This month we celebrate the beginning of 365 new days. 365 chances to live differently. 365 moments to give and receive love. 365 opportunities to create purpose and direction. 365 times to experience joy, peace, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, self-control and abundance. 365 days to live beyond ourselves.  (See January 1, 2009 post on the negative way numbers can impact us.)

It is fitting that a fresh start takes place after a month of being thankful (November) and a month of giving (December). We have had time to reflect over our past year, bask in the warmth of new memories, experience personal growth from the not so pleasant ones, be thankful for what we have and to give to others from that abunbance. We have the opportunity to start afresh by building on our past and opening ourselves to the future.

So what does your future hold? Have you given it much thought? Are you stuck in the fear of tough times? Are you optimistic and willing to make a difference in the quality of your life?

Have you ever noticed how numbers dominate our thinking? We literally live by numbers. Hold old are we? What is our height? Our weight? How long have we been married? How many marriages? How many children do we have? Where are we in the birth order of our siblings? What is our house worth/ number of bathrooms and bedrooms/ square footage? How much do we earn? What year is the car we drive? How many trips have we taken? And on and on.

What’s that all about? Have we reduced the definition of who we are and our value to humanity to a series of numbers?

Would we feel different if we didn’t know our birth date? How wealthy would we be if we didn’t fix a number to our sense of abundance? How healthy would we be if we simply ate right, exercised and didn’t focus on the scale in our bathrooms?

Do you really look at the core of who you are rather than where you fit in the numbers game?

In this new year, it would be a good time to ask yourself: How do I determine my self-worth? How do I allow others to place a value on me? How do I define happiness/ contentment/ success/ belonging? If all your answers come up as numbers, then perhaps it’s time for a paradigm shift. It’s just a thought.

I will not be posting any blog entries during the month of December. I’m taking the time to rest and reflect on this past year ~ enjoy this holiday season ~ and gather my thoughts on goals and expectations for the coming year. You can check out my previous posts, or go into the Resources section of my website to read past newsletters. In the meantime, whether in life or business, learn from the past so you can move toward your desired future but not at the expense of the present. New posts will start January 2009.

It may seem elementary, but tough times are a reminder to take a fresh look at the basic traits vital to success in business (and life).

Work is defined as physical or mental effort or activity directed toward the production or accomplishment of something; the means by which one earns one’s livelihood, a trade, craft, business or profession Work is an action verb. It means to be doing, making or performing. There is an expected result of the work activity in which we engage.

Ethic or ethics means any set of moral principles or values; also rules or standards governing the conduct of the members of a profession. Ethics, then, are the moral quality of a course of action. Ethics are a standard of expected conduct.

So a work ethic describes the standard of behavior in the workplace, but certainly can be extended to anything in life that requires the doing, making or performing of something. Work ethic can be applied to the boss or the employee.

Back to business basics:

• Attendance – This one is about as basic as you can get. Show up whether it’s physically or virtually, whether it’s a set or fluid time schedule. In the case of a sole proprietor, attendance is even more crucial because if you don’t show up to make your business happen, who will?
• Character – I’ve talked a lot about character in previous blogs so I won’t elaborate here. It goes without saying that how you perceive tough economic times will influence whether you pass, fail or excel in the months ahead. Are you seen as a person of character in your dealings with your colleagues, employees and customers?
• Communication – A plethora of books, articles, teaching manuals, DVD’s, etc have been developed on effective verbal and nonverbal communication. Do your communications skills need a tune-up? Does your communication style effectively display your leadership abilities? If need be, get thee to a bookstore or a seminar or whatever it takes to brush up. How can you be sure if you are an effective communicator? Ask your colleagues, employees or significant other.
• Respect – Blues queen, Aretha Franklin, once sang a song about respect. Rodney Dangerfield bemoaned the fact that he couldn’t get any. People listen to people they respect. Are you respect-worthy? Do you treat others with respect? Do you respect yourself and your ability to rise above tough economic times?
• Teamwork – Again, I have already addressed teamwork but remember that a strong team multiples your effectiveness. That team could be your company’s workforce or that team could be your personal board of directors. What are you doing to keep your team dynamically engaged in your business?

This is just a refresher course. Authors far more knowledgeable than I am have written thousands of words about work ethic. The important thing is to take a fresh look at your work ethic and see if it has the staying power to get you through, and even excel, in tough economic times.

Tough Times Call For will be continued in my December 2008 newsletter. It’s free, all you have to do to receive it is sign up! Thanks to Alice Arredondo from the Department of Economic Security who penned an article in the Arizona Republic on work ethic and from whom I received inspiration for today’s blog.

I was sitting at a traffic light the other day and found myself reading the back of the vehicle in front of me ~ you know, things like the license plate and the bumper sticker. What caught my eye was the name, Pathfinder, which seemed like a fitting moniker for a sporty all-terrain SUV. I got to thinking about what it means to be a path finder, and it occurred to me that in today’s business climate, just finding the path wasn’t going to cut it anymore. Tough economic times call for path makers. So what’s the difference?

The trusty dictionary defines to find as to come upon by accident; to come upon after a search; to come upon through experience or study; to arrive at. So a path finder is one who finds the path either by accident, search or experience. The definition of to make is to create; to give new form to; to cause to become, acquire a stated characteristic or to behave in a particular manner. So a path maker is one who creates or gives new form to the path.

The distinction may seem subtle but it’s this kind of thinking that could make the difference in how your business fairs in these tough economic times. You can choose to adopt the mindset of a path finder. Through accident, trial and error, seeking and ultimately applying what you learn, you may find the path that keeps your business alive, or even prosper regardless of tough economic times.

Or you could be a path maker where you actually create the path that is most beneficial to your business ~ a path that may not even have existed before you caused it to “be.” Several years ago, a popular book espoused the virtues of leaving behind the you-should, this-is-how-it-must-be approach to life and take the road less traveled. Being a path maker is the same kind of thinking. It goes beyond finding a path that already exists, perhaps a very well-worn path that is no longer useful. It calls for a machete knife and good hiking boots because you will be creating your very own path to success.

So are you a path finder or a path maker? The choice is yours.

“Company think” isn’t going to get you through tough times. Yes, there are core beliefs that every company is founded on, and there are some core beliefs that ring true no matter what, such as honesty, integrity, clarity, focus. Nevertheless, there needs to be intense scrutiny about what you are doing when it isn’t “business as usual.”

So I’m going to throw out a few things for you to think about as you navigate your business in tough economic times.

• Is your definition of success achievable? Can your “global” definition remain but be modified for the short term so you continue to succeed not fail? Or do you really need to rethink what success means to you? Mix in realistic thinking with your dreams. This is important because continual failure despite our best efforts and intentions can bring about depression and discouragement.
• Think about how you’ve handled crises and tough times in the past. What did you learn? What helped you successfully navigate the choppy waters? What mistakes did you make?
• Take responsibilities for your decisions. Do you have a I-have-no-control attitude or do you take control and do the best, or even better, for the circumstances at hand?
• Is it time to revisit your company’s vision, mission and purpose? What new opportunities may be on your horizon? Not everyone is wallowing in bankruptcy or depressed finances.

I will leave you with a definition of “crisis” that may change the way you think of that word. In Chinese, the word “crisis” is written as a combination of two characters ~ “danger” and “opportunity.” Which half do you ascribe to? The glass is half empty side or danger? The glass is half full or opportunity?

Unsettled times can cause unsettled feelings ~ unsettled feelings can cause you to take your eye off the ball and take an erratic swing at any pitch that comes your way. Not a good way to keep your head above water and your business afloat. Now more than ever is the time to take a keen, critical look at every aspect of your business, whether you are a one-person operation or have several employees. Every person and every policy has to be focused on positioning your company to weather the current storm and come out the other side hitting home runs. With the right decisions, your business might even thrive during the current difficult economic conditions.

You don’t have to tackle this on your own. Even a sole proprietor can pull together a team of trusted advisers to act as a sounding board and source of counsel. Your team could be paid professionals such as your lawyer, accountant, business coach. Your team could be respected business people in your community or your key employees.

Think of it as your personal board of directors.

Of course, if your company already has such an operating team, then you are ahead of the game. Just make sure that you all get together for vigorous and frequent batting practice because there is no such thing right now as a sure bet or an unbeatable team.

Before you can meet your needs, you should examine the people, places, things and actions in your life that drain away time, energy, emotions and resources away from meeting those needs. This would be anything in your life that you are putting up with, find annoying, getting in the way, or affects your attitude.

Make a list of at least 10 of your energy drainers, annoyances and tolerations that you experience daily or only occasionally. Do not avoid listing someone or someone because you feel that he, she or it cannot be dealt with ~ write down everything. If you have more than 10, write them down too. Truth be told, we all can list a whole more. Don’t forget to write down the source.

Example: energy drainer = waiting in line / source = slow or insufficient number of clerks

In my November newsletter published Saturday, November 1st, I will address dealing with your energy drainers, annoyances and tolerations in a proactive way, and with meeting your needs. You can receive my newsletter and read my newsletter archives by clicking on the button at the top left column of this page and providing your contact information.

We all have needs. They are normal and natural. The trouble comes when we do not acknowledge those needs. Further confusion arises when we are unable to distinguish between a bona fide need and a want/desire.

So what’s the difference? There is no easy, quick answer since wants often disguise themselves as needs. It take a willingness to be honest and soul-searching about this. Here’s a quick checklist.

Needs:

• Are essential to our well-being.
• We feel an intense attraction towards.
• We experience a feeling of relief when filled.

Wants:

• Are unessential to our well-being.
• We feel an intense attraction towards.
• We often do not feel relief when filled or relief for only a short time and then we desire something else.

Here are some examples.

Needs for security – safety, protection, stability, information, clarity, honesty, commitment to meet obligations, financial security, authority.

Needs for intimacy/relationship/connection – be listened to, needed, loved, touched, helped, included, cherished, appreciated, connected to a group, to collaborate and communicate, be connected to something greater than self.

Needs for achievement/attainment – to create, accomplish, strive for, perform, have peace, attain calmness, be busy, be responsible, be perfect, be spiritual.

Wants – usually newer, bigger, better (you fill in the blank-often a material thing including money, possessions, etc)

How do you recognize an unmet need?

• Track your emotions. When you discover patterns of “downer” emotions, you might be on the trail of a need.
• If a need is unmet – often feel frustrated, fearful, disappointed, hurt angry.
• If a need is met – feel pleased, excited, challenged, relieved. Needs are pegged to the core of who we are.

Try writing down your top ten needs. Then narrow it down to your top five.

Next blog – meeting your needs.

The world’s financial crisis makes me stop and take notice of my own personal operating capital. I’m not talking about money, I’m talking about the inner resources that I drawn upon daily. I’m talking about the basis from which I carry out my day, make decisions, plan for the future, treat others, and generally live out my life. Not only am I asking what these resources are, I am asking how do I refill and refresh those resources.

In business, it’s dumb and destructive to ignore a company’s finances. It’s a proven statistic that many new businesses don’t make it because they are under-capitalized. It’s also a proven statistic that without adequate on-going funding, a business is doomed to fail, regardless of the number of years it has been operating. It’s just good business sense to keep an eye on inflow and outflow of cash.

In life, it’s equally dumb and destructive to ignore your own operating capital. Do you take care of your health? your spiritual needs? your intellectual growth? your personal relationships? Do you even know what you need in order to be a fulfilled, self-actualized human being? Do you know the difference between a concrete need and a desire for your life?

I will be writing about differentiating between a need and a want, and identifying your own needs, in next Monday’s blog, October 20th.