The Boomer Grind - "No One Ever Told Me"

At times, life can be a grind. Grind is defined by Encarta Dictionary - as to push something down firmly or crush something on a surface with a twisting or rotating motion (like grinding dirt into the carpet).

The life of a Boomer has become a grind. The early days of this grind began when I heard this statement, for the first time, forty years ago... "No one ever told me!" (and, think about the song, American Pie, "the day the music died...")

• "No one ever told me about inflation and high interest rates!" ,,,

Research Confirms Boomers Will Be Rolled Into Their Graves

Research Confirms Boomers Are Successful At Being All Used Up

What kind of shape are you in?

A Gen Y'r +Jason Dorsey, I have met and think he is an amazingly smart and ambitious young man - and quite accomplished for his age - recently posted a +The New York Times article on LinkedIn questioning if Boomers are out of shape (article). Very appropriate for Jason to post an article like this as his business is helping corporations learn how to communicate cross-generational.

As I read the article, many thoughts rattled around. Such as, "I've stayed in decent shape by way of a little yoga and +P90X" to remembering the President's Fitness Council and the incredibly boring exercises we were forced to do in gym class to this whole fitness thing only started because a study in the 1950s said European youth were in better shape than American youth. Well, I guess the Boomers took care of that concern. Go USA!

Actually, what compelled me to post this blog is a quote from the article. 

"Boomers were more likely to use devices to assist them with walking, for example, or to have physical problems that limited their work."

As I read the quote, it's clear the researchers view this as a negative, but being a Boomer and knowing all the Boomers I know, I believe we would view this as positive because it confirms a popular Boomer motto:

"I want to have lived a big, full, rich life such that I'm all used up when they roll me into my grave." Or, as Cindy (my wife) says, "I want to come sliding into Heaven, torn and tattered yelling YEE-HAA."

It is important to note the article did not say Boomers were not walking. They are just being assisted in their walking with devices. And, it did not say Boomers have stopped working. They are only limited in their work. Sounds like Boomers are still getting the job done, no matter what gets in their way.

The research points to the fact Boomers are living longer, which means we have more opportunity to get all used up. I view that as another positive outcome of the research. Nice to know even in our 60s, we still have another 30+ years to get all used up.

It's nice to be confirmed by valid research that Boomers are accomplishing their lifetime objective to "Just roll me in my grave when I die."

Keep on walking and working Boomers. It's in our DNA to keep on trucking through the fog...

~ Alan Goldsberry, Author and CEO of ZFactor Group Publishing

ZFactor blog explores and discusses a variety of techniques, tools and discoveries by successful people that will assist others to achieve greater personal and professional success. ZFactor is a proprietary coaching methodology based upon the premise that successful people think and act differently. The ZFactor methodology is proven to accelerate a person's ability to think and act differently.

4 Most Common Behaviors Of Ineffective Leaders

For a servant leader this INC article is good reading to do a checkup and refinement. For an ineffective leader who masquerades, as an effective leader, this should be a wake-up call.

Authentic servant leaders will take a moment to think through these behaviors while the ineffective leader probably isn't reading the article in the first place.

In this article by Les McKeown, his experience with ineffective CEOs reveals these behaviors:

1. The weaker the leader, the more they know.
2. The busier the leader, they don't spend quality time thinking strategically.
3. Their general perception of others is negative.
4. The weak leader is either in the room and dominating the conversation or they aren't in the room.

What I enjoy about articles like this is it appears in a publication that has many readers who are not in the leadership role. For them, it gives them a way to measure whether they are working with an ineffective or effective leader. 

That is important for continually learning servant leaders because it confirms that not only are you being watched, followers are learning how to measure your leadership.

Think about it.

~ Alan Goldsberry, Author and CEO of ZFactor Group Publishing

From Fountain Pen to Twitter (a glowing ember)

My good friend and business partner loves his fountain pens and chose to join and be active in the social media world. Thomas shares his journey from fountain pen to twitter. He is a perfect example of a glowing ember becoming a raging forest fire.

Please take a "gander" at Tom's blog.

"Take if from me, do not reject the new but keep the best part of the old that has shaped who you are. Rejoice in life!" ~Thomas E. Ackerman

~ Alan Goldsberry, Author and CEO of ZFactor Group Publishing