“ish”

I know a guy who is always late to work…now when it comes time to leave, man he bounces out with precision-on time, every time, but he can’t seem to make it to work with the same gusto. The other day he & I are talking and he’s telling me how last month didn’t end well and this month is starting even worse…and come to find out his months in sales have progressively gone downhill. I cut him off by asking him, “What time did you get to work today?” Stammering he answered…”What about yesterday…& the day before that? As a matter of fact have you ever gotten to work on time for a solid month?” He was locked and loaded with the comebacks that ranged from the kids, alarm clock, clothes in the dryer, to funeral processions (in the mornings?)- he had a range of reasons why he couldn’t punch in on time…

I cut him off by saying, “You live in the ish world.”

Giving me a WTH look, I elaborated telling him that you’re starting your day in the hole- coming in at 9ish ..10ish ..You’re not precise- and because you’re not precise- because you’ve got slack to your day, you’re not as productive as you should be because you’re in debt the minute you step on the lot.

Look, I know things unforeseen happen…your kid forgot her lunch or your teen left his assignment under his bed…things popping up are rare…your ish is not…it’s become habitual & is incrementally costing you big time. When you live with an ish creed, you’re showing (to yourself) that you’re not taking things as serious as you need to. Look you’re a professional and pros don’t roll on ish.

Ish means somewhat-that you’re not all the way committed and bought in to that which you are doing. You’re not salesish, associatish, accountingish, parentish-you damn sure don’t want a doctorish. Look, your clients are looking for a pro not an ish- act like one.

I don’t care what your job title is today- it won’t stay that way if you step your game up, but I can assure you that you’ll forever swim in the Lake of Mediocrity as long as you rock with that ish mindset. Even if no one checks you on it…even if you’re on a salary or commission, stay sharp- you show to yourself & others (trust me, others are watching-even your kids) that you take what you do and how you do it very seriously.

We all have 86,400 seconds in a day. Make a few minor adjustments and you’ll see your progress compound.

I’ll see you on the Blacktop!

Subscribe & Listen to my daily podcast The Sales Life w Marsh Buice on iTunes or anchor.fm

What can’t be undone and the power of T.W.O.

Scrambled eggs can’t be undone. Neither can your past. The only guarantee in your life is right now. Often we focus on the tiny rearview mirror affectionately known as our past, instead of being fixated on the large windshield of our future. You can’t be bitter and sweet, you can’t be hot and cold, neither can you move backward and expect to advance forward in your life. Sometimes we become stuck because we like it. Not because it is enjoyable, but because it is familiar-we always gravitate toward familiarity. T.W.O. is irreversible-no exchanges, no refunds, no store credit. Each instance, Time, Words, and Opportunity are issued only once. When they are spent, they are gone forever. Spend the currency of T.W.O. carefully and make each one count. Your brightest days are in front of you-what got you where you are today can’t be undone. What got you “there” tomorrow, next month, or next year is up to you. Move forward, your destiny awaits you.

Everything Counts

When it comes to children, everything counts. What you do or don’t do counts, and if you think it doesn’t or they won’t seem to notice, try turning on any celebrity reality show where the patients have to get in touch with their inner child-their problems always seem to go back to their childhood. I was reminded of this recently while at, of all places, my local grocery store. The clerk, probably 17 years old, was scanning the items in my basket when he noticed the pre-cut Christmas cookies. “Making cookies, huh?” he questioned. Busted, I could taste the sugar cookies already, but decided to pawn it off on my kids; “Uh, yea, it’s for..for my kids.” Without a moment’s thought, the cashier named Patrick never looked up, shook his head and scoffed, “Wow, I never got that man, (tsk) memories.” Seemingly simply moments can snap things into perspective- a week prior I griped about hanging Christmas lights; just last night I blew up about having to get up and go buy a tree-instead I wanted to watch tv in bed.  You can always watch reruns, you can never rewind your children’s youth-cherish the moments, enjoy the time; after all, everything counts-just ask Patrick.

Ain’t got know time…

Benjamin Franklin once said, “He that is good for making excuses is seldom good for anything else.” We make excuses why we can’t squeeze another task into a day, especially when it comes to learning. We treat learning like we do exercising; we’ll get to it when we can. Eventually, a lack of learning, like exercising, will lead to the terminal illness of your career. It’s more effective to work out for 20 minutes, 5 days per week than it is to work out once for 9 hours straight. Sadly, when it comes to learning, we think we have to lock ourselves up in a room and cram for 9 hours straight instead of chunking it into small 20 minute daily sessions. There’s a difference in having no time versus know time. Knowing when and how to spend it will bring you more consistent results. Is it possible to have your cake and eat it too? Absolutely! It is possible to watch your favorite football game and squeeze in a few minutes of training-after all an average NFL football game is played in just 11 minutes!

Recently, The Wall Street Journal published an article breaking down an entire NFL broadcast game. Here are the results:

o   11 minutes of actual playing time

o   17 minutes of instant replays

o   67 minutes of players standing around

o      3 seconds of cheerleaders

o   60 minutes of commercials

Never fear, you won’t miss a single down, replay, booth review, nor sideline shot. Instead of sitting on the couch, like every other salesperson, being pitched by an hour’s worth of commercials, grab your smart phone, ipod, or journal and invest 1200 seconds into getting ahead in your career. Do what others won’t, so you can become what they’ll never be. By the way, your pizza is ready.

Someone Else’s Timing

On my way home from the gym this morning, I found myself waiting behind a small SUV for the light to turn green.  With only 1 hour to get ready for work, my mind was racing thinking of what I needed to get accomplished today. As I sat staring into the back of the SUV, the Jeep’s driver decided not to wait for the light to turn green. With no regard or caution, the driver pulled out into the right-of-way traffic, hooked a left, and went about her day; I don’t even think she realized what she had done-I know the baby in the back seat didn’t.  Had the Jeep’s driver waited a few seconds longer, people’s lives would’ve changed forever. In the eastbound lane, the driver, probably running late, wouldn’t have been able to brake in time and would’ve smashed into the back of her; even worse, the 35,000 lb fire truck traveling westbound would’ve changed the landscape of many people’s future, including those firefighters returning to the station.

 I’m reminded that when I’m not keeping time- giving little regard to others, Someone else is. Just because things are not happening or coming together fast enough for you or it’s another “one of those days,” consider the fact that you may be on Someone else’s timing. What seems to be keeping you FROM something is the very thing taking you TO your future. Timing is everything….it sure was today.

If only…

If I live whispering the words, if only,

I will live a life that bears no fruit and ends quite lonely.

My dreams and fortunes are waiting to be found,

all I have to do is flip those 2 words around.

Going from a wish to a demand,

puts my future back in my hands,

the plane of success only I can land.

If only I had fortune and fame,

I can, only if I develop a reputation and build a good name.

If only I could be debt free and owe no more,

I can, only if I plan for the future,

living for today will leave me poor.

If only I could spend more time with the ones who love me more times than not,

I can, only if I work harder on them than I do punching a clock.

The list of if only’s can go on for years, months, days, even hours,

I can change my circumstances only if I have a heart of desire.

For desire is a feeling of expectation or inclination of wanting more,

I know only I can unlock my future’s door.

When you leave today, don’t expect to come back

I could tell when my  friend called me from Austin last weekend, he was not paying me a social call.  Absent from our conversation was the normal bantering of insults hurled at each through laughter.  My heart immediately dropped into my stomach because I knew whatever the message, it was not good.   A friend and loyal customer of ours was suddenly killed that humid July morning.  As was AJ’s nature, if someone would call for  help, rest assured AJ would be there.  His neighbor had called him and asked him to help cut a tree. I imagine AJ had cut more trees than I have numbered the years on earth.  From what I know everything was going according to plan when suddenly the tree shifted and AJ’s safe place now became a place of tragic ending.  He was struck in the head and killed instantly. 

Years ago, AJ came by the dealership for nothing more than to say hello and have a cup of coffee.  Without saying a word, one of my managers reached in his desk drawer and pulled out a blue velvet box about the size of a man’s hand (not Shaq’s) and handed it to AJ.  I now believe the saying that “we are all young at heart,” because at that instant he went from a man who had seen nearly 7 decades of living to a 12 year old on Christmas day.  His eyes lit up as he pulled out the sterling silver belt buckle engraved with the Dodge Ram’s head on it.  Every year the rodeo we sponsor gives us a Silversmith belt buckle.  Although nice, the buckle does not mean alot to us city slickers.  It meant the world to AJ.  In his casket, he laid peacefully- the buckle wrapped around his waist.  There were numerous pictures of him wearing that buckle displayed throughout the funeral home’s room.  We have heard people say the phrase, “I take it everywhere I go;”  AJ did just that.  I mean he took pictures from dress clothes, to jeans, to bathrobes- and the buckle was there with AJ, both smiling proudly for the camera.  AJ loved life.  He always had a smile on his face and a laugh that would turn the most sour person’s day around.  He lived a full life, not necessarily by years, but by the love he left behind.  He made his mark and then he had to leave.

Death is a jolting reminder of how precious life really is.  There were no guarantees that our mothers would carry us full term.  There were a myriad of circumstances that would have caused us to not be born, but there is a 100% guarantee that we will die.  As a matter of fact, we are dying right now.  Fortunes have been made, lost, and made again; we do not have that luxury with time.  I think about how many times I have stormed out of the house angry, like a 37 year old child who did not get his way.  What if I never came back? If I were to die at that second what would I have given to kiss my family just one last time…just to say goodbye? 

Through the eyes of death we see life, and through life we live the possibilities. There are possibilities all around us, but many times we cannot see them because we are too busy focused on the problems around us which probably will not matter 2 years, 2 months, or even 2 minutes from now. 

We have the power of choice.  What we do with the 86,400 seconds we have today is up to us.  We can squander our time wasting it on inconsequential things or we can spend it as a philanthropist, living for not just for ourselves, but more for others-even people we do not even know and hope we get a chance to do it again tomorrow. The time we have can pay dividends or incur losses, depending how we chose to invest it.

When the sands run out of your hour glass the only thing that will have mattered is the mark you left behind on this earth.  That mark is called a Legacy….how you leave it is up to you.