I decided today that I am going to start my first book. The title popped into my head today. That happens from time to time and you can call it what you want. I prefer to call it a divine inspiration, but the bottom line is I've learned to listen to it. It never leads me wrong and is typically for a greater purpose that is not fully revealed to me until a later date. The book title... SUSPENSE- well I can't say right now because someone else will take it. it's that good. What I cal tell you is that it will be a story of a potion of my life. I am 28 years old and blessed in many ways. I got into a fast track corporate route when I was 19 years old with a semester of college under my belt. I prove the definition of success. the definition I like most is success= when opportunity and preparedness meet. I was managing a country club at the time. I was an UNMATCHED work ethic, I still do. Champions are recognized in the ring, but they are made in their daily efforts. One of the members was starting a junior sales position and didn't realize I was 19 (I looked 22). Obviously they found out my age immediately, but the impression I made up until that point super-ceded my age. I quickly became an Account Executive at 20, working 70 hours a week trying to learn how to sell while carrying 16 credit hours at school. 16 months later I was hired by a customer as the Director of Sales and Marketing for a Technology Company. Here I was 21 years old and in upper management in the Corporate World. I always thought it would take until 30 to make six figures, or longer. Within 12 months I was hired as a National Account Executive for a fortune 50 organization. There were 150 new sales reps hired that year in the organization. I was the youngest by far @ 22, I was the youngest Account Executive in America in a sales force of over 1,000 and one of the only without a college degree (I actually stopped going at 20). Whats the story going to be about???
Success at a young age in an MTV generation is completely mis-defined. Many thought I was living the life. I was, the life of quiet desperation. At the core of my existence I could not have had less purpose or less of a calling on my life. What happened at 25 changed the next 75. It will also change you if you pay attention.
I expect this book to be a 3-5 year project as I want to make sure I am teaching the right lessons through the right stories, some stories I'm sure I haven't lived yet.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Monday, February 22, 2010
Being Productive
10 simple tips on being productive everyday
1) find the right calendar for you. You may not be able to get there right away, but the most successful people are the most productive with their time. I plan my day in 30 minute increments. Also build some flexibility into that calendar it will take some time to learn how to adjust on the fly. I prefer using my iphone and MAC computer over a paper calendar, but find out what works for you.
2) Start your day out right- Sometimes starting your day out right is really ending your day right. I know that when I take ten minutes and organize my first two hour for the next day before I go to bed I am always less likely to hit the snooze. Also review your dreams and goals before you go to bed, this will help you wake up excited instead of wanting to roll back over and sleep through the day.
3) Stay on task- If you are constantly making a checklist and checking items off of that list you will be reinforcing your productivity and will gain momentum throughout the day.
4) Always do the most difficult things and the things that you like to do least first. You will feel much better about your day if you get the dreaded items completed immediately.
5) Take time every few hours to remember why you are doing what you are doing. My wife and I have some big goals, but being a go getter its easy to get caught up in what I am doing and to forget why I am doing it. If I remember why I am doing it I will always find ways to be more productive.
6) Find balance- Always find time for physical activity and personal growth everyday no matter what. Its a mandatory, if you stay healthy you will be more productive long term.
7) Look for ways to serve other people- you might be asking yourself how this helps with productivity? well if you take a small amount of time every day to do something nice for someone else when you need the help of others it will be there. Now I am not saying this is the reason to serve others. You should do things for others because it will make you feel better about yourself and most importantly ITS THE RIGHT THING TO DO!
8) Be organized- not just with a calendar, but with your finances. The person who learns to manage their finances the best will be the least stressed and will be more productive. They will also have less hiccups happen during the day that pull them away from their productive schedule.
9) Prioritize- If someone else is willing to do it and they are capable then why are you doing it. Focus your energy efforts and time on something that is within your strengths.
10) Leave a comment and let us know some things that you do to stay productive.
1) find the right calendar for you. You may not be able to get there right away, but the most successful people are the most productive with their time. I plan my day in 30 minute increments. Also build some flexibility into that calendar it will take some time to learn how to adjust on the fly. I prefer using my iphone and MAC computer over a paper calendar, but find out what works for you.
2) Start your day out right- Sometimes starting your day out right is really ending your day right. I know that when I take ten minutes and organize my first two hour for the next day before I go to bed I am always less likely to hit the snooze. Also review your dreams and goals before you go to bed, this will help you wake up excited instead of wanting to roll back over and sleep through the day.
3) Stay on task- If you are constantly making a checklist and checking items off of that list you will be reinforcing your productivity and will gain momentum throughout the day.
4) Always do the most difficult things and the things that you like to do least first. You will feel much better about your day if you get the dreaded items completed immediately.
5) Take time every few hours to remember why you are doing what you are doing. My wife and I have some big goals, but being a go getter its easy to get caught up in what I am doing and to forget why I am doing it. If I remember why I am doing it I will always find ways to be more productive.
6) Find balance- Always find time for physical activity and personal growth everyday no matter what. Its a mandatory, if you stay healthy you will be more productive long term.
7) Look for ways to serve other people- you might be asking yourself how this helps with productivity? well if you take a small amount of time every day to do something nice for someone else when you need the help of others it will be there. Now I am not saying this is the reason to serve others. You should do things for others because it will make you feel better about yourself and most importantly ITS THE RIGHT THING TO DO!
8) Be organized- not just with a calendar, but with your finances. The person who learns to manage their finances the best will be the least stressed and will be more productive. They will also have less hiccups happen during the day that pull them away from their productive schedule.
9) Prioritize- If someone else is willing to do it and they are capable then why are you doing it. Focus your energy efforts and time on something that is within your strengths.
10) Leave a comment and let us know some things that you do to stay productive.
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Resting and Recharging
This is an interesting entry. Mainly because there is such a variety of lifestyles today. Some people are business owners and have a fairly flexible schedule that may not be consistent, while others may work jobs that are very structured with a daily bed time. So I will hit this from a few angles. First and foremost we have to make sure we're not confusing tiredness with not having a passion to pursue in our lives. When someone finds their true calling and defines their purpose in life they need far less sleep than someone who has not. Let me also say I am not a doctor and can only speak from self experience about how to best rest and recharge your body to achieve your maximum potential.
Instead of telling you how many hours to sleep. I am going to list some other things you can apply in your life to ensure you aren't sleeping more that you need to.
1) Listen to positive music, talk or any other source of positive thought process whenever you can. By putting continuous positive in your mind you will find your subconscious mind will focus on the positive side of things and not the negative, which is more draining.
2) Cap any negative that goes into your mind. For me that meant I needed to stop watching the news, listening to most radio stations and in some cases avoiding certain co-workers and family members. You may not agree with me, but what do you want out of life. Do some homework and what you will find is most really successful people treat their mind like a fuel tank of a Ferrari. Put 87 octane in the tank and you will have a certain performance. Put 93 octane, high performance racing fuel and you will have a completely different performance. The same goes with your mind.
3) Watch what you read or listen to especially before you go to bed. The last thing you hear or see before you go to bed many times effects your dreams and quality of sleep.
4) Invest in a good mattress and pillow. Most people over look this, but the quality of the sleep you get determines the quantity necessary. If a mattress costs $1,500.00 but you need 45 minutes of less sleep per night, overtime the return on investment if that 45 minutes is used productive is substantial.
5) Monitor the temperature that you are most comfortable sleeping in. This may seem like a detail, but sometimes a detail is the thing that will amplify your rest to the next level.
6) Eat light before bed. The guy or girl that eats Taco Bell before bed is less likely to sleep as well as the guy or gal that eats nothing or eats fruits and nuts.
Instead of telling you how many hours to sleep. I am going to list some other things you can apply in your life to ensure you aren't sleeping more that you need to.
1) Listen to positive music, talk or any other source of positive thought process whenever you can. By putting continuous positive in your mind you will find your subconscious mind will focus on the positive side of things and not the negative, which is more draining.
2) Cap any negative that goes into your mind. For me that meant I needed to stop watching the news, listening to most radio stations and in some cases avoiding certain co-workers and family members. You may not agree with me, but what do you want out of life. Do some homework and what you will find is most really successful people treat their mind like a fuel tank of a Ferrari. Put 87 octane in the tank and you will have a certain performance. Put 93 octane, high performance racing fuel and you will have a completely different performance. The same goes with your mind.
3) Watch what you read or listen to especially before you go to bed. The last thing you hear or see before you go to bed many times effects your dreams and quality of sleep.
4) Invest in a good mattress and pillow. Most people over look this, but the quality of the sleep you get determines the quantity necessary. If a mattress costs $1,500.00 but you need 45 minutes of less sleep per night, overtime the return on investment if that 45 minutes is used productive is substantial.
5) Monitor the temperature that you are most comfortable sleeping in. This may seem like a detail, but sometimes a detail is the thing that will amplify your rest to the next level.
6) Eat light before bed. The guy or girl that eats Taco Bell before bed is less likely to sleep as well as the guy or gal that eats nothing or eats fruits and nuts.
Friday, February 19, 2010
selflessness
The Three Pillars of Prosperity are Mind, Body and Soul. Lets talk a little bit about soul...
The best way to enhance and prosper your soul is to help others improve their soul. I like the word "servitude". Serving others is the only way to build a healthy self image. Humans by nature are selfish, and by nature operate as emotional roller coasters because of their selfishness. Its amazing how so many different movies and life experiences show us this. For instance, Pay It Forward was an incredible movie that people love because of the admirable characteristics displayed. You see honor, courage, humility, and above all a sense of selflessness. I guess the best way to describe an at of selflessness is when someone gives the explanation "I just did the right thing". People try to hide from the truth, but the fact is deep down inside we are all hungry for acceptance, attention and approval.
Many successful people can look back to the one person who changed their life because of their selflessness. Great people who most certainly would not be great if it weren't for someone's selflessness. I know we are all trying to become better everyday and move on in life closer to our goals. I know it is easier to take a bullet point list of to do's and apply it to change something in your life. Selflessness is less about change though and more about other people. I challenge you to make a daily note to remind yourself that today is not about you. You see, if today is about you; you can never be great. Great accomplishments are only great because they involve more than just you to accomplish them. I believe the definition of success is how many people were better off because you lived.
Please take a moment and share a selfless thing someone else has done for you that has helped you more forward in life. Lets let this be a reminder of how great people really are.
The best way to enhance and prosper your soul is to help others improve their soul. I like the word "servitude". Serving others is the only way to build a healthy self image. Humans by nature are selfish, and by nature operate as emotional roller coasters because of their selfishness. Its amazing how so many different movies and life experiences show us this. For instance, Pay It Forward was an incredible movie that people love because of the admirable characteristics displayed. You see honor, courage, humility, and above all a sense of selflessness. I guess the best way to describe an at of selflessness is when someone gives the explanation "I just did the right thing". People try to hide from the truth, but the fact is deep down inside we are all hungry for acceptance, attention and approval.
Many successful people can look back to the one person who changed their life because of their selflessness. Great people who most certainly would not be great if it weren't for someone's selflessness. I know we are all trying to become better everyday and move on in life closer to our goals. I know it is easier to take a bullet point list of to do's and apply it to change something in your life. Selflessness is less about change though and more about other people. I challenge you to make a daily note to remind yourself that today is not about you. You see, if today is about you; you can never be great. Great accomplishments are only great because they involve more than just you to accomplish them. I believe the definition of success is how many people were better off because you lived.
Please take a moment and share a selfless thing someone else has done for you that has helped you more forward in life. Lets let this be a reminder of how great people really are.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
The Power of a Dream
This is a topic that is near and dear to my heart. I think the biggest issue our country is facing today is a lack of dreamers. We've traded in the ability to take risks to achieve great dreams for the "security" of a paycheck. It's unfortunate, I don't believe the pilgrims original intentions of coming to a new land was to be employed for someone else for 40-60 years. Here is a wake up call; you are always working towards the accomplishment of a dream, it's your choice if that dream is yours or the dream of the owner of your company. We all had real dreams at one point. When I was a kid I used to dream about playing in the NBA or being a fireman, or driving the Porsche 911 Turbo on the wall. Until about the age of 14 when people around me started asking what I was going to do with the rest of my life. Where was I going to go to college? What was I going to study? Looking back this all makes me sick. Here is my challenge to you; stop doing something that you can stomach, or even something that you like. The million dollar question, doing what your currently doing can you get to where you want to be 10 years from now? If the answer is no, than you have to change something. If the answer is yes I challenge you to get a bigger dream.
tell me what your dreams are, I want to know. This country needs to know its okay to dream again. Its acceptable to fail because that is the only way you will succeed.
A few tips to help you develop a dream...
1) hang around dreamers- if you wanted to get sick you would hang around someone with the flu. So if you want a bigger dream, you need to hang around a big dreamer.
2) dream build and then reality build- Picture yourself doing the things that you dream of doing. Picture yourself in the car that you want, picture yourself in the house that you want, picture yourself waking up at 10am and grabbing a cup of coffee on the beach just relaxing and gaining perspective on the day to come. What you focus on you will have.
3) Protect your dream, do not allow anyone else to steal your dream. Its your dream not theirs. A dream is the most valuable and most fragile thing you will ever own.
Start Your Morning Right
I thought this was a great message that can be applied to everyday life. Perspective is key.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Attitude for Success Part 1- Persistence
One of the keys to success to anything in life is persistence. We live in a microwave society where everyone wants instant gratification. People want to get paid to do a task. I propose that we all adopt a marathon mentality. Success is not achieved in a day, but it is the lump sum of many individual day's efforts. We must focus on making each day productive without focusing on daily results. A good friend of mine always says there is no traffic on the extra mile. He also says there is no losing at anything, there is only winning or quitting. So we must adopt an attitude today where quitting is not an option. I am a fan of lists and bullets, so here is a list of simple ways to develop persistence in your life.
1) Set Goals- everything starts with the setting of a worthwhile dream and goals to back it up. Many people are not persistent because they are not going anywhere. Is you have no course why keep going?
2) Decide today there is no negotiations for the final price of success- Too many people try to put a price tag on their dreams. "if I do X amount of work and I'm not successful than it's just not worth it". That mentality is sure failure every time.
3) Decide to win- once you decide there is no calculable price for success the next step is to decide to do whatever it takes to succeed. Expect people around you to tell you what you are doing is a bad idea, or that it won't work. Remember, if 2% of America actually succeeds successfully 98% remaining leaves lots of room for critics of great people.
4) Focus- You have to find a way to keep your goal in the front of you mind at all times. It must consume your entire focus and drive your thoughts.
5) Learn to adjust- If at first you don't succeed... welcome to the club. There are so few successes that have great accomplishments the first time around. Remember, you have a purpose, goals and a dream. By default you can't be an accidental success because you've planned it.
1) Set Goals- everything starts with the setting of a worthwhile dream and goals to back it up. Many people are not persistent because they are not going anywhere. Is you have no course why keep going?
2) Decide today there is no negotiations for the final price of success- Too many people try to put a price tag on their dreams. "if I do X amount of work and I'm not successful than it's just not worth it". That mentality is sure failure every time.
3) Decide to win- once you decide there is no calculable price for success the next step is to decide to do whatever it takes to succeed. Expect people around you to tell you what you are doing is a bad idea, or that it won't work. Remember, if 2% of America actually succeeds successfully 98% remaining leaves lots of room for critics of great people.
4) Focus- You have to find a way to keep your goal in the front of you mind at all times. It must consume your entire focus and drive your thoughts.
5) Learn to adjust- If at first you don't succeed... welcome to the club. There are so few successes that have great accomplishments the first time around. Remember, you have a purpose, goals and a dream. By default you can't be an accidental success because you've planned it.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
The Third Pillar- Soul
The three pillars of prosperity; mind, body and soul are the foundation for a successful life. The soul is probably the least understood and developed in America today. Many celebrities like Tiger Woods and others at some point think or thought they were prospering all because they didn't understand the most important pillar. I am not going to get spiritual or religious as I respect my readers, but you must understand that all great accomplishments stem from a belief in something greater than you. Call it what you want, I prefer God. The problem is that without believing in something greater than yourself you'll never be able to achieve anything more than you are currently capable of. I know confusing, right?
You see, really successful people understand that the greater the success you desire the less of you can be involved. A person can either feed their ego or their family but never both at the same time. When you lose yourself you will actually find yourself.
Great success is truly defined by the number of people that are better off because you lived.
It starts with a good self-image, because when you believe you can do anything you desire you will automatically see others differently. This is probably the most important pillar in your life, in many people's cases it is the least developed and sometimes the only thing keeping you from tremendous success.
I will periodically write an article about topics that are good for your soul. these topics are going to be Principles, or truths. You may not agree with them, but they have proven true in my life and the lives of many others. I will try to communicate the best that I can and as sensitively as possble, but when it comes to the soul only read if you really want to move forward in life.
You see, really successful people understand that the greater the success you desire the less of you can be involved. A person can either feed their ego or their family but never both at the same time. When you lose yourself you will actually find yourself.
Great success is truly defined by the number of people that are better off because you lived.
It starts with a good self-image, because when you believe you can do anything you desire you will automatically see others differently. This is probably the most important pillar in your life, in many people's cases it is the least developed and sometimes the only thing keeping you from tremendous success.
I will periodically write an article about topics that are good for your soul. these topics are going to be Principles, or truths. You may not agree with them, but they have proven true in my life and the lives of many others. I will try to communicate the best that I can and as sensitively as possble, but when it comes to the soul only read if you really want to move forward in life.
Pillar number two- The Body
I believe less than 2% of the world understands how to properly set goals to achieve a long-term dream or a long-term goal. What I've learned is that different things motivate different people, but more importantly, different things motivate different people at different times. Most people use the motivation of a New Years Resolution to get into the gym and lose some weight. The problem is the majority of people who embark on this journey are right back to their old habits as soon as it gets difficult or inconvenient. I am a member at Lifetime Fitness, which I believe is an incredible gym for both advanced fitness levels and novices; I was talking to the sales manager last month on my way in to work out. I had made my typical funny jab about how it must be tough to plan for parking in January, but as of February 1 the lot will be empty. He proceeded to tell me that in the month of January at this specific club they have 495 parking spaces and between 4-7pm between 700-900 people will enter the gym, but they will still sell 100 memberships in January because that number shrinks by 2/3 in February.
The point is many people start working out because they think its a good idea. My question is, whose idea is it? Was it an idea that popped into your head from your peers, a gym commercial on the TV, radio, or did it suddenly hit you while you were reading a book. Regardless of what has gotten you off the couch and into the gym you need to find something that will motivate you for the long haul. Here are some basic thought process tips to help you keep your mind right while working out.
1) Set a long-term goal back by simple achievable short-term goals. Goals are meant to be accomplished, they are meant to raise your confidence and your self image about what you think about you. DO NOT, compare what you are now with what you were capable of 10 years ago. My goal was to lose 10 lbs my first month, which with my lifestyle (eating habits and exercise) I was able to do that very easily. Month two I have two goals. 1) don't gain any weight back, 2) lose 3-5 more lbs.
2)Understand there are going to be distractions. Life is going to try to get in the way. Being healthy is not convenient, nor is it easy, but it is worth it. Understand that you will always feel pain in life. It will either be the pain of regret or the pain of discipline.
3)Find some encouragement- find a few people that know what you are trying to accomplish that won't let you quit at any cost and will pump you up when you need it. Put these 2-3 people on your speed dial for when you don't want to go to the gym. Understand successful people in anything they strive for don't listen to their emotions or feelings. Emotions and Feelings will only line up with your goals when its convenient for you.
4)Don't compare yourself with others. You must get to the point where all that matters is what you think of you. When you compare yourself with others you are comparing your worst with their best.
Hope this helps.
Monday, February 15, 2010
Understanding How the Mind Works
We are all products of our environments. Don't take that the wrong way though. This isn't where I give you an opportunity to make an excuse or blame others for where you are in life. There are certain influences in life that we cannot control, which is basically everything preceding our 18th birthday. We cannot control who we are related too, we cannot control the religious beliefs that we were brought up on and we cannot control what school system we go through. However when you understand how your mind produces the thoughts that drive the actions to where you are at on your 18th birthday, you can determine the rest of your life and how long it takes to get there.
A friend of mine has always said that you are in life a combined total of the books you've read and the people you've associated with for the past five years. He has told me if you want to know where you'll be five years from now, just look at your bosses life and if you don't change anything that will be you. That was enough of a wake up call for me to realize that I needed to change some things in my early 20's.
Most people never take the time to understand how they got to where they are, mainly because they have not developed and defined a vision for where they want to go. Only when you have a clear defined goal of what you want, what you are willing to do to acquire it, and when you would like to acquire it by will you achieve that goal. The mind is capable of processing millions of thoughts a second. The key to moving on in life is putting as many thoughts about what you are trying to accomplish in your mind at one time.
5 basic steps to getting your mind right.
1) find someone who is where you want to be and is willing to help you get there. This may not be an easy task, but when you accomplish this you are already over halfway there. I'll take knowledge from understanding over knowledge from theory any day of the week.
2) Control your thoughts- take an inventory of what you take into your mind on a daily basis. What is positive and what is negative. Some negative could be the news, tv shows, bad movies, the newspaper, a miserable relative (sometime the people who hold us back the most are the very people that need us the most), the radio. Successful people don't watch TV unless the end result of what they watch gets them closer to success.
3) Manage what you put into your mind- Work with the person who you found in step 1 to develop a study habit. Find books and audio material that reinforce your goals. If you have just a 30 minute drive to work each way every day, based on a 2000 hour work year, that is the equivalent of 250 hours of either negative of positive input into your brain. Take the time you have to train yourself and study and you'll earn the equivalent of a masters degree in just five years of commuting to work. The difference is you can control the knowledge to assure that its applicable.
4) Manage your association- There are only two types of people that you should associate with on the road to success. People who believe you will succeed and support you and people who want to come with you. Everyone else will steal you're dream if you let them. Now I'm not saying to avoid family or relatives or old friends, but I am saying until you develop the strength so that you rub off on them and they don't rub off on you avoid negative association.
5) Develop positive self talk- Learn to build yourself up by repeating positive self talk. There are several great books on this subject, I recommend reading the chapter "autosuggestion" in Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill.
All three pillars must be strong for the structure of your life to maintain stability while growing. Apply what I have included in here and you are on your way to a sound mind.
Three Pillars Defined
Let the journey begin. What is the journey? is it significance, is it impact, is it legacy or is it to get through the day. I believe how you answer that question in your own mind will determine the value of this Blog. For me the journey is the pursuit itself, it's being a better husband, becoming the man I am meant to become, sewing into the lives of others with the only intent being to help others realize they're capable of more.
I think society today tries to tell us we should be something very different than what we are designed to be. The media paints a picture of how selfish we are so we believe it. Billboards show us how shallow we are so we live up to that expectation. We are constantly stuck in a cycle of trying to become something else in the name of pleasing others because a long time ago we forgot what it is to be us. I say it's time for a movement. It's time for generations to come to gain focus on specific goals that will move them forward in the right direction for the right reasons. Its time to get our foundation right. Three Pillars...
Mind- we must understand how the mind works and how to develop it properly so we can control our own destiny.
Body- By taking care of this important gift our self images will provide the fuel necessary to drive success.
Soul- When we understand how to act based on what's right, and we ignore our emotions and feelings that point us in counterproductive paths we have won.
Get this foundation strong, develop its structure constantly and your life will gain the meaning which most people are longing to find but unwilling to admit.
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