MAKE IT HAPPEN

Inspiration, motivation, and advice.

[makeithappenmonday]

What is this?

Back in February 2014, I was leaving a client meeting in the West Village on a snowy morning. I thought to myself “snow days are actually awesome days to get in touch with people.” Then I pulled out my iPhone and recorded a brief 15-second video to share this tip and threw it up on Instagram and Facebook. BAM - this was the birth of Make It Happen Monday (#MIHM).

For context, I was in the process of working with a video production studio on a video project and they had told me I could best prepare by simply practicing being on camera as much as possible. Additionally, a friend of mine in social media marketing also had advised that the best way I could build an audience (including gaining their trust) was to be highly consistent with my posting - e.g. sharing something on the same day of the week, EVERY week.

What resulted was me posting a MIHM video each and every Monday for the remainder of 2014. Over time, my friends and followers on social media began to expect them. Some enjoyed them, some teased me, some rolled their eyes. Regardless, they (and subsequently me) got noticed due to my consistency. As the year progressed I also got more comfortable in front of the camera; my other objective. I still have a ways to go in this regard and will keep working at it.

This Tumblr is a collection of all of my Make It Happen Monday videos that I hope will keep you inspired, insightful, and ultimately effective today and in the future!

benbrooksny.com

[makeithappenmonday]

CHECK IN

When you’ve known someone for a long time (cough, cough….your family members!) it’s easy to think they are fixed and that we can predict what they think or feel. Don’t. Honor them by simply asking how they think or feel and be prepared to be surprised! Bonus: if your from a family that doesn’t talk about feelings, mix it up and share yours first.

“This is the time of year we’re around people we’ve known a long time. We may think we can predict the way they think or feel, but do we really know for sure? The only way to know for sure is to validate. So check in, get some data, and make it happen.”

benbrooksny.com

[makeithappenmonday]

TIE UP LOOSE ENDS

It’s almost the holidays but don’t coast yet. The best way for you to have a powerful new year is to tie up loose ends and cross off ️your to do list before the holidays. Finish strong!

"If you want to start your new year strong, the best way is to finish up this year complete. Work that backlog of to-dos and tie up loose ends. So this week, tie it up to make it happen."

benbrooksny.com

[makeithappenmonday]

LET THEM DECIDE

Let other people make their own choices. Invite them. Make the request. Include them. Then let them decide if it’s right for them instead of not even giving them the choice. (and apologies on late post — been making it happen all day and lost track of time!)

"Nobody can read minds, but often times we make decisions for other people. We’ll avoid asking for what we need or not invite someone to something, but in reality, you should let other people make their own decisions. So this week, give them a choice to make it happen."

benbrooksny.com

[makeithappenmonday]

DEFINE THE PROBLEM

Before you or your colleagues fall in love with your idea/solution, make sure you fully understand the problem you are solving for. Set the problem before you solve it! And if you’ve only come up with one solution, look for more.

"Don’t waste lots of time looking for a solution when you’re not clear of the problem. Define what you’re solving for first, and then see what solutions fit it best. So this week, define the problem to make it happen."

benbrooksny.com

[makeithappenmonday]

Blooper Reel

In the process of making these videos every week for nearly a year I learned a lot and it was much harder than I expected. Since one of my two objectives was to get more comfortable in front of the camera I captured when I wasn't so good. I coach people that being able to laugh at yourself is key and below I hope you get a good laugh at my MANY mistakes and bloopers from Making It Happen. 

Here’s a small collection of bloopers you didn’t get see. Thanks for your encouragement, feedback, comments and support!

 benbrooksny.com

[makeithappenmonday]

GETTING UNSTUCK

Got a project that’s languishing? Simplify it! It’s easy to add complexity and hard to remove it, so manage down attempts to turn your initiative into a Frankenstein! Before the year is over get even a smaller scoped project across the finish line!

"One sure fire way to get a project going or unstuck is to simplify. Postpone decisions you don’t need to make today, take things out of scope, and get moving. So hit a single, get on base, simplify, and make it happen."

benbrooksny.com

[makeithappenmonday]

CONNECT THEN WORK

We all like people who, when upon meeting for the first time, are curious and have a genuine interest in us. Resist getting right to transactional business and instead get to know the other person first. You'll find it deepens relationships and accelerates results.

"It can be tempting to get right to work, but a better strategy is to connect with someone as a person and then get to business. So this week, make it personal and make it happen."

benbrooksny.com

[makeithappenmonday]

INTRODUCE YOURSELF

An early Monday post so you can put this to work in the office today. Play the host and introduce yourself whenever you go! Be known for being welcoming and having class.

"People love it when you introduce yourself. If you don't know somebody, go say hello, and if you think you've seen them before, just ask them to remind you of their name. So this week, go say hello, shake a hand, share your name, and make it happen."

benbrooksny.com

[makeithappenmonday]

HAVE FUN

Many people confuse being professional with being stiff, sterile and cold. Get more done (and still be respected) by being fun -- people are drawn to the engaging and humorous side of us!

"Sometimes in an effort to be professional, we forget to have fun, but people love others that are engaging and keep it light and have a sense of humor. So this week, have fun to make it happen."

benbrooksny.com

[makeithappenmonday]

SHARING IS CARING

Part of being of service to others is simply sharing the good stuff you come across. Thoughtfully sharing positions you as a helpful contributor!

"Remember, sharing is caring. If you come across a great article, or book, or even provider, let people know. Share with your clients or your colleagues. Share it on social media. You'll be known as someone helpful and someone useful. So this week, share to make it happen."

benbrooksny.com

[makeithappenmonday]

BE RELIABLE

What can people count on you for? Being consistent builds trust and deepens relationships as people know what to expect from you. Hot and cold isn't cute in business or dating. And BTW, being consistent in spite of all of the external factors in life can be very hard and is something I'm still working on. Hope you give it a shot too!

"If you want to be taken seriously, you've got to be consistent. Your reliability builds a reputation and allows people to trust you. So this week, be consistent and make it happen."

benbrooksny.com

[makeithappenmonday]

DO ONE MORE

Making large, wholesale changes in our lives can be daunting. Start small with the notion of a few extra "reps" to push yourself forward.

"This week, think about doing a little bit more. At the end of the day, send one more email, write one more note, take one more phone call, get a little bit more done. Just like in exercise, sometimes a few more reps can make the difference. So this week, a little bit more to make it happen."

benbrooksny.com

[makeithappenmonday]

KEEP LEARNING

Learning isn't over when you leave school, yet few people proactively seek to learn. Figure out what you need to figure out, and seek it out!

"It may have been awhile since you were in a classroom, but it doesn't mean you're done learning. You may have a new job or a new project or something else that requires you to actively go out and seek information. So this week, go learn something new and make it happen."

benbrooksny.com

[makeithappenmonday]

UNDERSTAND IT

Agreeing to something that just doesn't feel right is never a good idea. Your intuition and gut reaction should be listened to. Get more information if you need to and don't agree to something that just doesn't sit well with you.

"When it comes to making decisions if you don't understand it, don't do it. If you need to, find out more information, but always trust your gut. So this week, listen to that intuition, stop if you need to and make it happen."

benbrooksny.com

[makeithappenmonday]

Make it Your Own

   Any Monday (and the subsequent week) you can make your own Make It Happen Monday.

  1. Select

Choose a theme, insight, rule, principle or other area of focus that you want to have your week be about. Ideally it should have a pithy tagline or slogan like "Be the first to applaud" or "Always be closing." 

  2. Structure

Create some sort of support structure for your area of focus to come alive. For instance, if yours is about recognizing others, ask your spouse or friend to check in with you on Friday about how many people you recognized (and keep track in your smart phone) Create some sort of system that either enables/reminds you of your area of focus or holds you accountable. 

  3. Celebrate

At the end of your week, celebrate your accomplishment. This is a very important feedback loop for your brain (do something new --> get rewarded and feel good). This will help reinforce not just your theme for the week, but your ability to take on something new and follow through.

  benbrooksny.com

[makeithappenmonday]

LISTEN FIRST

When you hear resistance, objections, or concerns, avoid the temptation to plow over it. Instead, listen and acknowledge it, and only then suggest a solution to assuage the concerns of the other person.

"Sometimes a client or a manager brings us a concern or an objection and we kind of want to push that away. The better thing to do is to listen to it and embrace it and then bring your solution. So try that winning formula and make it happen."

benbrooksny.com