Yesterday, I confirmed again the value of the PDCA (Plan, Do, Check, Adjust) process explained in my RESOLVED: 13 Resolutions for LIFE book. Actually, it started two weeks ago Sunday when our family and friends have our afternoon basketball game. In that game, my team lost both games and we did so because of my poor performance. I was hitting the front of the rim with my shot and when I attempted to change strategies and drive to the hole, my knee kept hyperextending. These aren’t excuses as we certainly earned our losses, but I confronted the reality of the situation to make some adjustments for the following Sunday (yesterday).

In the scale of things, winning or losing the Sunday afternoon basketball games is not really a big issue; however, habitually using the PDCA process in one’s life is a huge part of success. Accordingly, I came in after our drubbing and made some adjustments. First, I asked Laurie to pick me up a knee brace as I cannot have knee pain while driving to the hoop. Second, since the kids are going to a private Christian school, I asked Laurie if she would practice shooting with me several times a week. (As the reader can see, I really do hate losing enough to change.) Both Laurie and I would take a shot and run to a new position for another shot. In other words, shoot and move.

After a couple of practices, I realized I had been shooting at the rim instead of arcing the ball to swish through the net. This, along with my knee brace, built my confidence for Sunday’s game. Moreover, all week long, when breaking from my studies, I invested mental energy envisioning (Ant and the Elephant) the ball falling through the rim and net. Needless to say, I couldn’t wait for yesterday’s basketball game to redeem our team’s poor performance.

On Sunday, within minutes after the game started, I could tell things had changed. My shot was dropping and I could drive to the hole without pain. True, I still am not in the best of shape; nonetheless, we won both games and looked like a different team. Afterwards, while sitting around the pool area, I realized again how important the PDCA process is to improve a person’s life. Furthermore, I realized I still need PDCA work as the other team will likely have its own adjustments for next week as well. 🙂 That, in a nutshell, is the game of life – constant adjustments from all participants to improve outcomes. Never, in other words, rest with good when a few adjustments make great possible!

I share this story because I am curious why so many people continue to repeat the same mistakes in their careers, relationships, hobbies, etc. when the PDCA process is so effective for improvement? Indeed, if a person will honestly address his shortcomings, applying the PDCA thought process to it, he can and will improve. Without a doubt, every person is creative. The question is: Is he creative in adjustments to win or creative in excuses to lose. I hate excuses and refuse to associate with whiners, complainers, and excuse makers (victims). Life is too short to spend it driving through the rearview mirror. If you don’t like the results in an area then change by applying the PDCA process. The process simply works when you work it.

What area of your life needs a PDCA application? Examine the scoreboard and see where you can improve. The scoreboard never lies. For instance, two weeks ago it said that our team embarrassed itself by losing both games. This week, however, the scoreboard reported a different result because our team made adjustments. Are you winning in the game of life? If yes, then find a defeat in every victory to stay humble and growing. Are you losing in the game of life? If yes, then find a victory in every defeat to stay hopeful and growing. Life truly is a journey, and with constant course corrections, you can reach your legacy destination. The PDCA process is essential for improvement when a person is sick and tired of his current results.

Sincerely,

Orrin Woodward

Albert Einstein once said, “Compound interest is the eighth wonder of the world,” pointing out the impressive results when money is compounded over time with interest. In the same way, I believe we should make compound results the ninth wonder of the world since results compound upon themselves over time just like money does. Regretfully, however, few stay consistent long enough in their success efforts to experience this ninth wonder.  Nonetheless, just in case someone is truly hungry for answers, I will share this simple, but not easy, principle again.

Success Takes Consistent Work!

Remember when you learned to use an old-fashioned hand water pump at summer camp (or at an old farm, park, etc.)? Typically, one person would pump the handle and another would prime the pump by pouring water into the assembly and down the well. By continuously working the handle up and down, one would eventually hear and feel the pump prime itself and draw water to the surface. In contrast, if at anytime during the priming process, the person responsible for working the handle became despondent or lackadaisical because of repeated efforts without water, the prime would not hold, and the process had to be repeated from the beginning. To achieve results then, one must pump repeatedly, ignoring the lack of evidential progress, until the well water is borne up from the well.

Likewise, the success process must be primed before results can compound. Indeed, many times, it will take years to develop the proper skills, techniques, and leadership to win in your chosen field. Unfortunately, it seems the advertisers have won out over common sense in our cur culture today. For instance, consumers are told that they can be fit in less than a month, achieve millionaire status overnight, or be happy and fulfilled people just by buying the advertiser’s product. True success takes time and effort, but the world is filled with people who are looking for shortcuts because they desire success without sacrifice. Accordingly, many people buy the latest and greatest elixir without realizing the promised results. Worse yet, they begin to believe something is wrong with them because they never seem to get the same results as those paid actors claimed to achieve.

Needless to say, it’s time to wake up from the fantasy of dreams without dedication. This simply doesn’t happen outside of novels, movies, and advertisements. The truth of the matter is, just like priming a manual water pump, one must put forth consistent effort over time to win in any worthy endeavor. In fact, I believe it’s because we have lost the commonsense principle of achieving success through hard work over time that North America is struggling to maintain competitiveness across the globe. Nevertheless, I refuse to give up hope or sit idly by and watch our once great civilization quietly decline. In reality, we can turn this around if we are willing to apply a heavy dose of thinking and work ethic.

What are you doing to achieve your dreams and goals? Are you giving it the consistent effort to learn, grow, and apply that success demands? Without an unequivocal yes to this question, you will remain like the person priming the water pump who stops moving the handle just short of the water reaching the surface. Thus, despite working hard, you must begin all over again because no one can violate the law of consistent effort over time without sacrificing the compounding of results. In other words, there is nothing wrong with the pump, as I have witnessed many families produce water from the pump, but the problem is with a person’s philosophy on what it takes to receive water from the pump.

Essentially, it’s your life, it’s your responsibility, and it’s your future. Learn the principle of compounding results over time and win. The LIFE business has taught me many lessons, and my goal is to pay them forward into others’ lives. Please share how and where you learned the lesson of compounding results.

Sincerely,

Orrin Woodward

Tony Cannuli, marketing director for Home Business Radio Network (HBRN) and good friend, recently asked me to co-host the Leadership Factory sponsored by HBRN.  After sitting down with Doug Firebaugh, co-founder of HBRN, I realized his philosophy and mine fit together beautifully. I love when people use their talents and business acumen to focus on making a difference. And that is exactly what HBRN does in the marketplace by providing top content from top leaders in the home-based business profession.

The Leadership Factory will focus on interviews with top leaders across the home-based business field, seeking to understand the secrets of their leadership success. Remember, success leaves clues, and the goal of the Leadership Factory is to cull those clues to the surface so that hungry students from across the world can learn from them. Twice a month on Wednesday at 2 pm Eastern Time, Tony and I will be interviewing leaders and learning along with everyone else. The good news is, since we are utilizing Google Hangout, if you miss the live event, you can always watch the YouTube video of the event.

HBRN and the LIFE business have teamed together to provide top-notch leadership thinking to the home-based business profession free of charge! It doesn’t get much better than that! 🙂 Here is the first Leadership Factory with our special guest Claude Hamilton. Enjoy.

Sincerely,

Orrin Woodward

Ray Kroc is one of my favorite entrepreneurs. First, he maintained his hunger through many tough years of conventional business so when he discovered the McDonald’s brothers at the age of 52, he was still motivated to do something about it. Second, his zeal to create a system that works for any hungry entrepreneur willing to do the work helped many people become successful in business. And third, his leadership melded a diverse team from the corporate level, the field, and suppliers to create a restaurant dynasty. Here is a video from a recent talk where I go into further detail. In my book RESOLVED: 13 Resolutions for LIFE, I share Kroc’s entrepreneurial journey.

Sincerely,

Orrin Woodward

Record-Breaking August

The LIFE business month for August is over. As we gear up for September, let me be the first to congratulate everyone on the best month in LIFE’s short history! Less than a year ago, LIFE launched with a goal to lead people to truth in the 8Fs of living: Faith, Family, Fitness, Finances, Friendship, Freedom, Fun, and Following. It has been an epic journey as we learned the ins and outs of our new business; however, the team is getting locked and loaded for greatness as we speak.

In the month of August, we experienced our largest increase in LIFE Subscriptions and the best growth percentage! Additionally, our Team Training numbers grew to the highest level yet with the best growth percentage! Indeed, our entire business breaks down into Conquer, Fortify, and Domesticate, and in September, we will be rolling out further improvements to the Fortify step. With that said, let’s not forget that the Mental Fitness Challenge continues to pick up speed in corporations, colleges, and universities across North America.  It is exciting to see the amount of customers who are not involved with the LIFE Compensation plan that LOVE our products and recommend them to others.

The LIFE Founders said we wanted to redefine the rules of the game, and that is exactly what we are in the process of doing. Imagine the next generation of Nightingale-Conant personal development, except all the leaders share in the corporate profits through compensated communities. One doesn’t have to imagine this anymore because this is LIFE.

Congratulations everyone on a fantastic performance; I believe it’s just the tip of the iceberg on what is to come! Here is a video from a talk I gave recently on the concept of changing the rules of the game. One million people, here we come!

Sincerely,

Orrin Woodward

You can tell the size of the leader by the size of the leaders he has around him. Good leaders have good followers, but great leaders have great leaders around them. When the right people are on the bus, as Jim Collins would say, then it’s just a matter of determining which direction the leadership team desires to go. Indeed, what is so great, yet at the same time challenging, in today’s economy is that technology keeps changing the rules of the game. Nonetheless, the best leadership team will adjust the quickest and win in today’s marketplace. Here is a video on leadership that I did at a recent LIFE Open.

Who do you have on your team? Are you developing leaders or followers? May the best team win.

Sincerely,

Orrin Woodward