March 2022 – Dan Greer

Suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope

Posted on March 28, 2022April 25, 2024 by dan_adm

Suffering Produces Perseverance; Perseverance, Character; and Character, Hope

Moreover, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces perseverance, character, and hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.
Romans 5:3-5 (NIV)

This scripture deeply resonated with me. How often, when faced with challenges and suffering, do we turn to God and ask, “What have I done to deserve this?” or “I tried to listen to you, but I feel like I missed the point.”

We frequently seek God’s guidance and relief from our suffering during tough times. I interpret these verses as it is through suffering that we develop perseverance, shape our true character, and cultivate such immense hope that we cannot help but find joy.

Wow, that was awesome!

Let’s delve deeper into these verses. What exactly is perseverance? Growing up in a community where perseverance was always emphasized, I’ve come to see it as simply not giving up. Angela Duckworth famously terms it “grit”—the ability to persist even when faced with challenges.
Faith demands perseverance, as does being an employee, a leader, or a parent. Life itself necessitates grit; never giving up is crucial. Recently, I’ve been regularly tuning in to the podcast “Born to Impact,” where they discuss the importance of perseverance.

They often use the analogy of someone striking a rock 99 times with no success, but on the 100th strike, it finally cracks open to reveal incredible beauty. If you had given up after the 99th strike, you would have missed out on discovering the true treasure within.

Let’s transition to discussing character. I view character as how we behave and respond to the situations God presents in our lives. Our character is molded by the events we encounter, and our reactions to those events reveal our true character.

Perhaps you’ve found yourself in a situation where your boss wasn’t pleasant—maybe you contributed to the situation, or perhaps not. Regardless, you’re unhappy with the current circumstances.

In such moments, we have a choice: we can either gossip about the boss behind their back or address the issue directly with them and seek solutions. The crucial point here is that our character makes all the difference.

How are our characters shaped? It’s shaped by the trials God guides us through and our responses to those trials. Character is dynamic and can evolve for everyone. We can grow into the people we are truly meant to be.

Let’s talk about hope! How would you define hope? For me, hope is the belief that things will ultimately work out for the best. It’s maintaining faith even in situations where success seems impossible. Hope is seeing the good in others when no one else does, and it serves as the beacon of light in the world.

It’s trusting that humanity will make righteous choices. Hope can take on various forms, depending on what you believe in. Above all, hope is the assurance that, regardless of the circumstances, God has control over our lives. All we need to do is keep working hard and trust that God is steering the ship in the right direction.

The final part of these verses is particularly challenging for me. They suggest that only through suffering can we acquire these virtues. Why is it that we seem, for lack of a better term, ignorant, that we must endure suffering to gain such insights? God knows our journey; he knows us even before our birth, and he understands us better than we understand ourselves.

Ready to Transform Your Leadership Approach? Delve into ‘Leading with perseverance‘ and enhance your skills. Follow our expert insights on this transformative journey. Explore more now at Eclipse DOT.

Start Allowing Those Close To You To Fail

Posted on March 28, 2022April 25, 2024 by dan_adm

Start Allowing Those Close to You to Fail

I bet when you saw the title, you thought, “I’m not sure I want to read this.” Or maybe, “What’s this guy on about? How does letting someone fail to help them grow?”

Well, if you’re willing to stick with me for a little bit, I promise I’ll explain myself.

And who knows? By the end, you might even find yourself agreeing with me. But if not, that’s perfectly fine too.

So, let’s dive right in. Would it be okay if I started with a story? Great, thanks. So, among the many stories I could share, let me tell you one about myself. The other day, I was up flying.

In case you didn’t know, I’ve been taking lessons to obtain my pilot’s license, and it’s been an incredible journey so far.

However, I must admit, I tend to push myself a little harder than I probably should.

I set deadlines that others might consider unattainable, like aiming straight for my twin-engine certification instead of starting with a single-engine license.

And to add to that, I often declare, “I will have this license by ____ date,” without ever consulting with anyone, not even Jenna or my instructor—two important people who should be involved in such decisions.

Anyway, I set these lofty goals and pursued them with every fiber of my being. Lately, I’ve been focused on perfecting the landing of this twin-engine aircraft.

In case you didn’t know, a twin-engine plane is significantly heavier than a single-engine one; it goes much faster and packs more power. I had a sudden flashback to Tim the “Tool Man Taylor” from the show Home Improvement and nearly grunted out loud here at the airport where I’m writing this. That would have been embarrassing!

With that said, landing, taking off, and flying are all much quicker, and there’s a lot more happening in the cockpit.

In a single-engine plane, you usually come in for a landing at around 50 MPH, whereas in our twin, you’re closer to 120 MPH, never dipping below 80 MPH.

We’ve been practicing touch-and-go landings, where you touch down, raise the flaps, go full throttle, and take off again without stopping.
After about five attempts, I was starting to get the hang of landing this behemoth. The first one went well, though I came in a bit too fast and touched down too late.

The second time, I pulled up a tad early, resulting in a fly-around—no actual touchdown, just accelerating and flying about five feet off the ground.

The third time, I landed hard, bouncing down the runway before coming to a stop. The fourth attempt was much smoother; I centered perfectly and touched down softly.

The fifth time was pure perfection—I landed exactly where I aimed, and it felt incredible! Then, my instructor turns to me and says, “Ready to try this with one engine?”

I looked at him, completely serious, and my eyes widened like Coke bottles as I replied, “Oh heck no! You better show me how it’s done.”
He takes control, loudly declaring, “WHAT A WUSS?” Ha-ha!

Then he cuts the throttle on one engine, and we bring her in on a single engine.

It was incredible to witness how it functioned. That marked our final landing for the day. When we returned to the hangar, I turned to him and asked, “So, be completely honest with me.

How much did you assist me on those last landings?” He met my gaze squarely and replied, “Dan, that one where we flopped down the runway like a fish on dry ground? That was all you had. Lol.”

The whole point of this experience is that he allowed me to fail multiple times because that’s how one learns. Consider this: if you execute everything flawlessly the first time, every time, you don’t learn.

The crucial aspect is that right after each failure, we discussed what I could have done better and why it didn’t go as planned. He guided me on how to improve and what I should do differently next time.

After we pushed the plane back into the hangar, he looked at me with unwavering sincerity and said, “Dan, the one landing I assisted you with was the single-engine landing. The rest were all you.

You nailed a few of those too.”

Act!

Today, I encourage you to act by refraining from action.

The next time you encounter an opportunity for someone to learn through failure, provided it won’t result in significant harm, I urge you to embrace the chance for them to fail.

Then, following that experience, coach them on how to improve for the next time.

Ready to Transform Your Leadership Approach? Delve into ‘Dream So Big It Scares Others!‘ and enhance your skills. Follow our expert insights on this transformative journey. Explore more now at EclipseDOT.com.

Take care of yourself!

Posted on March 21, 2022April 25, 2024 by dan_adm

Take Care of Yourself

Have you ever experienced the struggle of tying your shoes and feeling like it’s difficult to breathe when you bend over? I’ve found myself in that situation multiple times in my life. You know what I did? Absolutely nothing. It didn’t occur to me that my health was impacting my overall well-being. Others may have noticed, but I remained oblivious. All I recognized was that I didn’t feel as good as I used to.

Here’s the thing: health is something we have complete control over. We can opt for water over soda, choose salad instead of a candy bar, and make healthier eating choices overall. However, the reality is that many times we resist making these healthier choices. We often turn to sugary foods as a coping mechanism—a way to get through the day. It becomes our lifeline and our source.

of sustenance, if you will.

Hey, I understand—I’ve been there before, and guess what? I’m there now.

One thing I’ve realized is that my eating habits and how I feel are directly linked to my performance. Moreover, before I embarked on this journey on my own, solely with God in the business, performance wasn’t as crucial. However, now that I rely on my health and motivation to stay afloat and pay the bills, I’ve noticed that even a small workout significantly boosts my energy levels for the day.

Another observation I’ve made is regarding the amount of sleep I get. I come from a family where my dad, well, he might have been a bit of an exaggerator when it came to his sleep schedule. Don’t get me wrong, I love my dad, but he took pride in telling people that he woke up at 3:30 am and went to bed at 10:30, “right after the news.” (I never had the heart to tell him that he could catch the same news at 6:30, 8:30, and 9:30.) Now, to be fair, my dad did indeed rise early—he never fibbed about that. With two cows to milk before heading off to work, his mornings started early, usually around 5:30 or 6 a.m., and his workplace was at least 30 minutes away. However, where he may have stretched the truth was about his bedtime. He conveniently omitted the fact that he often dozed off in his chair from 7:30 to 10:00, only waking up briefly to catch the news before truly turning in for the night.

Anyway, I used to believe that men didn’t require much sleep, but I’ve learned better now—thanks to my wife’s teachings, of course. Lol. Over the past year, I’ve completely overhauled my schedule. I now ensure that I’m either in bed or preparing for bed by 9 p.m., and I rise around 4:30 a.m. I dedicate the first hour and a half of my day to accomplishing important tasks, such as sending birthday wishes to everyone on Facebook, reading scripture, and tackling projects that would otherwise be interrupted by distractions.

The point is that we all have different work styles. However, I’ve come to realize that if you’re sleep-deprived, your performance throughout the day will suffer. Imagine sitting in a meeting with a client and yawning because you stayed up too late or woke up excessively early for no reason. It doesn’t exactly earn you brownie points. I’ve personally witnessed how off-putting it can be for clients. I’ve had clients approach me, questioning, “What’s up with Joe? He seems disengaged—I even caught him nodding off during the meeting!”

Do yourself and your career a favor: prioritize getting enough sleep and taking care of yourself. Remember, it’s never beneficial to pour yourself into anything excessively!

Exercise is another vital component of a successful day. Simply commuting from your house to your car, then to the office, and sitting for most of the day, followed by the reverse journey, and ending with an evening of TV-watching won’t leave you feeling great about yourself.

I understand there are various types of people here: those who work out regularly and are in great shape; those who struggle with weight and likely don’t feel very good; and then there are those who maintain mostly healthy lifestyles and are content with their bodies.

I typically fall somewhere between unhealthy and almost content with my body type. While I acknowledge that I could improve and exercise more, I’ve chosen to be content with the way God made me. However, when I start feeling like I can’t breathe while tying my shoes, I recognize that it’s time to step up my efforts.

Here’s my recommendation for exercise: discover an activity that you genuinely enjoy. I’ve found running to be my passion, despite disliking it as a kid. Begin by dedicating just one day a week to exercise, allocating around 20 minutes for it. If you notice improvements in how you feel, consider increasing it to twice a week. Before you know it, you’ll find yourself engaging in some form of exercise every day of the week.

When it comes to eating right, there are a few strategies you can implement. One effective approach is to keep a case of water in your vehicle. I opt for reusable water bottles and ensure I have one in my truck every day. Having water readily available helps curb cravings for other beverages.

Challenge yourself privately to see how long you can go without soda or energy drinks—no one else needs to know. The longest I’ve managed was five years, and during that time, I felt the best I ever had about my body. Another tip is to choose a salad instead of a burger when dining out; this simple switch has been a significant success for me.

Here’s my tip for sleeping: Take a cue from the birds. When the sun sets, start thinking about finding a cozy spot to roost for the night. Then, when the sun rises, you’ll be ready to start your day. Instead of boasting about how late you can stay up, take pride in how well you sleep. Set your alarm and resist hitting snooze. The moment your alarm goes off, get out of bed, and hit the ground running.

The final piece of advice I’d like to share is the importance of setting aside some time for yourself every day, even if it’s just a little. I understand how challenging this can be, especially with family, work, and all the other demands of life. However, if you neglect to prioritize a few moments of peace to unwind, you’ll find yourself in the doctor’s office sooner rather than later. Stress and worry are among the leading causes of health issues today. So, take a few moments to switch off your phone and truly take a break. Trust me, the world can wait for you for 10 minutes.

You’ve only got one body, so make sure you take care of it. Don’t fill it with junk. I remember a teacher once telling me, “You are what you eat.” I didn’t used to put much faith in that, but now I realize they were right. If you consume a lot of unhealthy food, you’ll feel sluggish and low on energy. However, if you maintain a healthy diet rich in fruits and vegetables, you’ll feel much more vibrant and ready to tackle the day.

Ready to Transform Your Leadership Approach? Delve into ‘How I lost weight while eating more!‘ and enhance your skills. Follow our expert insights on this transformative journey. Explore more now at EclipseDOT.com.

Take Time to be with Your Family

Posted on March 14, 2022April 25, 2024 by dan_adm

Take time to be with your family.

One of the toughest challenges of adulthood is finding the time to slow down and spend quality moments with your family. We often have this inclination to stay busy, sometimes to the point where we forget to savor life’s simple joys. I believe that the higher power understood this struggle, which is why we were given one day of rest every week. However, whether we choose to embrace that day of rest is entirely up to us.

Regardless of your beliefs, today I’m going to share a few simple steps to help you cherish your family moments while still feeling productive.

Rise earlier.

Before I even leaped into entrepreneurship, I began the practice of waking up earlier. Although I’ve always been an early riser, 6 a.m. was my usual time. Now, my new sweet spot is around 4:30. This grants me an extra hour and a half to accomplish a myriad of tasks before anyone else in my household even stirs. However, there are some tricks to this adjustment. Don’t do what I initially did—I attempted to shift from 6 a.m. to 4 a.m. in just one week, and it was a miserable failure. My kids even remarked, “Dad, you’re extra grumpy.” I was indeed quite irritable. A better approach is to gradually wake up 15 minutes earlier each week until you reach your desired wake-up time. For instance, in the first week, wake up at 5:45, then at 5:30 the following week, and continue in this manner until you reach your goal.

The second key to waking up earlier is to resist the urge to hit snooze; instead, force yourself out of bed the moment the alarm goes off. Hitting snooze sends signals to your brain that you’re not ready to start the day or that you’re too tired for it. As a result, when you eventually get up, you’re groggy and not at your best. After about three weeks of following my current schedule, I noticed that I was naturally waking up a few minutes earlier each morning. I’d even beat my alarm and silence it to avoid waking my wife.

Prioritize your family.

We frequently prioritize work, yet we often overlook the importance of prioritizing our families.
Consider how many times you’ve paused work for your family’s needs.
Now, reverse that scenario: How often have you disrupted family moments for work obligations?

I agree! It’s astonishing how many times work interferes with family moments. Here are some tips to help prioritize your family:

Schedule “do not disturb” times: Designate specific times during the day, such as breakfast, dinner, and bedtime, when you switch your phone to “do not disturb” mode. If that’s not feasible, leave your phone in your bedroom or home office while spending time with your family.

Silence your devices: When engaging in family activities like games or movie nights, turn off your phone ringer and consider removing your smartwatch. You might miss a few steps for your step count, but it’s worth it for quality family time!

Allocate specific time slots in your calendar for family activities. I thoroughly enjoy dedicating moments to collaborating with my children and wife on meaningful projects. Initially, I would schedule these sessions in my calendar under the label “family” and set reminders. It may sound unconventional, but it proved effective for me.

Arrange phone calls while traveling for work to stay connected with your family.

I used to travel frequently for work, and it took a toll on my marriage and relationship with my children. So, as a family, we brainstormed solutions to address this issue. Since stopping travel wasn’t feasible, we decided to schedule daily phone calls when I was away. Whenever possible, I made video calls each evening, ranging from 20 minutes to an hour. The key was to ensure I wasn’t distracted during these calls. I would retreat to my hotel room, turn off any distractions like the TV or laptop, and sit down to fully engage in the conversation, being fully present for my family.

Work in a shared space when you’re at home.

When I initially transitioned to working from home, I set up a cozy office space in my basement and spent most of my day there. It felt like I was secluded, only emerging for quick breaks. However, I soon realized I wanted to be more present when my kids woke up, so I started bringing my work upstairs to the kitchen table in the evenings. This allowed me to seamlessly transition to work in the morning while still being available to greet my kids. Eventually, I found myself working from the kitchen table full-time, and it’s been one of the best decisions I’ve made since working from home.

Now, I take more frequent breaks to assist my kids with their tasks and projects. There were some learning curves for both my kids and me. They learned that even though I’m home, I can’t always stop what I’m doing instantly. Similarly, I learned that it’s okay to pause and help them—it’s all part of enjoying life and spending time with those who matter most.

Plan a getaway to relax and recharge.

Plan a family vacation, or if finances are tight, opt for a staycation. Consider destinations like San Diego, where you can rent a house by the ocean and unwind without a packed itinerary. Stick to your morning routine, even on vacation, to ensure you have time to complete work tasks before everyone else wakes up. This way, you can fully enjoy your time with your family.

Throughout my life, I’ve struggled with this dilemma. I get so caught up in work that I lose sight of the reason I’m working in the first place. Ultimately, I work to create opportunities for our family to enjoy quality time together. It’s a constant reminder for me to take breaks and cherish moments with my children because they won’t be with us forever. Well, at least that’s my hope!

Ensure that you prioritize what truly matters to you. No one ever lamented on their deathbed, “I wish I had spent more time at work.”
Even if you’re not a fan of country music, take a moment to listen to Billy Ray Cyrus’s song “Busy Man” and absorb the lyrics.

Ready to Transform Your Leadership Approach? Delve into ‘Balancing work, family and fun‘ and enhance your skills. Follow our expert insights on this transformative journey. Explore more now at Eclipse DOT.

Taking Ownership

Posted on March 7, 2022April 25, 2024 by dan_adm

Taking Ownership

Success is elusive until you take full ownership of your actions and responsibilities.

Dan Greer

Recently, I assisted a company in regaining compliance, despite the challenging task of traveling across the western US during the winter. Throughout this experience, I gained valuable insights.

First and foremost, I realized the pivotal role of taking ownership of any project for its success. Upon arriving at their administrative office, it became evident that no one had previously taken full ownership of the DOT program. Like many organizations, the responsibility had been passed from one person to another, resulting in repeated failures and a compliance rate of less than 10%.

Stepping in to assist, we made remarkable progress. Within the first two weeks, the compliance rate soared to over 40%, reaching over 50% by the end of the third week and now standing at over 90%. So, what made the difference? It was simple—I took ownership of the program.

I made it my priority to engage with as many drivers as possible, identifying and rectifying underlying issues. Others had shied away, citing the situation as too chaotic to handle and expressing sentiments like, “This is just too much of a mess right now. Once it’s under control, then my team can handle it.” Such attitudes only perpetuate the problem and hinder genuine success.

Sadly, a member of their team had recently abandoned the project, passing it on to someone else due to a perceived lack of time. However, the truth is clear—without genuine ownership, true success is unattainable.

Taking ownership is crucial for several reasons, which we’ll explore next.

When we take ownership of a project, we ensure its success. There’s no room for excuses like “We did our best” or “It’s not my fault if a third of the company didn’t attend our meetings at every location” (which happened). When someone truly owns a project, nothing, absolutely nothing, can impede its progress. That’s why taking ownership is paramount.

Imagine starting a new project with only a half-hearted commitment. What are the chances of its survival? About 25% at best. But when you commit 125%, there’s no room for failure because you’re giving it your all. You tackle obstacles head-on, finding solutions and overcoming them.

Now, if you don’t take ownership, what happens when obstacles arise? You become disheartened and give up. When I discovered that 100 drivers hadn’t attended our meetings while we were traveling, I had two options.

Option 1 was to blame the managers and organizers. But what would that achieve? Absolutely nothing besides assigning blame.

Option 2 was to find solutions. I chose this path. It wasn’t easy, but it was the only viable option. I delved into the system, identified what was needed for full compliance, and reached out to each driver individually.

By taking ownership of the project, we navigated through obstacles as they arose, ensuring its success.

Today, I want to urge everyone to embrace ownership in all their endeavors. Whether it’s scrubbing toilets or loading a rocket with fuel, take ownership.

Commit yourself to ensuring that it gets done because you’re determined to make it happen. So go out there and take pride in your work!

Ready to Transform Your Leadership Approach? Delve into ‘Being a leader when you are NOT in charge‘ and enhance your skills. Follow our expert insights on this transformative journey. Explore more now at EclipseDOT.com.

Month: March 2022

Suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope

Suffering Produces Perseverance; Perseverance, Character; and Character, Hope

Start Allowing Those Close To You To Fail

Start Allowing Those Close to You to Fail

I bet when you saw the title, you thought, “I’m not sure I want to read this.” Or maybe, “What’s this guy on about? How does letting someone fail to help them grow?”

Take care of yourself!

Take Care of Yourself

Take Time to be with Your Family

Take time to be with your family.

Taking Ownership

Success is elusive until you take full ownership of your actions and responsibilities.

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