The habit you need

We all have habits that we have worked long and hard to acquire, whether consciously or 'accidentally'.  Some habits we can be proud of, such as exercise, clean language, charitable service, and saving money.  Other habits we would much rather destroy and avoid, such as poor eating habits, poor financial habits, unhealthy addictions (food, drinks, drugs, sex, internet, etc..) and poor work ethics/habits.  Have you ever considered the habit of optimism, the habit of success, or the habit of positive change?  These things really can, and definitely should be habits.
I have a great friend who years ago was very overweight and had little hope of ever changing.  In his mind, his weight and size were just who he was and that is the way it would be.  He couldn't (in his mind) work out or run because his physical condition did not permit him to.  He was prone to act and feel depressed by who he was and the limitations that the extra weight and bulk were causing him.  But as time went on, he began to see that losing some weight might have some benefits.  He might be able to enjoy the outdoors more, decrease pain in his knees and back, and gain confidence in all social and work settings. Those small beginnings of hope in who he could become began to manifest themselves in the food he ate, the activities he participated in, and confidence he had in himself.  As he began to lose weight, his hope and desire increased, and he began to see himself more and more as a fit and healthy individual. Over the course of one year, he became very fit, losing over 50 pounds and gaining great muscle tone.  Those habits and changes set in and became who he is and who he could continue to become.  The self confidence gained though those changes and successes took root in all areas of his life.  Today, almost 15 years later, he is a successful, fit, and healthy body builder, husband, father, and police officer.  He runs, works out, and coaches others in fitness and body building.  What a great example of habits, and the habits of optimism, success, and positive change.
Habits are very powerful.  And the habit of seeing yourself as who you can and want to be, is habit that we should all work to obtain and maintain.
Proverbs 23:7   For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he.  
How do you see yourself?  Who will you become in the next year? Who will you be in 5 and 10 years?  Choose your habits wisely.

The Great Battle

How often do you get distracted?  How many different directions do you try to go at once?  If you are like me, there are so many different things you are interested in and that you enjoy doing that if you tried to do a little of each, you would never get good at any of them.  You know the saying, 'Jack of all trades, master of none'.  I don't know about you, but I sure feel like 'Jack' sometimes.
But there is a rather simple solution: FOCUS!  Stop bouncing from one thing to the next to the next.   Thomas Edison was once asked how he accomplished so much. He said, 'It is very simple.  You and I have eighteen hours in a day in which we may do something.  You spend that eighteen hours doing a number of different unrelated things.  I spend it doing just one thing, and some of my work is bound to amount to something.'
Living in a world that seems to have been designed by people with A.D.D. for people who have A.D.D., it's quite difficult to pick one thing to do and to stick to it, but it is not only possible, it is highly important to do so.  Remember the parable of the talents?  The master gave his three servants talents, and two of them invested (magnified) those talents and doubled them for their master.  The third buried the talent, thus wasting it.  When the master returned and found that the third had not done anything with the talent he was given, he took it away.  Matthew 25:29 'For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath.'  Don't waste those talents God has given you, concentrate on them and make them more!
The only way to become an expert in your chosen field, is to CHOOSE your field, and throw yourself into it.   What it is that you truly like and want to do?  Are you also naturally talented and gifted in that area?  Do you feel like God has inspired and maybe even called you to that field?  (Remember, that you may have several different callings in life, but that doesn't mean you are called or expected to do them all at the same time!)  God has asked us to 'magnify' our callings.  Like most kids, I enjoyed playing with a magnifying glass.  And like most kids, I burned my share of insects.  Doing so, I learned a lesson that applies beautifully here.  It is not possible to burn multiple insects at the exact same time.  The light and heat of the sun have to be focused into an intense and small beam to 'magnify' that heat to the point that it can ignite and burn whatever it is focused on.  So if instead of focusing on one target, you bounce from one to the next to the next, you really don't accomplish anything (good for the longevity of the bugs, bad when applied to life's important goals).  
I am a big advocate of mastering many different skills in life, and the more I experience and learn in life, the more I can see that in order to truly master a skill, concentration is required.  You really have to learn and apply the principle or law of concentration.
A repeated theme among experts in time management and work efficiency is that it is just as important to have a 'stop doing' list as it is to have a 'to do' list (in fact, the stop doing list may be more important than the to do list). What can you sacrifice (or stop doing) in order to concentrate more fully on your chosen field?
You can win the battle of concentration, and reap the promised rewards: Matthew 25:21  His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.

Time to go!

Dost thou love life? Then do not squander time, for that is the stuff life is made of.—FRANKLIN.

I really don't know many people who are not busy all day long, and looking for more time for things left undone.  We really are a busy people.  And time is a far more valuable resource than money (it's possible to make more money, but time is a completely limited resource).

Where does that leave us? Time, like money, should be managed wisely.  Both time and money should be told what to do so they don't just waste away.  It is an incredible and liberating feeling to  budget money.  Suddenly there is distinction between needs and wants, and the same monthly income that used to barely allow us to scrape by has turned into a powerful weapon that can be used to destroy debt and build wealth.  Time works in much the same way.  It is amazing how many more quality things we can accomplish in a day/week/month with just a few minutes of planning and preparation each day, then a few minutes of review and evaluation at the end of the day.

Where do I find more time?  The same way you find more money in the budget.  Time, like money, is wasted away without even realizing it when it isn't planned and evaluated.  How well did I budget my time yesterday?  Was that hour in front of the TV a good use of time?  How about checking Facebook updates 5 times?  How often do I really need to check my email every day?  When I am 'working', am I doing so without distraction so I can be efficient and effective?  Many of us are paid by the job, not by the hour, so time wasted is money wasted (and for the hourly/salary workers, wasting less time and accomplishing more WILL impress management and co-workers which equates to raises and promotions, so we are really all being paid by the job).  And the really great thing about working efficiently and getting more done is that energy levels and job satisfaction are both far higher, making you happier and more creative (which in turn makes you shine even more and opens more doors of opportunity for growth and advancement).

Control your time, control your money, control your life.  You will be amazed at how learning to control the first two will give you a greater feeling of control over the third.

My advice?

1. When planning your day, don't overdo it!  Just like the budget, you can only spread your resources out so far.  Trying to do too much in a day is just as bad as not doing enough (if not worse).  You will end up feeling guilty because you just can't physically get to everything on the list.  Instead decide what the most important 4-6 things are, and list them in order of hardest (most time consuming or challenging) to easiest.  Then, as a rule of thumb, do the hardest things first.  That's right, the HARDEST things first.  Attack and conquer those things that you know will not get done if left until late in the day.  Once the hard things are out of the way, you will FLY through everything else and get so much more done throughout the rest of the day.  
2. Start up a 'stop doing' list.  This can be just as powerful in your battle to make the most of the day as your 'to do' list.  What are those things that you have gotten into the habit of doing that are eating away your day and providing no real benefit?  Cutting these out of your daily routine will be a revolutionary change!
3. NEVER underrate the importance of exercise in your daily routine.  Your body, mind, and spirit all need this time.  And every other area of your life will suffer when this is not part of your daily and weekly routine.
4. Keep your daily planning/preparation time to under 10 minutes.  You already know your basic routine.  This planning time is to help focus on the important and help eliminate the unimportant.  Most days, 5-10 minutes is all it should take to do this.  Once a week (or every other week) you may need an extra 10-15 minutes for a more thorough evaluation of overall effectiveness and efficiency, and maybe bounce ideas off of/or seek advice from others on your routine.  An extra set of eyes and ideas can be just what is needed to break out of a rut.
5. Struggling to find time to read/learn/grow?  Try listening to motivational/inspirational books or other audio materials while you are exercising, driving, or doing other necessary/menial things.  It's like a two for one deal!  I look forward to driving now that I have started listening to great podcasts and inspirational/educational audio books.  And I get way more than exercise when I go for a run.  The miles just fly by.

I have experienced personally that every time I focus on managing my time, an increase in money always follows.  And those are the two things that I always seem to need more of....

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

 A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;

 A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;

 A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

 A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

 A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

 A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

 A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.  

 Ecclesiastes Chapter 3 (verses 1-8)

Ask and ye shall....

I bargained with Life for a penny,
And Life would pay no more,
However I begged at evening
When I counted my scanty store;
For Life is a just employer,
He gives you what you ask,
But once you have set the wages,
Why, you must bear the task.
I worked for a menial’s hire,
Only to learn, dismayed,
That any wage I had asked of Life,
Life would have paid.
JESSIE B. RITTENHOUSE, “My Wage,” The Door of Dreams


Don't sell yourself short in life.  Expect more, and get more.  Expect less, and get less.  Mainly just realize that it is your expectations and petitions, not life's offerings, that determine your payment and recompense in all things.  What do you 'expect' to get from attending church on Sunday?  If you expect to be strengthened in spirit and receive the opportunity to help and serve others in the process, then I guarantee that you will get both.  Obviously there is more to it than just 'asking', there is the undeniable and unalterable element of the action of faith.  Lets turn to the bible.
James 1:5-6

 5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.

Then in James chapter 2:

 17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.

Ask in faith, then get to work.  Don't sit around waiting for the magical paycheck to show up in the mail.  Go out and earn that paycheck and see for your self how the action of faith precedes the miracle.

Clear Skies Ahead

A cop pulls over a car load of nuns....
Cop: "Sister, this is a 65 MPH highway -- why are you going so slow?"
Sister: "Sir, I saw a lot of signs that said 22, not 65."
Cop: "Oh sister, that`s not the speed limit, that's the name of the highway you're on!
Sister: "Oh! Silly me! Thanks for letting me know. I'll be more careful.
At this point the cop looks in the backseat where the other nuns are shaking and trembling.
Cop: "Excuse me, Sister, what's wrong with your friends back there? They're shaking something terrible."
Sister: "Oh, we just got off of highway 119." 


How often is our perception of the world the thing that keep us down?


There is something great about 'hitting a wall' or running into difficulties and challenges.  That is, there is something great about it IF we have the right mindset and attitude.  Way more often than not, when we look back at the toughest, most challenging times in our lives, we recognize those times as highly productive in transforming us into someone better and preparing us for great and exciting things.  Does that make it fun to go through challenges?  Are we more likely to seek out the difficult, life changing 'opportunities'?  Probably not, but when those opportunities unavoidably arrive, instead of cringing and whining, we can perform a self-evaluation and determine in what way (or ways) we can and will change to be better in the future.  


A sickness or injury might keep you from doing what you are used to doing (career, exercise, hobbies, etc..), but that may very well give you the opportunity to develop your mind, change your attitude, reach out to friends, neighbors and family, and magnify those God given talents that were previously 'put on the back shelf' because you were too busy with life.


Losing a job, for whatever reason, is so often the catalyst to seek out and find your true calling in life.  The 'thing' you were born to do, the thing that brings you true enjoyment and fulfillment.  Have you heard the phrase 'accidental entrepreneur'?  Losing a job has been the springboard to countless successful businesses.  


What great opportunities (hidden in the challenges) has God blessed you with?


It's going to be a great day!

Battling Giants

It's not because things are difficult that we dare not venture. It's because we dare not venture that they are difficult.   Lucius Annaeus Seneca


Dare to dream, then dare to do.  Fear of the unknown is worse than the unknown, so venture out of your comfort zone and try things.


Remember the story of David and Goliath?  It took very little effort for David, a small and young 'boy' to defeat Goliath, when for many days the entire Israelite army avoided the giant for fear of defeat.  
What are your Goliath's?  

• Perhaps you have a personal relationship that needs to be repaired/restored, and instead you are letting your 'giant' pride keep you from apologizing, forgiving, and getting back to being friends.  Whether that relationship is marriage, family, or friend, the pride giant is very real.  And just as real is the 'stone' of humility and action that will defeat that giant.  Running away from a problem doesn't solve the problem, it usually makes it bigger.  In the case of personal relationships, running away instead of facing (with humility and love) your problems means losing a loved one who both could and should be a forever part of your life.  If you once loved and cared for that friend, then do so again.
• Are you stuck in your career?  And are you staying there out of a false sense of security?  While I don't suggest quitting (due to plenty of personal experience), I do suggest getting ready to quit by finding something better, or defeating those giants in your current position that are keeping you from fulfillment.  Sometimes that something better is a side business that can be grown into a full time venture that will allow you 'quit' down the road. If you are not interested in self-employment (yet..?), then maybe a lateral shift in employment or a change of venue (company, city, state..) may be what your soul is yearning for.  Do you believe God inspires you to change?  If you feel a desire for something different and/or something more from your employment/career, don't just ignore that feeling.  Embrace it, explore it, and find out why God has blessed you with that feeling.  There is something great waiting for you, so keep your eyes open be ready to go!
• Are you struggling with addiction?  If so, then you know the pain and loss that is associated with addiction, whether that addiction is chemical, physical, mental, or other.  You fear the pain and sorrow that your addiction will cause to those around you, and struggle to find an escape.  Take courage from the millions who have overcome addictions, and know that you are not alone in your struggle.  Rarely can anyone with an addiction kick it on the first, second, or even third try.  But you, and they, can overcome.  And almost without fail, recovering addicts can point to their small 'stone' that conquered the giant.  Sometimes that stone is a relationship, and often that relationship is directly with God.  Strengthen within yourself the reasons why you want to and will overcome your addiction, and never quit trying.  Keep finding new ways to remind yourself of the 'why', and focus on the positive (those reasons you will quit) instead of the negative (the addiction itself).  

Seek out your giants, and seek out your stones.  You will find that it is far easier to face your foes than it is to avoid them.  And life is so much more enjoyable without giants looming over you.

Keep it up!

With five chances on each hand and one unwavering aim, no boy, however poor, need despair. There is bread and success for every youth under the American flag who has energy and ability to seize his opportunity. It matters not whether the boy is born in a log-cabin or in a mansion; if he is dominated by a resolute purpose and upholds himself, neither men nor demons can keep him down.   

Orison Swett Marden (from his book 'Pushing to the Front')  

There are so many incredible opportunities in the world today!  There are even more opportunities in the United States!  Yes, I am aware of the 'recession', but I am even more aware of the thousands of millionaires who started their journey towards wealth in complete poverty during past recessions and depressions.  They did it during worse times than now, and so can you and I!  From all of my research and study into these highly successful individuals, I see a revolving theme: positive attitude through self-motivation.  How did they become self-motivated?  They sought it out in everything around them!  They read motivational and inspirational books, stories, and articles, and they did so repeatedly and regularly.  

When you meet (or hear about) someone who has achieved great business and financial success, how do you view them?  I heard a great story about caterpillars that I found to be very enlightening:

3 caterpillars were crossing a field when a beautiful, graceful butterfly flew overhead.  The first caterpillar looks at the butterfly and thinks, 'What a conceited show off!'.  The second sees the butterfly and thinks 'Sometimes I wish I could fly, he is so lucky'.  And the third caterpillar, seeing the butterfly says, 'I know that guy, he used to be just like us!  If he can fly, I can too!' 

It is so easy to look at others and complain about or rationalize away their success and your own 'failure' (and remember, failure is only failure when you don't seize the lesson it has to teach and use it as fuel for greater success).  When you look at others, do so in a positive light.  Learn great things from them, be motivated and encouraged by their success and accomplishments, because if they did it, so can you!  

How can I develop a positive attitude and be self-motivated?  READ!  Read (or listen to) great and inspiring books!  There are so many motivational books, and inspirational books available.  You know the saying, 'You are what you eat'?  Apply the following saying into your life from now on: 'You are what you read'.  You are (or become) what you read, watch, listen to and participate in.  So if you spend your time listening to, watching and reading the so called 'news', you are likely stressed out, depressed and discouraged by what is happening in the world.  If instead you read, watch and listen to inspirational, positive, and educational information you are (or soon will be) positive and self-motivated by all of the wonderful opportunities that life has to offer.  You will be amazed at the vast amount of open doors available every single day that lead to greater wealth, happiness, peace, and plenty.  

Where do I start?  Let me give you a few suggestions.  For greater financial hope and understanding, read and listen to Dave Ramsey (Total Money Makeover, Financial Peace University, etc..).  For all around self-motivation, read and listen to Zig Ziglar (and many other motivational speakers/authors).  For great career and life development, read and listen to Dan Miller (author of '48 days to the work you love').    To get serious about financial, business, and life goals and progress, try Napoleon Hill (Think and Grow Rich, Success through a Positive Mental Attitude, etc..).   This list can go on and on, there are so many positive books out there.  Make time to read (or listen) to them, it will be the greatest investment of time that you can make for your future. 

Successful people follow successful patterns.  Sterling W. Sill (1903 - 1994)

Grasp that concept now!  Successful people follow successful patterns.  That is how they got successful!  And one of the most important patterns to follow is the development of a positive attitude.  A positive attitude is what opens your mind (and eyes) to the great opportunities that are right in front of you.

The Lord openeth the eyes of the blind: the Lord raiseth

 them that are bowed down: the Lord loveth the righteous.   

Psalms 146:8