HOW TO TRULY INSPIRE GENERATION Y

Working with college students has given me a whole different perspective about this new breed of future leaders, Generation Y. Read articles, listen to podcasts, scan research- they all have similar descriptions of these tech-saavy, independent, and fearless students and leaders. But the negatives often overshadow the positives. Their seen as entitled, spoiled, and lack communication skills.

Photo courtesy of www.flickr.com/LiteBriteNeon

 

But, peel back the layers and you will discover something quite special and unique.Yet you still ask ,"how do I reach them?"

And the question many leaders, educators, and business people ask? How do I inspire Generation Y?


Here are 3 key strategies to influencing Generation Y:


1. Ask for their feedback. These students are longing to have a voice. Compliance has been a part of their upbringing and education. But they continue to ask, "WHY?" Let them! They truly want to understand why for many reasons. Ask them what they think- and then listen. Don't judge or interrupt. Many have never had the opportunity to share or describe their own thoughts and feelings.

2. Don't be afraid to call them out. A big fear for many leaders and educators is the uncertainty of the response from Gen Y when they are called out for their behavior or performance. But the reality is this generation wants to do good- they want to contribute- but they really do need tough love every now and again. Recently one of these young leaders made excuses as to why they couldn't complete something on time- excuse after excuse. I stopped him and said, "excuses only make YOU feel better; it doesn't help me or the situation." An hour later I received and email that explained, "thank you for bringing that to my attention, this will stay with me forever! THANK YOU!"

3. Let them drive. Sometimes you have to let go of control and give them the keys. Be close by in case they veer too far off the path. Give them responsibility and hold them accountable, but allow this generation to discover innovative approaches to everyday tasks. Tim Elmore explains to let them work on whatever they want. Freedom will often lead to incredible opportunities.

Start today brand new. Inspiring these bright minds is easier than you think.



Encouragement excites, inspiration ignites. - Brock Patterson

WHAT ARE YOU HOLDING ON FOR?

You have a firm grip with both hands. Your hands are trembling because your grip is getting tighter. Sweat is dripping faster down your forehead. You can't get the courage to move forward in your goals and dreams. You don't feel worthy. You are too old. You don't have enough education. But, the reality? It's all in your head.

"Success in life comes not from holding a good hand, but in playing a poor hand well." - Denis Waitley

BEGIN TODAY WITH A CLEAN SLATE

Picture a painting with tears, holes, and filth all over it. What used to be an exotic piece of art is now weathered and experienced. Can't the same be true about our lives? We live our young lives being cleaned up after, to be presented to the world fresh and new again. But as adults, we fail to exert the same effort needed to start each day brand new.

INSERT

It is just that easy. Insert Clean Slate Today! Each day we have the beautiful opportunity of living life brand new. So what if you didn't eat healthy all weekend. Insert Clean Slate Today! Maybe you didn't spend enough time on that new project. Insert Clean Slate Today! What if you didn't get to visit family and friends. Insert Clean Slate Today!

The choice of yours to begin each day brand new with a refreshing charge towards all of your personal and professional goals. Don't let another second go by thinking about how imperfect your painting of life is. Insert Clean Slate Today!

THE EFFORT EPIDEMIC

"You can't coach hustle," a phrase I have used many times coaching youth sports. It resonates with parents of children who think their child is the next Clay Matthews, Derek Jeter, or Albert Pujols. What that means is that all of the talent is nothing without effort or hustle. The same principle applies in businesses. Employees have found the minimally acceptable amount of work needed to maintain job security. Leaving additional duties, tasks, and projects for those employees who give the most effort- who hustle.

Photo courtesy of: www.flickr.com/qisur

I don't see this paradigm changing anytime soon. The 80/20 principle will continue to apply to effort in that 20% of your employees will produce 80% of the output of work. So what that means to employees is:

a. If you give more effort, then you will get more opportunities.

b. If you give more effort, then you will receive better compensation.

c. If you give more effort, then you will obtain promotions.

d. If you give more effort, then you will be more personally satisfied.


Make sure you are the 20%. Effort equals opportunities, compensation, promotions, and satisfaction. What can you add to the effort epidemic? Your thoughts and comments are appreciated.

SHIFTING TO A "WHAT ABOUT NOW" MINDSET

"Never put off tomorrow what you can do today." - Thomas Jefferson

It seems our lives are moving faster than ever before. Technology has sped up how we receive information. We are racing from professional events to personal events almost daily. And we spend more time planning future events than those intimate, important daily interactions with our clients, friends, and family members.

Lou Holtz, former Notre Dame and South Carolina head football coach, made a lasting impression with me during a Get Motivated seminar event in the fall of 2011. He said that the reason he built better relationships, won more games, and became more successful was his principle of "WIN." WIN stands for What's Important Now! Coach Holtz expressed the importance of making decisions about items that had the biggest impact now, not six months from now.

Photo courtesy of: www.flickr.com/annpar

Shifting your mindset from thinking about "what's next" to "what now" has long-lasting benefits.


a. People will appreciate you removing distractions as you are fully engaged in conversations.

b. The details will likely become just that...detailed.

c. You will begin to eliminate procrastination tendencies because you are focused on the here and now and not the might be whenever.

d. Simple moments will have greater meaning and signification. You will appreciate and notice the small things that sometimes go unnoticed.


What can you add to this? I'd love to hear your thoughts and ideas.

WHY YOUR LIFE IS NOT MOVING WHEN THE LIGHT IS GREEN

We all have those moments when you feel like you're unstoppable. Everything slows down. It all seems easy. But then you feel like you are staring at the green light, but this time you are not moving. Have you lost momentum? Or better yet, are you stuck in park?

Photo courtesy of: www.flickr.com/eleda1

Here are 3 reasons you may be sitting still in life when the light is green:

1. Plateauing - You may have reached a pinnacle in life that took extraordinary effort on your part. This is the time to fully REST, RECOVER, and REFLECT. It may take weeks, months, or even a few years to be ready. Don't be disappointed in this phase. Stay busy planning your next goal(s).

2. Observing- You have spent the last few months moving from task to task that you missed the scenery. Use this time to observe your surroundings. Did someone help you along the way that you need to connect with more? Should you read more in your career field? This is a great time to soak everything in while life is slowed down.

3. Re-Routing- There are times that you are so focused on one particular thing that you lose sight of your overall path. This is a time to re-route your life journey. Are you in a job/career that you are unhappy with? This is the time to go back to school, evaluate other career options, and challenge yourself to make happiness a priority over achieving seniority.


Have you been at this same green light in life before? What can you share for others to be inspired?

WHAT TO DO WHEN LIFE GETS OUT OF CONTROL

Reading about the latest catastrophic event that happened with the cruise line in Italy made me really think hard about how to handle life when it gets out of control. This event is so much more dramatic than some of our day to day events. The hardest part is simply hanging on.

Photo courtesy of: www.flickr.com/MeticulousArt&Design

How we handle life when it begins to unravel is critical in discovering who you truly are. I told a friend of mine, Al, during our corporate restructuring to, "ride the bull." A phrase that stuck for several years. Riding the bull meant acknowledging the difficult situation we were facing and understanding the reality. It didn't mean pretending it didn't exist or to what extreme. Championship bull riders are challenged to stay on for 8 seconds. A short but grueling 8 seconds.

In life there are critical moments that require us to simply hang on for a short period of time. The stronger we become at hanging on the easier it becomes over time.

PRESSING FAST FORWARD IN THE MOVIE CALLED: LIFE

We all have been there before when we pressed fast forward in a movie to see the final outcome. Sometimes we did it out of boredom while other times out of anticipation. In our lives, we need to have the ability to play the movie, our LIFE, out in our heads before making decisions or next moves.

Photo courtesy of: www.flickr.com/JunkByJo

I have a friend who constantly looks for answers to several moments in their life. I simply tell them to, "play the movie out in your head," to get a glimpse of the big picture.

Here's how to play the movie forward:

1. Consider every alternative.

2. Keep asking what-if.

3. Imagine your life after each decision made.

Using this imagery will help you make better decisions and understand how certain events will impact the other. And remember, practice makes progress.

WHY I STOPPED CHASING AFTER TITLES

It had become an obsession of sorts. My ascend into the corporate ranks was filled with many opportunities including those with higher salaries and prestigious titles. But I was chasing titles which had intrinsic value but by their stagnant nature couldn't clearly define who I was and what I did.

Photo courtesy of www.flickr.com/K-Scall

So I stopped chasing titles and starting creating change.

- changes to my personal development
- changes to my physical self
- changes to my intellectual being
- changes to my spiritual self
- changes to my professional development

And with those changes, I stopped chasing titles that labeled me and started created change that defined me.

WHAT DOES YOUR BACKGROUND NOISE SOUND LIKE?

We all hear voices in our head. Some of us more than others. (Count me as one!) But our self-talk can sometimes prevent us from starting and/or finishing our most important goals, projects, or tasks. We are defeated before we even begin, reminiscing past failed attempts and hundreds of reasons why we can't do something. What does your background noise sound like?

Photo courtesy of: www.flickr.com/Parasto.Taffazoli

Professional athletes are taught to use self-talk and imagery to master their athletic skills. Many of them spend more time talking themselves through a process than talking to coaches and other players. So how do we master the domain of the brain?

Here is a few tips:

- Appreciate yourself for being unique

- Remember The Little Engine That Could: "I think I can, I think I can..."

- Be honest with yourself, it's the person you have to trust the most in life.

- Acknowledge the negative thought and then focus on positive progress

- Remember progress is incremental. Sometimes you are climbing high while other times you are plateauing.

- Learn to block out negative influences, i.e. friends, family, social media, and other outlets

What can you add to this list to help others become their best in 2012?

WHY IT TAKES SO MUCH EFFORT TO KEEP YOUR NEW YEARS' RESOLTIONS

It's that time of year again where people are reflecting on the previous years' attempts at conquering their New Year's resolutions. Will 2011's resolutions carry over to 2012? Why does taking the first few steps seem so hard.

Photo courtesy of: www.flickr.com/seguier

A great mentor, Kristina Evey, shared with me this image. She said that the Space Shuttle uses 80% of its fuel during the take-off. All that fuel to just get the shuttle in the airborne. Don't you think the same is true for us? Don't we spend 80% of our fuel to get our projects started? open new businesses? and even begin our New Year's resolutions?

Instead of being discouraged at all of the time and effort used during the beginning phases of your 2012 New Year's resolutions, be proud in the fact that you are getting airborne- well on your way to success.

Happy New Years!

A COLLECTION OF MY MOTIVATIONAL QUOTES TO KICK-OFF 2012

Here is a list of my personal motivational/inspirational quotes to help inspire you to reach your full potential in 2012. Feel free to share with your friends and family.



      " Change doesn't happen overnight, it takes a lifetime to fully become yourself."

" Be honest with yourself, it's the person you have to trust the most in life."
  
      " Second chances create great next advances."


" Forget that you have limits, your willpower doesn't have a gauge."

      " Encouragement feels like a helping hand or a push from behind. Words spoken for esteem helps others follow their dreams."

" Believe in who you are, dream of who you'll be, act like who's inside, live so your eyes can see."

      " The path to success is not much different than failure; only one is worn down while the other is worn out."

" Encouragement excites, inspiration ignites."

      " In the end, it's not what you have left; it's what you left with those who didn't have."

" Some people try to change you for their own benefit; while others transform you for the benefit of the whole world."




God Bless You in 2012!


Brock

PRACTICE MAKES PROGRESS...

The last 2 weeks have been filled with me giving speeches to new transfer students at Middle Tennessee State University. These students, like myself in the Fall of 2009, are taking a required class because of the progress made at previous institutions. The amazing part is these students are back in school and making progress. Isn't that part of working towards your goals? Progress!

Students at all levels should be making progress. Whether you are a elementary student, college student, ballet student, music student, or a student of life, making progress is the ultimate goal. 

We spend so much time with limited amount of titles to be handed out, awards to be given, that we lose internal inspiration and quit. We need to dig deep inside ourselves and find our inner voice that wants to make progress. To become better. To be our authentic selves.

Are you making progress? Start today, tomorrow has already been planned, and may have a longer to-do list than today!

WHO SAYS YOU CAN'T: IT'S USUALLY YOURSELF!

During one of my recent runs on the greenway, I revisited how much I have come to love running despite not being able to even run to the mailbox 6 months ago. Now I run between 20 and 30 miles and use the site Twunlog to track my mileage through Twitter. It is a neat and motivational tool. But during my journey I realized that the only person stopping me from accomplishing my goals and dreams was MYSELF. I would either talk myself out of it, say I can't, or just quit. So Who Says You Can't?

So just like your parents used to say, "Can't never could." You can do whatever you set your mind to.

YOU CAN DO IT!

MULTI-LIFERS: EXPERIENCING TOO MUCH AT ONE TIME

The days are getting longer and the years are getting shorter. Seems a bit confusing, but if you are like me, it makes perfect sense. We pack so much into our days, the calendar and planner are busting at the stitches. And yet, today I realize we are more than half-way through 2010. Where did the time go? With so many choices for restaurants, hobbies and recreation activities, education, careers, and social media, it is no wonder that we get caught up trying to accomplish so many things each day, that we turn around and another year has past, but did we really, truly experience more?

With so many opportunities, we are becoming multi-lifers. What is a multi-lifer? A multi-lifer is someone who has a primary career, a secondary hobby in which they are trying to start out as an entrepreneur, a family either with or without children, exercises and/or plays sport(s), networker, social media participant, and mentor. Add more to the list if you would like, but you get the picture. This type of person is seeking to burn the candle at both ends. They believe they are experiencing all that that has to offer, but in John Gray's, How To Get What You Want And Want What You Have , we have love tanks that could be severely ignored.

Recently, I took part in Robert Pickstone's #21days Challenge , which provided extreme motivation to meet a goal by completing it 21 days in a row, thus creating a habit. My first challenge was a complete success. I ran 21 days in a row, 3 - 6 miles each day. I felt tremendous and it was a part of my life goals. The challenge continues each month as we begin the 1st day of each month, to strive to make a new habit. And here is where multi-lifeing came into play.

I am a father, writer, runner, exercise, full-time student, completing an internship, working, coaching little league, entrepreneur, speaker, friend, and not to mention both of grandparents that are living have been sick. (More could be added, but I don't want to bore you.) So I sought out to spend 1 hour working on my new business adventure each day. It seemed so easy. 1 hour. That is all. Plus I still run 5 to 6 times a week, and the story goes from there.

I was trying to experience more in my life than I had time for. I wanted more. Just like many of you, but I couldn't face the facts. I needed to be realistic with the time of the year, the month, my goals. Be SMART as they say. After all, this was a goal that is part of another life goal, but why did I make it so hard.

Many times, Multi-lifers, have their heart in the right place. Many events in our lives are fillers, occupying blocks of time so we appear busy, competitive, successful, when in reality, we aren't filling our days with enough of the big rocks, like 7 Habits by Stephen Covey and Zen Habits by Leo Babauta. Amazing what we can truly experience if we fill our days the right way with great time management.

So, keep experience life, keep reaching for your dreams, and keep motivating others. This philosphy keeps me living my Work In Progress lifestyle.


Do you feel like a Multi-Lifer? What experience can you share that will help others truly experience all that life has to offer and more. Post your comments here:

WRITE A NEW CHAPTER FOR YOUR LIFE

Night turns to day. We begin our crusade to improve our lives only to be hit head-on by a series of same ole situation blues. We hurry out to complete our day, only to arrive back home no different than the start. Why then, are you turning the pages of your life, only to be reading the same chapter over and over again?

Start today by writing a new chapter. Begin with a new sheet of paper, willing to explore new options and new possibilities. With so many options, why read the same novel of your life, twice?

This past weekend, a few friends and I had stopped at Buffalo Wild Wings to eat after a long, grueling hot softball tournament. The topic turned to our children and their future. One of my friends, Jeff, said that "we never knew growing up about all the possibilities we could do for careers." And he was so right. We can explore jobs online, shadow people in the workplace, and even go to work with our parents for a day. All to give us a clearer picture of what we want out of our lives. "You can even go freakin' swim with the dolphins," he said in a subtle but awakening tone. Your life is waiting.

Today, I am writing several new chapters to my life. The previous chapters have been lived and been read.

So, what new chapter are you going to write for your life? Do you have a bucket list or some other way of tracking your personal plans? Post your comments here: I'd love to hear your new chapter!

GETTING THROUGH TO YOURSELF

The process seems simple. Take action, progress, achieve goals. But if you are like me, the journey to reaching your unlimited potential begins and ends with how you communicate with yourself. Yourself, you ask? That's right, we talk to ourselves from the time we get up, til the time we lay down, and even in our dreams. What you say to yourself is critical to making a breakthrough to a new and improved you.

There are an estimated 50-75,000 thoughts a human creates each week. Some of these are unconscious while others we are very aware of the emotional nature and context of each thought. Breaking through is about changing your thoughts. It is about believing in yourself. So how do you get through?


1. You are the only unique you. There is only 1 you, no other in the world. You have different abilities, strengths and skills that are combined are different than any other person in the world. Be proud. Accept that who you are is who you are.

2. Accept reality. I wanted to be a professional baseball player. I was average. But the reality was I would never be one. Instead, I challenged myself, to live the life I have been given to the fullest.

"Be honest with yourself, its the person you have to trust the most"              - Brock Patterson

3. Positive affirmations. Try to count all of the negative thoughts that enter your mind each day. You probably can't keep track. And I don't mean, "you suck at everything," thoughts. The I can't, I don't, What if, There's no way, and the list goes on. Replace with I can, I will, I am.


These are just a few ways of changing your thoughts. What other thoughts can you add that will help deliver you to becoming a better you. Post your comments here:

THE WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY

Have you ever had that moment in your life where you were able to envision the future, a new you? Chances are many of you have. Our thoughts are vivid about the path we are dreaming. The sounds so crystal clear, and the colors so bright, it almost seems like you are living it out right then. But what happens after that moment, that window of opportunity?

I have looked through my window of opportunity many times before. Each time I saw a better, brighter tomorrow. A brand new me. I spent time journaling, writing, meditating and goal-setting. But to no avail. The window of opportunity had missed. I thought to myself, "Am I closing the window?," or "Is this really what I want to do, go, see, or be?" And yet again it passed. How was I going to make the change? Here's how:

Actions Speak Louder Than Ideas
I was a thinker. A dreamer. I had not yet reached the do phase. For me, it was about taking action. Yes, I wanted lose weight, or yes, I wanted to start my own business. But I was not taking any action. I broke my goals into separate categories, each with a task assigned at reaching that goal. Thanks to Making Ideas Happen by Scott Belsky, I was able to work on action steps. And some of these grand thoughts needed delayed. They were not yet important to my cause.

Surround Yourself With Winners
People who have traveled down the same path as you are great mentors. A friend of mine, Aaron Spann, who was making a great living out of real estate investing said, "you don't have to make the same mistakes as winners, find a mentor who has been on that path." At that moment, I knew I didn't have that support group. With Social Media on a roaring path, I have been able to connect with so many industry leading experts.

Success Takes Time
You don't hear many success stories that happen overnight. Those you do hear are brief. I've heard it takes 10,000 hours to become a master at something. Professionals begin playing sports, singing, and acting in their early years. Writers work through the night while maintaining a day job just to complete that dream. Put in the time. The only sacrifice you make is what you give up. But what if you getting something in return?

What have been your Windows Of Opportunity? How can someone reach their dreams or their goals. Please share your comments here:

#21DAYS: 3 LEVELS OF INSPIRATION

I remember seeing the challenge posted from Robert Pickstone on his blog 21 Day Challenge and it was just the motivation I needed to push towards some of my personal goals. What I liked most about the challenge was that I was going to be updating via social media. Brilliant. I found this challenge to create a habit in 21 days exciting and rewarding while maintaining accountability to myself and my new followers. The challenge presented 3 levels of inspiration:

Level 1: Internal Inspiration: This level of inspiration is found within our minds, our spirits, and our soul. We have to be inspired through self-talk and self esteem to provide the foundation to move towards our hopes and dreams. Mohandas Gandhi said, "a man is but the product of his thoughts what he thinks, he becomes." During this 21 day journey, I thought about the goal at hand.

Level 2: Immediate Inspiration: Friends, family members and communities (online) provide the framework to catapult our actions. We are inspired by others actions, words, and being. Our close relationships both model the behavior we are working towards or provide a spark to ignite our passions.

Level 3: Global Inspiration: The world provides enough stimulus as we reach Level 3. We are reminded about our goals and dreams through television, radio, and the Internet. We read stories that are similar to our own journey. This reminder is the reinforcement to continue our journeys despite the challenges we face.

Are you inspired to reach a new goal? What are ways you use different types of inspiration to help yourself or others? Post your comments here.

THE FIRST STEP: BEGINNING A WORK IN PROGRESS

Doesn't the first step seem like the farthest, the longest, the most difficult? For me, taking the first step at new challenges and adventures in my life continued to be delayed by a series of what ifs, who knows and until it's perfect scenarios. That was until I read these words at a time when I needed clarity about myself, the authentic me:

"The real thing that is really hard, and really amazing, is giving up on being perfect and beginning the work on becoming yourself." - Anna Quindlen

This quote inspired me to change the way I looked at myself and my life. I adopted a life motto titled: Work In Progress. Our journey in life is filled with opportunities to learn, grow, and experience success, but not by simple living but rather by living a Work In Progress.


I had several goals which I wanted to obtain but I had always looked for ways to avoid them. My new outlook gave me the freedom to chose the goals and to be happy with working towards achievement rather than working towards completion. This change in mental framework allowed me to see that progress not proclamation was the reason to work hard.


So far I have been focusing on 3 areas for improvement:
1. Health & Fitness: I began a journey to reclaim my physical self. Something that I had not focused on improving and had escaped me. In October 2005, I started a weight-loss plan, and to date I have lost 100 lbs. A major improvement. My goal is to lose about 30 more lbs. which will result in a weight loss of 131 lbs and an opportunity to be highlighted in the Men's Health Magazine Belly Off Club.


2. Education: When I started college some 17 years ago, I had my sights on playing baseball. I was average but not great. I played 2 years for a junior college and eventually gave up the sport. During this time, my studies had not been important. After working hard in the corporate world, I realized that in order to pursue my dreams of teaching and training customer service, employee development, and leadership training, that I needed to "hold" a bachelor degree at minimum. So I enrolled at Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) in the Fall of 2009 and I will be graduating this December 2010. A 17 year Work In Progress. (Master's program will start in 2011- if I add it to the plan.)


3. Professional: My experience in the corporate arena has had it's own share of ups and downs. Success and failure. But what I have learned from all the great experience is that I know what I excel at and what makes me come alive. I have always wanted to teach, train, motivate, create, and inspire. I have several mentors to thank on my journey that have inspired me to reach higher. I started writing everything that came to mind down, on napkins, paper, journal, phone, you name it. An entire collection of thoughts. I starting writing a book which will develop as this journey continues, but I have my sights set and this Work In Progress is ready.


There you have it. Life. You life it as you choose. Your attitude, beliefs, goals, and your journey. I am living mine as a Work In Progress.


Question: Do you feel like life is a Work In Progress to you? What are some of your goals that are important enough to continue despite several attempts? What advice can you give to others who are on the cusp of doing something great?