Habits

Anyone Can be a Visionary

by

It’s the time of year where everyone begins to think about what they want to accomplish in 2017. Better health, more finances, dream jobs, exquisite vacations, and spending meaningful time with family. But we live in a world where most people who think about a better 2017 won’t be able to accomplish what they desire. One of the main reasons for failing is because they don’t see themselves as visionaries. I have wonderful news for you, ANYONE CAN BE A VISIONARY and living that truth is the first step in the direction your success. photo_vision_eye

“The visionary starts with a clean sheet of paper, and re-imagines the world.” ~ Malcolm Gladwell

 

When you think of a visionary what comes to mind? Most people think of CEO’s who lead great companies or iconic leaders and inventors such as George Washington, Steve Jobs, or Anthony Robbins. When we put these kinds of people on pedestals as visionaries, then it’s impossible to see ourselves in that category.

The truth is we’ve all been visionaries in our lives. Think of a time when you had “an idea” about something you dreamed about but it didn’t exist. Maybe it was a degree, a career, a family, a home, a vacation or an article you want to write. And now that dream has become a reality. See, you are a visionary! You just need to start seeing yourself as one. The key to great vision is seeing something we desire in the future and to start making plans for it to become a reality. We have all done it and we can do it again.

One of my favorite visionaries is Thomas Edison. He saw what others didn’t see and had a vision that was so grandiose, others thought he was crazy. Who dreams about creating light out of darkness when light doesn’t exist?! It made no difference to him what others thought. There was an internal compass in his soul that burned in the direction of his vision. He saw the vision and he did small things everyday until that vision became a reality. This is why I wrote an article about the power of being an internally directed person versus and externally driven one. An internally directed person is a visionary and they and 10x more successful in life. [Read more…] about Anyone Can be a Visionary

1% Change Proves that Results are about Thinking Small not Big

by

 

Leadership gurus say to live the kind of life you’ve always dreamed about, you have to make massive changes. THAT’S JUST NOT TRUE. The best way to make personal improvement is to create small wins, or 1% marginal gains. Finding tiny improvement in several areas of your life will yield big results that lead to sustained change and science proves it. photo_dandelion_small_wins

The first time I heard about 1% incremental change was the story about Sir David Brailsford and the British Cycling Team. The team couldn’t produce a rider able to win the Tour De France in its entire history. Brailsford felt that by improving small areas by 1%, Team Sky could produce a British cycler who could win the Tour de France in 5 years. He was wrong. In only 2 ½ years Sir Bradley Wiggins won the Tour de France in 2012 and British riders have won the completion 3 times in the last 4 years. They’ve also accumulated a total of 16 gold medals in the last 2 Olympics.

How Did They Do It?

They made 1% improvements in areas you would think of such as nutrition, aerodynamics of the bike, and comfort of the seat. But what’s incredible about this story is that Brailsford produced 1% gains in areas others didn’t think about. Through research they found a pillow that provided 1% better sleep and traveled with it. They discovered the correct sleeping posture which produced another 1% sleeping gain. Then, someone found a massage gel that worked 1% more effectively, and a sanitizer that was 1% better at killing bacteria and preventing sickness. When you take all of these 1% gains and add them up, they deliver maximized benefits.

The simple idea of marginal gains is this: by making small incremental changes in your life, you can benefit from huge gains over time. The people who have discovered this hidden truth and applied it, are some of the most successful people in the world. You can be too.

The reason most people fail at achieving their goals is because they aren’t able to be consistent over time. They start with big plans and giant goals but they give up way too soon. This is why health clubs are filled with people in January and empty in March.

I learned an incredible truth from Robin Sharma, “Intention is the mother of mastery.” What you do everyday is more important than what you do once a month or once a year. Over time, you experience huge benefits and the compound effect begins to reward you.

Take a look at what you do everyday. Your actions dictate what is most important to you. Sure, you may say that you want to get into shape but when it comes right down to it, the bed is more comfortable than the run and the unhealthy food tastes better than the salad. What you do today is simply your life in miniature. Change your daily decisions and you will change your life.

“Your life does not get better by chance, it gets better by change.” –Jim Rohn

This is exactly why I have created a habit called, “Begin Well, End Well.” What you do the first 5 minutes of the day and the last 5 minutes of the day can create gigantic gains in your life when you stay consistent. Creating the kind of life you desire is a gradual process of improvement rather than knee-jerk, radical changes.

Creating 1% Marginal Gains Immediately

[Read more…] about 1% Change Proves that Results are about Thinking Small not Big

A Life Filled with Purpose and Meaning Come from these 3 Things

by

 

How do we build lives of purpose and meaning? You and I have one life to live. There are no mulligans, do overs, or rewinds. Yesterday is gone and the only things that matter are in front of us. But most people leave their lives completely up to chance. They know very little about the most important principles that will help them live a purposeful, fulfilling life.

We don’t mean to live this way. We just don’t know what else to do. Sadly, I have lived this way for years. We don’t know how to be intentional about our lives and we don’t know what to focus on. Our default is a life ‘up for grabs’ to the highest bidder. So what’s the highest bidder? photo_lighthouse copy

Pain, busyness, and reactive living.

For some, just the thought of stopping to take an honest look is painful. We are disappointed with ourselves and we don’t like what we see. It reminds us of wasted time. Time we wanted to spend with those we love most, time doing the things that were in our heart but we neglected. We all get trapped in the disappointment of past failures and choose the path of avoidance. It’s just easier.

Our lives are filled with constant activity. We are overwhelmed by the swirl of must do’s, schedules, and phone calls. Our brains feel completely scrambled so we ignore our deeper needs and hope that somehow, they will just work themselves out.

The urgent clouds our mind so we run to our distractions.

We’ve all been there so don’t lose hope. I have GREAT NEWS for you. All of this has a remedy. Choosing to make a shift in 3 key areas will have profound impact in your life. You can a person that no longer leaves their life to chance and live for the moments and activities that define what is most important.

Missing first steps

Get this clearly in your mind: every time you say yes to something, you are saying no to something else. The real question is, “Are you saying yes to what matters most?” Pain and regret come from saying yes to what doesn’t matter.

I will make you this promise: YOUR BEST IS YET TO COME. So let’s start making the changes that create the kind of life you really want to live. The first thing you have to focus on are your values.

Let me help you as much as I can in a blog post. When I do one on one coaching with clients, I take them through this process I’m about to share a with you. [Read more…] about A Life Filled with Purpose and Meaning Come from these 3 Things