BLOGS & RESOURCES

8/7/18 8/7/18

Higher Purpose Podcast Episode 54: The 6 Obstacles to Success

"Make us to choose the harder right instead of the easier wrong and never to be content with a half truth when the whole can be won." That is the West Point Cadet Prayer, but it’s not just for cadets. It‘s for all of us, especially those of us who strive to live our purpose. Today, Kevin talks about thing things that get in his way on his path to purpose. If you’re anything like him, you have probably experienced them, too.

If you’ve been listening, you’ve heard about the 13 weeks to purpose, and this week, it’s all about encouragement. Socrates said, to paraphrase, ‘always be kind because you don’t know about another person’s battles.’ Kevin shares how his fans did just that for him.
Frustration is first on the list of things that Kevin confronts often. Has anyone ever asking you why you're SO frustrated? And do you take it as a complaint or a compliment? In fact, it’s an invitation, and Kevin talks about why he’s shifted his beliefs around frustration to become the source of something positive in his life. Specifically, you can use your frustration as fuel.
Have you ever suffered from Imposter Syndrome? It’s when you doubt your accomplishments and live in fear of being exposed as a fraud. Kevin has a wealth of experience, accomplishments, credentials, and proof that he’s everything he says he is, and even HE suffers from imposter syndrome. He shares how it’s been crippling in his life even when his friends tell him otherwise. It’s time for you to stop living in the scarcity loop and start living in the abundance loop.
Have you been caught in the belief that there’s nothing ordinary about yourself? Maybe you grew up in a middle-class family, average income, average schooling, average… everything. It can be hard to see anything extraordinary in yourself, but you’re blind to the truth. Being extraordinary doesn’t have much to do with that. Kevin explains how you can be extraordinary every single day.
It’s time for you to adopt the belief that getting it right is overrated. For all you perfectionists out there, Kevin understands completely, and he’s let that perfectionism stop him short many times before. He’ll be the first to tell you that there are so many things he should and could have done if not for giving up before he started because he knew it wouldn’t be perfect. Getting it right is overrated; keeping it real is where your head should be.
One of the things that goes hand in hand with getting it right is overthinking it. Fortunately, Kevin has a wonderful friend he can call on when he realizes he overthinking things, because in truth, overthinking leads to underacting on something. The correction to overthinking is to take action. Do something, move forward, make progress. Imperfect action always trumps perfect inaction.
Finally, do you downplay success? And worse, do you replay failure? This is yet another of the struggles Kevin faces, but how about you? Have you found yourself sapped of all motivation because of this way of thinking? Kevin’s got a challenge for you. Take time to celebrate success. Learn from your failures but don’t cling to them. In fact, you need to redefine what failure means to you because if you’ve learned something, THAT is a success.

7/31/18 7/31/18

Higher Purpose Podcast Episode 53: Better Together with Rusty George

As we’ve often said, purpose thrives in community and dies in isolation. Today’s guest, Rusty George, agrees. In fact, he published a book entitled Better Together where he talks about the power of community. Rusty is a pastor, speaker, and leader, and in today’s episode, Rusty and Kevin talk about what community really means when you’re living a purpose-filled life.

We are more connected than ever before, so why does it feel like we’re more alone than ever? In the UK, they’ve added an empty chair and called it the Minister of Loneliness because of the epidemic they perceive in their country. Rusty shares a story about wanting one thing but getting another, like how social media is supposed to be social – do you resonate with his message? It’s not about how many online friends you have; it’s about how many people really know YOU.
Rusty was inspired to write Better Together after a very lonely period in his life where he didn’t interact outside of his family and work. He spent a lot of time doing solo activities, and it made him realize how empty it made him feel. What Rusty realized is that the only thing he hadn’t tried was community, a group of like-minded people he could talk to and relate with. He decided that the way to fix me is with
How do you define your reality? Do you get frustrated and tired of all the people around you and finally retreat to the safety of the people closest to you then tell yourself the story that ‘this is enough?’ There’s a long-term problem associated with that, and it can BREAK the people closest to you. It’s a dangerous reality that doesn’t help you at all.
Have you spent a lot of time in self-discovery? You’re probably putting your thumb on the scales as you weigh your strengths and weaknesses. More importantly, there are some things that you can ONLY discover by being with others. Rusty talks about some of his own issues, like considering himself a strong leader when he’s actually a control freak.
As leaders, we often think that we need to be perfect and to not show our vulnerability. But the opposite is true. Rusty agrees that the incomplete leader is one we should praise and strive to be, because we’ll never truly be complete or perfect. To try to be otherwise will only isolate us more.
There’s a trend online to be hyper-vulnerable, but it’s not the same. It does very little for your personal growth to be vulnerable with people who don’t know you. In fact, those who share on social media rarely share the whole story of why they feel the way they do, so they really aren’t connecting and letting other people know who they are. Rusty believes that you don’t have to be vulnerable to all, but you have to be vulnerable to some.
One important thing to point out is that vulnerability doesn’t go one way. It’s just as important to find someone who you can be vulnerable with as it is to be engaged as they share themselves with you. Realize that you won’t always understand exactly what someone else is going through, but simply being there for them is enough. That’s where connection begins.
One thing we’re all guilty of from time to time is going into things with certain expectations, and according to Rusty, expectations are pre-arranged resentments. You’re setting yourself up, in many cases, for disappointment, and that leads to the belief that others have somehow failed you. It’s no way to live, and you need to hear what Rusty has to say.
In a community, listening is essential. The best way to do that is to try to ask 3 questions. Rather than formulating your witty reply, discover more about the person you’re with. Not only will it impress the person you’re with; it will help you get to know who THEY are rather than steamrolling them with who YOU are. It’s one of the most generous things you can do.
Have you noticed how the act of ‘consumerism’ has invaded our social circles? Certainly, you’ve talked with someone who was only interested in what you could do for them, but have you noticed it in yourself? Consumerism is the anathema of community; you can never connect on a deep level if you’re only in it for yourself.

An Extraordinary ExperimentThank you for listening to this episode of the Higher Purpose Podcast. Remember, if you ever think that your work could be less ordinary, there’s not much between you and something extraordinary. Just 13 weeks, and a bold experiment. Find out more about the Extraordinary Experiment here!Rusty GeorgeFacebook Website Better Together BookGet a free copy of the book!Tweet @kevin_monroe, and let him know you heard about the book on the Higher Purpose Podcast! You could win a free copy of Better Together by Rusty George.

7/24/18 7/24/18

High Purpose Podcast Episode 52 - Looking Back with Purpose

Kevin reflects on 52 weeks of the Higher Purpose Podcast, sharing some of the things he’s learned and experienced along the way. Kevin discusses five ways that purpose benefits all of us - a retrospective on the incredible guests that have been on the show and some of the big takeaways from a year of energizing and inspiring conversations.

Kevin shares the story of how, at the outset, the Higher Purpose Podcast almost didn’t happen! How does purpose help you persevere in difficult times? This podcast itself is an example of how purpose can prop us up and help us through the challenges we face.
When we’re frustrated, there is a gap between our experience of reality, and what we believe is possible. What isn’t coming together in your life as you had hoped it would? How can you tap into the power of purpose in order to regroup, and focus on the things you are here to do?
Purpose attracts. It attracts great people to each other, to important causes, and to inspired projects. It helps us forge relationships and form community, so we can support each other and better achieve our purpose, together.
Purpose connects. It is like glue that holds people together. Kevin reflects on the guests who have joined him this year, and the amazing web of inspired thought formed by these conversations.
Purpose inspires. Which conversations on the show inspired you? And what is a conversation you’d like to hear or have on the Higher Purpose Podcast?
Purpose energizes. It has a way of energizing the most routine tasks, of enlivening and enriching conversations. The higher the purpose, the greater the energy. It inspires us to aspire to be more than we would otherwise be.
If you or someone you know is interested in bringing the benefits of higher purpose to your enterprise, let us know! Email Kevin at kevin@higherpurposepodcast.com, or call Kevin at 678-744-5111!

An Extraordinary ExperimentThank-you for listening to this episode of the Higher Purpose Podcast. Remember, if you ever think that your work could be less ordinary, there’s not much between you and something extraordinary. Just 13 weeks, and a bold experiment. Find out more about the Extraordinary Experiment here!

7/19/18 7/19/18

Why are you so frustrated? Here's the real answer

Has anyone ever asked you, "Why are you [so] frustrated?" Have you been asked that question more than once? Perhaps thousands of times.If that doesn't make your list of frequently asked questions, stop reading now -- this post isn't for you.Since you're still reading, I'm assuming you're no stranger to frustration. Since we've got that in common, let's explore this topic deeper.When you hear that question, do you interpret it as a compliment or a complaint? I've heard the question a lot in life -- seems like about a million times, I'm sure that's slightly exaggerated. It's not like I was keeping count or anything.If you're anything like me, you most often heard that question as a complaint. It was framed negatively and expressed judgmentally. You know, like a "what's wrong with you?" accusation. Even when you were asking the question of yourself.What if the question wasn't actually an accusation? What if it was an invitation? An invitation to take action? To innovate?Let me share how the dots finally connected for me.For decades, I understood frustration as the feeling of being upset or annoyed. That's probably the most widely held understanding of frustration. It's also incomplete and, in my opinion, a misunderstanding of what it means to be frustrated.Being upset or annoyed is a fruit of frustration, not the cause. What then is the root?Read the rest of the definition: the feeling of being upset or annoyed especially because of inability to change or achieve something. That's eyeopening. But there's still more. An expanded definition includes this entry, "the prevention of the progress, success, or fulfillment of something." If you ponder that definition of frustration maybe you'll reach the same conclusion I did -- frustration need not be negative.[clickToTweet tweet="Why are you so frustrated? Frustration is rooted in the awareness that your current reality is not living up to your potential reality. You see a gap that needs to be closed." quote="Frustration is rooted in the awareness that your current reality is not living up to your potential reality." theme="style5"]In other words, there’s a gap between what is and what could be. That's why you're frustrated!Put that another way, it means you see a better, brighter future possible than what you are currently experiencing. That, my friend, is a sign that you are a visionary, an idealist.It harkens the George Bernard Shaw idea popularized by Robert F. Kennedy,

Some men see things as they are and say, why; I dream things that never were and say, why not.

What's really going on when you're frustrated is you see a gap between what is and what could be. Seeing that gap creates tension. That's the source of your frustration.Now you know. Now you have a choice.Will you express your frustration as anger and annoyance which results in friction and thwarts your progress even more? Or will you channel it as fuel for innovation and change?What's frustrating you most now? How can you close the gap?

7/17/18 7/17/18

HPP Episode 51 - Why Hierarchy is Bad for Business with Brian Robertson

What would your workplace look like without any managers? Brian Robertson says that management hierarchies create a parent-child dynamic between managers and workers that actually undermines organizations. Through experimentation in his own entrepreneurial enterprises, he found a new kind of organization – one that allows us to use our collective consciousness for a purpose. He called the system Holacracy, and now it is implemented by thousands of businesses worldwide.

Brian became an entrepreneur because, after coming up against bureaucracy in the companies he worked for, he thought: there must be a better way to do things.
Individuals often are conscious – they see problems and have ideas about how to fix them. But how can we build an organization where anyone who identifies a change that would improve the organization will be able to implement that change?
Many people assume that management hierarchy is the only option for organizing business. But when Brian became a CEO himself, he realized that even from the top, the structure was limiting how effective he could be in supporting the purpose of his organization.
If employees need the boss to empower them, that means they are fundamentally in a disempowered position. Brian has created a system that involves everyone in defining the boundaries, rules, and responsibilities, in a non-hierarchical business environment.
With Holacracy, when you fill a role and have a purpose to express, you can take any action to achieve your purpose - as long as there is not already a rule against it. This is the opposite of how things work in most workplaces – where the manager has to okay any new initiative. Brian says this kind of system creates a fundamentally empowering, and much more effectual, workplace.
How is Holacracy implemented? Brian explains how eliminating managers actually works, and the benefits of increased flexibility and distributing burden and responsibility throughout an organization.
For more information, check out Brian’s website, his book about Holacracy, or check out his network of licensed Holacracy trainings offered throughout the world!
If you or someone you know is interested in bringing the benefits of non-hierarchical empowerment to your enterprise, let us know! Email Kevin at kevin@higherpurposepodcast.com.

7/10/18 7/10/18

Make Work More Human with Renee Smith

How can we make work more human? Kevin talks to Renee Smith about the high cost of fear, and the deep impact of love. Renee Smith is the Director of Organizational Development at Washington state’s Department of Enterprise Services. She’s not just bringing love into workplace, but into government – the most stereotypically bureaucratic kind of workplace! She has her work cut out for her – but her story is that much more inspirational for it.

What is the most significant job of a leader? Renee says the answer is simple – to eliminate fear from the workplace.
When you take away fear, what takes its place? The opposite of fear is love – and we can’t feel both at the same time. Renee says that when we eliminate fear, we build organizations that are based on love.
Renee has done qualitative research on the long-term impacts of fear and love in the workplace. Out of the interviews she conducted came evidence for the long-term negative impacts of fear, and the benefits of love. She tells the story of this large-scale research project.
Talking about love in the workplace makes a lot of people feel uncomfortable. But why? As a society, we’ve locked love away out of whole spheres of our lives. But what happens to our humanity when we divide our lives in this way? And what benefits might love bring to the quality of our work and lives?
What are the different facets of love? A feeling of belonging, a feeling that you matter, and feeling cared about. Feeling respected and feeling included. Love doesn’t just mean romance – the concept of love includes aspects that can make our workplaces and whole lives more fulfilling.
Renee shares the 4 themes associated with fear coming out of her research, and the 3 themes associated with the deep impact of love.
Learn more about how you can make work more human, and Renee’s research, here!
If you or someone you know is interested in bringing the benefits of love to your enterprise, let us know! Email Kevin at kevin@higherpurposepodcast.com.

1/18/18 1/18/18

Seriously? Servant Leadership is Transformative

Last night I was in Vancouver, British Columbia to deliver a keynote to the Canadian West Coast Chapter of Project Manaagement Institute. It was their first dinner meeting of the year, and they wanted something to create excitement and raise expectations relative to the topic of Servant Leadership.As I pondered what to present, I had an idea -- relative to the content of the session and a title that was hopefully both inspiring and intriguing. My chosen topic was Transforming Your Life, Work, and Service through Servant Leadership.I intended to stimulate interest, arouse curiosity, and perhaps even be a bit provocative.As people started trickling in, I was doing what I usually do -- meeting as many people as possible.At one of the last tables I visited, a lady said, "I have a question. I was going to save it and ask during the program, but since you are here, I'll ask it now.""I almost didn't come tonight because of your topic. It just seems so..." She was struggling with the right word, or maybe she was looking for a kind and courteous way to ask what was really on her mind."Audacious?" I asked.I could tell I had caught her a bit off-guard. "Yes, that's a good word. Bold, unrealistic, or perhaps even outlandish."A grin filled my face. BINGO! Mission accomplished."I am so glad you think so and thanks for being bold enough to ask. I was hoping someone would think my claim was audacious. You'll hear me say that in my opening remarks and I hope that by the end of the evening you will be persuaded that my claim about Servant Leadership is realistic.""Will you check in with me at the end and let me know if you think I am off-base or not?"She remained a bit perplexed yet comforted to know that I was okay with her being uncomfortable and skeptical of my claim about Servant Leadership.I do believe Servant Leadership has the power to transform because it is holistic and impacts all areas of life and leadership. I used a quotation from my friend, Ari Weinzweig that I've used for years now.

If you really live it, Servant Leadership changes everything.

Everything?Are you sure? Isn't that hyperbole? Aren't you exaggerating? Or as I was told in Norway a couple of years ago, "That's just like you Americans you exaggerate everything and always make such audacious claims."To which I wanted to reply, "Always?"No. Like Ari, I believe that if you truly embrace Servant Leadership, it changes the way you see the world and your relationship to it.Over the next two hours, I shared WHY I believe Servant Leadership is transformative. I explained WHAT Servant Leadership is as well as HOW it manifests in action -- in both large and small ways.I also defined what I meant by transformation -- to make a thorough or dramatic change in the form, appearance, or character of. The Cambridge Dictionary adds, "especially so that that thing or person is improved."I invited the audience to identify one area in their life, work, or service where they wanted to experience a thorough or dramatic change this year that resulted in improvement.The audience could not have been more engaged. Some people were sitting on the edge of their seats and leaning in the whole two hours.Then, came the moment of truth. The meeting was over. I was engaging in lively discussions with several of the participants. And then I saw Chetna waiting for her turn to talk.It was now time for her to render her verdict. Had I succeeded in persuading her of the transformative power of Servant Leadership? Or had she written me off as a charlatan and zealot?"I am so glad I came tonight. I almost did not come because your claim seemed outlandish. Like you, I now see the power of Servant Leadership, and you helped me make "a transition from implementing some of the principles subconsciously, to attempting to implement all of them consciously."WOW! Not only did I succeed in arousing curiosity and provoking thought, but I was also privileged to introduce people to Servant Leadership and help them grasp its power to transform.What do you think about the claim of the transformative power of Servant Leadership? Do you think it audacious, outlandish, or on-point? Let me know in the comments below.

11/7/17 11/7/17

Creating Rules for Yourself

This week on the Higher Purpose Podcast I had the opportunity to speak with Kari Enge, founder of Rank and File Magazine.When I first met Kari she told me a story that absolutely shocked me. She was once reprimanded in the workplace for using the word “Love” on a card to a colleague.I’m sure that if you’re reading this post, then you’ll probably agree that is absolutely ridiculous – and for Kari, it sparked a major change, setting her on a path that led to founding a magazine whose core belief is that people are worth serving, and business can create change.We had a wonderful discussion, and I invite you to listen to all of it either on iTunes (or your favorite podcast player) or on the site.One of the things that we talked about in some detail was how challenging it can be to not be completely overtaken by the work and stresses of running a company. (And if you’re not running a company, then in your job, managing your home, or being very involved in your community – it can ALL get overwhelming!)When you have many demands on your time, and many people needing things from you all the time – it is so easy to give too much of yourself to fulfilling those needs.It comes from the best possible place in terms if your intentions. You want to help, you want to be available and you want to be of service. As adults, there are fewer and fewer external rules imposed upon us – we’re free to make our own choices about how we use our time, for the most part, and in our culture there is a real glorification of work that can make us feel guilty for any time we’re NOT working.But you need to take time for yourself, create boundaries and give yourself the space to think, rest, reflect and just have some fun. When you don’t take that time – when there are no boundaries between what you do for yourself, and the time you spend serving others, then you’re at risk of burning out – and then you won’t be able to accomplish ANY of what you want to.Some of the ways that Kari gives herself that time is in the form of personal rules that she follows: taking 2 hours for lunch (and using that time to connect with people who might otherwise not make it onto the to-do list!), and stopping work at 7pm.The kinds of rules that you create yourself can be anything – they’ll be different depending on what it is that takes up the majority of your time – and what rest and relaxation look like to you. Some people turn off their phones in the evening. Others only book certain kinds of work on certain days. Others schedule relaxation nights into family calendars – there is no wrong way to give yourself the space and the time you need to make sure you’re taking care of your WHOLE self. This is a bit easier said than done. If you’re not in the habit of this kind of self-management, then you might want to try actually writing your rules down and keeping them where you can see them, until they become second nature.That is what I would like you to spend a few minutes thinking about this week. If you feel pulled in too many directions, and like you never have any time just for yourself – what can you change? You may need to speak with your colleagues and family about this – and that can be a powerful and loving conversation. This doesn’t have to be only a solo activity! You can collectively make sure that everyone is supported in the ways that work best for them. It’s also important that you communicate your rules to those who are going to be impacted by them, which can be challenging. As difficult as it may be, it’s an important discussion to have – and if you don’t have it, you run the risk of seeing your boundaries pushed and stretched in ways that can lead to resentment and unhappiness.Other topics we discussed during the interview were creating symbols to represent our purpose - and the power in doing so, the fact that there is no real difference between famous people and the rest of us, and how love for business can be a powerful force for good!This week in the Higher Purpose Community on Facebook, we’re going to be discussing they symbols we have in our lives, and what they mean to us. I invite you to join us there, and add your voice to the conversation!

10/24/17 10/24/17

Navigating North

You've probably heard by now that something very exciting is happening next week.From Monday to Friday, we're hosting a Summit called Navigating North where we have an amazing lineup of experts from across industries to talk about purpose in life and leadership.So... Navigating North - what does that mean?Everyone has a North - and it's different for everyone. It's the overarching goal of our lives, the thing that we're working towards, the reason we are here.Of course working towards it isn't always easy. And knowing how to get closer to it, to move towards it is challenging. We face changes and obstacles and crisis of confidence.But you can still move towards your purpose - no matter where you are in your life, or what is going on, you can choose to orient yourself and moves towards your personal North. To what matters most to you. That's what we call Navigating North.And it's why we wanted to gather some of the world's best speakers and make their insights available to you.In preparation for the summit, I had the honor of being interviewed by Amy Robles about what it means to Navigate North, why we're running a summit about it, and how all of us are hardwired for purpose. Amy is the blogger and podcaster behind ThinkEnriched - and a personal friend. I invite you to listen to our interview, and if you're interested, claim a free ticket for Navigating North.This isn't a summit like many others. We're not using the traditional lecture or interview format, but rather having in-depth conversations with each of our guests, so that we can dig into what it means to have and follow purpose - and stay on track towards it. Also unlike most summits - attendance for Navigating North is free.To name just a few of the experts that we have had conversations with: Marshall Goldsmith - the #1 leadership coach in the USA, Mark Timm - CEO of The Ziglar Family, Katie McNerny- Founder of Leaderfit, and Thom Winninger - author of Your True DNA. In addition to our featured conversations, we're going to be hosting panel discussion on purpose each day of the event, to bring in an even wider range of viewpoints.Our main goals for attendees (and ourselves!) are to improve and increase the three C's in our lives. Those C's are Clarity - understanding our purpose and discovering our next steps towards our own Norths, Confidence - in taking action and communicating our purpose towards others, and finally: Connection - with our sense of purpose, with others, and our communities.I can't tell you how excited I am to bring this to you - and I very much hope you'll join us.If you'd like a little taste of what is coming, watch the video below, then click on the link to claim your free ticket to Navigating North.Please join us at the Navigating North Summit, and if you know anyone who you think might enjoy it - invite them along!Putting this together has been a journey - and involved the hard work of a lot of people - but we know it's going to be worth it and we'd like you to share the experience with us.

10/17/17 10/17/17

Always be Acting

The other day, I was talking with a friend about something this week’s guest on the Higher Purpose Podcast said: “If you keep choosing action, you’ll keep finding clarity.”My friend nodded and said that was exactly right. She said: “when I’m stuck, even getting up and doing the dishes can be enough to get things moving forward again.”Recently, I had the pleasure of speaking with Jeff Goins, soon after his annual event Tribe – and we had a fascinating conversation about how to find your clarity, and your calling and your purpose by consistently taking action – even if you don’t YET know where you’re going to end up.You can listen to the full episode here – and I invite you to do so – but right now, I’d like to dig into that idea a little bit more.One of the ways Jeff recommended USING this principle of consistently taking action was at conferences.So often you go to a conference and get overwhelmed by information – hearing and seeing and learning so much that it’s hard to actually DO anything with it.And that’s such a shame because the real value of learning at an event like a conference, or reading a book, or even listening to a podcast comes from the action that you take because of it – the application of the new knowledge or idea that is going to bring a change to your business or your life.It’s better to take action on one single thing than to have 25 new things rattling around in your head going nowhere. I think this is a fantastic idea – especially as we’re preparing for the Navigating North Summit – to commit BEFORE you enter a “learning phase” to finding one thing you are going to take immediate, concrete action on.That’s my challenge for you today – when you are next planning to attend a conference, or read a book, or listen to an episode of a podcast, commit to finding one single thing in that pile of new information, and taking action on it immediately.You see, and Jeff talks about this in more detail in our interview, you can just BE the thing that you want to be and DO the things that you want to do – often what holds us back from that is fear of not knowing enough or being ready enough – but that’s a myth. As you act, you start to believe, and the more you believe the more true it becomes. This is a pattern that repeats itself in so many areas of our lives – and there is ALWAYS something that you can do next.There’s one more point to this that I think it’s important for you to take away and start acting on. It’s a point we’ve touched on before – that we don’t always have an awareness of how much we are affecting the people in our lives. The people who create content and events and information, who give of their time and knowledge in dozens of ways often don’t get to see the results of their work – and there’s nothing that is more satisfying than hearing from a customer, or listener, or reader or friend that something you said made a measurable, noticeable difference for someone.So when you take action based on what you have learned from someone tell them!Some of the other topics that we talked about during our call were the three ingredients that make up a calling, the steps you need to take to get the most out of a mentorship relationship, and how having trust is more important than having clarity.This week in the Higher Purpose Facebook Community, we’re going to be discussing how clarity comes froma ctions not words, and the times in our life this has been true... or not. I would love for you to join us there and share your thoughts.Until then, if you have done something lately, based on a new piece of information or advice you received – send a note to the person who shared it with you- I guarantee you that you’ll make their day.And if you’re looking for your next source of information, I invite you to register for a free ticket to the Navigating North Summit, where we have inspirational and revolutionary interviews scheduled with 15 guests to help you find and live the purpose you were wired for.

10/10/17 10/10/17

Finding Gifts in the Space Between

This week on the Higher Purpose Podcast I had the pleasure of being joined by Thomas Winninger, who is currently promoting his new book Your True DNA which is going to be released on October 24^th of this year.Thom is a modern-day philosopher whose work is deeply informed by his faith, and we had an absolutely eye-opening conversation about what it means to understand your divinely provided gift and have it be a powerful force in your life.I invite you to listen to the full interview, but first I want to explore one idea Thom mentioned that really caught my imagination.That idea is liminal space.Liminal means relating to a transitional or initial stage of a process; the space in between one thing and another.In our lives, this can be the times in between events or jobs or relationships – that unsettled time in between the end of one thing and the beginning of something else. Often these are times filled with fear or regret, and we get tempted to try and minimize or avoid them all together.We avoid them by hanging on to things after they stop serving us, or racing from one relationship to the next, or having so many different things to occupy us that there’s no time to reflect on what has happened or what might happen next.That’s a feeling you can recognize, isn’t it? The discomfort that comes from a shift from one thing to another, and uncertainty about whether we made the right decisions to get to this place, or will be able to make the right choices moving forward.Sitting with discomfort is never easy.Thom however, posits that these liminal spaces are valuable - even critical - to our growth and development as people. Without taking the time provided by liminal space to really consider what is happening and why, and what we want to happen next we never have the time to really identify what our true gift is and how we can be using it in our lives. Even if it’s hard, or hurts or is frightening. Tragedy can wake us up to reality in a way that comfort can’t.This idea is expressed by people from all industries and walks of life; Dan Miller, who we had on the podcast earlier this year makes room for new growth and ideas by eliminating (do you see the root word there?) 15% of his business activities each year to conscientiously create the space for change. Nature works the same way, when lightning strikes cause the fires that remove old growth and make a place for new saplings.Liminal space is so fundamental to finding happiness, joy and fulfilment that it’s a natural part of the world, and we are mistaken to try and remove it from our lives, or avoid it all together.That’s something I would like to invite you to reflect on this week – when is the last time you experienced liminal space, and what did you find out about your life or your gift?This was just one of the many topics we touched on in interview – some of the others were:

How your gift gives you energy, and when you stray from it is when you get bogged down or lose motivation.
How to identify your gift if you aren’t sure what it is, or what it could be.
The difference between possibilities and opportunities.

And of course – you should absolutely get yourself a copy of Thom’s Book – Your True DNA – before October 24th it’s available for free (pay only shipping fees) as a pre-order. I can say honestly that this is an important and powerful book, so if any of this has interested you at all, go to YourTrueDNA.com and get a copy.Over on the Facebook Group this week, we're going to be talking about how it's neither Success nor Failure that defines us. It’s not the road to meaning, or to purpose. Purpose is found in the discovery of your gift. What is your gift, and how does it define you? I invite you to come and join the conversation.

10/3/17 10/3/17

Purpose and Authenticity in Companies

We all interact with big companies in many ways, every day, and more and more what we expect from them is changing.That’s what I spoke about with Joe Pine of Strategic Horizons this week on the Higher Purpose Podcast: what purpose and authenticity mean for companies. Listen to the full episode here, and if you haven’t already, don’t forget to leave us a rating and a review on iTunes!What I’d like to discuss today is what that means for those of us who engage with them!Joe brings up the idea that as our society as developed, we have moved from one kind of business to another – from agrarian communities, to commodity-based industry, to a service economy and now, to an EXPERIENTIAL economy, where in order to compete and succeed, companies need to help their customers have an experience that resonates with them, and possible, helps them transform from one way of being into another.This is a fascinating idea because it turns a company from a provider of a product or service to something that plays a significant role in our lives.The danger inherent here is that we don’t necessarily know what the purpose of a company is, or if they are fulfilling on it in a way that we agree is authentic.I think most of us have had the experience of learning that a company we knew and trusted was engaged in abusive or exploitative practices, and because we’re in the age of experiential business – that can feel like a real betrayal of trust as well as something that is independently wrong or illegal.Because we have these emotional ties to the companies we work with, it becomes more and more important for us to choose to align ourselves with organizations whose values are in line with our own. Similarly, companies are making more and more effort to find the people whose views align with THEIRS.“Worldview Segmentation” is something that didn’t exist 10 years ago, but now it plays a huge part in how companies approach and consider us for engagement and advertising. Companies consider how we vote, worship, relax, travel, browse the internet, work and spend time with our families – they know a lot about us from our behavior, and it’s often much more difficult to learn about the real values and practices of companies that we interact with.This is a pretty theoretical topic for the week – so in the Higher Purpose Facebook group, we're going to be very practical ;-) and talk about how keeping a focus on your PURPOSE even through changes (either personal or professional) will mean that you always have clarity.I’d also recommend you listen to the whole interview to get more information about how companies are thinking about purpose and authenticity, and what it means to you.Other things that we talked about during the interview were:

How people want to buy things that are real from people who are genuine.
How Joe developed the philosophies behind his several books.
What it means to have almost everything we buy be customizable.
How mindset affects how well businesses perform.

What do you think about this? Do you try to engage with companies who have similar values to you?Do you think the workplace is becoming more human? Do you see this in your own work? If you are feeling less than fulfilled in your work, I invite you to join the 5-day Purpose at Work email challenge! Every day for 5 days, I’ll send you a challenge to help you find more purpose in your work.

9/26/17 9/26/17

Creating a Tribe Out of a Company

This week on the Higher Purpose Podcast, I had the chance to speak with author, Garry Ridge the CEO of the WD40 company (who used to be a radio disc jockey!)Garry has had some amazing successes with his business, and is responsible for employee engagement is responsible for a pretty incredible statistic.98% of the employees of the WD40 Company say that they LOVE telling people they work for the WD40 company.Think about that for a moment. How many people do you know who can say they LOVE working for the company they work for? I’m going to go out on a limb and guess that it isn’t 98% of the employed people that you know.Now, you can hear all of the details, and some of the strategies about how Garry achieved this by listening to this week’s episode of the Higher Purpose Podcast, but right now, I want to think a little bit more about one of the ideas we touched on during our conversation.The teams at the WD40 company aren’t called ‘Teams’ – they are called Tribes.This isn’t very common in the working world, and Garry said that it came down to the values he, as CEO, and the rest of the workforce collectively decided were important to them as an organization.Those values are all about belonging, taking care of each other and supporting each other to achieve their own and the company objectives.You see the WD40 company isn’t just a lubricant vendor. Their goal is to create positive, lasting memories by solving problems, making things work smoothly and creating opportunities.This purpose is very closely aligned with Garry’s PERSONAL purpose – and the effects on the company have been profound. While the product hasn’t changed much in 20 years – they’ve grown by 13%.Prioritizing learning, growth, community and support makes the WD40 company a wonderful place to work – and as Garry says – profits are the applause! If you are creating a strong company culture then profits are going to be a natural side effect.Now this is all well and good if you’re the CEO and have the POWER to institute a nurturing and caring company culture, and prioritize the human element of your work, but what do you do if you’re a rank and file employee who has a supervisor and another supervisor and a boss and a corporate hierarchy that isn’t exactly accessible?Other than sending your boss Garry’s interview – there are ways you can align your own individual purpose with the work that you do, which I have laid out into a 5 Day Challenge that you can sign up for by clicking right here.Some of the other ideas we discussed were:

Identifying the what, why and how of your business – a way of thinking about your company (or personal!) values that is more natural and intuitive than mission or values statements.
The attributes that keep people together, whether they are team (or tribe!) members or friends, family or colleagues.
The practical changes and results that happened when Garry was able to align his individual purpose, with the purpose of his organization.

This week in the Higher Purpose Facebook Community we're talking about our favourite memories at work, and how we can make more of them.If you’re enjoying these discussions and interviews, you can help support the Higher Purpose Podcast by giving us a rating and a review on Itunes!

9/19/17 9/19/17

The Career Happiness Formula

This week on the Higher Purpose Podcast, I had the opportunity to speak with Chief Career Happiness Officer Julie Bauke.Julie is the author of Stop Peeing On Your Shoes: Avoiding the 7 Mistakes that Screw Up Your Job Search, and the owner of The Bauke Group, where she offers career and transitional coaching.You can listen to the full interview here, but I want to explore one of the ideas we talked about in a little more detail today.In the interview, Julie said something that kind of stopped me in my tracks.“You’re a grown-up now, the career fairy isn’t coming.”The context for this rather fabulous statement is a common refrain heard from her many clients “I don’t know what I want to BE when I grow up. It should be pointed out that Julie’s clients tend to be senior level executives, and her response, that the career fairy isn’t coming, speaks to something very, very important.We have to be the driving force of action in our own lives. If we’re unhappy, it is our responsibility to DO something about that.It’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking that happiness, fulfillment, purpose or success are just around the corner, if we work a little harder or achieve a little more we’ll suddenly get there, and things will become clear.That isn’t the case. We need to decide what we want in our lives and go after it. That isn’t the same thing as knowing what you want the next ten, fifteen or twenty years are going to look like – none of us can tell the future, but it does mean understanding what it is that you want in your life, and making changes that bring you closer and closer towards more and more of it.Like most truisms, that is much easier said than done, but Julie has a few questions that can guide that decision-making process, and help you get over the paralysis of not really knowing what you want.Here are those three questions:

What do I want more of in my life?
What do I want less of in my life?
What do I never want in my life again?

How might that look? If you are unhappy in your job, or with the work that occupies most of your time right now and knowing that you want to make a change, you could ask yourself these questions and find out:I want more time to spend with my friends and family.I want less of a commute – just driving back and forth every day.I never want to work in an environment where I’m going to be belittled for my suggestions again.This gives you some important information. You’re coming to a point in your life where you are prioritizing personal time, and a long commute gets in the way of that. It might mean that you’re ready to move jobs to something closer to home or cut back the amount you’re working. Knowing that you’re unwilling to ever have that kind of toxic environment again means that you’re also prioritizing your own self-esteem and insisting that you be valued for what you contribute.This means that you have the information about the overall direction you want your life to take that you can make a smart, informed decision about what to do next. A far cry from feeling lost and paralyzed, isn’t it?Now, our conversation focused mainly on happiness and purpose at work – but those questions are transferable to any major decision you need to make in your life – especially those around making changes or going in new directions.In the interview we also talked about:

The formula for Career Happiness – and how to look through the lens of the 4 variables to help identify what you need to change if you aren’t happy.
The correlation between happiness and purpose – and how that can and should be different for every person.
How saying no to projects, jobs or opportunities that don’t serve us, or that we can’t serve to our highest ability is a mark of career maturity.

I hope you listen to the full interview, and I hope you join us in the Higher Purpose Community this Thursday, where we’re going to be talking about these three questions, and how we can apply them to the decisions we make about work and the direction we want to go in.I'd like to hear from you! Are you happy in your work?Do you have all of the necessary elements as Julie describes them? Is there one you need to work on or change? If you want to explore these ideas an more - you can take the Purpose at Work 5-Day email challenge to help find more fulfillment and happiness in what you do every day!

9/5/17 9/5/17

Sometimes It Takes a Neighbor

This week on the Higher Purpose Podcast, I spoke with Danielle Strickland about what it means to flourish and to live a life truly free of oppression. We discussed some inspiring and often misunderstood stories from Exodus, and you can listen to the whole episode here, but what I want to explore in this post today is a story that Danielle Shared during the interview. Actually, it’s the story that led to our having the interview.I won’t share too much of the story here – you’ll have to listen to the podcast for that! – but Danielle had an experience where, in order to gain access to a brothel in order to start making connections with sex workers who may have been trafficked – it took a neighbor of the establishment bearing a basket of cupcakes rather the Salvation Army professional whose mandate it was.This is a tremendously important idea – that sometimes the human connection of a friend, neighbor, or family member can vastly outperform the presence or, I might even say ‘meddling’ of a professional.At the end of the day, people are people, and we relate to each other at the emotional and spiritual level in a way that we don’t or can’t always connect with professionals entering a situation with all of the gravity of authority.Now, this is a fairly intuitive concept – of course, people connect on the PERSONAL level more easily than the professional one – but its impacts are profound. It means that whether or not you have credentials, or authority, or some kind of institutional backing, you still have, at this very moment, in your hands, the power to create change and make a difference in the world.To illustrate this point, consider Moses, and the task he was given by God to set the Israelites free. God commanded Moses to use what he had – and what he had was a staff. And so when he needed to, he was able to use that simple tool to perform miracles.What you have available to you now: your skills, your abilities, and your connections in your community are all tools that can be used effectively to make changes in your life and the lives of others. All too often, we hesitate to put ourselves forward, to speak out or challenge the status quo, because we feel that we aren’t strong enough, or powerful enough, or that people won’t take us seriously.But that is a myth – you have everything you need to follow your calling, and serve the Lord as you are meant to. When you are aligned with your purpose, and know what it is you need to accomplish – you will arrive at the question of how.God has answered and continues to answer this for us every day.He says to use what you have – and everyone has something.That is what I invite you to reflect on this week, and what we’re going to be discussing in the Higher Purpose Facebook Community on Thursday this week – what you have available to you NOW to follow God’s plan for you, and do you hold back out of the fear that it isn’t enough?You ARE enough, God made you that way, and just like there are times when a neighbor with cupcakes can be more successful than a professional with a uniform and title, sometimes there is a job that only you can accomplish.I encourage you to listen to the full interview with Danielle, and if you like what you hear (which I am confident you will!) please subscribe to the podcast, and leave us a review to help more people connect with our community.Next week I have a special solo episode ready for you – I am going to be talking about something many people have brought to my attention as difficult or challenging for them is finding purpose at work. So in the coming weeks I have interviews with a series of professionals who all have different and valuable answers to that question.

8/29/17 8/29/17

Making Room For Growth

This week on the Higher Purpose Podcast, I spoke with Dan Miller, best selling Author of 48 Days to Work You Love and No More Mondays.Now, Dan Miller has always been an entrepreneur, finding and following opportunities as they presented themselves, and believes meaningful work, whether as an entrepreneur or member of a team, happens when you blend your natural skills and abilities with your dreams and passions.You can listen to the full interview here (and subscribe on iTunes or your favorite podcast player so you never miss an episode), but I want to really explore one of the ideas that Dan and I touched on during the call.If you are constantly adding and adding and adding to your business or your life – you’re never going to have the space to think, breathe and reflect on what you truly want to be doing. You’ll have no time to find your WHY. If you add and add and add to what you have to do every day, week, month and year, then at a certain point you are going to see both the quality of your life and your work degrade.And that kind of degradation is unacceptable. We want to be bringing our best selves to all of the facets of our life – our faith communities, our families, and our work. We can’t do that by consistently trying to add to our plates.Sometimes, you need to step back, and mindfully choose NOT to do things.Here’s Dan Miller’s method.Dan makes it a practice to, when the plan for the next year is finished, choosing 15% of his activities, projects, and tasks, and eliminating them. They won’t continue into the new year and are going to be either finished for good or shelved for another time. These aren’t small things, time wasters or leisure activities. They are real, significant parts of his business that he conscientiously decides to STOP doing.(Fun fact – the specific date for this decision to be made is November 14^th – 48 days before the new year Find out WHY that is significant here.)And that 15% of newly freed time and space is room to grow.Nature abhors a vacuum and will rush to fill it, but if there is no vacuum in your life or your business, then there is no room for something new and different to grow.The space created by eliminating 15% of what you are currently doing could be the ‘breathing room’ to experiment, take risksSo that is our question for this week – what would you do if you had 15% more time to do ANYTHING? And can you make that time in your life?Head on over to the Higher Purpose Community Facebook group, where we’re going to be discussing this topic, and anything else that has inspired us from the podcast this week on Thursday.In the meantime, you can listen to all of our podcast episodes, and make sure you never miss an update by subscribing to the Higher Purpose Podcast on iTunes, or your favorite podcast player. If you like what you hear, please share, and give us a rating!

8/22/17 8/22/17

What Happens When You Name Your Calling?

This week on the Higher Purpose Podcast, I had the opportunity to speak with Paul Sohn, author of the Quarter Life Calling, and founder of QARA.We talked about what it means to have a calling, and the experiences we have in our lives as younger people inform and influence that calling - you can listen to the full interview here. Paul experienced what he calls a ‘quarter-life crisis’ when he was in his twenties. He spent a lot of time reflecting on what he was truly called to do.Through prayer and reflection, Paul left a high-paying job at a Fortune 500 company. He devoted his time and energy to help and support the next generation of leaders in the world. But it wasn’t right. He might have taken the world’s ‘right’ path to wealth and success, but it was wrong for Paul.It wasn’t his calling.Paul began to follow his true path and everything changed. It was more than how he made his living; it was his peace, satisfaction, and sense of direction. He found fulfillment in his work that didn’t exist before, because he was finally able to NAME his calling.[clickToTweet tweet="Do you know the difference between a having a calling and being driven? http://bit.ly/2wBxk5f" quote="Do you know the difference between a having a calling and being driven? "]It’s overlooked in so many discussions around purpose but there’s a simple distinction. If you are being called, someone is the caller. And that caller is God.If you want to put a name to your calling, live in a way that is mindful of God’s purpose for you and pursue that path mindfully. Paul’s realization of this allows him to help others avoid that quarter life crises and to achieve their goals and truly flourish.You might be wondering, “What if I’ve already passed the first quarter of my life?” You’ve already experienced most if not all the major milestones: marriage, moving out, going to college, starting a career. What do you do if you haven’t found YOUR calling yet?Just because you already experienced those things doesn’t mean they can’t reach across the years and touch your life now. You’ve had time to reflect and learn. You’ve gained new insights and you have the hindsight that only experience can bring. When you look back at your path and choices, you do so with clarity you couldn’t have managed back then.You can use all of this to identify, to NAME your calling, no matter what your age is.The growth (and the pain that comes with it) never stops. Neither does our ability to learn from it and discover where we are meant to be, what we are meant to be doing, and why.That’s what I want you to reflect on this week. Are you driven or are you being called? How has your path transformed who you are? Are you living in alignment with your calling?This is just a glimpse of everything we covered in the podcast. Some of the other ideas we pulled apart are:

Looking at your habits, from nutrition to fitness, to help you better follow your calling
How writing a book is like getting naked in front of the world
Growing in character can be painful, so we should seek out that pain or we will never grow

You can listen to the full podcast episode here, and if you want to discuss this theme in more detail, join the Higher Purpose Facebook Community. We’ll be holding a discussion this coming Thursday! Don't forget to subscribe on iTunes - and if you like the podcast, please rate and leave us a review!

8/15/17 8/15/17

Can You Be CEO Of Your Own Family?

This post is an exploration of the ideas Mark Timm and I discussed during our conversation for the Higher Purpose Podcast, which you can listen to in full right here. If you had asked me a month ago if you could (or should!) be the CEO of your family – I might have looked at you like you were growing antlers out of the top of your head.But after a conversation with Mark Timm, CEO of the Ziglar Family Corporation – AND his family of 7 (they really are incorporated!) I have changed my mind.The idea seems really counterintuitive, doesn’t it?CEOs are tough and no-nonsense, focused on profits and growth, leading teams of hundreds (sometimes hundreds of thousands) of people to bring goods and services to market.What could that possibly have to do with your spouse and children?The idea didn’t occur to Mark either until well into his career as both a CEO and a father, but when it did – everything changed.One day, feeling a little hesitant to go into his home after work, he realized that the qualities that made him a good CEO – understanding company vision and goals, decisiveness and collaboration, ability to delegate and ideate – they weren’t restricted to professional life. You don’t have to leave the things that make you good at your job in the workplace when you go home at night. They are part of who you are – often a tremendous and powerful part of who you are.You give these important and valuable parts of yourself to your colleagues, and sometimes there isn’t a lot of you left at the end of the day when you’re going home to the people you live with.So what if you reframed how you looked at your family? More like it was a business. A business with a vision and a mission and goals and different individuals working together to achieve them.[clickToTweet tweet=" Businesses are composed of people, just like our families are. http://bit.ly/2vYIWjg " quote=" Businesses are composed of people, just like our families are."]Our family members are all unique in how they see the world, what they value, and what they want to achieve, but, much like the different individuals who make up businesses, they can be rallied around a common cause to work together and support each other.And for people who feel less comfortable navigating the dynamics of a family unit, looking at one through the lens of your personal strengths as they express themselves professionally can be a be a way to bring your best self to the people you love most your best self.Spend some time thinking about the corporation of YOUR family. Consult with them, share this idea with them, and see if you can get them on board.As a family – what is your goal? What is your mission? What values do you hold to be the most important?What unique strengths do each of you bring to the table, and how can you support each other in your weaknesses?Over in the Higher Purpose Community Facebook Group we’re having a discussion about these topics. Please come join us, and share your thoughts!Being the CEO of your family is only the tip of the iceberg of interesting, important topics that Mark and I discussed. Some of the other exciting points were:

Being intentional with your time, energy, and decisions – especially regarding your family.
Always apologizing authentically when you have wronged someone, or failed to do as right by them as you could – even your children.
How the greatest joy is helping others achieve things – and other wisdom from Zig Ziglar.

Listen to the full episode here.I'd love to hear from you - what do you think about being the CEO of your own family? Leave a comment below! Next week we're talking with Paul Sohn, Author of Quarter Life Calling, and founder of QARA - make sure to subscribe on Itunes so you don't miss it!

7/26/17 7/26/17

Join the Purpose Revolution

Over the past 10 years there has been something of a renaissance in the business world around the idea of purpose.People are less and less content doing work they don’t find meaningful. The value being placed on the contributions made to the world, as well as emotional and spiritual wellbeing is on the rise. You can see this across industries, countries, generations, and politics – and it is truly a wonderful thing. Humans were meant to have purpose in their lives, and with this idea becoming more mainstream, more and more people are able to take the risks and do the personal exploration that is vital for happier lives and healthier communities.[clickToTweet tweet="There is a purpose Revolution Happening. Join us! #7peoplehttp://kevindmonroe.com/join-the-purpose-revolution/" quote="There is a purpose revolution happening."]This is why I’m launching the Higher Purpose Podcast, where we will explore meaning and purpose together, and with industry leaders who are living and working purposefully.One of the themes that we are going to be returning to again and again is the idea of the 7 people who enter your life and make a huge impact on your journey to finding your purpose.There are certain people who you will meet in your life, who are going to make a huge difference for you in different ways. They will impact how you think and feel, and what you do.These people may appear once in a lifetime, or regularly. They may be in your life for a long time, or for only a brief window – no matter what kind of relationship you have with them – they are going to matter. Here's a quick list of the roles these people play in your life.

Awakener – who alerts you to your purpose
Doubter – who questions your worth
Encourager – who encourages and has confidence in you
Hero – who inspires and models greatness
Mentor – who you have a close and trusting relationship with
Critic – who thwarts your progress
Ally – who supports and helps you

Even though some of these people can cause you pain – they are ALL instructive and necessary to help you connect with your purpose. For those that bring you comfort and joy – tell them! Listen to the episode, download the worksheet by subscribing below and most importantly – tell the people who have affected you (positively) that they have done so.[convertkit form=5058514]Most of us never realize that while other people have this kind of impact on us – we play the same roles for others. Discovering that you have been a Mentor, or Encourager, or Awakener can be a rare and precious gift. Be generous with it.Reach out in whatever way feels comfortable to you- and if that way is Twitter (because public accolades never hurt anyone!) please use the Hashtag #7people and mention me as well, if space allows (@Kevin_Monroe). I’d love to know who these people are in your life and join you in celebrating them.Please also take a moment to head over to iTunes and subscribe to the show. If you like it, then giving us a rating and a review will be very helpful.I would also like to invite you to become a member of The Higher Purpose Community on Facebook where we’re going to be having weekly discussions every Thursday about purpose, following each of the podcast episodes as they are released.Here's what we're going to be talking about this week:I’m shamelessly asking you to do quite a lot of things, aren’t I?There’s a good reason for that.This is a new project that I am very excited about, and feel it is going to be a powerful tool for learning, connecting, and growing as individuals and as a community. In the early days of a new podcast launch, having as many people listening, downloading, sharing, and reviewing the podcast will make a huge difference in how it’s received – and how many MORE people are able to find it, and join us together in this journey.More than that, and more than anything else – I want to hear from you – by whichever method suits you the most! Please like, share, subscribe, or all of the above – and I’ll be back next week with an enlightening conversation I had with Mark Timm, CEO of Ziglar Family and Cottage Garden Inc. We're going to be talking about how what works in a business can and SHOULD work in a family.

4/19/17 4/19/17

The Ultimate Time Management Hack

The single biggest mistake people make with time management is assuming that all time is equal and managing it as such. True, everyone has the same number of hours in a day and every day contains the same number of hours. But, not every hour or every day is the same. If you think I am about to share some new time management trick or technique that will revolutionize how you manage your day, you’re wrong. True, I am drawn to productivity hacks and appreciate ways to get more done in a day. But that's not the focus of this post.Instead, I want to go old school. By old, I am not advocating the return to a paper-based DayRunner or Franklin Planner — remember, I’m not promoting time management techniques.I mean going way back, all the way back to ancient Greece and examining their philosophical understanding of time. You see, the Greeks were very precise with language and had an understanding of time that offers tremendous benefit when you embrace it.

What the Greeks knew about time

Most of us have only one perception of time. And that's a problem!We experience time chronologically, sequentially. One minute or moment at a time. Minutes pass like the grains of sand trickling through an hourglass. Gradually, minutes become hours that accumulate into days, weeks, months, years, and on it goes.The Greeks labeled that as χρόνος (chronos) time; the orderly progression, or passage, of time. If you embrace a chronos understanding of time, then it is easy to perceive all time equally.That sameness is what allows you to establish routines. Then, there are people who take routines to the extreme. Think Sheldon Cooper from TV’s The Big Bang Theory who is so routinized that he has his wardrobe, meals, and entertainment meticulously mapped to the days of the week. After all, if all time is the same, why waste time and burn mental calories on such trivial matters?Chronos is how most of us understand time and its passing. When someone asks you, “What time is it?,” most likely you answer with some unit of chronological measurement.But, it’s the other Greek word for time that unlocks the true secret of making the most of your time. Kαιρός (kairos) refers to “an opportune time”. A moment of unique timing or special opportunity.You’ve probably heard people reference a time when the stars aligned or a door (or window) opened for them. That is kαιρός time.If you’re familiar with the New Testament (recall it was originally written in Greek) you have seen kairos translated as “the appointed time”, “due season”, or harvest. It is a special time, a time of unique opportunity.Whereas chronos time passes gradually and incrementally like the ticks of a second hand. Kairos arrives suddenly. Unexpectedly, sometimes even inconveniently.In some kairos moments, it may even seem that chronos time is suspended or stopped altogether. You see life happening in slow motion or freeze frame.When a kairos moment arrives and a door, or window, of opportunity opens…it is time to act, to move. [clickToTweet tweet="To seize the moment is the only appropriate response to kairos time. " quote="To seize the moment is the only appropriate response to kairos time. " theme="style5"]You can’t schedule, or reschedule, a kairos moment. When it arrives, the only appropriate response is to act. Now.Don’t look for the next convenient opening in your schedule and ask, “Can you come back on the third Tuesday of next month, I’ll gladly fit you in then?” It doesn’t work like that.

What to do when your time comes

If you’re a parent or happen to be pregnant now, you have a vivid contrast of chronos and kairos time. The nine months of pregnancy is like chronos time and how we experience it. Day after day passes, week after week. Gradually and incrementally. Sometimes faster than others and sometimes slower. But then…Suddenly, it is time.All the weeks of preparation and planning led you to this moment. The kairos moment appeared and now is the time. You act and you act quickly. You seize the moment. The next time someone asks you, “What time is it?” Let that be a reminder that not all time is the same. While you cannot schedule a kairos moment, you can certainly prepare for one.How? Here are a few ways to begin.

Recognize kairos moments exist. Awareness creates opportunity.
Avail yourself to their arrival.
Prepare to act. And when a kairos moment comes,
Seize it!

Is now your time?

If as you are reading this, you suddenly discover that you are in a kairos moment and things have magically come into alignment in your life, then you need to take action. NOW.Do not hesitate or delay. Now is your time and the time to respond is now. Take an action step.Seize the moment, don’t let this one pass you by.If your kairos moment has something to do with you stepping into the higher purpose for your life or leadership and you aren’t quite sure what next step to take, but feel connected to what I’ve shared here and in other places, then we need to talk. Take action now. Complete this form as the next step on your journey. Who knows? Maybe our paths crossing now, in this season; you reading this post at this exact moment indicates that we should be working together to help you seize the moment and move into your destiny. If so, that’s awesome and I’d be honored to play a part. If this post helps you take some other step forward, I’d love to celebrate that with you.[clickToTweet tweet="[clickToTweet tweet="The ultimate #timemanagement hack? When a kairos moment arrives, pounce on it!" quote="The ultimate time management hack? When a kairos moment arrives, pounce on it!" theme="style5"]You will be glad you did and the world will be better because you did.

BLOGS & RESOURCES

What the Greeks knew about time

What to do when your time comes

Is now your time?

I’M GRATEFUL FOR YOU