Four Ways to Turn a Good Day into a Great Day
I had already had a great day. In fact, I was putting the capstone on three great days in a row. I had a keynote in Charlotte, North Carolina and then flew to Reno, Nevada for a two-day workshop on emotional intelligence.
Slowly settling into my Alaska Airlines seat (and thank you to my Executive Assistant, Jamie, for my aisle seat!), I thought to myself, “the day is not complete, what else can I do to make it great?”
I’m not a big “talker” on flights but will strike up conversation from time-to-time. On this flight, specifically, I had a wonderful conversation with a 25-year female veteran Fire Fighter. Her story truly inspired me. But, towards the end of our conversation, I felt I was able to gently encourage her regarding some personal struggles she was facing. It was a subtle moment but it felt destined, designed, and intentional that we met. It made for a great day.
As we waited to exit the plane, the woman behind me said, “It is so good to be in Seattle.” We struck up a brief chat as I asked her if Seattle was home. Come to find out, she was originally from Portland and is now working for T-Mobile. She asked what I did and when she heard “leadership development,” her eyes widened and she said, “Let’s connect! I love investing in my team around emotional intelligence for cohesive teams!!”
Now, this was turning out to fantastic day…
Here are four ways to turn a good day into a great day:
1. Start each day by reminding yourself that this day is full of potential and there is greatness to be discovered… you have to look for it.
2. Turn an ordinary moment into a great moment. Uncover the potential of each encounter—don’t expect ordinary, expect extraordinary!
3. Believe, believe, believe that your words matter. Your conversations can lift, encourage, and release something great.
4. Be purpose-driven. My purpose is simple, yet intentional, “Inspire greatness in others.” My days are not complete until I have done that for at least one person.
Final challenge: I’m going to make a promise to you, if you look for great moments, you will find them. They will stack up day after day!
Most people don’t aim too high and miss—they aim too low and hit. If you want to live a life that matters, don’t start when you are good, start now so you become good.
To be significant, all you have to do is make a difference with others wherever you are, with whatever you have, day by day.
Here’s to your great day!
— Steve
As a master storyteller, Steve has unparalleled ability to communicate dynamic business and leadership truths through stories, anecdotes and humor. Harness the power of the “number one” predictor of professional success, impact, leadership, high performance and sustainable relationships in business and life. Steve’s highest rated keynote presentation.
To book Steve today, contact Michelle Joyce!
(For information on keynote presentations, team workshops, and one on one coaching.)
“The purpose of Leadership Quest is to help professionals develop their personal leadership, vision and emotional intelligence. Everyday I strive to help leaders and teams achieve their desired goals in sales productivity, leadership, time maximization, and life-balance. ”
About the Author
Steve Gutzler is the President of Leadership Quest, a Seattle-based leadership development company. Steve is a dynamic, highly-sought-after speaker who has delivered more than 2,500 presentations to a list of clients including Microsoft, Starbucks, the Seattle Seahawks, Pandora Radio, Boeing, Cisco, Starwood Corporation, the Ritz Carlton group, and the U.S. Social Security Administration. He recently was voted #1 by the readership of Huffington Post as the Most Inspirational Leader on Social Media.
A published author on leadership and emotional intelligence, Steve resides near Seattle with his wife Julie where they enjoy time with their three adult children and six grandchildren.
