Overwhelmed?   Stressed Out?   Feel Isolated?

The key to success in business is the ability to stay focused, make great decisions, and take appropriate action while fostering creativity.

Meditation devotees include junk-bond-king-turned-philanthropist Mike Milken; Bill George, the former Medtronic (Charts, Fortune 500) CEO; ad industry mogul Renetta McCann; and NBA coach Phil Jackson. Silicon Valley is full of meditators, such as Marc Benioff, the CEO of Salesforce.com (Charts), and Larry Brilliant, head of Google’s philanthropic efforts.

David Engel and Greg Clowminzer use the dyad process to intimately define what every marketer is after–decision.

Greg: A decision is a mental, strategic move, in order to avoid some future consequence.

David: Thank you. Tell me what a decision is not.

Greg: It’s not a spontaneous act. A spontaneous act is without thought; it’s something that just happens. That’s not a decision.

David: Got it. Thank you.

Greg: Tell me what a decision is.

David: I can also feel a decision in my body. There may be tension in certain spots. A decision is like energy that’s locked up like water in a dam. It’s gotta find a spot to exit. Wherever it exits becomes the decision.

Greg: Thank you. Tell me what a decision is not.

David: A decision is conscious, and it may be unconscious as well. Whether people know what they’re doing or not, they’re deciding things. So, I don’t know what a decision is not right now.

Greg: Thank you.

David: Tell me what a decision is.

Greg: A decision is adding meaning to something. It’s when one perceives a desirable outcome or perceives an undesirable outcome.

David: Thank you. Tell me what a decision is not.

Greg: A non-decision is an act in the moment, without any thought of the future… an act in the moment without any thought of the future is not a decision.

David: Got it. Thank you.

Greg: It’s just a choice in the moment.

David: Thank you.

Greg: Tell me what a decision is.

David: For me, a decision is a choice. It’s all somehow lumped together… I don’t know what the difference between the two of those is. I think they’re both one.

Greg: Thank you. Tell me what a decision isn’t.

David: A decision is not… well… I’m thinking about my dog right now and how she does things. I don’t think she’s really deciding anything. She’s just kind of doing stuff.

Greg: Thank you.

David: Tell me what a decision is.

Greg: When I think of decision, I think that I’m on a timeline. If I act or behave in a certain way, what will be the outcome of that event? Decision is very linear. It’s very strategic. It’s very, “If I do this, what will be the effect?”

David: Thank you. Tell me what a decision is not.

Greg: Simply being is not a decision.

David: Thank you.

Greg: Tell me what a decision is.

David: A decision is connected to something emotionally… something deeper than the thing itself. Like, I may decide to drink water. But that’s not because I want to drink water. It’s because I’m thirsty and feeling pain. To make the pain go away, I drink the water. Or, I may anticipate some future event… maybe I’ll run out of water. So, I go to the store and stock up on a couple of gallons of water so I don’t run out during that day or week or whatever. I’ve decided to buy the water only because I’m fearful of how uncomfortable it would be to run out.

Greg: Thank you. Tell me what a decision is not.

David: After saying that, I’m thinking about fear. A decision is not trust. It’s me thinking, “I have to do something because I can’t trust that it’s going to be okay. I have to make it happen.”

Greg: Thank you.

David: Tell me what a decision is.

Greg: What’s coming up is it’s like an inner vote. It’s like, “Do I vote for health reform, or not?” If it gets passed, there’s this inner decision to pass health reform, but it’s not implemented yet. It’s just a decision; it’s like a vote. So, decisions are like inner votes. How many vote for buying a new car? How many vote for not buying a new car? How many vote for calling her back? How many vote for not calling her back? It’s like this inner dilemma. Like there’s a voting system, around what I want.

David: Thank you. Tell me what a decision is not.

Greg: A decision is not action. It’s just kind of a mental reconciliation of the possible actions to take.

David: Thank you.

Greg: Tell me what a decision is.

David: I’ve got this image of a kid pulling off petals from a flower, “She loves me, she loves me not. She loves me, she loves me not. She loves me…” and {chuckles} it’s really all just a mentation. The flowers aren’t going to tell me if she really loves me. It’s like the mind trying to wrap itself around whatever event needs to happen. It’s an illusion that’s created by the mind itself. All the pieces on the chessboard are created by the mind that’s making the decision.

Greg: Thank you. Tell me what a decision is not.

David: A decision is not letting someone else decide for me. Or, maybe that is the decision sometimes – to let other people decide for me.

Greg: Thank you.

David: Tell me what a decision is.

Greg: What’s coming up is that decisions are all fear based. They’re trying to predict the least unfavorable outcome. It’s simply rallying the inner landscape and preparing it for the action to take.

David: Got it. Thank you. Tell me what a decision is not.

Greg: Love is not a decision. Love just is.

David: Thank you.

Greg: Tell me what a decision is.

David: For me, a decision is the same as buying something. It’s buying or selling something. Everything that’s coming to me right now… that has been coming to me this whole time… I’ve been thinking about making a buying decision. “What isn’t a buying decision?” Then, I go and think about another buying decision. So, I’m just realizing how married my whole world is to having people make buying decisions. That’s like everything.

Greg: Thank you. Tell me what a decision is not.

David: I’m having a hard time right now because I’m thinking that even ‘not deciding’ is a decision to not decide. So, I have no way right now to define what a decision is not.

Greg: Thank you.

David: I think that looking at life and the nature of it, there’s an infinite amount of decisions available. Right now I could wave my arms around. I just decided to lift up my hands. I could move here… or there… or there. And in computer programming, I can’t program a computer to randomly go across all these moments. But, I could hold my hands at 90 degree or at 81 degrees… there’s infinity right here in front of me. So, I don’t even know how to wrap my brain around a non-decision.

Greg: Thank you.

David: Tell me what a decision is.

Greg: A decision is the meaning I place on something. I’m 49 years old. I can decide that’s too old to date or too old to have children. I can look at my financial situation and decide that I’m too old to become a millionaire. I could make a decision on who I think I’m worthy of dating or not dating. I decided that I’m too smart to work for somebody else. That’s a decision I made. That means I’m going to be self-employed.

That decision caused a sequence of events in my life. So, I come back to what are some of the earliest decisions I’ve made that are actually impacting my life. Is that a decision that’s serving me? Or, is there another decision that could serve me better? So, decisions are “What series of events in my life have I decided mean something?”

David: Thank you. Tell me what a decision is not.

Greg: A decision is not adding meaning to something. It’s allowing things to be as they are. It’s not over-labeling or over-defining things and not putting meaning into something, rather than just allowing it to be the way it is.

David: Thank you.

Greg: Tell me what a decision is.

David: This question is activating my mind – like electricity. Wow. I’m really present to my limited landscape… I really like advertising and that’s my thing. That’s my limited perception of reality – I’ve never had kids. I’ve lived in S. California my whole life. I’m present to how that experience of reality is influencing my decisions. And not just that. My emotions are influencing my decisions. Like, I might see a pretty girl and be afraid to talk to her. Maybe I’ve got some landscape about that in my head, but there’s emotion too. It feels fearful or uncomfortable, and that influences whether I introduce myself or not.

Greg: Thank you. Tell me what a decision is not.

David: I’m thinking of turning off the brain. To be with no mind, just total peace. A blissful state. That’s for sure what a decision is not.

Greg: Thank you.

David: Tell me what a decision is.

Greg: I see that there’s a kind of a pecking order of things. There’s the natural law of the universe. And just above that, there’s instincts. That’s what animals have and humans too. It’s a really low operating system. The next place up is decision making. From there, ones goes to choice, love or just allowing things to be. These are higher states. So, decision is kind of a low level operating system.

David: Thank you. Tell me what a decision is not.

Greg: What’s coming up is that a decision is somehow not necessarily in alignment with the natural law of things. It’s very much driven by ego and the will, rather than looking at the law of nature. And the reality of what’s happening and aligning with that rather than fighting it. Decisions seem more like a fight. They feel more defensive rather than to be in alignment with the harmonious flow of the universe.

David: Thank you.

Greg: Tell me what a decision is.

David: I’m thinking about trees… maybe I’ll save this for what a decision is not. A decision is… well it’s not something that trees do. I don’t think that trees decide jack. They just stand there. I’m growing an elm tree from a seed right now. It’s been a real inspiration for me. But animals make decisions. Moving things. Bugs make decisions, I guess. Rabbits make decisions. Humans make decisions. Decisions are things are that only moving things can make.

Greg: Thank you. Tell me what a decision isn’t.

David: When I see trees, I just imagine someone with their hands up, looking up to the sky like: “I surrender.” It’s got its hands up and it’s just taking in the energy – if someone cuts it with an axe, it doesn’t resist. It just takes it; it’s just surrenders. If fire comes and burns it, it doesn’t do anything. It’s rooted into the earth. It’s just there.

Greg: Thank you.

Greg’s Reflections

Decision, instinct, and choice are actually three separate things. Instincts are hardwired into the physical body; animals use instincts. Decisions come from the mind. They’re more intellectually based, more linear. Choice is from the heart.

Maybe advertising is moving out of decision mode, which is, “How do you manipulate people’s thoughts?” And maybe it’s moving into a place of choice, which is more heartfelt and connection based. Maybe that’s what social media is all about – connecting people’s hearts and giving them more choice through interconnectedness.

David’s Reflections

After this dyad, I realized that I was lumping decision, instinct and choice together.

NOTE: The thoughts shared here are not “the truth” rather a process of self-discovery for both David and Greg. We invite you to find a friend or associate and examine this inquiry for yourself.

1. TO KEEP UP
You can’t solve tomorrow’s issues with yesterday’s strategies. An experienced Coach helps you develop the capacity to handle the increased complexity of your world.

2. TIME
The Coach is trained to help you identify what’s important now and in the future as you create business results. Leveraging your time is critical. Short, focused coaching sessions move you forward quickly.

3. AWARENESS and BLINDSPOTS
A good Coach helps you develop your awareness – awareness of your mental models, or how you make sense of your world – and awareness of the impact of your words and actions on others. Your blind spots (and we all have them) can be fatal in business. A coach can help you understand perspectives you may not have considered. You can’t move beyond your biases if you don’t recognize them. Increased awareness is critical to executive and leadership development.

4. BALANCE
The pressures of juggling work/life balance are always present. Quality coaching naturally facilitates your choices in establishing the level of balance you want.

5. COMMUNICATION
Your effectiveness in getting your message across and being able to draw the information you need from others and your team is critical to your success. A Coach can help you develop your competence in communication, listening skills, presenting your ideas, managing meetings and people. What you say and how you say it can be greatly enhanced with the clarity that comes from working with a Coach.

6. PURPOSE
Without clarity of Purpose, individuals and organization have no foundation on which to build or expand their networks. Clarity of purpose makes explicit the reasons for being and motives for action. Clear purpose allows others to align their efforts in support of organizational purpose.

7. CONGRUENCE
We are all looking for congruence in our leaders and associates. A Coach help you to BE congruent and live in alignment as you walk your talk. Congruence comes out of developing your awareness of the impact you have on others. Coaching to align identity, intention and action helps establish congruence, a byproduct of which is others’ confidence in you as a leader.

8. EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE
Studies show Emotional Intelligence (EQ) is more important than IQ in an Executive, leader, business owner and manager. A Coach helps you understand and develop higher levels of emotional intelligence.

9. A DEVELOPMENT PLAN
Having a personal and professional development plan can act as your guide to increase your capacity and competence to lead. With a map, a plan and a coach, the chances for reaching your goals will be much stronger.

10. THE COACH SPACE — CONFIDENTIAL, SECURE, SAFE
Many leaders and business people say they do not have any place where they can test, explore, discuss and receive push-back on issues critical to their growth and success. The coaching conversation is about all the points above and hinges on the right environment of confidentiality, safety and openness. This is The Coach Space. It is the space where clarity, insight, growth and development happen.

Would you like to learn more?

REQUEST FREE BUSINESS BREAKTHROUGH CONSULTATION

Please SUBMIT your information below and you will be contacted within 72 hours.
For immediate assistance call 760-930-9604.

9-Steps To Creating An Extraordinary Life & Business

Anyone who is living a meaningful life needs a strong foundation which gives them confidence to look up at the STARS instead of down at their feet. Having a strong personal foundation allows a person to fully use their skills and resources, because instead of constantly worrying about the fundamentals of their life, they are free to focus on working toward their goals. The higher you want to build your life and business, the stronger your foundation needs to be otherwise, you put yourself at unnecessary RISK.

To gain instant access to 9-FREE training videos! CLICK HERE

I would like to share some fascinating discoveries I have made about why most entrepreneurs and small businesses fail.

Three of the biggest mistakes ARE:

1. Lack of TRUE Focus – Knowing where and what to focus ones attention on could possibly be the single most important thing to making or breaking your business. Being successful isn’t only about coming about with new creative idea’s. It’s about following through with the good ideas you have already come up with.

Three things entrepreneurs often lose sight of are profitability, planning and focusing on the single daily action to really grow there business.

2. Lots of incompletion’s – Completing less is better that starting a bunch of projects that just hang around undone. For both productivity and self-esteem it is important that the entrepreneur learn and experience the power and peace of mind that comes along with completing projects.

Entrepreneurs like many people have the habit of procrastinating which fuels the fire of incompletion’s and start burning out of control.

It’s also important for the entrepreneur to manage there environment and eliminate distractions that cause the entrepreneur to get stuck in “starting and stopping” cycles.

Start and stop cycles are huge time burners for the entrepreneur causing the list of incompletion’s to continue to grow instead of profits and new business.

3. Winging it verses being a PRO - The last thing I want to talk about for today is the need of a GAME PLAN.

Yes, a GAME PLAN.

Taking the time to really look at your business and get crystal clear about who your are, what you offer, why your doing what your doing and how you plan on getting there is often the most overlooked area of a business owner.

One of the best tools I have come across is the One-Page Strategic Plan put together by Verne Harnesh who wrote the book “The Rockefeller Habits”.

I have found this tool very helpful for running my own business as well as a useful tool to share with my clients. Take the time to work on your business and not in your business.

Stop winging it and be a PRO.

You can pick up a copy of the One-Page Strategic Plan at Verne’s website. Visit www.gazelles.com

REQUEST FREE BUSINESS BREAKTHROUGH CONSULTATION

Please SUBMIT your information below and you will be contacted within 72 hours.

For immediate assistance call 760-930-9604.