How To Get Out Of A Rut And Get Set For 2017.

2016 — Banner year or Bummer year? Not doing what you really want to be doing? Not getting the 'right' type of clients? Does your boss drive you up the wall?

Sometimes we get in a rut. Sometimes it's a cavern. Here are some tips to help you get out of that rut and set the stage for an unbelievable 2017:

It's never that bad.

We tend to over-dramatize our situation. We obsess, worry, and focus on the negative to the point where it's looks insurmountable. Granted, sometimes it's really that bad. Most of the time — it's tough to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Solution: Bad and Good are cyclical. If you're in a rut, it usually takes a few quick actions to turn the situation around. If you just lost your best client, you need to get off your butt and get out there and visit all of your current, past, and future clients. Don't sit and mope — make a decision and take action. If you have a bad boss — time to see if you can change the dynamic in some way — communicate more effectively, be more appreciative, anticipate their needs. If you can't do that — it's time to look for new digs. Check out this book.

Take small steps.

When things are bad, we want to get out of that rut ASAP. We want big things to happen, quickly. We want to buy that lottery ticket that delivers $250 million. Unfortunately, life rarely delivers a big enough boon to elevate you out of your chasm.

Solution: Take small steps, keep repeating every day, and be consistent, regular, and unwavering. Why? First off, small steps are easy — big steps are hard. Small steps are recoverable in case you take the wrong step, you can easily step back and change direction. Small steps build upon one another and deliver an inner momentum and confidence big steps will never deliver. Check out this book.

Be positive.

When things are dark and gloomy — we tend to be de-motivated, enervated, and depressed. We're Johnny Raincloud to all of our colleagues, friends, and clients. It shows — everyone notices and candidly, they don't want to be around you.

Solution: Find the internal mindset or external environment to get you in a positive, energetic frame of mind. Nothing good ever happens to a cranky person — turn that frown upside down (I had to say it), and start envisioning where you need to go and what you need to do. Meditate, relax, go for a walk, take a mental health day — do something to change the dynamic. Check out this book.

Take the stairs.

It doesn't happen overnight. To get in a rut, it usually takes a number of bad things to happen over an extended period of time. You might have lost that huge client, but in retrospect, you probably sealed your fate months ago by not communicating or making a serious mistake.

Solution: It's going to be hard — I'm not going to sugarcoat it. You need to work harder everyday to not only make up the yardage you've lost, but to overcome your fears and push yourself to do even better. But if you stay positive, take small steps, and realize that your situation is temporary, you'll find your hard journey upwards rewarding and invigorating. Check out this book.

If you try each of these suggestions, I promise you will not only get out of your rut, you will have an UNBELIEVABLE 2017.

Energize Your Life In One Simple Step.

No, I don't want you to chug a six-pack of Five Hour Energy drinks. When we hang around people who energize us, we feel like Superman (or Supergirl). We get more done, we are more assertive, confident . . . we are performing optimally. And it shows to our boss, clients, peers, and staff.

When we hang around people who enervate us, it feels as if our life-force is sucked right out of our soul. We don’t feel like working, we hate our jobs, we despise our clients, and we count the hours until it’s time to go home.

The solution is simple — spend a bit more time around/conversing with energetic people and spend a bit less time around/conversing with enervating people. I said ‘a bit less’ because our families usually contribute to the enervating list. “To play better tennis, you MUST play with better tennis players.”

ACTION STEP: I have all my clients take a piece of paper and draw a vertical line splitting it into two vertical sections. At the top, put ENERGIZE on one side and ENERVATE on the other.

List of all the people who energize you — they are: Assertive, Confident, Happy, Smiling, Pleasant, Engaged, Upwardly Mobile, Think Work Is Fun/Challenge, Positive, Helpful.

Then I want you to list of all the people who enervate you — they are: Pessimistic, Gossipy, Demeaning, Finds The Worst In People & Things, Complains, Blames, Attacks, Very Critical, Not Helpful.

YOUR GOAL: Spend a lot more time with the energizers and a lot less time with the enervators. You will walk away with a positive, enthusiastic, and energized mind & body ready to take on anything life can throw at you.

Set up a meeting with an ENERGIZER today!

P.S. If you liked this simple step, I have 9 more tips to help you be more successful at work — CLICK HERE

A Client Made Me Feel Wonderful Today.

"There's not a day that goes by that I don't draw on some of the expertise that Super-Coach Rich Gee has shared with me over the past two years. My natural inclination is to start the day with whatever is in front of me and let chaos reign. But there's this little Rich Gee voice inside my head saying, "Get organized, use your Action Plan Checklist - don't open up your email until 10 AM!" Damn him!

So instead of being scattered, I have a daily action plan that organizes my work and keep me on track. I set goals, get rid of the excuses, make things happen, and get much more accomplished than I ever expected.

If you are seriously willing to make successful changes in how you operate your business, your schedule, your goal-setting, and aspirations, then have that one conversation with Rich Gee.

It will change your life. The real question is: Are YOU ready for it?"

- Dawn Reshen-Doty, President at Benay Enterprises, Inc.

Six Things Successful People Do Differently.

Everyone is looking for that one magic pill to take and instantly become successful. Here are some realities:

• It's hard. You're going to have to work at it.
• It's fleeting. Never, never, never give up. Stick with it.
• It's capricious. You have to be in the right place at the right time with the right people.

How does one get successful? You need to work at it — every day.

I've found six inter-related behaviors of highly successful clients I've tracked in my 11 years coaching:

1. They Self-Motivate

Get out there and make things happen. Most people expect their boss, their job, or their colleagues to somehow get them motivated (directly or indirectly) so they can perform their duties.

Successful people have an internal engine that revs them up in the morning and keeps them energized all day long. Or they leverage external motivators on a regular basis to keep them at a peak performing state.

Check Out: Five Ways To Make Your Commute Bearable

2. They Push Until It Hurts

Most (if not all) of us procrastinate in one form or another. We put things off, we extend deadlines, we miss delivery dates.

Successful people get things done, on time. They push themselves, their staff, and everyone around them to ensure agreed upon dates are met. Sometime it hurts, sometimes they work late, but in the end, the pushing delivers results.

Check Out: How To Eliminate Procrastination

3. They Partner & Connect

We tend to work with the same people and cocoon within our company. It's safe, it's easy, and it doesn't over-extend our comfort zone into meeting new people. Hey, it's worked so far, so what do you have to lose? A lot.

Successful people regularly extend themselves inside their company and outside into the marketplace. They reach out to connected individuals and influential executives to build solid relationships.

Check Out: Why Networking Is Dead - Part One & Why Networking Is Dead - Part Two

4. They Track

You go on your merry way each day getting your work done, taking on new projects and tasks, and never really step back and look at the big picture.

Successful people are not only working in their job, but they are also working on it — they step back and assess their progress regularly. They track themselves against their peers and clearly know what needs to be done to accelerate and excel.

Check Out: What Have You Done So Far?

5. They Relax

Business is cyclical — so is your career. It has it ups and downs — unfortunately, many people get too stressed out when things go wrong or not as planned. They then take it out on themselves and everyone around them.

Successful people take adversity in stride — they understand the peaks and valleys of the marketplace and office. Instead of devolving down into a funk, they use this opportunity to step back, reflect, and start anew.

Check Out: How To Be More Effective On The Job

6. They Are Positive & Confident

There are so many people in corporate and those who own their own businesses who wander through the day with a negative weight on their shoulders. In addition, they ensure everyone knows about it.

Successful people usually have a glass half-full point of view. They are the energizers, the brainstormers, and the people who hit the ground running every morning of every day. In addition, they project confidence (or at least try to) — they believe in their ability to make things happen, enact change and inspire people. Here's a secret —  they also have a lack of confidence — so they fake it (we all do).

Check Out: How To Be A Confident Executive & Be Like Jack LaLanne

POST YOUR QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS BELOW

P.S. Successful isn't hard — it just takes planning. You and I can work on it together so you instantly get what I’m talking about - Let’s talk. I’ve worked with thousands of people who wanted to take assertive steps in this area — call or email me to schedule a complimentary session.

4 Ways To Be More Positive In Your Life.

Here's a little bet — Pick any successful person you know. Think about their personality and demeanor. You'll probably find they are frequently positive in their outlook on life and work.

You might come to the conclusion: Because they are successful, they are naturally positive.

Actually, it's the exact opposite. Thinking and communicating positively actually delivers success.

Successful people regularly create positive and optimistic scenarios in their lives. It allows them to take those small, successful moments and turn them into opportunities to reach their goals.

How can you do it? It's easy:

1. Use big positive and cheerful words to express yourself. When someone asks you about your business, say it's 'UNBELIEVABLE!'
2. Use bright and cheerful words to describe other people. Say "I know John — he's a great guy who always delivers."
3. Use positive language to encourage others. "I know you can do it because you've hit it out of the park every other time!"
4. Use positive words and images about the things you do. "We had such an incredible time delivering that product. Even though it was close to the deadline, the entire team pulled together to make it happen!"

If you 'litter' your life with positive comments and thoughts, it opens up a world of opportunity to focus clearly on how you think about things. And it affect how you do them.

Do you disagree? Then do this for the next week:

• Use small and condescending words to express yourself.
• Use unflattering and hateful words to describe other people.
• Use hostile language to discourage others.
• Use negative words and images about the things you do.

Okay — I went a bit overboard. Just do this then:

• Try not to use any flattering words to express yourself. Be humble.
• Describe other people with uninspiring comments.
• Encourage others by asking them to do things because they have to.
• Never comment or mention the things you do.

See how far you get. 

POST YOUR QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS BELOW

P.S. Having a hard time thinking positively about your life and work? Let's talk. I've worked with many clients who have the same problem — and we developed a successful strategy to turn that around. If you’re not a client . . . pick up the phone and call me (203.500.2421) — I offer one (and only one) complimentary session each week.

Looking For Light At The End Of The Tunnel.

"When it is dark enough, you can see stars." Received this in a fortune cookie Friday night at our favorite asian restaurant in downtown New Haven (date night with my beautiful wife, Silvia).

After a small amount of research, I found it's attributed to Charles Beard, one of the most influential American historians of the 20th century.

IMHO, the meaning of the quote is quite apparent — when life is going badly, look around, there are many opportunities to make it better.

Do you agree? Let's say it's true — Opportunities are all around us:

1. They are difficult to initially see — we must look hard for them.

Opportunities are not going to drive up to your door in a limousine to pick you up. In the beginning, it might feel there is a 'darkness' all around you. But if you begin to open your eyes, positive situations will start to appear.

Open your mind, be more positive, and hang around with more positive people. Don't follow the news, point yourself towards more motivating resources — audiobooks, people, exercise, books, etc.

2. They are not in the form we expect.

This always happens. We tend to look at opportunities from certain avenues and forget the little side streets which might deliver the goods.

It might be with a person who initially seems inconsequential or a company who is not filling your sweet spot. Keep your eyes and mind open to new possibilities.

3. They are far away — in space or time — we must go after them.

Everyone wants opportunities to come to them quickly. In certain circumstances, it takes time for the opportunity to come into focus.

For example, you might want a promotion — but it might take the better part of a year to get your boss on board and then for him to coax upper management and HR on the idea. Be patient (but look for continuous results).

4. They look small and inconsequential at first, but as we get closer, they take on prominence and importance.

This is always the case with big opportunities. They are usually all around us, but we are looking for the immediate 'big win'.

It's almost like growing a delicate flower — watering, feeding, sunlight, clearing the weeds — all to ensure it matures into a beautiful rose.

What opportunities do you see all around you?

3 Ways To Deal With Conflict At Work.

Is there someone at work that brings out the anger in you? Even if you act kindly towards them, do they still cause consternation with you, your work, your meetings or your staff? Have you ever heard the term, “Kill them with kindness”? Most of the time, pleasantness and joy in the face of rudeness may seem tough to maintain, but the end results are usually worth it. In my opinion, kindness is becoming an increasingly rare commodity in our society.

This is not going to be an easy exercise. In fact, it will test your patience and temerity with the intended colleague. Let’s face it, there are a host of problematic people who represent the entire spectrum of positive and negative behaviors (look at me!). You’re going to run into one or two of them everywhere you work.

If you attempt to try each of these techniques in order, you’ll find that you will not only suck all the negative energy out of that person, you might win them over to your way of thinking.

1. Agree Wholeheartedly

When you speak with them, smile, nod and agree. Agree with whatever is being said. Keep in mind while you're looking this person straight in the eyes, that it really doesn't matter who is right. If you know you're right about a situation, then that's that.

This person is looking for some level of disagreement and unfortunately for them, you are not playing into their trap. In fact, you are blowing it apart and it will puzzle them. Even if their demands or ideas are completely outrageous, say you see their point, agree with them.

They will see that their twisted needs aren’t being met and they will probably move on to someone else.

2. Ignore Them

You’ve probably also heard, “Turn the other cheek” — the act of turning away from aggression and ignore it rather than retaliate. If agreeing with them doesn’t work, just ignore them.

Don’t give them any of your time or any reason for them to persist in their abhorrent behavior. This is a great method to teach your staff too — once they see your behavior towards this individual, they can adopt it too.

3. Pour On The Syrup

This is the fun part — do you want to give them a taste of their own medicine? Deliver an increased dose of kindness towards that person by focusing a lot of positive attention towards them. Ask them about their weekend, see if you can help them with a simple task or item, or bring them a little gift. You might want to drop off an article that you read that they might enjoy.

Pour it on — go out of your way to make them feel a little bit uncomfortable with your attention. Be kind, not vindictive — focus on the positive. Odds are, the people around you will recognize what you’re doing and enjoy it, because they're probably in the same situation you’re in.

Do you have someone at work that causes bitterness and conflict?