Take action!

If your serious about making changes in your life you must take action.  Don’t hesitate, don’t wait for everything to line up just right, don’t be afraid to fail because chances are that you will.  You need to understand though that failing is part of the process that leads to the greatest successes.  You can’t get something for nothing, you can’t expect to receive more than you put into something.  If you want massive success as soon as possible then you have to start NOW! start working towards what you want today, put all your passion and energy behind it, use each failure as a learning experience and don’t make the same mistakes twice.

old habits die hard

The hardest part of trying to make big changes in my life is breaking my old habits.  I’m committed to bettering myself and in order to do that I need to devote a large amount of time to doing the things that are going to take me there.  Things like exercise, reading, writing blog posts and just staying focused on what’s important.

As I’ve started making changes it’s funny how critical I am about the way other people spend their time, I think to myself “how could they waste their time with that..”.  Truth is I have wasted countless hours of my life with watching sports or pointless TV shows, when you don’t have a direction in life it’s easy to waste your time being unproductive.

So in order to take control of my time I’m deciding to use daily goals, each day I’ll have a small list of things I want to accomplish that day.  Things like “go for a run” or “read for an hour”.   I think that by starting each day focused on a few things I want to accomplish that day, it will help me stay on track and reach my potential.

I work the night shift at my current job, and even on the nights that I’m off I tend to stay up until at least 4:00 or 5:00 in the morning.  Sounds like the perfect opportunity to read a book or write some blogs, right? thats where my old habits affect me, rather than spending that time in the best way possible I tend to fall into my old habits of channel surfing and watching shows that I don’t even like that much.

The mistake that people make is that they get in a routine and get comfortable with a lifestyle that doesn’t support growth, most people tend to go back and forth trying things until eventually they find the easiest path and that becomes their reality.  The problem with the easy route is that it doesn’t offer any path that will lead you to a more fulfilling life, it’s hard to be passionate when you aren’t overcoming challenges and growing as a person.  It’s sad that people can tell you more about the latest movie that came out or what happened on Survivor last week than they can about their own values and philosophies.  I want to take the time to get to know myself, to understand my talents and develop them so that I can maximize my potential and not settle for a life of mediocrity.

Invest in yourself in order to create an amazing life.  Watching 4 hours of TV a day isn’t the answer to making the most of your life, you have to escape from your routine and your habits.  Go do something that your afraid of, that’s a great way to truly understand what you’re capable of.  It’s possible to make big changes in your life, if you’re willing to do the work.

a couple of questions I thought were worth answering

I heard these questions on the EntreLeadership podcast.  They were doing a great interview with the founder of Dillanos Coffee, David Morris.  The podcast was about communication and how it relates to company culture.  David Morris has a unique hiring process, he has a list of questions that he asks and he bases his hiring decisions off of the answers.  He threw out a couple of the questions he asks and I had a hard time coming up with answers when I first heard them, so I wanted to bring them here and try to come up with some good answers as a fun exercise.

What’s the most creative thing you have done over the past 12 months?

I would have to consider this blog the most creative thing that I have done over the past 12 months.  In fact this is the third blog that I have started since this time last year.  I’ve been trying to find myself and my passions for a while now so for a while I thought that my love for college football, specifically the Utes was something I would love to write about , so I thought up an idea for a blog called West Coast Bias.  The idea was to focus on teams in the western region of the US because traditionally in college football they get much less attention than the Eastern teams.  So I put in the work for a couple months up until the season started, but trying to write my opinion on all of those games was overwhelming.  So I decided to change the blog to just a Utah Utes blog, It started out fine but a couple months into the season I knew it wasn’t for me.  It helped me understand that enjoying watching the games and trying to have an opinion on everything involved with the program are completely different things.  I enjoyed watching way more than giving my thoughts and criticizing coaches and players.  So now I have gone in a new direction with the blog and now write about myself and the journey of finding my passions and of setting and reaching my goals.  I’m only about a month in but it gets easier to write each time I write and I still have the excitement and passion to do it, so while I’m not sure where or how far I will go with this I am sure that I’m going in the right direction and I’m grateful that I started my other blogs and used them as stepping stones to get to where I am now.

describe a situation where your honesty was tested

I think for most people our honesty is tested everyday.  Whether we are talking with co-workers or friends there are always those little lies or fibs that come out, I always feel uncomfortable after I haven’t been completely honest about something.  I don’t think it’s completely wrong to be dishonest either, sometimes a situation might call for it.  Telling someone that you have seen a movie or heard a band that you have never actually heard of, wheres the harm in that? What about when a problem comes up at work and you know who is responsible but when asked by your Boss you don’t tell on your friend or coworker? But if the lies get bigger and people start to figure you out than your reputation is on the line.  For me my honesty is tested with my Wife everyday, do I say what I think she wants to hear or do I tell her exactly how I feel.  On my blog I have vowed to be honest and transparent which involves sharing details about my life that most would consider private, but in order to gain the trust of my readers and most importantly myself I need to be completely honest and open.  Writing my goals post was a test of honesty in my opinion because putting things out there that seem like they aren’t realistic is hard to defend if someone ridicules you for it but the key is to believe it’s possible that way you aren’t lying to yourself or your readers.

better yourself, better your life

What do we do after we finish school? I know most people tend to find a job, get comfortable and live a life that in no way resembles the dreams they had as a child.  That’s what I did.  I did take some college classes about a year after I left high school, I enjoyed college but about 2/3 of my way through I had a change of heart.  I was going to school for business management and I like what I was able to learn there but I realized I was being trained to be a company man, an employee for the rest of my life.  It’s been a dream of mine to be an entrepreneur, I want to be my own boss.  So I decided not to rack up another dime of student loans and I “dropped out”.

So here I am, 8 years later and still working for somebody else.  The problem is that when I left school I stopped growing.  It’s easy to get yourself kind of trapped, my girlfriend got pregnant so I had to make money.  So I did what I knew how and got a job well then we needed a bigger place to live and a better vehicle to drive.  So you work so hard to afford a better lifestyle for your family but next thing you know two or three years pass and your no closer to those dreams that you had, in fact you’ve never been further from them.  It’s easy to just give up on your dream, it’s easy to do what everybody else does and work a full time job then in your free time, that time that you have to yourself you choose to sit in front of the t.v. and let the years pass you by.  Five and ten years pass in the blink of an eye, your life is routine now, your dreams are all but forgotten.  But it’s not our fault right..? You want to blame your kids or your spouse or the company you work for or maybe your parents, the problem with that is it gives you that excuse to keep doing what your doing.  If your not happy where you are in life then decide to make a change.

“Learn to work harder on yourself than you do on your job” ~ Jim Rohn

“If you do what you’ve always done than you’ll get what you have always got” ~ Mark Twain

I’m at a point in my life where I want more from myself and more in my life so I’ve started the journey to educate myself and change mine and my families lives forever.  I’m reading good non-fiction books everyday and learning from those that have accomplished what I want to accomplish.  All my free time (when I say “free time” I’m  talking about time that I’m not spending at work or with my family) goes to listening to powerful podcasts or audiobooks, reading books, writing my blogs and jogging.  I am staying busy bettering myself so I don’t have time for things that waste my time.  If I do watch t.v. it’s something I plan to watch ahead of time and I’ll either DVR it or if it’s a sporting event I’ll just plan to watch it but when it’s done than it’s off with the t.v. and back to working on myself.

I believe that going through this process will pay off for me and family so I’m committed to it each day.  If you really want to make a change in your life it’s not enough to just decide, you have to act.

failure > not trying

We are always setting limitations on ourselves because of past experience.  Experience can be overrated though.  Too often people will attempt something, fail and never try again.  They mistake failure for “not meant to be”, but failure should be used as a tool.  When you fail you have a choice to make, you can change your approach and try again or quit and tell yourself, and others, that you can’t do it.  Learn to attach a new meaning to failure, Thomas Edison said “If I find 10,000 ways something won’t work, I haven’t failed.  I am not discouraged, because every wrong attempt discarded is often a step forward”.

In reality you should get excited when you fail, failure teaches you the lessons that will lead to success.

Here’s a call to action for today. Think of something in the past month that you have failed at or failed to take action on, now take action! Try again! For me, my failure has been producing content for this blog. I’ve been trying to write too much into each post but I don’t have enough to write about, so I write it over two or three days and as a result I only post a couple times a week. From now on I am planning to post small quick posts everyday. I’ll see how it goes.

Feel free to share your failure that you wish to correct, don’t wait to try again, do it now!

5 steps to changing your attitude

It’s common for people to blame others for all of their problems, there is no accountability instilled into our society anymore.  Everyone wants to believe that they are a victim and point there fingers at everyone else, especially those that are successful or happy in life.  The real problem with people is the negative thinking they have towards their world, when you put all your focus on what you don’t have and don’t like then you ignore the good things.  It takes gratitude for what you do have or what you do like for things to actually change for the better.

Here are seven steps you could start using today in any part of your life to make a huge change

• Step 1:  I’ll use the example today of your job.  Many people work at jobs that they don’t like, it’s just something you do to get paid so you can live a normal life.  That’s a pretty miserable way to spend a third or more of your time everyday, isn’t it? So step one is to make a list, on this list you need to find about 20 or 30 things that you LIKE about your job.  It doesn’t matter how silly the thing you like is (could be a goodie that is in the vending machine, or a painting that hangs in the office), when you get in that 20 to 30 range your really gonna be scrapping to find things. 
• Step 2:  Now that you have a list of things you like, go back over your list and change all of the “likes” to LOVE.  Love is a powerful emotion, so when you attach it to these statements it carries a much stronger meaning than a simple like.  
• Step 3:  Find a quiet place where you can be alone for about 10 minutes, preferably in front of a mirror.  Now your going to go down your list one by one and say each statement out loud.  But saying it aloud isn’t enough, you need to say it with enthusiasm and excitement! putting yourself in that mindset will attach that emotion to the statement in your subconscious. The key is to go through this exercise and to be grateful for these statements and to recognize the importance they play in your experience with, in this case your job.
• Step 4:  Repeat.  Do this everyday if possible for the next 30 days, carry it around with you because you will most certainly think of more things to add to the list.
• Step 5:  Notice the change this makes, you will find yourself looking for the things where before you only saw bad.  You will become a good finder and all the bad things as a result will disappear.  It will appear that everyone around you has changed or that the environment has improved but the only change that happened was your perception.  That’s the key to improving things in your life, it’s not about changing people, it’s about changing yourself.  Changing your focus from everything you don’t like, to what you do.

If you go and apply this throughout your life, in your relationships, your work, you will be more content and grateful then you have ever been before.  Life is too short to work somewhere that you hate, or wake up each day wishing people would change.  Take control of your life by becoming a good finder and living a life that others will envy.

If you enjoy this post or know someone that might need it then please share it with them and as always, thanks for the support 🙂

vision board

I’m starting the process of making a vision board.  Here are five steps how to set it up.

1. Choose a theme for your board.  Choosing a theme will create a solid foundation for your board and help you stay on task rather than bounce all over the place.  My theme will be in line with my goals list.  I’ll have headings like HEALTH and WEALTH and I’ll post all the pictures that I choose to represent that catagory.  I’ll also be posting some affirmations that I want to repeat daily, like this one: “I want $50,000 of unexpected income on or before March 26th 2013”
2. Find pictures and words/phrases that correspond with your theme.  A vision board is something you look at each day and focus on the things you want in your life.  Make sure to use pictures that are accurate to what you want (if you want a black Toyota truck an the picture you have is for a red one then keep searching).  Use words to create affirmations that are in line with your theme and exactly what you desire.  Even if you don’t see a possible way to acquire an item, but you really want it, put it on the list.  There is no dream or desire too great.
3. Hang up your vision board.  After pinning or gluing the pictures and phrases that you want, hang the board up somewhere thats out of the way so everyone won’t see it but someplace that you will see it everyday.  It won’t matter how excited you are about your vision board, if you aren’t using it each day then you diminish any possibility of attaining the things you desire.
4. Visualize.  It’s important to take 5-10 minutes a day to review the items on your board.  Use your imagination and pretend that you’re already in possession of that which you desire, close your eyes and imagine yourself holding it or touching it.  It’s vital to sit down and imagine yourself driving on that car you want or on that vacation you want.  Do this by yourself and be silly with it, if anyone saw you sitting there with your eyes closed acting like your shifting gears in your dream car you would surly look foolish, but the more real you make it in your mind the better chance of making it a reality.
   
5. Update the board.  Make sure to keep your board up to date, if you achieve/acquire one of the items on your board then go remove that item from the board and keep adding new item’s to your board.  It’s great to accomplish the goals you make for yourself but if you become content and stop adding new ones then you won’t reach your full potential.

It will take me a couple weeks to fill out my vision board.  I need to make some decisions about what I want and make sure they align with my goals.  I’ll post a picture here when it’s complete.  I want to use this as a tool to focus on what is most important, it’s easy to get distracted or sidetracked when you don’t know what to focus on.  A vision board is a great step in the direction of achieving your goals and living your dreams.

“the only thing worse than being blind is having sight and no vision” ~ Helen Keller

GOALS

I sat down and set some goals earlier this week, it was a fun experience to sit down and decide what I really wanted out of the next 12 months.  In order to remain transparent I want to share them on here today. I set goals with the mindset of no limitations, some seem unrealistic but when setting goals you should always look to accomplish more than what might be possible.  In fact if you accomplish all of the goals on your list then you didn’t set them high enough.

Here’s a checklist of what you need to include in your goal to make them effective:

• a goal needs to be specific. it’s not enough to say I want to make a bunch of money, you have to list a specific amount that you wish to obtain.
• It needs to be measurable.  you need to be able to, at any point during the process, look at your goal and be able to notice if your on track to accomplish it.
• It needs a time limit.  the more specific the better.  In the next 12 months is good, on November 5th 2013 (for example) is better.
• Put them in writing and review daily.  this is the most important step.  writing them down and looking at them every day will keep them fresh in your mind and make you aware of all opportunities that lead towards the realization of the goal.

Here’s my list of goals for 2013

2013 goals

HEALTH

• I will lose 10 lbs in the next 3 months
• I will run in three 10k runs in 2013
• I will get a full physical by February 8th 2013

WEALTH

• I will earn $100,000 over the next 12 months (1/2014)
• I will save $20,000 towards a house fund within 12 months
• I will have a $10,000 emergency fund within the next 12 months
• I will be able to set aside $500 per month in a travel fund by December 01 2013

RELATIONSHIPS

• I will be honest, trustworthy and transparent with everyone
• My marriage will be strong and healthy every day
• I will be the best Dad in the world
• I will have an attractive personality that people enjoy being around
• I will be a great friend
• I will be there when my friends or family need me
• My blog will grow, and make some great connections with my readers

Career and/or business

• I will change jobs by February 15th 2013
• I will find a job that will help me develop valuable skills that I can use in the future
• I will find a job with high earning potential
• I will start a successful business in 2013
• I will attend 4 seminars in 2013

SPIRITUAL

• I will stay focused on the positive in every situation

GIVING BACK

• I will pick a day or two per month to volunteer at either a shelter or old folks home
• I will be aware of giving opportunities and give whenever possible, as much as possible

EXPERIENCES

• I will become a mainstream blogger over the next 12 months, writing 4 posts a week
• I will take a trip with my family to Mount Rushmore before 10/2013
• I will take guitar lessons this year
• I will join a mastermind group before 3/2013

LEGACY

• I will be a hero to my kids, I hope when they grow up they are proud when they talk about their father
• I will be remembered for my smile and my giving spirit

 

“Be confident! Because if you allow others to determine your value, then you rob yourself of possibilities” ~ my personal quote

Progress report

I’m about a week in and things are progressing, I went through a goal setting process last night and it has helped me become clear on some new things that I hadn’t considered much before. My first action that I’ve taken is to improve my health, I quit drinking soda pop because I was out of control with it.  I’ve wanted to quit drinking soda for a while now but I never had a strong enough why to force me to do it.  I decided that if I ever wanted to get that elusive six pack it would take more discipline and the first step was no more soda.  So far I’ve realized that caffeine headaches are indeed real, I’ve had a consistent one since my second day without it.  But I won’t give in! I’m in this for the long haul.

I’m making a commitment to read more books.  I was able to get a kindle fire for Christmas through the company I work for and it’s a great device.  It’s easy to buy and download books and I’m able to read them right away.  I’m on my third book since I received it, the first book I read was The Travelers Gift by: Andy Andrews next was 20,000 days and counting by: Robert D Smith, I’m currently reading Quitter by: John Acuff.  I plan on writing up a couple of book reviews pretty soon here to let you know what I found helpful in each book, I’m also starting to tweet out powerful info as I read it to help me remember it.  I believe in the saying, “Leaders are readers”.  I intend to invest in some great books that will help shape my habits and beliefs for my future.

Another commitment I’m making is to keep up on this blog, I’ll be posting about four times a week. I want to get better at writing and since practice makes perfect I’ll be practicing a bunch. I want the content to be great on here, so I’ll try my best but I plan on my posts improving as I go along so stick with me please. The best is yet to come.

“You get the best effort from others not by lighting a fire beneath them, but by building a fire within” ~ Bob Nelson

Make a choice

Life is made up of choices.  You’re where you are right now in life because of the choices you have made.  If you’re serious about changing your life then start making different choices.

I have many changes I want to make in my own life.  I want to be healthy, so I’m taking necessary steps like working out (jogging most days), and choosing healthier foods to eat everyday.  I want to be a great friend, father and husband, I am willing to put others before me to accomplish this.  I want to have financial freedom so that I can travel, I want freedom in my life to take vacations with my family and experience the world.  My path to the future I want starts with the choices I make today.

Now it’s great to make new choices to improve your life but until you act and make them happen they are only ideas.  The key to making a change is action!  Getting into great shape is a fine idea but until you make the choice to work out and change your eating habits then you haven’t really made the change.

If your not happy with where you’re at in life then make new choices, stop blaming all of your problems on other people or your environment.  You create your environment and if someone is adding drama to your life then choose not to associate with them.  Remember that thoughts are things, so choosing to think positively or negatively has an enormous effect on what happens in your life every day.