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Daily one-pagers about AI, leadership, technology, and being human.

johnmaconline

I'm writing to think, learn, and remember in public. I'll be here everyday.

June 13, 2017 9 minute read

What is Residual Income, and Why You Need It

ActionActivityBusiness

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What is Residual Income and Why You Need It

Have you ever wondered why the expression, “the rich get richer and the poor get poorer” seems so true, especially today?  Maybe you’ve said it yourself in a voice dripping with disgust at the water cooler with a coworker.  Maybe you’ve used it to justify to yourself why you are where you are financially.  Maybe you’ve even “taught” it to your children as to why the world is unfair.

But the reality is that the rich get richer because they’ve simply figured out the best way to make money…residual income.

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The Way Wealthy People Make Money

Does Michael Jordan still play basketball?  No.  Is Bill Gates still working at Microsoft?  Nope.  Do Richard Branson or Warren Buffett actually run the day-to-day operations in the 100’s of companies that they own?  Not a chance.  But they are still generating more wealth every day.

The rich focus on a different way to earn money as compared to most people.

So what do they do?

They find and build sources of residual income.  Residual income is THE main way that wealthy people make their money, and continue to “get richer”, at least in the long term.

So what is it?  Let’s start with what it is NOT.

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Active or Linear Income

Active income is the MOST common type of income.  It’s income that’s generated by working.  Investopedia defines Active (or Linear) income as follows:

Active income is income for which services have been performed. This includes wages, tips, salaries, commissions and income from businesses in which there is material participation.

Some examples of Active income:

  • Your job as an employee (regardless of whether you are paid hourly or salary)
  • Your business if it depends upon on you to do the work, i.e., if you take time off, there will be no income.  For example:
    • You own a plumbing business, and you are the plumber out on calls
    • You own a retail location, and you manage the store and its staff
  • Consulting or contracting work

You do work, you get paid for that work directly.  If you stop doing the work, the income stops.  Another way to think of it is you are trading your hours for dollars.

 

Residual, Passive, and Passive Residual Income

To be honest, its a bit simplistic and not entirely accurate to define “residual”, “passive”, and “passive residual” income as the same thing.  I am lumping them together here for simplicity, but there are real distinctions. The important concept is that this type (or types) of income is very different from active income.  This is the type of income that is the key to the wealthy’s kingdom.

Here’s the essence of residual (or passive, or passive residual) income:

Income that is paid to you AFTER your work is complete, or comes from a source in which you are NOT actively involved.  It is referred to as residual because this income can keep coming, week after week, month after month, year after year.  It is referred to as passive or passive residual because this income can keep coming residually with little to no extra work from you.

Some examples of residual income:

  • Dividends/interest/gains made on financial investments
  • Network marketing, where you enroll customers and recruit other representatives on which you earn commissions on total sales volumes of your organization each week/month/year
  • Sales and royalties on a product or intellectual property that you have created, such as a book, or music, or software application, etc.  You have done the work up front (ie, created the product), and are now receving payments for as long as sales are still active.
  • Online businesses such as membership sites or courses, where customers continue to pay regularly or sales occur via an automated process.
  • Real estate, and most specifically residential or commercial real estate that generate rental/lease income. You have a building and a tenant pays you monthly for use of that building. Flipping a property is NOT residual, and its only passive if you literally took no part in its rehab or resale.

Residual income is about using leverage.  Leveraging work you’ve already done, or work that others are doing on your behalf, either directly or indirectly.  It’s getting paid for work you’ve either done in the past, or contribute to only indirectly.  If you stop working, the income keeps coming!

 

Why Residual Income is The Key to Freedom

If Michael Jordan, Bill Gates, Richard Branson, or Warren Buffet literally stopped doing any kind of work today and parked their beach chair in the sand, they would still be making money.  That is because they’ve created sources of residual income.

Think about your bills and expenses.  They are residual. They keep coming and won’t stop.  When you continue to build sources of residual income, then at some point that income overtakes the residual expenses.  And when that happens…BOOM!  Freedom…

How You Can Get Started Building Residual Income

You know you need residual income, so how can you practically start to build it as a “regular” person?  You do have to understand that any method for building residual income will require hard work and effort.  But its the results of those efforts that are different for residual income sources as opposed to active income sources.  Here are a few ways that “regular” people can get started:

  1. Fund your retirement account and other investements.  Your retirement account and investment portfolio is indeed a source of residual income once you start drawing upon it.  This is the easiest to understand and probably the main way for most active income earners to generate residual income…eventually.  Be warned, for you to acheive financial freedom solely from your retirement and investment accounts, it takes a LONG time, is subject to the volatility of market, and you will need a nut that is greater than 7 figures.
  2. Join a network marketing company.  Network marketing opportunities have a very low cost to join, usually provide products or services that are consumable and result in recurring payments from customers, and they allow you to leverage the team that you build by earning residual commissions on the sales of the people in your team.  Be warned, building a network marketing team is hard work.
  3. Create something like an online course or write a book.  Once you have created that product, you can build the sytem around it to generate and automate sales.  Be warned, just because you create something, doesn’t mean somebody will buy it.  There can be a ton of work that is required to generate sales.
  4. Purchase Real Estate for Rental Income. Be warned, purchasing real estate takes real money, requires ongoing effort, typically requires significant holdings, and can be subject to the volatility of the market.

I have personal experience with all four these, and I’m grateful for each one.  I’ve been funding my traditional retirement from the day I started in my corporate career.  I own rental property (currently divesting of all of my holdings), have built an online course, and am building a network marketing team.

Which is the best type ?  It definitely depends on your individual sitatuation, but if you are mid-career or later, then starting to invest in your retirement now is NOT likely to get you where you need to go by itself.  If you don’t have a chunk of liquid assets laying around, you cannot likely get into the real estate game.  You may simply have NO interest or ability in creating some product.  In my opinion, network marketing is the MOST accessible for all people, given low cost of entry and a skillset that is very learnable.  However, that doesn’t mean its for all people either.  You do need to work hard and grow a thick skin.

Conclusion

Residual income is the key to getting out of the rat race.  When you figure out how to start generating income when you aren’t working, life starts moving in a VERY good direction.  Success, whatever that means to you, requires hard work.  Everybody (or just about everybody) who is successful has worked hard.  So why not work hard on something that will create residual income?

 

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May 26, 2017 8 minute read

Should I Burn the Ships?

Leadership

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Should I Burn the Ships?

This is quite possibly one of THE most polarizing questions when it comes to leadership…of YOURSELF and others.  Burning the Ships is the black-and-white, you-have-no-other-options, there-is-no-plan-B, you’ve-got-to-succeed-to-eat approach.  I’ve worked with and for leaders who have had this philosophy, and I’ve also worked with very successful leaders who always have a Plan B, or have an incremental approach.  To be honest, this is something I have personally been struggling with, for many reasons.

In here we attempt to answer questions like:

  • Do you quit your job?
  • Do you sign up for the Ironman Triathlon?
  • Do you book one-way travel across the world?

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The Story Behind Burning the Ships

The story goes like this: In the year 1519, Hernán Cortés arrived in Veracruz with just a few hundred men. In order to send a clear message to his men, he destroyed all of the ships that brought them (there seems to be some discrepancy on whether he burned them or scuttled them). The message to his men was very clear: There is no turning back!  We will either succeed or die trying.

Two years later he succeeded in his conquest of the Aztec empire.

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The Case for Burning the Ships

Why is this philosophy so powerful?

Retreat is easy when you have other options.

Or, here’s a slight variation:

Its easy to let yourself off the hook if you have other options.

The message is so simple and clear and our mind LOVES simple and clear.  If you Burn the Ships, you’ve reduced your options to exactly 2:  succeed or fail.  There are no “other” options to retreat to, or fall back upon.  The goal is clear, the mindset is clear, there are no other ways to think.  If you have Plan B, or you are saying to yourself, “Well, if this doesn’t work, I always have _________”, then your subconscious knows that if it gets too hard, you can quit.

From a leadership standpoint, much of what motivates a team is knowing that their leader believes 100% in the direction.  If there is unwavering belief by the leader (publicly, at least), then the team tends to focus only on making the success outcome a reality.  And as with your own subconscious, the collective mindset knows that just because it gets hard, does not mean its ok to quit.

 

An Alternate Approach: Building the Ladder

There are many successful people and leaders that apply the approach of  “Building the Ladder” instead of “Burning the Ships”.  What does this mean?  Building the Ladder refers to the process of taking incremental steps in order to allow you to continue to move forward in a more controlled fashion.  It also means that sometimes there is a plan B, because plan A is something you are just testing.  You build the ladder and establish your handhold on each rung as you move up it.  Each rung provides a progression in the positive direction. Sometimes you actually move back down (or sideways) a bit, but overall you are moving up.  Maybe those rungs are skills development, or validating your business ideas, or financial gain, or self belief.

This may actually be a better fit for you in many circumstances, and actually provide a better chance of success.  One reason is:

Reducing your options to just 2 actually can discourage you from getting started, and getting started is the #1 reason you will have any success at all.

Building the Ladder encourages you to get started because there may be more than one option.  For example, if your goal is to be full time owning apartments, spending all of your life savings on some apartments with zero experience may lead you to financial collapse. That’s a scary, and very real possibility.  However, if you can get started by just carving out a portion of your savings to make a purchase and learn the business, then that’s a much more manageable mindset and skill development step to take.

Here’s another reason that Building the Ladder may be a better strategy:

You afford yourself the ability to change directions, large or small, and that change of direction may turn out to be the best path.

Maybe going in to your real estate business you aren’t totally sure of the direction that you will take.  So you start on the apartment path, but you know that other opportunities in real estate may lead you down a different path which may be something that you love more and provides more success.

Some Ways to Test Burning the Ships vs Building The Ladder

Which is best for you?  It likely depends on both your circumstances and your mindset.  Here are just a couple ways to test which approach is best for you.

Your Health

Maybe you’ve been given some sobering test results, or maybe you don’t like what’s looking back at you in the mirror, or maybe you just want to get yourself back to the activity levels of your early-20’s self.  Applying the “Burn the Ships” philosophy could look like this:

  • Sign up for a race or event and pay the money
  • Commit to a vegan lifestyle and Purge your household of EVERYTHING else
  • Post a video on social media announcing to the world your intention of completing the race (or whatever your goal is)

“Building the Ladder” could like this:

  • Start training for a race without signing up
  • Start with eating vegetarian for 2 weeks, or make a few important changes to your current diet
  • Join a running club, or hire a personal trainer, or join a support group

Your Career

You’re job is killing you.  The corporate job is a meaningless grind, you are missing your kids’ activities, you are stressed out, or your relationship with your partner is suffering.  Applying the “Burn the Ships” approach simply means: QUIT the JOB! Now you’re in “need to eat” mode, and you have no choice but to figure out how to bring cash flow into the house.  That “need to eat” mindset is a powerful motivator.

But Building the Ladder could look like this:

  • Start something on the side: join a network marketing company, or start investing in real estate, or take on some consulting work, etc
  • Start looking for some other employer
  • Start taking classes or coursework in another area

 

Should You Burn the Ships or Build the Bridge?

Burning the ships is a motivational strategy, both for yourself and for a team.  Whether or not its the right strategy can only be answered by you because it will depend upon your own situation and mindset.

Start with determining what is the limiting resource in your ability to accomplish your goals?  Is it motivation, fear, comfort, or focus?  If so, then Burning the Ships may be the perfect approach.  However, if your limiting resource is something else, such as finances, direction, or skills, then maybe Building the Ladder is a better approach.

Regardless, the key to having the SUCCESS you desire is that you have to be ALL IN.  There will be zero success unless you are committed in a very real way to your goal.  Only you can decide whether you’re mindset makeup allows you to be committed on the same level as if you had no other option.  There are definitely both kinds of people and both kinds of situations.

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May 19, 2017 5 minute read

First Step to Overcoming Fear and Resistance (Revised)

ActionActivityMindset

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First Step to Overcoming Fear and Resistance

(Note: This is a revised repost of my very first post on johnmaconline.com.  I’ve learned so much about how to structure and create a post that I thought it would be interesting and fun to redo this one with what I know now.  I was right.  I’ve not revised the content at all, other than adding a couple of sentences to the conclusion and changing just a few words here and there to fit into the new structure)

Recently I was able to meet in person and spend some quality 1-on-1 time with a virtual mentor of mine whom I’ve been following and learning from for quite a while now.  It was a “can-opener to the mind” kind of a discussion, and I am extremely grateful.  So many nuggets of wisdom came out of that, that it’s likely to lead to blog posts for weeks!  However, with this post, I want to share the main takeaway for me.

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What is that first step?

Just start doing it.

To overcome your fear or resistance (which is a form of fear), you must just start doing the things of which you are afraid.  You see, the overcoming is in the action.  It’s in the doing.  Never mind if the circumstances aren’t perfect, or you aren’t 100% ready, or “I just need to wait until…”  Just start doing it, and then keep doing it.

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By doing the things that are causing the resistance, the hesitation, the fear; we reprogram our mind.  The emotional part of our mind follows our actions, so that is how we reprogram.  How many times have you found yourself in a position where you aren’t happy (career, relationship, health, etc), but because it’s familiar, you are hesitant to change it.  That’s your mind following your actions.  You haven’t made a change to the situation, therefore, your mind (I mean the emotional part of your mind) believes the situation is fine and finds solace in the inertia.  But we can break out of it by simply taking action.  I’m not talking about rash action, nor is this license to indulge your narcissistic dalliances.  I’m talking about taking action on a legitimate change in order to improve yourself, improve your family, improve your friends…You know the difference.

What Action Have I Taken to Overcome My Fear?

So what have I done?  Well, my first action is right here.  It’s this post, and its this video below.  This is my first action, and although I’m dreading the “Publish” button, I’m gonna do it anyway.  Because this is the start.  Without the “Publish”, there is no change.

  • When this post is first published, will my website look the way I always envisioned? No.
  • Am I content with the About Me. Not likely.  
  • Do I have all of my ducks in a row with the backend web site stuff?  Of course not.

But here it is.

Conclusion

Here’s the magic:  I now know (and proved to myself over the last year) that the first step leads to the second step, and before you know it, you’re on the path.  You’re taking the action, and the fear, although maybe still present, is not controlling you.  The fear was and is your guide, and then you overcome it by taking action, which starts with the first step.

My main goal with this blog is to add value to your life in some way and get feedback so I can learn from you as well.  I want to hear from you…be it good, bad, or otherwise.  Please connect with me on social media.  You can find links at the bottom of the About Me page.  I’d love to hear from you!

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May 16, 2017 9 minute read

My Morning Routine To Kickstart a Successful Day

ActionActivityProductivity

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A Successful Day Starts Off Correctly

Mornings…you either love them or hate them, and maybe that’s even changed over time.  There is no doubt that for me personally, getting a handle on how I start my day has been one of the biggest factors in creating more successful days. In this article I describe my personal morning routine.
 
Some days certainly don’t end up successful. Nor do all days go according to plan. But it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t start out going in the right direction.  If you don’t plan for the day to be successful, rarely will it be.  This morning routine puts you in the proper mental and physical state to have a great day.

 

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The Elements of My Morning Routine

Here are the basic elements of my morning routine to start out the day on a path to success.  This routine takes about 45 – 60 minutes.

  1. Wake up intentionally
  2. 20+ Oz of water
  3. Personal development – Priming the Positivity
  4. Make the schedule and list for the day
  5. Breakfast and start working

These are the 5 things I do every (successful) morning, and I do 1-4 before I look at any real work or communicate with anybody.  The next sections provide some more depth on each of these elements.

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Wake Up Intentionally

Find your time, and get up at that time. You are different than others, have a different schedule, and have different needs.

Sometimes it requires an alarm clock, sometimes it doesn’t, but the key is: don’t fight with that alarm clock! The more you fight with your alarm clock, hitting the snooze button, resetting the time in the morning, you’re sabotaging your mental preparation for the day.

There is an important connection between waking up intentionally and your mental preparation for the day.  Waking up at the last possible second, without giving yourself time for personal development and mental preparation, starts you off in a harried and unprepared state.

Let’s say you’re a parent and you get up when your kids do to try to get them ready for school. Now you’re scrambling around just as much as they are to get ready and off.  You need to be on top of your game for them just as much for you.  Getting up a bit earlier and getting yourself mentally prepared makes the whole day run smoother.

The point of waking up intentionally is to start your day with YOU in control. Don’t let the alarm clock control you. Get yourself up and moving intentionally at a particular time. That’s number one.

20+ Oz of Water

There’s not much else to describe here.  Your physical needs, and the benefits of drinking a heavy dose of water when you first get out of bed are well documented (here’s one, and another, and some more….you get the point).  I started this practice because of these types of articles, but I continue this every day because I actually feel the benefits personally. I feel mentally sharper and physically better when I do this.

Why 20 oz?  Well, the experts say somewhere between 16 and 32 oz is correct, but I use 20 oz because that’s the size of my blender bottle that I have with me all day, and that 20 oz has been the right amount for me to feel the benefits.  Fill ‘er up, chug ‘er down.

Personal Development – Priming the Positivity

This next part has become my favorite part of the working day.  It’s how I mentally prepare myself for the day, and its’ been a literal revelation for me. No matter what the day has in store, this is the piece that allows me to face it head on.  Here’s what I do:

  • 10-20 minutes of personal development reading
  • 10 minutes intentional gratitude, prayer, and affirmations

Here’s what I read every morning:

The Bible

I read approximately 1 chapter each morning.  Sometimes a bit more or less depending on the context.  Maybe this takes 10 minutes or even less.

Personal or Skill Development Book

This is how I’ve built up this list.  It’s how I strengthen my skill set, up my self belief, get new ideas, cast vision, spend time with the right people, and generally just get better.  These resources have single-handedly changed my trajectory.

Intentional Gratitude

I also spend about 10 minutes of time in prayer and being intentional about gratitude.  Sometimes I do this before I start to read, or sometimes after.  Maybe prayer is not your thing, but meditation could be. It’s a time of reflection. It’s a time of thought. It’s a time to be intentional about the gifts and blessings in your life.  I actually write down 3 things I am grateful for that day.

Make the Schedule and List

Next I think about the day ahead and what has to be done.  There are 3 elements to how I plan the day:

  1. What is my #1 priority for the day?  Even if nothing else gets done or worked on, I MUST work on this.
  2. When can I schedule my Focus Periods (and workout) for the Day? I look at my calendar for the day, and there are usually certain periods that are already scheduled (i.e., meetings, appointments, etc).  Then I fit my 2-3, 30-90 minute focus periods in, as well as determining when I will get my workout in.  If the meeting/appointment schedule doesn’t seem to allow this, I literally start changing stuff.  I decline and propose new times for meetings or move appointments.  I control my time, not “them.”  I work best first thing in the morning (100% due to this morning routine I’m describing), so usually my first focus period starts right away.
  3. What are my focus and backlog tasks for the day?  I split my task list into 2 columns: Focus and Backlog. Tasks that require thought, creation, focus, or have the highest of priorities (i.e., writing, software development, reaching out to prospects, relationship building, etc) must be done during focus periods without distractions.  The backlog stuff may be little things, such as “call Dentist”, or they may be focus-requiring tasks that aren’t high enough on the priority list to make it to the Focus Period on this particular day. Backlog tasks are stuff that I try to get to during the non-focus periods of the day.  These lists are roughly in priority order.  Focusing on my priorities ensures that I am working on and accomplishing the right tasks.

Breakfast and Start Working

Then its time for breakfast and to get started on the day of work.  Maybe you don’t eat breakfast, and that’s ok.  Sometimes, by the end of this 45 – 60 minutes, I’m hungry, so I eat.  Other days, I’m not yet hungry, so I hold off on eating for a little while and dive right into work.   I eat basically 3 different things, and that’s it:

  • Highest of quality protein shake (here are some great recipes) – 40% of the mornings
  • Eggs (with or without veggies, meat, or potatoes) – 40% of the mornings
  • Sometimes both 🙂 – 10% of the mornings

I always take my AM Pack of my customized vitamins with my breakfast.

Some Things I’m Still Tweaking

Here are a few things I am still working on:

  • Phone: I NEVER have my phone next to my bed, nor even in the same room (unless I’m traveling and need it as an alarm clock).  But, I am still trying to figure out if its helpful or harmful to look at it before, during, or after the routine I’ve described above.
  • Wakeup Time: The time that I get up is also somewhat varied.  I always pick a time the night before (i.e., to be intentional), but it varies between 5:30 and 6:30am.  I’m testing whether it makes a difference. I have more focus time if I get up at 5:30, and more time before the bustle of the morning in the house, but sometimes that extra sleep is glorious and required to be focused.
  • Push-ups: I personally love to get my full-on workout done in the middle of the day, roughly lunch time (I describe why here).  But in addition to my “real” workout, I also do at least 100 push-ups every day.  Sometimes I do these first thing in the morning during this routine, and sometimes not.  I haven’t come to a conclusion yet if doing them during my morning routine makes a difference.

Summary

Now you know how I start every workday off to point it in the direction of success.  To recap, here are the basic elements:

  1. Wake up intentionally
  2. 20+ Oz of water
  3. Personal development – Priming the Positivity
  4. Make the schedule and list for the day
  5. Breakfast and start working

Maybe these aren’t the exact right elements for you, but the point is to figure out what those elements are and commit to them every day. I invite you to try my routine, and send me feedback or comment below as to what makes up your morning routine.  The more we converse, the better we can serve.

If you found this article helpful, please share this with your network or someone whom you think may benefit from it.

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May 3, 2017 5 minute read

What Would You Do If You Couldn’t Fail?

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What Would You Do If You Couldn’t Fail?

Let’s play a game.  It’s called: “What would you do if you couldn’t fail?”

Great question and great game, right?  Especially for the dreamers among us (or the dreamer-curious amount us)!

The Lottery Game

Sometimes people play a form of this game, but they do it in the context of winning the lottery:

  • IF I won the lottery, what would I do?
  • IF I won the lottery, would I quit my job tomorrow?
  • IF I won the lottery, what would I buy?
  • IF I won the lottery, where would I vacation?
  • IF I won the lottery, who would I become?

The thought process is attached to winning the lottery because people assume the thing that is holding them back is money.  Certainly money may play a role in why they are not doing what they are dreaming of, but why does one have to win the lottery to obtain the required finances?  The problem with this form of the game is that you assume that you can NEVER do, have, or be what you dream of UNLESS you win the lottery, which is essentially impossible and completely random.

If you believe that what holds you back is money, and the only way to get the money you need is to hit a completely random lottery, then there is a good chance that those thoughts are indeed only wishes.  You are too stuck on reality and practicality to connect with it emotionally.

But…what if a slight mental shift with this game could actually put you on the path of making these dreams come true?

The Right Way to Play the Game

Play the game WITHOUT the lottery contingency!  Simply ask yourself, “What would I do if I couldn’t fail?”.  Play the game this way:

  • IF I couldn’t fail, what would I do?
  • IF I couldn’t fail, would I quit my job tomorrow?
  • IF I couldn’t fail, what would I buy?
  • IF I couldn’t fail, where would I vacation?
  • IF I couldn’t fail, who would I become?

When you ask yourself the questions that way, and you really explore it emotionally without the contingencies of finances or failure, it can do wonders for your mindset, and for your actual direction.  It gives you permission to dream!  It let’s you put yourself in a position where you don’t have to worry about:

  • the mortgage
  • the neighbors
  • what others think of you
  • the outcomes

When you just say, “Man, what would I be doing if I couldn’t fail?, it takes away all of the fear from the mental exercise.  And when you do that, it can show you the path on which you can start taking action, even if the fear of that action is real.

Focus on What YOU Can Control

Here’s why that slight shift in the game is so powerful: your success or failure is ultimately under your control. If you continue to focus on the WHY behind your answers, then you connect with it emotionally without the contingency of finances or failure.  When you connect with it emotionally, you can see yourself there, and then your mind can start to actually make the plans!

Ultimately, it’s taking action that makes it happen.  If you focus on what YOU can control, which is the plan and the action to be taken, then you keep the mind headed in the right direction.  Money is just a resource, and not the goal, nor the reason why you are not doing the things of which you dream.

What It’s Done for Me

I remember when I was a younger adult, I had actually come to the conclusion that this type of question was useless. In my desire to remain “practical”, and in the mire of my “average thinking”, I would have never allowed myself the indulgence of this thought experiment.  And to make it worse, I’d play the “wrong” form of the game around the water cooler at the office.  What an idiot I was!  What an average thinker I was.

When I started playing the game the right way, I realized many things, one of which was that I wanted to make a positive impact on people.  I wanted to be known for helping people.  In addition, I always wanted to write and have a web presence.  Guess what?  This blog and this website and all of the video and sharing I do on Facebook are a direct result of playing that game, and then taking action.  If I hadn’t had the mindset shift on HOW to play that game correctly, I likely would never had taken any action and I would still be wishing.

Conclusion

So play that game today, and every day.  Ask yourself, “What would I do if I couldn’t fail?”.  Regardless of whether or not you ever act on the thoughts (but you should), its still an awesome exercise.  It’s optimistic, it’s energy-inducing, and its just plain fun.

April 11, 2017 6 minute read

How to Know What You are Supposed to Do With Your Life

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How to Know What You are Supposed to Do With Your Life

What is your purpose in life?  What does God want you to do with your life?  What SHOULD you be doing? How do you know what direction to go in?

If you are anything like me, these can be debilitating questions to answer, and hence paralyze you into inaction.  For many years I wrestled with these questions because I was very concerned about figuring out what was the “right thing”, what was God’s purpose for my life.  However, I’ve learned quite a bit over the last couple years about this particular topic and this post provides you with the results of what I’ve learned.

The Surprise Answer

Are you ready for it?  Maybe this will disappoint you, and I’m certain that for some of you this may even annoy you…but the answer is: it probably doesn’t matter…at least at first.

What? Let’s explore this in a little more detail, and hopefully give you some actual useful information.

The Lightning Bolt Moment May Never Come

My purpose in life, including the biggest of questions, “What does God want me to do?”, has weighed on me since I was a young adult. It’s something that has totally consumed me at times.  I was waiting (and praying) for the lightning bolt…for that explicit, voice from heaven, “Aha!” kind of moment that makes it all clear.  It’s still has never happened, but I also see now that its not necessary.  My path to clarity was just different.

One resource that has helped me tremendously with this concept is an outstanding book entitled, “You are a Badass”, by Jen Sincero. There’s tons of gold in there about getting over yourself and starting to do the things that you were put on this earth to do.  She has an outstanding quote that has helped sum it up for me:

“One of the most paralyzing misconceptions is that we’re all supposed to have one true calling that comes to us in this mighty flash of soul defining insight.”

Now THAT’s the Aha! moment. All along I’ve been looking for that ONE thing, and hoping that it hits me like a lightning bolt. But what I now realize is that there isn’t likely just ONE thing, there are several, and that the lightning bolt may never come, but that doesn’t mean I can’t find out what those several things are for me.

We Don’t All Have a Single Purpose

I realize for some people, its been very clear from either a young age or from some point in time.  They’ve had a singular purpose, vision, or goal, or have always known “what they want to be when they grow up.”  They’ve either had that lightning bolt moment, or its just something that’s been instilled in them somehow.  I’ve not had that, and I think most have not.  Although I can certainly look back on my life and find moments of clarity, and moments that have led me to where I am today, but I can’t say there’s been just one lightning bolt that has burned some purpose into my mind.

What happened to me is I spun in circles trying to find that perfect thing, trying to find that one purpose, that one vision: What is it that I’m supposed to do? What is it God wants me to do?  And in so doing, I paralyzed myself and never took any real action that could lead to any real calling.   What I’ve realized is that multiple purposes that evolve over time is likely a more natural fit for me, and most people.

Think about it..as people we evolve over time. As we age, we grow, and our mind changes as our thoughts change and our experiences shape us. It’s perfectly natural that our purpose(s) and the best way we can use our own gifts and talents would evolve over time as well. If we let the search for the perfect singular calling paralyze us, then what happens is we may actually miss it.

Why? Because the magic of finding that purpose, or purposes, is likely arrived at through action. We find it by doing, because doing leads to opportunities that can never be found by inactions and over analysis.

The Important Part is to Pick a Direction and Start Moving

If you pick a direction, even if it’s the wrong direction, what happens?  You make a plan (or in the case of a college student, you start executing the curriculum that is given), and then you start to experience…see…learn…feel. Without the action associated with moving in some direction, you’re not doing the hard stuff that needs to be done. If you don’t start moving in a direction, you NEVER start to experience the hard stuff.  If you are wandering (wandering without purpose), or if you have not decided to start down some path, you are likely avoiding the hard stuff.  Its the hard stuff that enlightens your journey, indicates if we are on the right path, allows you to fail forward, grow, and get over fear.

My day job is as a software developer.  One of the very best ways to arrive at a good solution for a software problem is to spend some time thinking through the problem, but then use a method we call “prototyping”.  Prototyping helps to start working out the details, verify if your architecture/design is valid, and find the issues that you could have never found by just thinking about the problem.  Prototyping is writing code that may or may not ever be used in the final version, so some have the opinion that if its throw away code, why do it?  But that’s missing the point completely because the purpose of the prototyping is to ferret out the hard stuff and determine if your solution is viable.

Think of picking a direction to start moving in as the same kind of thing as prototyping.  You are prototyping your purpose!  And the cool thing is you can correct it and change it as you move along.

Conclusion

The bottom line is that whether you feel called to a particular purpose or not, the key is to start moving in a direction.  Take action, don’t over analyze.  Don’t let the search for the one perfect purpose or vision for your life, paralyze you from picking a direction that you think is right at the time.  Certainly the direction you choose should include a thought process, but if you over think it, you may never get started…and getting started is what ultimately leads you to your purpose.

March 24, 2017 8 minute read

Four Activities You Should be Doing Every Day as a Side or Home Business Entrepreneur

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Four Activities You Should be Doing Every Day as a Side or Home Business Entrepreneur

Are you stuck?  Has your progress slowed to a halt?  Are you wondering why some of the success you enjoyed initially has dried up?

Your success, or lack of success in your business will be directly correlated to the amount of ACTIVITY, or lack of activity that you put in consistently every day.  We know from the books such as The Slight Edge and The Compound Effect, that the correct activities over time lead to the success that you desire.

Here are four activities that you should be doing every day in your life and business to help restart your progress.  This is the very basic, and minimal amount of work to do every day.  If you have no opportunity to do anything else, at least do these 4 things.

Meet One New Person

At the end of the day, business is not about money or spreadsheets, it’s about people. In order to make your business successful, it doesn’t matter what it is, it requires people. You need to build relationships with people and build your network.

“Your network is your net worth.”

– Tim Sanders

One method for meeting a new person is physically.  This could be done in a contrived setting such as a networking group, or meet-up, or via you reaching out and setting up a meeting with someone. It could be in an “unintentionally, intentional” setting such as the grocery store, the gym, your day-job workplace, in line at the coffee shop.  Simply say “Hi” to someone, and pay them a complement.

You could also use the social media world in places like Facebook and LinkedIn.  However, “meeting” someone new on social media does NOT mean you’ve posted something and someone new has “liked” or commented on that post, or even that you’ve sent out some connection requests.  That “like” or comment or connection request acceptance is just the opening to allow you to actually meet them and start a conversation. Reach out to that person and thank them for the interaction or the connection and start a conversation.

Try to add one new person to your network every day.

Follow Up with one Person

Equally important to growing your network, is to cultivate the relationships that you have already established.  That is done by following up with people. You’ve likely heard this timeless quote before:

“The fortune is in the follow-up!”

– Every sales trainer since the dawn of time

I’ve seen sales metrics all over the map with how many times customers have been exposed to your business before they decided to make a purchase.  I’ve seen anywhere between 4 and 12 times.  My own experience would be in that range as well.  Regardless of the actual number of times that convert for you, the fact that you MUST follow up is the basic message here.

Make sure you are following up with at least one person every day. If you’re meeting one new person every day, then you have a never-ending supply of people with whom you should also be following up. The reality is, if you want to take your business to the next level, you need to be meeting and following up with several people every day. But, at an absolute minimum, you should be following up with at least one person every day. It’s all about relationship-building.

Track Your Progress

Here’s one for the accountants and engineers out there (like myself). However, regardless of your personality type, its another critical daily activity. Track your progress. A professional understands the data. A professional knows where he or she is at in relation to where he or she was, and where he or she wants to be, and that the data doesn’t lie.

“If you torture the data long enough, it will confess to anything.”

– Ronald Coase

When you set your goals, you need to track your progress against those goals. You break the goals down into the activities and tasks that are income generating, and then find the metrics that you can track against those activities.  For example, how many people did you reach out to today?  How many new people did you meet?  How many people did you follow up with?  How many new or repeat customers today?

Once you have started recording your metric data, then start to compare yourself over time.  Break it into daily, weekly, and monthly chunks and see how you are progressing, or receding.  How many new customers did you have this week compared to last week?  How many new people did you meet this month compare to last month?

Tracking progress does not require fancy software or apps. Certainly you can use these tools if you find them helpful, but the reality is that plain old paper and pencil work just fine.  Do NOT let what can be the overwhelming complexity of CRM software, or sales tracking software, or even your colleagues methods of tracking keep you from recording your metrics and tracking progress.  Find the basic method that works for you, and use it everyday.  As you progress, then you can work on whether a more sophisticated method or tool set would be beneficial.

Work on One Skill

The single biggest “Aha!” moment for me, and the single biggest contributor to any progress and success I have enjoyed has been working on myself.  Intentionally and purposefully developing my personal and professional skills.

“Be the change you wish to see in the world.”

– Ghandi

Maybe you think this quote from Ghandi is a bit grand for you and your little business or your little personal goals.  After all, you are simply trying to get more customers, help more people, run a marathon…you’re not necessarily trying to change THE world, are you?

But why not change YOUR world? Your business, and your goals are directly and by definition in YOUR world…so make the change in YOUR world…and that means BEING the change you wish to see in YOUR world.

When I realized that one of my goals (with my business and my life in general), is to make a positive impact on people in any way I can, I realized that I was woefully short in many of the skills to make that happen. That’s what started my personal and professional skill development journey.

Working on your skills takes effort, intentional effort. Sometimes it takes having uncomfortable looks at yourself in the mirror, or talks with yourself in your car.  But if you don’t change, things will never change.  You have to progress as a person, and a professional, and sometimes that even means relearning things you thought you knew.

Think of it very generically like this…Let’s say you went to college to become a school teacher.  Most (maybe all?) states in the United States require “continuing education” credits for teachers throughout their career.  Why is this?  It’s because the powers that be know and understand this concept that every one MUST continue to get better, and that techniques and even the people themselves change over time. A college education provides a static, “here’s what we know now” snapshot in time as a basis from which prospective teachers START their journey.  To continue to effectively teach students through their career, they must continue to improve themselves and their techniques.

If you are a teacher, this structure is built in to your profession. If you are a side or home business entrepreneur, you have to recognize this and commit to it personally.  The great news about this is that YOU are the one who can decide how to get better and what to work on!

Every day you should be working on developing one professional skill. The BEST way to do this is to focus.  Focus on one particular skill and string several days or weeks together where you are working on it exclusively.

Conclusion

Those are the four things you should be doing everyday:

  1. Meet one new person
  2. Follow up with one person
  3. Track your progress
  4. Work on one new skill

If you do this, over time you and your business will progress.  If you want to move faster, take 1 and 2 and 10x them 🙂

I hope you received some value from this message.  If so, please contact me, leave a comment and share with someone whom you think might also get some value.

 

March 13, 2017 5 minute read

Focus on What YOU Can Control: Will You Ring the Bell?

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Focus on What YOU Can Control: Will You Ring the Bell?

This post is a continuation of the series and theme of Focusing on what YOU can Control.  This theme is critical for the side and home business entrepreneur because the one of the biggest mind and time sucks is worrying about, and then mentally and physically chasing things that you can’t control.

The topic of this post is Your Level of Commitment. One of my favorite personal development authors is Stephen Pressfield, and specifically I will be highlighting a section from his book entitled, “Do the Work”.  There’s a great section in this book where he’s talking about the fact that as an entrepreneur, or as somebody who’s got a vision for their life, the reality is that you’re pretty much on your own. You can build your community and certainly that’s important, but the reality is that its only YOU that can have the level of commitment that is necessary to accomplish your vision.

Navy SEAL Training

Mr Pressfield has this great analogy between entrepreneurship and Navy SEAL training. The way Navy SEAL training works is that the purpose of the training is to BREAK the candidates.  Maybe that seems harsh, but the thought process behind this is that we (yes, the collective we of the United States of America) would rather that a candidate break in training, rather than in the field when the stakes are for real. Consequently, this training is as mind-blowingly difficult as it could possibly be, both mentally and physically (here’s one candidates interesting account). The candidates are pushed to their limits with physical tasks on top of mental tasks.  Many times they are never given any clear direction on milestones and purposes, and are asked to repeat tasks for no apparent reason.  They have no idea whether they are moving in the right direction, or not.

Here’s the thing…you’re allowed, even encouraged as a candidate, to quit at any time. Its actually an honorable out.  The method for quitting is you simply walk up to the bell, ring it, and you’re done.  Ten minutes later you can be enjoying coffee and donuts, and really no one faults you.

Why You Need the Commitment Level a Navy SEAL

Navy Seal training is team oriented in many ways, but ultimately, it is an exercise in personal commitment, just as your entrepreneurial journey and vision for your life is.  Many times your journey is personally just as difficult as Navy SEAL training in that you are alone, and ultimately you success or failure is totally dependent upon yourself and your level of commitment. Many times in your journey, there will be no clear objective milestones to indicate that “Yes, you ARE on the right track!”.  Many times you feel like you are just fumbling around, trying to figure out how to get your business going. You can’t tell whether you’re doing great or whether you’re failing. There’s no one feeding you, there’re no fellow sufferers, and even if you “finish”…if you actually accomplish your goal, there’s no party, no champagne, and there’s not necessarily any fanfare from the masses.  In fact, if you “make it”, you may actually have more detractors than if you fail (remember the crabs?).

You are going to reach a part of whatever project, of whatever goal you’re trying to accomplish, when you’re in the VALLEY.  When you are in that valley, where you’re not going to want to do it. Steven Pressfield calls it the big crash. You’re going to crash at some point and when that happens, you’re not going to want to do whatever it is you need to do.

How to Be Committed

How do you keep going?  It comes down to focusing on what you can control, which in this case is your personal level of commitment to your goals.  Here are some tips and methods to control your level of commitment and keep doing the work:

  1. Awareness: Simply understanding that valleys are inevitable is a start.  You will have tough times along that journey.  Know they will come and be mentally prepared.
  2. Your WHY: Keep your WHY in front of you at all times, especially during the hard times.  Focus on it daily if needed. When you started this journey, you felt compelled, so has anything changed to make that vision less compelling?  Of course not, you just have to keep reminding yourself.
  3. Vision Casting: Along with your WHY, keep casting your vision for accomplishing those goals.  Imagine and feel what it will be like to have made it happen.
  4. Your Circle: Yes, this is a personal journey, and your level of commitment is a personal choice.  However, keeping the right company and seeking out the advice and fellowship with the right people can do wonders for your state of mind.  Get around those who have done it, who encourage you, and who share the vision for you. Also, many times your WHY will be tied to those in your circle (your family, friends, Church, etc), so make sure you are around them as much as possible.

Summing It Up

Here’s the thing..the only person that can keep you moving is you. And the only thing that will keep you pushing through those valley is your level of commitment.

The only question left to ask here and left for you to answer is, are you going to ring that bell or are you going to keep going?

I hope you’ve received some value from this message.  If so, please comment below and share with others that you think may get some value.

March 7, 2017 7 minute read

Real-Time Communication: Productivity Igniter or Productivity Killer?

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Real-Time Communication: Productivity Igniter or Productivity Killer?

In today’s world, we can effortlessly be in real-time communication, all the time, with…everybody.  Or at least everybody to whom we have access via text, Facebook, Twitter, email, Slack…Oh, yeah, that’s just about everybody.  But, is this a good thing or a bad thing?  This post explores this question.

For starters, I want to distinguish between constant communication and real-time communication. Granted, these terms are related, and sometimes interchangeable.  However, there is a subtle distinction, and I think it’s important here.  By constant communication I am referring to our choice to be in communication all the time, 24x7x365.  That is essentially a lifestyle.  But by real-time communication, I am referring to the ability to immediately communicate with people with whom you are not physically with at that particular time.  That is essentially an ability.

Let’s start with some pro’s and con’s of real-time communication.

How Real-Time Communication Ignites

  • Collaborative, global work environment – I personally benefit from this everyday.  I mainly work from my residence in Pennsylvania, my current day job office is in the Boston area, and I have a team all over the world. Today’s technologies and the ability to have real-time communication absolutely allows us to work almost as if we are sitting across the table from each other.  Same is true with my network marketing business.  I can be in real-time communication with potential partners and customers just as if we are in the same room.  Twenty years ago, this doesn’t happen.
  • Emergencies – When there are TRUE emergencies (I emphasize this because most of what we consider emergencies are not actually emergencies), the ability to have real-time communication can sometimes mean the literal difference between life and death.
  • Changing Plans – OK, this is more convenience than anything else, but isn’t it awesome?  “Hey, I’m at the restaurant a little early and the line is out the door, let’s meet over at such-and-such instead.  See you there”.  I love that.  Same applies when moving kids around and tracking their whereabouts.  How convenient is it when they are old enough to have a phone and you and they can change plans in real-time on the spot? I think back to when I was in high school, with pay phones, and “set-in-stone” meeting times and places, etc…UGH.

How Real-Time Communication Kills

  • Allows others to control our time – Because we CAN be in real-time communication, many times we think we NEED to be in real-time communication.  We act like Pavlov’s dogs when we get that Ding! or Buzz from the gadget in our pocket or hand.  This is a YOU problem, not a THEY problem.
  • Distraction (friends, sports, news, etc) – This is how we sabotage ourselves.  We allow our ability to be in real-time communication to always know exactly what’s going on right at the moment with our favorite sports team, or in the news, or even where our social media “friend” is having lunch.  It’s really procrastination, and it’s a killer.
  • Contributes to not making plans – Now I just spent a paragraph discussing how awesome having the ability to change plans is…BUT, I’m more focused here on the fact in order to make progress in anything (especially your side and home business), you MUST PLAN out your work, and then commit to those plans.  I have honestly worked with people who have no plan for their work day.  He/She just shows up and let’s the email inbox or the Slack feed rule their day.  If you are a Helpdesk worker, this is likely a great approach to your day, but if you do almost anything else, you will get little to nothing IMPORTANT done.  You must maximize your time in Quadrant 2 of the Eisenhower Principle Matrix.

An Example

Here is an example that is really more of an etiquette problem, but I think it completely illustrates the problem that many of us have with the distraction of real-time communication when we are working.

How many times have you been having a conversation with someone standing or sitting in front of you, and he or she pulls out their phone and starts answering text messages while you are speaking?  How many times have you done that yourself? Most of us do it ALL OF THE TIME.  This is actually very socially rude, but it happens so often, in some ways its subtle, and we are so conditioned to it that I think most people don’t even really pay much attention to it anymore.

However, think about it this way…What if you and I were speaking to each other at your desk, and out of the blue, another person (the buttinski) walks over, and literally just starts telling one of us about the amazing lunch that they just had.  Any person with any level of understanding of social etiquette would be horrified, and would likely even implore the buttinski to kindly wait their turn. Regardless of the social implication here, what has the buttinski done to the conversation and your train of thought?  They’ve completely derailed it!

This is exactly what happens when we allow email/text/social media messages to impede on our time of focus.  Shift the scenario to instead of you and I having a conversation in person, to you solitarily working, but working on something of great importance and effectiveness to your business: reaching out to people, marketing, content, etc.  Now you get the DING! of the text message, or social media alert, or email alert…and now you’re off.  You’ve mentally switched to answer or browse, and now you’ve lost valuable time.

Realize that the problem is NOT that the other person has sent you a message or tried to contact you. How would they have any idea what you were currently in the middle of?  The problem is that YOU ALLOW the ding, or the buzz, to completely derail your focus to answer what just came in.

Oh dear! I literally just did it myself while in the middle of writing this section.  I just answered a message that dinged in from a colleague.  Why?  Apparently, because even if you have the awareness and the conscious discipline, sometimes the lure of the ding is too great.

We confuse our ability to have real-time communication with our lifestyle of being in constant communication.  The constant communication lifestyle is fine, but YOU must be in control over the real-time aspects of it.

Focus on What YOU Can Control

How do we handle this?  It’s all about focusing on what you can control. You can’t control the fact that somebody is trying to get in contact with you, but you CAN control your reaction to it.

For this issue, there are 2 main strategies and tactics to employ:

  1. Awareness and discipline.  This takes time and effort because most of us are conditioned the other way.  Start with awareness.  Once you are aware of your actions, you can start to make changes. I’ve already just admitted that sometimes this isn’t enough, but it definitely starts here.
  2. Turn Notifications OFF! At least during the important, focus times.  Whether its your phone, tablet, or computer, all of the modern day operating systems allow you to configure the notifications settings.  Plus, you can simply put these devices in “Do Not Disturb” mode.  There are always ways to setup exceptions for those incoming messages that are truly important (mainly by person).

Remember, technology is a good servant, but a BAD master.  Don’t let the ability of having real-time communication actually make you less productive.

If you got some value out of this, please comment below and share it with others! Also, if you desire to go into more depth on this, and many other topics related to “Focusing on What YOU Can Control”, this course may be just what you need.  In this course I go into depth on a great many of these topics.

October 24, 2016 8 minute read

4 Tips to Help You Escape a Valley

Personal Investment

4 Tips to Help You Escape a Valley

Life is certainly not always one big high.  Even the most successful, or happy, or content people you know have all weathered tough times.  Our journey is series of peaks and valleys, as well as left and right turns.  It’s a rollercoaster, and although we know intellectually that we need to embrace it, let’s face it…it’s rarely easy.

In this article, I provide you with 4 tips to help you escape a valley or rut in your life.

Resistance LOVES The Valleys

What is the valley?  It’s that time, whether its days, weeks, or months long, when your energy is low, when you’re uninspired, and when you are questioning whether you can do it, or even if its all worth it.  Maybe the valley has occurred because of a forced transition (lost a job…medical issue…relationship?), or maybe you’ve sunk into a low point gradually, it doesn’t really matter, but you are there.

Resistance LOVES and feeds on our valleys.  Resistance brings all of its tools to bear on us: fear, lack of faith, lack of activity, DISTRACTION.  When you’re in that valley its tough to be consistent, to be positive, to see the vision, to have faith, to be thankful.

How to Escape a Valley

So what to do?

One important concept is to recognize the valley for what it is: a temporary condition…a season.  It may not seem temporary, but just as winter lasts only for a time, so too will this valley.  Look back over your life, and you will see both peaks and the valleys, so you know intellectually its just temporary.

But you may be saying, “OK, great, I see that, but how do I shorten that time NOW? How do I get out of it NOW?”  It’s a process, but the key is in your activity.  Escaping a valley is about doing.

Here are 4 excellent activities that help you escape a valley:

  1. Help Others
  2. Engage in Daily Intentional Gratitude
  3. Get Yourself a New Fitness or Health Plan
  4. Take Consistent Action

Let’s look at these in detail…

Help Others

One of the best ways to break out of the slump is to simply help others.  Help someone else and you are helping yourself just as much. Here’s why it’s helping you also:

  • Provides perspective – Let’s face it, its really easy to become inwardly focused, and then start to dwell on all of the things we don’t have.  When we help others, we start to break that mindset because we realize that we are fortunate.
  • Sense of purpose and making a difference – There is a deep psychological need that most people feel, and that is that we want to make a difference in this world.  When we leave it, we want to have made an impact.  Helping others feeds this need because we feel that purpose.
  • Meet new people and gaining new opportunities – New opportunities usually come through people.  It’s that simple.  Many times the thing that propels us out of the valley is a new opportunity, and meeting new people by helping them is a likely path to new opportunities.

Helping others, and receiving personal benefit doesn’t have to be a grand gesture.  You don’t have to donate enough money to build a new wing onto the local school. Nor do you have to spearhead a campaign in your community to bring awareness to the plight of the homeless.  Although these certainly would be awesome ways to help others.

You can engage in some very simple gestures, and they can be personal or anonymous.  You can help others simply by making eye contact and smiling, or holding a door for a stranger.  Think about the last time a stranger smiled at you…How did that make you feel?  It likely brightened your day just a bit.

Next time in line at the coffee shop, tell the attendant that you would like to pay for the person that is 3 back in line from you.  It’s anonymous, and you’re likely to be gone by the time that the person realizes that you did that for them.  But how will that person feel?  How would it make you feel if you were the person whom had the bill paid by a random stranger?  You might have an extra bounce in your step.

Be that person.

Intentional Gratitude

Intentional gratitude has similar perspective altering benefits that helping others does.  It keeps us grounded, helps us to understand that we are indeed lucky, and keeps our mind focused on the positive rather than the negative.  “Intentional gratitude” means that you are intentionally applying thought to that for which you are thankful.  When you do it everyday, it changes your perspective.

Here’s a couple things you can do to be intentionally grateful each day:

  • Make a list of 20 things for which you are thankful – Look at it and read it to yourself everyday.
  • Start each day with a prayer or meditation in which you consciously find several things to be thankful for in the day ahead.
  • Add at least 1 new item to your list everyday – Take your list of 20 and add at least 1 new thing to everyday.  You will NEVER run out.
  • End each day by looking back and being thankful for at least one thing that happened – Rounding out the day with a look back is an excellent practice for being grateful.

New Fitness or Health Plan

Sometimes the best way to escape a valley is to simply make some personal changes. A great place to do it is with your fitness or health plan.  The benefits to our mind by having good physical health are well documented and undeniable.  Especially when we start to age, our physical condition makes a bigger impact on our ability to think as well as our emotional state.

Here are some tips for helping you to change up the health plan:

  • Set a new endurance or fitness goal – Put a 5k, 10k, 1/2, or full marathon on the calendar.  Find a powerlifting meet and sign up.  Sign up for a Spartan Race.  Buy a fancy, expensive bike and get on it.  Decide you want to start doing triathlons learn how to swim.  Then, most importantly, commit to the training.  The magic is in the daily training.
  • Change your diet – Notice this is NOT “go on a diet”.  This is a commitment to make a real change, not take on a “diet plan”.  Real health comes from doing the right things for your body on a daily basis, not for a period of 30 or 90 days.  If you need help in this area, please contact me, I can help you get started on the right path.

Take Consistent Action

The magic is in the action.  When you are slumping its so easy to not do the things that have moved you forward until then.  It may because there are lots of things you don’t like to do.  It may be because of the Resistance.  Regardless, at the end of the day, its the action that moves you forward.  Here are couple of tips for you

  • Find a new, or rededicate yourself to a daily routine – Each and every day you must be doing the things that move you forward.  Having a defined routine is a powerful way to make sure you are doing the right things.
  • Turn your brain off – What?  Yup, sometimes the reason you’re not taking action is because you’re inside your own head. And sometimes, you’re so worried about thinking your way out of the situation, that it hinders you taking the action that is necessary to get you there.  Thinking may be important to help with direction, but its the action that will make it happen.  Stop over thinking and over analyzing and Just Do it!

Some times, maybe not every time, but definitely some times, you will start to actually be THANKFUL for those valleys.  You will start to realize that those valleys have actually helped you move forward.  Those valleys have spurred you on to take ACTION.  Action that you weren’t previously taking, and that action has led to the next PEAK.

And here’s the great thing about those valleys…When you look back, you realize its those valleys that made you what you are today.

I hope this helped you in some way, and if so, please comment below, share it with others, and please connect with me.  I would love to hear your thoughts and the experiences you’ve had as well.

Have a great day!

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