Category Archives: Excellence Is Contagious! So Is Mediocrity.

It Will Always Be Easier

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photo-24When is the last time you were so passionately committed…

that you were willing to climb to the top of the hill… stand alone…

silhouetted against the sky…

knowing you were in a position to be shot down?!

It will always be easier… to care just enough to toss your two cents in as you walk away to follow the crowd.

It will always be easier… to do just enough to get by, fit in, unnoticed.

It will always be easier… to fly safely under the radar where there are no headwinds creating ripples of new success, much less churning waves of inspired innovation.

WHAT IF you stepped up, stepped out in a fresh new way that forever changed your own view of you? and in that process, expanded your view of what’s possible, what could now be accomplished…

…by this committed, capable, compassionate, confident, courageous…

CONTAGIOUS NEW YOU?!

Go ahead.  Trust yourself.  Climb to the top of that hill.

YES, the one you are most afraid of.

It could be just the place to start!

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© 1993-2012  Ann Ulrich  THE BOLD! FACTOR®   ANNULRICH.COM

with appreciation to Dale Dauten, The Corporate Curmudgeon, for his permission to share in my work our conversation re: leadership and Dale’s powerful vision of *standing alone silhouetted against the sky in a position to be shot down*.

Photo:  Calligraphy art of a strong horse has special meaning honoring my amazing experience in Taiwan in 1990, the year of the horse.

What’s Your Happiness Trifecta?

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photo-17After a few decades leading in Business in roles from Rookie to Executive to the Runway to the Boardroom to Business Owner…

And after a few more decades ;) of exciting and challenging ages and stages of living and loving and experiencing and sharing and curiously observing Life…

I am convinced the HAPPIEST people simply:

CHOOSE TO BE HAPPY!

There is a powerful and winning connection between articulating and achieving the happiness you’re after right now, not just delaying as your future reality… you know, till you somehow *deserve* it then (ever wonder why some people seem to achieve Happy and some it forever eludes?!)

Delaying Happiness Is Simply An Excuse.

Look at the impact you can have TODAY if you CHOOSE TO BE HAPPY!

The BOLD! Factor HAPPINESS TRIFECTA: Discover Yours!

1) Know what matters in your life at this age, this stage,

2) Know what you want most to achieve as your big win, and

3) Know what achieving that big win means for you, right now.

When you know, you define HAPPINESS AS SUCCESS… in YOUR OWN terms.

Here’s Mine (I’m happiest when I walk my talk!):

1) Courageous Self-Leadership (OWN THIS. IT’S UP TO ME!)

2) Everyday Greatness & Good Enough. BOTH.  (AM I PROUD OF MY IMPACT ON THIS DAY? WAS I ACCOUNTABLE TO MYSELF IN IT? NO EXCUSES?! And realizing sometimes, in some situations (not all), Good Enough trumps bringing my A-Game!)

3) Contagious Excellence (DID I SURROUND MYSELF WITH PEOPLE WHO I WANT TO CATCH WHAT THEY HAVE? AM I SPREADING GOOD CONTAGIOUS?! OR AM I SIMPLY INFECTING AND BEING INFECTED BY OTHERS?)

Happiness Is Your Choice!

How cool is that?

<SMILE>

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© 1993-2012 Ann Ulrich  THE BOLD! FACTOR®   ANNULRICH.COM

Photo:  This big-aroma bunch of bright orange roses as a gift from David’s work party inspired adding orange in our condo – in our den and on our deck – and soon to be added to the red of The BOLD! Factor. I’ve always loved Red & Purple – now also love Orange!

BOLDest Of All

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IMG_1621When it comes to BOLD leadership,

whether you lead from the top, middle or front line…

in your family, business or life…

Your quiet inner strength

can be

BOLDest of all.

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© 1993-2012 Ann Ulrich  THE BOLD! FACTOR®   ANNULRICH.COM

Photo:  There was never a doubt in my mind as to what my logo would be when I launched my own business. Having been forever marked-down by my teachers – in probably every grade – for overly-enthusiastic overuse of the !!! in my writing, reports, art… I colored one BOLD RED in 1993… and ever since use it to my heart’s content! (!!)

Excellence: How Contagious Are You?

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photo-30When it comes to Excellence…

How are you positively impacting people, situations, outcomes and lives…

…by sharing your Excellence, passing it on, spreading it generously among others?

IMAGINE: What if your Excellence became Contagious…

A HANDFUL OF BOLD: 7 WAYS TO SPREAD CONTAGIOUS EXCELLENCE!

1. When you can articulate success… you can replicate success!  (Discover, develop and deliver your BOLD! Exclamation Point.)

2. Take one inspired thought… apply courageous action… and move your own mountains! (You’ll inspire others around you to move their own, too.)

3. Build respect, relationships and results internally first… to build the rock-solid foundation you need before reaching out externally!  (Get strong inside before taking it outside.)

4. Create room for serendipity, whitespace and downtime!  (Your refreshed energy will translate into your next success.)

5. Hold yourself accountable by making *I Own This* your new self-leadership mantra! (Your mirror message reads: Success is up to ME. Own this.)

6. Social Generosity is the antidote to your rat race rush life!  (Stop long enough to help someone else get ahead.)

7. Your genuine SMILE shared early and often breeds optimism!  (Your Beautiful BOLD S.M.I.L.E. = Your Sincere Means of Igniting Leadership and Excellence!)

Go ahead… make our day…

BE CONTAGIOUS!

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© 1993-2012 Ann Ulrich  THE BOLD! FACTOR®   ANNULRICH.COM

Photo:   A favorite fabric, and now every time I see it, I think: Contagious!

Is That Inside Your Boat?

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photo-54Are you confidently (courageously!) making decisions, focusing your time, energy and effort on matters that truly are within your control?

Or do you spin in place, struggling with indecision, re-thinking it over and over… when you really might just need to simply let it go?

In his book *That’s Outside My Boat*, Olympic journalist Charlie Jones was disappointed to be assigned reporting the rowing and kayaking competitions. Who attends those? (I would!)

He decided to give this bummer assignment his best shot anyway.

BOLD NUGGET: Give a bummer situation your best shot… keep your peripheral view open… see where it leads!

While asked how they handle high winds, rough water, or a broken oar, the athletes consistently responded, *that’s outside my boat*. They clearly did not waste time, effort or energy on things outside of their control.

BOLD NUGGET:  Practice letting go of things that truly are outside your boat/outside your control!

So what DID these athletes take charge of? Their individual training efforts, food they chose as fuel, their mindset, laser focus, and the resulting positive impact on their performance, goal and outcome (crossing that finish line first!). When it comes to preparing for competition: *that’s inside my boat*.

Stop and ask yourself if the decision, situation or issue you’re struggling with is actually inside? or outside? YOUR boat.

Inside your boat? Step up, be accountable, and take responsibility (Own it.) Soon you’ll be setting new goals, getting laser-focused, creating new success as you chart your course based on those areas you actually can control…

And…

Dig deep, finding strength, courage and renewed confidence as you…

LET THE REST GO!

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© 1993-2012 Ann Ulrich  THE BOLD! FACTOR®   ANNULRICH.COM

Photo:  This was a joke at first – an auction item I wanted for a gag gift at our cabin gatherings. But when this pretty little fish came home and found it’s place in the window overlooking the river – it was a Keeper!

Self-Leadership: Move Your Own Mountains

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IMG_1633The tough thing about Self-Leadership?

It’s Up To YOU.

The great thing about Self-Leadership?

It’s Up To YOU!

When you want to create new success, moving forward without waiting for anyone else’s green light as your GO… try this:

Take one inspired thought and apply courageous action.

When you COMMIT and are willing to DO THE WORK…

You can forever MOVE YOUR OWN MOUNTAINS!

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© 1993-2012 Ann Ulrich   THE BOLD! FACTOR®   ANNULRICH.COM

Photo:   *Beginning The Journey* art by Shane Sullivan. Love seeing this little picture on our wall. Love bridges. Love journeys.

Eliptical Wisdom: Getting The Goal

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Getting on the Eliptical isn’t the hard part. Finally second nature, it’s what I do to start my day a few mornings a week.

Our condo workout room is pretty quiet at 5am. It takes just a minute to set the TV, fan, water and as my final all-systems-go:

I ceremoniously tighten my pony tail. Ready.

The hard part comes a few minutes in. When calories burned shows around 100. Early on I often bailed around 200. 500 seemed elusive and hey, it was just a number I made up anyway…

Now I’m used to seeing 100cals, groaning less, seeing 250 and thinking hey it’s almost 300… about then I try to laser focus on max’ing my muscles and breathing and sweating… and suddenly I’ve pushed past 500. It also helps to hide the number with a towel.

What keeps me going and committed?

Trying to never lose sight of my goal: Feel Younger, Be Stronger.

And specifically how does that goal calculate on the Elliptical? 500 calories burned.

No matter how I get there, intervals or straight away, I have one simple goal: hit 500.

Here’s My Elliptical Wisdom On Getting YOUR Goal (any goal!) Business or Life:

1) Define TWO Clear Goals: Your big picture goal (mine is Feel Younger, Be Stronger) and how you’ll measure so you know you hit it (my goal: blast 500 calories)

2) Set Yourself Up For Success: first establish, then commit, making it repeatable or you’ll risk over-thinking it each time.

3) Do The Work.

4) Celebrate Big & Little Successes Along The Way.

5) Check Your Peripheral View to help someone cross THEIR finish line as reach yours!

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© 1993-2012 Ann Ulrich   THE BOLD! FACTOR®   ANNULRICH.COM

A-Game Or Good Enough?

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photo-55Ever feel like every project… every activity… every task… requires no less than bringing your A-Game?

No wonder we get exhausted, burntout and disillusioned.

There are times when *Good Enough* is better.

You decide.

Trust your Values & Priorities as your guide!

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© 1993-2012 Ann Ulrich   THE BOLD! FACTOR®   ANNULRICH.COM

Photo:   Love Silver. Loves mixing Patterns. Love this A of my AUI.

Re-Calibrating The Elusive Balance

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photo-34When you know there’s too much…

Figure out what’s missing.

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©1993-2012 Ann Ulrich   THE BOLD! FACTOR®   ANNULRICH.COM

Photo:  This gift of a sparkly little fortune cooke reminds me – in the important tasks of downsizing, de-cluttering and downtime – ancient Latin Poet Virgil’s quote: Fortune Favors The BOLD. 

How Do You Wear Your Passion?

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IMG_1621I wear my passion on my sleeve and when I have no sleeve I wear my passion on my arm.

Not saying that’s always good. Or welcome.

But I am saying I feel ALIVE!

Here’s how I see passion:

You either express it or you hide it.

Either way it can come back to bite you.

And if you’ve lost your passion (we all do at times) then you might be living, but are you feeling alive?

How do you wear your passion?

You get to decide!

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© 1993-2012 Ann Ulrich   THE BOLD! FACTOR®   ANNULRICH.COM

Photo:  There was never a doubt in my mind as to what my logo would be when I launched my own business. Having been forever marked-down by my teachers – in probably every grade – for overly-enthusiastic overuse of the !!! in my writing, reports, art… I colored one BOLD RED in 1993… and ever since use it to my heart’s content! (!!)