Daily Boost Motivation and Coaching

Today, you are going to have opportunities to communicate.   Here’s how to create conversations that connect: 1) Meet folks where they are. Please pay attention to how their day is going. Step into their NOW. 2) Establishing something in common. “Wow! Has this day been crazy for you too?” 3) Establish an undeniable truth. “I promise it’s going to get crazier with the holidays coming.”  4) Move the conversation toward an idea that everybody can agree on. “Holidays are coming fast. We should get ahead of it and do some planning.”   5) Bring a new idea into the conversation. “I have a system that will work for both of us. Do you want to see it?”   You will always get more of what you want when your communication moves toward a common goal. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What if you could maintain never-ending momentum while you work toward your goals? No matter how long it took? The 'MTM Rolling 7' is the solution you need to get the life you've always said you wanted.   It works like this: 1) Set your short-term and long-term goals.   2) Decide what past achievements you enjoy and that you want to defend. Many current successes must be maintained while you pursue your new adventures. 3) Decide what future goals you are ready to 'activate' and achieve. 4) Next week begins this week. On Thursday of this week, make your plan for how you will defend, activate, and create your dream life next week. Spend the next few days thinking about your plan. You'll amaze yourself at how you begin making progress one week at a time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is it me, or does living life these days make you feel like Bill Murray in the movie Groundhog Day?  When it comes to working toward goals, that can be a tremendous asset. It's also something that will break you free when things don't feel like they are going your way. Everybody has ups and downs. Up days are lots of fun. Down days make you want to crawl under a rock. But like the movie, with the right mindset, you always get another chance to try again. How would you feel if every day was a chance to tweak, adjust, flex, or reinvent your approach to living? What if everything got more comfortable as you built your knowledge of what works best for you? How empowered would you feel if you knew that every day was a do-over day? As long as the sun rises and the sun sets, it doesn't matter if you succeed or fail the previous day. Today is always a new day for making your dreams come true. That'll make you get out of bed. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you've struggled to stay on track daily, your happiness creation skill is out of balance. Before I go on, happiness creation is more than a slogan; it is not automatically activated upon birth.  Rising into your Happiness is a personal choice. It is a decision followed by discipline to become a complete person instead of a narrowly focused human stumbling through life. It is a power that arrives when you realize that the sum is better than the parts. It's not about your health, relationships, or how much money you make. It's not about your spiritual beliefs, values, or your integrity. It's not about how you treat your children, spouse, or friends. Happiness is about all of them. It is about mastering every aspect of your life into YOU. And the best part is - you can do that every day. Every characteristic of your life is essential. When you balance them with focused synchronicity, your Happiness rises, and you become the person you were meant to be.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Clarity Eliminates Confusion Have you noticed we live in an age when what you hear and see is not necessarily happening?  It seems our shorter attention spans and social media have elevated attention-grabbing to the point where it overtakes the clarity of the message. One of my mentors is Donald Miller, the creator of Story Brand. He says, “If you make somebody burn too many calories to understand you, they will never understand you, and they’ll move on to an easier choice.” Another one of my mentors is my son, Austin. He’s an intelligent young man these days, but I remember when he was five years old and taught me a lesson about clarity - when Disney released a new movie. Like most kids, Austin was excited and wouldn’t stop talking about it. One day, I asked, in a very adult way, “Okay, where are we going to see this movie?” He answered, “At a theater near you!” Yes. His answer was correct for a five-year-old without worrying about which theater had the film. After all, that’s Dad’s job. When your answer to questions creates more questions, everybody gets confused. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Painting Your Way to Success My wife and I are settling into our home, and she has assigned herself to paint every inch of the house. Not because we couldn’t hire somebody to do the job. Strangely, it’s because she loves to paint.  I’ll admit that I’ve felt a little guilty leaving her with a rolling brush and a couple of gallons while I find something more interesting to do - which is pretty much anything. Still, I offered to join the painting party and speed up progress in the largest and most challenging room; she accepted my offer, and off we went. If I haven’t made it clear, I don’t love painting. The only thing more painful for me is listening to a boring conversation I’ve heard a thousand times before. Still, brush in hand, I began my journey that day while sharing my philosophy with my wife.  She gets that for locking herself in a room with me and a paintbrush. While it played out over a couple of hours, here’s what I said — I’m okay with painting. I am. I see every situation in life, like painting a vast and complex room. You know, a room with lots of windows, corners, and trim. One that requires physical contortions to reach every inch you would never do in real life. If you want to get the job done - heck, if you’re going to get anything done - you keep painting. Keep painting. Keep painting. Keep painting. If you keep painting, you’ll eventually be finished and get what you want. If you stop, not only will your room be a mess, but you won’t get what you want. So, whatever you paint in your life, keep rolling until it’s done. No grind. No hustle and no glamour or drama. Just painting.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Relative Time Management In my entire life, I've always found it interesting that there never seems to be enough time in the day. Still, most days, everything seems to get done. If it doesn't, the world didn't come to an end, and I survived to check off another item from my to-do list tomorrow. I know I'm not the first human on the planet to face the problem of time, but I do think I'm one of those smartypants people that have figured out how our time works in real life. And it was 180 degrees from what I felt that time was all about. Pay attention now. How you look at time is about to change. First, when you run as fast as possible to get things done, time moves quicker, and less gets done. Even worse, with every minute filled, there is never enough time to do the things that make your heart sing. If you're like me, that will eventually lead you to sabotage your list so you can do something fun for yourself. It's a never-ending cycle. On the other hand, when you slow down, hold space for yourself, and focus on results relevant to your goals, time slows down, and you get more done. Not only that, you magically find yourself with lots of free time that you need to fill. Finally, a chance to read a book, binge on Netflix, or hang out with family and friends. The choice is yours. Of course, if you've ever studied Einstein's Special Theory of Relativity, this sounds familiar. As he determined—time is relative. In other words, the rate at which time passes depends on your frame of reference.  So, what is your frame of reference? In our case, I'm not asking whether you are moving fast or slow; I want to know if you are focused on the essential things in life that matter to you? Everything else disappears when you do, times slow down, and you enjoy your day like you were born to do. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Leaders Look For Conflict I admit that the title, 'Leaders Look for Conflict,' might be a bit over-the-top. But, I know that you want to be a better leader. I also know that you hate and don't want anything to do with conflict - especially since I can hear you saying — "Why can't we all get along?" I get it. Saying the word "No" is hard enough. Saying "Yes" when others agree or disagree with your choice can be more difficult. "Why can't we all get along?" The answer is that we can. However, the truth is that conflict will always happen whenever more than two people get together. Especially when there is a common goal and everyone is on the same page. Conflict will always play a role in your success. What? We're on the same page, agree with each other, and want the same result, but there's still conflict. "Why can't we all get along?" It's not that. It's just that no matter how positive your project is, everybody has a different idea of how to reach the outcome. Everybody has a different right way and wrong way. As a leader, things change when you approach conflict as a simple “Y” on the road to progress. It becomes a decision that is part of the process and leads to the outcome everybody desires. Leaders, managers, moms and dads - anyone responsible for moving forward eventually learns to accept conflict. Leaders don't get emotionally fired up, yell and scream, or freak out in some other creative way. Conflict is another step in the process. The faster you accept conflict, the sooner you can resolve the obstacle and reach your goal. Everybody will respect and appreciate you. They will also remember you for helping all involved achieve success. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stoic Happiness I'm a fan of Stoic Philosophy. While it may be over 2,000 years old, its practicality is still useful. These rules to live by will help you have a happier life: 1. If you're going to learn and succeed, be humble. There is always someone smarter, more successful, and wiser.   2. Find the right scene. Choose your friends and situations. If you want to rise in life, you can't allow yourself to be held down by others. 3. Protect your time. Seneca said, "We're tight-fisted with property and money, yet think too little of wasting time, the one thing about which we should all be the toughest misers." Life is short. 4. Never do anything out of habit. Always think about how you can do things better and always question yourself.  5. Keep it simple — do your job. Approach every task as if it were your last because it very well could be.  6. Adapt and learn from failure. Using your success to justify complacency is common. It's also easy, which is why most people do it. You can do more and be better. 7. Live below your means. The more you need to work to maintain your needs, the less you will enjoy what you have. Everything in life comes down to keeping things simple and mastering the basics. That's how you get the success you deserve. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Decision-Making Accelerator No matter what you desire in your life, everything starts as a thought in your mind. It will demand your attention. You have three options: 1) Deny it and keep moving. 2) Accept it and put it into action. 3) Delay it and drive yourself crazy. Deny it. Deal with it. Delay it. The quality of your life will be a result of your choice. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Questions To Ponder Focus is important as you move forward.  Answering these questions will help: 1) What do you want to do? 2) What do you want to have? 3) Where do you want to go? 4) What contribution do you want to make? 5) What do you want to become? 6) What do you want to learn? 7) Who do you want to spend my time with? 8) How much money do you want to earn, save, invest? 9) How much time do you want off? 10) What will you do to create optimum health? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Always a Way When life gets in the way, do you get frustrated about being blocked?   I used to be that way. Something changed. I learned a long time ago that getting blocked was going to be an everyday occurrence. And, the bigger my goals, the more blocks would arrive. I could live with endless frustrations - or find a better way. It came down to this: 1) Blocks have nothing to do with who I am. They could be self-inflicted or caused by others, but they still have nothing to do with me as a person.  2) If you want something, there is always a way to get it.  Always… always… always. You may not like the path. Your ego may get in the way. It may scare you. There is always a way. The next time frustration gets in your way, blow it off and keep moving. There is always a way to get what you want. Find it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Get What You Want I just got off the phone with a client. We were chatting about getting moving. She said, “That’s the hardest part! I need help getting off my butt.” She’s not alone.  Getting what you want comes down to pure physics: 1) An object at rest stays at rest, and an object in motion stays at the same speed and direction unless acted upon by an unbalanced force. 2) Inertia must overcome your resting state or your current path.  That will require a - 3) Catalyst is what gets you moving - otherwise known as motivation. What will get you moving today? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

More Opportunity Do you sometimes feel stuck and overwhelmed? Feeling as if there is nothing you can do? It happens to everybody. You are not alone. However, people who break free understand three things: 1) Everything in life is temporary. Good or bad, nothing lasts forever. 2) No matter how stuck you feel, there is always more opportunity. More than one person could ever take advantage of in a lifetime. 3) Even though you don’t feel it, successful people start shaking trees until the fruit falls. There is always fruit. It will always fall. You’ll never feel stuck again as long as you know the world has more of whoever you want, just waiting for you to go for it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

3 Steps to Stay Motivated I wondered why I couldn't always have my way as a child. Mom and Dad were so mean! I couldn't wait to grow up, move out, and experience being an adult. Everything would be different - or so I thought. After stepping into the adult world, it didn't take long to realize that not much had changed. It turns out it wasn't my parents. It was a life that was turning down my requests. Life was getting in the way, and what was even worse was that I was getting in my way. I've joked over the years that if I'm the Boss of me, why don't I do what I say? Eventually, I realized having a big ass goal, being on a mission, and, most importantly, motivation on demand was the solution. Motivation is a powerful, if not fleeting, tool we all need. But we need to understand how our minds generate motivation: 1) Your physiology dictates your feelings. Movement wakes your body, guides your emotions, and makes anything possible. The easiest way to break free of a slump is to stand up, take a step, and REPEAT. 2) Focus fuels your fire. If you are unmotivated, you are drifting in the wind without direction. Shifting your thoughts in a positive direction and toward what excites you will break you out and get you moving. 3) The words you say create the emotions you feel. Negative self-talk will drag you and everybody else down. Everything changes when you make the words you say to yourself, internally and externally, positive and uplifting. Words matter more than you think. You're human. Your brain isn't wired to stay always motivated unless you are willing to give it a helping hand. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Your Productive Morning Routine I love the quiet, peacefulness of mornings, but I'm not too fond of mornings happening so early. Still, the focus, creativity, and feeling of momentum that come with getting up before the chickens have such value that I needed to make it a bit easier. My solution is to drop the complicated and establish a simple routine.  I begin by deciding which area I'm currently prioritizing and choosing a "first thing" task that will 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, care for my personal needs, read something inspirational for five minutes or less, and start my day. There are 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

Give Your Life a Happy Ending If you could write a book about the person you have become today, would it have a happy ending? A good portion of my day is spent interacting with clients worldwide. They are usually upbeat, open to problem-solving, and seeking my advice to help them. Or, as they would say, "Help me get out of my way and get my act together.” That's where writing a book comes to mind, and a good question from me - "Okay. Before we begin, if you were to write a book about yourself in the future, would it have a happy ending?" Their answer is always," Yes! That's why I'm here today." My next question is, "If you were to write your book today, what would the answer be?" "Hmm… I would say average. Not great. Not bad. Certainly not a book anybody would read." As the conversation continues, I make these points: 1) All of us get in our way. That's how we learn. And we all have our act together until we recognize that we want another act. That's called growth. 2) People who live an average life almost always chase squirrels and shiny objects more than focusing on actions that create the consistent results they want. It's an exhausting way to live. 3) People who live successfully think more like business people. They implement actions that get results, are sustainable, and grow the economics of the business. In other words, they figure out what works and keep doing it. There is no drifting in the wind. Make your way, figure out what works, and do it again. Simple. Speaking of simple… If the book you would write about yourself isn't who you are, you can start making changes today. That's how you get a happy ending. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Are You Living Somebody Else's Dreams? All I have ever wanted to do is have fun, impact people mostly positively, make them laugh, have a great family and friends, make some money, and not take life too seriously.   Simple enough.  But in the overly complicated and widely distracting monkey-see-monkey-do world, it's easy to get what you want and still end up with a superficially satisfying life. I suggest such a life is easy to achieve and perfect for anybody willing to get out of bed and join the world.  Life is averagely good.  But what if your inner voice screams, "There MUST be MORE?" Well, there is more. But only if you create it. That may scare you, but it won't if you realize and accept one thing - Someone else has created every single experience you have in your day-to-day life.  Somebody else imagined building the city you call home.  Somebody else imagined designing the car you drive.  Somebody else imagined the phone in your pocket.  Somebody else woke up and decided to turn their dreams into reality so that they could live their life inside their dreams. While that may be fine, maybe it's time for you to let others do the same with your dreams. After all, if they can do it, you can do it - right? While there is more I can and will cover on this topic, there are three items that a fully actualized adult can do to create any reality of their choosing: 1) Understand that all success begins with internally motivated actions. You get to decide what you want, and you can lead the way. The only permission required is yours. 2) The happiness and success you attain in life are determined by your ability to mine your thoughts, reveal your inner desires, accept them as your truth, and hold yourself accountable for creating what is essential to you in your life.  3) Every day, you should carefully discern what is important and likely to affect your success, survival, and well-being. Then, narrow the focus to what is necessary and extremely important; essential. When you dedicate daily focus to building such a strong level of inner understanding, you will instantly begin creating your new world—and others can start living inside your dreams. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Successful People Actions If you study people who have succeeded in any area of their lives, you will find they have much in common.  Not only do they follow a set of rules, but they also follow those rules no matter how much life gets in the way. What are those rules? The person who has the strongest "Why" wins. The person who shows up wins. The person who shows up on time wins. The person who is most persistent wins. The person who never assumes wins. The person who is the best at what they do wins. The person who plans and documents their journey and interactions wins. The person who never gives up total control to others wins. The person who accepts responsibility for themselves wins. The person who serves the most wins. The person who is grateful for everything wins. The actions you take automatically become the life you experience. It's essential to be mindful of where you are heading.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You Don’t Need Plan B Have you ever wondered how the most successful people in the world get that way? Is their timing right?   Do they “know” somebody?  Luck? That’s it. They get lucky! Maybe, but there is more to it. Every person I’ve ever known who achieved remarkable success did three things: 1) They recognized what they wanted and envisioned themselves living that life. 2) At some point, they commit and go all in. Their dream IS going to happen. There is no “Plan B.”  3) They practice never-ending flexibility and perseverance, regardless of what obstacles they face. They keep going until they achieve their goals. Yes, you must pay a price for living the life of your dreams - and it's not money. It's YOU! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Moving Past Frustration When life gets in the way, do you get frustrated about being blocked?   I used to be that way. Something changed. I learned long ago that getting blocked would be an everyday occurrence. And, the bigger my goals, the more blocks would arrive. I could live with endless frustrations - or find a better way. It came down to this: 1) Blocks have nothing to do with who I am. They could be self-inflicted or caused by others, but they still have nothing to do with me.  2) If you want something, there is always a way to get it. Always… always… always. You may not like the path. Your ego may get in the way. It may scare you. There is always a way. The next time frustration gets in your way, blow it off and keep moving. There is always a way to get what you want. Find it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

ONE Important Thing I have a question for you. What is your ONE most important activity?   What is the ONE core activity that, if you do, everything else is fine? What is the ONE core activity that, if you don’t do it, causes everything to fall apart? Many people focus on anything but the most critical activity in their lives. They are usually surprised when things fall apart. Is it showing up for work on time or doing a great job? Could it be your unflinching attention to your family? Does your business have ONE activity that causes people to buy from you? When you focus on your ONE most important activity - everything else will take care of itself. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Freedom Between the Lines Are you a fun-loving, carefree person who prefers to drift with the wind? Are you happier following the rules and staying within the lines? Whichever you are, happiness and success will arrive when you combine both: 1) Too much flexibility in life doesn’t allow for compounding your life experience. Like money in the bank, leave it alone once you know what works. 2) Too much structure will limit your ability to discover growth opportunities. Don’t get stuck. Donnie and Marie said it best in the ’70s, “I’m a little bit country, he’s a little bit rock and roll.” Combine the best of both.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Born to Do YOU Can you imagine what might happen if you dared to think like your true self, act your true self, and share your true self?  That makes you smile - right? Or you may feel that living from the inside out and being fully authentic with the world is self-centered and egotistical, not how you should be. Still, I bet you’re smiling, at least a little, at the thought. You were born with two things that are yours, and you alone to use as you see fit—or not. The first is Free Will, and without digging into the spiritual and scientific reasons, no matter what happens in your life, you are always doing things YOUR way. Even if you feel your destiny is predetermined, you will do it YOUR way.  Imagine what would happen if you choose to do the things you love and do them your way. You were also born with a Unique Ability you don’t share with anybody else. It has always been there and will never leave you. Imagine what would happen if you used it in everything you do. The next time you second-guess yourself, remember to ask yourself one simple question — “What do you do when you’re doing YOU?” When nobody is telling you what to do, when you’re on your own to fill your time, when you are making the rules, what do you like to do, and how do you want to do it? It’s okay to be yourself. I promise that nobody is judging you. They are most likely waiting for you to show up. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Conflict. Confusion. Clarity. Are conflict and confusion driving your life? Are they keeping you on an endless search? Everybody has challenges in life. Solving them is easy when you know what is driving you. Three things will keep you on edge. Understand them, and you’ll move forward: 1) Internal. Everything you do produces personal feelings. Only you can feel them. Only you can do something about them. 2) External. There is something outside of you that is causing your inner feelings. You’ll still deal with them internally. 3) Philosophical. When external issues create internal strife, you cross a line. You will feel like your world has turned upside down. Only you can turn things around. All three are always in play. Focusing on your internal feelings will create clarity and drive you to a solution. Start looking inside yourself. YOU are the solution. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You Need Two Mission Statements Mission Statements communicate a purpose to an organization. There is no reason why you can't use them to accomplish your dreams. But you need more than one. I know. It's difficult enough to create a single Mission Statement for your personal life or business. Why do you need two? Because the first is your Internal Mission Statement. It is precise, deeply rooted in your WHY, and will guide you and your closest group of friends, family, and associates to your goals.  The second is your External Mission Statement. This version is used to communicate your purpose to folks outside your core group who do not know your quest's details.  It's good to have two Mission Statements. One is private so that you understand what drives you. The other is public for others to understand WHO you are. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Strongest Why Wins You have no doubt heard that goals require you to understand WHY you're going after them.  What's your WHY?  The main reason to know WHY is that everything is always more complicated than you initially imagined it would be. Without a strong WHY, you might give up.  But, many folks forget that your real WHY may be hiding from you. A mentor of mine asked WHY I was so passionate about building my business based on daily actions. I said, "Because actions are the key to success!" He didn't buy my answer.  "You're not excited about daily actions. That’s just your process. You get excited about helping people turn every daily action into a transformational experience that gets them the outcome they want." Wow! Boom! Bang! KaPOW! Now, if I'm honest, I already knew that. It's easy to get caught up in day-to-day living and forget what's truly driving you. Is it time to remember WHY? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Amping Up Your Productivity Do you ever run out of day before you run out of To-Dos?  Getting what you want in life is often blocked by simple habits that are getting in your way. There are two that everybody tend to miss: 1) The first productivity super-charger is to understand that tomorrow begins today. Planning ahead and setting your path is vital to reach your desired outcome. 2) The second takes a few minutes in the morning before you get busy. The goal is to ground yourself, review your day's plan, and reaffirm what must be done. There's one more that is even more important. Every day has "Non-Optional Activities" that take more time than you think. Non-Opts are taking care of personal needs, like eating and sleeping. They are traffic delays—someone walking into your office or calling you for advice.  Non-Opts are always present and they sap your productivity by robbing you of your time and focus.  Recognizing and allowing time for non-opts is the fastest way to optimize and ramp up your productivity. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Strangest Secret Earl Nightingale created one of the great motivational works of history. The Strangest Secret began as a tool to motivate his insurance company sales force. It is now a motivational standard. What is the Strangest Secret? 1) You become what you think. 2) You must pay the price. 3) We must control our thoughts. 4) Cut away all limitations of the mind. 5) Set a clearly defined goal.  6) Act promptly when your path is clear. 7) Save at least 10% of every dollar. What do you want more than anything else? Commit today to do more than you must to get it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Build Your Side Hustle Every day, I spend time on the phone with excited folks who know they are close to getting what they want but can't figure out how to get it.   Let's start with: 1) Anything you want in this world is owned or controlled by somebody else. 2) If you want their help, you must get their attention. It always comes down to three things. In this order: 1) What problem are they having? No, it may not relate to you. It doesn't matter. If you can help, you will get their attention. 2) What's your solution? How can you fix it? When can you fix it? You'll know when you are close when you see the excitement in their eyes. 3) What's your offer? What must they do to get you to help? What do you want?   It's simple. Address another person's problems with a robust solution and an offer they can't refuse. That's a real win-win. Our sponsor today is HUEL... Unlock a healthier, easier way to eat with Huel—nutritionally complete meals in minutes so you can focus on what matters. That’s FIFTEEN PERCENT off with the code: BOOST at HUEL.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stop Burnout Now 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 for stopping burnout 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 strong 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

Preparing For Your Greatness With the craziness of life, are you having difficulty breaking through to the greatness that is YOU? What does greatness take? 1) Imagination. Your ability to form images, ideas, and sensations in your mind. Without help from anything or anybody. Use yours. Trust yours.   2) Enthusiasm. Living life with the excitement of feeling is PASSION. Only involve yourself in activities that you are enthusiastic about. 3) Persistence. Life is long, and things take time. Learn to love being doggedly persistent. It will serve you well. 4) Faith. Have faith in yourself. Live your life in complete trust and confidence in someone or something. Imagination. Enthusiasm. Persistence. Faith. That's living. Imagine how good it could be with a bit of Gratitude. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Natural Law is Your Friend Personal growth is a journey. It can be a lot of work. It’s also more fun to follow the rules of ‘Natural Law.’ 1) The Law of Vibration states that thoughts are things. They are one of the most potent forms of energy. Pay attention to your thoughts. What you think about, you bring about. 2) According to the Law of Polarity, nothing exists without an opposite. Love. Hate. Hot. Cold. Yin. Yang. Opposites are different forms of the same thing. Embrace them. 3) The Law of Rhythm states life is a pendulum. What swings left must swing right.    4) Every effect must have a cause; every cause must have an effect. That’s the Law of Cause and Effect. Everything in life is perpetual and never-ending. You can speed up your success by understanding how these always-present forces are at work in your life. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why You Are Holding Back  I was sitting at the dining room table of a friend. We had been solving the problems of the world in an hours-long conversation when she asked, "What are you talking about on tomorrow's podcast?" When I told her that I hadn't thought about it yet, she said,  "Why don't you talk about why people don't take big chances and stay in their comfort zone for their entire life?" My mind did an instant review of my life and all the areas I had stumbled on before getting out of my way. I also remembered conversations with clients over the years on life's leaps. Before I could say anything, she said,  "I know what it is. People get so comfortable with what they've built, and they don't want to chance losing it. Their money, their home, they wonder what their family will say?" Is there anything else? "Yes. Everybody gets scared and freezes. I'm like that, but I've learned to push through fear and go for it - as long as I'm mostly sure I won't lose what I've built." We talked a bit more about what it takes to make the changes you want in life and came to three conclusions- You can do anything when you have a growth mindset and believe that anything is possible. Holding on too tightly to what you have sends the wrong energetic message. When you are willing to expand - you will. Next, as a human, you will never be comfortable gambling on the very thing that allows you to dream. The solid foundation that takes care of your personal needs is why you desire to self-activate. Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs taught us that. Your foundation must remain while you expand. Finally, fear will always be present when beginning a new adventure. The cure is knowledge. When you know what you have, see your path forward, and have prepared as much as possible for your journey, you will find yourself willing to go for it. Anything is possible when you protect your foundation, respect the challenge, and honor the dreams whispering to your soul. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Creative Destruction to Get What You Want Do you ever feel like everything has to line up perfectly before you can move forward?  Waiting for the stars to align might seem safe, but it can be exhausting—and often impossible—to maintain momentum toward your goals. Instead of waiting, why not try a bit of Creative Destruction? Think of it like tearing down an outdated kitchen. Rather than spending months trying to fix what’s unfixable, demolish what’s holding you back and clear the path to your dreams. Don’t settle for what’s stopping you. Unleash your creativity, sidestep the obstacles, and start building something new. Let go of what’s not working and make space for what will. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Focus on What's Important, Not Just Urgent As a child, I remember rushing out the door for a day filled with endless adventures, often ending with a game of Hide-and-Seek. Those days felt like they would last forever. Today, we're still running until the sun sets, but now our to-do lists are packed, and we rarely take a moment to reflect on the bigger picture. Here's the truth: you'll always make time for your most essential tasks—eating, sleeping, paying bills, feeding the dog, and caring for your loved ones, no matter how chaotic life gets. But when life feels overwhelming and you find yourself shouting, "Something's got to give!"—it's often your dreams and future goals that are first to be sacrificed. Stephen Covey taught us the power of prioritizing what's truly important. Remember to put yourself on that list, too. And when things go off course, reset quickly, refocus on what matters, and keep moving forward. Not every dream will come true, but the important ones have a way of finding you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Paradox of Choice. Are There Too Many? Do you have too many choices in your life?  Is it confusing and making you feel distressed? In 2005, Barry Schwartz wrote Paradox of Choice and challenged traditional thinking. He said the way to maximum freedom in your life was to minimize choice.   Too many choices are not a good thing and can create paralysis. Not to mention, no matter what you choose, you'll always wonder if you could have done better. Distractions are your enemy and focus is your friend. Here's how to free up your life: 1) Limit your choices. Narrow your list to items you have already experienced. Having every option won't serve you. 2) Be sure to permit yourself to try other possibilities IF needed - but only after you've vetted yours first. 3) Stay in your lane and keep it simple.  Too many choices are part of modern life. If you can’t make a decision - shorten your list of options to what is important. Ignore everything else. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Fast-Track Your Goals Ready to achieve your dreams faster than you can say ‘success’? Here’s a quick and playful way to get you to the finish line: Play to Your Superpowers: Lean into what you’re naturally awesome at! Success comes easy when you stick to your strengths—your hidden superpowers. Say Yes to the Right Stuff: Only commit to activities that bring you closer to your goal. If it doesn’t fit the plan, it’s a no-go! Hype Yourself Up: Remind yourself daily why you’re amazing. Keep your eye on the prize and let your strengths lead the way. The secret? Skip the distractions that have everyone else stuck in slow motion. Focus, do, repeat—and watch the magic happen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mapping Your Massive Success Imagine having a clear plan to achieve your goals—a roadmap guiding you every step of the way. Introducing M.A.P.S.S., a simple yet powerful system that takes the guesswork out of success by focusing on actionable steps in four key areas: Motivation: It all starts with knowing your “WHY.” Understanding your motivation fuels your journey and keeps you inspired when the going gets tough. Stay connected to your reasons and keep the momentum alive. Accountability: Owning your results is empowering. Embrace the mindset: “If it’s to be, it’s up to me.” Holding yourself accountable transforms your actions into consistent progress. Planning: Success loves preparation. “Plan your work, then work your plan”—a simple yet profound approach. Without a plan, your goals remain dreams. Map out your steps and turn your intentions into reality. Systemization: Every great accomplishment starts with a first step, often the hardest one. As you grow comfortable with your routine, lock in those actions. Repeat, refine, and get results through consistent effort. Sustainability: Building success is a marathon, not a sprint. Everything takes longer than expected, but every small win adds up. Stack your achievements, create momentum, and set yourself up for the long haul. Freedom and success rest on a solid, repeatable foundation. By embracing Motivation, Accountability, Planning, Systemization, and Sustainability, you can build a life where your goals aren’t just possible—they’re inevitable. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Be a Really Good Quitter Have you ever heard someone say, "It's good to be a quitter?" Probably not. But today, it's worth reconsidering what it means to be a good quitter. Quitting isn’t about taking the easy way out. It’s a strategic decision, a smart move when your efforts are leading you nowhere or when progress has come to a standstill. Quitting at the right time can be the key to unlocking new opportunities. We often cling to commitments—whether it’s a job that drains us, a relationship that no longer serves us, or habits that hold us back—because our sense of identity is tied up in seeing things through to the bitter end. But sometimes, sticking it out isn’t the wisest move. Pay attention to your inner voice. If it’s sending up red flags, don’t wait for things to get worse. Trust your instincts and pivot quickly. Remember, quitting isn’t a failure; it’s a step toward something better. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Simple Steps to Success Here’s the world’s simplest formula for success: Stand up, take a step, and repeat! One of our members asked how to put this straightforward advice into action. Here’s a five-minute daily practice that can transform your life: Pause and Find Your Space: Stop what you're doing. Find a quiet spot where you won’t be disturbed for at least five minutes. Focus on Yourself: Take this moment to center your attention on you. Reflect: Ask yourself, “How is my life going?” Let your mind wander through the different areas of your life—work, relationships, health, and personal goals. Focus on each role you play. Identify and Act: For the parts of your life that are thriving, keep that momentum going. For areas that need improvement, ask yourself, “What can I do to make this better?” Take Immediate Action: Act on your answers right away, no matter how small the step. Keep moving forward and never stop. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Life is Happier With Values Do you ever feel like others are constantly getting in your way?  That frustration disappears the moment you start living by your own Values while working toward your Goals. Here’s a simple recipe for making every moment of your day more fulfilling: Know and Live Your Values: Understand your core values and make a commitment to practice them consistently. It's not always easy, but living authentically will make you feel happier and more in control of your life. Set Goals Aligned with Your Values: Only pursue Goals that align with your Values. When your actions reflect who you truly are, you feel more authentic and fulfilled. Embrace the Change: Expect some resistance from those who are used to you doing things their way. But get ready for a newfound peace of mind. Taking charge of your life and making decisions based on your deepest beliefs is the ultimate form of empowerment. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stop Procrastination With a Question Are you a member of the Procrastination Club?  Procrastination is the intentional and habitual postponement of an essential task that you should be doing.  Is that what you are doing?  In my view, three things could be happening if you procrastinate - It may be possible that you are not procrastinating at all? Instead, you may be forcing yourself to do something that you don't need to do anyway. The other possibility is that it simply doesn't mean enough to you to start the process. Or, said another way, other things mean more to you. Finally, your wisdom is telling you this is not something you should be doing. Yes, you must complete some tasks. That's called being a responsible person. But if your list keeps getting longer, it's time to ask yourself a question - Is it important enough to me to get it done?  If not, you know why you are procrastinating. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Turns Dreams Into Reality Do you have long-held dreams and goals that require little motivation to get yourself moving? Laura and I have worked together for over a decade on various projects. Her latest was a move from a long-time career into something she was in which she was more passionate. After several months, her dream transformed into a goal. The roadmap was in place. Action was the only thing needed to turn dreams into reality, and nothing happened. Months passed by with little or no action. Life seemed to always get in the way of Laura's dreams. When I asked what was going on, she said, "Oh… I don't know. I always seem to have something more important on my mind." That's common, and what John Lennon meant when he said, "Life is what happens while you are busy making other plans."  Over the years, people tend to ACT and DO what serves them best. All while dreaming and planning what they want. It's an exhausting way to live, but you can set yourself free by asking yourself a simple question - "How bad do I want it?" Truthfully, answering that question will do one of two things. It will propel you into action or have no impact at all. If you find yourself motivated and moving, all is well. If not, you have another question to ask - "If I don't want it that bad, should I drop it and move on?" Everybody has ideas and dreams that enter their mind throughout their lives. The important tend to cause automatic forward action. Your life transforms, and everything begins to go in a new direction. For the others, you may want to consider that it's not as important to you as you thought. The best thing is to get your ego out of the way, scratch it off your list, and make room for something that excites you. When you do, incredible new opportunities that have been hiding from you for years will enter your life. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You Will Change When You Get Tired Many have said, "Life is a marathon, not a sprint."  But what happens when you find yourself doing both at the same time?  If you've been living on this planet for any length of time, you've figured out life is a long game made of day-to-day sprints.  If you want a big bank balance, you make small deposits over time. If you want to lose weight, you make small reductions over time. If you want to get a promotion at your job, you do well every day.  The challenge happens when you have yet to define the marathon you are running. A lack of a specific goal can only lead to daily activity that may or may not get you to your destination. If that happens to you, you may feel worn out, frustrated, and wondering when things will turn around.  There's good news. That kind of thinking means that you are on the right track to success. Certain stamina is required to reach any goal, and society today celebrates one's ability to put in the hard work no matter what.  There's only one problem.  If it's not working for you, it's not sustainable behavior. Sooner or later, you will decide to make a change - usually abruptly. Here's the truth: you will change when you wear yourself out.  Reluctant, fearful, or hard-headed, you will put up with a less-than-satisfying life path for so long. When you've had enough, even if the timing is not perfect, you will change when you wear yourself out.  You know it. I know it. Everybody knows it.  So, what's the fix? The marathon we call life will continue until it doesn't, and there are three things you can do to make it better. The first is to define your destination with clarity.  Next, match your daily activity with your goals. Finally, accept that if things don't go your way, you're going to change directions anyway.  You will change when you wear yourself out. Just skip the bad stuff, adjust, and get to the good stuff right now. There's no need to wait. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Your Default Life There is a myth floating around that life is more fun when you are spontaneous. That can be true some of the time, but not all of the time. If you want to be happier, more successful, and make life easier, it’s time to live in Default Mode.  In other words, figure out what works 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. And studies show that most people will default when a good option is readily available. Of course, the default can be wrong, too. Bad habits should not be used in default mode. And some people claim that default mode means staying in your comfort zone and keeping you from stretching yourself. On that, I'm afraid I have to disagree. My theory of Default Efficiency is simple: figuring out what works and doing it by default is easy, gets excellent results consistently, relieves you from decision fatigue, and allow you to stretch on your terms. 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

BIG ASS GOAL Qualifier Ever wondered if your goal is really a BIG goal? Run it through the BIG ASS GOAL Qualifier and see what happens. Big Ass Goal Definition Only goals that make your heart beat faster deserve to be BIG ASS GOALS. What makes this goal larger, more exciting, and scarier? How is it challenging but not too challenging, and how does being challenging grab your focus? Heartbeat Goal Describe why this is a Heartbeat Goal and why you desire to achieve this goal. Pinpoint Focus The best goals begin as broad-based goals, but how would you describe your outcome if it could only fit on the head of a tiny pin? BIG ASS GOAL ABC’s Is this BIG ASS GOAL Achievable for you?  Do you Believe you can reach this goal?  Are you Committed to this goal? Narrow Your Options Is your BIG ASS GOAL so big that you have very few options to achieve it? What are they? (The fewer, the better.) Momentum Goals What will you accomplish within 90 days of working toward this goal? Legacy Goals How will this goal impact the legacy you are building at least 20 years from now? Rewards and Reminders How will you reward yourself for your dedication and remind yourself why you are pursuing this goal? Is it a BIG ASS GOAL? After reviewing your answers, does this goal qualify as a BIG ASS GOAL? Yes or No. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Waking Up to Gratitude I woke up this morning with an incredible zest to expand my feeling of gratefulness. Well, there is not so much to expand as to recognize all the things I am grateful for but haven’t thought about lately. That’s the thing about living in a fast-paced world where our daily activities, big and small, fly by and are quickly forgotten. It’s always been that way. There is nothing new in the world. That got me thinking about one of my favorite quotes — “Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things.” —Robert Brault As a no-regrets guy, I admit to sometimes not living in gratitude. Thankfully, the wisdom of others is always making sure I remember what is important— Here are a few of my favorites. “If a fellow isn’t thankful for what he’s got, he isn’t likely to be thankful for what he’s going to get.”—Frank A. Clark “Acknowledging the good that you already have in your life is the foundation for all abundance.” —Eckhart Tolle “Who does not thank for little will not thank for much.” —Estonian Proverb “Gratitude is a quality similar to electricity: It must be produced and discharged and used up to exist at all.”—William Faulkner “Enough is a feast.”—Buddhist Proverb “When you are grateful, fear disappears, and abundance appears.”—Anthony Robbins “When eating fruit, remember the one who planted the tree.”—Vietnamese Proverb “Gratitude can transform common days into thanksgivings, turn routine jobs into joy, and change ordinary opportunities into blessings.”—William Arthur Ward “A thankful heart is not only the greatest virtue, but the parent of all the other virtues.”—Cicero Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Productivity Strategies Do you find yourself needing to get more done? You might consider creating more productivity. The first rule of being more productive is deciding what is important to you. The second rule is to take control of your day.  A few simple adjustments can change everything: 1) Say, “Yes” to yourself before you say it to others. Meetings, phone calls, casual conversations. If that doesn’t work, say “No” to anything not currently on your list.  2) Control where you focus your attention. Including incoming communication like email and social media. Avoid being recruited onto someone else’s To-Do list. 3) No matter how much control you gain, interruptions are always around. You may as well expect, plan, and allow time for them. 4) Only schedule 50% of your schedule. That will allow time for the unexpected. If nothing shows up, stay focused on what you need to complete. 5) Multi-tasking is a myth. If possible, finish one task before the next. You cross the finish line sooner.   What happens next? EVERYTHING! Keep moving forward, and you’ll get everything you want. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 by 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

Become The Person You Are Meant to Be People have always sought change for themselves, their lives, or the world. If you want to change something about your life, there is a constant truth: You must change before anything else changes. Many intelligent folks agree - Mahatma Gandhi said, “Be the change you wish to see in the world.” Leo Tolstoy, “Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself.” What about Albert Einstein? “The world, as we have created, is a process of our thinking. It cannot be changed without changing our thinking.” Do you want to change something about today, tomorrow, or the future? You must change before anything else changes. Have you learned lessons from past experiences? You have already changed, and your future is better for it. Rumi said, “Yesterday, I was clever, so I wanted to change the world. Today, I am wise, so I am changing myself.” If tomorrow you want to be better than today and Yesterday, something has to change. That something is you. If you want to make more money, serve more, and be happier next year, something has to change this year. That something is you. If you want this life to be well-lived, something has to change today. That something is you. What if you want everything about your life to be perfect? Listen to Winston Churchill. “To improve is to change; to be perfect is to change often.” It’s so simple. You must change before anything else changes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Figuring Out Your Purpose Over the years, the most popular question I get from the MOVERS around here is -- “How do I find my purpose and face my passion?” If I were to expand on that question, it would be - “What can I do today to find my purpose and overcome the fear of living my passion?” In other words, it’s one thing to find it; it’s another thing to get yourself to do it. Today, we’ll focus on finding it. In my quest to live passionately, I always follow a 5-step process for discovering and facing your passion. It has never failed me. 1) Explore the possibilities that are available to you. The more, the better. Many things will interest you, and you should be willing to allow them into your life. 2) Pay attention to what grabs and keeps your attention. Don’t fight the feeling; just follow the urge to explore. 3) Deep dive into the things shoving themselves into your life and immersing yourself. 4) When you find yourself fascinated and nearly obsessed, you are heading a new path, even if it makes no sense. Don’t be surprised if it is nothing you’ve ever considered before. The formula is simple: Exploration + Fascination = Facing Your Passion. While the steps above can include several strategic steps, the more significant challenge is to allow yourself to follow what you find.  Once you find it, be sure you live it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Your WHY Doesn’t Need to Be First Scott’s Show Prep - 09/10/24 [OPEN] Motivational Chat I have a question.  Would you like nothing on your calendar and still get everything done? Go to PerfectWeekPlanner.com and download the easiest planner you’ll ever use. It’s free! [INTRO] Have you ever heard that you first need to know your WHY before you do anything?  What I want to know is WHY it is so important. Well, it turns out - it’s not… sort of… As a baby DJ in broadcast school, I spent a lot of time learning how to talk over the intros of songs while eating pizza and talking with teenage girls—that was my major. But I also learned a few things about journalism—just in case I needed to use my news announcer voice. Although the rules of journalism might not be practiced much these days, one thing still works. Who? What? When? Where? Why? How? If you know that information, you can tell a complete story. But what if you could apply the same information to your goal-setting activities?  You can… if you do three things: 1) Anytime you decide to set a goal, rearrange it so that it makes more sense for your action brain and less for your observing and learning brain. 2) Your new version should include what… why… when, and who I need to help. 3) The final piece is something you can ignore - because the HOW becomes automatic as soon as you shift that magical word and focus on your goals. You should try it - because it’s how you think about it anyway. Remember that you can get my show prep for every daily boost. Just go to ScottsShowPrep.com and subscribe. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You Must Give Something Up to Get More Scott’s Show Prep - 09/09/24 [OPEN] Motivational Chat Let me whip out my show prep and get started. By the way, you can get my show prep sent to your inbox every day. Go to ScottsShowPrep.com to get it. [INTRO] Everybody is always talking about getting more of what they want - but they’re not getting it. Why? Because they keep adding to the stuff they already have —  [STORY]  Social/Streaming Media overuse. How hours a day of scrolling equals 18 full-time workweeks per year.] To be clear, adding more to your life is not necessarily the way to add more. Life is going to get in the way anyway. It makes no sense to keep tripping over your stuff or building a wall that blocks you from your goals. Instead of thinking of adding more to get more, why not follow this simple plan… [STEPS] 1) Do more of what you like and less of what you don’t like to do.  So. Simple. How do you do that? 2) You have to give something up. There is a cost to everything, a price to pay, and you can’t avoid it. You must give something up to get what you want. If you don’t, you haven’t paid the price. Not only will you be blocked, but it’s highly likely that something you love will be taken from you to pay your debt. I don’t like debt. 3) Once you have given something up and made space, start doing more of what you love - and defend it as your happiness depends on it.  Because it does. [WRAP] Yes. You can have it all, but not at the same time. The big question is… What are you going to give up today? [Free Stuff] Get a peak on the inside - get my show prep sent to your inbox every day. Go to ScottsShowPrep.com. Links Face Your Passion Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How To Have an Empty Calendar Scott’s Daily Boost Show Notes — A letter I received about 10 minutes ago… “When you showed us your calendar a few weeks ago, I noticed how bear it was. You hadn't time blocked your podcast recordings, checking emails, calling friends, date night, learning time, developing course materials, Marketing activities, etc. I assumed you should time block every area of your life to ensure you achieve balance.” I believe work-life balance is a myth.  Isn't every minute of the day the same?  There are no work, play, happy or sad minutes—there are only minutes. I don't need to balance them because they are all the same. Since I have a pre-determined way that I want to live my life, it doesn't matter when I do it. Having said that…  Having a calendar that it booked every 10 minutes is one of the most stressful things I can think of having. I would bet it’s the biggest reason people get burned out or retire. In my view, a calendar's only job is to serve as a reminder system for any of those minutes that will involve other people — and not even all of those. I don't know about you, but I don't need a reminder to go on a date night with my wife. I know some people say you should schedule time for yourself on your calendar to ensure you get things done. But it seems to me I shouldn't have to schedule my own time — since is MY time.  I should have a clear understanding of the life I want to live, what I need to do, and the discipline to get it done—in the space between those pesky appointments. Let me be clear. I absolutely have days of the week and hours of the day that I broadly dedicate to things like work, play, learning, and relaxing.  Within those large blocks, I look at my task list and decide, based on Due Date and Priority, what I need to focus on that day. When that's done, I'm done. Larger projects are no different.  I simply look ahead to the days and hours I have available, set the Due Date for those times, and when that day arrives, get it done. Is that time-blocking? No. There’s no need to block my time because it’s already mine. All of my time is my time. I guard it, ensure I know what I need to do, and have the discipline to do it as quickly as possible.  I strictly control the time that others are taking. If I don't, I won't have more time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

People You Will Meet Today Retrospective Thought — As I look back on the last 24 hours of my life, a single thought resonates with me. I shared it with others, and their worlds were rocked. What question is spurring this? — Why can people be so difficult? What’s the story behind it? — I’ve met so many people in the world who think difficult people can harm and stop them. It doesn’t have to be that way. Points to consider— People you deal with today will be meddling, ungrateful, arrogant, dishonest, jealous, and surely. They are like this because they can’t tell good from evil. They are like you, with the same mind and possessing a share of the Divine. And so none of them can hurt you. Marcus Aurelius was an intelligent guy. Conclusion — Everybody you meet today is more like you than you would like to admit. The playing field is more even than you thought. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How Do Labels Impact Your Life? Note: Lately, I've felt that the Daily Nugget format I've been using for the last eight years has become a bit of a trap for me -- and I needed more flexibility. So, I'm moving away from a narrative format and toward providing the actual notes used during the show. I hope this will allow me to expand my ideas while giving you more motivation and actionable notes. And yes, you can expect this to evolve over the next few weeks. Retrospective Thought Have you ever wondered how having a label is impacting your life? While am I having this thought? I remember being asked, “What I do” by a potential customer - and I had no idea what to say. Points to consider Labels are a way to identify yourself to YOU… and identify YOU to the world. In the past, most people only had one way to identify themselves. That’s what they were known for. Today, people have too many labels. It seems that we have 1,000 mini-identities that we deploy depending on where we are, what we’re doing, and who we’re hanging out with. When did we become a computer app that forces us to tag ourselves with a label for everything we do? Conclusion If you could only put one label on yourself… One label that represented who you truly were on the inside…  One label that everybody instantly understood…  What would that label be? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Don’t Share Your Plans In the last few years, it has become increasingly popular for people to share every little aspect of their lives with others. But, when it comes to getting what you want in life, keeping your plans to yourself is a powerful tool. Summer has been filled with lots of rest and relaxation, and when I arrived at my desk on Tuesday, I had two messages from clients that made me smile. The first said, "I decided to spend my weekend practicing what I do in private so that I will be praised in public." That's something I’ve said and done many times. The second client told me they had completed a new project over the weekend and heading in a new direction. When I mentioned they had never said a word to me about it, they said, "I know. I'm learning that nobody needs to know what I'm doing to do. I'll do it, and they can catch up." My heart smiled as I witness three powerful tools that impact my client's lives: 1) Practice in private until you are ready to share with the world. Nobody needs to know how you got so good at what you do. 2) There's no need to tell anybody what you are going to do. Just do it and then let them know what you've done later. 3) It's easier to get things done when everybody else is busy doing something else and isn't poking their nose in your business. Long holiday weekends and summer vacations are a great place to begin. You can do whatever you want with your life, and you don't need anybody's permission or approval to make it happen. Your destiny is 100% up to you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Shake Up Your Good Life Growth and change are what most people strive for in their life. It’s what drives you before you create your amazing life. It’s also what drives you to step up to the next level. In the last 18 years, I’ve spent producing the Daily Boost podcast, I’ve had the chance to speak to thousands of people. All of them were in various stages of change, and most had the goal of being happy.  But, there is an issue that keeps popping up. As people go about living and enjoying the life they’ve built, the natural desire for more growth kicks in, and they find themselves driving harder—usually without thinking about it. It could be about passion, but most times, it’s about making more money. One day, I talked with a friend about living a good life and how hard people work to mess up a good thing. That’s when he asked a great question - ”When life is good, why would you do something else only to make more money?” It’s not to say making more money is not a very good thing. It’s just important to make sure that you focus on what is right in front of you and remain balanced and happy as you grow. The happiest people in the world already know that.  Because a powerful force drives humans to grow at any cost, sometimes that costs them in ways they never see coming—both good and bad.  Enjoy what you have and grow to make things better. That’s a recipe for success, no matter how you see it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Committed to Your Goal Woody Allen said, "Half of success is showing up." I've thought about that quote many times over the years. There was something about its logic that didn't match up with my day-to-day experience. Don't get me wrong, no matter what you want to do in your life, showing up is the first step in getting it. But I've shown up many times and ended up going home with the prize that I so much wanted. I've also seen others convinced that they'll advance toward their goals if they show up. Instead, they end up disappointed with their results. So, if showing up is getting you halfway, what's the other half? It's knowledge, work ethic, communication, and people skills. And let's not forget your ability to commit to doing whatever it takes to get what you want. Some people don't show up, and some don't commit. Many do show up. Why don't they succeed? I remember the words spoken by my Paster moments before my wedding to my first wife, Sheryl. I was a 20-year-old kid, and he asked, "Do you know what makes a marriage work?" Without much thought, I said, "It's a 50/50 thing. As long as we show up for each other, it'll work." His response resonates with me to this day. "Success in anything is 100/100 thing. You show up and commit to giving it 100% of your effort all the time - and so does everybody else." So, yes. Showing up will get you halfway to your goal. But if you want to go all the way, you must commit to 100% and do whatever it takes to get what you want.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Beyond Your Why Since the beginning of time, successful people have given this sage advice; you must set goals.  In the human mind, setting goals are the heartbeat of your life. Setting a goal will harness your focus, give you meaning and purpose, and drive you forward. It gets even better if you place a deadline. If your goal is essential, timely, urgent, you will likely do anything possible to get it. Yes, likely.  You may have also heard that understanding WHY you want to achieve your goal is critical to your success. "Knowing your WHY will allow you to deal with every challenge along the way,” is what they said. But sometimes, you fall short. Losing weight is a good example. Every year, millions of people set the goal of losing a few pounds. Most end up failing. But if you think about it, that makes sense. Nobody ever wants to lose anything. That's against every survival instinct you have in your body. When you set a goal that takes something away, your mind will fight you every step of the way.  So what's the fix? If your goal is to lose 10 pounds, focus on the real reason and the benefits you will receive when you reach your goal. That will become your mission beyond your why. It's not losing weight. It's feeling better inside and out. It's not losing weight. It's building your self-confidence. It's not losing weight. It's having unlimited energy and stamina. Any goal that focuses on loss alone lacks the positive motivation you need to succeed. No matter how bad you want it.  When you think about your daily process as steps on a mission beyond your why, everything changes. More success and happiness are in your future, and your possibilities are endless.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Goal, Pilots, and Donuts Have you noticed that airplanes fly crooked? Heading to their destination, winds attempt to blow them 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 prefer the 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 blowing you further away from your dreams. It’s time to start thinking like a pilot setting a flight plan to a distant city with a Kristy Kreme donut store about to turn in the ‘Hot Donuts’ sign. 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

Common Sense Laws of Success Everything we do is guided by what we think is logical in our minds. I call my way of thinking Scott LOGIC. Is it common sense? Is it experience-based? Is it how I choose to live? Yes. But mostly, it is an endless list of thoughts that make my day better. Here are a few that will no doubt do the same for you. Life is long enough. But not for everybody. Recognize the difference. Life goes quickly unless you are bored. Stay busy. Life passes slowly when you are going fishing tomorrow.  Some people are too serious. Others are not serious enough. You get to choose who you are. Standing in another person's shoes before opening your mouth a best.  When you turn your phone off, 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 than to write a book. That makes reading a book a good investment of your time. People who read more earn more. People who don't read don't understand why. Saying "I don't care" means you do care. Do you know what that is? Everything you experience is filtered through what you hold as the truth. Make sure you are correct in your thoughts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's Time to Get Off The Fence Okay, I'm feeling a little bit lazy today, so I will cut to the chase and bestow upon you the secret to success you've been seeking. Success requires that you do the hard work. It doesn't take a scientist to figure out that if you want more, you will have to do something to get it. Still, we live in a world that makes it seem like it should be easier, and it's not. Success takes a lot of hard work - even if you don't see it. Successful YouTubers make it look easy - after thousands of hours of trial and error. Musicians seemingly live their dream - after years of living in a tour bus and making pennies. Even people who do nothing but accept the generosity of society to make their way are working hard at a life you would never want. It doesn't matter what you want, good or bad, prosperous or not, happy or sad; it will take a lot of work to accomplish it. If you have a choice, and you do, why wouldn't you choose to work hard to bring goodness into your life? You become interested in making a change. The problem is interest is only the beginning, and you never get beyond your fascination. You decide what change to create and work hard to get it. Then, life gets in the way, and you stop. What's missing? Commitment. Life doesn't guarantee it, but you tend to get what you want when you commit to your mission. That's just how it works. I'm interested in many things and work hard at making magic happen in my life, the lives of my family and friends, and even yours. Only a solid commitment to how I spend my decades on this planet allows that to happen. Whatever you do - get committed, and you'll see how things change. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Empowering Emotional Triggers I love it when we miraculously put together the perfect day, and life decides to get in the way.  Well, it's not life, and maybe I don't love it, but occasionally, something or someone will cross your path and get in your way. I don't know anybody who doesn't get hit smack in the face with a situation that triggers a feeling deep inside their soul, stirs emotion, and results in a reaction or response that makes you say, "Why did I say that?" Of course, we are emotional creatures, so it makes sense that robust emotional responses are common for most of us. Still, common sense will tell you they don't always serve us. It gets even worse when people sedate their emotions to protect themselves. Not only do they miss great opportunities, but when they are triggered, it becomes an 8.0 earthquake. So, how do you deal with it? The way I handle it is to understand that triggers usually happen when I least expect them. Still, my ScottLOGIC tells me that once I experience the trigger and learn the lesson, a little discipline in my actions tends to smooth things out the next time.  Here's what happens. When I get triggered, a feeling emerges inside of me. Like me, the problem is that most folks jump from a feeling to an emotional response before their mouth knows what's happening. A better way is to recognize the feeling, pause, review the emotional dialog running in your mind, and then allow your thoughts to become your words.  Life improves when you have the discipline to recognize what you've learned from a previous trigger, audit your reactions, and deliver your response. Strangely, it becomes as if you were never triggered at all. Look, we live in a world filled with shoot-from-the-hip opportunities, many of which are purposely put in front of us to get a response. Please don't fall for it. Keep your mind on how you want to experience and see the world. You'll be amazed how all the drama goes away. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stop Calling 911 on Yourself A few days ago, I was on with a client making significant progress toward smoothing out the rough edges of her career, relationship, and personal life.  When we began, she consistently banged her head into the wall in every area of her life.  Relationships were challenging, job performance was up and down, she had no personal life, and her vision for the future was non-existent. She was, in my words, being an arsonist. However, unlike most arsonists, she was also the 911 operator, drove the fire truck to the incident scene, grabbed a hose, and put out her fire. After a few weeks of working together, I noticed the pattern and called her out. She even surprised herself when she admitted that she was the cause of most of the issues in her life, but she didn’t know how to stop all the self-inflicted pain.  I gave her a different way of thinking about it - What if, instead of being an arsonist, you were in charge of preventing those life-getting-in-the-way moments? What if, instead of driving the fire truck, your job was to make sure it was ready to roll, even if it is never needed? What if, instead of calling 911 on yourself, you decided to help other people improve their lives through your interactions? “That sounds exciting. But how do I do it?” There are two steps: become aware that you are causing your issues and discipline yourself to stop doing what you know is not working for you. “Oh. Discipline. It sounds like you’re saying I need to grow up and act like an adult in charge of my own life.” Did I say that? I didn’t hear myself say that? Did you hear me say that? The very next week, we spoke on the phone, and she felt in control of her life for the first time. Yes, she was still a little shaky in her approach, but her self-confidence was returning. She was noticing, and so were others. Frankly, it was nice to see somebody go from firing things up to being fired up herself - and winning the day.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Escaping Your Past  My mind is constantly searching for a simple process for anything that will help me get what I want, and that usually comes down to something I talk about a lot: making a decision.  I speak about decision-making much of my day because it’s the most dynamic tool in your personal growth tool kit.  It should be easy — Almost everything you will ever want to do in life has already been done. The solution to getting what you wish to should be based on logic and proven steps. In other words, figure out what works and do it. But, as much as we can all agree that it should be easy, using logic to get what we want doesn’t have much to do with being a human—that’s where emotions and a more psychological approach come into play. “Come on, let’s just do what we know works?” You say. “No. I’m not feeling it. Let’s go with the flow and figure it out?” Logical vs emotional thinking is an epic battle that Stephen Spielberg could tell in a blockbuster movie. Oh, wait, it always is! Let’s take a side trip to the movies and prove my point. The Hero has a problem in a movie, and something has to change, but they don’t know what to do. Professionally speaking, they are an emotional mess, no matter how real it may be. Then, in a movie, their situation suddenly thrust them into taking action to solve their problem. Logic kicks in, and they get busy fixing life. But, in a movie, life gets in the way, their actions are not working, and their emotions take over. It seems that all is lost, but never fear. Before any good movie ends, our Hero figures out precisely what needs to be done. One. Two. Three. Victory is at hand. Somebody, please roll the credits. What’s the lesson in the story we are writing? Everything that you want to do has already been figured out. Your job is to set your emotions aside, go into logical mode, and take the fewest steps possible to reach your dream. They’re no need to wait. Hero’s, don’t wait. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Scared and Excited at the Same Time Over the weekend, I had a few hours to waste at a local car dealership and found myself in conversation with a very motivated young man. After seeing my email address, he asked a few questions about what I do for a living, and we were off to the races. Eventually, he said the same thing I hear many times a week – “I’m trying to figure out what I want, but I want more. That excites me AND scares me. Sometimes I wonder when I’ll get started and how long it will take — so I never get started.” Like I said, I hear that every week, and I have for years.  Here’s my answer. You’ll never stop trying to figure things out. Life is an endless cycle of figuring things out, getting comfortable, and getting uncomfortable, and figuring things out again. It never ends. You may as well play the game. Excitement and Scary can feel the same. Emotionally, they are not that different. If you find that it is one or the other, look deeper. If it’s both, I would move forward as fast as possible. You’ll get started as soon as you are more excited than scared. As long as you are excitedly moving toward your goal, how long it takes won’t matter. That’s something that is hard to remember… but it’s a good thing if you do. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Creativity on Demand Over the years, I have produced over 12,000 podcasts, and everyone began with the written word. Even though that makes my mouth and fingers my most exercised body parts, it has also given me many opportunities to learn to keep my words flowing. Like most people, you have sat before a blank screen, praying for inspiration. It could be writer's block, procrastination, or maybe you stayed up late watching Netflix. In any case, there's a simple solution to always having a starting point. Any project I need to wrap my head around begins by capturing the ideas that flow into my mind throughout the day. Even turning the radio off on a 20-minute drive can provide a treasure-trove of useable nuggets. Next, I tuck those ideas away safely without organizing, editing, or re-writing. I just grab the thoughts, jot a note or record a memo, put them away, and let them simmer. When I'm ready to get to work, I take 15 minutes the day before to review my creative genius list, toss out what is not relevant, create a simple outline, and walk away knowing I am ready to begin. The next day, I can't wait to sit in front of a blank screen and let the magic start flowing from my fingertips with complete ease. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Unlock Your Goals with Accountability Over the years, I've witnessed dozens of people set themselves up for failure by following seemingly wise advice - "When you set a goal, make it public and tell everybody you know so they can support you." In my experience, that could have worked better - especially on long-term goals. The reason is that nobody outside my close relationships knows me well enough to understand why I'm doing what I'm doing. That makes it challenging to provide support in meaningful ways, difficult for me to accept, and unneeded pressure on everybody. It takes little thinking to realize the best accountability relationship needs to be based on respect and a sincere connection to have the most impact. That means there is no need to crowd-source accountability when you only need two people to keep you on track. The first partner is the one you listen to the most - YOU! Accepting responsibility for your accountability is the most potent skill you own. But since you are the boss of YOU and don't always listen to yourself, you need somebody else you trust and respect who is willing to call you out on your stuff. Once they agree, let them do their job. Getting what you want begins and ends with you, but having an accountability partner is a great way to keep you on track in the messy middle. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mindset of a Master Negotiator I've always believed that life is a series of presentations we continually make throughout our day. The progress we make, the success we enjoy, and the happiness we experience directly result from our presentation skills, including negotiation. Yes, whether you like it or not, you negotiate for everything. Once you know about a natural feeling that all parties experience during negotiation, you'll never feel like an underdog again. Always remember- Whenever two or more folks negotiate, they automatically feel the other has the advantage. It's natural to have the fear that things may not go your way. Stay the course, and you'll get what you want. When you understand this simple mindset, you will automatically put yourself in a more confident position. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Becoming Aware of Your Passions Are you aware of your passions?  If not, I have a question for you - What do you do when you are doing YOU?  Why spend your days searching your mind to figure out your purpose when you are most likely living it daily? When you take a minute to inventory how you spend your time, you will see what you enjoy doing. Do you read, write, exercise, or work?   How about walking, talking, playing, fighting, laughing, or watching television? Do you quilt, garden, volunteer, or socialize? Passion in life is not about finding something to do. It's about noticing what you do naturally - and doing more of it.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Common Sense Success Accelerators  When you feel in control, are you happier? I created 'Do What Makes Your Heart Sing' a few years ago. While it was about being happy, it's a core teaching that has become my best practice. 1) Stop fixin' to get ready. If you want something, there is no reason to put it off. Could you go out and get it today? 2) Ask for help. We all need help, and millions of people are waiting for you to ask them. 3) Slow down when it gets bumpy. Going after big goals will lead you down rough roads. Those are when you slow down, stay focused, and keep moving - as fast as possible. 4) Fly it into the barn. Good pilots continue to fly their airplanes until they are safely tied down on the ground. Keep going until you get 100% of what you want. 5) Be smart—set goals. Don't argue. This one is simple. Trust and use your wisdom and instinct. Set goals to keep you reaching for what you want. Seek solutions that keep you moving. 6) Don't give monkeys piggyback rides. Others will happily put THEIR monkey on YOUR back if you let them. Deal with your challenges. Let them do the same. 7) Practice daily P.Y.O.T.B. You are your own best cheerleader. Be sure to pat yourself on the back and say, "I did good!" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Forgetting What You Do For Fun What do you do for fun? Such a simple question causes people to get a blank look in their eyes. A few years ago, I visited friends who lived and worked on the Grand Canyon's South Rim. Yes, thousands of people live there. The drive into town is too far to commute - but that was okay with my friends. They had recently switched careers, packed up, and moved to become Park Rangers. They were right where they wanted to be. It was late in the day when we settled into their guest room and headed to the dinner table. I had been driving all day and was feeling a little fidgety. "So, what do you guys do for fun around here?" He looked at me like the fast-paced city slicker I was and said, "I've been having fun all day - even at work." I didn't get it - yet. It turns out that his life change taught him that having fun is a sneaky little thing. Fun likes to show up when you are not paying attention and in the moment, whether wasting time or working. In my career, I've asked people what they do for fun many times - They are either in a materialistic chase for something our society has told them is fun… or… They have forgotten that what they do naturally when they are not paying attention can be more satisfying than they think. And there it is. When you stop looking down the road for the fun that you think you want to have, you realize that you are already having a good time right where you are. No chasing is required. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

So You Have Good Intentions? Do you get out of bed daily, plant your feet on the ground, and start getting things done? Do you do it with intention? If you take a minute, you’ll notice the happiest, most successful, and most content people live a life of intention. But having an intention is not a magical force reserved for the special few. It implies little more than what you plan to bring about in your life - something I was about to do. In the months after meeting my future wife, I realized an intention was emerging in my mind. With every passing day, that intention transformed into a goal. Soon, I had a plan along with a timeline. I became obsessed and was on a mission to succeed.  I had, as they say, “Good intentions.” But more than good intentions is needed to get what you want. In my case, I knew where I was heading; Joi was only beginning to understand what was on my mind. That’s when she asked - “So, Mr. Smith. What are your intentions, exactly?” Without missing a beat, I said - “My intentions are simple. I will do everything possible to get you to fall in love, marry me, and spend the rest of our lives together.” Her jaw dropped. She smiled, took a sip of wine, and said - “Well, we’ll keep going and see what happens.” What? We’ll see how things go! I already know where this is going. Why do we need to wait? I know my intention, and I’m to get it! Of course, I didn’t say any of that to her.  Yes, getting what you want in life requires knowing your intentions. The next step is to transform them into goals and actions. But you and your dreams are not living on an isolated island. If others are involved, you must let them know what you have on your mind. But, because you said your intention, does that mean you will get what you want? No. It means that you now have a partner in your quest. Your intentions are about to merge; if all goes well, your actions will create success for everybody. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Can I ask you a question? “Hi, Scott. Can I ask you a question?” Sure. “I’m working on myself. Do you have any advice?” Sure. Stop working on yourself. It’s your life, enjoy yourself. “Can I ask you another?” Sure. “You say, do what you love even if you hate it. I don’t understand.” Have you ever worked yourself to the bone and frustrated yourself to prepare to enjoy a dream vacation?  “Yes.” Then you already understand. “Can I ask one more?” Why not? “Great. You’re always saying that more is on the other side of less. What do you mean be that?” Sure. It’s a math question. If you eliminate 80% of your current activities that keep you from doing the 20% of what you love, you get to do more of what you love. Less is on the other side of more. Any more questions? “My mind can't take any more. Thanks.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

4 - Questions to Ask Before Beginning Anything Everybody has dreams. Daydreams, dreams while you sleep, and dreams of what you wish for the future. I’ve always believed that dreams are goals you have nurtured to become real.  But how do you know if the voice speaking to your heart will lead you in the right direction? Brant Pinvidic’s book, The 3-Minute Rule, has four questions that will help: 1) What is it? Do you understand precisely what you want?  2) How does it work? How will you go about reaching your goal? What will likely be the outcome? 3) Can you do it? Is your plan reasonable? Do you have the time, skills, and money?  4) Are you sure? Are you confident you can achieve your goal if you are willing to put in the effort? Use these when something is holding you back. I promise. The clarity you are seeking is around the corner. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Passionate Life Laws 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

Courage to Face Your Passion 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 it's time to build your bridge once you know what you want. Here's how: 1) Fortify your current foundation. Save money, pay bills, and do whatever it takes to build a firm and peaceful base. 2) Begin constructing the foundation for your new life. Go to school, network, research, and plan. Do everything in your power to ensure your success with no regret. 3) When you're ready, leave your past behind, cut off the old, and begin living your new life. Patience is key. Wait until you are at least 70% ready to succeed before you cross to the other side. This patience will ensure you transition at the right time, increasing your chances of success.  Success arrives when you move from a solid TODAY to a stronger TOMORROW. It's important not to leap too soon but also not to delay. Find the balance between urgency and preparation, and your transition will be smoother. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Get Your Brain to Focus Better The older I get, the more I realize I'm fiddling with small things that drive me crazy but keep me busy. And I do it with the full knowledge that it's not the best use of my time, I'm below my pay grade, and I'm distracting from the big stuff I should be doing. Over the years, I've noticed almost everybody I know does the same thing. I've also learned it doesn't have to do with procrastination as much as getting a quick win and a short-term payoff. Yes, the reward for more significant projects is getting what you want, but checking off your list of little stuff is distractingly intoxicating. It makes you feel good all day but keeps you awake at night. The solution is to think bigger. As I work through my day, I focus on my life's biggest, broadest, and most important mission. Is it family? Is it your health? Do you want to make more money? Is it time to give back more? When you have a great picture painted in your mind, your mission becomes your focus, and you will do whatever it takes to move closer to that vision That's why - "I work on BIG things I love, not SMALL things that drive me crazy." Imagine your impact on your life and the world by focusing on big. The small stuff is going to get done. If not, it doesn't matter. Big stuff does matter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Zig Ziglar Classic Lesson When I was young, stupid, and wondering when I would understand life, I often turned to my friend, Larry, for a road map. He always seemed to have what I needed - until the day he passed the torch. He knew I needed more. That’s when he introduced me to Zig Ziglar’s Stages of Competence: 1) Stage One is where we begin. We are “Unconscious Incompetent.” We don’t know what we don’t know. Yup. 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.” I see that in my work. People who have no idea how good they are. 4) Stage Four is “Conscious Competent.” That was my goal. I wanted to know what I was doing - and KNOW it!  Most people continue to another level some call “Conscious competence of unconscious 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

Living a Scripted Life In the world of Scott Logic, I’ve always fought my advice that said … “When life is predictable, scripted, and process-oriented - BORING - life gets as excited as you ever dream it could be.” As a guy who likes excitement in my day, you can see why I would prefer to ignore that wisdom—and I’m not alone. Still, I don’t miss it. I prioritize that way of thinking at all costs.  Let’s talk about that ‘scripted’ part of living. While I love a good spontaneous day, I’ve learned that the more scripted and predictable my day, the less stress I have and the more I get done. All that means is that I know what I’ll be doing throughout the day, when I’ll be doing it, and what time I’m done for the day. Frankly, I can usually tell you what I’ll be doing weeks in advance. Maybe that’s why I never need to check my calendar when somebody asks me when I’m available for a meeting. I already know because everything is already in place. Next, you should live a process-oriented life. The best way to explain what I mean is to use goals as an example. Most people set goals and focus on the outcome of achieving that goal. If it’s weight loss, your goal may be to lose 50 pounds. While that’s not bad, focusing exclusively on the end goal is a fast way to fall off the wagon after a single, out-of-control weekend. But there is a better way… Instead of focusing on the goal of losing 50 pounds, it’s much easier to focus on the steps in the process that will get you there—watching what you eat, exercising, keeping yourself motivated, shopping for your future skinny jeans. The mindset is simple; as long you keep doing what’s working, you’ll get what you want. Simple. A scripted life and a process-oriented life is a good life. Figure out what works and do it over and over again. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Let The World Do What it Does A client asked me, “With all the craziness that is going on in the world these days, what do you pay attention to most of the day to keep yourself on track?" Well, let me first say that the world is going to do what the world is going to do. I always has; it always will. No matter what you do, the world and all its people will do what they will do. You will too. Having said that. My response to was… "I pay attention to MY agenda first. When I cross paths with the agendas of others, it doesn't have to be my way or the highway, but I must continue to live the life I desire and get the results. I want to do it without delay and distraction. The truth is, I want us both to do that." As long as you know what you want in life, getting it is a matter of moving forward a little bit every day and staying on track. Since every person you meet is on their path, you will always have the opportunity to be pulled into their agenda, willingly or unwillingly. If you do, you detour from your dreams. Take control of your agenda because somebody else always has plans for you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Live Your Purpose There's an incredible idea floating within your mind. It will soon demand your attention. "Is this all there is? Am I destined for something bigger?" You are. Here's how to discover your path: 1) Accept WHO you are on the inside by reviewing your past choices. The good ones are a clue. Do more of them. 2) Accept WHAT you do when you are doing you. It's not a thing; it's a feeling. 3) Accept WHEN when you want to begin living. Now is a good time. 4) Accept WHERE you are in your life. You CAN get there from here, as long as you know where HERE is. Accepting real purpose is usually revealed by your daily actions. If you don't like the direction you are heading, it's time to try a new one. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Better Than a To-Do List I'm sure you have a lot to do. If you use a To-Do list, I'd like to pass on advice that will 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 an employee of your checkmarks. 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

Comfort Zone Holding You Back I was sitting at the dining room table of a friend. We had been solving the problems of the world in an hours-long conversation when she asked, "What are you talking about on tomorrow's podcast?" When I told her that I hadn't thought about it yet, she said,  "Why don't you talk about why people don't take big chances and stay in their comfort zone for their entire life?" My mind did an instant review of my life and all the areas I had stumbled on before getting out of my way. I also remembered conversations with clients over the years on life's leaps. Before I could say anything, she said,  "I know what it is. People get so comfortable with what they've built, and they don't want to chance losing it. Their money, their home, they wonder what their family will say?" Is there anything else? "Yes. Everybody gets scared and freezes. I'm like that, but I've learned to push through fear and go for it - as long as I'm mostly sure I won't lose what I've built." We talked a bit more about what it takes to make the changes you want in life and came to three conclusions- You can do anything when you have a growth mindset and believe that anything is possible. Holding on too tightly to what you have sends the wrong energetic message. When you are willing to expand - you will. Next, as a human, you will never be comfortable gambling on the very thing that allows you to dream. The solid foundation that takes care of your personal needs is why you desire to self-activate. Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs taught us that. Your foundation must remain while you expand. Finally, fear will always be present when beginning a new adventure. The cure is knowledge. When you know what you have, see your path forward, and have prepared as much as possible for your journey, you will find yourself willing to go for it. Anything is possible when you protect your foundation, respect the challenge, and honor the dreams whispering to your soul. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Productivity Secrets You Should Do 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! Be sure to schedule any significant and can’t miss life events 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.  When your day-to-day focus fulfills your goals this week, the future is always brighter. Focus, my friend. Focus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Motivational Teaching Method Mrs. Etheridge was a 5th-grade teacher at Westgate Elementary in Manassas, Virginia. She had a special knack for motivating her most free-spirited student. Now, I wouldn't be honest if I were to you, I remember how she tamed a young boy who saw the world as a place to explore - mostly between the lines. But I will say that when you begin teaching and motivating others to reach their full potential, you quickly find ways to get them out of their own way, fire them up, and enjoy more success. When you first begin, meet others where they are and establish a frame for what is to come. That will get their attention. Next, strengthen the foundation by reminding them of what they already know and its impact on their life. The introduction of new knowledge arrives when they are open to receiving it. But since stacking new knowledge on top of old is like chasing shiny objects and forgetting everything you've already learned, integrating the new with the old is where you put it all together. Adding an exciting twist, something they didn't see coming as a bonus, and using it as a catalyst that paints a picture in their mind of the benefit of using the new knowledge in their lives. Finally, give your students homework in the form of a challenge, compassionately hold them accountable the next time you see them, and repeat. Everybody is driven by something different. When you structure teaching into a motivational flow that is relatable, repeatable, and re-framable, you create more excitement as you go and lives change. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Your Goal Setting Purpose? I've always believed goal setting is the heartbeat of our lives.  Goal setting is one of the most powerful tools you have to create your best life. My question to you is… do you know what your best life is supposed to be? I came upon my belief not from a book or a guru but from a realization I had many years ago. I found I was happy when I was chasing something bigger than myself that was also in alignment with how I felt on the inside. I was unhappy when I was checking items off my list and not honoring my true self. After years of pondering, I concluded that a purposeful outcome would eliminate frustration and boredom and generate excitement and enthusiasm. That leads me to the two definitions of goals: 1) The end toward which effort is directed. 2) An area or object toward which players in various games attempt to advance a ball or puck and usually through or into which it must go to score points. Most people treat goals like the number two, a To-Do list, with a short-term outlook. People who focus on the first definition are long-term thinkers. But what's the real difference? What "end" do you place your focus on? Heartbeat goal-setters know there are many "ends" before the ultimate termination point we call goal achievement. That's what excites and drives them. They purposely focus on that 'end.' Everything else is a step in the journey that is only needed to get to their pre-determined outcome. Heartbeat goal setting. It's purposeful goal setting that ignites a fire in your belly, gives you a mission, and makes you happy. Everything else is an item on your To-Do list. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Before Your Life Got in The Way Can you remember when you filled your thoughts with dreams and ambitions? That’s how most of us live our early lives - until the real world splits into two distinct periods: 1) BEFORE life gets in the way. Anything IS possible. It’s a beautiful time when you run as fast as possible toward your goals, even if your parents disagree. 2) AFTER life gets in the way. Anything WAS possible. Life is good, but it’s not what you expected. Your parents would have said, “I told you so.” What if it was possible to remember what you wanted and why? What if you could stand on a foundation of wisdom and experience and combine what you have now with what you want? That would be a brand new life, wouldn’t it? Wait. It is possible. All you have to do is remember what you wanted all those years ago and start running after it again. Run fast. You’ve waited long enough. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s Time To Explore I’ve spent the last couple of days saying things like — “What do you do when you are doing you, and your purpose is to find your purpose?” Now, I realize that something so simple is also something most people will ignore.  I also realized that for some people, as soon they begin reading and realize they’ve already heard it, tune out and open the next email.  That’s unfortunate. Studies have long ago proven that repetition is the Mother of all skills. Yes, it takes time to learn new things and master them. But getting a new skill is not the value of repetition — it’s the doors it opens. When you opened my email yesterday, you were a different person than now. And tomorrow you will be different than you will be by the end of the week. As you explore your day, you’ll figure out what doesn’t work, lock in what does, and update your worldview. You will see things differently. The wisdom you collect will transform your personality as you explore your life and you will begin becoming the person you are meant to be. Of course, this should be no surprise since you’ve been doing it your entire life. But what if you purposefully did it every day? What if you chose to purposefully explore all the possibilities of your life in hope that it will lead to your destination? What if you explored the possibilities with full faith and trust that you are following your path, the correct path, and the one that will lead you to everything you desire? It’s not a what IF. It’s what IS. It’s your choice to make that happen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Somebody Needs You Right Now When I was a teenager, I was a weekend moviegoer. It was the age of Rocky, Star Wars, and Jaws. Besides, with only three channels on television, getting out of the house was the top item on my to-do list. As a kid with big dreams, I quickly slipped into the fantasy world of films and let my mind run for a couple of hours. By the film's end, I was always excited to get on with life and become like the folks I watched in movies. That's when life got in the way. Like many young folks, I graduated high school, charged into the world, and waited for somebody else to lift me into my dreams. Well, things didn't work out the way I expected. That's when my mother-in-law gave me some very useful advice that I needed to hear — "You know, right now, Somebody needs what you have to offer, but because you're sitting around the house, they don't even know you exist. Get out there and let them know you are here." I can't tell you how many times in my life I've said to myself — "Somebody out there needs what I have to offer. My job is to find them and let them know I'm here." It's the same for you. If Somebody needs what you have to offer, your job is to find them and save their day. That's how you write and star in your life movie. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stop Procrastination With One Question Are you a member of the Procrastination Club?  Procrastination is the intentional and habitual postponement of an essential task that you should be doing.  Is that what you are doing? In my view, three things could be happening if you procrastinate - It may be possible that you are not procrastinating at all? Instead, you may be forcing yourself to do something that you don't need to do anyway. The other possibility is that it simply doesn't mean enough to you to start the process. Or, said another way, other things mean more to you. Finally, your wisdom is telling you this is not something you should be doing. Yes, you must complete some tasks. That's called being a responsible person. But if your list keeps getting longer, it's time to ask yourself a question - Is it important enough to me to get it done? If not, you know why you are procrastinating. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What Do Successful People Do? If you study people who have succeeded in any area of their life, you will find they have much in common.  Not only do they follow a set of rules, but they also follow those rules no matter how much life gets in the way. What are those rules? The person who has the strongest "Why" wins. The person who shows up wins. The person who shows up on time wins. The person who is most persistent wins. The person show never assumes wins. The person who is the best at what they do wins. The person who plans and documents their journey and interactions wins. The person who never gives up total control to others wins. The person who accepts responsibility for themselves wins. The person who serves the most wins. The person who is grateful for everything wins. The actions you take automatically become the life you experience. It's essential to be mindful of where you are heading.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Don't Let a Good Crisis Go to Waste A few years ago, the world changed when we were introduced to the coronavirus. It was as if we were racing down the Interstate at 85 miles per hour, slammed on our breaks, and directed off the nearest exit on an undefined detour. It all seemed to happen in an instant. The pandemic caused real pain and loss for some and fear and stress for others. Still, as surreal as it was, it wasn't long before most people began to notice the craziness of our previous lives replaced with a 'new normal'—one that felt more like a 'new nothing.'  Much to our surprise, life slowed to a crawl, schedules changed, and we found contentment by not chasing every shiny object that life presented. The pandemic pause caused people to reevaluate life from the inside out. While it happens all the time, this time, we noticed it. How often have you found yourself in an impossible situation that ended with one action?  You paid off debt, quit a job, and said goodbye to a bad relationship? How often have you decided to try something new, and the past instantly disappeared? Did you decide to move into a new home, start your own business, or return to school? How often have the worst pains and biggest joys been the catalyst for an exciting new beginning? A death, wedding, or the birth of a new child? While some situations in life are unpredictable, the lessons learned and wisdom gleamed remind us that anything can and will change instantly. Knowing that grants you immense power over your destiny - especially if it's self-inflicted and you are in control. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Get What You Want In the last few years, people have become increasingly popular for sharing every little aspect of their lives with others. But, when it comes to getting what you want, keeping your plans to yourself is a powerful tool. Independence has just passed, and when I arrived at my desk on Monday, I had two client messages that made me smile. The first said, "I decided to spend my weekend practicing what I do in private so that I will be praised in public."  That's something I've said and done many times. The second client told me they had completed a new project over the weekend and were heading in a new direction. When I mentioned they had never said a word to me about it, they said, "I know. I'm learning that nobody needs to know what I'm doing to do it. I'll do it, and they can catch up." My heart smiled as I witnessed three powerful tools impact my client's lives: 1) Practice privately until you are ready to share with the world. Nobody needs to know how you got so good at what you do. 2) There's no need to tell anybody what you will do. Just do it and then let them know what you've done later. 3) It's easier to get things done when everybody else is busy doing something else and isn't poking their nose in your business. Long holiday weekends and summer vacations are a great place to begin. You can do whatever you want with your life; you don't need anybody's permission or approval to make it happen. Your destiny is 100% up to you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Increase Momentum in Your Life Have you ever found yourself stalled? A few years ago, I had big plans, but nothing was moving forward. Other people didn't seem to get the memo that I was on a mission, yet nobody was there to help. We've all been in situations where nobody will return your call. Your email gets ghosted. You can't get support or commitment for your future world-saving plans. That's what happened to me, and I decided to create my momentum. I called it my "Momentum Freight Train."  My first use of my new mindset was to get my future wife to take our relationship more seriously. Everything was going great - but I needed to be faster for me. So, before our next date, I said to myself - "I'm not going to wait for permission. I'm going to build my life, no matter what. If she doesn't join me, I'll ride my momentum to someone who will." It's important to understand that creating your momentum is not negative thinking. On the contrary, people notice attractive energy - and she did. I was off and running with my commitment, and Joi and others didn't take long to realize they had better get on board before my train left the station. Everything good begins with YOU. There's no need to wait for others. Create your momentum, and others won't be able to stay away. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Increasing Productivity I have a question for you. What is your ONE most important activity?   What is the ONE core activity that makes everything else okay? What is the ONE core activity that, if you don’t do, causes everything to fall apart? In Brian Tracy’s book Eat The Big Frog First, he recognized that many people focus on anything but the most critical activity in their life. They are usually surprised when things fall apart. Is it showing up for work on time or doing a great job at work? Could it be your unflinching attention to your family? Does your business have ONE activity that causes people to buy from you? When you focus on your ONE most important activity - and do it first - everything else gets easier. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Improving Your Financial Situation Most people say money is their top concern when it comes to improving their lives. Tony Robbins said, “Making money won’t solve all your problems - but at least you will arrive at your problems in style.” Making more money, no matter how little, will solve most of your problems. It is also the magic juice that will fuel your dreams.  If you want enough money to create the life of your dreams: 1) KNOW what kind of life you desire. Be realistic about how much you need. 2) Making money is about adding VALUE to the person giving you some of their money. They don’t have to do it. Make their life better and help them reach their dreams. They’ll happily help you do the same. 3) Set a financial goal and keep track of it. Forward momentum is your friend.  4) Save some for yourself right off the top. Even 1% will add up over time. Plus, seeing your “profit’ will motivate you even more. 5) Stop trading hours for dollars. Once you have momentum, shift your mindset to passive and residual income. Set a course. Stay the course. Dreams come true when you have the resources to make them happen.  Make ONE DOLLAR more today than yesterday. Use it to build a better life. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices