If you're seven years old and they give you one marshmallows, don't eat it. Wait. If you wait, you'll get two marshmallows later and you'll have a better life. That's what the Stanford marshmallow researchers found out. The study found that those kids who waited scored higher in SAT tests, had less living problems, less obese, less addictions, less drug problems, and รข€“ blame it on the marshmallows, - had less divorces! Yes, the researchers followed the kids, including the losers, for several decades.
If you're reading this and remember eating one marshmallow very fast, (about grade 2), and you're overweight, divorced six times, drink a bit much, - now you know it was the marshmallows they gave you. On the other hand, if you're doing well, find life a breeze, and remember eating two marshmallows, - there's your answer!
Waiting, or self regulation, after intelligence, was the single most important determinant of success in life. Why is life set up so backwards? Why do you age? Why does hair fall out and lawns grow in? I could have been one of those single marshmallow kids. Inhaled the first one and wondered why other kids got two later. Life isn't fair.
"Wait and get two marshmallows later" is a lifetime attribute. You can't knock it out of people with coaching or incentives. Best find it at time of hiring. Instead of offering job candidates marshmallows to see who waits and who doesn't, better ask some polarizing questions. Eg., Living large, what does that mean to you? How many credit cards should you have? What's your ideal car? What's the ideal house look like to you? Does your candidate answer with the long view of self regulation? Or the short, "I want it all now" view?
Wednesday this week my seminar is on Time Management. We can't manage time but we can sure manage choices. Short or long view? It's a choice that effects every decision you'll ever make.
See you for breakfast!
Wolf
p.s. Seminar is Wed. Nov. 23rd, Glenbrook Park Amenities Ctr in New Westminster. 8:00 am, please arrive 15 min early. Great hall, we will have extra seats. It's late, so why not ask Rachel for a guest seat. See what she says! 604-931-6813.
Monday, 21 November 2011
Tuesday, 8 November 2011
The Bull. The Choice.
I might have been the only person at the bullfight thinking about time management. Some years ago, in Mexico, we went to a bullring. Not my first choice, Stuttgart doesn't prepare you for this. At the same time, you're also looking at a thousand year tradition.
The ethical issues are a bit rough, but the history of the bullring goes back a long ways. My first observation was, - this bull doesn't have a chance. You have better odds in a Vegas casino than the bull does against the matadors. However, I'm here, let's see this through.
The event is simple. You watch the bull charging blindly, making one bad decision after another and ultimately he pays with his life. Matadors count on it. The only reason a matador goes into a ring with a bull is he's pretty sure the bull can't manage his decisions. The bull will run after the red cape, - count on it, your life depends on it.
Busy humans are like the bull. We chase the red cape without thought to consequences. We charge to work, throw ourselves in the chaos, exert huge amounts of energy, repeatedly lunging at the same problems the same way and wonder why we lose the game.
No one can manage time, no one can mange tasks. The only thing we can manage is the next decision we make. Decisions, (choice) exists only where there is a plan. People who don't have choices also don't have a plan. Plans give us choice today over things that will happen tomorrow. Because the bull has no plan, he has no choice.
Take a lesson from the bull ring, - most gains are made by choosing what not to do. Maybe you shouldn't chase the red cape. Plan, and create choices.
Nov. 23rd is about time management. Plan to be there. It's a choice.
See you for breakfast,
Wolfgang
Location details, Wed. Nov. 23rd, - Glenbrook Park Amenities Centre, New Westminster
We've changed our location to the Glenbrook Park Amenities Centre, in New Westminster. This is a very central, beautiful park setting on the edges of New Westminster, (not far from the Royal Columbian Hospital). Hidden away, a park like setting I never expected to find. A free parking lot, a creek in the back, what better way to start a morning!
Location map link http://glenbrookpark.com/
Time 8:00 am to 10:00 am. Please arrive 15 minutes early.
Comment. Certainly we loved our time at the grand casino location but the room was problematic. Long, narrow and curved, we had our share of visibility and sound problems. This new location allows us to set the room wide, every seat is a good seat and the acoustics are much better.
It's also in line with my direction for 2012. The theme is Barefoot Management, the essentials. I've added workshop dates, events are almost monthly. Subjects are down to earth, clinic style, narrower, smaller and more specific in scope. I'm not going to try to solve the world's management problems in two hours. Instead I'm going to do the best job teaching you how to deal with one specific issue each time. This clinic is about time management. When we're done, you'll rearrange your work-life, for the better! See you at our new location.
p.s. Many countries have now outlawed bullfighting, including parts of Spain. Personally, I'm not planning to see another one. I'm fine, thank you.
The ethical issues are a bit rough, but the history of the bullring goes back a long ways. My first observation was, - this bull doesn't have a chance. You have better odds in a Vegas casino than the bull does against the matadors. However, I'm here, let's see this through.
The event is simple. You watch the bull charging blindly, making one bad decision after another and ultimately he pays with his life. Matadors count on it. The only reason a matador goes into a ring with a bull is he's pretty sure the bull can't manage his decisions. The bull will run after the red cape, - count on it, your life depends on it.
Busy humans are like the bull. We chase the red cape without thought to consequences. We charge to work, throw ourselves in the chaos, exert huge amounts of energy, repeatedly lunging at the same problems the same way and wonder why we lose the game.
No one can manage time, no one can mange tasks. The only thing we can manage is the next decision we make. Decisions, (choice) exists only where there is a plan. People who don't have choices also don't have a plan. Plans give us choice today over things that will happen tomorrow. Because the bull has no plan, he has no choice.
Take a lesson from the bull ring, - most gains are made by choosing what not to do. Maybe you shouldn't chase the red cape. Plan, and create choices.
Nov. 23rd is about time management. Plan to be there. It's a choice.
See you for breakfast,
Wolfgang
Location details, Wed. Nov. 23rd, - Glenbrook Park Amenities Centre, New Westminster
We've changed our location to the Glenbrook Park Amenities Centre, in New Westminster. This is a very central, beautiful park setting on the edges of New Westminster, (not far from the Royal Columbian Hospital). Hidden away, a park like setting I never expected to find. A free parking lot, a creek in the back, what better way to start a morning!
Location map link http://glenbrookpark.com/
Time 8:00 am to 10:00 am. Please arrive 15 minutes early.
Comment. Certainly we loved our time at the grand casino location but the room was problematic. Long, narrow and curved, we had our share of visibility and sound problems. This new location allows us to set the room wide, every seat is a good seat and the acoustics are much better.
It's also in line with my direction for 2012. The theme is Barefoot Management, the essentials. I've added workshop dates, events are almost monthly. Subjects are down to earth, clinic style, narrower, smaller and more specific in scope. I'm not going to try to solve the world's management problems in two hours. Instead I'm going to do the best job teaching you how to deal with one specific issue each time. This clinic is about time management. When we're done, you'll rearrange your work-life, for the better! See you at our new location.
p.s. Many countries have now outlawed bullfighting, including parts of Spain. Personally, I'm not planning to see another one. I'm fine, thank you.
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