His formula, in a nutshell, is made up of three simple steps: (1) create a compelling vision, (2) define the reasons you want to create your vision, (3) review your vision daily and take action, consistently, to make it happen.   Rome wasn’t built in a day and neither is your “great vision.” Take a positive step to support your vision by learning from one of the master performance coaches of our time:  A New Year. A New Life..

Today, just be you.
Short, tall, or small, give it your all.
Accept the imperfectly perfect you.

If your Soul wrote a sign in the sky, what would it say?
Save your pimples, frowns, and tears for a rainy day?
No way!

If your Soul spoke to you on the radio, what would you hear? You are as beautiful as a flower, no matter the hour.

If your Soul knocked on your door, what would you see?
An overwhelming beauty, rising like wings to set you free, And encourage you to live positively.

Just be you. It’s who you are.
No need to travel far, you don’t even need a car.

Nothing to do and nowhere to go.
Just let your life flow, and give the world a great show.

I’ll say it one last time.
Just be you.

When you do give yourself a pat on the back,
Because it’s you who made the world a better place,
That’s a fact.

Humor and games are also noted to improve attitudes on the jobsite.

As a matter of fact, I used to work backstage at a theatre arts center, where staff meetings required the performers to play theater games.

Games help improve rapport, build teamwork, and enhance onstage performance.

While most of us don’t work at a theater,  we can still benefit from the power of play to improve relationships, synergy, and on the job performance.

Daniel Pink, bestselling author of A Whole New Mind, shares that “…play is becoming as important as work, business, and personal well-being.”  According to Pink, outdated philosophies that see work and play on opposite sides of the fence are missing the mark.

Henry Ford, father of the Ford Motor Company, was once quoted as saying, “When we are at work we ought to be at work.  When we are at play we ought to be at play. There is no use trying to mix the two.” He saw his workers laughing, jesting, and sharing as an obstruction to work productivity.

Consider the opposite approach by the successful company, Southwest Airlines, whose mission statement states, “People rarely succeed at anything unless they are having fun doing it.”  Southwest is not alone in its approach to employing its employees’ spirit of playfulness. Pink shares that, as reported by the Wall Street Journal, “…more than fifty European companies—including less than zany firms such as Nokia, Daimler Chrysler, and Alcatel—have brought in consultants in “Serious Play,” a technique that uses Lego building blocks to train corporate executives.”

What can you do to bring more play into your work and home life?  Do you know how to skillfully engage your humor, silliness, and joy for success?

Write down a list of your top ten ways to play.  Identify those things that cause you to feel joyful, happy, and blissful.  These can be things such as recreational activities, favorite pastimes, personal pleasures, exciting projects, and/or fun endeavors.

Then take action on your list. Create a company picnic, play a game of charades, or get outdoors together.  Spend time with your loved ones making jokes, watching comedy, or looking for humor in challenging situations.

Shifting your attitude to include humor and play is a good career move and an excellent way to improve your general overall well-being. Give it a try!

Smiling is infectious,
You can catch it like the flu.
Someone smiled at me today,
And I started smiling too.
~Author Unknown

Facial expressions transmit a wealth of information. A mere smile can turn a stranger into a friend and sadness into happiness. Consciously or unconsciously when you smile at others you convey a message of friendliness and warmth. A smile also has emotional health benefits for the one smiling. A smile cues your mental well-being, relaxation, and happiness. So go ahead, rock your smile! Spread the spirit of happiness, friendship and peace without speaking a word. It will you make you and the world around you a much better place.

7 Smile Quotes to Inspire Your Smile

1. The shortest distance between two people is a smile. ~Author Unknown
2. Smiling is my favorite exercise. ~Author Unknown
3. You’re never fully dressed without a smile. ~Martin Charnin
4. Smile – it increases your face value. ~Author Unknown
5. A smile can brighten the darkest day. ~Author Unknown
6. Beauty is power; a smile is its sword. ~Charles Reade
7. A smile is the universal welcome. ~Max Eastman
8. Everytime you smile at someone, it is an action of love, a gift to that person, a beautiful thing. ~Mother Teresa
9. A friendly look, a kindly smile, one good act, and life’s worthwhile. ~Author Unknown
10. Today, give a stranger one of your smiles. It might be the only sunshine he sees all day. ~Quoted in P.S. I Love You, compiled by H. Jackson Brown, Jr.