So, a grasshopper walks into a bar…
Happy Friday, Brew Nation !
Grab your favorite coffee cup, sit back, relax, and get ready to sip on some enriching and thought-provoking content that will equip you to thrive in all areas of your life:
- Work Hard – Last week, a friend sent me an Instagram reel of an interview with Denzel Washington. In it, Denzel said, “Dreams without goals are just dreams, and ultimately fuel disappointment. On the road to achieving our dreams, you must apply discipline, but more importantly, consistency, because without commitment, you’ll never start and without consistency, you’ll never finish.” (Sharable link)
These words resonated with me, as they are two of the seven steps in the transformative coaching process that I teach many clients: Decide (commitment) and Disciplines (the daily, weekly, monthly habits required to achieve your goals). You need both commitment and daily discipline to achieve your dreams. Without a decision to commit, the disciplines will be too hard, and without consistency, the commitment will be out of reach.
| Are you aware that The Champions Brew explores various topics that I frequently coach and consult on with other leaders and organizations? If you or someone you know is seeking to elevate their business or personal life from underperforming to uncommon, I would love to connect with you and discuss 1:1 or group coaching, as well as performance consulting. In fact, click the following link to schedule a FREE CALL to explore how coaching could benefit you and your team. Let’s work together to unleash your full potential and achieve your goals! |
I am grateful for friends and mentors who invest their time in me, sharpening me and challenging me to get better. As Proverbs 27:17 says, “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” We all need friends like that in our lives.
- Network Well – Sunday is easily one of my favorite days of the week. I have the privilege of serving on the church’s parking team, where I get to interact with everyone who comes to church that day. We typically park around 300 cars in the lot for each service and I can usually tell how people are feeling based on where they choose to park. Meeting almost 1,000 people over the course of the weekend is a true gift, even if it can be challenging to remember everyone’s name. Luckily, I came across an article recently that provided some helpful tips for remembering names. It’s called “Tired of Forgetting Names? Use the Grasshopper Trick to Remember Almost Everyone, backed by Neuroscience.” The article featured a funny joke that stuck with me:
A grasshopper walks into a bar.
The bartender says, “This is a first. Did you know we serve a drink that’s named after you?”
“Wait’” says the grasshopper. “You mean you have a drink called Steve?”
Ok, maybe not a great joke, but the trick to recalling names is grounded in a simple neuroscientific fact: when we meet new people, we usually store their names in the part of our brains devoted to short-term memory. So, the trick is to learn to associate names with other memories we’re less likely to bury. The bad grasshopper joke is just one way to do that. Here are some other techniques that the article suggests:
Visual memories – Suppose you meet a man named John while waiting in line for the restroom (another bad joke, but you get the point!)
Word Association – This is one I try to use often. For example, Barbara drives a Buick SUV. Both start with the same letter ‘B’
Write It Down – I may try this… I need to get a little pocket journal…
For even more tips, I am providing you with a link to the full article here.
So, let’s finish with a test: Do you remember the grasshopper’s name? Let me know if it worked!
- Read More –Last week, I finished up my review of the 16 Undeniable Laws of Communication. I also reviewed The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership with you. That’s 37 weeks of Maxwell Laws! Why not keep it going?
The 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth was John Maxwell’s third ‘Laws’ book, published in 2012 (The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership was first, and the 17 Indisputable Laws of Teamwork was second). The sub-title of the book is ‘Live them and reach your potential. When I hear the word potential, I am taken back in time about 30 years to college Physics and the term Potential Energy. Potential Energy is ‘stored energy that has the capacity to do work but is not presently doing so’. Potential energy is also like a seed that contains the potential for a new plant. When the seed is planted in the ground and given the right conditions, it will grow into a plant. In the same way, a leader with potential energy has the potential to grow into a great leader. When the leader is given the right encouragement, inspiration and is equipped with the right tools, they, too, can reach their full potential and make a difference in the world. As a leader, your potential energy is the sum of your knowledge, skills, experience, and values. When you can tap into your potential energy, you can achieve great things.
As Maxwell says in the introduction, “You don’t need to be a leader (by title) for this book to help you. You just need to be a person who wants to grow and become better than you are today.”
You just need to be a person who knows that:
- To discover your purpose, you need to grow in self-awareness.
- To become a better human being, you need to grow in character.
- To be a better spouse of parent, you need to grow in relationships.
- To enrich your soul, you need to grow spiritually.
This book offers laws that will teach you how to approach the worthy goal of growing. I read it when it first came out back in 2012 and I am looking forward to reading it again with you, the readers of the Champions Brew.
As for me, growth is one of the core values that I strive to live by every day. I truly believe that reading this book has the power to unlock your growth potential energy and help you become the person and leader you were meant to be. So, I encourage you to commit to applying what you learn from The 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth over the next 15 weeks. Get your copy and Let’s Grow Together!!
- Quote – “You will be the same person in five years as you are today except for the people you meet and the books you read.” – Charlie ‘Tremendous’ Jones
What You Need to Do:
Call to Action: Here are a few suggestions for tracking your progress over the next 15 weeks as you read and apply the principles from The 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth:
Keep a journal: Consider keeping a journal to jot down notes, key takeaways, insights, and any action steps you plan to take based on what you’ve learned. You can also reflect on your progress each week and note any changes or growth you’ve experienced.
Find an accountability partner: Connect with someone who is also reading the book or who is committed to personal growth and development. Check in with each other regularly to share progress and hold each other accountable. Brew Nation makes a fabulous accountability partner. Share your learnings with us by commenting each week. I would love to hear from you.
Take action: The most important part of personal growth is taking action. As you read each chapter, use the application exercises to apply the principles to your life and leadership.
It’s an honor to be your trusted “Friday Coffee Guy”. Each week, I’m excited to provide yet another round of curated content that I’ve been reading, listening to, watching, or thinking over. The purpose of the Champions Brew is to inspire, equip and encourage you to become the uncommon leader you were designed to be. I am so grateful for your decision to invest a few moments with me! I hope you enjoyed this week’s edition of Champions Brew. If you did, I would appreciate it if you would share it with someone who might enjoy it as well and ask them to subscribe! I will make sure they automatically get this email every week.
Until next time, Go and Grow Champions!
P.S. – Are you a podcast fan? Maybe the Uncommon Leader podcast is for you. Are you interested in being a guest on the Uncommon Leader Podcast? Do you have a story to tell? Email me [email protected] and let’s have a chat and set something up!!
