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.