Have the holiday’s got you down? If so here is my Christmas gift to you, 25 Ways To Boost Your Holiday Spirit:

1. Leave a gift certificate on a neighbor’s door.
2. Take a frozen turkey to the local school principal to give to a family in need.
3. Purchase a kids winter coat and give it to the local school principal to give to a family in need. (Don’t forget the hat and gloves!)
4. Gather a group to sing Christmas carols at a local retirement community
5. Bake treats to give away to coworkers and your children’s teachers.
6. Go to a Christmas tree lot and pay for someone’s tree.
7. Pay for the food of the person behind you in the drive thru.
8. Use a picture your children made for the cover of your holiday cards.
9. Sincerely tell someone “Happy Holidays!”
10. Volunteer at a local soup kitchen.
11. Shovel your neighbor’s driveway. (or pay to have it shoveled)
12. Pass out ‘secret notes’ to everyone saying “I wish you a Merry Christmas.”
13. Leave an extra $20 with the coffee shop clerk to pay for the next several guests coffee.
14. Smile at everyone (make sure you smile with your eyes as well!)
15. Leave a gift card with the grocery store cashier to give to a customer in need.
16. Pay for the gas of the person at the next pump.
17. Give a gift card to the local school principal to give to a family in need.
18. Take a bag of dog food to your local humane society.
19. Buy a cell phone gift card when you pay your bill to give the person behind you in line.
20. Tell your family how much you love them.
21. Make a snow angel outside your neighbor’s front door.
22. Call a friend to share the sight of the beautiful full moon. (the next full moon is January 11th)
23. Buy a bunch of gloves and give them the local church.
24. Clean the snow off the windows of the car beside you in the parking lot.
25. Share this list with everyone you know. Lets all get into the Spirit of giving this holiday season!

Leadership can be thought of as a capacity to define oneself to others in a way that clarifies and expands a vision of the future. - Edwin H. Friedman

Well, it’s finally here and before Christmas also. I am referring to the last installment about Rajesh Setty’s steps to distinguishing yourself summarized from his excellent book Beyond Code: How to Distinguish Yourself in 9 Simple Steps.

The last step in the process that is also the last step in what Rajesh refers to as the outer game to distinguishing yourself is leadership.

Rajesh uses metaphors when dealing with this topic. He states “rocks in the path can be a defining moment.”  Leadership happens when someone deals with the rocks. It is not tied to any position. A leader is simply someone who will go beyond the call of duty, which gaps to fill in an organization. Rajest suggests to be ready for your leadership moments, as only those who are ready for such moments will emerge as leaders.

You do not lead by hitting people over the head - that’s assault, not leadership. - Dwight D. Eisenhower

Technorati Tags: leadership, rasjesh setty, beyond code

To listen well, is as powerful a means of influence as to talk well, and is as essential to all true conversation -Chinese Proverb

The next to the last step within what Rajesh Setty describes as the outer game of distinguishing yourself is about listening. Unfortunately for several reasons such as ego, lack of knowledge, about asking questions, not being able to handle silence, and others, people focus on talking rather than listening.

There are several steps to developing better listening skills. These include but may not be limited to:

1: Listening to yourself first so that you encourage positive self talk.
2. Learn to ask the right questions, because our ability to talk less and listen more will depend upon two things. These two things are our wanting to listen, and our ability to ask the right questions.

It is improtant to listen without prejudice. Trust messages as if they were received from one of your mentors. Resist the temptation to reach conclusions instantly and to make statements based on such conclusions. Remember to keep an open mind as you will never know who will give you the next great idea.

A good listener tries to understand what the other person is saying. In the end he may disagree sharply, but because he disagrees, he wants to know exactly what it is he is disagreeing with. - Kenneth A. Wells

Technorati Tags: rajesh setty, distinguishing yourself, listen, listening, asking the right questions

In Rajesh Setty’s steps to distinguishing yourself as detailed in his book Beyond Code: Learn to Distinguish Yourself in 9 Simple Steps that there are 5 inner steps and 4 outer steps. So far we have reviewed the 5 inner steps referred to as learn, laugh, look, making lasting impressions and love. We have also covered leverage one of the 4 outer steps to distinguishing one’s self.

In this post we shall cover the next outer step that being likeability. It is to our advantage both professionally and personally to make others feel good about themselves. To do this we must be genuinely interested in those others. We need to add measurable value to everything we do especially within our interactions.

Therefore we must develop a healthy self-esteem, in order that we can learn to both give and to receive. Be trustworthy so that others will share information, just make sure not to misuse this information. And lastly, be optimistic and remember that the key to positive thinking is “Hope for the best, and be prepared for the worst.”

Technorati Tags: likeability, giving, receiving, rajesh setty, positive thinking

I am attempting to add this blog to MyLot in order to get more exposure. To do this I must make a post about it.

myLot User Profile

Before the year is over I want to finish presenting the steps given by Rajesh Setty in his book Beyond Code - Learn How to Distinguish Yourself in 9 Simple Steps.  I have already presented the first five steps. Those steps are referred to by Rajesh as the part of the inner game. It is now time to reveal the four remaining steps, those that are part of the outer game.

The first of those is leverage and here is what Rajesh says about leverage:

Leverage obtains its importance from the fact that we achieve different results because each of us invest our time and energy differently. We are reminded that we are not the sole handler of a problem but have many resources that we can leverage to help us, the most important of these being other people.

When I read what Rajesh says about leverage I am reminded of what Napoleon Hill said in his book Think and Grow Rich about people who formed a mastermind group. He claimed on his deathbed that the mastermind principle was the most important of all the success principles he identified. A mastermind group is a support team that meets on a regular basis to share advice, feedback, and ideas among its members. Together we know more and can focus more energy than any one of us can alone. The mastermind group can function as your personal board of directors. For more information about the MasterMind Principle go to http://www.getyourassetsingear.com/mastermind.htm

Technorati Tags: mastermind group, outer game, setty, inner game, success principles, leverage

How many times have you wondered why you aren’t successful, fortunate or happy as some other people seem to be? Why haven’t you accomplished this or that? Do you believe you don’t have it in you? I beg to disagree, you do have the potential. This little three minute movie Why Not Me? asks you to examine yourself, and answer Why Not Me? and ask yourself better questions that will create more happiness and opportunity for you. This little movie helps you to contemplate what questions you should really be asking when you ask why not me.

Why not create more happiness and opportunity for yourself? Watch the Why Not Me? movie today.

Technorati Tags: happiness, success, fortune, asking the right questions, inspiration, motivation

Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful. - Albert Schweitzer

This is the last post about the inner game of distinguishing yourself. The next posts about distinguishing yourself will focus on the outer game. According to Rajesh Setty the last step of the inner game is about love. Within this step of exploring ones inner self consider that passion rules. Problems arise so that heroes may overcome them. Remember of course that Success=Love what you do and Do what is required.

The Grand essentials of happiness are: something to do, something to love, and something to hope for. - Allan K. Chalmers

The true way to render ourselves happy is to love our work and find in it our pleasure. -  Francoise de Motteville

Technorati Tags: love, happiness, loving what you do, success, distinguishing yourself, inner game, passion

If I have everything set up right with Tweetlater you should be able to get the link to my new 6 page PDF The Responsibility Report: Performance Improvement for Peak Performance by following me at the microblogging platform Twitter. Just set up an account at Twitter.com and then follow me at http://twitter.com/kstien1959. You should receive a welcome email with the link to the report.

If this does not happen please let me know. Alternatively you may subscribe to my RSS feed via email and then request the report by posting a comment here under this post. I will confirm your subscription and send you the link to the report.  Subscribe to Your Personal Best by Email

Technorati Tags: responsibility, performance improvement, peak performance

Our moments of inspiration are not lost though we have no particular poem to show for them; for those experiences have left an indelible impression, and we are ever and anon reminded of them. - Henry David Thoreau

Rajesh Setty lists in his book Beyond Code that the fourth step of the inner game of distinguishing oneself is to make lasting impressions. In making lasting impressions you show that you care about both others and the quality of your work. Be resourceful, and go beyond the call of duty. Most of all, leave a legacy so that people in general, or people at your company or project remember you when you’re gone.

If you want to win friends, make it a point to remember them. If you remember my name, you pay me a subtle compliment; you indicate that I have made an impression on you. Remember my name and you add to my feeling of importance.- Dale Carnegie

Technorati Tags: making lasting impressions, importance, remembering, dale carnegie, henry david thoreau, friends, work, projects