March 2015 Newsletter

 FREE Resource

 
As I mention in my lead article, the most challenging aspect of moving forward with new ideas is getting them to grow.

My infographic for March outlines four critical elements that must be in place if your ideas are to start moving toward reality.

To view and download,
Be A Master Gardener,
click here

   

Also, don't forget to see my other FREE offer in the Product/Service Highlight section of my newsletter.  

  

Featured

Testimonial 

We truly enjoyed our time with you last week! Thank you so much for wonderful content, and an overall great learning atmosphere! THANK YOU AGAIN!! We have received such great feedback from the conference.

 

Candice Ferrell

The Collier Companies 

 

Click here to read more testimonials! 

Favorite Quotes 


Every problem has in it the seeds of its own solution. If you don't have any problems, you don't get any seeds.  
 -Norman Vincent Peale

Give me the fruitful error any time, full of seeds, bursting with its own corrections. You can keep your sterile truth to yourself. 

-Vilfredo Pareto 

Anyone can count the seeds in an apple, but only God can count the number of apples in a seed.
-Robert Schuller

Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap, but by the seeds you plant.
-Robert Louis Stevenson

You're frustrated because you keep waiting for the blooming of flowers of which you have yet to sow the seeds.
-Steve Maraboli

And what makes anyone plant any apple seed? It is the belief that in the seed, there is the tree. So, believe. To have a seed, is to have everything.
-C. JoyBell C.

Did You Know?

 

The largest seed in the world is the Coco de mer, the seed of a palm tree. It can reach about 12 inches long, and weigh up to 40 pounds (Wikipedia).

The average strawberry has 200 seeds. It is the only fruit that bears its fruit on the outside (Better Homes and Garden).

The idea for velcro came from a burdock seed (The Eden Project).

The oldest viable seed to have grown into a plant is a date palm seed that was over 2000 years old. It was discovered in 1963, planted in 2005, and the resulting tree now stands over 4 feet high (Telegraph.co.uk).
 

Quick Links


Blog Spotlight

While reading Fast Company, one of my favorite business magazines, I was intrigued to find a well-known actor talking about time management and, yes... his circus!

To learn a few time management tips from Benedict Cumberbatch, read my blog,

 Sherlock Holmes Solves The Mystery Of Juggling Elephants
 

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5 Ways To "Spring" Forward With New Ideas  

  

Even as snow continues to fall in parts of the United States, many of us are beginning to look ahead to Spring with its official start on March 20. I'm hearing comments like, "I can't wait to get started on ______ when I can get outside," or "I've been putting off _______ because of the weather, but it's time to get moving."

 

This time of year also brings a sense of renewal within me. To (mis)quote a line from Alfred Tennyson, Spring is that time when a young man's fancy turns lightly to.....gardening! My daughter and I have already begun looking through our collection of seeds, imagining all the amazing things we can grow.

 

As I reflected on the process to transform these seeds into plants, I was reminded of just how much it parallels the practice we can follow to move our ideas (i.e. seeds) toward reality. They include:  

 

Prioritizing what you want to grow. If Sydney and I had our way, we would grow a little of everything. However, we have come to realize that almost every plant requires a specific growing regimen. If we attempt to grow too many different things, we won't be successful with any of them. Sound familiar? As you choose which ideas you want to grow, think forward to what the process looks like to make them successful. Compare that to your available time in the coming months. If you feel a bit stretched, choose to grow fewer ideas so you can make the "harvest" really successful.

 

Making a space to start them. All those seed trays and cups take up a significant amount of space and need to be placed where they won't be disturbed. Likewise, your ideas will need quality space in your day or week to grow. What do you plan to do to provide the mental or physical space? Manage your time more effectively? Cut out less important activities that have been occupying your time? Say "No" to additional obligations?

 

Creating the optimum environment. Just as seeds need specific resources to germinate and grow, so do our ideas. Take some time to think about the ideal environment that would really cause your ideas to take off. How can you create that environment with regards to how you structure your day or schedule your tasks?

 

Developing a routine to nurture their progress. A few years ago I had a beautiful tray of tomato seedlings in our small greenhouse. I checked them each morning. Unfortunately, I left on a business trip and forgot to ask my wife to water them while I was gone. I returned home to nothing but a few brown stems. Growing ideas, especially in the early stages, takes constant vigilance. It's so easy to get busy with the daily grind and neglect what's really important. What's the daily routine you will use to check the status of your ideas? Is it a checklist? Two or three questions you will ask yourself to evaluate your progress? Do you want others involved in growing this idea? Have you communicated what you need from them? 

 

Celebrating small successes. We're planting tomato seeds this week but won't actually see tomatoes from them until late June. If I only judge the success of my efforts by the size of the tomatoes on the vine 3 months from now, it would be easy to get discouraged. Instead, I'll smile when I see those first seed leaves breaking through the soil. I'll take pride in seeing new growth on the plants once they have been transplanted, and again when they begin blooming. How about those ideas you're getting ready to plant? What will be the first signs to you that your efforts are paying off? The final result is important, but it's not the only thing you should celebrate.

 

I'm excited about the arrival of Spring... both for my garden and your ideas to move your work and life forward. It's time to harvest more of what's important to you!  

 

   What are the ideas you want to grow to reality? 

 

Featured Video

A Tip To Deal With Procrastination from Jones Loflin
A Tip To Deal With Procrastination

What do snow and procrastination have in common? Watch Jones' 2 minute video to find out!

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Product/Service Highlight

 

New Program!

 

I am excited to formally announce my newest program. Going Green is a fresh answer to today's biggest workplace question: How do I improve my performance when I already have too much to do? Participants in the program are using words like, "Simple," "Practical," "Engaging," and "Effective" to describe it. You can watch a short video to better understand the model or you can read an overview of the program.

 

Some of the most frequent uses of the program have included:

  • Leadership development
  • Change management training
  • Training for managers
  • Opening/Closing keynote for conferences

  

To help me get the word out about Going Green, I'm asking a favor. Think of a conference or training event you have participated in over the past year where you see my message of Going Green having value to the participants. Send me an email or call me at 800-853-4676 and tell me more about the conference. I'll take it from there. 

 

As a way of saying "Thanks" for your help, I'll send you 3 FREE copies of my book, Getting the Blue Ribbon or substitute another book if you already have it.

 

 As always, I appreciate being part of your journey.  

 

  
With Gratitude,

Jones

 



You are receiving this newsletter because you have inquired about the speaking and training programs offered by Jones Loflin, received a copy of one of his books, Getting the Blue Ribbon, Juggling Elephants, or Getting to It, or signed up for his newsletter. To schedule Jones for a keynote or training program for your organization, email us or call 800-853-4676.

 

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