Early Momentum

The more things change the more they stay the same. As the pace of life seemingly speeds up every year (due to responsibility, work demands,  technology etc.), I’m reminded that it becomes even MORE important that we keep the all important Thanksgiving holiday on our calendar. I like to consider myself a thankful person, but every year at this time I’m grateful for the time out to recognize our blessings.

I’m thankful for lifestyle

Today I am thankful that life IS good. Currently many people are occupying Wall street and other places across the country. I understand it is human nature to always want more. I also respect that there are some who are truly facing tough times right now. Just remember that America’s 99% IS the 1% on a global scale.

I’m thankful for the workplace

Wether you have a business or a job, be thankful for the chance at enterprise. It is the real world application of your skills that effect your personal growth. Be thankful for your customers, without whom there would be no business. If you are a boss in any capacity, be thankful for your people,  the ones who help make you successful.

Most of all I’m thankful for family and friends

It’s said “What good is it for a man to gain the world if he loses his soul?” You could just as easily replace soul with family and friends. To me life would be fruitless no matter how wealthy one is without friends and family. We should all slow down to truly be thankful for those in our lives. I have found the more genuinely grateful I am about a given relationship, the better I can contribute to it.

This holiday, take a time out to reflect. Make a point to show your thankfulness in word and action. Keep things in perspective and try to remember, the best things in life can’t be bought on a Black Friday sale (though there IS plenty of things at a Black Friday sale to be thankful for).

My kids asked my wife and I “How come there’s no Kids Day like there is a Father’s Day and Mother’s Day?”

My answer was that every day is Kids Day! Kids have parents who work to provide for them! Kids have no real cares of responsibility (ok, school work, I will give him that)! Kids get to spend nearly every hour watching TV and playing! Parents on the other hand, they get just one day a year.

Fathers, this is your day!  Enjoy it while lasts.  But as you enjoy it, may you reflect on the meaning of what fatherhood is all about.

Yes, children are wonderful when you’re lying on the couch and can’t reach the remote control.   Yes it is fantastic when they are at the age in which you can bribe them to do your chores for a mere nickel (watch out though , the rates increase with age). However I have found that one of the greatest things about being a father is the privilege of raising a human being.  To teach them the ways of life in regard to sophistication , financial skills , relational skills , good judgment, goal setting and values.

Many of us have aspirations to be famous or to influence a great number of people.  It dawned on me some point years ago while still a fairly new father that it is infinitely better to  positively influence your  own child or children than to influence thousands or even millions of strangers.

May today also remind of each of us that it is not enought just to be “father.” We must also strive to become “Dad.” There is a difference! Yes, a father provides, teaches and disciplines. But it is Dad who is fun and connects with his children without judgement.

Finally, make sure you express your appreciation to your father. I know most people get that, after all that’s the whole purpose of the holiday. But I would encourage the many people who have strained relationships with their fathers to consider reaching out to them. Don’t put off making amends. After all, love them or hate them, if it wasn’t for them you wouldn’t even have a shot at this thing called life.

A Father’s Love

A father is respected because
      he gives his children leadership…
      appreciated because
      he gives his children care…
      valued because
      he gives his children time…
      loved because
      he gives his children the one thing
      they treasure most – himself.

How many times a day are you asked this question? How many times a day do you ask somebody this question? How often is this question answered with something other than “okay” or “good?”

Personally I like to have some fun with this social formality. You can do so too. The next time you’re asked this question, at a basic level switch the typical response of “good” to “outstanding”  or “amazing.” Merely doing this alone will almost cause a double take from your inquisitor.

Once you’re comfortable doing that, take it to the next level with creative and positive responses like . . .

“If I were doing any better they would lock me up and throw away the key!”

“I’m doing so great if I were electricity I could power the eastern seaboard for a decade!”

“If I were currency I could pay off the national debt. Twice.”

“I’m putting the fun in dysfunctional.”

“I’m a living legend. If you don’t believe me, ask me.”

“I’m doing so good Oprah calls me for advice.”

See if you can’t come up with some unusual answers to this usual question. Doing so will put you and the other person in a better mood.

It’s that time of year again when people all across America are anxiously awaiting their tax refunds. Some people are so impatient for it they’re willing to pay a large chunk of it just to get it sooner!

Next to being shot at and missed, nothing is really quite as satisfying as an income tax refund.  ~F.J. Raymond

According to IRS.gov, in 2008 the average individual refund amount was $2,902. That’s a good chunk of change by anybody’s standards. For many, as soon as they receive it they begin thinking of all the fun they can have or the things they can buy. But may I suggest before you spend it without much thought (possibly before it’s even in your hands) that you think twice about the best way to use your windfall from Uncle Sam.

Consider the 50-50 rule of newfound money

This philosophy is for those of us who wish to balance planning for future financial freedom while at the same time enjoying today. Whenever you receive a bonus, monetary gift, a raise or even a tax refund, you have in your hands new money that you previously were not spending. At this point you can’t even use the excuse of needing it to cover your current standard of living (well, you could, but if that’s the case there are bigger problems at hand than what to do with your tax refund) . With this money in hand, decide to use 50% to invest or pay down debt and spend the other 50% as you wish.

Now if you’re in dire straits in regards to debt, you may find it prudent to use even more of your tax return to pay down debt (yes, discipline is key). If that is the case (and I’ve been there), let that spur you on to a new way of thinking so that future income needn’t be lost to lenders.

Perhaps today you are financially sound. You could just as easily invest a larger portion if not all of your tax return. Remember, a dollar spent today is just that, a dollar. A dollar invested for the future is multiplied.

The reality of your tax return

Talk to a financially wise person and he will likely tell you that a large tax refund is not necessarily a good thing. In reality, the money you received in the form of a tax refund is money you overpaid in taxes during the prior year. The government merely held on to your money in their bank account collecting interest for their benefit. That’s why it’s called a tax refund, not a bonus!

Wealth conscious people prefer to get no refund. Why is this? Because they understand that by not overpaying in taxes their money will have been in their own bank account all year long collecting interest for themselves.

Collecting more taxes than is absolutely necessary is legalized robbery.  ~Calvin Coolidge

For future planning, consider consulting a tax advisor to determine exactly how much taxes you should set up to come out of your paycheck.

So, when you receive that wonderful tax refund check this year, ask “how can I use at least half of this to improve my financial health?’ But . . . have some fun too!

Have you ever given thought to why you get paid for your work? I’m not talking about the specific tasks you do, but rather the purpose of your work in a general sense. At a high level, there are three reasons for any job being created or any service being paid for.

#1 We get paid to solve problems

The purpose of many jobs is to solve problems. We may talk in terms of filling a need, but a need is really a problem. In order to sell product a grocery store faces the problem of needing the shelves stocked. The clerk who stocks the shelves solves the problem and gets paid. It’s important to understand that if you wish to get paid more money then you should learn to solve bigger problems. Stocking the grocery shelves is a minor problem easily solved therefore it earns a modest pay. Contrast that with the problems that a brain surgeon must solve. Obviously if you’re having to see a brain surgeon you have a really big problem. The brain surgeon gets paid really big money to solve it for you.

When I first learned that solving problems equals earning money, suddenly I had a new outlook towards them. I learned to equate solving problems with bringing value. Problems are inevitable. People want to do business with those who are capable of solving them.

Leaders are problem solvers by talent and temperament, and by choice.-Harlan Cleveland

#2 We get paid to avoid problems

A dentist gives his patients routine cleanings to avoid the problem of cavities. A professional accountant is paid to help her client avoid tax problems or bankruptcy. When a house owner pays a company to install an alarm service it is to avoid the problem of being burglarized. For many people, much of their work is proactive activities designed to avoid problems. The bigger the problems avoided the bigger the pay.

The act of avoiding problems is perhaps the most thankless element of work. Yet imagine an amusement park without maintenance men or a new housing development without building inspectors. With most business it is only in the absence of major problems that we can spend our time focusing on opportunity.

#3 We get paid to create growth

Financial advisors make their money by growing their client’s investments. A major part of the business manager’s work is to grow profits. In many industries it is the salespeople who are the highest paid people in the company. The commissioned salesperson’s compensation increases relative to the growth they create through selling her company’s product. Take a look at most companies’ bonus plans and you’ll find they reward the growth of sales and/or profits.

Personally, I feel of the three reasons we get paid for our work, creating growth is the most rewarding. It’s like a payoff for your labor. Create much growth on your job or in your business and you will create much growth for youself in the process.

Don’t wait for extraordinary opportunities. Seize common occasions and make them great. Weak men wait for opportunities; strong men make them.-Orison Swett Marden

If you reflect on your work, you will find that your responsibilities fall under one or more of these categories. Understanding this and considering how you approach your work can go a long way in increasing your reward.

The role attitude plays in our lives is major! So it is important to understand what attitude really is. When broken down, that which people perceive as our attitude is in reality the sum total of our behaviors. Behaviors are visible. They come in the form of facial and body language, the words we use, the tone of our words, and our actions. When you hear someone say of someone else ”he has a positive attitude,” they have come to that conclusion based on the person’s behaviors.

Here are some examples of behaviors that can lead people to the conclusion of whether your attitude is positive or negative.

• frequent smiling vs. never smiling
• eye contact vs. rolling eyes
• learning from set backs vs. brooding over them
• a focus on future improvement vs. past failures
• showing appreciation vs not
• saying yes to reasonable coworker requests vs. saying no
• staying late when asked on occasion vs. not
• suggesting solutions to problems vs. complaining about them
• saying I can do that vs. I can’t do that

Attitude and personality are as important as experience and ability.-Brian Tracy

Most good bosses recognize that ability is much easier to teach than attitude. I would go so far as to say that someone who has what we would call a positive attitude is someone who will improve their ability where needed much faster than somebody who does not a have positive attitude. Since what we call attitude is really behaviors, in a sense it can be tought. Yet it is in large part an individual’s philosophy and internal decision-making that determines improvement in attitude. Therefore teaching someone how to improve their attitude is much different from teaching somebody how to drive a vehicle.

I’ve seen numerous examples of people who have the right credentials, experience and skills, in other words the right ability,  be overlooked for jobs or promotion because they didn’t bring the right attitude. Don’t get me wrong, results are still the name of the game. But the role a positive attitude plays in our success is major. The typical interview process is evidence of this. For all the talk of focusing on a interviewee’s past track record, if in the interview process the interviewer concludes rightly or wrongly that they have a bad attitude towards work or people there is likely zero chance they will get hired.

Attitude is not only important when getting your foot in the door. It is important all the time. Especially in business. The number one reason that employees quit a job is because of a bad boss. Essentially they come to the conclusion that the boss had a disrespectful attitude towards them. The number one reason why customers stop coming to a business is because they perceive the staff as being rude or inconsiderate. They have concluded that the business has a poor attitude towards customer service.

Winston Churchill said attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference. I agree. To drive this home, consider how Chuck Swindoll expounded on this idea.

The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failure, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company, a church, a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past. We cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it. And so it is with you. We are in charge of our attitudes.-Charles Swindoll

Ability matters. But never underestimate the importance of having the right attitude! And never forget, your attitude is yours. You are in absolute control of it. It is the one thing nobody can ever take from you!  

how definition: in what manner or way

The word “how” is one of my favorite words. When it comes to the primary interrogative words of who, what, where, when, why and how, if I could use only one the rest of my life, I think it would have to be how. The word how opens the door to possibilities. It begins creative thought. When asked as a question it leads us to improvements.

How is a word that is used frequently by leaders and successful people. An average or underperforming person in an organization will gripe, gossip and complain tirelessly about an undesirable situation or occurrence. But what are the leaders and top performers doing? They’re not complaining because they are too busy asking “how?” How can I avoid this next time? How can I do it better next time? How can I learn from this? They are forward thinking, not stuck on what happened in the past. Forward thinking often begins with the word “how!”

Top performers also use the word how to exploit and improve on what is going well. How can I build on my strengths? How can I recognize my top players? How can I increase profits? How can I find people to take me to the next level? How can I bring more value to my work? How can I better serve customers?

Here’s a sure-fire way to get motivated. Set aside some “you time” and begin to apply the word how to the important areas in your life.  Put a question beginning with the word how at the top of a clean sheet of paper and then begin to brainstorm the answers. This is where solutions to your problems and improvements to your successes begin! In case you need it, here are some good questions to get you started.

• How can I become a better parent/son/daughter/friend/spouse?
• How can I reduce stress?
• How can I create some great experiences?
• How can I get better results on my job?
• How can I earn/save/invest more money?
• How can I live a healthier lifestyle?
• How can I reduce debt?
• How can I simplify my life?

Chances are you’ve never given this much thought to such a common word in your vocabulary. Yet almost all innovation, improvements, and prosperity stems from someone asking how?

Anybody with at least an elementary school education knows the benefits of exercise. We would all likely agree it is something we should be doing. My goal here is not to sell you on why you should exercise, but rather to encourage you to do it and share some ideas to help remove the excuses we come up with.

It seems for most people that the excuses they come up with to not exercise fall into one of three categories. Those categories are lack of money, lack of time and lack of motivation. Here are some best bets, or perhaps new ways of thinking, to conquer each of these.

Lack of money
Sometimes people want to exercise but they say they can’t afford a gym membership or exercise equipment for home. If this is true for you, I recommend looking for a YMCA in your community. As a nonprofit organization, they offer greatly reduced membership pricing for low-income individuals and families. Furthermore, when it comes to equipment for your home, you’ll be amazed at what you will find in garage sales or even thrift stores.

If still you cannot find a way to afford these things, I would remind you that most pieces of equipment you will find in a gym are merely mechanical re-creations of what began as natural exercise motions requiring nothing but the human body. The bench press a push-up, the leg press a squat, the lat pulldown a chin up and the treadmill a run around your block.  Temporary lack of money should not be a roadblock for a healthier you.

Lack of time
While this is an excuse I simply cannot buy, often times people will simply say they don’t have the time to exercise. Yet the same people usually agree on how important it is. In reality they have simply placed something else as a priority over exercise.

If we are honest with ourselves, we almost always have the time. I can sit here and list suggestions for fitting exercise into your day like taking the stairs over the elevator and parking your car far away from the grocery store entrance, but few people are so pinched for time that they need to go this far. Most modern recommendations for amount of exercise is 30 minutes a day on average. Surely the majority of us spend more than this in television viewing alone. Here’s the good news, you can get a great workout in front of your TV!

Some exercise programs that a lot of people seem to enjoy are  one hundred push ups, two hundred situps and two hundred squats. What I like about these is they can be tailored to any fitness level and can absolutely be done in the comfort of your living room while watching your favorite show. Each of these programs even have fun apps for your iPhone! Don’t let the false excuse of lack of time be a roadblock to a better you.

Those who think they have not time for bodily exercise will sooner or later have to find time for illness. -Edward Stanley

Lack of motivation
We can all think of plenty of people who do not lack the money, nor the time, nor the understanding of the benefits and importance of exercise. Still these people do not make it a habit of exercising in their life. In most cases this is because they simply do not have the motivation.

If you find yourself in this boat, one of the most time-tested solutions is to find yourself a partner. Preferably a close friend or your spouse. If that doesn’t work, and you have the financial resources to do so, hire yourself a trainer. Accountability is key especially in the early days of developing a habit of exercise. Exercise can be more fun, and often times progress is made faster, with a partner.

Even if you don’t have a partner or trainer, just begin to go to the gym. It is altogether encouraging and motivational when you see a number of other people actively getting fit. You will certainly see people more fit than you and less fit than you. In any event, they are all working towards a positive goal of better health and fitness and the inspiration can be contagious.

With all that said, even the best of us run into those times where we simply are unmotivated to leave the comfort of our couch and get in a workout. Perhaps we’ve had a long day at work or minimal sleep the night before. For those inevitable times, I recommend the following “exercise.”

On your next workout, notice the natural high you achieve. Notice the positive energy. Notice the sense of accomplishment. Notice the feeling of motivation that carries over as you begin to think creatively and are inspired to do better in other areas of your life as well. Right after your workout, capture those feelings and thoughts in your own words on paper. If in that moment you are convinced that the  feelings are much better than the feelings you get from sitting in front of the television or eating excessive junk food, then write that down too. Doing this will help cement in your mind how great exercise can be. Now, the next time you know you should exercise but don’t feel like it, read those notes you wrote to yourself. You’ll likely find them be all the inspiration you need.

 I can tell you that no matter how much I do not feel like exercising, the very minute I begin I’m always thankful that I did and quickly find the energy and motivation to finish.

All parts of the body which have a function if used in moderation and exercised in labors in which each is accustomed, become thereby healthy, well developed and age more slowly, but if unused they become liable to disease, defective in growth and age quickly.-Hippocrates

Our bodies are truly designed with a need for reasonable amounts of exercise. Without an exercise program our bodies atrophy. We become lethargic. We are less productive in all areas of our life. With an exercise program, however simple or advanced, we feel better. We are more creative and effective in our work thereby potentially making more money. We live healthier and longer lives. So what are you waiting for? Find yourself the motivation. Just do it!

For most of us, eating healthy is always a challenge. If we want to be healthy it needs to be by design.

When somebody wants to lose weight they usually talk about going on a diet. Going on a diet suggests a short-term project that will start and end. What happens when the diet ends? For most people, they quickly resort back to their previous state of eating and weight management. Going on a diet in the traditional sense suggests that we have to refrain from enjoying the foods we like to eat.

There are two definitions for the word diet. One definition is the abstinence from food. The other definition is daily intake of food. The latter definition is the one healthy people think of when they hear the word diet. A person’s diet is simply the way they eat. Therefore some people have good diets and some people have bad diets, but everybody has a diet. Instead of saying “I’m going to go on a diet,” say “I need to change the way I eat.”

He that takes medicine and neglects diet, wastes the skill of the physician.-Chinese proverb

Before we can change the way we eat we must change the way we think. Much of our diet, the way we eat, is psychological. Often times unfit people think in terms of “I live to eat” while fit people think in terms of “I eat to live.” What a major distinction between those two thoughts.

Here then are some best bets on improving our diet.

Be disciplined about what you bring into the house

When it’s time to eat at home, we eat what’s on hand. Whether it’s good food or bad food, we’ll eat what we have. So if the majority of our food choices at home are good ones, we are more likely to eat right. For me, I try to avoid having too much junk food on hand because, especially when I’ve skipped hungry and gone to starving, it’s so easy just to grab prepackaged snack foods because I don’t have patience to prepare something better. If I don’t have the wrong foods on hand, then when I’m hungry I have no choice but to eat something healthy.

Never shop on an empty stomach

To help make sure you are disciplined about which foods you bring into your home, it’s important to never shop when you’re hungry. Studies show that when we go grocery shopping while hungry we fill our carts with more of the wrong foods. If you’re hungry, the last thing you want to do is spend time shopping and then have to go home and spend more time to prepare a decent meal. As a result we grab quick to fix or ready to eat foods which are often bad foods. The solution then is to go shopping right after a meal or at least after a healthy snack.

Always shop with a list

Create a standard shopping list as a file on your computer. When you create it, brainstorm all the things you enjoy having that promote a healthy diet. When it’s time to go to the grocery store, print a copy of your list and walk around your kitchen. Note all the things you need to get. When you go to the grocery store with a predetermined list, you will be much more likely to come back with the right kind of foods. Also, you will likely save money and you will definitely save time.

Those who think they have no time for healthy eating will sooner or later have to find time for illness.-Edward Stanley

Take your time eating

It takes about 20 minutes for your stomach to communicate to your brain that you are full. Taking your time to chew your food and setting your fork down between each bite will draw out the eating process. It is when we eat too fast that we finish a meal and then still crave and eat  a big dessert and suddenly go from starving to stuffed.

Sweet alternatives

Even the most disciplined people still have a sweet tooth. I would not suggest that we deprive ourselves of treats. With a little work though, you can come up with some great alternatives like these in place of high-fat and high sugar snacks and desserts. Additionally, virtually all restaurants today offer something decent on the menu. A good resource for finding  healthier  alternatives at your favorite restaurants or the grocery store is the “Eat this not that” book series.

Eat like a gremlin

Remember the movie Gremlins? In it were cute little cuddly creatures that came with the rule that they could never be fed after midnight. Of course when they did eat after midnight, they turned into gruesome monsters. Like many things in life, when it comes to eating timing is everything. Ideally your bigger meals of the day should be early on like breakfast and lunch. To help stay fit, dinner should actually be your smallest main meal of the day. Of course most of us were raised to eat in the reverse. Try not to eat too close to bedtime either. When sleeping, your metabolism slows and your body is much more likely to store food as fat.

Portions are key

For years now doctors and health experts have been talking about watching the size of our food portions. It is often recommended to eat smaller meals more often. The average human stomach is about the size of a closed human fist. It expands to hold up to a quart of food or more. If a person frequently eats large portions at meals eventually their stomach will hold in an expanded state. This is why you’ll sometimes see fit people who exercise a lot but still have large bellies. When you eat the correct portions, your body will be getting just the right amount of food that it needs to function at a high level of energy with no excess waste.

Avoid the three whites

Try to avoid excessive consumption of the three whites which are salt, flour and sugar. This becomes easier to the extent that you lean towards eating natural and whole foods.

Yes, by all means cheat

A general consensus on healthy eating is that not only is okay but it’s good to have a cheat day every week. While I am pretty disciplined in my eating habits, I’m a sucker for good pizza and would go crazy if I were never able to enjoy it. A person who eats relatively healthy six days out of the week should be just fine having a day in which they enjoy whatever they want.

In closing, eating healthy does not have to be a painful or tedious task. Nor, for most people, should it be taken to extremes. However, a healthy diet is so vital to your success and enjoyment of life that it is something that should be studied and pursued. The benefits are endless and once it becomes a habit one experiences a new self-confidence and will never want to go back.

Treat your body like a temple, not a woodshed!-Jim Rohn

I love what Izaak Walton once said: “Look to your health; and if you have it, praise God and value it next to conscience; for health is the second blessing that we mortals are capable of, a blessing money can’t buy.”

For most of us, summer brings for us thoughts (if not actions) of getting more fit. Getting in shape is one of those things in life that we know we should do yet we certainly don’t always do it. Speaking for myself, while there are many barriers to getting fit, I have found there to be a couple that are most challenging.

First of these is that we are victims of our own advancement. In work, technology has eliminated for many people any calorie burning activity. In play, we have an endless amount of inactivate entertainment to fill our time.

Second of these barriers in my experience is  information overload. Have you ever gotten motivated to research a good fitness plan only to have your head spin by all the different diet and exercise theories? On more than one occasion I have read separate articles in the same fitness magazine that completely contradicted each other!

In my study of fitness if you were to boil it down to a five word philosophy it would be eat less and exercise more. Now that may seem a little obvious, but like many fundamentals in life if we will only take action on that which we know we will get the results that we desire.

I think all of us have some level of desire to be fit and healthy. I don’t think anybody actually says to themselves “I want to be out of shape and eat non-nutritional foods in excess.” So it seems the difference between fit and unfit people goes back to that powerful word of desire. Some people desire to be fit and healthy more than others. This is where it is important to understand that in order to build a strong enough desire you must first build a strong enough why!

According to the Mayo Clinic, the why can be found in a number of benefits. They include managing your weight, improving your mood, decreasing the chance of disease, quality sleep and even a better sex life! WebMD adds better skin, reduced stress, less illness and increased brain power! In addition to these, a major benefit I have found in regular exercise is increased creativity. While working out or running, I find dozens of ideas start flowing through my head. Ideas having to do with work projects, speeches, blog posts, conversations and solutions to problems. I find there is rarely a point when I am more motivated than in the midst of a fitness improving activity.

If I’d known I was going to live this long, I’d have taken better care of myself.-Eubie Blake on his 100th birthday

So far all of these benefits of being fit and healthy have to do with you. But for some people, for whatever reason, they just won’t do it for themselves. So for those people I would suggest to look outside themselves and consider how it would benefit those closest to them. For instance, how many times does somebody “let themselves go” once they set into the routine of a marriage? Yes the vows of “till death do us part” have been exchanged, but should that mean that we should take any less care of ourselves that we did in the days of courtship? And what of our children? If you are a parent, you are the foremost role model in your children’s lives. It is from you that they will primarily learn their life long health and fitness habits, or the lack of them. If we love our children, do we not owe it to them to set them up for success in this very important part of life?

If still one is not motivated, would one be motivated if being fit or not affected their income and career success?

If you’d like to get more fit this summer (or are already doing well and want to keep it up), here’s a few actions to take.

1. Decide what’s in it for you and those who are important to you. Consider the benefits and ask if they outweigh the comfort of not making the effort to be fit and healthy.
2. Read or learn about some inspirational role models of health and fitness. If you need some thought starters consider Lance Armstrong , Michelle Obama or Jack LaLanne who at 96 yrs old is probably more fit than most people half his age.
3. If possible, find a partner who is also interested in becoming more fit and healthy. It can be more fun and easier to stay on track when someone else comes along for the ride.
4. Finally, check back here in the coming week for some best bets for exercise and eating habits.

Summertime is here. There’s no better season for getting motivated to make positive changes in your health plan. The sun is out and outdoor activity is abundant. There is no shortage of ways and inspiration to take your fitness to the next level.

Take care of your body with steadfast fidelity. The soul must see through these eyes alone, and if they are dim, the whole world is clouded.-Goethe

 

Wow, we are already at the mid year point of 2010! I have found that with the passage of time comes an appreciation for just how fast it passes. It is so important in life to have regular mile markers on our life’s journey, points in which we reflect on, measure and reassess our progress towards our goals.

You do have goals, don’t you?

If yes, like many people you may have set or reset your goals at the start of 2010. Also like many people, through the passing of time you may have gotten off track in the last six months. If that’s the case, may this serve as a reminder to take another look at them. Are you still taking action towards those goals? Do you need to get back on track? Remind yourself why you set your goals in the first place and how they will improve your life when you achieve them.

If no, now’s a good time to create some goals. It amazes me that some people put off goal setting until New Year’s Day. Why would you wait? If you believe in goal setting, it’s important to realize that there’s no sense in wasting any amount of time in your life. If you’re not already saying “where does the time go,” you will eventually. Anyone would agree a year is a good amount of time, however I propose that we should place the same value on six months, a month, a week and even a day.

It is never too late to be who you might have been. -George Eliot

At this 2010 mid year checkpoint, ask yourself the important questions.

How much money have I saved or invested for my future financial independence this year?

Am I actively involved in an exercise program?

What have I done so far this year to improve my marketable skills?

How many unique and memorable experiences have I had so far this year?

Are the people I hang around with most taking me to the next level or are they dragging me down?

Am I a person who brings others to the next level or do I drag them down?

Be honest with yourself in answering these questions (and others that are important to you). Where necessary, change your actions and behaviors to keep you moving forward on the right path.

He who asks a question is a fool for five minutes; he who does not ask a question remains a fool forever.     -Chinese proverb

A mid year challenge

I challenge you to maximize the rest of 2010. I challenge you to enjoy the now while taking steps to improve your future. Remember, how you spend the rest of this year will determine the size of the goals you will set in the next year. Get around the right people. Make time for personal growth. Set routine blocks of time to review your progress toward your goals. Be a people builder. Stay ambitious but at same time remember to be yourself and make life fun!

How you respond to the challenge in the second half will determine what you become after the game, whether you are a winner or a loser. -Louis Camulti

Today marked the official unveiling of the new iPhone 4, the latest hit coming from Apple and its founder Steve Jobs. It’s difficult to think of any other individual or organization that has created such major hits with consumers as the  iPod, iPhone and the iPad, especially in such a short period of time. All three were released between 2001 and 2010. 

Truly we can call Steve Jobs one of the most successful individuals in all of history. But like many success stories, if you study them you will realize that they do not have their success handed to them on a silver platter, but rather they came from normal or even humble beginnings with nothing but a dream and a strong desire to realize it. 

Steve Jobs was born in 1955 and was quickly adopted. After graduating high school, he started college in Oregon State. He dropped out after one semester. Even early in life he faced obstacles that many people would use to write off someone’s potential. 

After leaving school Jobs went to work for Atari. In 1976  he founded Apple Computer along with his partner Steve Wozniak. It was their company that first brought color to the computer with the Apple II in 1977. By 1984, the Macintosh computer was introduced to the world. For the first time it was within reach for people to have a home computer. Needless to say Apple was very successful even early on. In it’s first 10 years the company grew from two partners working out of  Jobs’  parent’s garage to being a $2 billion company with over 4000 employees. 

In 1985, a shocker happened. Having become so successful meant that like any other large company Apple had a board of directors. At this time Jobs and other key leadership at Apple had a falling out due to disagreement on future plans for the company. Even though it was an organization he created, the Board of Directors voted him out of the company. 

It still holds true that man is most uniquely human when he turns obstacles into opportunities.-Eric Hoffer

After he was gone from Apple, Jobs created a new company called Next Computers. His new company ironically would later be sold to Apple to the tune of $430 million. Also during his time away from Apple, he purchased Pixar animation Studios from George Lucas for less than $10 million. It was under his watch that Pixar would go on to create the blockbuster movies Finding Nemo and Toy Story (in 2006 Jobs would sell Pixar to Disney in a 7.4 billion deal, talk about good investments).

In 1996, Apple asked Jobs to come back. Since he’s been back in the saddle as leader of the company he created, Apple’s market share has increased to a current $159.37 billion! 

In 2009 he was named by Fortune magazine CEO of the Decade. 

While the facts about Steve Jobs are impressive, it’s valuable to study the lessons we can learn from this role model of innovation’s life. 

Life’s stumbling blocks can’t stop you if you won’t let them

Besides dropping out of college, Steve Jobs faced major health challenges such as being diagnosed with cancer in 2003 and later going through a series of major medical procedures. None of these mental or physical challenges prevented him from reaching goals most people could never even dream of. 

Don’t leave too soon

Most people don’t realize it but there was a third partner in the founding of Apple computers named Ron Wayne. He quit a mere 12 days later as he considered their endeavor to risky financially. 

Innovation leads to success  

Take yourself back to right before the new millennium. Even in 1999, if someone described to you a product like the iPhone or the new iPad, what would you have said? Would you believe them possible? Yet today because somebody had the talent and motivation to think way outside of the box, they are reality. As of the end of 2009, Apple had sold 7.4 million iPhones and as of January 2010 they have sold 250 million iPods! 

I want to put a ding in the universe. -Steve Jobs

Steve Jobs Stanford Commencement Speech 2005 

With the recent passing of John Wooden, I am compelled to write a post in his honor. While he was one of the most successful players and coaches in college basketball history, he is equally as known for his greatness as a leader. My point here is not to highlight his basketball career, but rather to share some of his leadership philosophy that has influenced so many people including myself.

Years ago while in an airport bookstore, I purchased one of his books on leadership to pass the time. Later I had the opportunity to see him speak. I quickly found him to be one of the few people whose every idea seems so spot on when it comes to the subjects of leadership, teamwork and human relations.

The Pyramid of Success
When it comes to his leadership and teaching, John Wooden is likely most known for his “pyramid of success.”  It was his illustrative list of traits and values he considered essential to acquire lasting success. While he began it early in his coaching career, he gradually adjusted and added to it over the years. It is succinct and profound at the same time. We could all do a lot worse than to use it as a roadmap for our personal development plan.

John Wooden’s Seven-Point Creed
He was fond of sharing a seven-point creed for living which his father taught him when he graduated from elementary school. In it you will find the traits of integrity, excellence, generosity, self-development, wisdom, gratitude and more. 

1. Be true to yourself.
2. Make each day your masterpiece.
3. Help others.
4. Drink deeply from good books including the Good Book.
5. Make friendship a fine art.
6. Build a shelter against a rainy day.
7. Pray for guidance and give thanks for your blessings everyday.

The Four P’s
Wether in sports, business or any other endeavor, he considered the keys to successful execution to be what he called “the four P’s”. Planning, preparation, practice, and performance.

As a Leader, demand consistency
On the subject of consistency he had this to say: “I would not accept inconsistency-the pitfalls of repeated highs and lows. I wanted the individuals on our team to play the same way, game to game, that is, with the greatest intensity while executing at the highest performance level of which they were capable. Emotional ups and downs preclude this.”

Lastly, here’s just a handful of the notes I’ve made from his teachings.

• Before you can lead others, you must be able to lead yourself.
• There is no substitute for enthusiasm.
• The star of the team is the Team.
• Beware those who will do whatever it takes to win.
• Remember that a good demonstration tops a great description.
• Control emotion or emotion will control you.
• Sloppiness breeds sloppiness.
• Pride is easier to instill with the carrot (than punishment).
• Believe in the hidden potential of all.
• Long-term success requires short-term focus.
• Don’t make “woe is me” your fight song.

I could go on and on but in the spirit of brevity, if you are at all interested in learning more about his great leadership philosophy, I’ll leave you with two recommendations. First, get your hands on one of the many great books on or by him. Second, thoroughly check out his fantastic website.

It’s astounding to me how much talk we hear about time management. When you get down to it, time management is in fact an oxymoron. To manage time suggests that you somehow control or influence it like money or a business. In reality, time cannot be slowed down, sped up or multiplied. No matter what anyone promises you, you cannot “add two extra hours to your day.”

Everybody gets exactly the same amount of time in a day

Have you ever stopped to think that successful people and unsuccessful people in life both have exactly 24 hours in a day, seven days in a week and 365 days in a year? Successful people do not get two more hours on the clock. They have not figured out a way to extend their year by a month. No, everybody has the exact same amount of time to work with.

If you want to make good use of your time, you’ve got to know what’s most important and then give it all you’ve got.
Lee Iacocca

When we talk about time management, what we really mean to say is priority management

In reality, the difference between the successful and the unsuccessful is not how much time they have, but what they do with their time! Think about a top performer and an underperformer in your workplace. Observe each one of them in action for a day. Ask yourself, what is the top performer doing differently then the underperformer? All things being equal they will both work for about the same time in a day. However, you will find they are doing vastly different things during that time. They have set for themselves different priorities.

Imagine two similar individuals born and raised in the same neighborhood and attending the same school. One becomes financially independent, the other spends his life in debt living paycheck to paycheck. Chances are the person who went on to become wealthy at some point chose to take some of his time to learn how to become financially independent. He made it a priority to read a book, take a class, or have the right conversations with the right people to learn how to do it. Once he learned, he made it a priority to practice the behaviors and take the necessary actions to do what he learned. Ask yourself of the other individual who stayed in debt living paycheck to paycheck, could he have also made the same priorities in his life? It sure seems that he could have. But judging by his outcome, it seems instead that he had very different priorities.

Strategies for better priority management

Brainstorm on paper all the things you want to do and the things you need to do

I recommend you do this twice, once for work and once for your personal life. Next, number each item on the list in order of priority and then rewrite the list. Why? Because doing so is the starting process of effectively managing your priorities. Like they say, you can’t hit a target if you don’t know what it is.

Always ask before starting a new activity, “what is the best use of my time right now?”

This question is so much easier if you have done the exercise of setting your priorities. If “get to the gym three times per week” is higher on your priority list than “play video games” you’ll know what to do when you get home from work Wednesday evening if you haven’t been to the gym yet that week.

Know the difference between your personal priorities and your work priorities

Personal priorities are just that, personal. There is no right or wrong arrangement, it’s up to you and your values. Work priorities on the other hand are likely more pre-determined, but how you order them will greatly affect your success.

In order to best set your work priorities, consult two resources

One is your boss. Ask of her “What are the top 1-3 results you want me to achieve/focus on?” Additionally if you’ve made a priorities list you could show it to them and ask if they agree or how they would prefer you reorder it. The other resource to consult is the top performer(s) in your workplace or job position.  Ask them “what things do you do with your time that bring you the best results?” Observe them in action if possible.

It’s not enough to be busy, so are the ants. The question is, what are we busy about?
Henry David Thoreau

Remember, successful people don’t necessarily work harder than other people, but rather they figure out the highest value tasks to get done and prioritize accordingly.

When we talk about the influential people in history, Mohandas Gandhi is often part of the discussion. We’ve all heard the name and probably agree he was a wise and noble person. But to get a “cliff notes” version of his philosophy, one could start by reading the short list of profound thoughts he left to his grandson shortly before his life ended. He called the list ”The 7 Blunders of the World.”  

1. Wealth without work  

2. Pleasure without conscience  

3. Knowledge without character  

4. Commerce without morality  

5. Science without humanity  

6. Worship without sacrifice  

7. Politics without principle  

Later, his grandson Arun Gandhi added an eighth “blunder” to the list . . .  

8. Rights without responsibilities 

As a kid and even as a teenager, my attitude was if something wasn’t from my time it must suck! My parents music? No way could that be any good! The movies they told me I should watch? Not a chance! But as time passed, and my horizons opened, I realized that maybe mom wasn’t all wrong. That band she grew up on, the Beatles, yeah, they were really talented and they do have some great music. That out of control head banging uncle? It turns out some of that classic 70s and early 80s rock that he was listening to holds up today as some of my favorite music.  

Few can match the charisma of David Lee Roth circa 1984!

When I was a kid, I wouldn’t  give anything that was in black and white a chance. But you know what I found, a well-written movie with great acting from any era can be awesome. Today I consider classics like Citizen Kane and Fail-Safe to be great cinema. I never would have given them a chance if I hadn’t been open to the recommendations of an older generation.  

Suspenseful by even today's standards, the 1964 classic Fail-Safe will get you thinking.

For most of us, growing up we never really get to know the uniqueness of our parents. Sure we know them superficially, after all we lived with them for much of our lives. But often as a kid we never become really interested in who they are. Growing up we don’t seem to care what their childhood was like. Most of us never ask what the towns were like that they grew up in or what their favorite music, television shows, or experiences were from when they were a child or young adult.  

One of the best things we can do to improve the relationships with our parents as well as our grandparents, is to be interested in and ask questions about their lives. Not only will we learn to appreciate them more, but we learn a thing or two in the process. Who knows, you may even gain some new interests for yourself.  

If you are a parent, this idea is equally valuable in reverse. How much do you really know about your children? Sure you love them unconditionally, but do you know their favorite movie, musician, sport or video game?  

Showing interest in others is how we become interesting. It’s no different with our loved ones.

Leadership expert John Maxwell teaches one of my favorite principles he calls “The Law of the Lid.”  It suggests that the level of leadership you possess (for example on a scale of 1-10) determines much of your effectiveness and it especially determines the quality of those who follow you.  I’ve found this to be true and something that affects us whether we’re in the role of leader or follower.

As a Leader
A leader cannot attract and develop people beyond his own level. His own level of leadership ability is his “lid,” both on his and his team’s results. If he is a 6 he will not likely acquire followers who are a 7 or 8. If he does manage to do so by luck, it will be very short-lived as eventually motivated followers will leave to find a leader who is at a level higher than themselves. It is for this reason the leader must recognize in order to improve their team and their results, they must first raise the lid on their own leadership ability.

The single biggest way to impact an organization is to focus on leadership development. There is almost no limit to the potential of an organization that recruits good people, raises them up as leaders and continually develops them.-John Maxwell

A good leader is always making conscious efforts to grow and develop their teams. They understand that when you develop followers to a higher level your results go to a higher level. That is why as leaders we must always be developing ourselves to the next level!

In a leadership role we need to ask ourselves the following:

• Am I raising my own lid?
• Am I raising the lid of my followers?
• Are my best followers at the same level as me? If yes, what action should I take?

As a follower
We all follow somebody. If we’re serious about our own personal growth, then we need to assess the leaders we follow. If your goal is to be what you would consider an 8 , then you need to be following a 9 or 10. You’ll never get there following a 6!

Sports are a great example of this phenomenon. A star college football player reaches a certain level before going to the pros. Inevitably when he makes it into the NFL he realizes it is now a whole new level of the game! He is now a small fish in a big pond. Possibly, over time he will develop into a star NFL player. But he would never get to that level of an athlete if he stayed playing on a college team.

If you wish to grow, some good questions to ask of your leader are:

• Are they at a higher level of leadership (or ability) than me?
• Are they willing to develop me?
• Do they make efforts to develop themselves?

If you find yourself in a development rut in your job, for example say you’re a 5 following a 5, I would suggest you do one of two things to ensure your future growth. The first option is to look outside for development opportunities. You can find leaders who will take you to the next level through books, mentors or teachers. Doing this will very likely take you towards the level you want to be and as a result will open doors and create opportunity for you in your current organization. If you’re convinced that’s not possible, then the second option is to seek out a different team or organization.

To learn more about the law of the lid and many of the great leadership principles, I recommend the book The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership by John Maxwell.

When looking to create personal wealth and a great financial future, one of the most important things to consider in every single purchasing decision is cost per use. Doing so causes us to use better judgment in how we spend our money and making our hard-earned dollars go further. To determine the cost per use of any given thing, simply divide its purchase price by the number of times it gets used.

One Way To Enjoy A Boat

For the sake of illustration, let’s say you wanted to purchase a new boat. A recent online check tells us that the average cost of a new 2009 Bayliner boat is$47,053. Unless you’re going to pay cash, there will be financing costs to add on top of that. Then there will be ongoing costs like outfitting the boat, fuel, maintenance and upkeep, storage, a boat trailer and insurance. Let’s estimate a conservative $13,000 for this over 10 years time. We are now at $60,000. Now for someone who’s passionate about getting a boat, at the time of purchase, they have every intention of going out on the water “every weekend.” Of course between work, family and needed down time it never quite works out that way. Assuming 12 trips a year for 10 years, the cost per use in this example is $500!

A Better Way To Enjoy A Boat

Last summer my family and I with a few friends went to a beautiful lake and rented a great boat. We drove down to the boat launch and parked the car. We walked down to the dock were somebody from the boat rental company backed the boat into the water for us. They even provided tubing equipment. We stepped into the boat and were on our way for a full day of fun in the sun. When we were about to come in, we called the boat company and right about the time we got to the dock they were there to hook up the boat and take it away. All fun, no drudgery. The cost to rent the boat for the entire day was $180. We split the cost four ways so it ended up being $45. Assuming we did that 12 times a year for 10 years, it would amount to $5,400. A savings of $54,600 over buying a new boat! Even if you were to rent the boat as in this example without splitting the costs, over 10 years you’d spend $21,600 for a savings of $38,400.

Wealthy Is As Wealthy Does

This technique is used consciously by the majority of wealthy people. It’s one of the reasons they’re wealthy. In fact, many financially successful people adhere to the motto of “never buy when you can rent, never rent when you can borrow!”

How Can You Apply It?

I used an extreme example earlier of a boat. On a daily basis, it is in our small and seemingly insignificant purchases that understanding cost per use benefits us. Take a look at your possessions. How many DVDs have you purchased for $15-$20 in which you only watched one time? Would it make more sense to rent a movie so that the cost per use is $3 instead of $15 to $20? Do you own a set of expensive skis that you have used only a few times? Could you have rented skis and all the corresponding gear for a weekend at a ski resort for a fraction of the cost? Parents, can you think of a $50 toy you bought for your child that they only used a few times? At $16 per use would you make the same decision or perhaps invested in a college fund?

Here are some ideas for reducing cost per use.

• choose the library over Amazon.com
• choose Netflix over new DVDs
• purchase your favorite songs individually on iTunes versus entire CDs
• consider a gym membership over expensive home equipment
• buy used instead of new

Wether your motivation is to have more money to invest in your financial future or to enjoy more of your favorite things today, understanding cost per use will go a long ways in your achieving both of these goals.

In self-development circles, there’s a lot of talk about deciding to be the best at whatever it is you pursue. Often times you will hear something to the effect of “you can be number one if you just decide to!” While in some circumstances this may be very possible, most times this is too large of a goal for us to view as being realistic. As a result, we may not even bother to stretch ourselves in an attempt to be the best we can be. After all, only one can truly be the best. And even then, like a championship winning sports team, nobody stays the best for long. 

The exciting news is this. While it may not be possible to be the best, it is absolutely possible to be one of the best! Rest assured that being one of the best is a great place to be! When you become one of the best in your line of work you can bank on job security. When you become one of the best in your class, potential opens for scholarships and choices for the very best in schools. When you are one of the best, you experience more recognition, rewards, opportunity and personal satisfaction. 

Here’s how to go about becoming one of the best. 

Decide

Decide what you want, decide what you are willing to exchange for it. Establish your priorities and go to work. -H.L. Hunt

 Amazingly the vast majority of the population will never even think about this concept. The thought of becoming one of the best at what they do simply never crosses their mind. By merely deciding for yourself to become one of the best you give yourself a step up on your competition.

Define

If your batting average is high enough, the Big League will find you.

 What benchmark do you need to reach in order to consider yourself one of the best? In most cases it’s a simple matter of defining some numbers to hit. A baseball player may choose to focus on batting average. A student on a GPA. A manager on productivity measurements. A salesperson on units sold. In most cases the statistics you need to determine your targets are readily available.  As a starting point, begin with a target that will put you into the top 20%. Being in the top quintile of that which you apply yourself to is a fantastic place to be. Once you are there, set the bar higher and go for the top 10%, 5% and perhaps even the top 1%.

Take action

Action is the foundational key to all success.-Pablo Picasso 

 Once you’ve decided a meaningful area of life which you want to become one of the best in and after you’ve defined how you will know that you have arrived, it’s time to take action! Monitor your results on an ongoing basis. Look for continual improvement. Resolve to change behaviors, gain new learnings, and ask for feedback along the way in order to accelerate you to your destination.

Remember the vast majority of the population is not intent on becoming one of the best at what they do. This means that if you decide to be one of the best your future is bright. And if you should become the best, all the better!