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Building A Dream Business

Why Do We Make Managing Time as Complicated as Rocket Science?

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When in Reality, It’s as Simple as One, Two, Three

I’ve shared before about some of the great discussions we have in our masterclass. This week’s was no different.

The question that got the gears in my head spinning was this –

When self-employed and working from home, how does one schedule time and determine boundaries?

Now, is this a great question or what. How does one do this?

When working from home it’s easy to be sidetracked by all the things that need done, like – yard work, gardening, vacuuming, washing the dishes, repair projects, laundry, changing the oil in the car, checking out social media, researching new and better computer programs, emailing old friends… You get the point! All the things on this list are worthwhile and important things that need to be done.

There were some great answers from of the group.

  • I work when my wife is gone to work. When she gets home, I stop working and spend time with her.
  • I have an office space that is only accessed by going through the garage, up some stairs and through the attic.
  • I start my day at 8:00 just as if I was going to an office.

The key to managing time is intentionality!

Having been self-employed for most of the past forty years I have a head start on most of the people in this group. But believe me I understand. I’ve struggled with this for years and just began to figure out over the past 8-10 years.

My figuring it out took a big step forward with a wakeup call from God. He got my attention with a board upside the head, literally. This incident persuaded me to step back and look at things differently. I got a more well-rounded, big picture view of life and it helped me to see things differently.

I’m a workaholic and love what I do. Now I look at my whole life, all the different aspects of it, as my employment. This a word that is typically connected to a job, but that’s not completely accurate. Being employed is – the active use of or engagement in services. Being engaged in activity. I see employment as more than just a job.

The freedom perceived as a part of self-employment is the one thing that most often prevents these ventures from succeeding.

One of the biggest issues with self-employment is lack of boundaries. It’s like kids when they first move out of their parent’s home. There’s a newfound freedom. Nobody is looking over their shoulder telling them to get up and go to class or to not stay out late so they can get up and go to work.

Most people have been raised with some kind of structure. Working for someone else is the same thing. When we become self-employed it’s like moving out for the first time. There’s no boss preventing me from washing the dishes or mowing the yard.

This new freedom leads to an uncertain, unclear understanding of what we should do, when we should do it and in what order.

There are three things that need to be present if you are going to be successful in self-employment. –

  • Intentionality – Be intentional about what you spend your time on. Why is it that we won’t be late to a meeting with other people, but will blow off meeting with ourselves? We’ve been given enough time to do everything we should…just not everything we want.
  • Prioritization – This one can be tough. What makes one thing more important than another. This is where being crystal on who you are, who you’re going to help and how you’re going to help them comes in.
  • Spending time wisely – Time is limited. It is the most valuable commodity you have. It’s up to you to decide how much you’re going to spend and what you’re going to spend it on.

The SELF in self-employment means “the buck stops here”. It’s up to me to manage my time…no one else. Our human nature is to make things more complicated than they are or need to be.

Managing time doesn’t have to be rocket science. Intentionally prioritizing how you spend your time is all it takes.

Check back, we will break these down more in the coming weeks.

The Most Important Question Always Seems to be the Last One Asked

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That’s Because the Answer to the “How Question” is Going to Require Work

Last week I listened to a Belay, One Next Step podcast interview with David Horsager. David is the CEO of Trust Edge Leadership Institute and best-selling author of The Trusted Leader, The 8 Pillars of Trust. In this interview they discussed these 8 pillars and how to become a more trustworthy leader.

Everything of value is built on trust. You’ll pay more for a trusted brand, to follow a trusted leader or buy from a trusted salesperson.

Trust is the single most important trait of great leaders, organizations and brands.

These 8 foundational pillars of genuine success are:

1. Clarity: People trust the clear and mistrust the ambiguous.

2. Compassion: People put faith in those who care beyond themselves.

3. Character: People notice those who do what is right over what is easy.

4. Competency: People have confidence in those who stay fresh, relevant, and capable.

5. Commitment: People believe in those who stand through adversity.

6. Connection: People want to follow, buy from, and be around friends.

7. Contribution: People immediately respond to results.

8. Consistency: People love to see the little things done consistently.

As they went through these pillars David pointed out a simple three question process for putting these pillars into action. These questions are what helped David to lose 52 lbs. in five months and keep it off.

Here are the three most important questions to ask:

“Number one. “Okay. We want that thing.” How, how? Okay. Second question, way more important. It is, how? The third is the most important of all. It is, how?”

I’ve written several times about the importance of asking questions and the lack them being asked. I believe all questions are important and that they all work together to point to the desired results.

  • Who is that thing going to be done for?
  • What is that thing that I want or need to do?
  • When does that thing need to be done?
  • Where is that thing going to be done?
  • Why should that thing be done?
  • How am I going to do that thing?

Without answering the how question it won’t get done.

The how question needs to be actionable and one that we can be held accountable to.

Here is what David said about it,

“My weight, everybody told me, “All you got to do is eat less, exercise more.” That was not clear enough. Okay. So I said, “Okay, how am I going to take in less calories?” Okay. Boom, boom, boom, boom. How, how, how, how. Until one of them was, “I’m not going to drink a calorie on a plane.” I can look at it. “Okay. Fresca instead of Coke.” I was drinking Cokes, bad. So now you sit next to me. I never, almost never have a calorie on a plane, unless I put a little cream in my coffee. So the how is something you can act on today or tomorrow. “I want to sell more.” “Okay. How are you going to do that?” “I’m going to call more people.” “Okay, great. How are you going to do that?” Basically, I’m just going to call more people.” “No, you’re not. You had that opportunity yesterday. How are you going to call more people?” “Well, I got to get a list.” “Okay. Now, how are you going to get a list?” “Okay. I’m going to do this.” Okay. “By tomorrow at 10:00 AM.”

It’s time from me to answer my how questions.

How will you answer yours?

What is Your Motivation for Being in the Construction Business?

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Having the Wrong Motivations Gives the Rest of Us a Bad Name

I’ve written before about situations where I’ve been involved in resolving issues between contractors and customers where they’ve gotten crossways with each other.

How poor communication leaves both sides with unrealistic expectations and sometimes ends in legal battles.

Once again, I’ve been asked by a construction customer to help them with a construction disagreement. They just want to get their home and their life back.

They’re in the middle of a dispute with a construction company that has been dragging on for more than a year. Their home has been left unfinished, damaged from rain leaking in, poor quality work, etc.

Why is it that they find themselves on opposite sides of this battle?

I’ve always advocated that poor communication between contractor and customer is the biggest problem. However, as I’ve been working on the current situation, I think there might be another deeper level to this issue.

Communication is certainly a part of it, but maybe communication would be better if the underlying motivations of both parties were considered. A skilled communicator can convince you that what their saying is true, even if it isn’t.

I think this is the underlying problem. It’s a lack of trust. None of us want to be lied to. Last week I wrote about competition vs. cooperation and how we can have both and everybody wins. It comes down to who we are competing against and who we are cooperating with.

Our motivation is directly connected to our why.

Contractor – Why am I in the construction business? Is it to help the customer achieve their dream construction project or to just make a lot of money? Don’t get me wrong. To stay in business, you have to make a profit, but if that is more important to you than serving your customer, it leads to situations like the one I’m currently working on.

Customer – Why do I want to do this project? Is it to improve the value, make it more functional, reduce maintenance, or to impress the neighbors? It’s your project and any of these motivations is fine.

The important thing is that both parties involved know the motivations.

Sometimes the motivations are hidden and not discovered until problems begin. Sometimes motivations aren’t clear, even to oneself. Knowing what the motivations are and being true to those motivations is critical to minimizing these kinds of problems.

Discovering motivations requires asking questions.

It frustrates he heck out of me that these kinds of situations happen…and they don’t have to.

We need to raise the bar of construction industry standards.

Competition vs. Cooperation, does it Have to be One or the Other?

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Finding the Balance of These Two Things is Like Walking a Tightrope

On the surface, competition and cooperation seem to be opposites.  I think they are two different things pulling in opposite directions providing the tension needed to keep the bridge of negotiation held up and safe to cross.

Most people see negotiation as a conflict.  As either a win or lose proposition.  This is a competitive perspective.  Depending on the people involved and the circumstances…it can be a pretty intense battle.

Some people love the battle.

Other people want to avoid conflict at all costs.  They are willing to be used as a doormat, rather than to stand up and fight for what they believe.  These people will compromise and avoid uncomfortable situations.  It’s just easier.

Some people will avoid the battle any way they can.

The reality is that negotiation is a part of your everyday life…whether you like it or not.  I’m currently going through another Business Made Simple University course, Negotiation Made Simple. This course teaches that negotiation doesn’t have to be like haggling with a used car salesman. It can actually be a win/win when done right.

By nature, I’m not competitive.  This lends itself to my being a doormat.  As I have matured and through my wife’s encouragement (by nature she’s very competitive), I’m more willing to stand up for what I believe in.

The whole competition/cooperation thing was made abundantly clear to me a few days ago while watching a NASCAR race.

NASCAR is different than other sports. In other sports competition is one on one or two teams competing against each other.

In NASCAR there is a combination of these two.  While there are thirty or forty individual cars on the track racing for the win, there are also multi-car teams.  This makes for an interesting dynamic when two drivers on a multi-car team are battling for the win.

In the race I referred to earlier this was the situation.  In this scenario on a late race restart there was an opportunity for one driver to let another driver win which allowed the winning driver to make it into the championship playoffs.

These types of decisions can come from a variety of places.  Maybe this is what the team owner had mandated.  Maybe it was the driver’s personality.  Ultimately, in NASCAR these types of decisions are made in a split second.

This is why it’s critical to know ourselves and our priorities before we enter into the negotiation.

The competition/cooperation of construction projects is like racing.  On one hand there is a construction company trying to make a profit.  On the other, the customer trying to get a project done as inexpensively as possible.  You throw into the mix subcontractors and suppliers.  They are trying to balance multiple projects and also trying to be profitable.

These construction negotiations can be wins for everybody if handled properly.

Thankfully we don’t normally have to make the decisions in a split second like racecar drivers.

Ultimately, once we understand that competition and cooperation work together to provide the best bridge between contractor and customer…everybody wins.

There’s a Reduced Level of Commitment…What Happened to it?

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Not Keeping a Commitment is no Different Than Breaking a Promise

This past week, we discussed “confirmation” at a meeting at church. This is the process in the United Methodist Church where young people (early to mid-teens) publicly confirm their intention to live the vows made on their behalf at their baptism.

This process requires a commitment to attend ten to fifteen weekly classes as well as retreats, service projects and spiritual exercises. At the end of this process the person confirms their commitment going forward in front of the congregation.

There were concerns expressed that it was going to be hard to get these young people and their parents to commit to the level of commitment needed for this process. The commitment starts with the confirmation process.

The problem may be more about distraction than commitment.

There is so many things going on and we (especially young people) are bombarded with opportunities and information. The problem with commitment may be more of a tortoise and hare situation.

In this fable the fast and confident rabbit is challenged to a race by the slow and focused turtle. Spoiler alert, the slow turtle beats the fast rabbit.

This happens because after the rabbit gets a big lead, he loses his focus and decides to take a nap. Was the rabbit’s level of commitment less or was he just distracted?

What is commitment anyway?

Commitment is promising, pledging, being obligated or dedicated to doing what you said you would. These are some pretty serious words. A promise is not something I take lightly.

Commitment is the same thing as a promise. Ouch!

The topic of commitment came up again in a discussion about accountability in this week’s mastermind.

As a part of the weekly mastermind, we each commit to a goal we will accomplish prior to the next meeting. This past week there were several of us who had not accomplished our goals.

This then became a discussion of why the commitments we make to others seem to have a higher priority than one we make to ourselves. I think this comes from having a servant’s heart and less about the importance of the specific commitment.

If the goals that we set for ourselves are in alignment with the goals that God has given us, then they are important. We need to take an inventory the things we’re trying to do and get them in order based on whose priorities they are.

I do think the level of commitment is reduced due in part to distractions, over committing and receiving participation trophies for just showing up.

I need to stop kicking the accountability can down the road and commit to be more committed.

I need to make sure that my priorities are in alignment with God’s. If I’m focusing on those things, it will help me be committed to accomplish them. Commitment is as much about clarity of purpose as anything.

Making a commitment is a promise to God.

Action is the One Thing Required if Anything is Going to Get Done

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We Can Think Until Our Head Hurts, But Nothing Gets Done Until We Do It

If you’re like me…you have more ideas than you do time to do them. I’m always thinking of new and different ways to do things. These thoughts are bouncing around in there all the time.

Having a desire to use our talents and skills to help others is a driving force in the self-employed entrepreneurial field. Figuring out how to put ideas into action has been in the forefront of conversations in the mastermind and other professional discussions.

A servant’s heart is a foundation that these kinds of businesses are built on. The problem is that there are more ideas than time to do them.

Desire without action accomplishes nothing.

So, what action should I do first? How do I know if that’s the right thing? Quite honestly…you won’t. Not until after it’s been done. Whether or not it’s the right thing is less important than doing something. At the very least doing something, even if it wasn’t the “right thing”, you can learn something.

Think about how many lessons Thomas Edison learned with the light bulb (more than 3000). It would be a dark place if he’d never taking any action on his ideas.

Things will happen every day that influence and effect your plans. The important thing is to know your foundational mission and build everything on that. If you are clear about that mission you can work through the incidentals things that happen with flexible rigidity.

Don’t let distractions prevent you from taking action.

I’ve shared numerous times about the “Life Principles” in Andy Andrews’ book The Traveler’s Gift. Living these principles requires action…one focuses on that very thing. The Active Decision…

I am a person of action. I am daring. I am courageous. Fear no longer has a place in my life. For too long, fear has outweighed my desire to make things better… Never again! I have exposed fear as a vapor, an impostor who never had any power over me in the first place! I do not fear opinion, gossip, or the idle chatter of monkeys for all are the same to me. I do not fear failure, for in my life, failure is a myth. Failure only exists for the person who quits.

“My future is immediate. I will grasp it with both hands and carry it with running feet. When I am faced with the choice of doing nothing or doing something, I will always choose to act!”

Colonel Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain

One of those professional discussions about taking action was with my friend Vickie Adair. She helps families navigate the process of college admissions at Strategy to Launch. Making each step clear and manageable so the process is smooth and stress-free.

In that discussion, our mutual friend Bryan encouraged Vickie to make a video and post it social media. She took action and did it. She did that first next thing and took action. Way to go Vickie!

Just like a skyscraper, our lives are built one brick at a time.

Like Vickie, do that first next thing that will move you forward toward accomplishing your mission.

There is a Limited Amount of Time, Don’t Spend it All Worrying

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When it Rains it Pours…More Times Than Not, We’re the Ones Holding the Pitcher

What is worry? To feel uneasy or concerned about something; to be troubled. To cause one to feel anxious, distressed, or troubled.

In our weekly mastermind meetings periodically, each members gets the opportunity to ask questions of or present situations to the rest of the group for their input and thoughts. This past week it was my turn. My question was one that has been asked multiple times, by multiple people, in multiple ways, in multiple places.

How do I determine what I should spend my time on?

What makes one thing more important than another? This question came out of my frustration with not getting everything I want to, done.

The problem with this question is…I’m the only one that can answer it for me. Each of us is different and what is right for one person isn’t for another. My priorities aren’t yours.

It comes down to putting my big rocks in first. Most of the time we know the answer. We just need to step back, take a deep breath and get re-focused.

Remember that God has given each of us a purpose. Focus on that and it will make it easier to get the pieces to fit. The important thing to remember is to not worry and stress over it.

The Bible is full of Scriptures about worrying and none of them say that we should. They all say pretty much the same thing. Don’t worry. Worrying won’t make us live longer. Give our worries to God. He will help us figure it out.

I wasn’t worried as much as uncertain about what to do first. Uncertainty is a better description of my feelings. I was just looking for clarity of direction. How do I get more done?

Whether it’s worry or uncertainty that you’re dealing with…it’s within your control.

You’ve probably heard the idiom, “When it rains, it pours.” This generally refers to situations when bad things are happening, then more bad things are going to happen.

This is a pretty negative perspective.

If it’s true for bad things, then I think the same thing is also true for good things. I’m going to make it pour good things.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed with everything that you’re trying to do. Just remember…

There’s a limited amount of time and we hold the pitcher.

You can decide what and how much you will do.

Why My Blood Pressure Goes Up When I Receive Texts

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Okay…Maybe It Doesn’t Really…But It Sure Feels Like It

My sense of dread when my phone vibrates with a text makes me apprehensive. This is at a lower level when getting phone calls, but still happens. Why? What about someone contacting me makes me feel anxious?

Some examples –

            Got a text just last night from my wife – Pictures of the chicken pen missing a side and of a chicken on the loose. (Yes, this is the same chicken pen I wrote about last week) This was not good. After some follow up, I found out that the dog had tore it up. One chicken was missing, one was out. I needed to go home and fix this so that the remaining ones had a place to roost. Had to stop what I was doing and deal with it.

            Got a text from a tenant late one evening – Water heater was spraying everywhere; carpet and clothes were soaked. Needed to get the water shut off and stop the leak. It was a 30-minute drive to the property. It was too late to get it fixed then. It was late and I had just got home from a long day. Had to figure out a plan.

            Got a text from a customer wanting to make changes – This was to work that had already been done as per agreement. This is going to upset the subcontractor because they were going to have to redo their work. This was going to cost them, me or both of us, time and money.

What’s causing this apprehension? …communication is a good thing…right.

I’ve been aware of this feeling for a while and thinking about it a lot recently, trying to figure out why. I’ve come to some conclusions that connect with who I am and my personality.

A few weeks ago, I wrote about going through the Enneagram in Business Made Simple. I haven’t finished it yet, but have determined my Enneagram type and my wings (the personality type on either side of my dominant type).

This has helped better understand why my blood pressure goes up when texts come in.

In the previous post I referred to the personality type that I thought I was…it’s conclusive…in the Enneagram, I’m a Perfectionist. For those of you that know me, this is a big surprise, right. 😊 Wings of the Perfectionist are the Peacemaker and Helper.

Traits of a Perfectionist –

  • Fair
  • Reliable
  • Feels obligated to fix errors
  • High integrity
  • Feels counted on
  • Feels responsible
  • High self-expectations
  • Wants everything to be orderly
  • Has a plan and needs to stick to it

Traits of a Peacemaker –

  • Want to avoid conflict
  • Put other’s priorities above their own
  • Like routines
  • Say yes too much

Traits of a Helper –

  • Caring
  • Supportive
  • Need to be needed
  • Focused on meeting other’s needs
  • Want to do it myself

Looking through the characteristics of these three personality types I’m beginning to see why I don’t like getting texts.

It’s going to mess up my plans.

More often than not, texts and calls are cries for help. Most people sending them know that I will do everything I can to help. This is my job after all. What they don’t usually know, is that I will provide this help even if it destroys my schedule.

So, now that I’m aware of this, it’s up to me to deal with it.

This means…

Changing my perspective from a negative, being bothered, messing up my plans attitude to a this is who I am and what I do. I find solutions! These texts and calls are opportunities.

Learn to say no. This is a combination of no’s before getting overwhelmed balanced with giving myself more value compared to others wanting their way.

This newfound awareness will allow me to intentionally change my perspective to see these texts in a positive light.

And who knows…it might lower my blood pressure.

(Stay tuned for the chicken pen update)

Did You Know That It Really Wasn’t Curiosity That Killed the Cat?

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It Was Worry, Not Curiosity, That Did the Poor Cat In

Last week I wrote about the why question and it not being asked enough. It seems to me, that as a society we’ve quit asking why. To much of the time we just drift through life accepting things at face value.

What happened to our curiosity?

Could it be that the phrase ‘Curiosity Killed the Cat’ is partly responsible for this loss? This saying makes curiosity sound pretty scary. Like, being curious could be life threating. Not asking questions leads to our blindly following along like a herd of sheep.

This zombie like meandering through life may seem easier, but it leads to nowhere in particular. If we’re not careful we might blindly walk off the edge of a cliff.

After a little research I found out that the saying ‘Curiosity Killed the Cat’ started out with a completely different meaning. It started out ‘care killed the cat’ in the late 1500’s in a Ben Jonson play. In this case ‘care’ means ‘worry’ or ‘sorrow’. Now were getting somewhere. Worrying rather than curiosity is certainly something that doesn’t add anything to life. The Bible is full of scriptures showing us to not worrying.

Learning leads to less worry.

Early in life I had big plans, when they didn’t work out…I became zombie like…just drifting through life. I gave up and gave in. That’s when God got my attention with a board upside the head. I woke up and realized it was up to me and I could do something about it.

I have control over my choices and decisions.

Since then, I’ve been reinvigorated in my curiosity. I ask why, I read, I learn, I think, I’ve surrounded myself with other curious people wanting more out of life than just floating along.

One of the ways that I’m learning is going through the Enneagram course of Donald Miller’s, Business Made Simple online learning. The Enneagram is an in-depth personality typing system. There are nine basic personality types.

  1. Perfectionist
  2. Helper
  3. Performer
  4. Romantic
  5. Investigator
  6. Loyalist
  7. Enthusiast
  8. Challenger
  9. Peacemaker

This system helps us to become more aware of who we are and why we naturally do things the way we do. Like the BMSU Mission Statement course my friend Shep and I are going through the Enneagram course together. We’re a few weeks in and I’m curious about what personality type I am. (I think I already know)

Remember it wasn’t curiosity that killed the cat…it was worry

The Why Question is the Most Important One That Gets Asked the Least

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WHY is That… and What Do We Do About it?

As I’m working on the workshop for Building a Better Proposal system, I was contemplating WHY questions.

Why –

  • Should construction contractors do proposals?
  • Don’t they?
  • Does a customer want to do a construction project?
  • Do we do the same things over and over expecting different results?
  • Do people in horror movies repeat the same bad decisions?

Small children constantly ask the why question, over and over and over…? You know what I mean. This is how they learn. Why do we outgrow this sense of curiosity and stop asking the WHY questions?

The answer to all questions starts with WHY.

  • Why should construction contractors do proposals?

This question is the one that baffles me as much as any. How can contractors expect customers or production crews to know what work is going to be done and what it’s going to cost without some clear communication? I don’t think you would buy a truck without knowing what you were getting. I know I would be disappointed if I ordered a new $70,000 truck and when I got it, it was a 1999 ½ ton pickup missing a wheel and the driver’s door.

  • Why don’t contractors do proposals?

The most common answer to this question is that they simply don’t know how. This is something that just isn’t taught. Most contractors start out doing construction, not paperwork. They figure out some guesstimation process and then wonder why customers are upset when they get a bill that is higher than they expected for less work.

  • Why does this customer want to do this construction project?

This should be the primary question that a contractor gets the answer to. It is more important than what. The “what” answer has a “why” answer behind it. The why question doesn’t have to be asked directly, but regardless, needs to be answered. The why is the foundation for the customer’s dream. A foundation is critical to building construction projects and dreams.

  • Why do we do the same things over and over expecting different results?

We all do this to some degree. Why? Why do we continue to repeat things thinking it will be different this time? We shouldn’t do things just because… “we’ve always done it this way”. The more we walk back and forth in a rut the deeper it gets and the harder it is to get out. I heard it said once that a rut is just a grave with both ends kicked out. Stop walking and determine if this what you want and if it’s the best plan. If not do something different.

  • Why do people in horror movies repeat the same bad decisions?

This question is a fun example of the previous one. If you’ve ever watched any horror movie you’ve seen this. The teenagers are in a dark scary place and instead of getting out they continue to hide in a basement, an attic, a cemetery, etc. The GIECO “horror movie” commercial is a great example of this.

It’s up to us to decide, are we going to do something different or stay in the rut?

These are just a few questions about construction proposals and…horror movies. 😊 We should be asking the WHY question about everything. This is the most important question there is.

We have the choice. We can just keep doing things the same way…or we can stop and ask why. Why are we doing this? Whatever “this” is. Until we answer the why question all other questions are harder to answer.

Be like a child and ask, why…why…why…why… and never stop.