Oct 27
2011

Dreamers,

At the Rendezvous last week, I spoke of how much I love eagles.  One visit to my office and you can see how much I love eagles!  I asked the attendees to spread their wings with me, as if eagles, and soar. (Perhaps, soon, some photos will be posted on our website from the Rendezvous and you’ll notice a picture of folks with their arms outstretched).  It was a beautiful thing, even though I imagine some were out of their comfort zone; at least most were smiling.

You know, when times are good, we are on a mountaintop, and our outlook is great.  Last week was like that.  Everyone was relishing in the experience and making new friends that shared their positive outlook.  The education, the networking, sharing tips and tricks and stories and plenty of laughs was simply fantastic.

Have you noticed when you are around people that have high energy, some of it rubs off on you?  Your relationships and alliances are important.  When we spend time around new people—which Workampers do a lot—we begin to imitate the characteristics, mannerisms and even the values of those around us.  Sometimes we even pick up on the local accents or lingo!  The synergy of eagles is incredible. That’s the kind of synergy you want to have—the reach for the sky kind!

Do you want to scratch with the turkeys or soar with the eagles?  You don’t want to pick up on negative, or insensitive habits. It is important to surround yourselves with people who will be a positive influence on your life.  Surround yourselves with eagles and your habits and values will be better because of it!

Additionally, those that meet together with a common bond become creative, cohesive, and strong.  There is nothing greater than the support of friends and co-workers. Instead of approaching a problem as an individual, brainstorm with a team and see how much farther along you go in less time.

Develop the right alliances and learn from each other.  Those at the Rendezvous who had things going well for them, took that positive momentum and kicked it up a notch for everyone around them.  They were the eagles and they enabled others to soar.  If you aren’t yet an eagle, look for one to be around.

Until next time,

Steve Anderson, Dream Engineer

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Oct 20
2011

“HOPE is a powerful fuel; it creates motion.  Hope is not “cute;” it is steel covered in velvet. Hope and its sister, faith, create action,” says Dave Ramsey in his book “More Than Enough.”

When we walk to the edge and step into darkness of the unknown, there will be something solid for us to stand on or God will teach us how to fly.  Hope moves us forward when logic and energy are gone. Hope is a motivator.

Conversely, if hope is gone, we STOP. Paralysis sets in and we freeze with apathy.  When you lose hope, you lose the energy to make your vision become a reality. People without hope become depressed.   Just remember, “Hope is an act of the will, it is a decision.”  Everything can be taken from you, but the only way you lose your hope is you have to surrender it.

Henry Ford said “Failure is the opportunity to begin again more intelligently.”  Making decisions based on a loss of hope, however, can have worse long-term effects.   “Debt, which robs your ability to build wealth,” Dave Ramsey says, “is usually the result of lost hope.”   Marriages collapse when hope is lost.  Those that are ill die, when they lose hope.  When our focus is on stuff, when we can’t get over disappointments in our careers, our mates, our financial bottom line, we lose hope.  “Hope correctly placed does not disappoint,” Ramsey says.

One thing that causes us to lose hope is the lie that “failure” is permanent.  Failure in our past is not an indicator of our future.  Winston Churchill, in fact, said “Success is going from failure to failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm.”    Instead, we have to acknowledge that failure in some area of life is inevitable.   We need to take all the lessons learned from our past failures and climb on top of them to give us a “breathtaking view that hope gives.”

What is it that makes some people give up while others try, try again?  It is the people who do not accept failure as an indicator of their future that get up and try again.  Dale Carnegie said “Develop success from failure.”  Failure is a stepping stone to success. Your past failures only have power over you if you won’t let it go.  Learn from your past and move on.

Until next time…

Steve Anderson,

Your Dream Engineer

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Oct 13
2011

Dreamers,

As you must have noticed by now, there are hundreds of tasks that almost all mature adults face—many of them unpleasant.  It really is to a workamper’s advantage to face the tasks and get them done so that you are then free to travel unheeded!  There are so many things that can consciously or subsconsciously cause you to be irritated, annoyed or zap you of energy.

If you aren’t planning on Workamping, it is still valuable to attend to these tasks.  If you find that you can’t do it alone, there are professional organizers that help you declutter your life.  The National Association of Professional Organizers have people that are experts in efficiency.  Or, find someone that can dispassionately look beyond your attachments, fancies, or fears and can be neutral in a way you can’t, at least to clean out your closets, attics and garages!  Get advice on what tax records, important paperwork and such needs to be kept and for how long.

These tasks take time so don’t overburden yourself, your family or the people you hire.  You may think you are finished cleaning out your closets and drawers, and then, have a reality check and realize you need to get rid of a whole lot more!  Try not to think of what you paid for things, but rather the cost of storing them or how they just tie you down.

If you love having garage sales, then go for it.  Consider donating items to local charities.  Use a shredder for personal and financial papers (or take them somewhere that will shred them for you).

All the while you are tending to these rather difficult tasks, be sure to look to the future and visualize the weight off your shoulders as you pursue your dreams!

Now, doesn’t that feel better?

Steve Anderson, Your Dream Engineer

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Oct 6
2011

Dreamers,

Time management courses often tell us there are four steps of completion, all beginning with the letter “D.”  So far, we have covered “Do it” and “Delegate it.”  That leaves “Delay It” or “Dump It.”  I don’t think the option “Delay It” is one that can be used very much in preparing for the Workamper lifestyle.  We want you to be free to travel unhindered by tasks left undone, if at all possible.  As for “Dump It,” that is a personal decision whether a task should be discarded.

As I mentioned last week, if you do delegate a task, be sure to set a deadline for getting it done; periodically check to see that it is getting done.

Take a look at the “incompletes” in your life and categorize each into the three options (do it; delegate it; dump it).

For example, here are typical tasks everyone has to deal with in life, and especially if you are getting ready to workamp!

  1. Closets overflowing
  2. Disorganized garage or attics full of unused or rarely used items
  3. Junk drawers full of “who knows whats”
  4. Desks piled high with “to dos,” “incompletes” or papers unfiled
  5. Filing left undone
  6. Checkbooks not balanced or accounts not closed
  7. Disorganized tax records
  8. Computer files not backed up
  9. Data needing conversion to CD for storage
  10. Family photos in boxes or bins
  11. Broken, unusable items or clothes needing mending
  12. Household or yard maintenance that’s been put off

Are there people you have meant to keep in contact with?  Have you kept your phone directories (written or stored on your phone) up to date?

Can you without hesitation put your hands on birth certificates, social security cards, passports, health records, critical contact info?

It is of utmost importance to make a list of all the tasks necessary to be completed, decide which to do yourself, delegate, or dump.  Forget delay, unless absolutely necessary.  Then, give yourself a timeline on each task.  Ready, set, go!

As always,

Steve Anderson, Your Dream Engineer.  Toot, toot!

Don’t let your dreams leave the station without you!

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