The following is from The Simple Truths of Service by Ken Blanchard & Barbara Glanz

One way to get customers to brag about you is to begin thinking outside the box. That’s exactly what the owner of this appliance repair company my mother bragged about did. When I called him to find out how he could service people the day they called, he explained his story. It turned out that he had been a fix-it man in Massachusetts. Because of his health, his doctors suggested he move to a warmer climate. When he got to San Diego, he would find out when people were moving into a house they had just bought. He would knock on the door and tell them that he was a fix-it man. If they needed any painting or repairs done, he would be happy to do it at a reasonable price. All he asked was that they agree to refer him to other customers if they liked his work.

This guy always showed up on time, did what he said he would do with high quality, and charged a reasonable price. People loved his work. He built his business up so much that when old customers would call to get him to do something, very often he didn’t have time because he was so busy. A number of people suggested to him that he start his own company. But he was reluctant, because he was concerned about managing employees and having a big payroll.

One day he woke up in the middle of the night with a brilliant idea. About thirty percent of the people living in San Diego are retirees. Many retirees are bored. They’d love to have something to do, and if they can help other people, that’s even more special. So he put an ad in the local paper that said: Retirees: If you’re good at fixing things, want to help people, and make some extra money, give me a call.

It turns out he had 25-30 retirees on call every single day. So if a customer like my mother called, he had someone he could send out to her. And he didn’t have the problem of a big payroll. If the people didn’t work, they didn’t get paid. Laughingly, he told me that he had a hard time paying some of the people, because it goofed up their Social Security. They just loved the work.

How’s that for out-of-the-box thinking? Johnny didn’t do too badly on that score, either.

“The best way to have a good idea is to have lots of ideas.”

-Linus Pauling-


The following is from Dreams are Whispers From the Soul by Marcia Wieder

Big dreams get stalled, fail or even die when we put them on a to-do list. You can’t put write a book or move to a new home on an action list. I once saw “have a baby,” on a woman’s list. When I lightly suggested there were probably a few prerequisites required, she blushed.

Accomplish big and long term dreams by breaking them down into projects that you are passionate about achieving. Remember the old proverb, How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. Similarly, big dreams need to be broken down into smaller projects.

Projects, like goals, have a definite end result that you will intend to reach by a certain date. I recommend you create projects that can easily be completed in one month or less. Why? We are motivated by results and a month is a long enough period of time where you can produce a substantial outcome while still keeping your passion ignited.

All projects should:

Be specific and measurable. Move you forward on your dream.Be easy to accomplish in one month or less.Be something you are passionate about.

Feel what you love (passion) and what you want (dreams) and then turn them into goals and projects. But, if you move too quickly to strategy, you may compromise before you fully explore all possibilities. Act on what’s important to you and demonstrate that you are committed to your dream by taking powerful steps today.

In One Fell Swoop

Aligned with your purpose, there is often overlap on your projects. This means as you check off one activity, you may progress on many dreams simultaneously. For example, I traded speaking to the guests at the Red Mountain Spa for a retreat for two. With one phone call, I moved ahead on my dreams to: live a spa life, have more fun and adventure, inspire people to dream, be healthy and fit, and travel in style and elegance, with the man I love.

“Passionate living is when we align our head and heart through action.”

Marcia Wieder