Attitude Adjustment, Performance & Productivity, Personal Development

Any Success Starts With You

Let's be brutally honest for a minute. No excuses. No whining.

Here is the truth; any success you have in this life starts with you.

How much work are you willing to put into your goals? Patrick Allmond has a post about working on the weekends called "Want Success Faster? Treat Your Weekends Like Your Weekdays". Have you read it? I wonder how many people agreed with the idea, but then give the excuse that they deserve the weekend to relax?

Here is the truth; any success you have in this life starts with you.

Afraid of what might happen if you make a change? Do it anyway. Remember jumping off the diving board for the first time? How many times did you jump off the board that day? You overcame the fear to discover the joy of doing something you wanted to do. What joy are you missing today because of fear?

Or are you too comfortable? You talk about a goal. You think about a goal. You might even take a few steps toward achieving that goal. But life is comfortable, things are good. Reaching for something better may disrupt your life. Comfort = Fear. You are right, it will disrupt your life. And no, I can't guarantee you will succeed, or tell you how long it will take. What I do know is that striving for our goals adds depth and joy to our lives.

So, it is time to be honest. No excuses. No whining.

Here is the truth; any true long-term life success starts with you.

Let's get to work.


Bio:
Jamey Boelhower is a husband and a father of six. He is currently an Instructional Coach and as adjunct professor for Central Community College, Nebraska.

You can read his regular blog “It Is All Connected” by clicking here. And you can follow him on twitter at @jdog90.


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Performance & Productivity, Personal Development

The Average Saturday vs. The Kickass Saturday

Welcome to Saturday morning.

It is time to wake up and be average. Because that that is what most people will do. They'll relish the fact that they can sleep in because their POS job makes them get up at the same time every week. They get up, turn on the TV, make coffee, and land on the couch. They'll do everything they can do to avoid any working or learning. And around noon they'll start hooking up with their friends to see where they are going to get drunk tonight.

This can be you. Or you can opt for the kickass Saturday.

You can get up and be a high achiever. You can wake up earlier than you do the rest of the week because this ENTIRE day is yours to create. You can drink 32oz of water right away and stay standing up because doing both will wake you faster than the strongest cup of coffee out there. You can look around your house and start arranging things in ways that facilitate success. You can spend time learning something new online that will help you start that hobby or business that you wanted. You can go down to the local gym, get a tour, join, and put GYM VISIT on your scheduled at a 3 day/week appointment that you will not miss. You can go through your cupboards and throw out all of the crap that is unhealthy. You can start getting rid of a ton of stuff around the house you don't use and take it to Goodwill so somebody else can benefit. And you can call a friend or two that has kickass life you want to have and take them to dinner and pick their brain.

You can make this day kickass or you can be average.

You'll never get the chance back. You can try to do it next Saturday but odds are if you blow it off now you'll blow it off then too.

Don't waste it.


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Attitude Adjustment, Personal Development, Staying Healthy

Three Reasons Why You Need To Pick Up A New Book Today

The November 14, 2014, Inc. article, “22 Top CEOs Reveal Their Favorite Books,” shares CEO’s favorite books, but it reinforces an idea that English teachers have been saying for years, to succeed you need to read. As an English teacher for the last 15 years, I have found that reading is important for three reasons. 

1. Expands Your Horizons.

In our fast-paced culture, where most information comes in small chunks and from people who think just like us, getting a fresh perspective is a challenge. Books provide that challenge because the content cannot be consumed in seconds. Reading takes time, time to think and feel. Even if the book is from an author we like, the story or idea is developed so that we can digest it deeply. Sometimes the idea challenges our thinking, other times it confirms our views but that gives us confidence that we are on the right track. 

2. Reduces Stress.

I have already mentioned the idea that books make us slow down and slowing down helps reduce our stress. There is a joy to reading that we lose when we succumb to the hectic pace of life. Do you remember reading something and you just had to share what you just read? I have laughed out loud. I have cried because of a book. Going through these emotions or connecting with a friend over a book brings us back to ourselves, thus reducing the stress our faced-paced life can inflict on us.

3. Spurs Action.

This benefit has been hinted at, too. Reading leads us to action. Yes, sometimes it is the simple action of contacting a friend to talk about the book, but many times the action enriches our lives. Books generate new ideas. Books give us courage to change aspects of our life or work and lead us to live a better life than before. 

So, have you read any good books lately? Share your reading list with us in the comment section.   

Bio:

 Jamey Boelhower is a husband and a father of six, TIS, coach, and teacher for Sandy Creek high school in Nebraska. He is also an adjunct professor for CCC Hastings. 

You can read his regular blog "It Is All Connected" by clicking here. And you can follow him on twitter at @jdog90.


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Attitude Adjustment

How High Achievers Need to Think About December and the End of the Year

Well look at that. It's December 1st. If you are of the typical mindset, you probably have thoughts creeping in your head about winding down another year. It's the end of the year so life and business are slowing down. Time to plan out how your 2014 is going to line up. You should spend December outlining your goals for 2014 so you can get started on them January 1st when you wake up. Because 2014 is going to be your year to shine.

Yeah - all that is bullshit. December is a month - Just like any other month. It's another month of the grind, another month of the hustle. People who want to be low achievers think about working less at the end of a year, a month, or a week. High achievers knows that the last week of December is just as important as the last week of June. If you keep thinking like others, you will get the same results as others.

December is a month with a name. Don't sit around and let it pass you by as you wish for January. Bust your ass to make it the best month of the year. And then bust your ass some more on January 1st.

Help me SHARE this around so we can crank out more high achievers. We've got to buck the norm to create better lives for those around us.


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Attitude Adjustment, Leadership Lessons, Performance & Productivity, Personal Development

Nobody Is More Interested In Your Happiness Than You. Start Living Intentionally.

Take a moment and think about how your day unfolds every day. What actions are you taking from the moment you wake up until you lay your head on your pillow at night. If it is anything like most people, your day probably goes on autopilot and looks something like this:

  • Get up to alarm. Dread throwing off the covers
  • Clean up, eat, help get the family out the door, get out the door yourself
  • Work through a series of tasks and appointments pushed at you by your job
  • Watch the clock and get happy when the end of the day has arrived
  • Head home. Decompress. Eat. Fit in some personal time
  • Sleep


After a typical day like this, how much have you accomplished for yourself?

If your day is anything like this, the only "me" time that you get is at the end of the day and you only get a very small slice of it.

Most people that are working for someone else are busting their chops to help the company succeed. If the company succeeds then the CEO succeeds, and then the shareholders succeed. This is a great model, and everybody benefits from your efforts. But it may be a horrible model for personal fulfillment.

If you are feeling unfulfilled at the end of the day, then you need to reevaluate how you spend your day. Your lack of fulfillment is a sign that you are not getting closer to your dream life. Your day is being spent with somebody else's mission and priorities at the top of your list. This is an acceptable way to start your life, but not an acceptable way to live it out and retire.


Make a plan to start living intentionally.

Document what you want to get out of your time on this earth. Nobody is more interested in your happiness than you. And nobody is going to work harder to make you happy than you. You need to be the center of your own world. I have personal experience with this. It's a great feeling to live with your goals and mission in front of you every day.

Start living intentionally. Remember that you are either pursuing your dream every day or you are pursuing somebody else's dream.

Feel free to download this image, share it on social media, or use it as a great screensaver:


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