(1) Investments/Markets
(2) Politics/Global Affairs
(3) Theology/Philanthropy
The goal is to generate actionable ideas that encourage stewardship of opportunities/resources to positively impact the world.
“Alta Mensa” means “High Table” in Latin.
January 2020
]]>Strategy is the science and art of the fluid troop leader. Dwight D. Eisenhower once said that “[i]n preparing for battle, I have always found that plans are useless but planning is indispensable.”
“Strategy is about attaining and maintaining a position of advantage over adversaries through the successive exploitation of known or emergent possibilities rather than committing to any specific fixed plan designed at the outset.” (http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strategy)
Henry Mintzberg refers to strategy as “a pattern in a stream of decisions” to contrast with a view of strategy as rigid, static plans. Max McKeown argues that “strategy is about shaping the future” and is the human attempt to get to “desirable ends with available means.”
If I were to summarize and define “strategy” in one sentence, I would say that “strategy” is the stewardship of “means” (people, resources, functions, capacities, skills, opportunities, capital, time) towards accomplishment of “ends” (goals, desired outcomes, visions, purposes).
Strategy deals with macro level thinking. It pertains to finding and employing necessary and available means towards reaching desired ends. How do you effectively and efficiently get from point A to point B?
The status quo is not good enough; normal will never do. You’re seeking to improve yourself and your surroundings. Like you, millions of people across the world are setting goals and have done so throughout generations and centuries.
A Brief History
At the beginning of the year, the ancient Romans made promises and gave gifts to their god Janus, the god of beginnings, from which the word “January” derives. Similarly, the Babylonians made promises to pay their debts and return borrowed items.
Making New Year’s resolutions took many forms but endured throughout the ages and across various cultures. It ultimately found its way into the modern world, including the U.S., where it has been growing in popularity within the last few decades.
Today 45 percent of Americans start New Year’s resolutions; however, a mere 8 percent ever finish them. As an example, the top ten most commonly broken resolutions, according to TIME, are the following:
1. Lose Weight and Get Fit
2. Quit Smoking
3. Learn Something New
4. Eat Healthier and Diet
5. Get Out of Debt and Save Money
6. Spend More Time with Family
7. Travel to New Places
8. Be Less Stressed
9. Volunteer
10. Drink Less
New Year’s resolutions, while easy to make, are also easy to break. Only the few, the 8 percent, persevere. So, below are a few tips that will help you reach your goals this new year.
The Fewer, the Better
It’s tempting to make several resolutions. It seems as though you’d have a better chance of keeping one if many were made. But this is not so. According to Social Psychologist Roy Baumeister, every time you focus on any one of your resolutions, it makes it easier to neglect the others.
Making too many resolutions undermines your success and drains your willpower. So, this year make two or three resolutions. You’ll have a greater chance at keeping them.
Keep It Easy
That’s right. Easy. The purpose of making a New Year’s resolution is not to change your life overnight, or even over the course of 365 days. The purpose is to recognize the necessity of progress and experience personal development.
Therefore, before you commit to run a marathon, consider taking smaller steps first. Perhaps, pledge to jog three times each week. A simple, manageable goal is easier to honor.
Tell a Friend
Before it’s too late, share your New Year’s resolutions with a friend, family member, or colleague. It’s helpful to have a supporting voice hold you accountable.
Celebrate the Milestones
The road to improvement isn’t always easy. It’s an ongoing process filled at times with challenges. It’s critical to reinforce the milestones and celebrate the small victories along the way. It will make goal-setting a more enjoyable process.
I wish you the wisdom to select your New Year’s resolutions well and the perseverance to keep them! May you form good habits and experience success and enjoyment throughout the new year!
Resources:
http://www.statisticbrain.com/new-y…
Lennox, Doug (2007). Now You Know Big Book of Answers one of the amazing thing. Toronto: Dundurn. p. 250.
Julia Jasmine (1998). Multicultural Holidays. Teacher Created Resources. p. 116.
http://www.theatlantic.com/health/a…
http://www.apa.org/helpcenter/resol…
Written by Justin Stephens. Edited by Andrei Duta. This article first appeared in Andrei’s Newsletter.
]]>We know, however, this saying isn’t true; Christmas is about much more than a tree. But when someone forgets to set up the tree, or its needles fall off prematurely, we’re tempted to buy another one before the relatives arrive. Christmas trees are important and today, during the holidays, there’s one for sale on every corner. But this wasn’t always true.
It all started when a businessman, Mark Carr, saw an opportunity to serve his community.
Before 1851 the United States was a rural society. Most Americans could easily cut down and carry home their own trees. But, for those who lived in New York City, it was nearly impossible to access trees of any kind. Carr realized this and travelled by sled to the Catskill Mountains nearby and collected several bunches of evergreens. He hauled them back into the city and sold every single tree from a vacant lot. The Christmas tree market was born. Today in the U.S. nearly 40 million are bought and sold each year.
During this holiday season remember, sometimes it only takes one creative idea to launch a new industry. Always be looking for new opportunities. There are people to serve, problems to solve, and profits to make.
Money really can grow on trees. Even on evergreens.
Written by Justin Stephens. Edited by Andrei Duta. This article first appeared in Andrei’s Newsletter.
]]>
Johnny, a young man, is hired for a sales job. Mark, his sales manager, educates and informs Johnny that he needs to make ten calls a day, average one sale a day, and have as a goal at least five sales a week. Johnny says “I got it. Ten calls a day, one sale a day, fifty calls a weeks, five sales a week. I can do it.”
Unfortunately, first day, Johnny gets a little shy. He doesn’t even touch the phone. Second day, he calls in sick. Third day, he engages in any other activity but sales calling. Next day, he spends the day chatting for hours at the water cooler in the break-room and surfing the web, you know, Facebook stuff. Before you know it, it is Friday, 4:45 pm.
Mark calls in Johnny for a debriefing and leads with one simple question: “Johnny, how many sales have you made this week?”
“Aah, Mr. Mark, let me tell you what happened,” responds timidly Johnny. “Ugh, you see on Monday, it was the first day… and… aah…”
“Johnny, I am asking simple questions,” interrupts Mark. “How many calls a day? How many sales this week?”
“I see, Mr. Mark, I understand,” says Johnny. “Let me tell you what happened on Tuesday. I can share what happened. Or, or, or what happened yesterday. My computer connection, you know. And the cell phone network connection. ”
“Well, Johnny, Johnny,” interjects Mark. “I don’t need your story. All I am asking for is a number. That’s all I want. A number.”
“You see, Johnny,” continues Mark. “I have in my pocket a little box. A tiny box. And this box can fit only a number. So, when I leave this meeting, all I can take with me in my little box is a number. You are trying to tell me a story. But you see, Johnny, your story doesn’t fit in my box. All I can fit in this box is a number. But guess what? The number you give me, the number that I fit in my little box, that number will tell the whole story.”
This is where this story ends. But here is where ours starts. So, here are a few questions for you. And for me too.
Life is simple. It is all about a few supporting disciplines.
When we look at health and fitness. There are only a few disciplines to support health and fitness. Remember, the box corresponding to every discipline is small. It can only take a number. So, here are a few simple questions. No stories. Just numbers.
1. How many push-ups have you done this morning? (Some numbers need to be as high as possible. 5? Hey, you’ve got to start somewhere. 25? That’s more like it. 50 or 100? Why not? These are good numbers and fit nicely in my little box.)
2. How many apples have you eaten today? (Some numbers need to be consistently constant. 1 or 2 apples a day. Either/or, a nice number.)
3. How many glasses of water? (Same thing here. 8-10 fits well in the little box.)
4. How many hours of sleep? (Ditto. 6-8 sounds good to me.)
5. How many donuts today? (Some numbers need to be zero.)
6. What’s your cholesterol level? Your triglycerides? Your weight? (Some numbers need to be low.)
You get the idea. The same thing applies to all other areas of our lives. Relational, emotional, financial, spiritual, intellectual. You got it.
1. How many words of encouragement have you shared today?
2. How much have you saved last month?
3. How many books have you read last quarter?
4. How much time have you spent in quiet time, reflection, prayer?
5. How many contracts? How many proposals? How many meetings?
6. How many calls today?
How many? How much? What’s your number?
Life is not complicated. It is all about a handful of supporting disciplines. Just remember, my little box, your little box, is just like that… little. All it can accommodate is a number. But, I tell you what, that number will tell the whole story.
I will close by reminding ourselves to always take the right action that will translate into the right number. It is always about the little box and a number.
“It’s better to be wise than strong;intelligence outranks muscle any day.
Strategic planning is the key to warfare;
to win, you need a lot of good counsel.”
(PROVERBS 24:5, 6; the Message)
Strategy is the art and science of winning. Strategy means outsmarting the competition. Strategy pertains to macro level thinking and planning. How do you get effectively and efficiently from point A to point B?
Strategy comes from the Greek word “strategos” which describes the military strategist or general on the battle field. Strategy pertains to finding and employing necessary and available means towards accomplishing and reaching desired ends.
- Dwight Eisenhower once said: “Plans are useless. Planning is everything.” What is the meaning of this phrase in terms of strategy? Are plans static? Is planning fluid?
- Sun Tzu penned in the classic The Art of War: “Every battle is won before it is ever fought.” What is the meaning of this question in terms of wisdom and planning?
- Stephen Covey encouraged his readers to “begin with the end in mind.” What does it mean in terms of strategic planning?
“Seize the opportunity of a lifetime during the lifetime of the opportunity.” ]]>
2. Begin with the end in mind. Clarify your values, principles, beliefs, and attitudes. Visualize the ideal. This is the mental creation. Imagine. Write down your mission statement. Cast a vision for your life.
3. Put first things first. Prioritize. Make the right choices and take the right actions. This 3rd habit is the convergence of habits 1 and 2. This is the physical creation.
4. Think win-win. Be a person of integrity. You must know and believe that life is not a zero-sum game. In life, you should approach relationships with a spirit of cooperation.
5. Seek first to understand and then to be understood. Communication is one of the most important competencies in life. Listening, reading, writing, and speaking are foundational. Be empathetic. Be compassionate. Be patient.
6. Synergize. Think team work. Combine your strengths with those of others. 1+1=3 or more when there is positive synergy among teammates. Value differences and combine strengths strategically.
7. Sharpen the saw. Take care of yourself. Cultivate your mind, take time to rest, engage in creative play, strengthen your body, nurture your spirit, and eat healthily. Live a balanced life.
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