Is your "why" big enough?

Why is it that some fill their days with massive activity that produces results while others do just enough to get by? Some are satisfied with getting their 40 in and heading for the couch. If a promotion comes their way, they simply reply, " I don't want the responsibility."

Micheal Burt said many people die with unfulfilled potential still in them. I believe some do it because they are selfish. Some do it because the alternative seems too difficult. Some have let an event in their life hold them back. In the end, they are all just excuses.

When your "why" is just accumulating stuff, it is easy to quit. You can't be stopped when your "why" goes from survival, stuff or status, to making a difference in the lives of those around you. The moment you want to quit, you remember your goals are so much bigger than you. Take a minute today and write down things that are important to you and pull that list out everytime you start to get discouraged.

How much is too much?

When is enough, enough? When do you have all you need and nothing more? I was sitting with some friends and this topic was discussed. It really made me think. At what point are you in a position to help someone else. Maybe that is the real question.

If you are only focused on material things, it may be when you get a certain house, car or an amount of money saved. It may be when you achieve a certain status in your community or the space you occupy. These goals are so limiting.

When your focus is on how you can impact the lives of those around you, then that suddenly changes the equation. It is hard to help someone from a position of weakness and despair. If you are struggling to make ends meet, it is difficult to help your brother or sister in need. It is not ours anyway. We are just here to be a good steward of what we have been given.

Act vs. React

I woke up this morning to a lot of reaction on social media. There are protests and protests of the protests. Whatever is going on is not working. If it were working, people would be coming together. There is a wedge being driven between people. Every person reacts to situations with the value system within them. Everything has become a reaction.

Social media has brought people together in some ways but divided us in more ways.  I had a sixth-grade teacher wisely say, "Wrong is wrong even if everyone is doing it and right is right even if no one is doing it."

It doesn't make something right because a lot of people do it. This is one major flaw social media has on our society. The loudest voice directs the thoughts, not the correct voice. Go out today and love everyone! Treat everyone fairly, honestly and respectfully. See people for who they are, not what they look like.

Create your own market!

This weekend many watched Conner McGregor be defeated by Floyd Mayweather. Was he really defeated or did they both win? The minimum payout for Mayweather was $100 million and for McGregor, it was $30 million. The most interesting thing was that McGregor is not a boxer and he was challenging a boxer with a record of 49-0.

He could have just waited for his next MMA fight and stayed in his lane. His total career earnings in MMA are $9,542,000. He made 3 times more in this one boxing match than in his entire career previously. He created a new market! Sure, he had haters. You always do when you stick your neck out.

Don't place limits on yourself! Try new things! Think bigger! Don't be afraid to fail. Sometimes in failing, you realize a whole new level of winning!

Mindset!

Everything starts with your mindset! If you think you're not good enough, you won't be.  If you think you are small, you will be small. Your mindset creates a self-fulfilling prophecy. Every success or failure starts in your mind.

If you want to start winning, you have to think it first! Think bigger! What is the worst thing that can happen? You don't hit your goal? Don't let the fear of failure keep you from starting. Stop overthinking and just act!

Massive Action!

Why do you think most people fail to go beyond average? Is it the economy? Is it the government? Is it the way you were raised? Is it because you weren't taught the necessary skills to win?

I could keep going, but hopefully, you are starting to get the picture. When you blame something or someone else for where you are in life, you are already wrong! The number one reason is that you have not taken enough action.

Massive action means to go all in! It means you are prepared to achieve your goal no matter what. You are going to push through rejection. External circumstances are not going to get in your way. They just don't factor in your decision process. You are going to outwork anyone around you. That is when you will truly start to win.

Front Runner

In the book Shoedog, Phil Knight says, "Front Runners always work the hardest and risk the most." You can't excel from the back of the pack. You have to be first. That means you have to try things that are unproven. You have to be willing to fail in order to succeed.

Fail fast! Get back up and keep going. You can't win from a position of comfort. You have to get uncomfortable before you start to grow. If you wait for everything to be perfect before you move, you will lose. Running in the front is difficult, but the view is better.

Playing It Safe Is Risky!

If you want people to buy your product or service, you have to stand out. Especially if you are in a saturated or commoditized market. If you look like everyone else, you are forced to sell cheaper or cut your fees to get the business.

When you stand out, you will draw criticism. If you aren't getting criticized, you aren't doing enough to draw attention. It does take more work and it is not easy, but you will start to establish your brand.

There is a reason you do what you do. Tell your story. Stand out in the crowd of complacency. Go against the grain. Create a buzz around your brand and product.

It's not my fault!

The other day I asked my children to pick weeds. My wife later told me that she had come behind them and found they hadn't done a very good job. My son informed me that they had split the task into sides and that was his sister's side. My daughter said that some of the weeds had stickers and they couldn't get those.

While studying successful people, I have started to see common traits. They don't make excuses. They don't complain about the lack of resources. They don't blame others. They don't lower the standard so they can win.

Ultra succsessful people win with few resources. They don't let outside forces dictate their success. They take responsibility. They don't take no for an answer. They fail a lot. One thing I notice is that they fail fast. They get back up and start fast. They don't dwell on the failure, they learn from it. They learn not to repeat the same mistakes over. The next time you are tempted to make an excuse, just remember that it won't help you win.

Is your past a friend or foe?

Today is brand new! The slate is clear. You get to start over. I just flipped the switch to clear everything out for you. The only thing I am going to leave is the memory of your past. What are you going to do with those memories? Are you going to use them to determine your not good enough, not smart enough or have lost important people in your life and can't seem to move forward? 

You see, the choice is now yours to make. Only you can decide how today is going to be. You have to be here no matter what, but how you decide to use your past will determine how good your future is going to be. 

I was fired from my first outside sales job. It hurt me! I had always seemed to be destined for sales and then hit this wall. I quickly got up and moved forward. I soon built a strong sales territitory in my next position. I then went on to become the #1 Century 21 agent in the midsouth region. Does you past hold you back or propel you forward? Bad things are going to happen. How you react will determine if you win or not. 

Will it matter?

I spent something this weekend and it didn't cost a lot. I spent time. I spent time with my family. I spent one on one time with my wife. We then spent time with the kids. I spent time with my mom, dad, brothers and sisters.

Its easy to get caught up in the rut of life and not make the effort to spend time with the ones we love.  There is always a chore to be finished. There is always another appointment. There is something to be working on. In the end will it really matter?

I left something undone yesterday to be with my family and I'm glad I did. I chose the more important thing. Everyday we have a choice on where we spend our time. Just ask yourself this question when choosing. Will it matter?

Your Billboard

Tim Ferriss often asks the people he is interviewing if they could have a billboard, what would it say? He puts them on the spot to answer immediately. What would their one life's message say?

If you could have your own billboard, what would it say? I want to provoke thoughts that you may have never had. What is your purpose? Is it big enough to put on your billboard. Maybe what you thought was so important, really isn't.

You have one shot at this life. There is no practice run. As you wake up this morning, think about your day. What is on your schedule? Does it really matter enough to be on your billboard?

Obsessed

A lot of Nashville Predator fans went to bed mad after losing to the Pittsburgh Penguins in game six of the The Stanley Cup Final. This made me think about being obsessed. People would literally fight someone on behalf of their team, but don't fight for themselves everyday.

If they brought half of the fire and intensity to their lives as they brought to the ice rink, they would be unbelievable! Their business would explode and family life would be amazing! If those same people brought half of that energy to church with them, can you imagine how the service would go?

Obsession is not a bad thing if focused in the right area. Be obsessed about growing your business! Be obsessed about the time you spend with your family! Be obsessed about your walk with God! If you are focused on your life enough, you won't live and die with how your team performs. 

What did you do that mattered?

What did you do today that really mattered? Whether it is tomorrow, next week, next year or ten years from now, what will make a lasting impression? How will it change lives?

You see, most people get up everyday, go to their 9-5 and go home to watch TV. They get up the next day and do the same thing. They constantly look to the weekend for relief from a life they hate.

You may not be able to change your job today, but you can certainly add meaning to your life. Volunteer, learn a new language or mentor someone. It is never to late. Super Coach Micheal Burt says this ain't no practice life! Go live today! You are not promised tomorrow!

Remembering

Yesterday was Memorial Day. It was a day to reflect and remember. I thought about those who paid the ultimate sacrifice with their life. I just returned from Washington D.C. and was honored to visit the memorials to our fallen soldiers. It was a reminder of the brave men and women who gave their lives.

My grandfather tells a story from his time in WW II, that may be one of the reasons I am here today. One of his buddies didn't like the foxhole he was in and wanted to switch with my grandfather. My grandfather agreed to switch. Within minutes, the foxhole that my grandfather left, took a direct hit. His buddy was killed that day.

One day a year is not enough to remember and honor these heros. We should honor them everyday. I am thankful to live in a country with the freedoms I have. Take a moment today and give thanks.

Settling for Unhappiness Over Uncertainty

So let me get this straight. You are going to do something you don't love for most of your life, so you can retire and do nothing when you're old. The money is good and your work is not terrible, so you have settled into mundane complacency.

You are so afraid of the unknown, you don't take action. The thought that it won't work and you will fail is overwhelming. Fear and faith have one thing in common. Neither has happened yet. It is all in your approach.

In order to find happiness, you have to take action. This will make you uncomfortable, but this is the only way you can grow. Don't let uncertainty trap you into unhappiness. Set your goals and take action.

I Don't Have Time.

I often hear people say they don't have time. What they are really saying is that it is not that important. You always have a choice in everything you do. You show what is important by where you choose to spend your time.

I had a full day today and chose to get up and be at the gym at 5:30. Believe me, my body said no when the alarm went off. I had to make a choice. It was important enough to me to get up and make it happen.

The next time you are faced with an opportunity to grow, don't be so quick to say you don't have time. If it is important enough, you can make time.

Hurry!!

The world is moving at a much faster pace than when I was a kid. I can remember the long summer days that would seem to never end. We would ride our bikes until the sun went down. We were not bombarded with electronic devices.

Today everyone is in such a hurry. We have deadlines, back to back appointments and little time to breathe. We find ourselves running from emergency to emergency. We leave very little time for ourselves and our family.

No matter how busy you are, you have to find your reset. Maybe it is reading a book, praying, meditating or stopping to drink a cup of coffee. Since moving to the country, mine has been working on the land. Just do something that relaxes your mind. You will more productive when you are hurrying to your next appointment.

Too Much Ice Cream!

Usually when one area of your life is out of whack, it is from a lack of discipline. Laser focus allows you to excel in the areas you choose. Recently many areas of my life are hitting on all cylinders. However, one area I have struggled is fitness. Ice cream is good, but too much isn't.

You have to sacrifice one thing to commit to another. You should always view your goals as a whole and how they affect all areas of your life. To work longer hours, you will miss time at the gym. Then you will become less active. That affects your mood. You start to burn out from lack of energy. Now that you are missing time at the gym, you relax on the food you put in your body. It is a downward spiral.

I don't believe you can have total discipline in every area of your life. I do believe you can set goals and constantly working on them. Maybe instead of just committing to being more fit, you set a goal of running a 5K. This will force you to train because there is an end goal. Your goals should always be specific and measurable. You can enjoy ice cream. Just don't eat it everyday.

3 Hobbies

When is the last time you did something creative? How about something that got your heart rate up? When was the last time you were happy at work?

Most people go through life like water. They travel the least resistant path. Whatever is easy and doesn't hurt. They take a job because of the pay and not the passion. They don't exercise because they don't have time. They don't don't learn to play an instrument or paint.

In the end, you are hurting yourself. You go through life without fulfilling your true calling. You need 3 hobbies. One to make you money, one to keep you fit, and one to expand your mind.

The Front Row

There is a clear difference in the experience you have, based on where you sit. Front row seats cost more. You can't hide on the front row. It is harder to leave early when you sit on the front row.

Why sit in the front? On the front row, you get more from the speaker. You have fewer distractions. When you're on the back row, you are removed from the action. It's harder to get into the spirit of the event.

Many sit on the back row of life. They arrive late and leave early. They are not engaged. They are there, but not really present. Try the front row. Be a part of the action! You are going to love the show!

Activity vs. Accomplishment

Have you ever had a day where you worked hard, but weren't quite sure what you had accomplished? You know you were busy. You probably worked harder than you had in a while. Why don't you feel good about it?

You just did what many do. You confused accomplishment with activity. The act of moving papers from one side of your desk to the other is not an accomplishment. Think of accomplishments as high-value activities. If you are not focused on high-value activities, you will trick yourself into believing that your "busy" was productive.

When you are too busy doing one thing to do something else, you are saying that it is more important. Saying no can help regulate your life. It will help you streamline your day and let you focus on productive tasks.

Empty Bucket List

What is on your bucket list? Maybe it is a special trip you want to take. Is it bungee jumping or climbing a mountain? Maybe you want to visit all 50 states. Pull out your list and look at it. Why haven't you started?

I was recently given a sheet of paper with 16 words and asked to arrange them in order of importance. They included words like faith, family, power, money and so forth. After arranging them, the speaker then asked where I was spending the majority of my time. It was an eye opening experience.

If there is a place you want to go, you need to go. If there is something you want to do, then do it. Don't wait until you are given a death sentence to start living your life. Try to keep your bucket list empty!

You can only play your game.

The thing that drives each person is different. For some it is money and for others it is freedom. Some people want more time off with the family. Your end goal is determined by how you play your game. If you are not careful, you end up playing someone else game and that will not make you happy.

When you play someone else's game, you have to play by their rules. You are not in control of your life. If you find yourself working into the night and your goal is time with the family, you are not playing your game. You may have to grow your team in order to have that time off.

Think about your goal and build your work life around it. Once you know your plan, work it and don't let anyone deter you. That is the only way you will ever be truly happy.

What are you eating?

I hear people complain about where they are in life. Maybe they were dealt a bad hand. Things happened along the way to interrupt their path of success and happiness. Guess what? That happened to those who are successful as well. One major difference between average and successful is your diet. No, it's not what you're thinking. Well, maybe it is a little.

Like the food you put in your body, you also respond to what goes in your mind. If you feed on junk, then junk comes out. If you are reading the Bible, you are going to internalize it. That is feeding your soul. If you read self improvement books, the same thing will happen to your mind.

What goes in, must come out. Your body is a temple. Take care in what you feed your temple. Turn off the TV and grab a book. You are either growing or dying. The great thing is that you get to choose which.

Invest In Yourself

I'm in Las Vegas this week working on becoming a better agent and manager. It isn't easy to step away for days, but I have the desire to grow and serve my clients and agents better. I will network with top agents and learn from the best in our industry.

When you have success in your field, don't stop investing yourself. To stay on top of your game, you have to keep learning. You never know when you are going to pick up the one thing that propels your business to the next level.

What Voice Are You Listening To?

"Nobody can tell me what to do! I don't care what anyone else thinks! It's my life, I'll live it the way I want!" Have you ever caught yourself thinking this way, or even saying these things out loud? Have you caught yourself saying, "I can't. I'm not good enough. I don't have the skills."

When you only listen to yourself, you limit your possibilities. Your surroundings provide you with the motivation you need to succeed. If you listen to a committee of one, you are going to struggle to push ahead. If you listen to negativity, it will hurt you as well. Think about everything that goes into your head and heart as food. It is food for your mind and soul. What are you feeding on?

I attribute everything I have achieved  to the mentors I have had in my life. I first listen to that still small voice of my God and Savior. Then I take the council of my pastor and mentors. I choose to surround myself with people on the same journey as me, so it is easy to ask them what to do. The most valuable lessons are when you learn from someone else mistakes. They don't cost you nearly as much.

Salesman or Problem Solver?

Are you a great salesperson or are you a problem solver? What is the difference? Is one better than the other. Does one make you more money? Does one create better customers and relationships?

Think of it this way. A salesman calls you to sell you something, without knowing if you need it. You walk on the car lot to get an oil change and walk out with a new red F-150. You now have buyer remorse. Did the salesman win? Will you refer your friends and family to that person?

When you are problem solving, your focus will be different. Your focus is to ask good questions. You seek to learn about your client. Your job is to find out what their need is and help them find the answer. When you help someone solve a problem, you are valuable to them. Your relationship is different. They are happy with their purchase. They tell other people about you. In the end you still got paid, but your business will grow much faster than a salesman's. You will attract customers instead of chase them.

Work-Life Balance

Is work-life balance a myth? Could there possibly be a balance? If so, what would it look like? What would the ratio be? How can you possibly operate at the highest level and still find time for your family, church and even yourself?

I do believe that a work-life balance in the sense of having exact ratios that you split all activities up everyday, is a myth. It is impossible. Things happen. Everyday is different. There is a way to get your life back. It is not perfect, but it will work.

You need to time block. Put all of the activities you want to do in your calendar. Put in your work time, family events and personal time. If you don't write it down it certainly won't happen. Will it be perfect every week? Of course not. Over a period of time you will start to see more balance in your life because it is happening on purpose.

How Bad Do You Want it?

I hear people complain about their weight, job, financial situation or spiritual life. It usually starts with, "I know I need to be eating (      ), but....." If we know something, why don't we do it? It seems simple doesn't it.

The reason we don't, is that it doesn't hurt bad enough yet. You have to be so sick of where you are, you are willing to make the sacrifice to get to where you want to be. Until then you will just continue on in your complacent, comfortable rut. Like Dave Ramsey says, "You have to live like no one else, so later you can live like no one else!"

Changing your eating habits has to be one of the hardest things to do. You have to start thinking of food as fuel and not pleasure. Why do I write this? Because I live the struggle. It may not be food in your life. It may be something else. Start today! Make the first step. You can change and grow in a positive way. It just comes down to how much you want it.

Desire is the foundation

What system or tool do you need to be successful? How many calls do you have to make? What kind of CRM do you need to use? These are some of the first questions people ask, but they are the wrong ones.

What you need first is desire. You have to want something so bad, that you are willing to sacrifice to get it. When I was a kid, I was a dreamer. I was wired different. I had a desire to do something with my life. I went down many paths to get to where I am today. The cool thing is that I still have that same desire. I still want to grow and get better.

No one can make you have desire. It comes from within. How you think can be changed. Constantly read books. Get around successful people. Ask questions of those who have been there already. Never become complacent and lazy.

Stop Overthinking!

You have an idea or opportunity. You think about it. You think about it some more. You analyze the specifics. You run every scenario possible. You sit on the idea, waiting for a voice to come from the sky with a clear cut message on which way to go.

The answers don't always come so clearly. If you are not careful, you can overthink yourself into stagnation. Because every direction is not clear cut, you stay where you are and die. There is a lot to be said for the gut feeling you have when considering a new venture or a change. 

I'm not saying run roughshod over reality because you want something. I'm saying that it does not have to be perfect in order to move forward. Go do it, then perfect it.

Rose Colored Glasses

Winston Churchill said, "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty." Your success or failure depends on the glasses you look through to see every situation. How you view the situation determines the effort or lack of effort you apply to fix it.

It is easy to blame the lack of support, tools, technology or basically anything else on your problem. It is hard to look in the mirror and see our biggest problem. Have I done everything in my power regardless of what's around me?

Social media has brought every negative situation into our homes. If you are not careful, you will stay sad or angry over things you have no control over. It will start to affect your life and it doesn't need to. Keep looking ahead! The best is yet to come!

Reflection

As you look back on 2016, what do you think of the year? What did you accomplish? Were you a taker or a giver. Were you a complainer or a problem solver? Were others better for having known you?

There were times in my career when I struggled. We scraped the bottom a few time financially. Even through the toughest times, I always kept my client's best interest in mind. There were times we had to cancel deals when I really needed the check for my family. The focus always needs to be on the ones you serve. When you change that focus, you lose!

In 2017, try to lift others up. When you post on social media, ask if this will add value to people's lives or tear down relationships. You don't become successful without the help of others, but it has to start with you.