Be Flexible in Attaining Your Goals

I came across this graphic on a friend's Facebook page and it "spoke to me" specifically about what is going on in my life right now. You can go back a couple of articles ago and get a glimpse into what I am referring to in the article, "Are You Laying Eggs?".

Since the beginning of this year I have been very "open" about my goals for the year and how I planned to achieve those goals. You can go back to those articles and podcasts where I talk deciding what "vehicle" would be used to get me from where I was to where I wanted to be.

What if the "vehicle" that you have picked out is not doing the job of getting you where you want to go? Are you determined to stay in/with that vehicle regardless or are you flexible enough to do what needs to be done? Maybe your "vehicle" just needs a little tune up or a tweak to make some minor adjustments OR maybe your "vehicle" needs a complete overhaul or replacement.

What you do is greatly determined by your flexibility in such matters.

For me, I have decided that it is time to change the particular "vehicle" and get on my way with my journey and try to catch up since I'm behind with my goals.

Specifically, I'm still going to be in the insurance business but I'm just doing it with a different company (yes, again) and a different approach.

Here's the deal - for me and for you...I can't be worried about what other people think in the matter. DO YOU HEAR ME?

Hey listen, I know for a fact that there are some people that look at me and think I'm just "hopping around" form one thing to another. And, yes, to some extent I have done that but, what they don't know is my reason and purpose for doing so. And I cannot concern myself with that!

I (and you in your own journey) must do what I feel is the best move for me and my purpose and goals in and for my life. And I must be FLEXIBLE in doing so.

How flexible are YOU in reaching your goal? Again, make sure you are CLEAR on what that goal is but, at the same time, be flexible in the process of reaching that goal.

Be sure to take a listen to the podcast on iTunes or on the RSS Feed and get more insight to this topic.

Also, when you listen to the podcast on this topic, you will find me discussing my future plans for the podcast. You can find this starting around the 4 minute mark. Go there to hear the details about another example of flexibility in this process.

You can actually also read more about this in my next article. It won't be long, just an explanation on what I plan to be doing with the podcast. Be sure to check it out.

 And, whatever you do along the way, always be sure to...

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

Mike

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

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"E" in BELIEF

- EVENTS -

 

In my last article I began this series by using the word, "BEYOND" for the letter"B" in the word, "BELIEF". Go back and read that if you haven't done so yet, but I'll give you a very quick recap: We must be able to look, think and act BEYOND our current circumstances in order to reach our goals and dreams.

 

Today I want to use the word, "EVENTS" for the letter "E" in the word, "BELIEF".

 

Dictionary.com has the following as the first definition of the word, EVENT: "something that happens or is regarded as happening; an occurrence, especially one of some importance. "

 

Wow, when you look at that definition you see how "broad" and "general" an "event" really is! Look at that: "something that happens" and/or "an occurrence".

 

So, here's the point: EVENTS HAPPEN EVERY DAY OF YOUR LIFE and SEVERAL TIMES DURING EVERY DAY OF YOUR LIFE!

 

Some events are good, some are not so good and some are "neutral" in that they are really neither good or bad. For example, getting out of bed is not necessarily good or bad. However, the REASON you got out of bed might make it one or the other.

 

Did you get out of bed due to a sick child? Did you get out of bed due to a noise that you heard in your house that you needed to check out? Did you get out of bed due to some emergency?  Or did you simply get out of bed due to the fact that the alarm clock went off and it was time to get up and get ready for work?

 

Makes a difference, doesn't it?

 

As you can see, depending on the event, your day can easily swing from one end to the other on the "positive attitude" pendulum.

 

Sometimes we allow the "small" events to have more impact on us than they deserve. Have you ever allowed some small event to "set you off" on some negative thought process that even spilled out into verbal negativity? Sure you have...we all have.

 

If we allow ourselves to go unchecked on our response to such small events then how will we combat negativity when those events that are truly "life-changing" come our way?

 

Want to check something out for yourself? At the end of the day, sit down and write down as many "events" as you can that occurred during your day. Now, listen, I understand that this list could get VERY long, very quickly, if you write down every little thing that took place today. But try to go through your day and try to "track" your reaction to the "events" of the day.

 

Start with getting out of bed. That's right, write it down and write down how that went for you. Were you in a good mood? Bad mood? Did you wake up dreading the day or were you excited about the day ahead?

 

If you went to a job, did anything happen along the way that impacted you one way or the other? For example, if you had the radio on, what did you listen to and how did that influence you? Happy music? Positive information? Negative news and commentary? What about the journey to work, itself? Traffic? Smooth sailing?

 

What about when you arrived at your job? Did you share a positive attitude when you walked in or did you allow any negativity that you may have already collected influence what happened at that point?

 

See what I mean? Just adjust it to where it applies to YOUR day and see how it went. Be honest with yourself so that you can really take a look at how you are allowing events to mold your attitude through the course of a "normal" day.

 

We must develop the ability to look BEYOND our current circumstances and the EVENTS that make up the structure of those circumstances.

 

Think about it, dig deep and map out a plan.

 

And, as always, 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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Making Adjustments

Are YOU willing to "adjust your sails" if necessary?

 

Sometimes we can get stubborn and refuse to adjust our sails. This, ultimately, will often lead to disaster. Depending upon how one uses them, sails can be your friend or your worst enemy!

 

Perhaps more than we realize, life is like that of being in a boat guided by the wind. Sometimes, as Jimmy Dean said, you must adjust your sails in order to reach your destination. This means that, sometimes, you may have to take a different course - a different path - in order to reach the same, original destination that you had set out for yourself.

 

We can become so stubborn about "staying the course" that, in the midst of a storm, we can actually do more harm than good. Make sense? Though I've never sailed, I do understand that, at times, you must actually drop your sails - bring them down - in order to survive and not be crushed by the wind and the storm.

 

Does this mean that you've given up? Does this mean that you've quit?

 

Not at all. It simply means that you understand the need for adjustments in your life.

 

You see, one of two things are happening: You're either NOT adjusting your sails and you are being taken wherever the wind takes you OR you are adjusting your sails to have that ship take you where YOU determine to go.

 

Have you ever had to take a detour while traveling? I'm sure you have. You had to take a different route or course due to some roadblock, right?

 

Did that mean that you gave up on reaching your destination? Not at all. It simply means that you had to make an adjustment due to unforeseen obstacles that required you to alter your original plans.

 

Adjustment does not mean failure. Failing to adjust, many times, will bring about failure.

 

Think about that and, friend, don't be afraid - or too stubborn - to adjust your sail in order to reach your destination. You will find that this is necessary in every area of your life.

 

The choice is yours.Choose wisely.

 

And, as you go about this journey called "life", always be sure to...

 

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

 

Mike



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Get Out of Your Way!

The next time you find yourself banging your head against the wall, stop and take a look. You may very well find that you are banging your head against a mirror. If so, take a look in the mirror and you will find.........YOU.

 

Out of all of the roadblocks and detours that have slowed you down on the way to your goals and dreams, the one you likely did not expect is the one looking back at you in that mirror.

 

YIKES!

 

We don't expect that. We don't WANT to see that staring us back in the face. We don't WANT to even BEGIN to think that we could even POSSIBLY be a part of the problem.

 

It's every body else and every thing else!

 

But, yet, it is true that many times we end up finding out that WE are one of our biggest road blocks.

 

Yeah, us. Me and you.

 

Yep.

 

Now, even though it is true that we need to guard our minds and lives from as much of the negative influences around us, many times WE still get in the way.

 

In order for us to stop the "I can't" and/or "I don't deserve this" mindset from taking root in our lives we must invest in as much positive material as possible. No matter what we remove from our lives, it is still up to US if we are to move on and not look back.

 

Sometimes we need to simply step aside, get out of the way and let our "natural, inner being" take over and take charge. LEAD THE WAY!

 

Stop talking yourself out of what can be an amazing life for yourself. Get out of the way and live the life that you were meant to live.

 

What are you waiting for? GET GOING and walk in the total belief that you CAN. (Because you really can!).

 

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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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

 

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

When Your Journey is Interrupted

DELAYS MAY TAKE LONGER THAN EXPECTED

I really don't like detours when I'm trying to get somewhere - do you?

For one, I think it is the uncertainty that I will actually be able to maneuver through the detour route and still get where it is that I want to go.

And, secondly, it is simply an interruption to my planned path on my journey and I just don't like it to change unexpectedly like that!

It's especially hard when this detour is not on a trip traveled in an automobile or some other mode of transportation, but it's a detour in your planned journey (path) for your life!

I've talked about this before in past blogs and podcasts. As a matter of fact, I've done several little "mini-series" on this topic off and on over the history of this blog - just go back through and see what you can find.

But, you know what? It's TOUGH to live it, isn't it? Yeah, you know, the old, "Easier said than done" scenario.

Many of you know that I lost my job back mid-August of 2010. Purely unexpected but, at the same time, not unwelcomed. I was already trying to "plan a route" to where I could do so financially while I pursued my dream of my seminars with my "Future You University" concept.

Well, here I am now at the end of July 2011 and not a whole lot has changed. Oh, I have made attempts to get my seminar started but, quite honestly, it was ill-timed and I was not financially prepared to do it in the way I had planned. Too, other opportunities that I have looked at to try to see us through in the mean time just hasn't worked out. I am starting a new "job" but it will likely be another month before I see any income from it which is not good news right now.

Because of all of this, I stopped doing my podcast after losing my job last August because I didn't know where I was going to be and when and I knew I wouldn't be able to keep up with my daily schedule like before. I began it again earlier this year more for me than anything but discontinued it again because, quite honestly, I was having a hard time keeping MY OWN mental attitude where it needed to be.

Surprised?

Don't be! I don't think you'll ever find any situation (podcast or blog) where I said keeping a positive attitude even through tough times would be easy. Never. It's NOT!

But, I still have a choice. Give in, give up or GET UP and KEEP MOVING forward even though my path/journey has been redirected due to a detour.

Still easier said than done for sure.

So, I'm struggling big time! Financially, I'm lower than a pregnant ant's belly! And, on some days, the same can be said of my mental attitude. Yeah, that's right - I'm human.

Believe me, there have been days where I felt like giving up and, honestly, there are days that I DID give up temporarily.

That's the key. Make any such situations a TEMPORARY one.

Yes, I WILL still have my seminars but it will be later than I had planned since I had planned to be well involved in them at this point. But, I will continue on that path REGARDLESS of any detours that continue to come my way.

So, I encourage you to do the same. REGARDLESS.

I can - you can - WE can!

And, as you go along this detoured path...

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

Mike

No Pity Party in the Rut Room!

No Pity Party in the Rut Room!

"What's a 'rut room' " you ask? That's where you are if you decide that you don't want to do anything to get out of your rut!

Yeah, and it's pretty nice, too! I mean, you've got it all set up with all of the comforts of home because - after all - you plan to stay here for a while if not forever!

It's great. Kind of. Sort of. But not really.

Why?

Because you're there all alone in your "rut room". So you decide to throw a party to see what happens! Yeah, you decide to throw a "pity party" in your "rut room".

But, another problem - no one else comes to your "pity party".

Why? Because too many other people are already involved in their own pity party and, anyway, a pity party is usually celebrated alone!

Not so great after all, huh?

SO DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT!

GET OUT OF YOUR RUT AND STOP YOUR WHINING!

Yeah, I'm talking to myself here, too. Sometimes I even need to give myself a swift kick in the pants - even though I've not figured out a way to do that physically!

So, as a quick review let's take a quick look and see that - first and foremost - you have to understand that you are in a rut or that you've come up against a roadblock. But, even then, you still have a choice to make in that you can either just accept it and do nothing about it OR you can decide that you don't want to stay in that rut or that you will NOT allow that roadblock to prevent you from continuing on your journey!

What will it be for you?

Remember - the deeper the rut the harder it is and the more effort it takes to get out. The same is true for a roadblock - the bigger the roadblock, the longer it may take or the more effort it will take to remove it. Sometimes you just have to choose a different route and go around it!

SO DECIDE!

Do you want to stay in your "rut room" and keep throwing yourself your little "pity parties"?

OR are you sick of living this way to the point of understanding that, once and for all, it's time to DO SOMETHING to change your position?

This is not easy. Ruts are comfortable. Take another look around your "rut room". Comfortable.

But you know that this is no way to LIVE life! This is not really a LIFE at all - it is an existence.

How determined are you to get out of your rut? How determined are you to not allow that roadblock to keep you from making progress?

How great is your DESIRE in this area?

This will determine your success. Remember - it's not easy and it will not be accomplished on your first try. But, will you give up and give in?

NO YOU WILL NOT!

I mentioned an article from Success.com that I wanted to share with you about this very thing - how to get out of a rut! Here's the link for you to check it out:

http://www.successmagazine.com/1on1-break-out-of-a-rut/PARAMS/article/1065/channel/22

Be sure to take the time to read this - it's really good and goes along with what I am saying about ruts and out tendencies to stay in them.

Once again I find that what I am saying and thinking and sharing on these topics are backed up by others - like in the article above and the one I'm about to share with you.

Hey, this ol' boy DOES know what he's talking about - imagine that!

Here's another good article for you on how to get out of a rut - check it out:

http://www.askmen.com/money/body_and_mind_100/142_better_living.html

Tomorrow we will talk and discuss how great your determination and/or desire is for this to actually happen in your life and - just like with the above articles - we will discuss a few things that you can - and MUST - do in order to get yourself out of that rut or around that roadblock!

Until then - enjoy the articles and be sure to...

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

Mike