There Comes a Time to Do It Yourself!

 

There are a lot of things in our lives that started out with us needing help. Eating, bathing, getting dressed, walking, talking, riding a bike, and swinging, among many others.

 

You can pick which ever one "connects" with you in this analogy but, as you can tell from the graphic at the top of this article, I've chosen to use learning to swing on a swing set.

 

You don't remember how it was before but maybe you've seen pictures and/or videos of how it all began. You likely started out in some sort of special "baby swing" so that you didn't fall out of or off of the swing!

 

Your parents - or someone else - would put you in that swing and.....

 

Well, if it were completely up to you using what you knew about swinging then the end of the last sentence would read something like....absolutely nothing happened. You just sat there in your swing.

 

However, more than likely what happened was that someone began to push you in your swing and you begin to move back and forth with no effort of your own.

 

Pretty cool, right?

 

Even better than that was when you got old enough to communicate - even just a little - and you could call out for someone to push you so that you could swing. And they would! "Swing!" or "Push!" and someone would come running to help you swing as you smiled and laughed and enjoyed this swinging with, again, little to no effort on your part.

 

So, what happened?

 

At some point, others began to tire of you needing to be pushed and they began to teach you and show you how, with the movement of your legs and body, you could swing all by yourself anytime that you wanted!

 

It was hard to do at first, do you remember? You couldn't quite get the movement down to get going the way that you wanted but someone kept working with you and showing you how to do it and, before you knew it, YOU WERE SWINGING ALL BY YOURSELF!

 

What freedom! What adventure! No longer were you tied to what others could do or wanted to do - you could do this ALL BY YOURSELF!

 

I remember swinging for hours on end with all kinds of  "adventures" going through my head. I even remember once thinking that I could jump over a low hanging branch right in front of my swing set and.....yes, you got it...I even TRIED to jump over that limb. That didn't turn out well!

 

But did that stop me from swinging again? NO!

 

Did that keep me from enjoying the thrill of swinging as high as I could? NO!

 

Even now, at 54 years of age, if I find a swing in a park I cannot resist sitting in the swing and swinging back and forth.

 

Surely, by now, you've figured out the analogy.

 

When we are trying something new in this journey of reaching our goals and dreams, we need a lot of help at first. We need someone (or a group of people) to teach us, to train us on what to do and how to do it. Aren't you glad these people exist?

 

Perhaps it's just encouragement that you get from blogs like this and podcast like the ones I put out. I'm glad I can be a part of your journey!

 

But, with all of this, there comes a time when you have to step out and step up and do it yourself, FOR yourself!

 

If you refuse to do so you are missing out on the thrill and exhilaration that comes with enjoying the freedom of "doing it" ALL BY YOURSELF!

 

And just think...just like the example of learning how to swing, you will get the opportunity to teach and train someone else to do the same thing and to enjoy the same freedom, thrill and exhilaration that you have experienced and enjoyed.

 

And friend, I don't know that there are many things in life better than that!

 

Thank you for allowing me to be a part of your day. I really mean that.

 

As you continue along your journey, whatever you do, be sure to...

 

 

"Make it an AWESOME day! (Who else is going to do it for you?)"

 

Mike

 

 

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A Map of My Journey (so far)

Wow, it just hit me as I was looking at the title of this post.

 

Have YOU ever thought about looking back over your life and imagining what it would look like as a map of where all you've been from a particular "starting point"?

 

Perhaps from your birth or whenever it was that you had goals and ambitions that you wanted to achieve. I don't know, maybe when you graduated High School or college and you had particular and maybe even specific ideas of what you were going to accomplish in your life.

 

Now, this is NOT an exercise in looking back in regret but simply an exercise in taking a look at the journey that we have been on.

 

Most of us probably envisioned this journey as one that was pretty much a straight line from point A to point B.

 

But, looking back, how straight is the path that has been taken so far?

 

That should make you smile!

 

Now, think of this: You're still here, friend. AND, you're still plugging along, right?

 

And, as you consider all of this, you discover that all of these "side-treks" that you have taken and all of the roadblocks all play a part in making you who you are today.

 

Take a few minutes (it's about 12 or 13 minutes which is about twice as long as usual) to listen to the podcast on iTunes or the RSS feed that goes along with this article to hear me talk about my journey along the way.

 

Yeah, I could type it all in here but, to me, there is just something "more" about hearing someone talk about their experiences.

 

What I talk about is not only jobs that I have had that were not what I had planned to be doing, but also all of the different "opportunities" or "home based business" ideas that I have tried with various levels of success over the past 25 or so years.

 

Just take a look at this: water purifiers, some kind of fiber cookies, buying "knick knack" items at wholesale and selling them for retail at flea markets, etc., some sort of electric gadget for business to use to save them money on their electric bill, business ads on maps,

opening a store selling badges and buttons that had cute little sayings and/or pictures on them, working at two different car dealerships, working as a sales rep at a chemical cleaner company, working at a lumber yard supply company as well as a grocery store, selling vacuum cleaners door to door  and a paper route.

 

Yeah. And all of that was in one town over the course of about five or six years.

 

I'm not going to type the rest of it here but let me tell you, this was just one place that I lived and tried different things and there are about six others. Listen to the podcast...LISTEN TO THE PODCAST so you can hear all of the rest.

 

Why am I sharing all of this? Because I want you to understand that I have "been there, done that"....literally.

 

But I have never given up and I will NEVER give up!

 

Oh, I've been close. There have been some very dark and depressing times through all of that but, friend, I'm still moving forward.

 

I've gotten more focused over time and more determined and, now, I feel that I have finally connected with the right company to take me - finally - where I plan to be.

 

Side note: You can find the website on this in the last blog post that I put up. Not trying to sell you anything or persuade you to do anything. I'm simply sharing information that may be just what you - or someone you know - are looking for.

 

I feel like it's similar to the lyrics in the chorus from a song I've many times over my lifetime:

I've been everywhere, man.
I've been everywhere, man.
Crossed the desert's bare, man.
I've breathed the mountain air, man.
Of travel I've had my share, man.
I've been everywhere.

 

 

 And I'm still going and going and going like that big rabbit on the television commercials.

 

Stay focused and committed to where you want to go and do NOT allow anyone or anything to stop you!

 

And, yeah, I do think I have a right and the ability to say that to you.

 

I hope you agree and I hope this has encouraged you to keep going.... regardless.

 

And, as you do so, be sure to...

 

"Make it an AWESOME day! (Who else is going to do it for you?)"

 

Mike

 

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Feel free to contact me with any questions!

 

Mike

Refuse to Turn Back!

 

Hopefully you are familiar with the movie "Vacation" that I have referred to in an earlier article because I'm going to refer to it again! (Not to mention that it's one of my favorite movies!).

 

If not, I'll put together a very short recap of the movie: A family of 4 travels cross country with all kinds of set backs and unplanned "adventures" only to arrive at the theme park that they had planned to enjoy and find that it was temporarily closed.

 

What would YOU do?

 

Seriously, even if you are not familiar with the movie at all, I want you to imagine such a scenario and ask yourself what you'd do. Would you just get back in your car and drive back across the country without even trying to figure out a way to at least see what the problem is with this placed being closed?

 

Now, if you ARE familiar with the movie you may not go to the extent that Clark Griswold went to in the movie but, at the same time, you can likely understand his actions, right?

 

My wife and I did experience a very similar situation a few years back. We had planned to spend several days at a resort and had called about 5 days earlier and got everything set up. When we arrived at the resort the big gate was closed and it, too, had a "we're closed" sign on the gate. Yes, I DID feel like Clark Griswold! Friends, I was not about to just drive away from the gate without talking to someone! There was a box by the gate that would allow me to talk to someone to open the gate and let me in when things were "normal" in this situation.

Anyway, to get to the point, I pushed the button on that box and left messages again and again until someone finally came to the gate to talk to me. I actually left a message that told them that I was NOT going to leave until someone came up to talk to me! And they did.

Bottom line, they had some unforeseen issues arise since I had gotten everything set up that was completely out of their control. I was still not happy and I let them know that someone should have contacted me but, what was I to do?

After being assured that nothing would be charged to my credit card we simply moved on and made alternative plans! But, I was NOT going to go back home just because of that set back!

 

What does this have to do with YOU trying to reach your goals and dreams?

 

EVERYTHING!

 

Refuse to quit  - Refuse to turn back!

 

Regardless of the roadblocks and unplanned "adventures" that will be a challenge - REFUSE TO TURN BACK!

 

Even if the "gate" is closed after your long journey.

 

We'll talk more specifically about that in the next article. Be sure to join me!

 

And, as you go along your day be sure to...

 

"Make it an AWESOME day! (Who else is going to do it for you?)"

 

Mike

 

 

Future You University     "Like" FYU on Facebook!     Podcast on iTunes     Podcast RSS feed

Are We There Yet?

You don't have to be the Griswold family traveling cross country to "Wally World" to hear this phrase coming from the back seat of the car... "Are we there yet?"

 

And, the longer the trip the less time between  how often this question is asked.

 

Impatience!

 

But, as we continue using the analogy of taking a trip to the journey that we experience on the way to achieving our goals and dreams, we often find that WE - the adults involved in this thing - are impatient as well.

 

Sometimes we may even begin to think that we need to "check the map" or the GPS to see if, perhaps, we missed a turn somewhere along the way because we think we should BE THERE BY NOW!

 

If you've been following along then you know that one of the things I pointed out is that usually - if not always - it takes us longer to reach our goals than we thought it would.

 

So, remember this simple response (as long as you ARE moving forward and making progress):

 

"Are we there yet?" - - "Not yet, but we ARE a lot closer than we were before!"

 

Indeed!

 

 

And as you continue along your journey, be sure to...

 

"Make it an AWESOME day! (Who else is going to do it for you?)"

 

Mike

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Where Will YOU Be When...

 

I remember an old song and seeing some posters back in the late 70's that asked the question, "Where will you be when you get where you're going?"

 

Pretty good question, wouldn't you agree?

 

But, perhaps, what we need to ask first is this: WHERE ARE YOU GOING?

 

We've been talking about the planning and preparation that goes into a trip and how that level of planning and preparation really depends on what kind of trip or journey it is that we are taking. We've used the analogy of looking at a map and planning a trip in connection with working toward achieving our goals and dreams.

 

Sure, as we have already talked about, you have to know where you ARE before you can plan on how to get THERE, where ever "there" is...make sense?

 

But, I often wonder this: How many of you don't even know where it is that you want to go? How many of you are approaching your goals and dreams as if you are just hopping in your car and just going with no idea of where you are going?

 

Now, sometimes it is fun to just get in a car or hop on a motorcycle with NO idea of where you are going and just let the road take you where you want to go!

 

But, friend, if you are planning a trip from Arizona to Florida, how will that work out for you?

 

Easy answer: IT WON'T!

 

There's a big difference in doing something for fun and doing something with purpose and ON purpose!

 

Don't you think you should approach something that is this important with PURPOSE? (But then again, how serious and how important is this to you anyway?)

 

"If you don't know where you're going, how will you know when you get there? How will you know IF you get there?"

 

Hmmmmm....something to think about, wouldn't you say?

 

As you're thinking,  be sure to...

 

"Make it an AWESOME day! (Who else is going to do it for you?)"

 

Mike

 

 

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Get Up BEFORE You Go!

You have to GET UP before you can GO!

 

So you're going to take a little trip, right?

 

Where are you going? Are you going down to the corner grocery to pick up a loaf of bread? Are you going on a "special vacation" that you have had planned out for months? Are you having to make a mad dash to get to a loved one that is in a hospital elsewhere following a horrific accident?

 

Wow, take a moment and just look at the difference in those three trips that I just mentioned. All three are trips that require action in order to complete the journey but all three are absolutely different in the IMPORTANCE of completing the journey.

 

Wouldn't you agree?

 

That's what we call your "WHY". In other words, WHY is it important for you to get to your destination? Loaf of bread? Special vacation with life-long memories? Emergency?

 

And, yes, I'm going to continue with the same analogy of taking a trip to that of you working toward reaching your goals and dreams that I've been using the past few days.

 

With your goals and dreams WHAT IS YOUR "WHY"?

 

Why is it important to you to reach your goals and dreams?

 

But, you know what? I probably should stop asking you WHY it's important and rather ask it this way: "BASED ON YOUR ACTIONS, what do you SHOW about how important this is to you?"

 

Regardless of how much planning you've done and regardless of how much you SAY about how important this is to you, the REALITY of all of this is shown in what you DO!

 

You can have the best laid plans in order and have the best intentions but, if you NEVER GET UP and GET MOVING you will still end up going nowhere!

 

Remember, "Staying where you are will NEVER take you where you want to be!"

 

Here's one final interesting question: "Are you treating that 'life-long memory vacation' or that 'emergency' trip just as you would for that loaf of bread?"

 

Think about it. I mean REALLY think about it and, as you do, be sure to...

 

"Make it an AWESOME day! (Who else is going to do it for you?)"

 

Mike

 

 

 

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ACTION Brings CLARITY

"We've got to become people of ACTION instead of inaction. Inaction opens the door to fear, but action opens the door to clarity and RESULTS!" - Dani Johnson ( www.danijohnson.com )

 

Hey, listen - I recommend Dani Johnson to you. I've done so in the past, I'm doing so now and I will continue to do so in the future. I don't get any kind of commission or anything like that for doing so, I just get the satisfaction of knowing that I am referring you to someone that is nothing but class and quality!

 

Now lets talk about inaction vs. action!

 

Think about this: So many people are afraid to take action because they are afraid of failing. "If I do this and make a mistake then I will fail. If I fail at this then I fail at this whole thing so, in order to keep from failing, I think I'll just stay right where I am!"

 

Surely, when you read that, you can see the problem with that kind of thinking, right? HOWEVER, many of us are guilty of that kind of thought process!

 

And, yet, that very train of thought will surely lead to the failure that we are afraid we'll reach if we make the wrong move or action!

 

"Staying where you are will never take you where you want to be!" - Mike Spillman

 

It's like I said in the last article, "Even if you take two steps forward and one step back, you are still one step ahead of where you were before you started!"

 

THINK ABOUT IT!

 

Even getting knocked back a step for every two that you make you will still be AHEAD by SEVEN STEPS in a week and THIRTY STEPS in a month! Hey, friend, at the end of a year you will be 365 STEPS AHEAD of where you were when you began the journey!

 

ACTION DEFEATS FEAR!

 

Hey, I understand being afraid and being paralyzed by fear. But I also know this: when you move and take action you often - if not always - find that there was never anything really to fear after all.

 

So, get off your butt and get moving!

 

And, as you do, be sure to...

 

"Make it an AWESOME day! (Who else is going to do it for you?)"

 

Mike

 

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How Will You Get There?

So, which of the modes of transportation that you see in the graphic will you take? (And, let's add a graphic of someone walking, shall we?).

 

"Uh, it depends on where I'm going!"

 

GOOD ANSWER!

 

And, on top of that, depending on where you are going - especially how FAR you are going - will even determine if you use just ONE of the shown modes of transportation OR if you end up using SEVERAL of the shown modes of transportation!

 

For example, you may take a trip that would require you to walk down the street (walking), grab a cab (automobile) or get on a bus (bigger automobile) to be taken to the airport so that you could board a plane (uh, a plane). Then, upon landing you may have to either rent ANOTHER automobile or grab another cab or bus and maybe even have to board a ferry or a ship to continue on your destination.

 

Does the fact that you had to use SEVERAL modes of transportation in order for you to reach your destination make this trip a failure?

 

OF COURSE NOT!

 

Then why is it so easy for us to see this logic in the above example but NOT see it when trying to apply it to your journey to reach your goals and dreams?

 

Too many people think that you MUST stick to one "mode of transportation" to get from point A to point B when it comes to these things.

 

Stick to this particular job! Don't quit this job or don't change jobs! Stay with this one company for 40 years and you will have success!

 

Hey friend, that train left the station long ago - the reality of that type of thinking does NOT exist any longer!

 

In the same way, thinking that you must stick to ONE "business opportunity" or "work from home" system in order to be successful is ludicrous!

 

Sure, sometimes we are tempted to give up too soon, BUT, are we giving up on our goals and dreams or are we giving up on this particular means of "transport" along our way?

 

For me, if I don't enjoy what I'm doing and if I don't have 100% belief and conviction in what I'm doing then I'm going to STOP doing that thing!

 

Yes, I understand that NOTHING is ever 100% perfect and enjoyable, but that is not what I'm talking about. But, friend, if you don't believe in what you do you will NEVER be successful using that mode of "transport" toward your goals and dreams.

 

THAT IS A FACT!

 

The main thing is this: NEVER GIVE UP ON MOVING CLOSER TO YOUR GOALS AND DREAMS.

 

Who cares (and, by the way, whose business is it to care about this but YOU?) if you change ways of getting there several times?

 

JUST GET THERE and enjoy the journey along the way! Too many times we miss out on the journey and what takes place on the journey.

 

Hey, remember this: Even if you DO take two steps forward and one step back, you are STILL making progress! You are STILL one step ahead of where you were!

 

Thanks for your time today. Don't ever forget to...

 

 

"Make it an AWESOME day! (Who else is going to do it for you?)"

 

Mike

 

Future You University     "Like" FYU on Facebook!     Podcast on iTunes     Podcast RSS feed

Do You Have What It Takes?

How big is your dream?

 

Do you feel unstoppable?

 

Do you feel that you are DESTINED for success?

 

Do you - or have you - felt like giving up?

 

Honestly, your answers to these questions will likely depend on how long you have been working on achieving your goals and dreams. The longer you spend at it the more likely your answers change.

 

For example, "Do you feel unstoppable?" - if you're just beginning the journey I'm sure the answer is a resounding "YES!" but, if you've been at it for a few years it may be more like, "Not so much."

 

And, if you've spent ANY time at all mapping out your goals and dreams then I can say FOR SURE that, at least once, you HAVE felt like giving up! (We don't like to admit that one, do we?)

 

BUT, it's not so much about the answers to the questions but what we DO to answer those questions.

 

Doubts do creep in BUT....do you have what it takes to look doubt in the face and keep going anyway?

 

Fear, set-backs, delays, negativity from others, money problems and many other things may cause you to feel like it's just better to give up BUT...do you have what it takes to keep going ANYWAY? Even when it seems like it will be impossible to make it to the end?

 

DO IT ANYWAY.

 

That's what matters. It's not always about "feelings" (even though positive feelings really do help, right?) but it IS always about WHAT YOU DO ANYWAY.

 

So, do you?

 

Do YOU have what it takes?

 

Sure you do. But even when you feel that you don't - DO IT ANYWAY!

 

And, oh, is it ever so important to do this along the way...

 

 

"Make it an AWESOME day! (Who else is going to do it for you?)"

 

Mike

 

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Is It Foolish?

Was it foolish?

 

If you don't know what I'm talking about, go back and read the article from yesterday. But, bottom line, was it foolish for my wife and I to take that trip?

 

Remember, I listed 8 steps that took place during that whole ordeal as follows:

     1. We had set our plans on where we wanted to go.
     2. Obstacles stood in the way (being behind on time; snow)
     3. Others tried to tell us not to do it
     4. WE WERE DETERMINED
     5. We proceeded and it took a lot LONGER than we had planned!
     6. There were delays (flat tire/spending the night/more ice)
     7. WE WERE DETERMINED
     8. We finally arrived at our destination!

Now, as a parent and 30 years older I would likely say that, if one of my kids were planning to do the same thing that I'd be one of those trying to talk them out of taking that trip!

But, you know what? That's part of the whole thing that we miss!

If we (you, me and anyone else we want to talk about) want to achieve SUCCESS in whatever it is that we seek, we MUST have a YOUTHFUL-NOT-AFRAID-OF-ANYTHING type attitude and approach!

Now, let's stay focused on the fact that the trip was an ANALOGY and that the real focus is on our determination (or lack thereof) in reaching our goals and seeing the journey through to the end!

Have you lost that "not-afraid-of-anything" attitude?

Look at those 8 things listed above and, again, KNOW that they WILL occur! Not if, but when!

IT WILL HAPPEN!

You WILL have obstacles and it WILL take you longer than you planned.

Most everyone under estimates the time required to reach the success that they seek. Will you stay with it? Will you give up?

Others WILL try to get you to quit and give up and they may even tell you that you are FOOLISH for continuing to "chase that dream".

"You've been trying to do this for four years now...don't you think it's time to quit being a fool and just give up?"

Is it foolish OR is it worth it?

How DETERMINED are YOU in the pursuit of your dreams?

Regardless of how long it takes, how AWESOME will it be when you DO achieve what it is that you have set out to achieve?

Here me again: DON'T YOU DARE EVER GIVE UP!

Fire it up and keep it going!

And, as you do so, be sure to...

"Make it an AWESOME day! (Who else is going to do it for you?)"

Mike


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How Bad Do You Want It?

This is not a picture I took but it is similar to what the conditions were like back in December of 1983 when my wife and I - five months pregnant at the time - decided to go ahead and head out on our planned trip to visit our families over the Christmas holiday.

 

When I say, "decided to go ahead", there was a lot of things to take into consideration before that decision was made. One, my wife was five months pregnant! Two, we were behind our time schedule due to someone putting carpet in the house AND it had begun snowing and snowing hard! As a matter of fact, by the time we made the decision to go ahead and go, there were at least 3-4 inches on the ground and a lot of it sticking to the roadways.

 

My brother and his wife lived about 30 miles from us and had also planned to make the trip but changed their mind due to the snow. They TRIED to get us to change our mind as well but we were DETERMINED to get away for the holiday season and go see family!

 

And we did. I don't remember the year model of the old Dodge truck we were in but it was old and it had lots of "air holes" in it that was letting in a LOT of cold, cold air as we traveled along the way.

 

If you are familiar with southwest Missouri/northwest Arkansas then you are likely familiar with the Boston Mountains. This highway is pretty dangerous on a GOOD day but, with snow all over the place, it was really treacherous as was evidenced by the many cars and "big rigs" that were off in the ditch.

 

But we kept going.

 

I don't remember if we had planned to spend the night at my wife's grandmother's house or not that night but, we ended up doing so due to a flat tire just outside of the town she lived in. The sun had already gone down and it was cold and icy. I walked my wife up the long driveway that we had the luck to be able to pull over in. I thought that I could at least get her in to where it was warm before I changed the tire. The kind folks let us in and, after talking a few minutes, we found that they knew my wife's grandmother and allowed my wife to call her (this was before cell phones). The gentleman told me to stay put with my wife and that he would change the tire. I tried to tell him I'd help but he insisted.

 

We finally made it to "Nany's" house for the evening but, upon getting up in the morning, we discovered that a lot of "frozen rain" had fallen and there was now ice EVERYWHERE. What did we do? We got in the truck and headed on down south so that we could still reach our destination.

 

We finally made it and ended up having to stay a week longer than planned due to ANOTHER ice storm that hit. When we finally left it was still fairly risky but we HAD to get on back.

 

Was it foolish? We'll talk about that thought in the next article but, notice these things:

     1. We had set our plans on where we wanted to go.

     2. Obstacles stood in the way (being behind on time; snow)

     3. Others tried to tell us not to do it

     4. WE WERE DETERMINED

     5. We proceeded and it took a lot LONGER than we had planned!

     6. There were delays (flat tire/spending the night/more ice)

     7. WE WERE DETERMINED

     8. We finally arrived at our destination!

 

Now friend, look over that list and KNOW that this will also happen to you when you decide to step out and proceed toward your goals and dreams.

 

That's not an "if", it's a "when". IT WILL HAPPEN.

 

Bottom line, "How bad do you want it?" Or, as the title to the podcast version of this asks, "Is It Worth It?".

 

Only YOU can answer that question and you WILL - sooner or later - have to answer that one.

 

In the next article we will answer the question (as best as I can) as to whether it was foolish or not to make that journey. I invite you back for that because it, too, will be something that you will have to answer along the way as you continue down your path to your goals and dreams.

 

Until then, be sure to...

 

"Make it an AWESOME day! (Who else is going to do it for you?)"

 

Mike

 

Future You University     "Like" FYU on Facebook     Podcast on iTunes     Podcast RSS feed

Two Important Steps

According to Bob Proctor, there are two things you must know in order to succeed:

     1. KNOW WHO YOU ARE

     2. KNOW WHERE YOU ARE GOING

This actually goes back to what we talked about in the last blog article, "Know Thyself". (If you haven't read it yet - now's your time!).

How can you make progress in any area if you don't know what your starting point is?

Classic example would be someone that wants to lose weight. Obviously, someone that weighs 100 pounds does not need to lose 50 pounds, right? That would be unhealthy.

Too, if you say you want to lose 20 pounds, how will you know that you've done that if you don't know how much you weighed when you began?

You have to know who you are if you are planning to make positive changes in your life. Yeah, I get it that what I've said is interchangeable with knowing WHERE you are. But they ARE interchangeable in this example.

Mr. Proctor put it this way: "Yes, it is IMPORTANT and VITAL to have goals of where you want to be but you FIRST must take time on WHERE/WHO you are!




Bottom line, in order to succeed you MUST know (in both areas) where you are and where you want to be. Mr. Proctor uses the analogy of planning a trip on a map - "It doesn't matter where you WANT TO GO if you FIRST don't know where you are!"

So, if you haven't done so already, take the time to sit down, be honest with yourself and see who and where you are. (Think about it, you can't plan a trip basing your starting point at a place you WISH you were. How would that work? Uh....it wouldn't!).

Know this: just like on a trip, there likely will be roadblocks, delays, detours and other "road hazards" along the way. BUT, if you are determined to get there, you WILL NOT allow ANYTHING to stop you from reaching your destination!

One of the things that you must do in order to stay focused along the way is to...

"Make it an AWESOME day! (Who else is going to do it for you?)"

Mike

Future You University     "Like" FYU on Facebook     Podcast on iTunes     Podcast RSS feed

Know Thyself

What I'm going to do today is, right off, share the note information that I took down while watching Bob Proctor discuss on a video thoughts from his book, "The Science of Getting Rich".  Look over the highlighted information and then take a look at my comments afterwards. THEN be sure to ask yourself, "What does this mean for me - RIGHT NOW - in my life?"

 

TO IMPROVE YOUR PERFORMANCE FOLLOW THE ANCIENT INSTRUCTION:

"Know Thyself"

 

 

If you're going to change your life, you must change yourself.

 

 

In order to change yourself, you have to know WHO YOU ARE!

 

 

YOU AND I HAVE INFINITE POTENTIAL!

 

 

We are SPIRITUAL beings in a PHYSICAL body that has been given an INTELLECT with

EMOTIONS that are determined on how we use our INTELLECT!

 

 

 

 

 

So, what does all of this mean and what does it mean for YOU today?

 

Most of us - especially at the start of a new year - have goals and plans to make IMPROVEMENTS in our lives, right? And, most of the time (if not ALL of the time) these improvements are directed toward ourselves. In other words, we want to improve ourselves!

 

Now, I'm not going to go into a lot of detail on this but, in order to "make changes" or "improve" areas in our lives we must know WHAT it is that we wish to change. Make sense?

 

To say, "I want to improve myself in the coming year" is too generic and it is something that cannot be gauged as far as success or progress. However, if we take the time to get SPECIFIC about what things we desire to change about ourselves then we have a way to track or gauge our progress and success along the way.

 

Maybe it's doing better about being on time or maybe it's listening to others more and interrupting less. I don't know and you won't know unless you make a list of what it is you want to change.

 

And friend, guess what? You cannot do so unless you know who you are! Now, honestly, this process may actually help you discover that along the way.

 

This is not a "beat myself up" session, o.k.? But, if you are serious about making some changes in your life you MUST define what it is that you wish to change and/or improve before you can do so.

 

"Oh, it's too late! You can't teach an old dog new tricks!" Well, for one, you're not a dog and, secondly, IT IS NEVER TOO LATE!

 

As Bob Proctor says, you have INFINITE potential! In other words, the possibilities are unlimited for you in your life! But you have to really want or desire to do what is necessary to make these changes or improvements in your life.

 

But, you CAN do it!

 

Did you notice what Mr. Proctor said about our emotions and our intellect? We all have emotions and our emotions are - can be/should be - controlled by our "intellect" or our minds or mindset!

 

When we act only on our emotions we make unwise choices and do unwise things that, many times, we regret.

 

We cannot think clearly when we are ruled by our emotions. (Don't read this the wrong way! Our emotions are a wonderful part of who we are but they were never intended to rule our life and our decisions.)

 

Bottom line, if you want to change your life, you must change yourself which can only take place when you begin to change (improve) your mind or mindset.

 

That's why, again, I always start off my podcasts with the phrase, "Your greatest education takes place on the campus of your mind."

 

So what?

 

So what will you do now? You can continue to talk about change or you can begin the process by getting to know you. And this could be one of the most meaningful and important journeys that you've ever experienced in your whole lifetime.

 

Until next time, be sure to...

 

"Make it an AWESOME day! (Who else is going to do it for you?)"

 

Mike

 

Future You University     "Like" FYU on Facebook!     Podcast on iTunes     Podcaast RSS feed

 

 

Love Your Job!?



So, I'm guessing that, like me, you have often heard that to be able to find a job doing what you LOVE keeps it from feeling like a job, right? "It's not work!", when you find this type of situation. To GET PAID doing something that, likely, we'd do for free? Heck yeah, sign me up!

 

My guess is that there are some of you reading this right now that DO work at a job that you love. I have known of several people over my lifetime that absolutely LOVED what they did. Friend, if that is you, you are truly blessed!

 

I've had one job like that. Now, when I say "one job", I guess a better description would be that I had a career that I loved and I did the "job" that went with it to several different towns and states. I would work 80 - 100 hours a week and I loved it! Why? Because no one was telling me that I HAD to do it but, rather, I was doing it because I WANTED to!

 

Is that possible for you? Maybe yes, maybe no.

 

However, I believe that Bob Proctor addresses how each one of us can help IMPROVE how we approach our current situation. In other words, here are some thoughts on how to not just survive your place of work, but how to learn to THRIVE.

 

And, who knows, you may even begin to find a way to enjoy - dare I even say "love" - that job.

 

So, once again, the parts that are highlighted below are the thoughts that come from Bob Proctor and the rest are thoughts of my own about this.

 

  

Don't allow others to control your life by REACTING to whatever they say or do.   

 

This is easier said (or "read" in this case) than done! But here's the deal - you will never find ANY place to work that will not involve others. Hey, even if you "work-from-home" you will STILL have to deal with people! And, that being said, we all have to deal with our reactions to the issues that come from working with other people.

 

You also know that there are SOME people out there that actually LOVE to "push your button" so that they CAN get a reaction out of you.

 

And we let them and say something like, "They make me so mad!".

 

No, friend. They cannot "make" you do anything. They cannot control your emotions. Only YOU can do that! The fact is - and you already know this - that we ALLOW them to have this control by continuing to react to whatever they say or do.

 

Controlling this and making this type of change is one reason (if not one of the BEST reasons) that is it so important to continuously "arm yourself" with positive information like this blog and my podcasts!

 

It IS possible to develop the kind of mindset that will allow you to still be around people like this with it not having ANY negative effect on you. It is likely that, by developing such a mindset, you will begin to have a HUGE impact on those that work with you and your influence will grow and spread.

 

Promotion anyone?

 

Reacting to people and/or circumstances have put them or the situation in control of your life! 
IT'S YOUR LIFE!

 

Need I say anymore? It IS your life and it is time to stop allowing others to have "control" over what is yours! Don't think that you can't, because, friend, YOU CAN!

 

It is a process and it does take time. But it CAN be done and you are in the right place to begin that journey. Feel free to contact me with suggestions on who are some others to read and listen to as well as where you may be able to find such information.

 

Who knows, a little bit further down the road you may find that you - yes YOU - actually end up LOVING your job!

 

Now, pay attention to how all of this goes along with how I always close out my articles as well as my podcasts...

 

"Make it an AWESOME day! (Who else is going to do it for you?)"

 

Mike

 

Future You University     "Like" FYU on Facebook     Podcast on iTunes     Podcast RSS feed

What is YOUR Income Strategy?

O.k., so here we are a week into the New Year! If you haven't done so, be sure to go back and read the last blog and listen to the last podcast entitled, "What IS a Resolution?" to help you as you set out to better yourself and accomplish positive moves in your life during this year.

 

And, as you do so, take into consideration these thoughts as I continue my discussion on Bob Proctor's, "The Science of Getting Rich".  Again, I have highlighted the thoughts from my notes that come from Mr. Proctor and then I have added my own thoughts as well.

 

Mr. Proctor says (and I have heard this from many others who understand and have wealth) that there are 3 Income Earning Strategies as listed below: 

   1: used by 96% of people (trading time for money = a J.O.B.) - you will NEVER get ahead of the game doing this!  

  2: used by 3% of people (use/invest money for money)

  3: only used by 1% (they multiply their time/effort by setting up MULTIPLE SOURCES OF INCOME!) *IF YOU CAN EARN $10,000 you can earn $100,000. If you can earn $100,000 then you can earn $1 million! It all follows a basic principle!

 

Let's take a quick, but closer, look at these 3 strategies and see what that means for you now and in the future.

 

1. Trading Time for Money. Obviously if it is the method being used by 96% of the people, then it is likely the method or strategy that you are using as well. There is nothing wrong with having a job so please, do not take what is being said here the wrong way. The problem comes when you cannot - for whatever reason - give of your time in order to get the money. Sickness, injury - it doesn't matter because, simply put, if you don't work, you don't get paid. Times have changed greatly over the years and there are NO indicators, as was true in the past, that can give the security of you having that job for as long as you want as long as you do the job and do it right. Those days are gone!

 

2. Invest Money for Money. I can hear some of you now - "But, Mike, I invest in the stock market!" For one, you likely dabble in the stock market. Regardless, how has the stock market treated you over the past 5 - 10 years? True investing takes knowledge and knowledge comes from education and that education comes from a desire to learn more. Sure, all investment has SOME risks but those that do their "due diligence" remove as much of the risk as possible. ONLY 3% OF PEOPLE DO THIS! Now, who do you think these 3% are? How financially set do you think these in this 3% are?

 

3. Multiple Sources/Streams of Income. Only 1%. Yet, as you think about the beauty of this strategy it is amazing that only 1% use this strategy. Again, I can hear some of you say, "Oh, but Mike, I have two jobs, my wife babysits on the side and we also sell old stuff on-line!" Sure, you have income coming in from different sources (that is good and it is ambitious) BUT....yeah, you knew that was coming, right? - what happens with ANY one of these if you (or your wife) gets sick, hurt or just gets tired? In all of these, if you don't work, you don't get the money! Those who set up multiple streams of income are much like the 3% that learn how to truly invest their money. THEY HAVE SPENT THE TIME (due diligence) to LEARN how to find sources of income that will produce money whether they are able to work or not! It's a simple way of saying that they have chosen not to put "all of their eggs in one basket".  Even if one source suffers for any reason, they have OTHER sources to help take up the slack!

 

I'm not going to say much more about this - just take a look at it and see what you can begin doing TODAY - RIGHT NOW - to start switching over from category 1 (with the rest of the 96%) to one of the other 2 categories.

 

What's the problem? We want it and we want it to happen for us NOW!

 

We are not a patient people and, most of us, are not willing to do what it takes to make this transition in our lives.

 

That, my friend, is why only 4% of the people practice strategies 2 and 3!

 

I don't want to be like everyone else. I've heard this many times from many different people in the area of fiance and wealth: "If you want to have success, you must do what everyone else is NOT doing!"

 

In other words...STEP OUT FROM THE CROWD!

 

Can you? Yes, you absolutely can.

 

Will you? That's totally up to you.

 

 

Until next time, be sure to...

 

"Make it an AWESOME day! (Who else is going to do it for you?)"

 

Mike

Future You University     "Like" FYU on Facebook!     Podcast on iTunes     Podcast RSS feed