Organized Chaos!

It was the 70's.  I was in middle school, and at lunchtime a crowd of kids gathered round as one of the nerdy kids (I have some nerve!), Steve, pulled a block out of his pocket.   It was full of mixed up colors and had the ability to twist and turn as you contorted your hands to control it.   He began moving the colors swiftly, left to right then right to left.  He stuck his tongue out for dramatic effect.  In about a minute, he made a couple of feverish twists and turns and then dropped the block of plastic on the table...   All the colors were lined up.   He passed the block around and people quickly got frustrated as they could easily get one row of colors lined up, but the moment they moved it...they lost what was gained.  People were cussing (I said it was middle school!) and passing it on to the next person to prove they weren't dumb.    Even the teachers tried to do it...no success.   The next week, more people came to school with the little block puzzle.  At the end of the month, almost every student had one...the school had to ban them during class!   By months end, there were still only a handful of people that could complete the puzzle... yes, I was one of them.  The elite group of us began competing for speed, while others were just trying to figure it out.    We even sold the "secrets" for $.50...yes, a lot of people bought them!   Rubik's Cube.    Over 500 million of these things are floating around.  A phenomenon?  An obsession?  A Cube of Chaos?  A metaphor for life?   My friend Steve had given me the secrets that first day.  He even let me take the cube home. It was frustrating and exasperating, even with the secrets.  It felt like an impossible puzzle to solve.  I can still hear him now.  Some of what he told me might help you with the Rubik's Cube of life...the "chaos" you are facing;   You have to see the big picture.  Steve said the goal is not to get one row or one side, but to solve the entire cube.  When people are first handed the puzzle, they rush to get a row or one color complete.  People love the idea of progress, but if the first steps aren't leading them to the desired outcome...they are missteps.   You have to make moves with the end in mind.  Your strategy and tactics have to be designed knowing that chaos is the order of the day and that unexpected things happen.  Sure, you may have a row of things lined up, but it's the "random" color in the corner that you have to get in the right place.    You can't be afraid of how you look while you are doing it.  In the midst of chaos, you can't worry about looking cool, calm and collected.  It is when you are unsure of yourself and the steps you are taking that you might look awkard for a while...until it all comes together!   You can't be afraid to make mistakes.  In the twist and turns of life, we will not always get things right.  Steve said, "If the color you need is not in the right place, you will have to "undo" the damage and go back to the last place where everything was right...and keep going".  It's not over...you can still do it.   You have to get help when you need it.  There are times when you need a template, a guide...the "secrets" to getting through the chaos.  Seek the advice of people who seem to be "calm and collected" and have been through what you are dealing with.  Books, webinars, seminars and 1:1 coaching is the fastest way to make it through.   The next few days I am going to focus on helping you get organized.  Many of the sales people I work with are gearing up for the Annual Election Period, where over 50 million people will be making decisions.  It lasts for about 7 weeks and is frenetic to say the least.   The key to keeping your sanity and making some money is turning that Rubik's Cube of a mess into...   Organized Chaos!   Until tomorrow, I wish you Money, Power, Success!