Juggling Elephants Blog

One of the strangest looks I get when delivering a training program on Juggling Elephants is when I ask participants to describe a "smell" that would be associated with success with their new lineup. It's one of those perfect "aha" moments because all I have to do is say, "Don't believe in the power of smell? How about your grandparent's home? Fresh cut grass? A high school gym? (Hey, I didn't say they were all positive.)

Our sense of smell is the strongest emotional connection we have to a place or event. Read the article, The Nose, An Emotional Time Machine, to find out the science behind this fact. While the article focuses much of its time on how people can quickly connect with their past using their olfaction (our sense of smell), we can also use it as a motivating reminder of the value of doing something differently-and getting different results. Examples for me include:

• Fresh cut grass. It reminds me that if I focus and get my tasks done, I'll be able to go leave work at a decent hour and enjoy time outside with my children, wife and yes, my Labrador retriever.
• A plate of cheese fries from Outback. We use this delectable dish as a celebration of some accomplishment-personal or business. (Also works well for the sense of taste)
• Fresh air first thing in the morning. It reminds me of the upcoming intermission I will have in the mountains of NC. Smelling the fresh air encourages me to buckle down this week and work hard on my lineup so that I can really savor the time in the mountains this weekend.

Yours may be very different for where you are in your particular situation. If you are in a small business, the smell of fresh paint or sheet rock may be your sensual trigger that if you focus on growing your business, you'll soon be able to move to a larger location. If you are in the market for a new job, the smell of a copier may be motivating to you. It helps you visualize copies of your wonderful resume being duplicated for dissemination to all those potential employers.

Still don't believe me? Try this test. The next time someone you know gets a new car-take a deep breath while sitting in it-I would be willing to wager that the smell motivates you to either freshen up your old vehicle-or work hard to eventually get a new(er) one yourself.

Labels: motivation, senses

I came across this quote today by Edgar F. Roberts:

Every human mind is a great slumbering power until awakened by a keen desire and by definite resolution to do.

What acts in your lineup today do you have a "keen desire" to complete? If there are none or very few, maybe it's time to take a quick intermission and consider making some changes to the lineup-or to revisit your purpose for doing them.

Labels: focus, motivation

I usually see myself as a "the glass is half full" type of person or at least I try to be. I think that optimism and enthusiasm go a long way toward creating quality performances – especially at work. I like this quote my Norman Vincent Peale:

Think enthusiastically about everything; but especially about your job. If you do, you’ll put a touch of glory in your life. If you love your job with enthusiasm, you'll shake it to pieces. You'll love it into greatness.

Imagine if a ringmaster half-heartedly introduced an act. It would affect not only the audience's expectations, but also the performer's willingness to give their best to the performance. We spend a lot of time and a good deal of our lives working. We might as well spend the time chasing greatness, being passionate and creating a love for the work that we do.

Labels: enthusiasm, motivation

In about a month there will be a whirl of activity around our home as we tackle the HUGE elephant of Spring cleaning. None of us look forward to it, although the outcome always gets a big standing ovation from everyone in our family.

This year I decided to take a new approach. Why not set aside 10 minutes a day to work on a small area, and then stop. I was motivated because I knew it wouldn't be too painful, and I was amazed at how much I could get done when laser focused on a single task. I've already started lining up the small acts for the rest of the week. After a few days I plan to let my wife in on my plan and show her the results.

I was affirmed in my efforts when I read a quote today by Marian Wright Edelman:
We must not, in trying to think about how we can make a big difference, ignore the small daily differences we can make which, over time, add up to big differences that we often cannot foresee.

What small "act" could you undertake today that when combined with a series of small acts, could make a big difference in your performance?

Labels: focus, motivation, time management