When I encounter entrepreneurs who are trying to rush the development of their product or customer acceptance of their services, I tell them that 9 women can’t make a baby in one month. Some things just take time and it is impossible to rush them. Working on the set of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition this past weekend I did learn, however, that sometimes the seemingly impossible can be done.

Building a house in a week seemed impossible until I witnessed it. In beholding what seemed like perfectly choreographed chaos, I gleaned some lessons that business owners and really anyone in general can learn and apply to whatever it is their trying to achieve that might seem impossible at times.

First, you must appreciate the people who help you along the way. As a volunteer, and one of many, I can’t tell you how many times I heard from the staff - and some of the stars - “we really appreciate what you’re doing. We couldn’t do it without you.” Especially gracious was Didi. Even under the stress of trying to finish on the morning of the reveal, she was kind and patient and didn’t want to offend anyone. She seems like a class act and I went out of my way to try and help her.
Second, planning and organization were crucial. I can’t tell you the millions of details that had to be tended to and somewhere, somehow, there was someone who had it all together and making sure it was happening. I’m not even sure I could tell you who that was on the set. I can’t imagine what their pert chart looks like but I am certain there is one somewhere.
Thirdly - and I think this is the most important - was that flexibility was KEY. As with any project, things don’t always come together as envisioned. You have to remain flexible while keeping your vision on the bigger picture - what is really important? When one of the stars asked someone to do something for them and it didn’t come back exactly the way it had been envisioned (do you like my generalities here to protect a not-yet-aired show?), they had to go with it. Time was of the essence and they had to focus on the bigger picture and adjust their plans to make it work. This is what I call “Focused Flexibility” and if you want to be successful, think about what that means for you.

Lastly, a little chaos is to be expected at times. When you’re working with a hard-working group of dedicated people who are all focused on your end goal (the SAME end goal), then chaos will happen. Deal with it. Embrace it. Let things flow.

What “impossible” things have you accomplished? What was the key to your success?
The show I was working on is the season opener that will air sometime in September. In case you watch it, I’m the one in the blue shirt and hard hat!

I was talking with a friend and ACTiVATE Alum, Halima Aquino, this past weekend and marveling at her tales of having recently completed a sprint triathlon. Wow. I am in awe of all of you out there who have done that and I’m sure many have done more.

Since I can’t stand to run, much less swim in cold water, I had to ask her what compelled her to do this. I may have even had the “are you crazy?” look on my face when I did. The answer I received was unexpected but it makes sense. It is something many of us can relate to and possibly have done: she needed to cross the finish line.

You see, she’s working on starting up a new technology business (LilyPad Sensors) which tends to take longer and require more capital (i.e. MONEY) than many other businesses. She was frustrated because things were not happening as fast as she felt they should (they never do!), so she decided to take on another challenge: to participate in a sprint triathlon as only the second race in which she would ever compete in her adult 40-something life.

I starting thinking about it: there are so many similarities between starting a business and taking on a triathlon. There is a lot to do to get ready with intense training and preparation, execution takes a positive mind set, and it’s just not easy.

The one major difference and the key that compelled her to take on this new challenge is there’s a definite end. There is a set, knowable time in the future when she will be done. Unlike other goals that are not as neatly packaged (like starting a business!), she can gear up, prepare, execute, and then relish in her accomplishment within a finite, predictable period of time.

Taking on this physical endeavor and crossing the finish line actually gave her a boost in her business. She revitalized her energy and found new life in pushing ahead towards her goals.

Thinking about this made me realize that I took up juggling for the exact same reason without realizing it. OK, it is much less physically taxing than running for 5K, swimming 20K and biking for 750m (that’s 3.1 miles, 12.4 miles, and .5 miles respectively for us metric-less Americans) but the objective and the results were the same: taking on and accomplishing a finite goal, especially one that is a stretch for you, can help you regain new energy in reaching the finish line in whatever larger goals or tasks you have ahead of you.

When you find you’re getting frustrated in one area of your life, find something in another area of your life where you can be rejuvenated by that feeling of success. Whether it is learning a new skill (juggling!), running a marathon, or building a shed – success will re-ignite your passion and breed more success.

So what new projects have you taken on? If you’re feeling stale, what new endeavors are you going to take on??

The good news is: I just moved my office to a better space. The bad news is: I had to move my office. All that paper, those files – UGH! It’s not really bad news, though. I had time to go through my files and PURGE! Oh, how nice it felt! I was also able to reorganize my files that had gotten so out of hand. How does that happen?

This whole experience has really gotten me turned on to the idea of a PAPERLESS OFFICE. I know I can’t go totally sans paper because there are just some things I need to have in hard copy. Reading articles, for example, is very difficult for me on a computer screen if they’re over a certain number of pages. It just doesn’t feel right, especially if it is something I wrote. I need to have hard copy that I can mark up and expand on in the margins. I know you can do that with Word – sort of. It just isn’t the same.

But for me, everything else is GOING DIGITAL! I’m embarking on a mission to simplify my office and my life by eliminating as much paper as I possibly can. Good for me, good for the environment. I’m just getting started, but I’ve already come up with tips on what you need to do to go paperless:

1. Invest in an easy-to-use scanner. It doesn’t have to be high-end quality as I’ve found you don’t need a really high resolution device if all you’re doing is archiving. Just so you can see what’s on the paper should you need to print it is good enough. Mine is a multi-function printer/scanner/fax machine with a document feeder – an essential add-on for hands-free scanning, especially of multi-page documents. It hooks right up to my computer and creates the image.
2. Switch to online statements and bills. If you’re not already doing it, you’re probably like me and afraid that you’ll miss something if you don’t have that bill staring you in the face. We use QuickBooks to schedule our business bills that need to be paid and Quicken to set up reminders for the home bills. The challenge becomes when you don’t open those programs on a regular basis, but I have a reminder set up in Outlook to pay bills. I haven’t missed one yet!
3. Buy Adobe Acrobat. No, I’m not talking about the free reader that allows you to view PDF files. This one allows you to create them, too, which is a great way to archive off documents and e-mails that you would otherwise have to print. You can get the old 8.0 version for under $200 and it is worth the investment. I am not even familiar with all the capabilities, but just the ability to send out contracts and proposal in an unchangeable but readable format is worth the price. If you’re a pro at all Acrobat has to offer, please e-mail me! I would love to learn more.
4. Set up a good filing system on your computer. Storage for digital files on your computer needs to be just as organized as a paper-based filing system. Better yet – purchase software that is supposed to be able to help you find anything on your computer. They even have software that can act as a file and retrieve system. If anyone has recommendations on these types of systems, please share them!
5. Make sure you back up your system. The last thing you want to do is have all your records on your hard drive and then it gets a virus or crashes and you can’t retrieve anything. You should be backing up your system ANYWAY, but even more so when you go paperless.

I’m not there yet, but who wants in? I’m challenging you to join me in my quest for the paperless office. What have you got to lose other than a few hundred pounds of paper??