Stop Hitting The SNOOZE Button!

When I was in college I would set my alarm clock across the room, on a desk, so that I would not "hit the snooze button" and fall back asleep. Now, to be honest, there was no "snooze" button because it was a wind-up clock along the lines of what you see pictured above. However, the idea was the same - turn it off and get up in a few more minutes. 

I'll be honest, I have never quite understood why someone sets an alarm knowing that they will hit the snooze button 3, 4 or maybe even 5 times before getting up. They know that, they plan their time (initial alarm) accordingly. Me? Why not just set the alarm for whatever time it will be when you finally get up? Why not sleep through the interruptions that come with that alarm going off again and again and again?

For many, it's a very misleading statement when they say, "Yeah, I have my alarm set for 5:30 a.m. everyday!" while, by the time they get done hitting the snooze button, it's 6:15 a.m. before they finally get out of bed!

New Year's Resolutions are much the same Oh sure, the "snooze button" setting is in months instead of minutes, but the result is the same. 

"Starting tomorrow I"m going to _________________ (you fill in the blank)!"

Maybe that person WILL actually follow through with that resolution for a few days or even a month. According to an article on this very thing, "only 64 percent last longer than the first month, and only 46 percent last longer than six months."

And yet, after hitting the "snooze button" on whatever the resolution was for eleven months (for some) they will do it all over again the following year.

A couple of weeks ago I began a series on the importance and necessity of TAKING ACTION. You can start with the first article in that series by CLICKING HERE.  Then, last week, I started another series on how important for each of us to be the very best that we can be - to live OUR purpose. You can CLICK HERE for that beginning article.

After hopefully agreeing that we MUST have DAILY ACTION as a part of our lives and, after also hopefully understanding that we MUST live our lives to our full potential, then the only question that remains is - WHEN?

My guess is that, most of us, if not all of us, can all look back and see evidence of times when we had "planned to start but never did" or "got started but never finished".  And, though it is painful to take a look at those situations, we must do so for TWO main reasons.

1. Acknowledge these failures but don't continue to dwell on them. LEARN and MOVE ON!

2. Use them as a "fire" that serves as fuel for an ignited flame of DETERMINATION to NEVER  REPEAT those failed actions! 

Hitting the "snooze button" is easy...TAKING ACTION is not always so easy.  

So, as Mel Robbins said in the quote in the above graphic, "THE TIME IS NOW".  

Join me in my next article as we consider the topic, "Growing or Rotting?" and, until then, 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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Got Passion?

 



If you're like me, when you read this quote from Dave Ramsey (he is an AWESOME guy!) you want to agree with it but, at the same time, you can't figure out how to make an income from your "passion". Anyone else out there with me?

 

It's absolutely true! As it's been said before, "Find something that you LOVE to do and get paid for it and you'll never 'work' a day of your life!"

 

I can hear someone say, "I love ice cream but I don't think I can make a living due to my love of ice cream!"  Well, that may be stretching it a bit BUT, at the same time, I think it CAN be used on your path to success!

 

Huh?

 

Stay with me here...

 

What I'd like to suggest is that you bring your "passion" to your work REGARDLESS of what you do for work and whether or not you love what you do or not.

 

Perhaps your passion is making people smile and feel better about their day - take that passion to work with you and watch what happens. Make it a habit of using that passion at your place of work and see what changes take place in your life and the life of those that are around you while at work.

 

Perhaps your passion is working with children in your town or city. Maybe you can bring that passion to your workplace, get your co-workers on board because you ARE so passionate about it and get them involved - along with your boss - in getting your company to help raise money in some fun and involved way!

Do you think that, MAYBE, those in management might notice your ability to sell an idea and get others involved?

 

Now, about that ice cream... What if you took that passion to work by picking out one person per week to reward with some ice cream? Come up with some fun "award" or "achievement" and go with it. I wonder what will happen to your workplace environment by sharing your passion for ice cream?

 

I'm telling you, friend....BRING YOUR PASSION TO WORK (and take it with you everywhere you go) and see if it will, indeed, become a part of your "path to success".

 

As an added note, I found it very interesting that, after I recorded the podcast version of this topic earlier today (DO go listen to the podcast via one of the two links below) I ran across an article about a 12 year old "kidpreneur" (he started when he was 9 years old) that has a passion of his own about bow ties. That's right, bow ties!

Here's a quote from the article that you can read here: "...His advice for other young entrepreneurs? 'Figure out what you like doing and then figure out how to make money doing it.' "

 

Love and live your passion. Make it a part of your everyday life and incorporate it into everything that you do both at work and away from work and I believe that your path to success WILL become clear!

 

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

 

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

 

Mike

His advice for other young entrepreneurs? “Figure out what you like doing and then figure out how to make money doing it.” - See more at: http://www.success.com/article/mos-bringing-back-bows#sthash.ElD8wubw.vtA0bSzJ.dpuf

His advice for other young entrepreneurs? “Figure out what you like doing and then figure out how to make money doing it.” - See more at: http://www.success.com/article/mos-bringing-back-bows#sthash.ElD8wubw.vtA0bSzJ.dpuf

His advice for other young entrepreneurs? “Figure out what you like doing and then figure out how to make money doing it.” - See more at: http://www.success.com/article/mos-bringing-back-bows#sthash.ElD8wubw.vtA0bSzJ.dpuf

 

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Spread the Light - Part 2

I'm not sure if you read my blog a couple of weeks ago on "Believe in Yourself...and Others" or not but in it I talk about how I saw the same message on three different signs in the span of a few hours. The EXACT same message. I also talked about how that appeared to me as something that I needed to pay attention to since it happened three times with the EXACT same message.
 

Here we go again! If you haven't done so take a couple of minutes and read the blog from yesterday and pay close attention to the quote that I used as a springboard for my article.
 

Keep in mind that I put that article together and made it "live" yesterday afternoon.
 

Here's a little background that you didn't know that I thought I'd throw into the equation in all of this. When I was thinking of what I wanted to talk about in my blog I was drawing a complete blank. Absolutely NOTHING was coming to mind that I wanted to talk about.
 

So I brought up a page on my computer that was a page dedicated to quotes from different people, different categories and there are likely THOUSANDS of these quotes on this page. I looked over a couple of different days worth of quotes and found the one that I used yesterday and decided to use it. It seemed to "speak to me" and I knew that I could share some positive thoughts based on that quote about "spreading the light".     
  

   "Like" us on Facebook!
 

Now, here's the "kicker".
 

Last night (probably 5 hours AFTER posting my blog with that quote in it) I pulled up my Facebook page and saw a post from Success Magazine. The post consisted of the EXACT same quote that I had used earlier in my blog.

 

 

EXACTLY the same.
 

I double checked everything to make sure that I had not seen that quote earlier in the day on that post but I discovered that the time stamp on the post from Success Magazine was from thirty minutes earlier from when I brought my Facebook page up in the evening. That means around four and a half hours or so AFTER I posted my blog.
 

EXACTLY the same.
 

So, I think it must be important and it must be important TO ME and FOR ME.
 

And, since I love to share information and positive thoughts with YOU, I feel it must also be important TO YOU and FOR YOU.
 

So, take another look at that quote, friend: "There are two ways of spreading the light: to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it." - Edith Wharton
 

Cool, huh?
 

Keep spreading the light and, as you do so, be sure to...
 

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

Mike

Your Information - YOUR Choice!

"Your Information - YOUR Choice!

That pretty much sums it up, doesn't it? It's YOUR choice!

No one else can control that for you. If you are an adult, there is likely not anyone telling you when you've watched enough television and that it is time to turn it off. It's up to you.

Sure, you may want to stay "informed" on what is going on in the world but, seriously, how MUCH information do your really need to stay informed about what is really important?

Do you REALLY have to know about every little thing that is going on all around the world? With the use of cell phone video cameras and other items we now have INSTANT ACCESS to happenings all around the world.

Is that really necessary? Is it really helpful?

Many of you may not remember what I'm about to discuss and some of you may find it even unbelievable. But I remember a time when there was cable channels didn't even exist and all you had were the three major networks. That's it. Three channels to choose from. And, if I remember right, at midnight they all shut down for the night.

My wife and I were discussing this just the other day about how at midnight there would be a certain design on the screen or the American flag would be shown waving in the wind as the National Anthem was played.

And then, that was it for the night.

And, I wonder, have we really improved our lives by having 100+ channels available to us (and our kids) on a 24 hour basis?

Informational overload.

It is likely more important than ever for each of us (especially as parents) to take control of the information that we allow into our households and into our minds and the minds of those that share our home with us.

If you haven't done so, be sure to read Tanya's comments on the blog a couple of days ago. She makes some very good observations that likely many of you can relate to.

So...what will you do about it?

Is it important enough to you for you to do something about it?

Stop watching t.v. all together? Some do. It might be worth a try even for a day and then two days and then a week.

See what happens.

But also stay away from the news on the radio as well as talk shows (unless they are POSITIVE!) and even try to stay off the computer as much as possible.

Try that and see how you feel and see how much more clearly you may be able to think.

REPLACE the negative with something POSITIVE! If you aren't in the habit of listening to my podcast that goes along with this blog, be sure to give it a try. You can subscribe to the iTunes feed as well as the RSS feed by clicking on the "videocast" tab on my website and then clicking either the iTunes logo or the RSS feed logo.

Just go to http://www.michaelspillman.com/

There is a lot more positive information out there - find it and use it! One that I've mentioned many times is Success.com. You can read a LOT of FREE information there. Also, look through my tabs on my site and check out the Jim Rohn link that I have available for you there. He is my favorite and has some AWESOME thoughts that have made a major impact on my life.

Hey, you don't have to do ANY of this.

But, my guess is that you wouldn't be reading this blog if you weren't on a mission to try to improve your positive mindset.

Remember, it's YOUR choice.

As always, be sure to...

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

Mike

http://www.michaelspillman.com/

Breaking the "NO" Habit!

You've probably seen the following saying: "The best way to break a habit is to drop it!", right? As corny as it sounds - it's TRUE!

Again, I encourage you to check out the article about Phil Keoghan in the February issue of SUCCESS magazine or access it via www.Success.com (on the main page in the left column click on "current issue" and then click on February 2010 and scroll down and find the article) OR just go to our FYU Fan Page on Facebook where I have already posted it for your convenience.

Yesterday we talked about the need to start "Living in the 'YES!'" and today we want to talk about doing so by BREAKING the "no" habit that many of us have gotten too comfortable with.

Again, part of what Phil shares is this: “People become very good at what they practice. If you practice building a ‘wall of no’ up in front of everything you’re trying to do, you’ll be very good at building that wall. The more you practice, the thicker the wall becomes; the more resilient it becomes, the harder it will be to push that wall down.”

So, if this is true - and I do believe it is, don't you? - then we need to make a shift in what it is that we practice! Wouldn't you agree?

Instead of practicing telling ourselves NO all of the time - let's start examining the great potential of getting in the habit of saying YES in our lives!

We - I speak for myself and assume that many of you have experienced the same - have gotten ourselves in the habit of telling ourselves why we CAN'T do something and we need to shift our mindset to start thinking of ways that we CAN!

"Can't" or "No" is easy! It requires no effort and no risk. It's the easiest way out - the path of least resistance. When considering our future or ANYTHING do we really want to take the path of least resistance? Do we REALLY want to take the easy way out?

Likely, if you are reading this blog - you would answer, "NO WAY!" - and that is one time that answering "NO" would be a good thing!

Well, listen, I have to get on with today's business, but I hope you have been stirred up a little to start breaking the "NO" habit and to begin living in the "YES!".

And, as always, as you do so...

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

Mike

Living in the "YES!"

You know, it didn't dawn on me until I was recording the podcast for today (I recorded today's podcast on Monday evening) that I didn't write a blog entry for Monday! YIKES!

My apologies on that - sometimes the day just gets busy and things don't happen while other things DO happen!

So, here is the blog entry that goes along with Monday's podcast on, "Living in the 'YES!' ".


I've shared with you before how I get behind on my reading of SUCCESS magazine. By the way, if you are looking for an EXCELLENT magazine this is one of the best - if not THE best - in my opinion. But, remember, you can also go online to www.Success.com and have access for FREE to a lot of the articles that can be found in the magazine.

Well, anyway (I NEVER get sidetracked, right?) I have gotten behind on my reading again and, given the fact that they send them out a bit early, even though I am currently reading the February issue I still have the March and April issues sitting on my reading table!

But here is what I have found and what I have shared with you before... I don't think this happens by accident!

I'm not sure that ANYTHING happens by accident and I have seen this same thing happen again and again whenever I have gotten behind on my reading.

What is it I'm talking about? Although I'm behind, what I'm reading right now is what I NEED to be reading right now! Do you understand what I mean?

There have been times before that I was in the middle of a series of discussions in my podcast that I decided to try to catch up on some reading and I would read something that was RIGHT IN LINE to the current discussion that I was having on the podcast.

This has happened not only once, but three or four times now and this week has been no exception!

As we are preparing for my FREE 8-week course on "Setting and Reaching Your Goals" there has been a wide range of thoughts, ideas and excited emotions that has been going on in my life. For one, just preparing for the class and the information that I plan to share has me refreshed and excitedly thinking about the great potential that lies within each of us in not only planning or setting our goals but actually moving on to REACHING them!

Then, on top of that, my wife and I have been spending a bit of time talking about some of the goals we have set for ourselves and how exciting it is to realize that we are moving forward with those goals!

ANOTHER SIDE NOTE HERE: Friend, let me encourage you to understand that this is how CONTAGIOUS positive thoughts and people are and how it works! Right now I am more refreshed and excited than I have been in a long time. Now, that doesn't mean I was about to give up or anything like that - but we ALL need a boost and a charge from time to time and I'm getting one from preparing for this class and also sharing thoughts with my wife on these things. GET AROUND POSITIVE AND LIKE MINDED PEOPLE and see what happens in YOUR life!



O.k. back on track now!

But, as I was reading the February issue of SUCCESS magazine I began reading an article about Phil Keoghan, the seven-time Emmy-winning host and producer of "The Amazing Race". Now, I LOVE that show so I was immediately drawn to it and then I was inspired by what I read! (By the way, I have placed this article - which is available on Success.com - on the Future You University fan page on Facebook for your convenience - you can click on that link/banner over toward the bottom of the right column of this blog to become a fan).

He arrived in New York City from New Zealand in the late 80's, he had little money, no job and no friends. As the article asks, "Risky, right?"

But I LOVE what he has to say about such things by saying it's the only way to be - "The successful people I know have taken a lot of risks - risk of failure, financial loss, being judged. Successful people tend to think less about what might go wrong and focus on what might go right." (emphasis mine)

Wow, does that hit YOU between the eyes the way it does me? So many times we focus on what MIGHT go wrong that we forget to even THINK about what MIGHT happen if things go RIGHT!

I heard Tony Robbins say something along the line of, "We are so afraid to make a move - to take a risk that, even if we are miserable where we are, we'd rather stay in THAT situation than take the chance to find out what 'might be'."

I really don't want to live that way, do you?

Another thing I found interesting in this article (well, actually I found the WHOLE article interesting, but you'll have to read it yourself) was when Phil began to discuss how we get so used to saying, "no" in our lives.

"People become very good at what they practice. If you practice building a 'wall of no' up in front of everything you're trying to do, you'll be very good at building that wall. The more you practice, the thicker the wall becomes; the more resilient it becomes, the harder it will be to push that wall down."


Sound familiar?

As we go through this week's discussion, I want to encourage you to start thinking about the possibility of living in the "YES!" and get EXCITED about those possibilities!

Just notice even today, as you go through your day, how often you are tempted - out of habit (that wall) - to say "no" to something that really doesn't have to require a "no" - especially when it comes to what you might be able to accomplish or achieve in your own life!

Remember, you're good at what you practice so why not begin to practice living in the "YES!"?

Try it, see what happens. And, as you do...



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

Mike

Success Is A Journey (connect this to the affirmations)

I found it very interesting how things "work together" as I experienced this first-hand once again this morning.

I have had the January issue of "SUCCESS" magazine for over a month (yeah, they get them out to you early) and have read most of it. As a matter of fact I had it marked on page 90 of 96 pages - that's how close I was to being done reading this issue.

Now, jump to what I did this morning concerning the completion of my "7 Daily Affirmations" with the last one being, "I CAN! I WILL! I MUST!".

I had some extra time this morning and remembered to bring this January issue of "SUCCESS" with me today to try to get it finished since the February issue has already arrived.

On page 96 of this issue is an article entitled, "Success Is a Journey" from the archives. It is an excerpt from the March 1979 issue of "SUCCESS" and was written by Ben Sweetland. (I checked to see if this article was available at success.com but it isn't or I would have simply directed you there for this information).

First of all, here is a great quote that I highlighted as I read, "Here is a little understood fact: You are a success the moment you start on the road to success. Therefore, you do not have to wait until you have money in the bank or your bills all paid before you are a success. You can be a success right now."

Now, that's an awesome quote! But get this - the next heading in the article reads, "I CAN versus I WILL". (Are you kidding me???)


Here is the second paragraph under that heading:

"To be successful, you must KNOW that you can be successful. This is important - might important. In fact, it is absolutely necessary. But knowing you CAN do a thing is no indication that you WILL do it."

I have mentioned it before in some of my past studies when this has happened before. I was behind by two or three months in my reading of this magazine yet, it seemed that when I DID read a particular article, the TIMING was perfect for that article in my life!

Accident? I don't think so.

Neither do I feel that reading this article today was an accident.

Again, this article can not be found at success.com BUT if you subscribe to this magazine (even if you have read this article already) I ask that you read it in connection to what I have talked about with these daily affirmations.

You may not even believe that I didn't read the article first! But I didn't!

I continue to be amazed at such happenings in my life and wanted to share this with you.

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

Mike

Xcelerate Your Efforts! (Part 2)

Xcelerate Your Efforts! (Part 2)

In today's podcast I really encourage each of you to "brainstorm" ideas on how YOU can accelerate your efforts on your way to reaching your goals and dreams!

It's always nice (and easy) when someone points out specific things for us to do but, sometimes - if we are not careful - we get dependent on such things and fail to make any moves unless someone tells us to do so specifically. If we follow such a path, that path will never lead us to success.

Why? Because it is not OUR path! We must all understand that suggestions and guidelines are just that ---- SUGGESTIONS and GUIDELINES! Get the point? They are suggestions for us to consider and apply to our own situations. Guidelines are the same way.

So, yes, take them into consideration and adapt them to your own situation, personality and plans --- but YOU must follow the path to YOUR dreams!

So (may I get blunt here?) - don't get lazy! THINK, DREAM and PLAN!

If you go back to the classic book, "Think & Grow Rich" by Napoleon Hill (you can get your free copy - just pay S/H - from my "products" tab on my website) you will find that he talks several times about the importance of a "Mastermind Group". This is a group of like-minded people that get together to share their thoughts and to brainstorm together.

This is one way to LEVERAGE yourself - as we talked about in yesterday's podcast and blog. When you get open minds together and they begin to share ideas without fear -- great things can happen! Instead of YOU thinking alone and trying to come up with ideas, etc. you have the benefit of OTHERS doing the same with you -- this is LEVERAGE! It's how you are able to "Xcelerate Your Efforts".

Mel Robbins, in a November article in Success magazine also discusses another way that I believe is a way to accelerate our efforts. In this particular article she discusses how she is open and aware to everyone around her and how she greets and talks to all of these people. From the moment that she drives into the parking garage at her work all the way through her day she talks to each of these people. (This is very similar to what I talk about each Thursday with the "Thankful Thursday" tag).

She is "accelerating" her efforts by including these people in her life and by being genuinely interested in their lives and what is going on in their lives. She is also using the principle of leverage!

Anytime that you expand your circle of contacts and influence, you have accelerated your efforts and have put the principle of leverage into place.

Here's a promise - you will NEVER go wrong by opening your life up with others in this way. We ALL need people! This is not talking about "using" people just so you can get ahead....but, again, being genuinely interested in others. This will always come back to you in powerful ways, wouldn't you agree?

So, get with a group of like-minded people (your own "Mastermind Group") and begin to share thoughts and brainstorm. The energy that is shared and released will lift you up and encourage you (as well as all the others involved) to keep moving toward your goals and dreams. Ideas and thoughts will be shared that you may have never even thought about as well as having thoughts coming to mind simply due to the shared energy of the group.

Yes, YOU can accelerate your efforts and put the principle of leverage to work in your life!

This can be one of the most exciting things that you have ever experienced in this journey -- check it out and see if this is not true for you.

And, as always....

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

Mike