"Life is a HABIT...Does YOURS Need to be Broken?"

(This is an edited version of an article originally posted on January 9, 2018)

 

I recently visited with an elderly lady about her need for final expense (burial) insurance. She had filled out a card and requested to get more information about this. She acknowledged to me that she knew she needed to do something to keep her family from having to come up with the money to pay for her funeral and she acknowledged that the price I presented to her was right "on target".

That was about 3 weeks or so ago and, to this day, she still has not done anything about it and, guess what? She never will. How do I know this? Because LIFE IS A HABIT and her habit has been to NOT take action on something that she has known for quite some time that she needed to get done.

Another word for "habit" might even be "rut". It's hard to break a habit and it's hard to get out of a rut!

 

 As is the case regarding ANY significant change, the beginning IS ALWAYS the hardest part of the process. It goes against what we are comfortable with and it goes against our "daily routine" of this habit. But, just like the activity that takes place when one of those "strongest man" contestants start to pull a train car with nothing but a rope, the hardest part is the beginning! Yet, after much effort and determination, MOMENTUM finally starts to "kick in" and the wheels of that train begin to finally move. Slowly at first but they begin to roll with more ease as this momentum continues to work in the contestants favor.

As funny as this little cartoon is, the point of it is actually kind of sad, is it not? Isn't it time to finally get past this "hamster wheel" mentality that so many (you?) do year after year with these, so-called, New Year's Resolutions? Stop talking and start doing!

 Wow, what good news, right? If you go back and read my blog and listen to the podcast that I did right before the start of this new year ("Happy New Day? Happy New Year!) you find this very thing talked about. If you have followed me for very long then you have also heard me discuss the fact (yes, I said "fact") that TOMORROW does NOT exist! That 24 hour period into the future does not exist - it has not even arrived into the realm of reality. And, in the same way, that 24 hour period in the past that we call "YESTERDAY" no longer exists as well. It's gone and can never be relived or recovered. So, TODAY is the day to start making your move. Bottom line, it's all you have, friend.

GET UP AND MOVE ON! Stop dwelling on your past disappointments...what good does that do you but to disappoint you even more? Today is the day to decide to "get up and move on"!

 Are you in sales? If so, you need to "google" this guy and check out his stuff. I found this quote of his the other day and I love what it says even though it is hard to accept sometimes. But, it is TRUTH! Whether you are talking about weight loss or job and/or career success, there are many that want the RESULT but that are not willing to "pay the price". That price? CHANGE. And, again, any significant change is not easy. Never has been, never will be. HOWEVER, again, with momentum, that change becomes less and less of a burden as you continue to move forward.

 

So, are you all talk? Do you spend all of your time "dreaming" about what you will achieve and, are you one of those people that keeps telling everyone else what you are GOING TO DO? Dreaming is important! One must have a "dream" that will challenge them to move forward. However, as Jack Canfield says, the difference between just dreaming and actually putting action behind that dream (PURSUING your passion) is "taking the first step". 

 

 

 

Forget about the past! Remember, it's gone. Yes, absolutely LEARN from the past but do not allow yourself to continue to LIVE in the past. So, regardless of what you have been "planting" in the past (you may likely be "harvesting" that now) you can still "plant a new crop" starting TODAY. This is not just a "cheesy" saying or thought...it is a FACT of life, friend.

 

 

What is in your heart? What is it that you REALLY want to do and/or accomplish? What is it that "stirs" your soul and creates "purpose" in and for your life? When you allow yourself to "tune in" to whatever that is for you, your "vision" (path, direction) will become clear. Do you believe that?  For years I kept hearing about the need to create a "mission statement" for your life. I even would almost "stress out" over the fact that I couldn't come up with one. I literally would try to put something into words but I kept falling short and, as a result, I also would get discouraged. However, "out of the dark" (so to speak) as I was "immersed" in positive information it just "came to me" and came in a very clear and powerful message. The next graphic is what I came up with (or, perhaps, what came to me):

 

 

I need to work harder on getting back to this focus but, the point is, once my "heart" took over, THIS literally just "came out" or "appeared" to me. No, it wasn't magic and it definitely came from my inner thoughts and feelings (my heart). It can only be "real" and "true" when it comes out of your heart. 

Today is the day, my friend. Haven't you waited long enough? Haven't you procrastinated long enough? Are you tired of breaking the promises that you have made to yourself over the years? ONE DAY AT A TIME breaks things down into much smaller "steps" that need to be taken. You don't look at the idea of losing 50 lbs. over the next twelve months and become overwhelmed. What you DO is break that down to what is needed monthly and then daily and start making that journey.  (By the way, that comes out to .13 lbs per day).

Well? Now what? 

That's up to you. "LIFE IS A HABIT"...what do you need to do with yours?

Until next time, whatever you do, always be sure to...

 

Make it an AWESOME day - who else is going to do it for you?

Mike

Future You University   Podcast on iTunes   Podcast RSS feed

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Success Factor #4: KEEP Going!

As a quick review (all can be found in the previous articles), here are the "Success Factor" steps previously covered:

1. Success Factor #1: LOOK UP!
2. Success Factor #2: GET UP!
3. Success Factor #3: GET GOING!

Be sure to take a few minutes to read the previous articles as well as listening to the podcasts (see link at bottom of article) IN ORDER. They all "feed" off of the previous "Success Factor" step.

That being said, "Success Factor #3" discussed how important it was to "GET GOING!" and, in this article, we will stress how important it is to "KEEP GOING" once you start taking action.

In the podcast I discuss the difference between "falling short" and "failing". Pay attention to this: FALLING SHORT is NOT failure! Changing course or direction, is NOT failure! Failure occurs when you have decided to "wave the white flag" and "give up". You CEASE to make any effort to continue progressing FORWARD. 

Here's something else to consider in this thought process. You can even decide to stop pursuing something that you thought was very important to you at one time and STILL not be a "failure".

Our lives change and, with that, our perspectives and priorities change as well. Wouldn't you agree? There are things that I once pursued that, at the time, I felt were VERY important to me and I was determined to reach "success" in those areas.

 

 CLICK HERE

Things (my goals, perspective AND priorities) have changed quite a bit over the past 13 years when I first began "Future You University". I am proud of the number and the quality of the articles and podcasts that I have done over this period of time. They will "live on" long after I am gone from this earth. That has now become a major feeling of accomplishment to me and for me in my desire to share positive information with as many people as possible.

My goals that I once had to be a major "player" in the public speaking arena is no longer of major importance to me. I have worked and pushed hard in different areas in the field of "home-based business" over the years and now, to be honest, I have no real desire to pursue that any longer. 

Does that make me a "failure". NOT AT ALL! I am still dedicated to making sure that I am doing all that I can do in order to "take in" as much positive and encouraging information that I can for my own personal benefit. And, as I continue to share information with you from time to time, I can also try to provide the same for you. 

So, yes, I have definitely "changed course" but I have not "given up" or "surrendered" in my desire to improve my life on a daily basis as well as being dedicated to sharing what I can to help others in that same journey.

Do you happen to remember when you first learned how to ride a bicycle? Or, perhaps, you may remember the time that you taught your children to do the same. I use this example in the podcast for this topic and talk about how hard it is to grasp the idea that you must peddle faster in order to get momentum which, in turn, makes it easier to ride. At that stage of the learning process, being told that does NOT make sense but, it is still a true fact, right? 

I also use the example of having to push a car that is completely stationary and of how much force and effort it takes to get that car rolling/moving even just a little bit. But, once it begins to roll, momentum kicks in and it takes less and less effort to keep it moving.

Newton’s first law of motion – sometimes referred to as the law of inertia states that an object at rest stays at rest, and an object in motion stays in motion with the same speed and in the same direction unless acted upon by an unbalanced force.

Listen, ANY relationship takes effort. ANY endeavor to improve your life in ANY way will take effort. The earlier it is in the process, the "harder" it is to gain that "momentum". Too many give up TOO SOON before they begin to experience the momentum in whatever endeavor it is that they are pursuing.

(By the way, in the podcast, I give some much-needed advice to those that are involved in any type of "home-based business" beginning at the 9:52 mark. If you are involved in such or are considering such, make sure you take a listen!)

As always, I encourage you to listen to the podcast that accompanies this article...I believe that you will gain even more out of this particular topic by doing so.

So, "Success Factor #1: LOOK UP!" , "Success Factor #2: GET UP!" and "Success Factor #3: GET GOING!", "Success Factor #4: KEEP GOING!". This will be followed in my next podcast and article with the last of the "5 Success Factors" with,  "Success Factor #5: DON'T YOU DARE, EVER, GIVE UP!". 

Until next time, remember, YOU'RE HERE FOR A REASON and, whatever you do, always be sure to...

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

Mike

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ACTION: It Becomes Easier With Momentum!

This will be the conclusion of my series on the necessity and importance of ACTION in our lives IF we desire to move forward in a positive (and powerful) way. 

If you haven't done so, I strongly encourage you to go back and begin with the introductory article and then read each one before you read this one. I also encourage you to either listen to the podcast or watch the video broadcast of this series as well. All of the links for the blog articles, the podcast as well as the video broadcast can be found at the bottom of this article. 

The fact is that, anytime you set out to make a change and an improvement in and for your life, not only will there will others ready and willing to "pull you back down" but you will find that this change of direction or even this change of action will be the most difficult at the beginning. 

Hey, it's not easy to break a bad habit even if that bad habit is basically doing nothing!

From what I understand, many people that struggle with obesity get to a point that they feel is a "point of no return" and they just give up any thoughts and hopes of actually being able to change the course of their life and their health. And then, it becomes easy to just "accept" that fact and continue down the road to destruction and death.

But, the fact is that it is the same for a lot of people in different areas in their lives. People give up on marriages and relationships every day because they feel that it is just "too far gone" to even have a chance for improvement.

People commit suicide every day because they feel that they have made so many mistakes in their life that there is just no way that they could ever make up for all of those mistakes. They feel that the world would actually be better off without them. REMEMBER: "As long as there is breath, there is HOPE!" 

And, in just about any situation, even if a person can "see" that change and improvement is possible they still have a very hard time actually taking action to begin making it a reality in and for their own life.

 Look at that picture. Those that don't know any better might even think that it's fake or that it is absolutely impossible for that man to pull that enormous plane.

But, have you ever watched a "strongest man" competition? Although I've never seen it done with a plane, I have watched as men have pulled fire engines, buses and even a train! But it wasn't easy!

As a matter of fact, if you actually watch something like this, you will see that the person doing the pulling will exert an incredible amount of energy and effort trying to get that object to budge...even just a little! They will literally be parallel to the ground trying to get that object to move!

I know I have watched and thought, "There's no way this guy is going to be able to move that train (for example)!" I would watch and see how much effort he was exerting and think that he had given it all that he had and that he was going to fail at his attempt and then...and then the camera would focus in on one of the wheels! And, if you looked close enough, you would see that wheel/tire move just a little. The guy doing the pulling could feel this and he knew that momentum was starting to kick in and he would strain even more to try to get that object to move.

Again, the camera would focus on one of the wheels or tires and you would see it move a little more and a little more and then, you would watch as it slowly began to actually roll forward! Unbelievable! 

And, as that huge object began to roll, the one doing the pulling would then be able to take a step, dig in and continue to pull with all of their might until they could then take another step, and another until that mammoth object began to roll down the track. And, soon, the person would be taking step by step by step while that object would be rolling behind him as he continued to pull it toward the finish line. 

THAT IS REMARKABLE!  

And it is a great example of exactly what I'm talking about in this article! That is why DAILY activity is so important. You MUST create momentum and you MUST be consistent in doing so! The impossible now becomes possible and what you once thought you could never do or achieve is within your reach.

But it starts with you TODAY with a DECISION.

There's only one way to do it and that's to START doing it today, tomorrow and every day on a DAILY basis.  

Hey, do me a favor and visit my Facebook page and leave me a note. If this series has helped you in ANY way and if there has been one particular lesson or even one particular line or phrase that has helped you, please let me know. I'd love to hear from you! 

Join me next time as we begin a new topic and, as always, until that time, always be sure to... 

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

Mike

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"Life is a HABIT...Does YOURS Need to be Broken?" - Mike Spillman

I recently visited with an elderly lady about her need for final expense (burial) insurance. She had filled out a card and requested to get more information about this. She acknowledged to me that she knew she needed to do something to keep her family from having to come up with the money to pay from her funeral and she acknowledged that the price I presented to her was right "on target".

That was about 3 weeks or so ago and, to this day, she still has not done anything about it and, guess what? She never will. How do I know this? Because LIFE IS A HABIT and her habit has been to NOT take action on something that she has known for quite some time that she needed to get done.

Another word for "habit" might even be "rut". It's hard to break a habit and it's hard to get out of a rut!

As is the case regarding ANY significant change, the beginning IS ALWAYS the hardest part of the process. It goes against what we are comfortable with and it goes against our "daily routine" of this habit. But, just like the activity that takes place when one of those "strongest man" contestants start to pull a train car with nothing but a rope, the hardest part is the beginning! Yet, after much effort and determination, MOMENTUM finally starts to "kick in" and the wheels of that train begin to finally move. Slowly at first but they begin to roll with more ease as this momentum continues to work in the contestants favor.

As funny as this little cartoon is, the point of it is actually kind of sad, is it not? Isn't it time to finally get past this "hamster wheel" mentality that so many (you?) do year after year with these, so-called, New Year's Resolutions? Stop talking and start doing!

Wow, what good news, right? If you go back and read my blog and listen to the podcast that I did right before the start of this new year ("Happy New Day? Happy New Year!) you find this very thing talked about. If you have followed me for very long then you have also heard me discuss the fact (yes, I said "fact") that TOMORROW does NOT exist! That 24 hour period into the future does not exist - it has not even arrived into the realm of reality. And, in the same way, that 24 hour period in the past that we call "YESTERDAY" no longer exists as well. It's gone and can never be relived or recovered. So, TODAY is the day to start making your move. Bottom line, it's all you have, friend.

GET UP AND MOVE ON! Stop dwelling on your past disappointments...what good does that do you but to disappoint you even more? Today is the day to decide to "get up and move on"!

Are you in sales? If so, you need to "google" this guy and check out his stuff. I found this quote of his the other day and I love what it says even though it is hard to accept sometimes. But, it is TRUTH! Whether you are talking about weight loss or job and/or career success, there are many that want the RESULT but that are not willing to "pay the price". That price? CHANGE. And, again, any significant change is not easy. Never has been, never will be. HOWEVER, again, with momentum, that change becomes less and less of a burden as you continue to move forward.

So, are you all talk? Do you spend all of your time "dreaming" about what you will achieve and, are you one of those people that keeps telling everyone else what you are GOING TO DO? Dreaming is important! One must have a "dream" that will challenge them to move forward. However, as Jack Canfield says, the difference between just dreaming and actually putting action behind that dream (PURSUING your passion) is "taking the first step".

Forget about the past! Remember, it's gone. Yes, absolutely LEARN from the past but do not allow yourself to continue to LIVE in the past. So, regardless of what you have been "planting" in the past (you may likely be "harvesting" that now) you can still "plant a new crop" starting TODAY. This is not just a "cheesy" saying or thought...it is a FACT of life, friend.

What is in your heart? What is it that you REALLY want to do and/or accomplish? What is it that "stirs" your soul and creates "purpose" in and for your life? When you allow yourself to "tune in" to whatever that is for you, your "vision" (path, direction) will become clear. Do you believe that?  For years I kept hearing about the need to create a "mission statement" for your life. I even would almost "stress out" over the fact that I couldn't come up with one. I literally would try to put something into words but I kept falling short and, as a result, I also would get discouraged. However, "out of the dark" (so to speak) as I was "immersed" in positive information it just "came to me" and came in a very clear and powerful message. The next graphic is what I came up with (or, perhaps, what came to me):

I need to work harder on getting back to this focus but, the point is, once my "heart" took over, THIS literally just "came out" or "appeared" to me. No, it wasn't magic and it definitely came from my inner thoughts and feelings (my heart). It can only be "real" and "true" when it comes out of your heart. 

Today is the day, my friend. Haven't you waited long enough? Haven't you procrastinated long enough? Are you tired of breaking the promises that you have made to yourself over the years? ONE DAY AT A TIME breaks things down into much smaller "steps" that need to be taken. You don't look at the idea of losing 50 lbs. over the next twelve months and become overwhelmed. What you DO is break that down to what is needed monthly and then daily and start making that journey.  (By the way, that comes out to .13 lbs per day).

Why so many graphics in today's article? These are the graphics that I shared in my recent LIVE stream broadcast that you can still find on the FaceBook page. These thoughts were also shared on the podcast that goes along with this blog (click the link below for either RSS feed or iTunes) so I wanted to be sure and share them with you here.

Well? Now what? 

That's up to you. "LIFE IS A HABIT"...what do you need to do with yours?

Until next time, whatever you do, 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

It's How You FINISH That Counts

"It's not how you start, but how you FINISH!"

 

I've heard and read that many times before but, I heard it from someone personally just last month. This gentleman is very successful in his business that he runs but, like most people, it wasn't that way in the beginning.

 

THE business - a home-based business - that got him started and that he is still heavily involved in even after 9 years, started off at a snails pace. How much of a "snail's pace" you ask? He sold ABSOLUTELY NOTHING for his first six months. That's right...NOTHING.

 

What would YOU have done? Most of us would have, understandably, quit. Right? I mean, hey, come on, SOMETHING must not be quite right if, after six months, a person hasn't made one sale. But, he persevered and, during the last six months of that first year, he made $104,000 working that job part time.

 

About a month ago I heard him address this among a group of about twenty of us. He laughed and said something like, "Yeah, a lot of people still give me a hard time about going for six months without a sale. All I have to say is, 'It's not how you start, but how you FINISH!' "

 

Again, he is still very involved in working this business. Do you want to know - even though he is not done - how he has "finished" or how he has grown this business? He has made a six-figure income every year (including that first one) and, more often than not, he is actually making $250,000 + per year with that same business.

 

Don't ever forget that. You MAY be going slow as far as making the progress that you had PLANNED to make or that you WANT to make. However, even if the visible "results" are not what you wish they were, you are still ahead of where you were when you started.

 

And you are for SURE ahead of those that sit on the sidelines and criticize and mock what you are doing. Don't ever forget that.

 

Remember, even if you take two steps forward and one step back, you are STILL moving forward in the right direction and you are STILL one step ahead of where you were yesterday.

 

You never know how close you are to your "breakthrough". That's a fact, friend. You may be one day or one customer or contact away from a monumental surge in success.

 

Keep that in mind as you keep moving forward. 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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Keep On Trying!

Keep On Trying!

What you will notice as we go through this "Positive Alphabet" is that many of the thoughts mentioned are repetitive! There are many that you will notice the same thing being said, just in a different way.

Is that a bad thing? NO!

Repetition is a good and NECESSARY thing as we attempt to transform our lives by absorbing these principles being covered in these podcasts and blogs!

I found this article by Michael Tipper on this website, entitled: "Why Repetition is so Important"- http://www.happychild.org.uk/acc/tpr/amz/1198rept.htm

"When you create a memory, a pathway is created between your brain cells. It is like clearing a path through a dense forest. The first time that you do it, you have to fight your way through the undergrowth.

If you don't travel that path again, very quickly it will become overgrown and you may not even realise that you have been down that path. If however, you travel along that path before it begins to grow over, you will find it easier than your first journey along that way.
Successive journeys down that path mean that eventually your track will turn into a footpath, which will turn into a lane, which will turn into a road, and into a motorway and so on.

It is the same with your memory: the more times that you repeat patterns of thought, for example when learning new information, the more likely you will be able to recall that information. So repetition is a key part of learning."

Wow! Did you get that? Think about the analogy used in this article and apply that to us as we attempt to improve our lives by "going against the grain" in our negative society! We are literally "clearing a path through a dense forest" as we "hack" our way out of the negativity that we have allowed into our lives! We have allowed it to take root and to grow - but now we have decided to move out of that situation and to improve our lives. IT'S NOT EASY and it's NOT a "one-time activity". This is what we discussed just a few articles ago!

You see, when you START this process and then QUIT (even for a time) you will find it difficult once again. "Oh, but it shouldn't be that way! I already started the process!" Yes, but you allowed the "weeds" to grow back up and now you must cut them down again!

You ceased momentum! The very law of momentum is that it is very difficult to get something started moving from a dead stand-still. HOWEVER, once you DO finally get it to start moving, MOMENTUM helps KEEP it going until it takes less and less effort to move that "something" along!

And YES, momentum CAN cease and we will have to start all over again!

So, KEEP ON TRYING! Every single day!

Do NOT give in to the idea of failure! Thomas Edison saw each "failure" on his way to the invention of the light bulb as one more way learned that didn't work - don't do it that way again!

Soon...you'll go beyond "trying" and you'll be FLYING!

(Yeah, I know - sounds kinda corny - but it's TRUE!).

It's not easy to start, but it is a necessity! Begin the JOURNEY now...today! And don't give up, don't give in, don't surrender but....KEEP ON TRYING!

And, all along the way, make sure that you...

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

Mike