STOP THE NOISE!
How do you want to be remembered?
As the person that stumbled, failed and did not get back up?
As the person who saw their setbacks as temporary and did NOT lose their confidence to push forward and accomplish greatness?
Today we celebrate the birth of a man who is the epitome of the latter. A man who after enduring numerous failures, trials and tribulations, ones that would break even the strongest of persons, ran for president, a position he had no business running for, but he did and guess what, … HE WON!
I want you to keep something in mind: YOU ARE STRONGER THAN YOU THINK.
You have what it takes inside of you. Be persistent, try different things but never give up until you reach your goal. Limits exist only in your mind so I need you to believe that you can accomplish your goals.
The one thing I don’t want to hear is the whoa is me attitude. You know who you are. You THINK you’ve done all you can do…..WRONG!
STOP THE NOISE! Get real with your goals. How far are you willing to go to accomplish them? If you settle for good enough, then that’s all you will ever be. But SUCCESS, true success comes from hunger, desire and a willingness to do what others aren’t.
Like Lincoln, if you have failed then get up, dust yourself off and begin a new, because there is no better time than the present to change your world. No one is perfect but the ultimate goal is right in front of you. What better day to start and take control of your future than on this monumental day. Make Lincoln’s birthday your marker and by next year, your accomplishments will speak louder than your words. Get up, get out and do it. Don’t complain, don’t make excuses, ignore the naysayers, in fact, make them choke on their words.
Posted on February 5, 2015
Where do you live (in your head)?
Dealing with Negative Events…
How can you minimize the influence of negative events?
As the saying goes, “Into each life, a little rain must fall.” That is, you can’t go through life without having anything negative happening.
Let’s take this literally for a second. Presumably, if you had outdoor plans, then a real rainstorm is a negative event. Of course, you have a choice when faced with rain about how to keep it from making you feel too bad. In general, there are two ways to deal with a negative event like rain.
One possibility is to rethink the event to find the silver lining. This kind of reappraisal turns what seems to be a negative into a positive (or at least something less negative). In the case of a storm, you could focus on the benefits that the rain gives you an opportunity to do something else that might be more productive in other areas of your life.
A second possibility is to disengage from the situation. By focusing your attention elsewhere, you dull the negative impact of the event on yourself. If the rainstorm disrupted an important life event, then you might have difficulty seeing the positive. In that case, you might just try to ignore the negative event. But ignoring an event does not solve the problem at hand. When your outdoor plans get rained out, work inside on your calendar and the days ahead. Focus on the positive aspects of your goals.
The way I have set up this discussion suggests that people use both strategies, but they engage them in different situations. When an event is a little negative, then you may be more likely to reappraise the situation than to disengage from it. When it is highly negative, though, you may be more likely to disengage than to reappraise. So lets apply this to real life and how to deal with it.
Don’t sweat the small stuff. Put life in perspective. If you are expecting something to happen a certain way and it doesn’t, take a moment and analyze how big of a deal it actually is, in the “macro” scale.
As an example; if your assistant repeatedly does not do what they are asked, communicate in a calm assertive way that you have asked them to do something within a specific time frame. Have them give you a time frame that they feel they can accomplish the task at hand. Communication is the key factor. By them giving you the time frame they are committing to the task, “They own it”. Then if it does not happen, communicate what the consequences will be next time it happens. If you let it go then you are creating the environment of mediocrity and you will be miserable on an ongoing basis.
This example permeates all aspects of your life. If you do not communicate your desired outcome from others you will always have internal conflict when they are not completed. In turn you will harp on the negative.
At the end of the day the answer to all of this is very simple. When something negative happens. Take it in, deal with it, then MOVE ON. Don’t allow it to occupy time in your head. Your brain is the most expensive real estate per square inch. So unless the problem is worth your hourly income then discard it and MOVE ON.
Posted on February 2, 2015
Groundhogs Day…
Am I going to talk about Punxsutawney Phil, or Groundhog Day, NO! It is already a widely recognized and popular tradition, received widespread attention as a result of the 1993 film Groundhog Day. But I will take a strong feature from it.
The movie depicts a man that wakes up every morning and the day repeats itself, over and over again.
In many ways it sounds boring and a miserable way to live life. I think it is a miserable existence, but some aspects are what are needed to be successful. What would happen if you knew exactly what was going to happen every step of the way in your day? If you know what was going to happen next as a result of your action?
Guess what, you already do.
You know if – You set goals, write them down and break them down to a daily activity you will achieve what you set out to do.
You know if – You are consistent in your activities the results will happen.
You know if – You wake up every morning and work your calendar and not have your calendar work you, you will be a very happy person.
So why don’t we? The answer is simple, human nature. How to defeat the mediocrity. Do what needs to be done.
Focus; keep the eye on the prize.
Passion is the key component in your success.
Action is the step needed. For without action nothing ever happens.
It is Groundhog Day for you every day. Not in a bad way, but in a way that will lead you to success in achieving your goals.
Even though it is a very funny to see a bunch of grown men in top hats standing around in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, waiting to see what Punxsutawney Phil is going to do. Get out there and forget about the shadow.
Be consistent
Be focused
Be passionate
TAKE ACTION EVERY DAY.
