The Afternoon Sun

There is just something about that afternoon sun.
 
I am drawn to the sun like the Energizer bunny is drawn to that battery of his.  I am absolutely happier when the sun is out, and I am more productive when the days (as measured by dawn to dusk) are longer.  It is easier for me to get up and get going when the sun has already risen, and I tend to think more optimistically when the sun is shining brightly.
 
All of this begs the question of why in the world I live in Chicago, but that is a topic for another day. For now, let’s just say that living in an area that experiences way more than its share of clouds and cold makes me appreciate the sun even more when I can get it, especially when I go on vacation to find it.
 
As much as I love the sun, the afternoon sun, which I define as the sun between 4:00 and 6:00 is my favorite.  Having just returned from a sunny vacation, during which I had plenty of time to think about the afternoon sun and to contemplate its wonderous effect on me, I thought I would share a few of my observations in the hopes they might resonate with you and inspire you to seek out your own sunny time.
 
While there are many qualities of afternoon sun and many ways that I have found to enjoy that time, I can summarize those qualities and source of enjoyment in three words; 
Warmth, Reflection, and Opportunity.
 
My guess is that if I posed the question of whether you prefer the heat or the cold, the answers would be pretty evenly split, but the concept of warmth unites us all.  Warmth is that center of the thermometer that everybody can agree on.  Whether you gravitate toward the heat of a summer day or you like the cold crisp air of winter, you seek warmth as your comfort zone.  I have never met anybody who prefers to be subject to blazing heat or freezing cold twenty-four hours a day!  
 
I have been fortunate to experience afternoon sun in many places and climates and when it comes time for that sun to tilt toward its final descent on the horizon for the day, the warmth it generates is my definition of perfection.  On what has been a hot day, the less pleasant elements such as humidity and the fiery mid-day burn subside and are replaced by a temperate glow.  On a cold day when it takes a little longer for the sun to reach its full potential, the afternoon sum often creates the warmest time of the day and eases the harshness of a greyer, less inviting sky.

I have also found that the afternoon sun creates the best time to reflect on the day.  I think this is so because enough of the day has transpired for me to have a good idea of what has been or will be accomplished, but there is still enough time to influence that direction one way or the other before the day ends completely.  In fact, although I am inside right now, I am enjoying a view of some afternoon sun as I write this article and reflect on these observations and where they are headed.
 
A feeling of warmth and a moment of reflection always lead me to contemplate my next opportunity.  I always say that you can’t possibly know where you are going without first understanding where you are and where you have been.  The afternoon sun amplifies my appreciation for the day and what I have experienced and, at the same time, whets my appetite for the opportunity presented by the remainder of the day.  Sometimes, the opportunity is a nice dinner or a card game with my family.  On other occasions, it might be an event that I have looked forward to for a long time.  The opportunity may be as simple as a chance to write a few thoughts down. However small or insignificant the opportunity may be, there is still an opportunity to consider during that afternoon sun.
 
I find warmth, reflection, and opportunity in my afternoon sun and I have defined that as my favorite time in a lifelong appreciation and pursuit of the sun.  My ability to understand and savor these moments brings me joy and a feeling that I have gotten the most out of a day.  Whether or not the afternoon sun means the same thing to you is irrelevant as long as you seek and appreciate your equivalent on a regular basis.
 
Does the warmth that I describe in my afternoon sun define a feeling of comfort and respite for you?  Your warmth may just be your peace of mind or the perfect balance of your emotions.
 
Do you make it a point to reflect each day?  Do you take time to soak up and celebrate something that has gone well?  Do you give thought to things that didn’t go according to plan and figure out how you will do things differently the next time?
 
Do you see opportunity around the corner?  Do you spend a few minutes figuring out where you are at in the day and then set a course for capitalizing on that moment before that day ends?
 
Any day in which you experience warmth, reflection, and opportunity is a great day!  If you have found that time or place to regularly enjoy these things, hold on to it and appreciate it fully.  If you have not, seek it out and don’t stop until you’ve identified it.
 
One last thing about the significance of that afternoon sun and I think about it every time I have the pleasure of enjoying that time with a clear and unobstructed view of the sky. Eventually, that same sun is going to set on the horizon in front of me and rise on the horizon behind me again tomorrow.  My job is to get the most out of the day in between!
​
​This article is part of Scott Arney's educational series, entitled The Serial Decision Maker.

All for One OR One for All

All for one AND one for all worked for the Three Musketeers.  It worked because one was just as committed as the other, but that mutual commitment is rare.  Whether you are making a business decision or assessing relationships in your personal life, the choice often comes down to whether You are All for One OR One for All.
 
In business, the All for One model equates to providing every possible service to a specified group of people or businesses.  Conversely, the One for All model is based on providing one product or service to everybody you can reach.
 
As is so often the case, there are pros and cons for each model and there isn’t necessarily a right answer or a better model.  Like so many decisions and choices, the key is to understand what is at stake, your purpose and mission, and then determine which of these models works for you and your business.
 
Many years ago, the management team of our Credit Union analyzed these options and decided that our best course of action was to focus on the All for One model.  Specifically, we decided to become a full service financial institution and to make it our mission to meet every financial need Police Officers and Police families could ever encounter.  This is the best decision we could have made, but it is also difficult to master.
 
What we decided to be as a business is only one aspect of the equation.  We must consistently demonstrate to our members who we are as a business and, even if we do, there is certainly no guarantee they are going to see us in the way we see ourselves.
 
In the daily execution of the All for One model, we face a lot of variables across many products and services, any one of which can temporarily impair our mission to be everything financial for our members.  In my opinion, however, our focus on this model is the only strategy that will ensure our longevity and prosperity as a business. 
 
When a business chooses to focus on one service or product or the One for All model, it is much easier for that business to become experts at that service or product.  Variables, the enemy of quality, are easier to control, which means fewer things are likely to go wrong.  The difficulty in the use of this model is ensuring that the business stays relevant to its clientele even though it only has one product or service to offer them.
 
When it comes to your personal life, the same decision becomes even more complicated and subjective.  
 
You should know by now that if you attempt to be a friend to everyone, you will likely end up being a friend to no one.  Some friendships will be worth your attempt to be as complete of a friend as you can be, or the personal equivalent of the All for One model.  Others will be limited to the time that you spend or the aspect of your personality that fits that friendship.  If you’re the guy that many of your friends go to for advice, but you otherwise don’t really hang out, then those friendships could be described as the One for All model.
 
In friendships, the model that wins out is often not your choice to make, at least not solely your choice.  Sometimes, you end up taking what you can get.  In other cases, you end up spending much more time and energy on a friendship than you would rather.  
 
As a parent, your relationship with your child is largely defined by nature when that child is born.  The immensity and specificity of his or her needs form the definition of an All for One relationship.  As the parent, you are the sole provider and caretaker of that child.  You are essentially everything to him or her.  As time progresses, however, that relationship inevitably evolves and that’s when things can get tricky.
 
As your child develops into adolescence and young adulthood, he or she will naturally have a more significant say regarding the nature of your relationship and the model will most assuredly change from the All for One version to something not quite as involved, whether you are ready for that change or not.
 
I have given this parent child relationship evolution a lot of thought lately and I really haven’t come up with an exact definition of what occurs yet, but in the context of these models, I think it boils down to this.  No matter what dynamics take place or how quickly your child matures or even how he or she defines the relationship, your best choice as a parent is to remain all in, fully committed to the All for One model.  My only qualifications for offering this opinion are the excellent advice I have received from those who have parented through this evolution before me and the power of my up-to-the minute observational skills.
 
So, whether you are considering your business and your career or your role as a friend or a parent, it helps to not only know what model you are using, but how committed you are to it.  When you face adversity or begin to question your whether you should alter your approach, will you stay the course or change direction?
 
If you made the right decision to begin with and the purpose of your business is in line with the model you are operating, you need not revisit the past.  Focus on the tasks at hand and in front of you.
 
If you understand the nature of your friendships and relate to those friends in ways that are consistent with who you are and what you value, stay true to yourself and give yourself credit for what you add to those relationships, so that when times are tough you don’t unnecessarily question whether you have fallen short as a friend.
 
As far as the parenting goes, there really is only one answer and it was determined the second you became a parent.  You are all in, unconditionally, and without exception, no matter the challenge or how much your relationship changes with age or experiences. 
 
This article is part of Scott Arney's educational series, entitled The Serial Decision Maker.

Mindset
When you have the right mindset, you form the foundation for good decision-making

Whether you think you can or you think you can’t, you are right.
 
I don’t know who first said those words, but I grew up hearing them and I don’t remember a time when I was not aware of the meaning of that statement.  In fact, the older I get, the more meaningful this statement becomes.
 
So much of what you accomplish in life is only possible when you first believe you can accomplish it.  Said another way, so much of what goes unfulfilled in life is a result of a lack of belief in yourself and what might be possible should you be willing to try.
 
I have met many people who I thought had a ton of potential and that much of it was untapped.  I have also met a lot people who I felt were unique and as I got to know them better became even more convinced that they were capable of achieving at a level beyond where they were currently at in their life.  In these instances, it was my belief that the common thread was a fear of failure.
 
Fear of failure is a topic in itself for another time, but for the purposes of this example, let’s just say that it is a trait that is unique among humans.  For some reason, many more people than not tend to focus on what they cannot do versus what they can.  Worse, many people who think they cannot do something only think that is the case because they have never actually tried to do whatever it is they think they can’t do.
 
This thought process is akin to the one that you may use when determining what foods you don’t like.  In most cases, you may only think you don’t like something, but you have never actually tried it.
 
If you are one of these people, try this exercise.  Instead of thinking about what you cannot or have not done, focus on what you can do and have done.  Give yourself an opportunity to build some momentum toward the development of a positive mindset.  For example, at the end of a busy day, think about what you crossed off of your to-do list instead of the things that you just couldn’t get to.
 
There is nothing wrong with looking back on each day in order to evaluate what went right and what went wrong, but if you give yourself some credit for what you accomplished versus just kicking yourself for what you didn’t do, you may find that you eventually will empower yourself to start feeling better about what you are doing and to think about what else might be possible.
 
Another common element that can detract from a healthy and positive mindset is the concept of your comfort zone.  Your comfort zone is whatever circle you draw around yourself at any given time that allows you to feel safe and relaxed.  You need comfort in your life and there are definitely times when it is healthy to allow yourself to feel protected and warm and to enjoy the peace of mind that comes with those feelings.
 
You do not need as much comfort as you might think, however, and in that sense the importance of comfort is a bit over rated.  If you think about the greatest, most exciting times in your life, comfort is not likely to be one of the first thoughts those memories invoke.  In fact, those exciting times were likely only possible because you stepped out of your comfort zone.  You gave yourself the opportunity to learn something new or experience something totally different and outside of your routine.
 
Providing comfort to others is noble.  Seeking comfort from others, especially when times are tough, is necessary.  Retreating to your favorite chair or putting on your softest slippers at the end of a hard day is an essential luxury.
 
However, allowing your comfort zone to enable you to stand pat, to not venture into the unknown at least a little bit, or to somehow make it okay to not apply yourself toward worthwhile challenges is completely unacceptable.
 
Do you find that you approach new situations, such as a get together with a new neighbor or the start of a new class, with dread or that you concentrate on all of the things that could go wrong?  If so, recognize what you are doing.  While it may be easy to talk yourself out of attending one function or to put off taking that next class, making a habit of doing so will only lead to a very small and constantly diminishing comfort zone.
 
When you try something new, especially if it involves putting yourself out there for others to see, something will likely go wrong.  If, however, your mindset is positive and you choose to concentrate on the side of your mental ledger that keeps track of what goes right and what is gained, the things that don’t go so well won’t be nearly as important to you as they once were.
 
There is always room for improvement in just about everything that you do, but improvement isn’t possible unless you are out there doing something to begin with.  If you strive to improve as opposed to letting the thought that your endeavor won’t be perfect stop you from trying, you are moving forward with purpose and toward fulfillment and achievement.
 
When you take the steps that are necessary for you to develop a healthy and positive mindset, you also send a strong signal to those around you that you are confident and that you are dealing from a position of strength.  You indicate that you are someone who is interested in taking an active role in determining the outcome of situations with which you are involved.
 
When you have the right mindset, you form the foundation for good decision-making.  Once you make good decisions on a consistent basis, anything is possible!

This article is part of Scott Arney's educational series, entitled The Serial Decision Maker.

Width of Focus
 
I know virtually nothing about technology, but I think I understand the concept of bandwidth.  There is a vast amount of information surrounding us and travelling electronically in every direction imaginable.  In order to send and receive that information, you have to ensure that your business, home, or any location where you happen to be has ample bandwidth so that the information can travel as quickly and effectively as possible.
 
I could equate this concept to our transportation grid and talk about the facilitation of traffic, but I figure that I already use traffic and my frustration with it in enough articles and essays.
 
What I will equate it to is the width of your own focus.  The need for focus, your ability to concentrate on a particular subject or event in order to direct your attention and develop a clear vision of what is occurring, is an absolutely essential piece of forward progress and strong decision making.
 
Without focus, you will not only be unable to understand what is going on, but also unable to do anything about it.  Think about it.  Everything you have ever accomplished in your life began with your focus.
 
When you learned to walk, you began the process by focusing on your parents or your siblings and then concentrating your effort to replicate what you saw them doing.
 
Your progression through school was predicated on your ability to focus on the material in front of you and what your teacher was presenting to you.
 
As you get older, the role that focus plays in your forward progress tends to evolve.  If you are able to recognize that and fine tune your focus to keep up with that evolution, your forward progress will continue.
 
When you make progress and gain experience, your focus will need to widen to incorporate the additional responsibilities that are part and parcel to your progress and experience.  This does not mean that you can allow your focus to not be as sharp.  It means that it must be just as sharp as it always has been across a wider spectrum.
 
This is where it can really get tricky because your focus must be narrow enough to identify what is immediately in front of you and deserving of your attention, but not so narrow that you lose sight of your surroundings.
 
The center of your focus must be concentrated on the things that are most important to you, but not so much so that your peripheral vision is blurred to the point that you lose sight of what is important to those around you.
 
So, what are some things that you can do to make sure that the width of your focus properly reflects your stage of life, your responsibilities, and your intended future path?
 
Start with a healthy dose of self-discipline, which will immediately help you to make sure that you strike an effective balance between what you see and how you act.  Self-discipline involves creating your own personalized mental checklist that will help you identify the key components that tie your external surroundings to your internal processing.
 
If you identify something (a penny on the sidewalk, a coupon for a product that you don’t use) that is not worth your time or energy, you will decide not to focus on it and to not take any action involving it.
 
If, however, you become aware of something (a job posting, an upcoming concert) that does merit your attention, you will decide to focus on it and determine a set of actions that will help you turn that focus into a desired outcome.
 
The self-discipline part of this keeps you on your personal path by helping you to make decisions that best represent the amount of focus you have assigned to the matter.  When you exercise self-discipline and seek balance in your thoughts and actions, you will also be a lot more likely to assign the appropriate weight to the items that may or may not warrant your focus.
 
The temptation of taking a short cut will be offset by the realization that you will stand to lose more than you gain in so doing.  While it may be perfectly acceptable to ignore your diet plan on occasion, doing so over and over again will cause your plan to be useless and your health to deteriorate.
 
Conversely, the road to that promotion you desire may extract a price in the form of your time and commitment, but the gain will make that time and commitment worthwhile.
 
You already know that there are plenty of distractions out there.  They come in all shapes and sizes and are not necessarily harmful at the right time and under the right circumstances, but distractions that dilute your focus over an extended period of time will cause a major derailment in your plans for forward progress and future success.
 
Just as it is a good idea to get a regular eye exam in order to check your vision, it is a good idea to take a step back on a regular basis in order to make sure that you are focused on the right things.
 
Are you spending time on the things that really matter?  Have you considered all options, including any non-standard alternatives?  Are you having fun?  How close are you to where you thought you would be?
 
Jumping back to the bandwidth example; if you have too little, potentially vital information will not get through.  If you have too much, you are overpaying for capacity and resource that could be used elsewhere.  The importance of the width of your focus is no different.
 
Keep it tuned up by exercising your self-discipline, utilizing your personal mental checklist, striking a balance in your decision making, and assigning the proper amount of weight between your potential action and the consequence for that action.  From there, take some time to review and re-evaluate as necessary.

​This article is part of Scott Arney's educational series, entitled The Serial Decision Maker.

Direction versus Destination
Your direction is more important than your destination 

Knowing which way you are headed is far more important than knowing where you will end up and the journey is often more valuable than the destination to which it leads.
 
How many times have you heard someone say some variation of the following, “I just don’t know what I should do for a career, or what I should choose for a major, or what my next move should be?”
 
That statement almost always leads to inactivity or, at a minimum; it creates a reason for that person to not actively work towards a defined goal or objective.  “How can I work toward something if I don’t even know what that something is?”
 
The answer is to not place so much emphasis on the end result.  It is always important to set goals and then to work hard to achieve them, but the absence of a specifically defined end result should not absolve you from taking any action at all.
 
There are many factors that can line up against you when you are contemplating the many things in your life that require a long term plan.  Sometimes it is the number of variables that may or may not occur. Sometimes it is the length of time involved before you would reach a longer term goal.  Whatever your factors are, it can be a daunting task to go through the process of trying to connect all of the dots that represent the checkpoints of your life.
 
Even if you find long range planning and goal setting to be a challenge, daily forward progress must still be an essential aspect of your routine and you can achieve it without necessarily knowing exactly where it leads you.  As an example, you can learn more about your current job and become more knowledgeable in that role without knowing if it is the job that you would like to have for the rest of your working career.
 
Eating right and exercising regularly will always be a step in the right direction even if you do not have a specific weight loss or training related goal.  Donating your time or money to a worthwhile charity is a great gesture even if you do not ultimately stay involved with that charity.
 
If you are actively engaged in moving forward, you will find that you create more opportunities for growth and personal expansion even if you haven’t determined your ultimate destination or a more specific purpose. 
 
Conversely, allowing yourself to stagnate in your job because you haven’t decided if you are going to make a career out of it is a disservice to your company as well as yourself. When you don’t move forward, the organization you work for will also suffer from your inactivity.
 
Setting a direction is also easier than determining a destination.  In many ways, direction and destination also represent the difference between the short term and the long term.  For most of us, the short term is much easier to see and define. As an example, I may not know where I would like to be in five years, but I know that I need to get that report done today. 
 
Short term progress is often times easier to measure and see than long term progress. One huge exception to this is parenting. Short term progress is often impossible to see when you are raising your children, and many times, you may have to wait until your children are young adults before you can clearly see that your work has paid off.
 
Even in that example, however, the parents have made good parenting a matter of personal importance and they are committed to that direction well before they know how well their decisions and parenting style will play out.
 
This is also an example of the value of the journey.  If, as a parent, you only ever think about and focus on the day your child leaves for college, you are going to miss an awful lot of memories along the way. While the end result represents what you mutually work toward, the milestones and achievements you reach along the way create a lifetime of memories.  The joy of that time together and the experiences that you enjoy with your children along the way are what form the bond and the basis for your relationship going forward.
 
Getting that promotion at work is great, but it is the work that you do along the way that really helps you to advance as a person and round you out as an employee.
 
Life is full of uncertainty and it is easy to convince yourself that many things are beyond your influence or control.  When you set a forward direction, however, you gain the kind of peace of mind that is only known to those who are following their own plan.  When you take the added step of tracking results and paying attention to your own personal journey, you virtually assure yourself of gaining value and insight that would not be possible to understand were you to only focus on your destination. 
 
When you prioritize your direction, you will create an opportunity to be more aware of the power of your own decision making and the results that you can achieve as a direct result of those decisions.
 
Just remember that you can take a step in the right direction without exactly knowing where you are headed, but it is nearly impossible to achieve a desired result without having any idea of the steps that you took to get there.
 
This article is part of Scott Arney's educational series, entitled The Serial Decision Maker.

Sacrifice the Sacrifice
Put yourself in the best possible position to succeed by making decisions that are consistent with who you are and what you want to accomplish

​Take care of yourself.  No one else will do it as well as you can.
 
Put yourself first.
 
Look out for number one and try not to step in number two!
 
You have probably heard one or all these sayings before.  If you have, it is possible that you misunderstood the value in the message and wrote it off as something intended for a person who is selfish or disinterested in the world around them.  I’d like to suggest an alternative way of thinking that may help you better evaluate this advice the next time you consider it.
 
When we conduct financial training with members and prospective members of the credit union, one of the concepts we share is to pay yourself first.  We offer this advice to assist someone who is interested in establishing or maintaining habits that form the foundation for sound personal financial management.  If you make savings a habit by ensuring you save first and pay expenses second, you will help yourself to a stronger financial situation.  Saving before you spend helps you to ensure that you live within your means and may even set the table for a time when you do not have to borrow or carry credit card debt.
 
You will always be stronger financially if you pay yourself first.  If you are stronger financially, you will preserve more options for yourself and be in a much better position to spend or even splurge when the need or want arises.
 
Concentrating on yourself in the broader sense is no different.  Those who have already ascertained the value of this concept and are applying it in their lives understand that the best way for them to achieve their goals and contribute value to the world is to be the best person they can be first.
 
Police Officers are known for, and deservedly so, making sacrifices in the line of duty.  To be the best Police Officer he or she can be, a person must first decide that the work of being a Police Officer is their calling.  In other words, the sacrifices they ultimately make are made possible through the decision that being a Police Officer is the vocation that best represents who they are and what will put them in the best possible situation to enjoy success and happiness in life.  The process of becoming a Police Officer is not a sacrifice.  Every Police Officer knows that the inevitable sacrifices take place later and are part of the job.
 
Parents make sacrifices every day, especially those that are active participants in parenting.  Becoming a parent is a wonderful, life changing experience and everything, but a sacrifice.  Plenty of sacrifices will take place from that day forward, but the decision to become a parent is by no means a sacrifice.
 
This is an important delineation. If you believe that the decision you make to pursue a career or become a parent is, itself, a sacrifice, you are making that decision for the wrong reason.  Sacrifice is not a motivation and basing your decision to do anything on a belief that you are making a sacrifice is not sustainable.
 
If you begin a conversation by guessing what the other person wants to hear, you are sacrificing your insight and the value of your true thoughts.
 
If you take action without a core belief that it is the right action to act, you will undoubtedly act without conviction.
 
Anything worth pursuing takes your whole heart and mind, and a skill set that helps you to rise to the challenge of the pursuit.  Starting with the idea of sacrifice will only drag you down, however, sacrifice that occurs as the result of your whole-hearted, all-in pursuit is just part of the deal.  
 
The bottom line is that you will put yourself in the best possible position to succeed in life if you make decisions that are consistent with who you are and what you really want to accomplish.  When you do this, you will be at your strongest and you will be most capable of effectively handling whatever challenges you face.  The strongest and most valuable representation of you is the one who will be able to best face up to and minimize the sacrifices that are inevitably part of any worthwhile pursuit.
 
This article is part of Scott Arney's educational series, entitled The Serial Decision Maker.

Will Power
The strength of your will power is what will determine if you have what it takes to live a fulfilling life and to be in charge of your own destiny
 
Most people associate will power with dieting and whether or not they will be able to display the type of self-discipline needed to forego that really luscious looking dessert that is sitting in front of them.
 
Will power is also an important element of your own financial health.
 
Over the years, I've talked about budgeting and the key pieces of a viable and personalized budget.  As you undoubtedly already know, the best-laid plans can become useless in a hurry if you do not or cannot go out and execute the plan.  Whether you are dieting or budgeting, the quickest way to get derailed from achieving your goals is for you to not exercise enough will power.
 
Will power seems to always be presented as something that is elusive and hard to master over a long period of time, when in fact it is one of the few things you can totally control.
 
All kinds of things can and do go wrong once you have established a budget and are attempting to work within it.  Despite your best efforts to project all of your costs, unexpected expenses always pop up and no matter how much you would like to be able to count on your income always being there, for most of us it is not promised beyond that which we have already earned.
 
On the contrary, your will power is merely an extension of your own decision-making.  You are the only one who will decide whether or not you are going to chow down on or pass up dessert.  You are the only one who will decide whether or not you are going to splurge on a car, a dress, or the newest electronics or put the money back in your pocket.
 
So exercising will power should be simple, right?  If it were, we would all be at our ideal weight and have enough money to live comfortably and not be worried about the unexpected.  Additionally, all the countries of the world would have balanced budgets and have no interest in expanding their geographical or political territories.  There probably wouldn’t be any trade deficits and prices would be right for just about everybody because overall supply and demand would be pretty equal.
 
With all of the examples of a lack of individual or collective will power surrounding us, no wonder it feels as though it is something much more complex and hard to attain.  The question really should be, if you are someone who has not done the greatest job of managing yourself, how could you get better at it?
 
The simple explanation is that the result of the action that you take or don’t take has to mean more to you than the result of doing the opposite.  In other words, maintaining your weight and working toward a healthier lifestyle has to mean more to you than the short term pleasure you may experience in whatever indulgence you are considering.  Saving a few more dollars has to be more valuable to you than whatever you were going to purchase in lieu of saving or staying within your means.
 
Anytime you demonstrate inner strength, you run the risk of putting yourself at odds with your peer group or your neighbors or your co-workers.  You can count on there being a reason that it takes power to stay true to your own will or to follow a path that you have carefully planned.  You will need every ounce of your will power to stand up to the many obstacles that will stand between you and your desired goal.
 
Exercising your will power is made much easier when you know the reason why you are having to exercise it in the first place and you will be in a much better position to understand the reasons why you have a goal or a limit if you have taken the time to organize your priorities and clearly understand the people and the things that are most important to you.
 
You will immediately realize some benefits the moment you prove to yourself that your own will power is sufficient enough to help you reach your goals.  The first being that it only takes one successful will power moment to make the next one easier.  Before you know it, using your will power will become a habit.
 
Another benefit to exercising your own will power is that if you do it successfully and early on, you will create some flexibility for yourself down the road.  Deciding to save instead of spend, for example, creates or adds to your funds on hand.  When you’ve reached your goal, allow yourself to splurge or to go back to something that you passed on initially, but now have the ability to buy more comfortably.  In this case, you will literally have your cake and eat it too because you will have met your savings needs and bought something that you really wanted.
 
If you consider what might also be achievable simply by exercising your own will power, you may even begin to see limitless potential in places that you used to feel restricted or trapped.  You may determine that goals that you used to think were beyond your grasp are now achievable.
 
Will power is not only what helps you to diet and budget; it is what sets you apart from others.  The strength of your will power is what will determine if you have what it takes to live a fulfilling life and to be in charge of your own destiny.  It is unique to you and it is what gets you up in the morning and keeps you moving throughout the day and the second you start exercising it with regularity is the second that you will become more powerful than you ever realized.

This article is part of Scott Arney's educational series, entitled The Serial Decision Maker.

​The Power of Observation
        
I realized at an early age that when it came to competition, I was never going to be the fastest, or the strongest, or the smartest.
 
Fortunately, I also realized, around the same time, that there were certain things that I could work on and ultimately be as good at as any other competitor out there, particularly when it came to living life.
 
It is always important to be aware of your shortcomings, but when they are only shortcomings because you are comparing your abilities with others, it is equally important to not allow your awareness of those shortcomings to stunt your growth.  In other words, not being the fastest or the strongest is very different than not being as fast or as strong as you can be.
 
If you focus on what you can do versus what you cannot, you will always create an advantage for yourself.  You cannot now nor will you ever be able to control someone else’s workout routine, diet, or work ethic. You can only control your own.  So, if you focus your efforts on yourself and you do not spend time worrying about what someone else is doing or not doing, you will automatically have more time and energy to devote to the pursuits that are truly important to you.
 
One of the more powerful tools that you can fully control and develop is your personal power of observation.  Refining and honing your observation skills will directly and immediately improve your ability to focus, organize, plan, and most importantly enjoy your life.
 
When you effectively pay attention to your surroundings and the environment in which you operate, you will be more aware of how and why things are happening.
 
When you are more aware of what is happening around you, you will be in a better position to organize your thoughts toward what you should or should not be doing in relation to those happenings.
 
When you have your thoughts organized, you can put a plan in place that places you in the best possible position to succeed today and going forward.
 
When you are following your own plan, you are much more likely to enjoy your life because you are making your own decisions and creating your own consequences.
 
If you make it a point to actively observe the people who you work with on a daily basis, you will gain perspective as to who they really are, what motivates them, and where you might share some common ground.  When you have a handle on these things, you can figure out how to work together and ways in which their strong suits will compliment and supplement yours.
 
This type of awareness is a very powerful attribute to utilize if you wish to be an effective leader.  When your words and your actions accurately reflect the thoughts and motives of those around you, people will want to work with you and even follow you.  When those around you follow you naturally as opposed to simply being told to follow you, the bond that you share and the teamwork you produce together will be much more significant than anything that is artificially generated.
 
Purposeful observation will not only help you in your career, it will help you to be a better family member, friend, and ultimately a better person.  If you know that someone you care about needs an encouraging word because you were alert to their mood, you can take action that ensures you are the one delivering that needed encouragement.
 
When you demonstrate the meaning that others have to you and in your life, those same people will often reciprocate in the emphasis they place on you and the things that are important to you.  Family ties can be more meaningful and friendships can be more rewarding.
 
The act of effective observation can also directly enhance your own life’s experiences.  The more you are aware of the events in which you participate, the more vivid your memory of that event will be.
 
Do you sometimes wonder why certain conversations or circumstances are easier to remember than others?  Many times, it boils down to whether or not you were paying full attention at the time the conversation or event was taking place.  The more attention you pay at the time an event is occurring, the easier that event will be to remember.
 
If you remember your past more vividly, you will create memories that are more fulfilling and useful to you.  As an example, if you remember specifics about a decision that went wrong, you will be far less likely to make that same mistake in the future.  Conversely, if you specifically remember how great it felt when a particular decision you made helped you to achieve success, you will be far more likely to appreciate that success and go after it with even more determination the next time.
 
Observation is a key component of participation and being an active participant in your career and your life is so much more rewarding and fulfilling than when you are standing on the sideline as a disinterested bystander.
 
Just like so many things in life, it is up to you to make your power of observation a priority.  It will take some work and determination on your part, but the payoff is totally worth it!
 
This article is part of Scott Arney's educational series, entitled The Serial Decision Maker.