Juggling

How many things are you juggling right now?  Home, work, kids, spouse, work (again).  It seems crazy at times.  I am here to tell you a hard truth.  If you have not reached your fullest potential or reached your financial, health and spiritual goals, then you are not juggling enough!

I know, before you have a meltdown and tell me I have no idea what I am talking about, hear me out.

Think about all the things you do everyday.  Get up, get the kids ready for school, walk the dog, go to work, come home, make dinner, feed the dog, walk the dog, help the kids with their homework, put them to bed, finish the dishes, then try to get 5 minutes to yourself or speak with your spouse or partner.  Wow, you DO have a lot going on.

Here is the question of the day...What did you do today to work towards YOUR goals?  Did you workout, so you can tone up or lose that 10 pounds?  Did you spend time working on that book you have been "meaning" to write?  How about updating your resume, so you can get out of that dead end job?  None of it, really?  Why?

The answer I hear over and over again...TIME.  Here is another truth you are not going to like: You have the same number of hours in a day as Thomas Edison, Bill Gates, Benjamin Franklin, Abraham Lincoln, Mother Theresa and many others who decided that they were going to make their dreams come true.  They didn't let a little thing like time stand in their way.

If you don't have time with the hours you have now, make more hours!  Get up a half hour earlier to work on that book.  Do a quick 15-minute workout before you go to bed.  Work through lunch and finish that resume.

The problem is that it is easier to blame time instead of making time and putting in the work. Don't look back in a year from now and realize you are still in the same place.  Start small and make it happen.

Get Lean in 2017!

1. Eat Less

2. Spend Less

3. Keep Less


1. Eat Less
    I have found that the easiest way to control what you are eating and cut calories is by tracking what you are eating.  My favorite App is called Lose It.  You can find it in the Apple App Store or Google Play.  It is extremely easy to use and remember all the food you have logged from previous meals.  It also lets you scan bar code to automatically input foods.  But, the function I like the most is that it tracks your exercise directly from you Apple Watch or Fitbit and deducts those calories from you daily intake.  Give it a try, you will be amazed with the results!

2. Spend Less
    Again the key here is to tracking.  My favorite tool for this is Mint.  Also found in the App Store or Goole Play.  This app connects directly to your credit or debit card and tracks all your spending.  It then separates it into categories, such as Food & Dining, Auto, Bills & Utilities, Financial, Home, etc.   You can set up budgets and even pay bills from the app.  There are a few items that get "miscoded", but you are able to go in and change them if they are important enough to worry about.  Start tracking and start saving!

2. Keep Less
This is the easiest way to "Get Lean".  A lot of people get clothes for the holidays.  One of the best ways to clean out your closet is to use the following rule:

For every item of clothing you get received as a gift this year, you have to find three items that no longer fit you, are worn out or you know you will never wear again and either give them away or throw them out.  It is amazing how little time it takes do do this.  Get in that closet and clean house!

Getting Started!

Getting Started!

The first step is always the hardest. I am sure you have experienced this many times in your life. You put off things that may be hard because you are either afraid of what may happen or it seems like it may be too difficult to get the ball rolling. 

Then, once you take that first step, you notice that it really wasn't as bad as you thought it was going to be. We tend to do that with most things. Our minds come up with all the things that can go wrong in a situation or new adventure.  Stop listening to you doubts.

So, here is the first exercise that I want you to practice. Every time you face a situation where you need to try something new and it may seem too hard to accomplish or that you may get resistance, I want you to write down the 5 GOOD things that will come out of it if you DO take action. This is not a "pro/con" list. Just a "pro" list. To be honest, for most things the cons really don't matter!

Do not focus on what can go wrong...at all! Get those thoughts out of your head completely. Write down the 5 things that will make your life better and will give you more happiness in your life.

The next step is to read (and even better, say aloud) those five things to yourself until you take that first step. Do not stop reading the list to yourself until you take action!  Depending on what the task is, this may take a few times in one day or it may take several days of you reading it every morning. Some tasks are bigger (and scarier) than others, so they take more convincing.

Here is an example:


Start a new business on the Internet

1. More freedom
2. Extra income
3. Chance to work for myself
4. Having complete control of business decisions
5. Making new and great contacts

Now, stop reading and start taking action! Go write down your list and start taking action. Let me know how it goes!  Please send me comments on the post or Tweet me

Learning from the Greats!

Learning from the Greats!

Check out Tim Ferriss'  Podcast with Laird Hamilton, Gabby Reece and Brian MacKenzie. 

It was great to hear from professionals that have risen to the top of their respective sports speak about what drives them and how they keep everything in their lives in perspective.  Enjoy the lessons!

What have you done for them?

Most people are always worried about what the world is going to do for them.  When are they going to get that great job?  When are the riches going to start rolling in?  How can they do less and make more?

The truth is, they are going about it the wrong way.  You have to give, give, give before your can start receiving anything.

Stop doing things just because they will help you in the long run.  Do them just to help someone else. You don't have to donate lots of money to help those less fortunate.

Donate your time.  Take one Saturday or Sunday per month and help out at your local youth origination or coach a team. Maybe get more involved with your church.  It does not really matter what it is.  It is truly the action that matters most.

If you consistently give, you will be amazed on how the universe returns the favor.  Start today!

Win $100 for Your Story!

We want to hear your story!  We want to hear it so much, we are willing to pay you $100 for it!  We are accepting stories for the next 48 hours only.  After reviewing all the submissions, we will pick our favorite and that person will win a $100 Visa Gift card!  It is that simple.  Here are the parameters:

Topic:  How I am going to Change the World

Who: Any one can submit a story!

Length:  Tell us your story in 500 words or less

Judged on: Creativity of idea and inspiration

Deadline: 8am Friday May 9, 2014

To win you must submit the story with a valid email address.  I don't want to over complicate this.  Start submitting now!

Good luck to all!

The Rule of Five

What are you waiting for?  Are you waiting for the alarm clock to go off?  Well here it is...Ring Ring!

Now is YOUR time.  The time that you are going to make your mark on the world.  What is it going to be?  Are you going to be the next Steve Jobs?  Do you have a million dollar idea?  I would bet all of my money that you do.  But, what have you done to act on that idea?  Maybe you don't know where to start?  If so, here is a tip that has worked for me and hundreds of others reach their goals.

The Rule of Five

The rule of five is simple:  Everyday do five things that will help you reach your goal.  It could be anything.  Send an email to a contact that can help you in reach that next step.  Go to a social gathering that will put you in front of people where you can network. Make a call to a mentor or coach that can keep you pointed in the right direction.  Start a blog about your subject or product.  Send your product or book to someone that can write about it in the paper or on their blog/website.

Everyday think of five new ways to reach out and let people know about your product or service.  People are not just going to pick up the phone or send you an email, unless they know where to find you.  You need to take action everyday!

Good luck!

Happy 4th of July!

To day we celebrate our independence. In all the celebrations sometimes we forget what had to happen to give us this freedom and the continued sacrifices that our service men and women still make everyday to secure it.  It is a true day of celebration, but let's also remember those serving and those who have served. Happy Birthday America!

There truly is no other country like ours and we should all be proud to be Americans!

Happy 4th everyone!

What Are You Willing To Do?

What are you willing to pay for your success?  "Do you want to succeed as much as you want to breath?"  Many times we have heard stories of people who have made a massive change in their life, but not until they have reached "rock bottom".  Whether it be overcoming and addiction, getting a better job or starting there own company to make a better life for themselves and their family.

Why is that?  Because they wanted to succeed more than anything else.  They knew it was their last chance.to reach their goals.  The good news is that you do not have to reach rock bottom to make a change.  You can do that now!  You just have to convince yourself that you want to achieve your goals more than anything else in the world.  You have to focus all of your thoughts towards the end result.

Below is one of my favorite speeches and I listen to it often.  Enjoy!

Fear Nothing!

Let me ask you this, "What would you do if you had no fear of failure?"  Think about that for a moment?  What would you do?  What type of home would you own?  Who are the people that you would surround yourself with?  What would you do with your family and friends? What would you do for a living?  There is no reason that you can not have all of  those things!

The only thing that is holding you back from reaching your dreams and ambitions is your fear.  It's not your economic situation, your boss or your family members who may not support you. It's not that you have been given a bad break in life. It is you and your self doubt. Let's change that starting today!

Here is a simple way to start. I want you to write down a list of three things (in each category) that you would do if you knew that you could not fail.  Pretend that you have no limits.  You have enormous wealth, endless connections and exceptional knowledge.  Start your list now.

Family/Relationships
1.
2.
3.

Business
1.
2.
3.

Tithing (charitable giving)
1.
2.
3.


Once you have completed this list,  I want you to spend one full day thinking about how you are going to achieve these items. Think about them when you first wake in the morning, when you are driving to and from work or while you are preparing dinner and then right before you go to sleep at night. Every time you think about them, I want you seeing yourself doing them.  Think about how your life would be if you achieved these items.  See yourself in situations where these things are real and you are there, right in the middle of it all,  making  things happen.

 Then, on the following day, I want you to  act on at least one of  the  items in each of those categories.  No excuses, just start with one item.  Make a call, send  an email, talk to someone that can help you or to someone that you have been avoiding.   Just do something!

Repeat this exercise for one week.  Think for one day and then the next day take action.  Think again, act again.  It is that simple!  The key to this exercise is to truly believe that you can make these things come true.  Remember, you have no fear.  After all fear does not come from anyone else, it is completely made up by us. So if YOU can turn fear on, then YOU can turn it off.

I know that you will be amazed by the results!


Please share with me some of the things that you have accomplished by using this exercise.


Remember, there are no limits to your greatness!

Inspiration

This is a fun video!  i hope you Enjoy it and remember...it is what is in YOUR head that matters!

Decisions

Decisions - They Make All the Differerance in the World




We are our decisions. Who we are today is because of the decisions we made yesterday and last year. There is no turning back. You can only move in one direction... forward.

Life is like a runaway train with no breaks. You can not stop it, but you can change the rails and make it go in a different direction. Where do you want it to go?

Most people choose the easiest path. When faced with a tough decision, they do what will cause them the least pain at that moment. We are faced with decisions like this everyday. The difference between successful people and the rest of the world is that they make the tough decisions consistently. Notice I didn't say the right decisions. Successful people will be happy to share with you how many times they failed when they made the wrong decisions in their life. They will also tell you that they would do it all again. The difference is they did what most people would not and they moved forward, over and over again.

They said no to the pushers in their school or neighborhood. The worked a few more hours each day to make their dream come true. They chose not to listen to their critics.

When you are faced with a tough decision in your life, there are two questions to ask yourself. Depending on the situation, there are only these two questions:

"Why not?"

or

"What if?"

If the question is if something is possible or not and others are telling you that it cannot be done, ask yourself, "Why not?". Why can't I do that? What would happen if I tried?

If the question is whether or not you are going to do the right thing, such as not taking a hit of that joint when your friend asks or getting out of bed an hour early to go work out, ask yourself, "What if?" What if I made the right choice here? What would happen? What would the out come be?

History is filled with people who did just that. And because they made the tough decision...they became great. Are you going to be one of those people?


Here are a few examples of people who made the right decisions:

- Michael Jordan - He was cut from his high school basketball team
- Abraham Lincoln - He failed in business and politics a total of 9 times
- Albert Einstein - He failed his math exams in school
- Dr Seuss - He was turned down by 23 publishers
- Nelson Mandela - Was imprisoned for 27 years


There are hundreds of stories like this in history. Will you be one of them?

Talk Less, Do More

Some people might say I am a talker. I prefer to say that "I like the art of conversation." Either way, I had to learn this lesson first hand. I still think it is the best way to build report with some one and it is the fastest way to FULLY communicate. But, you have to know your limits. This is the hardest part for most people. There are three things that talking less promotes.

1. Lets others think for themselves.
2. Adds a bit of mystery about you.
3. You are learning more!

Here is your new goal. The next time you are speaking with someone, make sure you talk less than they do. The easiest way to do that is by asking questions. As them to expand on what they are talking about or why they feel that way about the subject. You will be surprised how well this works.

Next, make sure you are not starting conversations without a clear purpose. Have an objective when you are speaking to someone (especially at work).

You will notice how quickly your conversations end and how fast you can get to the next thing. The "next thing" doesn't always have to be work related. It could be that you ant to go and relax, either way, talking less gets you there quicker.

I am not suggesting that you be rude, just that you be a little quieter.

Give these tricks a chance and let me know how it goes. It is great reading the emails and comments I get from all of you.

Enjoy your day!

It's Your 5 Minutes

It's Your 5 Minutes


I love the story about the man who went to a job interview...and said nothing.

A man walks in to a CEO's office, introduced himself and sat down. The CEO stated that he was a very busy man. Every time he interviewed someone, he said the same thing. "You have 5 minutes, use them how ever you want to convince me you are the right person for the job." "Your 5 minutes start...now."

The man just sat there with a pleasant look on his face. He did not say a word. A minute went by. Then another. And then a third. Finally, the CEO could not help himself. "What are you doing?", he asked. "You only have 5 minutes and you have not said a word?"

The man politely said with a smile, "They are my 5 minutes and this is how I chose to use them."

The CEO smiled, put down the report in his hand and said to the man, "So, tell me about yourself."

I do not know the rest of the story, but I can almost guarantee the man got the job.

No one controls your time, unless you let them. No one controls your outcome, unless you let them.

How are you going to spend your next 5 minutes!

Don't Let Them

Below is something I wrote for my kids a couple of years ago. I hope you enjoy.



Don't Let Them



Don’t let them tell you…

That you can’t win.

That you are ugly.

That you can’t beat your disease.

That you’re not worth it.

That you’re too short.

That you’re too slow.

That you’re too fat.

That you are not smart enough.

That you don’t deserve it.

That you don’t belong.

To stop trying.

That it’s hopeless.

That it has already been done.

To stop day dreaming.

That it’s too hard.

That no body cares.

That it won’t make a difference.

Don't let them tell you... No.



You tell them… Watch this!


Believe in yourself and the rest of the world will too.

What do you want from this Blog?

I would like to know what you would like to get from this Blog. What topics would help you most? Please comment on the top 3 areas you want to improve on most in your life.

I can't wait to see you comments and help you move towards your goals!

15 Minutes to Focus

15 Minutes to Focus

If you start your day with 15 minutes to focus on what you want each day, you will get it. Sounds too simple? Maybe that is why so many people don't do it?

It is the Law of Attraction. Simply put, what you think about, you create. If you start your day with clear, positive thoughts, your day will be better...every time! I am not saying that everyday will be perfect, but it will be better than if you did not take those 15 minutes.

Don't tell me you don't have 15 minutes. We all have 15 minutes. They should be your first 15 minutes of the day (or soon after you get up). Here's what you do:

Find a quite place, free of your significant other, spouse, kids or anything else that may break your thoughts. It may be right in bed before your feet actually hit the floor. You may want to have some music on in the background. That is fine, actually it's recommended.

Now, start thinking about all the things you are grateful for. No matter how bad things are, we all have something that were are grateful for. Maybe it's your family? Maybe a friend or job? Maybe it's a pet? Or maybe it's that you actually woke up this morning? If you have nothing else (which I find hard to believe) you always have that! Spend just 5 minutes going over those items.

Now spend the rest of the time thinking about what you want. Start with how you want your day to go. What you want to accomplish today. Then picture it all happening perfectly. Then start thinking about "other" things you want to happen. Things that may now happen today, but you want in the future. Do you want to make more money? Maybe you want to have some more free time? Or, maybe there is a job out there that you have always wanted? Picture those items clearly each day for the next 30 days and you will be AMAZED with the results!

That's it! I told you it was simple. You may not believe me, but I promise if you put this practice into place, you will not be disappointed.

Good luck and please let me know how it goes!

Fear Nothing!

Let me ask you this, "What would you do if you had no fear of failure?"  Think about that for a moment?  What would you do?  What type of home would you own?  Who are the people that you would surround yourself with?  What would you do with your family and friends?  There is no reason that you can not have those things!

The only thing that is holding you back from reaching your dreams and ambitions is your fear.  It's not your economic situation, your boss or family members that do not support you. It's not that you have been given a bad break in life. It is you and your self doubt. Let's change that starting today!

You have some homework tonight.  I want you to write down a list of three things that you would do in each of the following categories if you knew that you could not fail.  Pretend that you have no limits.  You have enormous wealth, endless connections and exceptional knowledge.  Start your list now.

Family/Relationships
1.
2.
3.

Business
1.
2.
3.

Tithing (charitable giving)
1.
2.
3.


Once you have completed this list.  I want you to spend one full day thinking about how you are going to achieve these items. Think about them when you first wake in the morning, when you are driving to and from work, while you are preparing dinner and then right before you go to sleep at night. Every time you think about them, i want you seeing yourself doing them.  Think about how your life would be if you achieved these items.  See yourself in situations where these things are real and you are there, right in the middle of it all.  Making things happen.

 Finally, on the following day, I want you to  act on one of  the  items in each of those categories.  No excuses, just start with one item.  Make a call, send a letter or email, talk to someone that can help you or to someone that you have been avoiding.  Just do something!

Repeat this exercise for one week.  Think for one day and then the next day take action.  Think again, act again.  It is that simple!  The key to this exercise if to truly believe that you can make these things come true.  Remember, you have no fear.  After all fear does not come from someone else, it is completely made up by us. So if you can turn fear on, then you can turn it off.

I know that you will be amazed by the results that this produces. .


Please share with me some of the things that you have accomplished by using this exercise.


Remember, there are no limits to your greatness

Gratitude

When was the last time you took a moment to think about all the things you are grateful for in you life?

Tonight before you go to sleep, turn off the TV or put down your iPad and take five minutes to remember all the things you are grateful for. You don't have to write them down. Just think of them.

Then...try not to smile!

The second part is harder than the first.

Good night!

You Are Here!

Where you are today, is where you are meant to be!

Some of you may be reading this and thinking, :Are you crazy!"  "Do you think I asked for this?"  I am here to tell you...Yes! 

It may sound harsh or even crazy, but it is 100% true.  Remember, I'm your coach.  Not your best friend or your parents.  They will usually tell you what you want to hear.  Things like, "It's not your fault."  "Don't worry about it, things will get better."  

Well let me break it to you...It is your fault and it isn't going to get better! Unless you start taking action to make it better.  You are the only person that can change your situation.  Not your spouse or your parents or your boss.  Only you!

"Whether you think you can or think you can't, either way you are right" - Henry Ford.

You are where you are today because of your thoughts.  What you think about consistently everyday creates your tomorrow.  There are examples of this all around us.   People who knew nothing except their final goal and they achieved it.  

If you want something better, than you need to stop making excuses and find a way to get what you want.  Has that little voice in your head ever told you, "You're not good enough."  "You're not smart enough."  You don't have enough money to do that." 

Here is a simple trick.  The next time that voice tells you anything like that, tel it to "SHUT UP!" Then think about ways that you can get it done!

The video below has a great message.  Listen to it.  Not just once, but everyday and at least once per day.  Your job is to listen to it until you "GET IT!"  How will you know when you "GOT IT?"  You just will.  You will know because your posture will change, your outlook will change.  You will know, because every time someone tells you that "you can't", you will laugh to yourself. Because you will realize that they have no idea what they are talking about!  It's not their fault.  Don't get mad at them. They don't know any better.It's like trying to explain Algebra to a one year old.  They just can't understand.   

Here is the video. Just click on the word Motivation. Listen to the words carefully.  How bad do you want it?  

Motivation