Archive for August, 2007

I don’t like the phone. It is a technological beast that I’ve fought for years. While I see countless people on their cell phones day and night, I don’t like mine very much. I find it impersonal. I would much rather talk with someone face to face, where I can see their expressions and feelings.

Yet I find that I can’t live without a phone. In our modern society we get business done with a phone, computer, and e-mail. Personal face to face communication is a luxury that most businesses can’t afford on a regular basis. With web based software, I find myself in countless webinars, trainings, and online conversations. With the combination of a computer and phone many of the personal training sessions that used to include a live person are now replaced with a computer slide show and a voice on the phone.

When you add in the usual complexity of modern voice mail and automated call routing I fight the urge to pick up my phone and call most companies when I have a problem. The frustration of layers of voice prompts to just get to a place where I can actually talk to a human being is very great.

Yet as much as I hate the phone, it is nice to just have a conversation on the phone once in a while. I love it when my daughter calls, just to see how we are doing. I like to talk with other people in my industry and see how they are coping with the changes and state mandates of the education business. I like to talk with my wife at the end of a busy day and plan a quiet evening out.

When I take a step back and look at the concept of Deliberate Actions, I realize that there are some people that I need to call that I haven’t talked to in a while… or maybe ever. This morning, I printed out a set of ten blank deliberate action cards and put them in a stack in front of me. I grabbed a sharpie and started writing names down.

Here are some of the names I came up with.

Old Friends: I put down the names of three of my good friends from High School. Tim, David, and Matt are all guys that I haven’t seen in years. I will have to do some searching to get the phone numbers, but I think it will be worth it. When we used to get together in High School we would brainstorm and write for our own humorous newspaper called the Burnt Bean Burrito. We would laugh for hours as we put together stories, pictures, and funny sayings. This will be fun.

Previous Co-Workers: I started reminiscing about places that I used to work and the friends that were there. It was very interesting just thinking of the places and faces from the past. I wondered if some of the people are still working there and how old their kids must be by now. I wondered if those oft dreamed about promotions ever came through. These are calls that may be a little tough to make since so much time has passed, but interesting just the same.

Relatives: I put down the names of some relatives that my wife and I haven’t seen in years. From family in Ohio to cousins in Alabama and Tennessee. Time is the great enemy here. What seems like just a few years has turned to decades. When my parents passed away some of the ties to our relatives passed with them. The letters didn’t come anymore and the names have faded into memories. These will be tough calls to make as those “best intentions” over the years never came to pass.

As I filled out card number 10, I realized that there are so many more calls to make. Friends from college, old customers, people from Toastmasters and other organizations. I started another sheet, and the tears came to my eyes as I realized all the people I have lost touch with.

Days become weeks, weeks become months, and suddenly we find the years rushing by. These simple little cards have really helped me see what is really important in life. Conversations that need to be made…

You open your mailbox and notice a rather plain looking envelope addressed to you. As you walk into the house you open the envelope and find a 10 dollar bill and a card that says… Go and Change the World. You look at the envelope for a return address or any sign of who it might be from but there is none.

What would you do?

How would you spend the money?

How could you change the world with just 10 dollars?

Would it make any difference if the amount was a dollar or maybe a thousand dollars?

This is a really interesting situation. To me it would require a lot of thinking and maybe some prayer.

Some ideas come to mind…

Ten dollars could buy a meal for a homeless person.

Ten dollars could buy some business cards for a new business.

Ten dollars could buy a new book that might change someone’s life.

Here is a thought… Put yourself on the sending end.

Who would you send ten dollars to that you know would change the world?

What friend, relative, or passer-by would be the recipient?

Why not send that envelope today?

This is the power of Deliberate Actions.

Here is the definition…

Deliberate: Carefully thought out and done intentionally

Actions: The process of doing something in order to achieve a purpose

In addition to sending money, could you make someone’s day better with a phone call, an e-mail, or maybe an encouraging word? How about writing a letter to someone you haven’t seen in a long time? What about taking a few minutes out of your day to help someone or pray for someone in need.

Here is a toolkit of 10 cards that can help you create some deliberate actions of your own. You can quickly print these out on Avery business card stock and fill them in with your own names. Here are some suggested uses.

1. Fill out all ten cards with names of recipients. Put the cards in a stack upside down. Shuffle the cards and pick one each day for 10 days. Take a few minutes that day and complete the action.

2. Leave the cards blank and choose one each day to perform an action on. Choose an appropriate person and complete the action.

3. Randomize the process. Leave the action cards blank and print out a sheet of recipient cards separately. Put the names of ten people on the recipient cards. Put each set of cards into its own stack upside down. Shuffle each stack and then draw one card from each stack. Perform the action from the action card for the person on the recipient card.

Download Instructions:

• Download the Deliberate Actions template
• Template includes 2 pages, an action set and 10 recipient cards
• Open in Microsoft Word
• Add text to the cards or print blank
• Cut & paste cards as needed
• Print out on Avery Business Card stock (10 card)
• Break cards apart
• Lay them out on your desk or table
• Follow the suggested uses above.

Deliberate actions can have a profound effect on both the sender and recipient. Imagine talking to that old friend from high school or that person you admired from your last job. How about helping an aging relative or sending a letter to your mom. Most of these actions will only take a few minutes out of your busy day. How about praying for a sick friend or sending a get well card or scripture verse for encouragement.

How about putting $10 in an envelope and send it off to a budding entrepreneur to get them to take the first step. Who knows… they may just go out and change the world?

Simple… Deliberate… Actions.