Monday Morning Mojo

With this first episode of the new year, we are setting the bar high. The challenge, eliminate the phrase "good enough" from your vocabulary.

For too long, these two words have been muttered without tangible consequences. We assert, "it's good enough," and neglect to truly analyze the weight behind our words. "Good enough" limits innovation; it does not create a stage for excellence, but builds a heavy wall between us and our potential. Do we all aspire to be deemed "good enough" by others for the roles we are called to play in life? No, life is too short to buy into this bland and average routine.

In this morning's episode, we urge you to elevate the areas of your life that have fallen short of your true potential. Challenge yourself to make 2018 about breaking the habit of "good enough," because "good enough" isn't a meaningful objective.

Resources:

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As the old saying goes, "life is too short to cry over spilled milk," and this week we encourage you to leave that "spilled milk" and any bad experiences in 2017 behind. It is the time of year to reorganize your workspace, clean and focus your mind, and throw away any animosity related to negative experiences. The countdown to 2018 has officially begun, and each of us must take this opportunity to give ourselves a clean page on which to write our narrative for the upcoming year.

In this episode, we challenge you to reflect on any mistakes from 2017, extract and compile all the lessons learned, and unfasten yourself from any bitterness you feel as you drive forward into the New Year. Additionally, we encourage you to make a list of goals for 2018's first quarter and put them in a highly accessible location where you can revisit them daily. As you choose how you would like to spend the last days of 2017, make sure that you use them in a way that will make an impact in 2018.

Resources:

Please send comments, questions, and feedback to: [email protected]

Please send First Friday Feedback submissions to: [email protected]

'Twas the Thursday before Christmas

and we have a poem to share;

To remind us all

of the best gift this time of year.

These next few days as you prepare for Christmas Day – baking cookies for Santa, washing carrots for Comet and Rudolph, stuffing stockings, or making last minute trips to the mall to find the perfect gift for your loved ones – make sure you always remind yourself what this season is truly about.

In this special Christmas edition of Monday Morning Mojo, Phil shares a childhood poem by Helen Steiner Rice entitled The Christmas Guest, which tells the story of a man who is shown what and who truly matters on Christmas Day. Quite often it is far too easy to get caught up in the whirlwind of holiday activities. This morning, we want you to pause and consider the real reason we celebrate the 25th of December.

Happy Holidays!

Resources:

The Christmas Guest by Helen Steiner Rice: https://www.thefamilyinternational.org/christmas/articledd6e.html

The Christmas Guest by Grandpa Jones: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7iyYix9umek

Please send comments, questions, and feedback to [email protected]

Please send First Friday Feedback submissions to [email protected]

As Bill Murray so aptly described in the famous movie Scrooge, the holiday season is a time we "act a little nicer, we smile a little easier and we cheer a little more." Some people do this naturally and constantly while others struggle with the words.

This Monday morning, we challenge you to do two simple yet impactful tasks that will put you in the holiday spirit. First, we encourage you to include some random acts of kindness in your holiday season. Whether you bring items to your local homeless shelter or pay for someone's pumpkin spice latte, a kind gesture to a stranger will brighten both your and the recipient's day. We also challenge you to write thoughtful letters to those individuals that mean something to you. Not just a quick note attached to a gift bag, but a heartfelt letter recounting shared experiences and explaining why that person means so much to you. To truly experience the holiday spirit, we must actively be a force for good and continue to demonstrate kindness to those we care for as well as the strangers we encounter.

Resources:

Please send comments, questions, and feedback to: [email protected]

Please send First Friday Feedback submissions to: [email protected]

You're playing a round of golf and the conditions are quite favorable – the greens are slightly grown out and thus a bit slower, the weather is calm and the pin placements are all in relatively easy positions. You shoot the lowest round of your life, a score on par with the pros playing in the Wyndham Championship that week. Do you set out for PGA tour school and become a touring pro? Probably not, because anticipating that those results would have occurred with more challenging conditions would be foolish. So why do we sometimes make this mistake in business? This morning, we discuss the importance of honestly assessing our successes, because should you neglect to do so, certain consequences may surface down the road. We encourage you to look back on 2017 with an unbiased lens that will allow you to evaluate what your success would look like with and without certain conditions. Use the methods we outline in this episode to constructively appraise the strengths and weakness of your business – if you do so, you will put yourself in a position to hit the ground running in 2018.

Resources:

Please send comments, questions, and feedback to: [email protected]

Please send First Friday Feedback submissions to: [email protected]

According to Urban Dictionary, "Adulting" is a term typically used by those who "adult" less than 50% of the time, and describes an individual who seeks to carry out "one or more of the duties and responsibilities expected of fully developed individuals." It is with humor that we observe the younger generation either transitioning into their first jobs or even getting married, and refer to their actions as "adulating behavior" as if they can easily slip back into a more carefree time of their life.

Most of us are beyond those responsibility-free days of our youth, and this Monday morning we reflect on the growth that comes with age. In hindsight, we realize that as we experience more of life, we lose some of the insecurities we had in high school. However, we must also acknowledge that transitioning into these new phases of our life can bring different insecurities. In spite of this, we must manage and own our responsibilities and embrace certain attributes that come with age and experience.

Resources:

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Urban Dictionary definition of "Adulting": http://bit.ly/2nh6vDt

Today, Phil is joined by Cannon Executive Vice President and Director of R&D, Bill Trigleth. The two share their unique perspectives on the integration of new technology, joint projects with upper management, and coping with an open workspace environment.

In this episode of First Friday Feedback we encourage you to think about technology from a new perspective; instead of simply accepting it, understand its significance in your business processes. We also advise you to thoroughly analyze upper management's reasoning behind seemingly inefficient decision making. Finally, we suggest some creative ways to adjust to an open workspace environment.

Resources:

Please send comments, questions, and feedback to: [email protected]

Please send First Friday Feedback submissions to: [email protected]

References:

Lori Hardwick, Cannon Curve Interview: Part 1: http://bit.ly/2jznY58 Part 2: http://bit.ly/2AeBepM

Portfolio Project Management Process: http://prioritysystem.com/PDF/reasons6b.pdf

Simon Sinek, Start With Why: https://startwithwhy.com/

Shari Parsons Miller, "Advantages and Disadvantages to Open Workspace": http://bit.ly/2iky39m

Harvard Business Review Articles

• Christine Congdon, Donna Flynn, and Melanie Redman, "Balancing 'We' and 'Me': The Best Collaborative Spaces Also Support Solitude": http://bit.ly/1rTijIu
• Andrew Laing, David Craig, and Alex White, "Vision Statement: High-Performance Office Space": http://bit.ly/2iswbLI

It's the season of Christmas trees and menorahs, eggnog and candy canes, where we, as business professionals, traditionally send holiday cards, nuts, and chocolates to our clients and influencers. But will these small gifts make a significant impact? We believe the answer is no.

Although these standard gifts are kind tokens of appreciation, they won't necessarily be memorable or set your practice apart from the rest. Thus, this Monday morning, we explore the ways in which you can make a lasting impression on your clients during the holiday season. We explain how to make deeper connections and build stronger relationships through more personalized gifts, and why it is important to do so. It doesn't take a strenuous amount of effort to demonstrate your sincere appreciation for your clients. All it involves is paying detailed attention to your client's passions and interests, and preparing a gift that acknowledges that passion.

Resources:

Please send comments, questions, and feedback to: [email protected]

Please send First Friday Feedback submissions to: [email protected]

Old-school writing instruments:www.levenger.comwww.colonellittleton.com

Shooting accessories: www.orvis.com

Personalized canvas photos: www.canvasart.com

What are you thankful for? A game of golf or a Saturday spent watching your favorite college football team? Is it a glass of bourbon enjoyed by a fire? Perhaps you are thankful for the change in seasons – for the mountains in winter or the sandy beaches of summer.

In memory of Atlanta Journal Constitution Sports Columnist, Furman Bisher, Phil takes time this Monday morning to reflect on the people, experiences, and places for which he is grateful. We encourage you to begin this week by starting your own process of gratitude. Actively remind yourself of the many blessings this life has to offer and give thanks to the people you cherish most. Like Bisher, we are dedicating our Thanksgiving season to all the aspects of life that we treasure and hope you do the same.

Resources:

Please send comments, questions, and feedback to [email protected]

Please send First Friday Feedback submissions to [email protected]

Furman Bisher – I'm Thankful:

http://www.ajc.com/lifestyles/holiday/furman-bisher-thankful/GhsSnkAxF2wPWjBRTvtBGO/

From the sounds of Patsy Cline to the tunes of Cane Brown, country music often tells compelling stories or shares lessons learned. Whether you are a fan of country music, rock n' roll, or pop, you can most likely relate to the narratives that many of the great country music artists tell in their lyrics.

Last week, Garth Brooks took home the Country Music Award for Entertainer of the Year, and today we reflect on the valuable lesson he shares with us in his song "Unanswered Prayers." In life we dream, we aspire and when faced with certain opportunities or challenges, we often interpret a particular path as the most desirable. Garth reminded us in 1991 and again today that not getting what you want can sometimes be the perfect gift; it is in these instances that the balance of judgment and humility become critical.

Resources:

Please send comments, questions, and feedback to [email protected]

Please send First Friday Feedback submissions to [email protected]

Garth Brooks:

"Unanswered Prayers": http://bit.ly/2tJEpiM

Garth Brooks, 2017 CMA Award Winner: https://binged.it/2hl03pg