Daily Boost — Motivation and Coaching

Motivational Laws You Shouldn’t Break Specific actions, thoughts, and feelings have revealed themselves to be the truth. If you want to better yourself, here are my Top 10: 10) Purpose And Passion Come From Clarity of Thought. 9) Purpose And Passion Begin With Acceptance. 8) Faith and Courage Power Transformation. 7) The Secret Lies Within You. 6) Some Doors Must Close Before Others Open. 5) Strong Values Create Strong Passions. 4) Goals Are The Heartbeat of Your Life. 3) Emotions + Logic = Change. 2) Momentum Is The Result of Planning. 1) Everything Happens When Something Happens. The path to all success is well-worn. Follow the path that others have blazed. Your dreams are waiting. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How Bad Do You Want to Live Your Dreams? Do you ever feel stuck? Is there something you want but don’t know HOW to get it? Worse - everybody is giving you the same advice? What’s your WHY?” Getting what you want is simpler than that. You will always get what you want when you want it bad enough. Do you want to be happier? How bad do you want it? Do you want more money? How bad do you want it? Do you want better relationships? How bad do you want it? Nothing can stop you when you want it bad enough. You will always find the way. Don’t believe me? I guess you don’t want it bad enough - yet. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Live Longer Being an Optimistic Realist Are you an "Optimist" or a "Realist" who is optimistic? It makes a difference. Studies have shown that Optimists don't live as long and Optimistic Realists. Why? Being blindly optimistic today can lead to massive disappointment and stress. There is too much noise in the world trying to bring you down. When you choose to be an optimistic Realist, you look at the world with a much clearer lens. Occasionally you will be surprised by an outcome. You will rarely be disappointed. I think it's better to be surprised occasionally than constantly worried. How about you? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Creating Your Perfect Day - Every Day. What if every day was perfect for the rest of your life? Your subconscious mind is a beautiful thing. You can use its power to design your life exactly how you imagine. Here’s how: 1) Write down an event-by-event vision of your perfect day. Yes, it’s a fantasy - for now. 2) There are no rules. No limitations. No consequences. Be honest about what you want. Don’t be shy. 3) Believe it can be yours! You deserve it. If you follow these steps, your subconscious mind seeks to make your dreams come true. All it needs is a partner willing to take action. Do that, and you’ll create an extraordinary life. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Are You Missing Your Future? Have you noticed how everybody is running so fast these days? Are they living in the moment? Are they dwelling on the past? Are they dreaming of the future - and waiting for it to arrive? Any human would experience a combination of all three every day. That's normal as long as it doesn't get in the way of living. A decade and a half ago, my first wife passed away from Cancer. She was 46 and too young to die. I was too young to be a widower. My children are too young to lose their Mom. While challenging, our family had an unconventional outlook on life - and death. Our goal was to make it the best death ever. Sadly, we achieved that goal. It was the strangest accomplishment any of us had ever experienced. After she passed, my daughter, Carlyn, wrote a poem that resonates to this day - Soon we'll all find our way. Soon we'll know what. Makes us who we are. Soon we'll wake up. Today, we can appreciate. Soon we'll know that. Tomorrow we'll be better. Soon we'll trust that everything's okay. That the past is gone. Can't hold us back. Soon we'll smile about today. Soon will come too soon. Don't let it slip away. Time keeps on slipping, slipping, slipping into the future. Don't let it slip away. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Billionaire Habits You Can Steal Whatever you get in life is a result of your daily habits. What is a habit? According to the dictionary, it is a settled or regular tendency or practice. It is also, especially, one that is hard to give up. Good habits or bad - they are hard to give up. If that's the case, you may as well choose good habits. In a survey of 233 self-made millionaires, here's what they did that lower-income earners didn't - Get up early, read a LOT, and spend 15 - 30 minutes each day on focused thinking. Good habits, done daily, create success. Make exercise a priority, spend time with people that inspire them, and pursue their own goals. Settled habits create settled success. Get enough sleep, have multiple incomes, and avoid time-wasters. If you're not getting the desired results, there is a high likelihood that you're not giving up your current habits. Until you establish new habits, little will change. When you do, everything will change. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How Success Follows Intention An epidemic infecting dreamers worldwide is nothing more than a dream buster. Living a happy life, enjoying amazing relationships, and making more money? It seems that everyone has intention. Some intentions are good. Some intentions are bad. In any case, moving from having intentions to succeed requires two steps: 1) Intention becomes actionable when you DECIDE to follow through on your intention. If not, nothing will happen. When you do, move on to the next step. 2) Once you’ve DECIDED to follow through on your intention, ACTION is required. What kind? Actions that form a direct path to your anticipated outcome. Become the kind of person that knows what you want, decides to do it, and follows through until you get it. That’s how you become unstoppable! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How to Focus and Achieve Your Goals I was speaking with a young man who was doing something familiar. He was living in two realities: 1) He had finished school; one reality was pursuing his dream career. 2) While he worked toward his dream, he earned a job certification to pay the bills. During our conversation, he said something that got my attention. “I’m hoping I can get a good job supporting my dream.” My ears perked up. Years of Coaching allow me to hear de-focused and dream-erasing thoughts loud and clear. Yes, everybody needs to pay their bills. However, what you focus on is what you get. When the certainty of earning income becomes your focus, dreams disappear. What you focus on is what you get. Most folks don’t notice their dreams are gone for twenty years. What you focus on is what you get. Focus your mind and actions on turning your dreams into reality. Whatever you do to earn a living falls into the category of necessary and temporary. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How to Change Your Life in 30 Days or Less Only a silly person thinks you can change everything about your life in 30 days - right? Call me silly, but everything I've ever done was rooted in a 30-day sprint - even if I didn’t know it. Here's how you do it: 1) Set what Napoleon Hill calls a Major Definite Purpose or a Big Ass Goal. 2) Stop negative self-talk. Others may throw sticks and stones; don't throw them at yourself. 3) List all the reasons you CAN be successful. Make it a long list. 4) Decide that you will do whatever it takes to reach your goal. For the next 30 days, nothing will stop you. The impossible becomes possible when you are focused, willing to take massive imperfect action, and won't take no for an answer. By the way… When you seek or follow your purpose in life, your life will become one big non-stop happiness sprint. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Permission is Not Required For Happiness You do not need permission to live life according to your terms. Researching your direction and path is smart. It’s okay to ask for advice and guidance. It’s even okay to persuade others to take the journey with you. You don’t need permission to be yourself and live your life. You don’t need a big storyline. You don’t need approval from anyone else. You can start whenever you choose. Here’s a secret that will help you adjust your mindset - Most folks don’t care about you. They’re too busy thinking about themselves. If that’s the case, it sure seems silly to ask for permission - right? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Setting Boundaries and Expectations Imagine how your life would improve if everybody understood what to expect. Expectations are powerful. You get to decide how you approach the world. Pay attention to these three questions: 1) What do you expect of yourself? 2) What do you expect of others? Clearly, understand what you expect of others. That allows you to avoid surprises - and toxic relationships. 3) What do others expect of you? When you let others know what they can expect of you - and walk your talk - you are living with integrity. Your life will always be more comfortable when you know what to expect of yourself and others. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Unavoidable Stages of Competence When I was young, stupid, and wondering when I would understand life, I often turned to Zig Ziglar for a road map. Zig's Stages of Competence was what I needed: 1) Stage One is where we begin. We are "Unconscious Incompetent." We don't know what we don't know. 2) Stage Two is called "Conscious Incompetent." I spent a lot of time there. I used to say, "I have no idea what I'm doing - but at least I admit it." 3) Stage Three is "Unconscious Competent." People who have no idea how good they are. 4) Stage Four is "Conscious Competent." That is your goal. To know what you are doing - and OWN it! Most people continue to another level that some call "Conscious Competence." The ability to recognize and develop Unconscious Competence in others. You will become who you were meant to be when you learn how to get there, do the work, and recognize your achievement. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Purpose Based Goals Are you a goal-setter? Goals are the heartbeat of your life. Without Goals, life tends a meander with no real direction. Goals are GOOD. But what happens when you miss your Goal? Yes, you might want to give up, but it’s not the end of the world. Missing a deadline doesn't always mean you missed your Goal. Missing a Goal only means that you are using a particular result to define achievement. You might consider using outcome-based goal setting when your Goal doesn't need a specific "How" or "When." In other words, you'll get there when you get there. Better yet, always make sure that your goals are fueling your purpose. When you do that, time doesn’t matter anymore. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Life Changing Questions I'll keep it quick today. Besides, you'll be busy thinking after you read these questions. (Now would be a good time to pull out your journal and make a few notes.) 1) What do I want to do? 2) What do I want to have? 3) Where do I want to go? 4) What contribution do I want to make? 5) What do I want to become? 6) What do I want to learn? 7) Who do I want to spend my time with? 8) How much money do I want to earn, save, and invest? 9) How much time do I want off? 10) What will I do to create optimum health? Your mind is now officially in a different place. Enjoy the ride. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How To Create More Time in Your Day How would you like more time in your day - or at least to feel that way? I hope to enjoy a fantastic weekend that will feel like a month. Like a vacation as a child that seemed to last forever. Wouldn't it be cool to capture that feeling every day? It is possible to enjoy your own time machine when you understand that time is relative. Your perception of time will determine how you experience your day. Try this: 1) Embrace anticipation. Focus your excitement on what is to come instead of what is in the past. 2) Slow down. Being busy for the sake of being busy will make time seem to pass quickly. So will life. 3) Introduced LOTS of sensory input for your mind to ponder. Complex thoughts, colorful visuals, and even music will make it seem like your day is never-ending. You may not be able to stop the world from spinning faster and faster. That doesn’t mean you have to participate. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Behavior Hacks That Change Everything Your mind is the most powerful super-computer ever created. Here are a few ways to hack it and transform your life. 1) Start using a "Good Enough" approach. Perfectionism is doing nothing to move you forward. 2) Use your ONE mind to do ONE thing. Multitasking is splitting your focus and energy. It's also delaying your success. 3) Let go of control. Some things are not up to you. Figure out what they are and move on. 4) Say NO to anything that does not directly support your Goals. Do what you KNOW will get you what you want. Don't do something in hopes of getting what you want. 5) Hang out with supportive, positive, and nurturing people. Let toxic people create their own group. 6) Be willing not to be liked. If you avoid making folks unhappy, you're not moving toward your dreams. 7) Focus on the story of YOU. Minimize social media and television. When you do, you also minimize the influence others have on you. Notice how most hacks are simply relying on yourself first. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mindset Shifts for a Better Life "On your last day on earth, the person you became will meet the person you could have become." — Anonymous You're smart. You're not going to let that happen to you - right? Here are seven mindset shifts to make sure you are living on purpose right now - 1) Live a good lifestyle. Eat good stuff and exercise. 2) Think long-term. Find your groove and stick with it. 3) Play BIG. Small thinking is not why you were born. 4) Be responsible. No more excuses. That’s the only way to be happy. 5) Learn to be more flexible. Stop being hard-headed. Go with the flow to get what you want. 6) Embrace hard work. There is no Magic Bullet. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You Don't Need Failure For Success Have you ever wondered how to succeed in a long-term Goal? Without endless nights of crying yourself to sleep? It won't help to remind you that everything is hard before it gets easy. Or that if it were easy, everybody would do it - right? Try this: 1) Know what you want. Easy peasy. 2) Find a Coach and train, train, train. Get a real Coach. Counting on Google to help you master your new skill is not a good plan. 3) Trust your training while you practice, practice, practice. You'll get better. I promise. 4) Commit to continuing until you reach your Goal - no matter what. Yes, it will be hard. Then again, you'll soon be one of those lucky people are blessed with a life others envy. Finally - Be sure to trust your most important Coach - YOU! Listen to your gut, what is calling you, and keep moving forward. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How Big Do You Dream? How big do you dream? I hope it's not tiny. That would be a bummer. Dreaming big is not really what you think. Please don't feel like you must save the world or be a Rock Star. Making millions of dollars doesn't always fit into that category, either. Don't believe me? Why are so few folks unable to do that? Living a stress-free life, spending time with family, or doing an excellent job for your employer is pretty big - right? Dreaming big is about imagining something important to YOU - not anybody else. When you dream big, it becomes easy to set goals and take action to live your dream life. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Get What You Want… FAST! Would you like a shortcut to getting anything you want in life? Would you like to get there quicker, faster, and easier? Since you're a mover and a shaker, you know the value of using goals in your day-to-day life. Goals are those magical gems that give you the power to turn your dreams into reality. Here's the simple secret to achieving massive success with your goals. Commit yourself ONLY to take action that moves you closer to your goal. Period. Stay focused, say "No," and slice and dice the day to create motion in the direction of your choice. Keep going until you get there. Once you succeed, keep perfecting your actions until they run on autopilot. Your next great adventure can wait until you complete your current journey. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why Others See Your Greatness Whether in business, having a job, going to school, or living your life, your ability to present well will supercharge your success. Here are five tips I use every day: 1) Understand that most folk only expect you to wow them. They are not expecting bad. You shouldn't either. 2) Join the conversation THEY already have inside their head, not the one YOU are having. 3) You'll move faster if you drop the small talk and dig into the meat of your communication. You can fill in additional information later. 4) The sooner you get people to suspend disbelief and engage with you, the sooner you will succeed. 5) Stop overkill. Find the first best place to take your exit and bring your meeting to an end. You're going to be amazed at how well this works. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why Do You Procrastinate? Are you a member of the Procrastination Club? If so, you participate in one of the most popular groups ever devised. Everybody joins eventually. So, what is procrastination? "The intentional and habitual postponement of an important task that you should do now." Is it possible that you are not procrastinating? Maybe you're just forcing yourself to do something you don't need or want to do anyway? Maybe you're getting caught up in the caught up? Making busy, keeping up with the Jones? There's so much you can do today. How many are you procrastinating, and how many should you toss off your list? Remember… When you do what fuels your soul you’ll never procrastinate again. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stop Letting Others Control You This morning I received an email from a member I haven't heard from in years. Many years. He wanted to update me on his life. This kind of thing happens all the time. Folks jump into the Personal Development game and hang out for a while. Eventually, they disappear. I never worry about it because it means they must put what they've learned in place. In his note, he thanked me for giving him a nugget that turned that was the catalyst he needed to begin his journey. I said. "If you don't take control of yourself, somebody else will take control of it for you." I wonder? Is it scarier and more frustrating to have somebody else pulling your strings - or pulling them yourself? You already know the answer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Primary Morning Focus I love the quiet, peaceful mornings, but I'm not too fond of mornings happening so early. Still, the focus, creativity, and feeling of momentum that comes with getting up before the chickens have such value that I needed getting up a bit easier. My solution is to drop the complicated and establish a simple routine. I begin by deciding the area I'm currently prioritizing and choosing a "first thing" task to move me closer to my goal. Next, I set myself up for success the night before. Depending on my task, I make notes, organize my desk, and get my gym clothes ready - whatever it takes to prepare. Finally, when I wake up, I get licked by the dogs, take care of my personal needs, read something inspirational for five minutes or less, and start my day. No distractions. No email, social media, or news. Just start. My goal is to make my primary focus the first thing I do in the morning before life gets in the way. It works like a charm. There's a reason the Marines do more before 9 AM than everybody else. Now it's your turn. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Get Yourself to Take Action People often ask what steps are needed to increase productivity and get more done. That’s easy. It always comes down to understanding how the action moves you forward. Like any good story, life IS a story. All actions have a beginning, middle, and end. Anything else is stumbling along - which is easy to do if you’re not paying attention. Here’s how you sum up actions in three steps: The beginning is “Access Actions,” which determine the steps needed to get your project moving. The middle is about momentum and achievement. “Advancing Actions” move you toward benchmarks and help you monitor your progress, and make iterations and adjustments. “Achievement Actions” are those steps required to complete your project with no loose ends. Taking action. It’s not about getting things done so you can work more. It’s about getting things done so you can play more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Diagnosing How To Help Others Have you ever felt the desire to help others? Do you want to help them figure things out? Make more money? Recover from a bad experience? Maybe you want to make a difference in the world yourself. I’ve always believed that our power to help others is a side benefit of being ourselves - and having a structure to follow - 1) A person in need desires an outcome. It makes no sense to offer advice until we know what they seek. That puts us on the same page. 2) Next, find out their problems, actions, and results. Then, relate them to what you have found works. 3) Now that you’ve heard their struggle, you can make specific recommendations to move their life positively. Helping others is a lot like being a Doctor. Listen. Examine. Prescribe. Take action. Follow up. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Happiness Walks For years, I've built a reputation for being a guy that never misses a chance for a good conversation. Sometimes I head out the door for a good old-fashion "Talkabout" - an ode to Crocodile Dundee's "Walkabout." I'm not sure when it began, but since exploring life's possibilities is a core value, I know why; there is no better way to learn something new than striking up a random conversation with another human. But there are rules: 1) You must be focused on exploring and open to following whatever direction the conversation goes. No judgment. No challenging. 2) Your mouth should be open as little as possible. Everything you say should focus on learning more from the person in front of you. 3) No matter what you hear, remember that you checked your ego; you are here to listen and learn. When you feel the need to make it about you, it's time to move on to the next conversion. Maybe I should start calling them "Listenabouts." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What's Your Life Vision? Do you have an image of what you would like your life to be - except when life gets in the way? There's no doubt that daily life events have a funny way of distracting us from reaching goals. It's just too easy to put them on the back burner. That's why you need to become the keeper of your vision. Every day thousands of opportunities will arrive on your path and detour you from what you want. That's why it's up to you to guard your vision by asking a simple question - Will this opportunity move me closer to the lifestyle I desire or further away? Simple. Know YOUR vision. Defend YOUR vision. Live YOUR Vision. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Living a Curated Life Sometimes I wonder if it’s possible to live an authentic life that looks the same from the inside and outside. In other words, can you walk your talk and have everybody understand what you are saying? My wife and I visited St. Augustine a few weeks ago and spent several hours in the Lightner Museum. On the surface, it was an interesting collection of stuff that didn’t seem to go together - except that it did. Like all good museums and lives, it was well curated. Our day-to-day lives are much the same—a collection of experiences and things we understand but others may not. We may also feel fear over expressing ourselves. We may not even believe it’s possible. Then again, you’re already doing it anyway - right? Another fear we have is what others will think about the crazy lives we’ve built - which can hold us back too. That’s why it’s time to curate your life. When you walk into the Lightner Museum, it is a collection of collections. Each individual is unique, with nothing to do with others on display. However, when you curate all the crazy collections into one group, magic happens. It’s the same as what with your life. Accept who you are on the inside and curate your collation of dreams and desires into a personal experience that makes sense to you - then present it to the world and watch what happens. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

So, What Do You Do? Two people came into a restaurant and walked up to the bar. While it sounds like the setup for a joke, what's about to happen is much more serious. My friend and New York Times Best Selling Author, Joel Comm, has a favorite question for times like these - So, What Do You Do? Asking that simple question can propel hours of conversation - as proven by my client. While attending an event, she was standing at a bar when the gentleman next to her asked, "So what do you do?" Her quick response was to say, "Anything I want!" Obviously, her answer caused question marks to rise from her new friend's ears as curiosity rose. Frankly, my client's answer wasn't the defacto narrative she had spewed for years. She's nearing an early retirement, and her next phase is unclear. Still, she knew one thing— she wasn't going to talk about the past-- and that scared her to death. She was also fearful of what others will think, say, and do about her response. She should not have been. Asking, "So, what do you do" is an excellent door-openers that allow us to not talk about ourselves and express interest in others - something everybody loves. It's also an opportunity for you to give an honest answer that will likely stimulate the imagination of the person you are speaking to. Talk about a great conversation starter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Practice Makes Greatness It’s been said that Practice makes perfect. That might be true if you were able to practice perfectly. If that were the case, why would you need to practice? Practice does not make perfect. Practice makes permanent. Practice bad thinking, and you will get all the bad thoughts you could ever want. Practice makes permanent. Practice bad manners and are sure to get better at being rude. Practice makes permanent. Practice bad relationship skills, and you are guaranteed to miss out on the best life has to offer. Practice makes permanent. It is always that way, it will never change, and you can harness its power. Practice being positive, forward-thinking, and believing that life is good. That’s what you will get. Practice being a good person that is always thinking of others. You will find yourself surrounded by good people. Practice being present, respectful, and loving in your relationships. You will never be alone. Yes, practice makes permanent, but it also makes for greatness. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Your Happiness Equation Is there a magic formula for happiness? Yes. It comes down to how you look at the world. Most folks do one of two things: 1) They view everything from an emotional place. When life is good, everything is excellent. When things go wrong, life is terrible. Remaining stuck in the emotional zone is like writing a letter in the sand with a rising tide; it will never stick around long enough to make you happy. 2) Others view the world from a black-and-white and logical perspective. But life is not always logical. Using your analytical brain for everything is like painting a wall black and expecting a rainbow of colors. I’ve found the best way is to naturally ride the highs and lows of emotions, tap into logic to navigate what crosses our path, and get back to the fun of emotions as soon as possible. Emotion + Logic + Emotion = Happiness. First and foremost, humans are emotional creatures that will not change. But logic allows us to sort through our feelings and make the best decision. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Raising Your Self-Confidence I got off the phone with a client who told me I insulted her with a comment on a recent call. I said, “Your self-confidence is low, and that’s okay. Everybody has low self-confidence - even if they walk with a swagger that says otherwise.” It turns out she had spent the entire day thinking about my comment. She didn’t realize that I was only referring to a moment in time along her journey. We had a short conversation and sorted things out. Afterward, I sent this - No matter how long you live, how much you succeed, or how much swagger you have in your walk, there will always be someplace where you feel like the underdog. It’s the same way for everybody. As soon as you take the next step, your self-confidence is forever boosted - until the next step arrives. The process will continue throughout your life. If you want unstoppable self-confidence, get used to feeling uncomfortable and taking action anyway. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What if everything you did today came with no limitations and good consequences? What could you do with your life? Limitations can be helpful. Staying within speed limits keeps you from getting tickets. That's good. Limiting yourself to a job that doesn't serve you? That's bad. Fear of change usually creates limitations. Or is it the fear of harmful consequences? What would happen if all consequences were good? Asking someone on a date may cause fear and hold you back. That all goes away the instant you hear, "Yes!" Reach for the good! Roll through your day believing that you are ten feet tall and bulletproof. Anything is possible! The Universe might prove you right. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There is a simple formula that you can apply to get what you want, enjoy the process, and ensure that it will last for a lifetime. 1) Get clarity. You must clearly define what you want. When you don’t know your path, you will drift with frustration. 2) Accurate Thinking. Assume that you are not getting the correct information. Double-check and confirm. Then move forward. The more accurate your understanding of your plan, the more comfortable and quicker it will be to get there. 3) Leverage. You may think that you can do all the heavy lifting yourself, and you can see in the beginning. But why? You’ll get there faster if you find a way to leverage every action for maximum results. Don’t go it alone. 4) Systemization. Create ritualized actions that move you closer to what you want. Once there, automate those actions. Your purpose required an operating system to stay focused and on track. Get what you want to be using CALLS to action: Clarity. Accurate Thinking. Leverage. Systemization. Life is about to get much more relaxed. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As a child, I remember heading out the door for a day in an endless adventure. It usually concluded with a game of Hide-And-Seek. Those days seemed to last forever. These days, most of us are still running until the sun goes down. But there's so much to do that we rarely have time to ponder the bigger picture. Remember- You will always find time for your most important tasks. You will eat, sleep, pay bills, feed the dog, and take care of your children - no matter how crazy life gets. When life gets crazy, and you scream, "Something has to GIVE…" it's usually your dreams for the future that get put off. Steven Covey reminded us how important it is to focus on what's important as much as possible. Make sure you put yourself on the list too. Then, when life goes off the rails, fix it as soon as possible, get back to what's essential, and keep moving. Not all dreams come true, but the important ones always seem to come your way. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I'm sure you have a lot to do. If you use a To-Do list, I'd like to pass on advice to make your days much more fun. LOSE your "To-Do List." Replace it with a" Did I Do It List." To-Do Lists make you a slave to the checkmark. They cause more stress the longer they get. A" Did I Do It List" assumes you know what must be done. Instead of chasing, you are checking to make sure you did it. An un-focused path produces additional tasks to fill your day. Using a "Did I Do It List" will focus you on your goals and create quick results. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Do you remember what it was like to be in 1st grade? It was when everybody lavished you with encouragement for being YOU - and because you finished your art project without eating the glue. Those were beautiful times. But you may have noticed things have changed since you were okay to take a nap in the middle of class. You grew up. Yes, growing into an adult brings many mentors your way. They do their best to motivate and inspire you. But you know in your heart that they can only do so much. It's up to you to drive yourself in the direction of your dreams. That's called adulting. I say it's time to PYOTB, my friend! YOU are your own BEST Cheerleader. Don't sit around waiting for somebody to make you feel good. Pat yourself on the butt. Scream, "I done GOOD!" It's going to be the best day ever! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mapping Your Success Wouldn’t it be great if you had a plan to help you get what you want? What you need is M.A.P.S. - a system that gets thinking out of the way and focuses on actions in four areas: Motivation - Everything begins with motivation and knowing ‘WHY’ you set your goals. Stay motivated. Accountability: Being accountable and accepting responsibility for your results will empower your success. Saying, ‘If it’s to be, it’s up to me’ is a great way to get started. Planning: Plan your work, work you plan. It’s simple. If you can’t plan it, you won’t be able to do it. Systemization: The first steps of any worthy goal are difficult. As you get more comfortable with your process, lock in the actions and repeat them until you get what you want. Sustainability: Everything takes longer than you think. Momentum is built in life by stacking your accomplishments sequentially. Make sure you set yourself up for the long haul. The freedom you desire rests on a stable and repeatable foundation. Motivation, Accountability, Planning, Systemization, and Sustainability. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I have a saying - “Next year begins THIS year. Next month begins THIS month. Next week begins THIS week.” If you want to stay on track, accomplish your goals, and enjoy life more - you MUST take control of your calendar. It’s easier than you think: 1) Life will come at you FAST! Schedule any significant and can’t-miss life event at least one year in advance. Put it on the calendar and block it out. You can always change your mind. 2) Hold your space. Decide in advance what you will be doing with your days. When will you work on projects? When will you see clients? When will you have fun? 3) Never end one week without locking in your schedule for the next - and stick to it. Focus, my friend. Focus. The future is always brighter when your day-to-day focus fulfills your goals this week. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Turn Obstacles Into Opportunity Have you ever wondered how much easier things would be if you didn’t have to think so much? What if the future or your past didn’t matter? Imagine if you didn’t worry about the possessions, success, or drama of others? What would happen if you believed that YOU were in control? Now you are starting to think like a Stoic Philosopher. Stoicism is about paring down and simplifying. They eliminate unproductive traits that define the majority of the population. One of the most common is turning obstacles upside down, creating opportunities, and seeing them as teachable moments. For a Stoic, every bad thing becomes a new source of good. Marcus Aurelius said it this way, “The impediment to action advances action. What stands in your way becomes the way.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Listening to Yourself First Growing up, I was an energetic, enthusiastic, and excitable child. I never let a day go by without challenging something - usually with my mouth. Thanks to those responsible for turning me into a good person, I learned a valuable lesson when they said- “Listen twice as much as you speak. You have two ears and one mouth for a reason.” You’ve heard that before, and in today’s fast-paced world, knowing when to put a zipper on your lips is critical. But I’ve also learned to take that advice to a new level to get what I want. I call it going “Dark.” When you go “Dark,” you have chosen to listen to others less. Yes, you are still listening, caring, and interacting with those around you. You’ve decided to listen to yourself twice as much instead. The world we live in today makes it seem as though it’s impossible to get what you want without others. There are endless hours of interacting, Googling, ZOOMing, Texting, and more. It’s as if we’ve lost permission to think and do for ourselves. We can’t move forward without the social approval of those around us when the exact opposite is true. Something extraordinary happens when you give yourself space to listen to yourself more. Your creative mind and talents flourish—your positive energy rebounds. You feel more present and find more meaning in your life. Going “Dark” makes your life brighter, and good stuff happens. When you take the time to slip away into your own space, you develop into the person you were meant to be. Removing yourself from the buzz of the world gives you a new kind of energy. And you do it without anybody’s permission or without anybody knowing. When you emerge, everybody will notice that you are different. They will listen when you speak, seek your advice, and be attracted to you in a new way. Who knew that listening twice as much as you speak works even better when you listen to yourself twice as much as you listen to others? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hungry Pilots, Hot Donuts, And Your Goals Have you noticed that airplanes fly crooked? It makes you wonder how the Pilot ever gets where they want to go. Hmm… they must have a great goal! Here’s what happens when you set a goal or fly an airplane. In an airplane heading to a destination, winds will do their best to blow you off course. That’s why pilots turn their aircraft into the wind. They call it Wind Correction. The same thing happens when you set a Goal. While you may prefer a straight path, you will likely run into winds that will blow you off course. Your spouse disagrees with your plans. Your boss demands more hours. Your kids, friends, and responsibilities keep you further away from your dreams. I think it’s time to start thinking like a hungry pilot who sets their flight plan to a distant city with a Kristy Kreme donut store that is just about to turn in the ‘Hot Donuts’ sign. What’s the lesson? Keep an eye on your final destination. Always set goals that factor in winds that will blow you off your course. Make minor corrections until you get where you’re heading. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How To Create More Time Wouldn’t it be great if you could create more time in your day without giving anything up? The secret is how you prioritize the projects that are already on your plate. That requires a simple understanding: 1) Working on multiple products at the same time only delays the completion of all the projects. 2) When you complete a product not only is it off your plate, it begins producing your expecting results. It also frees up time to move on to your next project. The next time that you are trying to find more time ask - “What can I finish right now that will give me more time tomorrow - and every day after that?” You are going to love how you have so much more time in your day. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Face Your Passion: Building Your Bridge Changing something about your life is pretty straightforward. Figure out what you want and change it. Are you done laughing? Most folks fall on the way to their dreams because they don't move, move at the wrong time, or move too fast. That's why, once you know what you want, it's time to build your bridge. Here’s how: 1) Fortify your current foundation. Save money, pay bills, do whatever it takes to create a firm and peaceful base to build. 2) Begin constructing the foundation for your new life. Go to school, network, research, and plan. Do everything in your power to assure your success with no regret. 3) When you're ready, leave your past behind, cut off the old, and begin living your new life. Be patient. Wait until you are at least 70% ready to succeed before you cross to the other side. Success arrives when you move from a strong TODAY to a stronger TOMORROW. Don’t leap too soon, but don’t delay either. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Winston Churchill’s Steps For Change As we get into the New Year, I've noticed that people are getting back to their old ways. That's okay. It's a journey. But what is that journey? Winston Churchill said, "To improve is to change, so to be perfect is to have changed often." And it helps if you understand the stages of change: 1) Pre-Contemplation. You may intend to take action but are unaware that your behavior is the problem. 2) Contemplation. You recognize the problem and start to debate the pros and cons of your actions. 3) Preparation. You intend to take action soon. You may even begin small steps. 4) Action. The process of making the specific changes required to create your new life begins. 5) Maintenance. Sustain your efforts for at least six months. You will likely achieve a life-long transformation. 6) Termination. You have zero temptation and are sure you will not return to your old unhealthy habits. Winston Churchill said something else - "For myself, I am an optimist — it does not seem to be much use being anything else." Daily Click For myself, I am an optimist — it does not seem to be much use being anything else, said Winston Churchill. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Wisdom Starter Thoughts Everything you do is guided by what you think is logical in your mind. Just like everything I do is directed by my Scott LOGIC. Is it common sense? Is it experience-based? Is it how you choose to live? Yes. But mostly, it is the filter in your mind at work. Here are a few of my filters: Life is long enough. But not for everybody. Life goes quickly. But not if you're bored. Life passes slowly when you are fishing. Some people are too serious. Others are not serious enough. Both disagree with the other. You must stand in another person's shoes to understand how they see you. The reward for hard work is a chance to work more. The reward for laziness is a chance to be lazy more. Turning off your phone means it won't ring. Most things in life should be in moderation. Excess is good now and then. It takes a fraction of the time to read a good book as it does to write one. That makes reading a book a good investment of your time. People who read more good books earn more money. People who don't read don't understand why others earn more. Saying "I don't care" means you do - at least about something. Everything you experience is filtered through what you hold as the truth. Choose what you hold carefully. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Life in Default Mode There is a myth floating around that life is more fun when you are spontaneous. That’s true, but not all the time. Happiness and success are most common among folks who live in a Default Mode. In other words, they figure out what works for them and keep doing it. Living in Default Mode makes life predictable for you and everybody around you. It limits decision-making and establishes continuity. It’s a behavior that reduces stress and improves happiness. Living your life in Default Mode is the fastest way to reaching your goals - your way. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How to Get Lazy Success I have an admission to make. I'm a bit lazy. Yes, I also like to work harder than most people. Still, I'm lazy when doing things I don't want to be doing. It's been said that when you do what you love to do, you will never work another day in your life. Frankly, I've found it to be quite the opposite. What I do is difficult and takes a lot of time and effort. But I enjoy it? Still, I'm lazy. I want everything to be easy, and I want it now. I don't think I'm different than anybody else. I'm lazy. I'm driven. I'm lazy. I think I made my point. And if you know me well, you may be thinking; he's not that lazy. Oh yes, I am… While it may take a long time to master the skill required to make things easy for myself, I'm only willing to go through the hard work if it allows me to be lazy - eventually. And do you know what the coolest thing is about being lazy? Your initial hard work allows you to be lazy and makes what you do look easy to others. Too bad for them. I guess they were sleeping and binging Netflix when you were preparing to make it look easy and be lazy. Here's today's life lesson. It's good to be lazy, as long as you are willing to do the work required to allow you to be lazy - someday. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ritualistic Success Steven Covey called it sharpening the saw. If you take a break to sharpen the blade, you will always cut more wood. The same applies to life. My formula is Ritual, Rest, Rejuvenate, Reactivate. Repeat: 1) Success comes when you perform ritual actions every day. Figure out what works and do it. 2) Running full-out all the time is not sustainable. You must stop and rest. 3) Resting allows your body and mind to rejuvenate and become healthy again. 4) When you are ready, it's time to reactivate into action mode. 5) Repeat until you get what you want. It's easier to cut more wood when you take a break to sharpen your saw. A walk in the park on a busy day counts too. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices