomplishment knowing that you did the work to earn it. Then you can get back to the ritual of doing the work knowing that you have done hard things before and you can do them again.   

What’s Important Now? Embrace the struggle, the suck, the effort and the journey that others don’t see.  

Take care.

Brian Willis

www.lifesmostpowerfulquestion.com. 

ONE QUESTION BRINGING FOCUS AND CLARITY IN THE CHAOS AND COMPLEXITY OF TODAY'S WORLD.

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W.I.N. Wednesday: Take it and run with it.

I learned the question What’s Important Now? 20 years ago from reading Winning Every Day by Lou Holtz (I went back years later to reread the W.I.N. chapter and discovered it was only two sentences.). About the same time I happened to watch a couple of videos of Coach Holtz talking about life lessons and leadership lessons and in those he talked about W.I.N..  I have been teaching it, talking about it for 20 years and writing about it for over 16 years and started referring to W.I.N. as Life’s Most Powerful Question. I don’t own What’s Important Now? To my knowledge it is not trademarked or copyrighted. I am certainly not the only person using or teaching it. Michael Phelps wrote about how he used W.I.N. in his book No Limits: The Will to Succeed. Brian Cain talks about it in his Mental Performance Management coaching certification program. 

Why tell you all this, again? Because I want you to take the W.I.N. philosophy and run with it. Make it your own. Get you own W.I.N. wristbands made up with your company or team colors. Find ways to weave it into what you do, what you teach and into your coaching philosophy. 

Teach it as a decision making tool. Teach it to you kids, teach it to the youth sports team you coach and teach it in your workplace and your classrooms. Have the people you teach it to teach it to someone else. If you are willing to share with me how you are using W.I.N. I would love to hear from you so I can share those ideas with others. 

I am on a mission to get as many people as possible using, teaching and talking about W.I.N. as a tool to help make better decisions and to help access their inner guide.  I could use your help. Will you join me? 

Take care.

Brian Willis

www.lifesmostpowerfulquestion.com. 

ONE QUESTION BRINGING FOCUS AND CLARITY IN THE CHAOS AND COMPLEXITY OF TODAY'S WORLD.

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W.I.N. Wednesday: Master the Art of Showing Up

James Clear, the author of Atomic Habits, shared some great advice in a recent 3-2-1 Thursday Newsletter, "When choosing a new habit many people seem to ask themselves, “What can I do on my best days?” The trick is to ask, “What can I stick to even on my worst days?” Start small. Master the art of showing up. Scale up when you have the time, energy, and interest."

About 3 years ago I switched from working out at a gym to working out at home. Why? To remove potential barriers and make it easier to show up. What works best for me in order to be consistent in showing up for my workouts at home and on the road is to start my workout approximately 30 minutes after I get up in the morning. Because I get up at 3:00 a.m. unless I have access to a true 24-hour fitness facility the only way to keep to that schedule is workout at home, and in my hotel room when I am on the road (some hotel gyms don’t open until 6:00 a.m. or later.). We use the second bedroom in our condo as my office, and it now doubles as my gym along with the small hallway outside the office and one day a week I use the kitchen area as well. I have one kettlebell (I loaned my other two to my oldest son during the pandemic), a number of resistance bands and an X3 that I use for deadlifts and a few other exercises. Every morning I automatically “show up” in my gym so weather, my wife being out of town with the car, gyms closed due to COVID, or any other potential excuse / barrier to showing up has automatically been eliminated.

After my workout and sauna (Two years ago I invested in my in my brain and physical health by purchasing a Clearlight infrared one person sauna, which is in our small den.) I shower and I grab my coffee that has been brewing while I am showering and show up at my desk to get in an hour of creative work before I eat my first meal of the day. Once I show up I will always get some work done. Some days are more productive than others, but once I show up I know I am going to get some work done. 

Too often when we try to start a new habit we get caught up in the “go big or go home” mentality and try to base the habit on the image of what it looks and feels like when we are fully rested and fully energized. We think we can rely on motivation to continue. Motivation comes and goes and is unreliable. As James Clear points out, “Start small and master the art of showing up. Scale up when you have the time, energy, and interest.” Even on my low energy days I know that once I show up and start my warm-up I am going to workout. It may not be the best workout. It may not be the longest workout, but it is a workout and I always feel better after I do it.  

Mastering the art of showing up is not just for workouts. As a trainer, teacher, or speaker you need to master the art of showing up with the right energy and mindset to best serve the participants in your workshop or class. As a leader you need to master the art of showing up to lead, inspire and serve your people. As a parent you need to master the art of showing up for your children. As a friend you need to master the art of showing up when your friend is in a time of need. You need to master the art of showing up with the right energy and mindset when you show up at meetings. As a first responder you need to master the art of showing up with the right level of compassion and attention at every call as well as for your family at home. 

You also need to master the art of showing up for yourself. It is easy to master the art of always showing up for others and neglect yourself. You need to master the art of showing up for your rest and recovery. This is part of showing up for your workouts, but also includes showing up for your micro recoveries during the day. These might be mindful minutes, 5 to 10 minutes of breath work or meditation, listening to a guided imagery recording, reading for 10 minutes or just sitting in silence and enjoying a few minutes of solitude.  

Without the habit of showing up, which is really hard some days, and making it as easy as possible to show up, I would blow off too many workouts and work sessions. I realize not everyone has the luxury of having their gym, sauna, office and kitchen all within 20 feet of each other and within 25 feet of their bedroom. Whatever situation that you do have find ways to master the art of showing up. Once you show up get to work on the small actions, which will lead to the creation of habits and rituals. 

What’s Important Now? Start small and master the art of showing up. 

Take care.

Brian Willis

www.lifesmostpowerfulquestion.com. 

ONE QUESTION BRINGING FOCUS AND CLARITY IN THE CHAOS AND COMPLEXITY OF TODAY'S WORLD.

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W.I.N. Wednesday: The Most Courageous Act

“The most courageous act is still to think for yourself. Aloud.”

Coco Chanel

There are two things that strike me about this quote from Coco Chanel. The first is the courage to think for yourself. Group Think seems to be more prevalent now than it has ever been. Too many people seem willing to farm out their thinking to the boss, the group, the screamers and yellers, someone on the Internet with a huge following or their favourite media source. 

It takes courage to think for yourself, to expose yourself to a wide range of information and perspectives, to seek out the research, facts and evidence and to be willing to challenge your own assumptions. 

The second part of the quote is the courage to do it aloud. This is not about you becoming one of the screamers and yellers. It is not about having to comment on every post someone else makes on social media. It is not about trying to prove you are right and others are wrong. It is not about trying to debate everything and win every debate.

It is about the courage to speak up and say, “This is what I believe, and this is why I believe this.” It is the courage to have strong beliefs loosely held and the willingness to be open to new evidence that would cause you to change your beliefs. It is about challenging the status quo. It is about speaking up and asking, “What if there is a better way? What if we could do it?” It is about speaking up and saying, “This is not who we are. This is not what we stand for.” When the group is making decisions that deviate from the core values of the organization. 

What’s Important Now? Be courageous. Think for yourself. Aloud. 

Take care.

Brian Willis

www.lifesmostpowerfulquestion.com. 

ONE QUESTION BRINGING FOCUS AND CLARITY IN THE CHAOS AND COMPLEXITY OF TODAY'S WORLD.

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W.I.N. Wednesday: Think, Start, Learn.

Yesterday I was listening to the latest episode of The Thinking Leader Podcast where Bryce Hoffman interviewed Barry O’Reilly, the author of Unlearn: Let Go Of Past Success to Achieve Extraordinary Success. 

One of the concepts Barry talked about was, “Think Big, Start Small and Learn Fast.”

This concept fits nicely with the question from Dr. Robert Cooper that I use in some of my workshops, “Where might the smallest change make the biggest difference?”

Small is manageable. Small is repeatable. Small builds incrementally. Small does not involve the same levels of bureaucracy as big. Small often does not need permission. Over time small successes makes people take notice. Continuous small wins builds confidence and engagement with your team.

It is easy to get caught up feeling like you need to change the world, or change your entire organization. That generally leads to frustration and to giving up on those dreams. 

The key is to do what you can, with what you have, where you are. You have influence. Ask yourself, and your team, “What is the smallest change that could have the greatest impact?” This question will spark discussions about changes that will have a ripple or domino effect. Pick one idea and move forward. Once you have success then repeat the process. Be sure to learn from your successes as well as any failures you encounter on the journey. 

What’s Important Now? Think Big, Start Small and Learn Fast.

Take care.

Brian Willis

www.lifesmostpowerfulquestion.com. 

ONE QUESTION BRINGING FOCUS AND CLARITY IN THE CHAOS AND COMPLEXITY OF TODAY'S WORLD.

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W.I.N. Wednesday: Beware of the Comparison Trap

It is easy in today’s world to get drawn into the comparison game. You compare your accomplishments with those of other people. You compare your life to the one others appear to be living. You compare your success to what others appear to have achieved. You compare the number of likes, followers and connections to other people. You compare your financial status to other people’s apparent status. You compare your level of ‘formal’ education with others. You compare your impact to what others appear to have. You compare your book sales to others. You compare the number of people who watched your TEDx talk to others. You compare the number of shares of your latest post with others. 

Getting sucked into the void of the comparison games is usually a drain of your time, energy and confidence. You need to step back and ask yourself, “What am I gaining from this? How is this helping me grow? How is this helping me be a little better than I was yesterday?” The answer to all of those questions is usually, “It’s not.”  

Much of what you believe other people’s lives are like from looking at social media is a mirage and a façade. There are people who have found a way to scam every “Best Seller” list to the point that being a “Best Selling Author” does not mean what it used to. There are people who have a host of letters after their name reflecting their academic achievements who have made massive contributions to the world, and others who have made very little impact. There are people who have very limited formal education who have made a significant impact in the lives of other people and in the world. 

I have had the chance to interview people with very impressive bios who have accomplished amazing things and it is easy to feel like an underachiever compared to them. When I find myself feeling that way I need to take a step back and avoid getting drawn into the comparison game. My impact and contribution is different from theirs. It is not better or worse, more or less, it is just different.

Too often we look at people’s apparent “success” (money, titles, houses, cars, number of followers, etc.) without reflecting on their impact and the significance of their lives in relation to being of service to others. Many people live lives of significance and never achieve fame or “success”. Many people who appear to be successful are deeply in debt and / or struggling in a number of areas of their life. You never know what is behind the façade, the public facing image. 

If we feel we are behind in the comparison game it is easy to get drawn into the trap of looking for people you can feel superior to. There is no value in falling into that trap either. 

“There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self.”

Ernest Hemingway

Are you a little better today than you were yesterday? Are you striving to make incremental improvements in your life? Are you striving to live a life of significance? Are you focused on your Eulogy Virtues or your Resume Virtues? Are you living in alignment with your personal core values? Asking yourself some version of these questions helps you gauge yourself in relation to your former self, not to other people. The question What’s Important Now? helps you tap into your inner guide and take the next step forward into growth. 

What’s Important Now? Continually strive to be the best version of you and be cautious of getting drawn into the comparison trap.  

Take care.

Brian Willis

www.lifesmostpowerfulquestion.com. 

ONE QUESTION BRINGING FOCUS AND CLARITY IN THE CHAOS AND COMPLEXITY OF TODAY'S WORLD.

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W.I.N. Wednesday: W.I.N. is none of those.

In today’s world people are often looking for ‘The Secret’, a hack or a shortcut to achieve their goals. 

W.I.N. is none of those.

W.I.N. is not a hack.

W.I.N. is not a quick fix.

W.I.N. is not three simple steps.

W.I.N. is a process. 

W.I.N. is a decision making tool.

W.I.N. allows you to access the guide, the coach, the teacher, the mentor, the experience, the knowledge and the wisdom already inside you.

W.I.N. is simple (lack of complexity), but it is not easy (lack of effort). 

W.I.N. will tell you to do the work.

Some days W.I.N. will kick you in the ass. 

Some days W.I.N. will pat you on the back. 

Embracing the Suck, Looking for the Learning, Looking for the Good and Daring to Be Great is hard work. It is about showing up every day, despite the suck, and doing the work. It is about battling the pull to let the suck win and give in to mediocrity, to play the blame game and choose to be a victim. 

W.I.N. is a tool to battle the thoughts of giving up in those moments of frustration or desperation where you think, “What can I do? I am just one person. I am just a ___________ (fill in the blank).” W.I.N. will remind you that true impact and change always starts with one person who believes in the mission and is willing to step up and lead regardless of their rank, position or title. 

What’s Important Now? There is no “one way” or “right way” to use W.I.N.. W.I.N. is a tool for you to use, play with, experiment with, share and teach to others. 

Take care.

Brian Willis

www.lifesmostpowerfulquestion.com. 

ONE QUESTION BRINGING FOCUS AND CLARITY IN THE CHAOS AND COMPLEXITY OF TODAY'S WORLD.

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W.I.N. Wednesday: I Need Your Help

What’s Important Now? is a concept I learned from Coach Lou Holtz and have been sharing in seminars, workshops and courses for almost 20 years, and writing about in this forum for 16 ½ years. As you know I refer to What’s Important Now? as Life’s Most Powerful Question. I believe it is Life’s Most Powerful Question for two reasons:

1.    It’s simplicity.

2.    It’s diversity in application.

The tag line I now use on the Life’s Most Powerful Question website, which will likely change and evolve, is “One question bringing focus and clarity in the chaos and complexity of today’s world.” 

I believe that when we embrace W.I.N. as a decision making tool it can help us move forward in the chaos, complexity, volatility and uncertainty of today’s world and take the next right step, the next right action to move us forward. When life throws challenges at us, as it always does, W.I.N. can help us to Embrace the Suck, Look for the Learning, Look for the Good and Dare to Be Great. W.I.N. crosses all boundaries, all demographics, all professions and all ages. The simplicity and the diversity of application make it universally appealing. 

Here are just a few of the ways the W.I.N. philosophy is being used:

·      W.I.N. is being taught and used as a decision making tool in public safety. 

·      It has been taught to military special operations personnel. 

·      It has been used as a mantra to battle cancer. 

·      It has been used to help people deal with the death of a loved one. 

·      It has been taught to young athletes by youth sports coaches. 

·      It has been taught in schools from elementary to college and university. 

·      It has been used by Olympic athletes. 

·      It is being taught to professional baseball players.

What is my point with all this?  

I am working to build a movement around the W.I.N. philosophy. Scott Mann from Rooftop Leadership defines a movement as:

“Mobilizing a group of diverse people to take action and create unity of effort that results in a strategic impact.”

My goal is to build a movement where diverse people take action and create that unity of effort Scott talks about to spread the W.I.N. philosophy in order to make a greater impact on the world and I need your help to do that. 

I would love to hear what you have done, and are doing to apply the W.I.N. Philosophy in your life as well as what you are doing to share the W.I.N. philosophy. You can send me an e-mail at winningmind@mac.com or send me a short video if that is easier for you. 

Also, what can I do to help you? In addition to the weekly blog post would it be helpful if I posted short videos or webinars on the website http://www.lifesmostpowerfulquestion.com after I do some website upgrades? 

Any help you can provide in getting the word out and helping build the movement would be greatly appreciated. 

Take care.

Brian Willis

www.lifesmostpowerfulquestion.com. 

ONE QUESTION BRINGING FOCUS AND CLARITY IN THE CHAOS AND COMPLEXITY OF TODAY'S WORLD.

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W.I.N. Wednesday: Which type of information do you want?

"Most people don’t want accurate information, they want validating information. Growth requires you to be open to unlearning ideas that previously served you."

James Clear

It is easy to get caught up in only looking at, and looking for, information that validates and confirms what I already believe. 

I select the news feeds I watch and the news stories I read and listen to, based on my existing beliefs. 

I select the research papers I read believing the one that confirms and validates what I believe and discount the twenty that show my belief to be inaccurate. 

I surround myself personally and professionally with those who think like I do and who are willing to validate my beliefs. 

As I scan the world I look for examples and “evidence” to support and validate my beliefs, and I usually find what I am looking for. 

If I want accurate information I need to be intentional about looking for dissenting opinions and beliefs and disconfirming information, research and evidence. This is not easy and it is usually very uncomfortable for most of us, at least I know it is for me. As James Clear points out however, if you want to grow you need to be open to unlearning ideas that previously served you. 

You need to have strong beliefs, loosely held and an open and curious mind. I have great respect for people who are willing to publically state, “I used to believe ________________, but after reviewing the most current, rigorous research and evidence I realize I was wrong and have changed what I believe.” I am concerned when people hold on to dogmatic beliefs despite the vast evidence to show that belief is not accurate, or no longer accurate. 

This is not about jumping on every new bandwagon that comes along. It is about looking at all the information with an open and curious mind seeking the most current and accurate information. The world of research and knowledge is continually evolving. Science is continually proving that what we used to believe to be true is no longer accurate.

What’s Important Now? Be curious. Keep an open mind. Seek accurate information. 

Take care.

Brian Willis

www.lifesmostpowerfulquestion.com. 

ONE QUESTION BRINGING FOCUS AND CLARITY IN THE CHAOS AND COMPLEXITY OF TODAY'S WORLD.

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W.I.N. Wednesday: Your Inner Guide

Too often people are spending time looking for the secret, a shortcut or a hack to help them deal with the challenges of today’s world. There is no secret, and there are no shortcuts or hacks to achieving excellence and living a life of significance. You have to be willing to do the work. 

Now, more than ever you are challenged to thrive in a world where volatility, complexity, uncertainty and ambiguity are the norm. Navigating these challenges in your professional and personal lives is no easy feat and we are all seeking guidance in these complex and chaotic.

What if the “Guide” you were seeking was inside of you? What if you already possess an “Inner Guide” to help you on this journey? If that is true, the question then becomes, “How do we access the wisdom of that inner guide?” The answer starts with a question - Life’s Most Powerful Question - What’s Important Now? 

What I have shared over the last 16 years through the W.I.N. Newsletter and W.I.N. Wednesday blog are simply strategies that you can use to unlock and unleash your inner guide. The knowledge, the wisdom, the insights and the answers are already inside of you times if you are willing to trust it. W.I.N. simply shines a spotlight on it and brings it into your conscious awareness. 

If you don’t believe that you have an “inner guide” then just start paying attention to all the sage advice you give to other people. The challenge becomes believing in your inner guide to help guide your life and being willing to serve as a success coach for yourself. 

In addition to the question What’s Important Now?, you can utilize what Ethan Kross Ph.D. refers to as “distanced self-talk”. Distanced self-talk is using the second person “you” and / or your name when you talk to yourself. Using distanced self-talk is an effective way of giving a voice to your inner guide. You can even combine the two, “Ok Brian. What’s Important Now?” and then continue to use distanced self-talk as you answer the question. 

What’s Important Now? Combine W.I.N. with your inner guide to help you on your journey to living a life of significance.

Take care.

Brian Willis

www.lifesmostpowerfulquestion.com. 

ONE QUESTION BRINGING FOCUS AND CLARITY IN THE CHAOS AND COMPLEXITY OF TODAY'S WORLD.

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W.I.N. Wednesday: What if?

Two of the three highest paid players in Major League Baseball are pitchers. Trevor Bauer makes $38 million a year and Garrett Cole makes $36 million a year. Neither one has ever thrown a perfect game. In fact since 1880 there have only ever been 23 perfect games thrown. Mike Trout is the second highest paid player in MLB making $37.1 million a year with a batting average of .305. There has never been an MLB game there were no mistakes, errors or failures and yet, these are the best of the best at what they do. 

Patrick Mahomes is the highest paid NFL quarterback at $45 million per year. In 2020 his passing completion average was 66.33%, the highest of his career. Dak Prescott is the second highest paid quarterback at $40 million a year with a 68.02% completion rate. Have you ever watched an NFL game where there were no penalties for offside, illegal procedure, illegal contact, or unnecessary roughness? Have you ever watched a game where there were no dropped passes, no missed blocks, no missed defensive assignments or blown coverage? How many times do refs have to watch the replay with the officials in the booth to determine if a high tackle was targeting or decide if they are going to confirm or overturn a call on the field? How many times in a post game interview have you heard players complain about an official’s call because, “At the speed of the game they cannot just pull up at the last minute.” And yet, the players and officials in the NFL are the best of the best at what they do.

The highest paid player in the NBA is Stephen Curry making $43 million a year followed by Russell Westbrook and Chris Paul at $41.3 million a year. Their career field goal shooting percentages are 47.7%, 43.7% and 47.2% respectively. Have you ever seen an NBA game where there were no fouls called? Ever seen a game where every player made every shot they attempted and where there were no missed passes and no turnovers in the game? And yet, these are the best of the best at what they do. 

Have you ever seen a round of golf on the PGA Tour where no player ends up in the rough, the sand or the water? And yet, they are the best in the world at what they do. 

I have huge respect for doctors and nurses and they are some of the most highly trained, dedicated and trusted professionals in our countries. Yet ever year it is estimated that in the US alone there are approximately 250,000 deaths as a result of medical errors. This does not account for close calls or cases involving other mistakes such as one recently where a patient had the wrong leg amputated. 

Judges are highly educated and experienced yet there are multiples levels of appeal courts because judges, even when they have long periods of time to reflect on the evidence, do research, and consult colleagues still make mistakes and have their decisions overturned by higher courts. Many cases decided by the Supreme Court do not have unanimous decisions, even after extensive deliberation.

What is my point in all this? If professional athletes who make millions of dollars a year to play a sport, and who spend the vast majority of their time training, practicing and recovering, and have multiple coaches who give them real time feedback during games, and who can call time out in the middle of a game regularly make mistakes, why do we expect police officers to be perfect? 

In pro sports the fans are not allowed on the field, or the court to attempt to interfere with the plays or get in the face of players, coaches and officials yet police officers deal with these challenges every day. How would that impact the performance of the athletes if fans were allowed on the field during the game? Players and viewers are outraged when a fan runs onto the field of play; yet applaud this behavior on the street when it happens to the police while they are trying to do their job. 

Referees in pro sports get paid very well and have the ability to watch the replay repeatedly on a controversial or challenged call, which are sometimes overturned, and occasionally after all that they still get it wrong. Police officers may have body worn cameras, but they do not get to call time out in the middle of an event and many are not allowed to watch the video before they give a statement. Some officers are disciplined, fired or prosecuted criminally if their statement does not match the video perfectly. 

If judges, who do not have to make decisions in tense, uncertain and rapidly evolving environments sometimes make mistakes in their decisions why do we expect police officers to be perfect? 

If every year medical professionals make mistakes in the complex, and often chaotic conditions they work in, and sometimes even in non chaotic environments, that cost hundreds of thousands of people their lives despite all their years of training and education and all the protocols to prevent these mistakes, why do we expect police officers to be perfect?

Of all these groups police officers and medical professionals are the only ones who work shiftwork and very often have to function in high stakes, volatile, uncertain, chaotic and ambiguous situations in a chronic state of sleep debt and sleep deprivation. We understand the impact of these conditions for medical professionals and are empathetic towards them. What if we had the same empathy for police officers?  

Professional athletes are human. Doctors are human. Nurses are human. Referees are human. Judges are human. And police officers are human. Humans are imperfect. To err is human. Why is it that we seem to accept that fact with every group except police officers? 

What if? What if we had the same level of patience, understanding and empathy for police officers as we do with other professions in our society? 

What’s Important Now? Take time to consider, “What if?” and maybe be more patient, understanding and empathetic towards police officers and, encourage others to do the same. 

Take care.

Brian Willis

www.lifesmostpowerfulquestion.com. Maximizing human potential through Life's Most Powerful Question - What's Important Now?

www.daretobegreatleadership.com The online Dare to Be Great: Strategies for Creating a Culture of Leading workshop was created to help aspiring leaders and frontline leaders on their leadership journey. Subscribe to the weekly blog while you are there. 

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W.I.N. Wednesday: For every complex problem there is a simple solution, and it is almost always wrong.

I have been extremely fortunate over the years in that a lot of really smart people have been willing to spend time with me to share their knowledge, insights and wisdom. These conversations continually challenge and expand my worldview and remind me how much I do not know. John Black DBA, is one of those people and I recently spend some time on his website www.aragonnational.com preparing for our Excellence in Training Academy interview to discuss improving the quality of our decisions. There is a lot of great information on the site, but three quotes jumped out at me and I want to share them and some of my thoughts related to the quotes and what is going on in today’s world. 

“For every complex problem there is always a simple solution, and it is almost always wrong.”

HL Mencken.

“Every system is perfectly designed to get the results you are getting.”

Paul Batalden

“When one fails to see the interconnectedness, it ensures a level of failure, either in the moment or the future.”

John Black.

Following my conversation with John I watched five online talks over the weekend on Systems Thinking and ordered five books John recommended to help me better understand the topic of Systems Thinking. 

So, what is the point of all this.  We created a system in North American society where the police became the default response to every problem. The system that you called the police when there was a traffic collision, a crime that had been committed, or there was a crime in progress over time became one where regardless of whether or not it is a police matter, if you didn’t know whom to call, you called the police. Mad at your neighbor; call the police. Upset with the homeless encampment near your home or the homeless person sleeping outside your business; call the police.  Your neighbor’s front yard is full of broken down cars; call the police. There is a naked person in the middle of the street; call the police. Struggling to control your family member or patient who is suffering from a mental illness; call the police. Someone is acting suspicious in your neighborhood; call the police. Someone is not wearing a mask or violating some other COVID related public health order; call the police. Want someone removed from your business: call the police. Need someone to check on the welfare of a loved one: call the police. You think a family member is going to take their own life; call the police. Someone is playing their music too loud; call the police. The pizza place is not honoring their promised delivery time or the pizza is free; call the police. Regardless of the problem; call the police. 

This was a simple solution to a complex problem. 

Because law enforcement professionals and law enforcement agencies want to be of service to their communities they responded to all these calls and did the best they could with the tools, resources and training they had. Everyone was good with the system until there were some highly publicized bad outcomes, and then all of a sudden the police became the problem, not the system. 

Now what we see is some people calling for police reform, and wanting to defund the police. We see politicians passing poorly thought out legislation, not backed by research, to control the police because they are obviously the problem. 

What we do not see is enough people taking a breath, taking a step back and looking at the system(s) that created the problem.  Now we see people trying to put the sole responsibility for the problem on a new group, and when that fails they will blame those people. We see people from a multitude of silos and organizations competing for resources rather than seeking to share resources and use them effectively to solve the issues facing our communities. 

Reflect for a minute on the interconnectedness of the problems, the systems, and systems within the systems. What systems?

·      The Health Care System 

·      The Education System (K-12, college, university, technical Institute)

·      The Mental Health System 

·      The Criminal Justice System (law enforcement, lawyers, judges, corrections, etc.)

·      The Political System 

·      The System of Government (local, provincial / state, federal) 

·      The International Monetary System

·      The System for International Trade

·      The Banking System

·      Non-Governmental Organizations

·      Non Profit Organizations

You get the point and I am sure you can think of a number of other systems to add to the list. 

What if we took a step back and looked at the interconnectedness of the issues plaguing our communities and the systems in place and then made it our mission to break down the silos and create a Team of Teams, a System of Systems.  Team of Teams is the approach General Stanley McChrystal utilized when he was the JSOC Commander for the US Military, which he writes about in his book Team of Teams: New Rules of Engagement for a Complex World. System of Systems is a term Dr. Laura Cabrera from Cornell used in one of the Systems Thinking talks I watched on the weekend. The key is to break down the silos and create connections and relationships, create a shared understanding of the issues, and share information and resources while working towards a common goal. 

I do not have a deep understanding of Systems Thinking, but I do know that if we continue to play the blame game and stick with silo thinking competing for and hoarding resources we are never going to make a meaningful impact on the interconnected problems we are currently facing in our communities and our countries. 

What’s Important Now? Take a breath. Take a step back. Look for the connections between and amongst issues and systems. Seek to make meaningful human connections and create a Team of Teams to work towards solving the complex and interconnected problems we are facing. 

Take care.

Brian Willis

www.lifesmostpowerfulquestion.com. Maximizing human potential through Life's Most Powerful Question - What's Important Now?

www.daretobegreatleadership.com The online Dare to Be Great: Strategies for Creating a Culture of Leading workshop was created to help aspiring leaders and frontline leaders on their leadership journey. Subscribe to the weekly blog while you are there. 

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W.I.N. Wednesday: Two ways to be fooled.

"There are two ways to be fooled. One is to believe what isn't true.  The other is to refuse to believe what is."

Soren Kierkegaard

In today’s world you are continually bombarded with information via e-mail, twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, the 24 hours news cycles and a host of other sources. 

It seems that the world is now suddenly filled with “experts” willing to share their opinions on every topic. It is important to understand that claiming to be an “expert” does not make it so. Being interviewed on the 6 o’clock news does not make someone an expert. Writing a book does not make automatically someone an expert, it makes him or her an author. 

Be careful of whom you listen to and what you believe. Before you share something you heard or read as fact, do some research of your own. Is the claim actually supported by research and evidence? Are there multiple legitimate research projects that all came to the same conclusion, or are there 20 that came to a different conclusion and this one is an outlier? What are the credentials of the people you pay attention to and listen to? Be sure you read the entire article, not just the title, before you send it out to all your contacts. 

I am fine with people sharing their opinion, as long as they make it clear that it is in fact just their opinion. One of my favorite scientists is Benjamin Bikman Ph.D.. He is a professor at BYU, cofounder of InsulinIQ and HLTHCode, and the author of Why We Get Sick. Ben always references research papers to support his position on topics related to insulin resistance and health, and shares the links to those research papers. If he is offering an opinion in response to a question where the research has not yet been done he always make it clear that it is simply his opinion. 

It is ok to have strong opinions, just make sure they are loosely held. This does not mean that you are always flip flopping on your opinion. It does mean that you are open to hear about evidence and research that contradicts what you currently believe. Once you become aware of that contradicting evidence then do the follow up research to validate the source(s) of the new information and be willing to say, “I was wrong.” I have a great deal of respect for people who have changed their positions over the years as new evidence became available. I am concerned when people hold on to 20 year old dogma that has been proven to be wrong. 

What’s Important Now? Have strong beliefs, loosely held. Facts check and do the research with an open mind. 

Take care.

Brian Willis

www.lifesmostpowerfulquestion.com. Maximizing human potential through Life's Most Powerful Question - What's Important Now?

www.daretobegreatleadership.com The online Dare to Be Great: Strategies for Creating a Culture of Leading workshop was created to help aspiring leaders and frontline leaders on their leadership journey. Subscribe to the weekly blog while you are there. 

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W.I.N. Wednesday: Don't take it out on them.

The people who make the rules, regulations and laws are very rarely the people who have to enforce them. If you are unhappy with the rules, don’t take it out on the people who are tasked with enforcing them.

I just returned from one of the rare business trips in the last 14 months.  I had to have a negative COVID PCR test within 72 hours of boarding my flight to the US and had to pay for that myself. I had to have another negative COVID PCR test within 72 hours of boarding my flight back to Canada and had to pay for that. On the trip home I flew from Dallas to Denver and Denver to Calgary. I had to wear a mask in every airport and on all the flights. When I checked in at DFW I had to show proof of the negative COVID test and the receipt on my phone to prove I had completed the ArriveCan app required by the Canadian government. I had to show the same documentation at the gate in Denver and get a temperature check prior to boarding. In Calgary I had to show the volunteer in the Customs area the ArriveCan receipt prior to proceeding into Customs. In Customs I had to show all the documentation to the CBSA officer and confirm I had a reservation at a government approved hotel where I was required to self isolate at my expense for 3 nights prior to going home to self isolate for another 11 days. Once through Customs I had to get a COVID test at the airport prior to proceeding to my hotel. The hotel staff had to check me in and escort me to my room after confirming the rules with me. The hotel rates are dictated by the federal government and are double the normal rates. 

Was all of that costly and a pain in the butt? Yes. Did I know all of these requirements prior to going on the trip? Yes. It was my choice to go on the trip and incur those costs and follow those rules.  Did the people doing the COVID tests, the ticket agents and gate agents with the airline, the hotel staff or the CBSA officers have any input into the rules? No. Were they all tasks with enforcing the rules? Yes. Are they the ones who take the abuse from some people who are pissed off about the rules? Unfortunately, yes.  All of them told me (when I asked) that some people have been really ugly and aggressive towards them. 

If I don’t like the travel rules I can stay home. If I don’t like the rules requiring me to wear a mask in stores, I can shop online. If I don’t like the rules requiring me to wear a mask when I go into a restaurant, I can order takeout or delivery.  I can make choices that do not require me to confront or abuse people who do not make the rules, but are tasked with enforcing the rules. 

Police officers don’t make the laws; they are however tasked with enforcing them. By-Law officers don’t make the by-laws; they are tasked however, with enforcing them. Public health officers don’t make the public health rules; they are tasked however with enforcing them. Sadly we see videos posted online of these people being verbally, and sometimes physically, abused by people who don’t like the rules. 

If you don’t like the rules then follow the proper channels and make your concerns known to the people who do make the rules, don’t take it out on the people who have to enforce the rules. 

Take care.

Brian Willis

www.lifesmostpowerfulquestion.com. Maximizing human potential through Life's Most Powerful Question - What's Important Now?

www.daretobegreatleadership.com The online Dare to Be Great: Strategies for Creating a Culture of Leading workshop was created to help aspiring leaders and frontline leaders on their leadership journey. Subscribe to the weekly blog while you are there. 

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Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

W.I.N. Wednesday: Fight the Good Fight

This quote is longer than most of the ones I share, but it struck me when I read it and I wanted to share it.  

“To fight the good fight is one of the bravest and noblest of life’s experiences. Not the bloodshed and the battle of man with man, but the grappling with mental and spiritual adversaries that determines the inner caliber of the contestant. It is the quality of the struggle put forth by a man that proclaims to the world what manner of man he is far more than may be by the termination of the battle.

It matters not nearly so much to a man that he succeeds in winning some long-sought prize as it does that he has worked for it honestly and unfalteringly with all the force and energy there is in him. It is in the effort that the soul grows and asserts itself to the fullest extent of its possibilities, and he that has worked will, persevering in the face of all opposition and apparent failure, fairly and squarely endeavoring to perform his part to the utmost extent of his capabilities, may well look back upon his labor regardless of any seeming defeat in its result and say, ‘I have fought a good fight.’

As you throw the weight of your influence on the side of the good, the true and the beautiful, your life will achieve an endless splendor. It will continue in the lives of others, higher, finer, nobler than you can even contemplate.”

Hugh B. Brown

What’s Important Now – Fight the good fight. 

Take care.

Brian Willis

www.lifesmostpowerfulquestion.com. Maximizing human potential through Life's Most Powerful Question - What's Important Now?

www.daretobegreatleadership.com The online Dare to Be Great: Strategies for Creating a Culture of Leading workshop was created to help aspiring leaders and frontline leaders on their leadership journey. Subscribe to the weekly blog while you are there. 

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