Daily Boost Motivation and Coaching

Freedom and Growth 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

Do This Instead of Setting Goals Do you still dream of what you will be when you grow up?   Do visions still keep popping into your head?   Is there a mission that seems to be calling you? What’s your BAM?   What’s your BIG - AWESOME - MOTIVATING - MISSION? What gives you pleasant dreams and a feeling of happiness? What scares yet excites you? What makes you smile and say, “If I could only get myself to…” Stand up? Take a step? Repeat? There’s no need to wait. You can start right now. Really! Right now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Focusing on Your Twenty Percent If you’re like many folks, you have so much on your plate that it’s challenging to keep up— forget about moving closer to your goal.  There’s good news: you are not alone. Everyone lives according to the 80/20 rule, which almost everybody has heard about. The Pareto Principle states that 80% of outcomes result from 20% of all causes of any event. However, to get what you want in life, there is a slight twist to the equation that says, 80% of the things you focus on have nothing to do with what you ultimately want. They are simply the busyness of life. 20% of the things you focus on in your life have everything to do with getting what you want and will yield the most significant return for your efforts. When you eliminate, delegate, or ignore the 80% and hyper-focus on the 20%, the math changes, and suddenly, you are living your best life 100% of the time. Focusing on your best 20% changes everything. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Using Natural Law to Be Your Best 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. What you think about, you bring about. Pay attention to your thoughts. 2) According to the Law of Polarity, nothing exists without an opposite. Love, hate, hot, cold, yin, and 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

Your Desire Comes From Their Desire Not a day passes by without someone asking, "How do I get another person to help me get what I want?" Persuading others is one key to getting what you want in life—and here's a big secret: It's NOT about you! You'll get what you want faster by focusing on how you can help others solve their problem - and "Ladder of Desire." This is how it works: 1) Most folks lecture others. That's a low level of communication and rarely builds a real connection. 2) A more practical solution is to show others the way and explain how to solve their problem.  3) The most potent way is to offer to take care of their dilemma. That is the top rung of the 'Ladder of Desire.' Everybody wants their problems to disappear. Make that happen, and you'll be a Hero! When you follow this approach, you make friends, prove your value, and are more likely to have your favor returned. Do good first. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why Next Week Begins This Week I have a saying - “Next year begins THIS year. Next month begins THIS month. Next week begins THIS week.” If you want to stay on track, accomplish your goals, and enjoy life more - you MUST take control of your calendar. It’s easier than you think: 1) Life will come at you FAST! Schedule any significant and can’t-miss life 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) Conclude each week by securing your schedule for the next - and adhere to it. Consistency is key.  The future is always brighter when your day-to-day focus fulfills your goals this week. Focus, my friend. Focus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Happy No Matter What Would you like to be happy every day of the week?  Maybe it's time to start thinking like a happy person. There's no magic to being happier. Rose-colored glasses are not required. Just start looking at your day-to-day life the way a happy person does. Give this a try: 1) Accept that merely being alive means encountering occasional challenges. 2) Realize that dealing with challenges is a privilege that comes with being alive. 3) Welcome frustration. That means that you are not satisfied and are beginning to make adjustments. 4) Accept responsibility for solving your challenges. Run forward and fix them as soon as possible. 5) Deal with everything that life throws at you. Get a great night's sleep. Have another great day tomorrow. It's amazing how that kind of mindset makes most challenges never show up in the first place. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Prioritize Yourself First If you spend any time listening to me, it won’t take long before you hear me screaming from the top of the mountains to ignore the agenda and propaganda-filled world we live in and focus on yourself.  Here’s the truth... Nobody is thinking about you and what you do. That means you need to pay attention to yourself because everybody else is busy with themselves. Some folks find that way of thinking difficult because society makes you believe you must do what everybody else does to be successful. But lets think about that for a minute. Is everybody more successful than you, or is everybody in the same boat? If you are being honest, you know the answer.  So, who is more successful than you? It’s those crazy people that are out in front leading the masses. You know, the ones who paid attention to what they wanted, ignored what others thought, took action, and convinced everybody else to support them on their mission. Here’s another truth… Like they say, “If it’s to be, it’s up to me!” But never forget, when you think about yourself first, you’ll have more time to think about others too.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hope, Fear, Faith, and Courage Have you ever paid attention to the process that moves you forward - or stops you in your tracks? All change begins with Hope, a feeling of expectation, and a desire for a certain thing to happen. Right after hope comes fear, an unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous and likely to cause pain or a threat. When you commit to making your dreams come true, you move into Faith; you have complete trust or confidence in someone or something. Finally comes Courage, the ability to do something that frightens you. Don't allow yourself to get stuck along the way; your dreams are waiting. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stop Waiting to Get What You Want 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 before I got out of my own way. I also remembered conversations with clients over the years on the topic of 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- When you have a growth mindset and believe that anything is possible, you can do anything. 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 the very reason 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 that are whispering to your soul. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Are Good Intentions Enough? Do you get out of bed every day, 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 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, and if all goes well, your actions will create success for everybody. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Automatically Motivate Yourself Over the years, I’ve learned there is one trait responsible for holding people back. While it lives at the front of your mind and affects everything you do, it is also invisible.  You are too vague in your vision. When most people build a successful life, they often do so with a lack of clarity or precise vision of their future. They have a vague idea. The Universe kicks in gear, an opportunity arrives, and life is good and satisfying—until it’s not. A day will come when you desire something more. You may find yourself stuck behind an obstacle of indecision and frustration. Confused, lacking direction, fearful, and seeking the motivation that will drive you forward. It will feel as if there is a cloudy haze over your future with no clear path to success—and no motivation to go for it.  But there is no need to worry. Another day will dawn. You will realize that a general and non-specific approach to your future is not the fuel that will power you. Being too vague doesn’t build a vision. A time will come when you choose to be specific in your wants, needs, and desires. You will seek absolute clarity and turn your head away from anything that doesn’t provide a clear path. It may take time, but you will discover your first step. When you do, magic will happen. On the day that you define what you want, vagueness will disappear. Your new focus will create excitement and will manifest into automatic motivation. You will move toward your new experience. If you want something different in life, clearly and precisely express what that means to you. When you do, you will strike gold in time and be off and running on your new adventure automatically. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Are You Focused on The Wrong Things? Have you ever found yourself setting out on a big mission yet not being able to define what you want?  When I was a young man, I trained in journalism as part of my broadcast career. Radio stations would send me to the local town meetings and political events. Anything newsworthy. My job was to write a story and deliver it on the air, and I thought I was doing a great job - until my boss called me into his office. He wanted to know why I wasn't getting to the critical part of the story faster. He said I was distracting from what was important. In my mind, I was doing no such thing.  I told the story how it sounded best in my mind, but nobody was listening long enough to hear what I had to say. All these years later, I've learned the "I want to get more out of life" crowd does the same thing. Recently, I spoke with a client when I realized she was very good at shifting to the unimportant—finding more time, learning more, and getting more advice. Even cleaning the garage was more important. In the middle of her wandering story, I stopped her, "Why are you avoiding what is most important to you? Cut to the chase, say what you want, and go do it." Her response came with a few tears. "I thought I was talking about what is most important. Now I realize I'm telling myself a story that is comforting and sounds good to in my mind." She is burying the lead in journalistic terms, busying herself with secondary details, and growing frustrated. How does this relate to improving your life? Do you say, "I can't focus?" Nope. You are focusing on the wrong things. Do you say, "I can't get myself moving?" Truth? You are moving - in the wrong direction. Do you say, "I don't have enough money?" Wrong again. What you need is more money! If something is important to you, give it the honor, respect, and focus it deserves. Lose the drama, get to the point, and start getting what you want right now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One Thing 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

Calculating Your Success You have big dreams, and you've set your goals. Filled with excitement and setting your fears aside, you are off and running toward your success, but it's more complicated than you thought it would be. What's going on?  That was the question on my client's mind when I stopped by for a visit. His new business was growing but slower than expected, and he was beginning to wonder if his dreams would come true. Stress was high, and time and money were running out. Having seen these situations before, I decided to walk him through three questions that, while they would have been better answered before starting the business, there was still time. My first question was, "How long will it take you to learn the skills required to succeed? Sales, Marketing, Customer Service, anything and everything needed to run a successful business. Everything takes time, and you need to be able to survive the learning time. Next, I wanted to know how long he would churn and work at the goal. Was he committed for as long as it takes, or was there a set deadline? Building momentum in anything can be exhausting. How long can you keep going? I saved the most important question for last. How long will it take until you burn through your resources? Cash, credit lines, free rent on your building, favors from friends and family? Knowing the answer to that question can be humbling and scary, but it can also set you free. After several hours of our learn, churn, and burn conversation, he could pinpoint exactly how long they had to reach their goal. With a definite timeline, the entire team focused their energy on the minimal viable actions that would achieve success and fit their schedule. Within months, they reached their goal and have enjoyed a successful business. Whether you own a business or not, any worthwhile project has a far better chance of success when you are realistic about the process before you get started. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Identify Opportunities From Obstacles When you boil it down, all the activities that keep you busy every day lead to one destination—happiness.  It doesn't take a scientist to figure out that none of us are chasing misery.  But what happens when you have too many options and keep choosing those that throw you off course? My dog, Levi, and I have had a standing appointment with Mindy for years. She's a dog agility world champion and knows a thing or two about training champions. She's also very good at teaching us to negotiate a field of obstacles successfully while running as fast as we can.  When we begin to run a course, we aim to complete it as fast as possible with no mistakes. Follow the numbers from lowest to highest correctly, and everything will end well.  But life gets in the way, even in dog agility. Mindy is an expert at setting traps designed to distract and pull us off course. Since a dog can't read numbers, I must discriminate between the correct and the false path. The wrong choice will cause us to go off course and not reach our goal. If you live an active, growth-oriented life, you will encounter distractions. Many are placed in front of you by well-meaning people. They look like opportunities. In reality, they are obstacles that will cause you to veer off course—potentially for years. You will go off course if you take a job that is not aligned with your goals. If you negotiate a deal on a new home that leaves you underwater, you are off course from the start. If you enter into a relationship that doesn't match your values, you will have no numbers to follow.  Setting well-defined goals is the first step in knowing the difference between opportunities and obstacles. It is a skill that will serve you well. Everybody heads down the wrong path from time to time. It takes time to recover. The fewer times you do that, the faster you reach your goals. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Life Changes When You Are Most 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

Recovering When You Feel Lost When life gets in the way, it can be challenging to know what to do next. No matter how motivated you are to achieve your goal.  Thinking like a Pilot can save the day when that happens. A few years ago, I was a 150-hour pilot. I was flying a Cessna 172 to pick up my daughter for a weekend visit from the University of Florida—a trip I've made a dozen times. It had been an uneventful flight, then, about 15 minutes from landing, it happened… Maybe it was the heat of the day or the drone of the engine. In any case, I had the sensation that I had no idea where I was. I could see the airport in front of me, so I was aware of the situation. But I had no idea how to get to where I wanted to go. It was a terrifying feeling.  Knowing I had to call the Tower in minutes, I turned to my training and followed three rules that any pilot knows will get them back on track. The first is to continue to fly the airplane and stay safe. That may sound simple, but how many times have you wanted to cover your eyes and hide when things got challenging?  The second is to break through your confusion and figure out where you are on your journey. If you can keep yourself stable, you'll have time to snap out of any momentary rough spot and get focused. The third rule is to communicate with people who can help. With only a few minutes before entering the airspace illegally, I called Tower and said,  "I'm a low-hour pilot, a little South of the field, and I am confused. There's no emergency, but I could use some guidance." That simple commutation gave Air Traffic Control everything they needed. In minutes, they lined me up on the runway, and I impressed them with a perfect landing. "Not a bad landing for a lost pilot," they said. All I could do was laugh and be grateful. Sure, my ego took a hit. But I learned a lesson, picked up my daughter, and had a great flight home. Aviate. Navigate. Communicate. It'll get you there every time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Different Way of Planning I was on the phone with a client this morning when he said, ”I don’t know why I have such a hard time planning my day-to-day stuff. I want my day to be easier!” I get it. Everybody does. And to make that happen, you need a mindset shift. First to consider is that non-stop and continuous planning of every task every day is exhausting. It only adds another level of stress to your day. Instead, planning should be done occasionally with a broader focus on the short, medium, and long term. The goal is NOT to spend your life planning. It is creating containers where you plan to do your work or play. Once you have your containers, you load them with goals and tasks and get them done. When things require adjustments, make another plan. Make your plan and work your plan. Don’t keep changing things. That’s how you get what you want. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Setting Your Rules of Success 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, they 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