WEEK 160: WHY THANKSGIVING IN CRUCIAL TO CONTINUAL GROWTH

Gratitude is the healthiest of all human emotions. The more you express gratitude for what you have, the more likely you will have even more to express gratitude for.    Zig Ziglar

REFLECTIONS (learnings and actions): Happy Thanksgiving everyone.

I know it is a US holiday, but there is a great reminder behind this yearly event which can help you consistently up-level in your life and business. 

What is it?

Well, you will have to read a little more to find out but I will let you know it is your "life line" when everything around you seems to be falling apart. 

Trust me, if you are doing something worthwhile, it will.

Today, Thanksgiving seems to be surrounded a lot of turkey, pies, watching sports, and shopping.

Yet, although these things are a fun part of the holiday, you can easily miss out on the *one* thing which can stabilize you in the midst of chaos.

To highlight the importance I want to share a story with you I had with a mentor.

Now, this mentor is clearing over 600k a month, actually maybe 700k with his business....crushing it.

On the surface it seems like he has everything figured out and this what people see.

Yet, what I love is how real he is. 

He was talking about a couple months where everything in his business felt like it was falling apart. 

X did not work, thus Y bank account had less money than he thought.

Things started to spiral out of control and overwhelm engulfed him.

Well, did this mentor burnout from all the stress and pressure?

No, actually quite the opposite. 

The next morning he awoke at an hour most people are still sleeping and implemented one of the most powerful actions a high performing individual can take...

He found clarity.

How you might ask?

Well, he took out his notepad and pen and defined clearly what he wanted and more importantly WHY he was doing what he was doing.

Boom..back in alignment. 

This allowed him to see the abundance (not lack) around him.

His perspective changed and proceeded to write down 10 things he was grateful for.

He continued this for the next day...

Why did I tell you this story?

Well, 2 main reasons.

1. Chaos, pressure, and overwhelm are a natural part of the process.

If you are doing something meaningful and making an impact on a grand scale then pressure, chaos, overwhelm are just "par the course."

Just by being aware of this you have won half the battle as 99% of the world tries to avoid these at all costs. 

2. Gratitude changes your state.

You can not do anything from a negative or disempowered state.

Think about it, can you create amazingness when you feel worthless or inferior?

Nope.

That is why being grateful, I mean deep rooted gratitude, is so important. 

Especially when things seem to be falling apart (a natural part of the process....remember #1). 

This will change your perspective and put you in an empowered state...which allows you to focus on the actions you can take now to move you closer to achieving your greatest goals.

I hope you enjoyed this Thanksgiving holiday with plenty of turkey, family, friends, and some holiday shopping...but do not forget to practice the most important part of the Thanksgiving holiday...being grateful.

This can change one, your perspective and two, your state so you can go out and take the actions to achieve your greatest goals.

See you on the other side...J

Top three activities that move me forward?

1. Atlas...daily decision to win...even when it is hard to.

2. Reading diet. Consuming the right content will always serve you, got back on this train this week with the app Blinkist.

3. Journaling. Clarity, getting into state, and confronting limiting beliefs. 

Biggest lessons/learnings and corrections?

The interconnectedness of health, relationships, and business. It is all connected like your body. 

Cutting off one leg would affect the whole system. So is your health.

You don't feel good, the rest will suffer. 

What are you grateful for?

Being able to spend the Thanksgiving holiday with Meggo, Tae, Elea and close friends at our house. It was just what the movies are made of!

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PLANNING (Implementation Intention):  You will follow through 2X to 3X more likely to complete your weekly task than you normally would just by filling in the following statement.

I plan to complete the weekly task [day] at [time] in [location]. 

A reminder you might have to use multiple Implementation Intentions in order to follow through.

EXECUTION (strategies used):  From week to week, I use a combination of many strategies. There are always some which are used more than others depending on what comes up, but I wanted to offer a link to all them at once. 

My advice is to identify the I CAN'T statement you tell yourself during the most. Then find a strategy below the statement which resonates with you, and then start using it. 

Enjoy!

STRATEGY LIST

WEEK 159: WHY YOU NEED RISK TO ACHIEVE

The goal is not to eliminate risk, but to manage it, as it is an asset for growth.     Taylor Welch

REFLECTIONS (learnings and actions): Are you risk avoidant?

Seriously?

Do you wish you could eliminate all risk?

Let me tell you why this is keeping you STUCK exactly where you are at.

The common and improper view of risk is usually associated with loss or a downside to your actions. 

Why is this?

Fear. More specifically the fear of loss of something prevents action, which GUARANTEES no positive gains.

Here is the thing. By eliminating 100% risk, you eliminate all the possibilities that can happen.

The truth is that anything of potential carries with it the same proportion in risk.

You want something great...transformational...then there will be great risk which goes with it.

However, in the end it is definitely more risky to do nothing, than to risk losing something in the process. 

And this an epidemic today. People say they want the potential, yet do not want to take the risk.

It is like saying you want the best body of your life, but don't want to risk giving up your old, detrimental, habits to get it.

If you want something but are not willing to risk anything what does that tell you about what you want?

Worthless, does not matter

Think of it like getting free advice to move you forward versus you making an investment to change your life. 

Mega!

But what is the proper view you should take about risk?

There are two major things you must consider. 

1. It is an asset of growth.

It is simple. You want growth, then you will have to take on some risk.

Especially if you want to accelerate the process. 

If you know it is an asset, then you will start to see it and leverage it differently.

2. Analyze risk properly

Risk can be viewed in two ways.

Either in terms of action or inaction.

You must view in terms of the cost of your inaction versus the possible loss of something with your action.

For example, say you are in NY and need to get to LA.

But you say I can get in a wreck if I get in a car. 

Although true, it is the improver view as it is based in a possible loss for an action.

Whereas, if you say...If I never get in a car then I will never reach my destination.

This is a proper view as it is based in the cost of your inaction.

To sum it up, I can guarantee you will grow if you implement these two things consistently surrounding risk.

I can also guarantee you will stay STUCK as long as you do not.

The choice of course is always yours...

The amazing thing is you can make that choice in an instant!

Be the writer of your story this week....J

Top three activities that move me forward?

1. Atlas...Put myself in an empowering state every morning.

2. Zen...provides the greatest resource on the planet. Energy = Drive and Focus.

3. Finish. Embrace the imperfection of perfection. 

Biggest lessons/learnings and corrections?

The ability to keep the promises cultivates belief! That means finishing, even if it not perfect.

It is not being perfect all the time, but getting back on the horse right after an imperfection.

Not throwing in the towel and letting all of your work go to waste as it is not perfect. 

MEGA!

What are you grateful for?

Being able to buy presents for children who do not have the means. Teaching Tae this valuable lesson as well. We will do this every year and do on a grander scale each year!

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PLANNING (Implementation Intention):  You will follow through 2X to 3X more likely to complete your weekly task than you normally would just by filling in the following statement.

I plan to complete the weekly task [day] at [time] in [location]. 

A reminder you might have to use multiple Implementation Intentions in order to follow through.

EXECUTION (strategies used):  From week to week, I use a combination of many strategies. There are always some which are used more than others depending on what comes up, but I wanted to offer a link to all them at once. 

My advice is to identify the I CAN'T statement you tell yourself during the most. Then find a strategy below the statement which resonates with you, and then start using it. 

Enjoy!

STRATEGY LIST

WEEK 158: WHY FREE ADVICE KEEPS YOU STUCK

I would a rather learn vicariously through the mistakes of others, rather than my own.     Charlie Munger

REFLECTIONS (learnings and actions): Do you know who Charlie Munger is?

He is the right hand mad of Warren Buffet. Yeah the billionaire Warren Buffet.

Pretty smart guy.

I love the quote today and it actually highlights a very important point you will have to make on the path to achieving your greatest goals. 

It deals with FREE advice. 

And let me explain why it keeps you STUCK. 

To make this point clear I am going to use weight loss as an example.

Have you searched how to lose weight online today?

Eat a high protein breakfast, choose weight-loss friendly foods, avoid carbs, avoid fats, cut out....

It is a bit overwhelming.

The crazy thing is often times one piece of information contradicts another. 

For example, low fat vs Keto. One says to reduce fat, while another says to only add food that has the fattest content. 

Trying to find information that truly works it is like trying to find a needle in a haystack.

And what do you expect when all of it is FREE?

But, what does FREE actually get you?

There is actually 3 reasons on how FREE information keeps you STUCK.

[1] Conditionality

Will keep this really simple.

Say you have a child, but tell them you only want to interact with them when they are not crying or whining. 

Do you think you could be the best parent if you were to operate like that?

Absolutely not.

However, the same is true for you when you always want FREE information.

Why?

Because you do not fully commit.

If it does not work, then no biggie as it was FREE. Thus, you have a mindset to only try when you feel like it or it feels comfortable.

Think about it, if you do not invest anything or put zero "skin in the game", then what does that say about what you are trying to achieve?

Inexpensive and worthless. 

So, always wanting FREE information robs you of the ability to fully commit put forth your best effort consistently.

[2] Keeps you STUCK in short term

FREE information is not meant for you

Serious.

It is meant for the masses. That means it does not consider your unique issues or circumstances.

And although it might help in the short term, it never helps you sustain what you want in the long term.

For weight loss, FREE diet information is meant for the masses and does not consider your unique set of circumstances and issues.

Are you diabetic, do you have thyroid issues, do you have high blood pressure?

That is why there are so many 30-day weight loss challenges out there.

They give you results in the short term, but the weight inevitably comes back.

You tell yourself if this does not work, then I can try something else. 

Yet, this why so many people are caught up in the vicious cycle of yo-yo dieting.

Lose, gain, lose gain...always stuck in the short term.

[3] Blame yourself 

Have you ever tried to assemble IKEA furniture?

Well, think about trying to assemble it with only getting the first two steps of a 24 step process.

You are able to see how to start, but do not get the crucial steps to put all the pieces together properly.

What does this lead to?

Stress, frustration, and overwhelm.

The perfect ingredients which allow doubt to creep in...and for you to quit and regress back to old habits. 

In the case of weight loss, this means binge eating after you stop losing weight with a program.

Because you see others succeeding you say your body is broken or you just need stronger will power. 

Thus you fortify an inferior self-image of yourself, which prevents you from stepping into your true power!

***

So is FREE information truly FREE?

Not at all.

It is actually quite expensive.

Why?

It costs you time and money.

Don't believe me...

Let me make some easy calculations with you.

Keeping with the weight loss example, Say you invest 2 hours per day trying to figure out how to finally gain control of your weight.

1 hour of exercise. 1 hour researching and buying foods to follow a plan.

That is 14 hours a week.

That is 56 hours a month.

That is 672 hours in year.

That is 3,360 hours in 5 years.

Now how much do you currently value your time?

$100 per hour?

Well, 3360 times 100 = $336,000 over a five year period.

So what is the cost of taking FREE advice and trying to figure it out?

Well, the obvious is the money, but the bigger parts you can't fathom is losing 5 years of experiences and memories. 

Want to truly achieve your greatest goals? 

Want to accelerate the process?

Then, at one moment or another you will have to confront the uncomfortable feelings surrounding investing in yourself.

Or, you can wait and see if the FREE advice will get you there.

Choice is yours.

Be the writer of your story....J

Top three activities that move me forward?

1. ATLAS. Confront to empower daily.

2. Journaling. Get things out of my head so I can see them clearly.

3. Awareness. Allows me to win and anchors me into HVS.

Biggest lessons/learnings and corrections?

Human nature will always keep you STUCK.

1. Makes a big deal out of everything.

2. Anticipates worst case scenarios.

What are you grateful for?

Being able to get away for a weekend with my lovely wife and connecting and making our relationship stronger. 

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PLANNING (Implementation Intention):  You will follow through 2X to 3X more likely to complete your weekly task than you normally would just by filling in the following statement.

I plan to complete the weekly task [day] at [time] in [location]. 

A reminder you might have to use multiple Implementation Intentions in order to follow through.

EXECUTION (strategies used):  From week to week, I use a combination of many strategies. There are always some which are used more than others depending on what comes up, but I wanted to offer a link to all them at once. 

My advice is to identify the I CAN'T statement you tell yourself during the most. Then find a strategy below the statement which resonates with you, and then start using it. 

Enjoy!

STRATEGY LIST

WEEK 157: A SIMPLE, POWERFUL LEVER

Handle them carefully (words), as they have more power than atom bombs.   Pearl Strachan Hurd

REFLECTIONS (learnings and actions): What up world?

Hope this message finds you well.

What a fantastic day to be alive...and let me tell you I do not say this as everything around me is all peachy and rosy. 

Actually, had one of the hardest weeks of my life, yet I write this message to you in high spirits and living in the realm of opportunity.

Let's start with the week and get into the learning for this week.

It is human nature to feel that what you do is appreciated. 

Yet...this week my work was called into question. 

It was hard to take, but I did and actually as I reflect back the criticism was what I needed to see the erros of what I was doing.

Anyhow, this was event #1.

Then as the week progressed, I was hitting a new level of health as it has not been ideal lately. 

However, after a solid week, I went out Friday night and indulged a little too much. I felt horrible the next day, and my body was saying WTF?

Again, this led me to taking some time to reflect and analyze why I was in this yo-yo pattern with my health - one week feeling great and then a few days getting myself back to the previous level.

After some deep journaling I was able to identify the source (by the way if you are not doing this, you are bottling way too much inside of you).

It took an hour, but it was an hour well worth it as I gained the clarity of why I was stuck, but two how to move forward. 

Powerful when you get it.

This was event #2.

Later on in the week pressure from other areas of my life were magnified to the point I felt overwhelmed (it happens to everyone from time to time).

I was caught in circumstance and it had a tight squeeze grasp on me. 

It was no joke and I was caught in the "what ifs" and "the worst case scenarios." One thought led to another until I found myself in a deep and dark rabbit hole.

This was event #3.

As you can see, not a week where you would think I would feel my best, yet I do.

How you might ask?

Well, it has to do with a simple, yet powerful lever you usually operate on a subconscious level.

Literally, it is one of the easiest things you do daily, but probably are not aware of it. 

What is it?

Language.

Yep, 100%.

Language my friends. 

This is the lever which will either keep you STUCK or propel you forward.

And going to take it one level deeper and identify what you must STOP in order to make progress...Complaining.

Going to let you know right off the bat "Complaining" is the first thing that takes you out of the game.

"I can't...it is too hard...why me...if only...I just need to vent..."

Now you might argue that complaining is good for you and often times you feel better after you do it.

And I will tell you that is science. 

What?

Yep, dopamine is actually released when you complain as one, it is easy, and two, you usually find others who agree with you.

Yet...this is the very reason why you stay STUCK.

I have said this in the past, but you will always stay STCUK by making decisions based on your current level of play, not the play of who you want to be in the future.

Complaining keeps you at your current level.

Additionally, it robs you of perspective, which clouds your ability to see things clearly.

Thus, complaining and finding others who make you feel better when you vent with each other will only keep you STUCK.

I know you want to throw something at me, but just dropping some truth here. 

Literally, by complaining you keep yourself STUCK in whatever area of life you are discussing.

It might feel good in the short term, but that type of "language" will keep you stuck in the long term.

Don't get me wrong, I fall victim to this as well.

Yet... the key is to be aware you are in the midst of a downward spiral.

Then, choose to change the language to move yourself out of that space. 

Really is that simple. 

This will allow you to move from being STUCK to moving forward!

Language. Language. Language!

Use it to your advantage. 

Be the writer of your story this week...J

Top three activities that move me forward?

1. Atlas - create momentum and power every morning.

2. Zen - protects the greatest asset you have.

3. Journaling - gets everything out of the brain and lets you see things clearly.

Biggest lessons/learnings and corrections?

When focused on outcomes or caught in a downward spiral.

Check your language you are using in your mind and while talking to others. 

What are you grateful for?

The knowledge to heal the body and give it the proper nutrition to operate at the highest levels. 

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PLANNING (Implementation Intention):  You will follow through 2X to 3X more likely to complete your weekly task than you normally would just by filling in the following statement.

I plan to complete the weekly task [day] at [time] in [location]. 

A reminder you might have to use multiple Implementation Intentions in order to follow through.

EXECUTION (strategies used):  From week to week, I use a combination of many strategies. There are always some which are used more than others depending on what comes up, but I wanted to offer a link to all them at once. 

My advice is to identify the I CAN'T statement you tell yourself during the most. Then find a strategy below the statement which resonates with you, and then start using it. 

Enjoy!

STRATEGY LIST