Thursday, January 12, 2017
Monday, December 12, 2016
Expect the Best
“Expect the best, prepare for the worst. Capitalize on what comes.”
People are often quoted as saying the quickest path to happiness is to not have any expectations. There is truth to that statement because of the fact that we can’t always predict what will happen in life so we often will not realize our specific expectations. This can lead to a lot of unhappiness. To avoid unhappiness you refrain from having specific expectations but instead follow the process of expecting the best, preparing for the worst and capitalizing on what comes. Following this process will lead to a positive outcome in every situation.
Expect the Best
It is important to always expect the best in every situation. This doesn’t mean that you can completely define how things will turn out. None of us have the power to accomplish that feat. However we all have the ability to tap into the power of your mind. Expecting the best is a positive thought that will lead to positive actions. Positive actions will then lead to positive results. With this power you have the ability to get the best out of every situation because you expect it. All you need to do is simply affirm that you expect the best each and every time.
Prepare for the Worst
Expecting the best can easily transition to preparing for the worst. Preparation is a self-protective act that shouldn’t be confused with having negative thoughts about the situation. Preparing for the worst is a discipline. It is a discipline that should be followed regardless of the situation. You should always avoid expecting to access that preparation but you be should prepared anyway. It is the smart and prudent thing to do and often it is one of the hardest things to do. That is where the discipline comes in. It takes discipline to save money in case you may need it in the event of a financial crisis. It takes discipline to exercise regularly in case you may need your strength in the event of a catastrophic accident. It takes discipline to read numerous books in case you need to access that knowledge when plan A crashes and burns.
After expecting the best and preparing for the worst something will happen in your life. There will be an outcome. This will be the outcome that you can’t fully control. Now that the outcome is here you only have one job left to do. Your job now is to capitalize on that outcome.
Capitalize on the Outcome
If the endeavor was a success capitalize on it by celebrating. No matter how big or small you should celebrate your success. Share your success with others so they can benefit from it as well. Many people call this action paying it forward. Study your success and learn how to repeat them in the future. Don’t miss the opportunity to develop new habits or improve current ones when they have been proven to be successful.
If your endeavor was a failure capitalize on it by learning from it. Determine what went wrong and how you can avoid it in the future. Don’t waste time feeling sorry that it went wrong. Instead use that energy to analyze and develop plans for the future. You should also determine what went right and how you can continue to do it in the future. The overall endeavor may have failed but there are things you did well that you need to continue doing in the future. There is always something to learn in failure and don’t miss out on the opportunity to capitalize on them.
This is a simple approach to that can be incorporated on any scale. It doesn’t matter if your endeavor is a plan for a weekend spring cleaning or the launch of a billion dollar device. No matter how small or large you should approach every endeavor in your life by expecting the best, preparing for the worst and capitalizing on the actual outcome. Thank you Zig Ziglar for the great reminder.
Have a great week,
Drew
Tuesday, December 6, 2016
Lack of Money is No Obstacle
“Lack of money is no obstacle. Lack of an idea is an obstacle.”
Ken Hakuta
Money is critical to the success of any business. Either you need capital to get going, profit to keep going or revenue to meet Wall Street expectations. Money is a key a deliverable that most if not all companies are measured by. However, no matter if you are starting a company or working for a Fortune 100, money is not an obstacle to your success. The true obstacle for success is the lack of ideas.
What is an idea anyway? Google defines an idea as a thought or suggestion as to a possible course of action. An idea in itself is only a possibility. Yet everything that you have ever accomplished is an example of a possibility that became a reality. Your current job was just an idea before you were actually in it. Whether that was your idea or someone else’s, the idea was first and you being in that job followed sometime after. Ideas are the beginning to all things created.
We Were Born to Create
Your life is unfolding in front of you every day. We were all put on this earth to create. As a result you are creating your life. Sometimes that is a hard pill to swallow, especially if your life isn’t currently living up to your desires. Other times you can be proud of all your life accomplishments that you have been able to create. Wherever you fall on the spectrum, you are there because of what you have or haven’t created.
In order to create money you must first have an idea. Therefore the idea is the root cause to success. The money is the output from the idea. The more ideas you have the better chance you have of creating the money you desire. The more ideas you have the more chance you have of removing money as an obstacle.
Capturing the Ideas We Have
The beauty of the human mind is that it is full of ideas. The tragedy is that too many of us don’t share those ideas. We keep them to ourselves. We let them come and go. We don’t capture them for analysis and future creation. We just let life happen instead of making it happen. Chances are you won’t get the results you want out of life taking that approach.
Here are some suggestions you should implement to start capturing and analyzing ideas. By implementing one or more of these suggestions you have a better chance of creating a habit that will lead to success.
Use a Tool to Capture Ideas Anywhere, Anytime or Anyplace
· A simple journal is a great way to capture ideas. Keep it with you in the car, on your desk or in your room. When you have ideas write them down. There is power in pen and paper.
· Use technology to capture your ideas
o Create a simple word document named IDEAS
o Use a mobile app like Evernote to capture ideas
o Use the notes application on your phone or desktop
o Use a voice recorder (phone, desktop, Alexa, Google Home)
o Use a collaboration tool to capture ideas from many people (Sharepoint, Trello, Google Docs, etc)
Develop a Routine to Force You to Capture Ideas
· First thing every morning
· Lunch
· Once a week, month, quarter
· Set a recurring appointment on your calendar until it becomes routine
Combine the Power of Multiple Minds and Create a Mastermind Group
· Choose 3-5 trusted and talented individuals to share ideas (combining the routine and tools above)
· Schedule an Idea focused lunch (share a meal and discuss ideas)
· Schedule an Idea focused walk (walking outside fuels creativity)
Capture ideas first and analyze them later (I’ll provide more guidance on analyzing ideas in a future write up.) Remember the more ideas the better chance you have of creation. If you haven’t incorporated a habit of generating and capturing ideas you are missing out on an opportunity to improve your chances of success. Implement some of these suggestions and witness the creations that follow. You were put on this earth to create and the more you create the more success you will have in life.
One of Zig Ziglar’s most famous quotes on money is “Money isn’t the most important thing in life, but it’s reasonably close to oxygen on the “gotta have it” scale.” Without money you will run into many obstacles in life. However money itself won’t be the real obstacle. The real obstacle will be the lack of ideas. In order to get the money you need then you “gotta have” ideas. Take some of the advice above and go get your ideas.
Have a great week,
Drew
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Tuesday, November 22, 2016
Be Happy for This Moment
“Be happy for this moment. This moment is your life.”
According to the CDC in 2013-2014 the average life expectancy in the US was 78.8 years. Those 78.8 years are equivalent to 2.5 trillion seconds. If each one of those seconds was a moment in your life you would have had plenty of moments to define your life. However, the truth is there is only one moment that matters. It is this moment right here right now. Your life only exists at this moment. 1 second ago is a memory and the next second is not guaranteed. That is why you should strive to be happy for this moment because this moment is truly your life.
The Ups and Downs of Life
Being happy for this moment doesn’t mean you can’t be upset, angry, sad or depressed in this moment. Life has its way of bringing on some hardship. No one has gone through life without experiencing some of it. You may have gotten up on the wrong side of the bed this morning and you just aren’t feeling energized. You may be under some unexpected financial hardship that is jeopardizing your ability to feed your family. You may have been diagnosed with a health issue that could cause you pain and suffering in the near future. Any of these situations could cause you not to be happy in this very moment.
Being happy for this moment doesn’t guarantee the happiness you may be feeling in this moment. You could have had a great weekend and are still happy about all the fun that was had. Your spouse or significant other could have just sent you a loving text that has put a big smile on your face. You could have just gotten a big bonus from work and now your kids are going to have a great Christmas. You could have just had your annual physical and received a complete bill of health. You could just be that happy person who makes a point to live a happy life. Any of these situations could be causing you to be happy in this very moment.
What Is Being Happy In the Moment?
Whether you are feeling sad or happy at this moment does not define whether you are being happy for this moment. Being happy for this moment is just that. It is being happy for the actual moment. You are alive. You are experiencing life. You can walk. You can talk. You can see. You can feel. Even if you can’t walk, talk, see or feel, you can think. Being happy for this moment is a mindset. It is a way of thinking. When you are happy for the moment you appreciate this moment for what it is. You appreciate the moment because this moment is your life. No matter your circumstance you must realize that you only have one life. Be grateful for this life and the opportunity you’ve been given.
When you have the mindset of being happy for the moment you will become more engaged in every moment. You won’t take things for granted. Your senses will be heightened. Your awareness will be elevated. You become more alive. You will have more opportunities to appreciate life than you ever have had before. That appreciation will become infectious. It will become a habit you never want to lose.
How to Experience Being Happy in the Moment
The best way to experience this mindset is to simply pause. Stop whatever you are doing and acknowledge your appreciation for being alive. Be grateful that you have a life to live and you can currently experience it. When you allow yourself to be grateful you will also force yourself to know things can better. There is no limit to happiness. There is no limit for love. There is no limit for growth. There may be ebbs and flows but there are no limits. Because there are no limits you will always strive to experience more happiness, more love and more growth. A simple pause and acknowledgement is all the fuel you need.
Life is made up moments. Whether you experience 2 or 2.5 trillion it is important to appreciate every moment. When you truly appreciate the moment you will be happy for the moment’s existence. You will be happy for your life’s existence. With that happiness you will be well positioned to achieve all of your desires and dreams.
Have a great week,
Drew
Sunday, November 13, 2016
Never let your memories be greater than your dreams.
“Never let your memories be greater than your dreams.”
Doug Ivester
Reminiscing is a favorite past time within many households. Hopefully you have been lucky enough to have some great memories of past times. You’ve had some great accomplishments. You’ve had some great experiences. You’ve witness some great events. However no matter what you have experienced never make the mistake of letting your memories be greater than your current dreams.
The good thing about memories is that they are always there. They also cannot change. They are written in your hard drive just as they occurred. Yes you can change how you feel about those memories but you can’t change the memory. That is one reason why many of us attach and hold on to memories. You can always count on them to be there when you need them.
The Impact of Dreams vs. Memories
Dreams on the other hand are not as permanent. Dreams can change. Dreams can disappear in an instant. New dreams can be created with the blink of an eye. The uncertainty of a dream can be both a gift and a curse. They are a curse if they cause pain if you never achieve them. They are a gift because of the impact they can have on your life as you try to achieve them.
The impact a dream can have on your life is much greater than the impact that any memory could ever approach. Yes you can feel good about something you’ve done in your past and draw strength from it. For example if you’ve run a marathon you can always draw on that memory when being challenged by any workout. You’ve been there before so you know what you are capable of. This is a great use of a memory.
But why are you working out? Do you just love the idea of pushing your body to limits for no reason? I would venture to guess you are working out because you have the dream of being healthy and physically fit. If you are already healthy and physically fit you most likely have the dream of staying that way through your senior years. That dream is why you are in the gym. That dream is why you set goals. You have set a goal of running a 6 minute mile because of that overall dream. The dream is the foundation for you successfully achieving that goal.
Never Waste an Opportunity to Dream
Memories are a great solution for feeling good for the moment. However, if those memories aren’t being attached to a dream that moment can go by in an instant. Those instants can accumulate over time and before you know it you could have wasted a decade reminiscing about the past. I use the term wasted because if you haven’t achieved many goals in the past decade I believe you have wasted vast opportunities. You are capable of doing so many great things especially if you have a dream associated with them.
You have dreams. You have aspirations. You have desires. The only way to get them is to define them. Once they are defined you can now begin to work on them. You can set goals to achieve them. As you meet those goals you will create some great memories. You can use those memories to help push you through any adversity you face while working on the next goal. Memories are good but they aren’t very useful without a dream. Your future will be determined by your dreams so make sure they are always greater than your memories. As long as you dream, the road ahead of you will always be brighter than anything in your past.
Lastly since you’ve decided to dream you might as well Dream Big. I’d hate for you to settle. As Nelson Mandela once said “There is no passion to be found playing small – in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living.”
Enjoy the journey and have a great week,
Drew
Sunday, November 6, 2016
Defining Your Purpose
“Definiteness of purpose is the starting point of all achievement.”
Purpose is important because of the fuel it gives you to succeed. Have you ever been in a tough situation at work and asked yourself “why am I even doing this?” I think we’ve all been there and it’s not a great place to be. Or have you ever started something you thought at the time was a great idea but 6 months down the road after hours of work you decide to stop doing it? It was easy to stop because you weren’t getting what you expected from it right? Did you pivot and try something else or did you give up all together? If you gave up all together you probably didn’t spend a lot of time defining your purpose.
The best example of purpose leading to achievement is education. Whether you have a high school diploma, an associates degree, a bachelors degree or any post graduate degree you had a defined purpose for achieving it. You needed that education for some defined reason that you believed in. You believed without that degree you wouldn't get the job your wanted, the business you wanted to start or the prestige you desired. Anytime you had to study or put in work you inherently drew on that purpose. It was the fuel to keep you going.
The best example of purpose leading to achievement is education. Whether you have a high school diploma, an associates degree, a bachelors degree or any post graduate degree you had a defined purpose for achieving it. You needed that education for some defined reason that you believed in. You believed without that degree you wouldn't get the job your wanted, the business you wanted to start or the prestige you desired. Anytime you had to study or put in work you inherently drew on that purpose. It was the fuel to keep you going.
Define Your Purpose
Defining your purpose means you define why need to achieve the desired outcome. The more detail you provide, the more powerful the purpose. If your purpose for obtaining a Director level position at you job is to get money for your family; your purpose is not very powerful. The power comes when you define your purpose in detail. Here is an example of a more detailed purpose for obtaining a Director level position at your job.
I am going to achieve director level position at my job so that my 3 children can follow their passions and attend the college of their dreams. If that dream is a prestigious private college at $60,000 a year then so be it. I know how important their dreams are and I have decided to do everything within my power to help them reach them. I am stopping the cycle of working for a paycheck because of skills and moving it to getting paid to work in a field chosen by their passion and dreams.
This is a well-defined purpose. It can easily be used as fuel for your achievement. It’s fuel because you will always be able to draw on it to help motivate you and inspire you to do what is necessary to achieve your desired outcome. With the right motivation and inspiration you can achieve any goal you decide to establish. However, that achievement always starts with and will be fueled by a well-defined purpose.
To get the most out of your purpose there are certain traits it must include. It must be detailed and it must draw on your emotion. Detail gives your purpose the foundation it needs to be strong. The lack of detail leaves a window for you achieving less than your goal. Never be vague because you want true success in the end. More importantly your purpose must draw on an emotion anytime you think of your purpose. Emotion is the reason why I have described purpose as the fuel. When your read your purpose it should evoke common emotions such as love, happiness, passion and joy. Evoking those emotions will give you fuel to draw on anytime you think of your purpose while working on your goal.
Take some time this week to think about your purpose. If it’s not well defined it may be the reason you haven’t gotten to where you want to go. If so grab a pen and some paper, find a quiet spot and have some deep reflection on your purpose. When you’re done and have it all figured out write it down. You are now one step closer to achieving your dreams.
Take some time this week to think about your purpose. If it’s not well defined it may be the reason you haven’t gotten to where you want to go. If so grab a pen and some paper, find a quiet spot and have some deep reflection on your purpose. When you’re done and have it all figured out write it down. You are now one step closer to achieving your dreams.
Have a great week!
Drew
Drew
Monday, October 31, 2016
I am a king
“I am, indeed, a king, because I know how to rule myself.”
Pietro Aretino
There are many people who feel it is taboo to call yourself a king unless you rule over a defined land and people. However, the definition of a king1 is – the male ruler of an independent state, especially one who inherits the position by right of birth. Based on this definition I believe we are all kings. It is therefore important to be reminded of that fact to ensure we rule accordingly.
You were given life at birth. Your parents were there to nurture and help you grow. They did those things with the clear distinction that you would take over your life at some point. Your parents passed on beliefs and helped educate you but at the point you took over there was nothing left they could do. At some point you took over your own life because it was your birthright.
The state that we rule over is our own life. Our beliefs, thoughts, feelings, actions and results are all part of our own state2. We own them. We have full rule over them. Your beliefs may have been handed down to you from your parents but you own them. You have the ability to change them. You have the ability to create new ones. Unfortunately many of us don’t take the time to fully understand our beliefs. The beliefs are there but we compartmentalized them to a point where they become buried or even forgotten.
It is important to take command of your beliefs because your thoughts are determined by those beliefs. Everything that you are thinking can be tied to a belief that you have inside of you. Sometimes you clearly know that belief and sometimes it is so deep within you that you need help to confirm what it is. Regardless if the belief is known or unknown, when you have certain beliefs you will think in certain ways. Everything that is happening in your life is impacted by your thoughts.
Your life is impacted by your thoughts because those thoughts will determine your feelings. Feelings are important because of the energy they bring to your life. Some feelings are positive in nature and therefore bring positive energy. Some feelings are negative and bring negative energy. Some feelings are neutral and bring a calm peaceful energy. Make no mistake feelings are fuel for your everyday life because of the energy they bring.
Every day you will take action. From the time you wake until the time you go to sleep. The type of action you take will be greatly impacted by your feelings. Take any example of an action you will take and think about how it would be impacted by you being happy, mad, or serene. We all do things when we are mad that we would not do if we were happy. We all have seen a calm person act very different than someone extremely happy or sad.
The culmination of all your actions will determine the results that you have in life. Sometimes you may think that a certain action caused a certain result. However, typically you are just seeing the last action before the result. Many actions you have taken have actually led to that result. Some of them are direct and many are indirect. Yet they all are important. Since they all are important you must rule over every action you take to make sure you get the results that you desire in life.
We are all kings. We have a state known as our own life that we rule. We were given that state at birth. It is ours and the decisions we make will determine the success of that state. The key aspects we need to follow when ruling over our life are to understand our beliefs because they will drive our thoughts, to monitor our thoughts because they will drive our feelings, to understand our feelings will impact our actions and to know that every action we take will determine our results. With that knowledge you now have the winning formula on how to rule over your life. Now go forth and be the king your life deserves.
Have a great week,
Drew
1 The word king can be replaced with queen. This is non gender specific. We are all kings and queens.
2Formula based on the teachings of Life Coach Brooks Castillo
Bonus: lapel pin in photo available @ www.infinitereminders.com
Bonus: lapel pin in photo available @ www.infinitereminders.com
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