Daily Boost — Motivation and Coaching

Balancing Every Minute of Your DayIf you’ve ever felt like your life is a balancing act of activities that fill your day — to get everything done so you can be happy, here’s another way to think about it.When I began my career, I was in radio. Initially, I thought my job was to step into the studio and play whatever music I thought would make me and my audience happy. But before my shift began, my Boss introduced me to the ‘Format Clock.’A Format Clock was a clock face drawn on a piece of paper divided up like pieces of a pie into sections. Starting at the top of the hour and spinning a complete circle, each segment told me what to do. My Boss explained it like this.There are some songs that people love, and we play a lot. We want to introduce new songs to our audience, and there are old songs that people want to hear again. Your job is to rotate through each category so our listeners are always happy.Later in life, I realized that our day-to-day activities are very similar.There are some things we love to do more than others.There are new things that arrive in our life that excite us.There are traditions, rituals, and memories of the past that make us feel happy.Your goal for any particular day is to rotate through the things that you happy and productive, moving closer to your destination, and allowing you to live with a content state of mind. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Focusing on Your Twenty PercentIf you’re like many folks, you have so much on your plate that it’s challenging to keep up— forget about moving closer to your goal. There’s good news; you are not alone.Everyone lives according to the 80/20 rule that almost everybody has heard about. The Pareto Principle means that 80% of outcomes result from 20% of all causes for any event.However, to get what you want in life, there is a slight twist to the equation that says,80% of the things you focus on in life have nothing to do with what you ultimately want. They are simply the busyness of life.20% of the things your focus on in your life have everything to do with getting what you want and will yield the most significant return for your efforts.When you eliminate, delegate, or ignore the 80% and hyper-focus on the 20%, the math changes, and suddenly you are living your best life 100% of the time.Focusing on your best 20% changes everything. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Define. Refine. ExecuteIt is part of our human experience to constantly feel lost as we ramble through our day - feeling more like we are, bumbling and stumbling than moving toward our purpose in life. Living a meaningful life is about knowing where you are heading while dodging the millions of others who are drifting. If you're not careful, you'll get caught up in their aimless journey. The first and every thought in your mind should always be defined and definite—the overall life purpose and the minor purposes that lead to your overall goal. Getting what you want in life also requires constant refinement of the goal you seek. The best tool to use for this task is the wisdom that you have acquired through years of experience. Your wisdom will allow you to cautiously and effectively move closer to your defined goal.The final step also differentiates between those who don't find their way and those who do—execution of your plan in the direction of your destination. Your consistent execution of the action is the way to your success.As you walk through your day today, define, refine, and consistently execute to get what you want. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Forget Improvement. Go For a New Opportunity.Have you ever wondered how much easier things would be if you didn’t have to think so much?What if the future or your past didn’t matter?Imagine if you didn’t worry about the possessions, success, or drama of others.What would happen if you believed that YOU were in control?  Now you are starting to think like a Stoic Philosopher.Stoicism is about paring down and simplifying. They eliminate unproductive traits that define the majority of the population. One of the most common is turning obstacles upside down, creating opportunities, and seeing them as teachable moments.For a Stoic, every bad thing becomes a new source of good.  Marcus Aurelius said it this way, “The impediment to action advances action. What stands in your way becomes the way.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Will Power Is Sworn EnemyWhen will you get to do what you want to do? More people than you know lose sleep over that question. If that sounds like something you have experienced, you’re not alone. Almost everybody begins their journey when a thought pops into their mind. Then, day-to-day life keeps them busy, and they spend frustrating months fixin’ to get ready. You know, starting to prepare… so you can begin to do… so you can do… and say you did. If that doesn’t work, you summon your friend, Will Power. Will is not a person, but more like a kind of friend that you don’t know why you keep letting into your life.Will’s job description should read -- to force you to do things you say you want to do but can’t get yourself to do. They are a bit slacker, live rent-free in your mind, say they want to help, and never deliver on their promise. When you give up, Will leaves.The good news is, there’s no need to force yourself to do anything. Achieving your biggest goals in life has nothing to do with Will Power. Instead, shift your mindset - “To act at your discretion without constraint.” That’s the definition of Free Will, Will Powers, good cousin. Use your Free Will to harness your excitement and choose the path of least resistance. Start making the slightest changes in your life. Those steps will lead to big results sooner than you think. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Big. Awesome. Motivating. Mission.Do you still dream of what you will be when you grow up?  Do those visions keep popping into your head?  If that’s the case, what’s your BIG, AWESOME, MOTIVATING MISSION?BAM!What dreams excite you and give you a feeling of happiness?BAM!What scares you - and excites you?BAM!What makes you smile and say, “If I could only get myself to…”BAM!Take a few minutes and figure out your BAM! Then stand up, take a step, and repeat! Keep going until you get what you want.Oh - there’s no need to wait. Now would be a good time to start. :) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is Your Morning Routine Working?You hear a lot about using morning rituals to get more done. But what if you could use your mornings to get more done for YOU?In the fast-face world, we live in today, there seem to be two groups when it comes to how to use mornings—personal and productivity. Once folks remove themselves from the craziness of jumping out of bed, taking care of the kids, and hitting the drive-through, they choose one of the two. But what if there was a third group that was more satisfying?Before I go on, I must admit that I didn't use to be a morning person and didn't like getting up early. I even quit my first couple of jobs as a morning radio host so I could sleep. Later in my career, I would hit my desk at 5 AM and pound through my to-do list as fast as possible. I must have been saying, "I…MUST… GET… IT… DONE!" That didn't work well because I didn't see the purpose of getting out of bed early if it was only to work.I spent my mornings reading and meditating for a few years before heading to the gym. I got in better shape, but my bank balance was less, and my future goals were seemingly unreachable.Then, one day out of pure frustration and sporting a brand-new I don't give a heck attitude, I asked myself a question that changed everything -"What's the first thing I should do tomorrow morning that, if I do, will allow me to live a life of my design?"I didn't ask about work or what was on my to-do list. It had nothing to do with getting more done or getting in better shape. I focused on the lifestyle I wanted to live - and it was life-changing.In the years since I made that decision, I've started my days doing the most important thing I deem required to live the life of my choosing, and I've been happier for it.I've also come across dozens of morning do-gooders who are getting everything done except what they dream of doing, and when they realize it's not their fault, everything changes. They get caught up in the buzz of life, and everyone does. But you start making real progress the minute you focus on YOU before anything else.When you focus on what is important to you, you get what is important to you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Get Committed to Your GoalWoody Allen said, "Half of success is showing up." I've thought about that quote many times over the years. There was something about its logic that didn't match up with my day-to-day experience. Don't get me wrong, no matter what you want to do in your life, showing up is the first step in getting it. But I've shown up many times and went home without the prize I so much wanted.I've also seen others convinced they'll advance toward their goals if they show up. Instead, they end up disappointed with their results.So, if showing up is getting you halfway, what's the other half?It's knowledge, work ethic, communication, and people skills. And let's not forget your ability to commit to doing whatever it takes to get what you want.Some people don't show up, and some don't commit. Many do show up. Why don't they succeed?I remember the words spoken by my Paster moments before my wedding to my first wife, Sheryl. I was a 20-year-old kid, and he asked,"Do you know what makes a marriage work?"Without much thought, I said, "It's a 50/50 thing. It'll work as long as we show up for each other."His response resonates with me to this day."Success in anything is 100/100 thing. You always show up and commit to giving it 100% of your effort - and so does everybody else."So, yes. Showing up will get you halfway to your goal. But if you want to go all the way, you must commit to 100% and do whatever it takes to get what you want.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Best Quitters WinHas anybody ever told you, "It's good to be a quitter?"Probably Not. That's why it's so important today that you pay attention today.Being a good quitter isn't an excuse. It should never be an option for making things easier. Instead, quitting is a wise choice. You choose to quit when your progress has you going around in circles or has stopped.That's when things get interesting.Once you are committed to an important idea, it can be challenging to allow yourself to quit. Stuck in a lousy job, terrible relationship, destructive behavior? That may not be wise. Your internal sense of "Identity" will compel you to hold on to the very end.Listen closely when your inner voice begins to sound a warning. There's no need to wait for the inevitable. Trust your gut. If you must, go through the fire and change your direction fast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Multitasking is Slow You DownWouldn’t it be great if you could create more time in your day without giving anything up?  The secret is how you prioritize the projects that are already on your plate. That requires a simple understanding:1) Working on multiple products simultaneously only delays completing all the projects.2) When you complete a product, not only is it off your plate, it begins producing your expected results. It also frees up time to move on to your next project.The next time that you are trying to find more time ask -“What can I finish right now that will give me more time tomorrow - and every day after that?”Working on multiple projects simultaneously only delays the completion of all projects. Pick one.You will love how you have so much more time in your day. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices