1,286 words of content including eight Tips from the Masters and an important reminder for leaders. Approximate reading time required: 5.14 minutes. And isn't your Happiness worth it?

Welcome to my e-newsletter, which focuses on defining and applying the Principles of Happiness and Positive Emotion in your life and work.

1. Learn From The Masters
2. Commerce Division: Build Your Own Group
3. In the Workplace: Envision the Future
4. About the Coach

When I entered the rotunda of the Galleria dell'Accademie in Firenze (Florence) for my first live look at this Italian icon, it literally took my breath away. 17 feet tall, sleek and powerful, Michelangelo's David is truly a marvel - accurate down to the veins on the back of his hands and the chipped toenails on his feet, I fully expected him to start breathing any second.

"This," I thought, "is a work of brilliance!" Ah, but there's more to the story, as I learned.

The European Renaissance was a time of great innovation marked by a surge of new knowledge and captured in architecture, sculpture, music, and painting. Before I visited Italy this spring, I imagined gifted Renaissance masters spending their days in sunlit studios, painting or sculpting great works of art in a flowing, effortless climate of creativity and support.

The truth, I learned, was far from my fantasy. Many of those whom we now call Masters were, in their time, mere wage slaves, often struggling to live on a fixed budget set by a wealthy patron who wanted a specific project done on a deadline. Good oil paints, gilt, quality canvas, and fine Carrera marble were not cheap, so these artists were very careful in their use of resources.

Out of necessity, then, they spent long hours preparing for their commission. A painting would be sketched in parts and done in miniature to work out spacing many times before moving to a larger field. Then there would be endless pencil and charcoal sketches before final application of oils and gilt onto the final medium (e.g. wood, canvas, or the dome of a cathedral).

Sculptors followed a similar process. First, multiple sketches; then multiple miniatures of different sizes and in different poses and in different media (e.g. clay, stone) and with varying levels of detail attended to in each piece, so that by the time they put chisel to marble they literally "knew" the work in their head, hands and heart.

I now appreciate that the works of the masters really was WORK. Sure, some of them were brilliant. Yet it was their attention to the tiny details that led to "perfection." Before he created the David in its full splendor, Michelangelo made hundreds of sketches and miniatures, gradually increasing in size and detail. The final product, then, was not a singular act - it was the manifestation of practice, practice, and more practice.

Follow the example of the Masters to improve your probability of success:

1. Picture your goal. 80% of your brain's processing is visual, so writing or drawing what you want brings your goal alive.
2. Create it in miniature. Big, life-shifting goals generally flop because your system can't shift that much, that fast. Break your goal into tiny pieces you can implement one at a time, to see how they "fit" into your life/work.
3. Get feedback. Share your progress with others, both for support as well as for ideas to make it better/easier.
4. Adjust, adjust, adjust. The "marble" of your current habits may not cut exactly as you planned, so don't be afraid to tweak your design as you go so that it fits into your current reality.
5. If it's not working for you, take it as a lesson and move on. The most moving artwork I saw in Italy was Michelangelo's "Unfinished Slaves," a major commission he never finished. Yet he saw them as a great accomplishment, because he learned so much from the process.
6. Ground it in your bones. Work on some part of your goal every day. The journey is about progress, not perfection. Some days you'll finish a mural - other days a single brushstroke may be all you can do - yet your constant attention will build goal intimacy.
7. Risk, learn, and grow. Michelangelo was a sculptor, and he resisted taking up a brush - yet today the Sistine Chapel is considered his greatest performance.
8. Finally, find the Joy. In the end, choose goals that take care of your passions and feed what YOU really want from life, career, and relationships.

Achieving Mastery of you and your life is simple, yet not easy. Good luck on your Master's journey!

The 13 Principles of Happiness provide a framework to master Happiness. Visit http://www.theexecutivehappinesscoach.com/happiness/ philosophies.cfm to download a 1-page PDF Poster. Post it at work or home and strive to practice one principle each day!

Return to Top

• Do you want to experience coaching for you or your organization, yet have a tight budget?
• Do you need to accelerate the development of your high-potentials?
• Do you want to bring more value to an existing learning community?

For individuals, Group Coaching provides the benefits of coaching in a supportive community of like-minded learners. Because the group shares fees, you can experience high quality coaching at a lower cost.

OD/HR managers can provide developmental coaching to your leaders or Hi-Po's even within a limited budget. Group Coaching is an excellent way to introduce leaders to the value and impact of coaching.

Do you have a group** you would like to bring to coaching? I've coached several groups (two currently active) that came to me AS INTACT GROUPS and said, "We'd like to hire you as our coach." Now I am opening that opportunity to all of you.

**(Leadership team, Hi-Po's, book club, mastermind, sales team, coaching circle, or social group; via bridgelines/Skype, even individuals in different locations, time zones, or countries can access the power of group coaching.)

If you want to explore BYOG coaching, email me right now to schedule a (no obligation) strategy session to help you sort out your coaching plan. This one-hour conversation will help you create greater clarity about you and your group's goals, whether or not you decide to engage with coaching at this time

For more on the Value of coaching, see Section IV.

Return to Top

Often we speak of improving some aspect of the workplace, but because the world is moving so fast we believe we must do EVERYTHING while in full sprint mode. While "making it up as you go" is a legitimate strategy sometimes, is it the best approach to building your future?

Stop. Take a breath. Put some words on paper to anchor your plan. Get in front of a blank whiteboard and Draw the new flow. First, envision the future!

Next, do it in miniature to understand how it will work. Let others see the work so they can start to buy in to your vision. Implement just parts of the idea to set a framework; or roll out the whole idea in just one part of the organization. Adjust your vision based on what you learn in executing the "miniature."

THEN pick up your brush and paints and go to work on the big canvas...

Remember, Leadership is not about a title: Anyone can be a leader who is willing to step back from the daily rush, take a breath, and create the space to "play" with a goal until it feels very clear and familiar.

P.S. If you currently lead a company or division and seek a way to create real change, real fast, you may be interested in our unique Rapid Culture Assimilation^(TM) process, which starts with vision clarity and brings it to life via a series of expanding Conversations across the organization. You can learn more about the process here.

Return to Top

Hi, I'm Jim Smith, PCC, The Executive Happiness Coach®. I work with smart, successful people like you, who secretly struggle with overwhelm and fear that you won't have what it takes to succeed at the next level. I help you expand awareness of your strengths and limits, explore new paths to effectiveness, then support you as you build powerful new behaviors that transform how you "show up" in your life and work. You will achieve more clarity, build broader leadership skills, and expand your capacity to LEAD your life on a MUCH bigger stage!

Here's what past clients have said about the value of coaching with Jim:

• "The cumulative effect of investing time with you in the coaching process is a substantially increased bandwidth for leading in the face of uncertainty, navigating highly complex situations that frequently arise in our globally connected world." ~Jeff W, senior partner
• "I wish I was offered your coaching early in my career - I now know what I have missed! Financially you are worth 50% of my yearly salary - I need the rest to pay bills ;-)" ~Dan T, project manager
• "Jim is a great listener, encourager, challenger. His services are worth every penny and then some! His coaching has had a lasting impact on my life both professionally and personally. I HIGHLY recommend Jim" ~Kay P, marketing director

I have helped thousands of leaders and business owners just like you to increase effectiveness at work AND live a happier, more balanced life. I invite you to contact me for a free Leadership Strategy Session to learn how you can create a less-stress leadership presence.

Reach me directly: Jim@TheExecutiveHappinessCoach.com or +1-440-885-3247.

If you received this from a friend, SUBSCRIBE now to get your own copy in the future.

All things Happiness Coach:

Blog: www.LifeWithHappiness.com. Ask me a question on LinkedIn, Friend me on Facebook, or Follow me on Twitter.

                

View past editions at http://www.TheExecutiveHappinessCoach.com/newsletter/archives.cfm.

Copyright © 2011, All Rights Reserved. Reproduction for publication is encouraged, with the following attribution: "From HAPPINESS@THESPEEDOFLIFE, by Jim Smith, PCC, The Executive Happiness Coach®, 440-885-3247 or www.TheExecutiveHappinessCoach.com. Join the Happiness Conversation at www.LifeWithHappiness.com." If you choose to do otherwise, I will be very unhappy.

Return to Top