Change is good . . . you go first

You must embrace change before change erases you.
~ Rob Liano

 

At some point we all need to accept that change will happen; it’s inevitable. As we journey through life, through our relationships and careers, we experience many kinds of change: physical, emotional, spiritual, and technological. Even though most of us realize that after getting past the initial challenge, we’re not only used to the change, but that our lives actually became better, people still fear and resist change.

Fear of the Unknown

How do we overcome fear? Knowledge, preparation and action. The more you know about something, the less you’ll be afraid. I’ll use two examples: The first time you did anything, played a sport, went on a date, read aloud in front of a classroom of children or interviewed for a job, you might have been fearful because you never did it before. It’s the unknown that causes your concern. What might happen? What if I fail, look foolish, or get hurt? But after trial and error, you might have realized that you really had nothing to worry about.

The funny thing is that, even if you did get hurt or fail at first, you still hung in there and continued to try. You’d think after that you’d be more afraid, wouldn’t you? But you aren’t, because you now possess knowledge and understanding of those situations.

Let’s consider the experience of going somewhere for the first time.  Whether it’s to a new a city, or simply driving to a new store in an unfamiliar location in your hometown, you might experience a little fear or hesitation on the way there, wondering if you’re on the right course, even if you have a GPS! That’s because you lack the experience of being in that area. But what happens after you’ve been there once or twice? Your confidence grows, and you might even eventually be able to get there on autopilot.

The Monkey Wrench

Most people don’t like when something happens that knocks them out of their routine. Things are moving along smoothly, and BAM! a change occurs, and the proverbial monkey wrench disrupts your comfort zone. This can cause you to get a little freaked out and send you into a frenzy, when it usually isn’t that big of a deal.

Will we encounter changes that aren’t beneficial to us, and that are also out of our control? Of course. But, in those cases, after evaluating the situation, we still have a responsibility to be proactive in our response to that change. If things are within our control, take the monkey wrench and fix it! Life goes on, so we may as well go on with it.

Learned Behavior

Additionally, it may be that we doubt our ability to learn or adapt. We hear that negative voice in our head say “I’m too old to learn this new smart phone.”  Even though we can and will learn it–and eventually even love it–we are still fearful upon our first introduction to it.

I have heard several people say that it’s remarkable how kids these days embrace and understand technology. Why is that? It’s because they have no fear! They’re curious, and view it as new and exciting, not new and exhausting. The next time you experience a change, try to rekindle the childlike fire inside of you and embrace it, then learn from it and forge ahead.

You Go First!

If we just take a moment to ask ourselves: What good might this change bring? The answers will usually be encouraging:

• It will empower me to be more productive.
• It will enable me to learn something new, so I’ll grow.
• It will enable me to reconnect with people whom I’ve lost contact with.
• It will increase my value at my job.
• it will improve the quality of my life.
• It will remind me to be appreciative and grateful.

Sometimes with change you have no idea what you’re going to encounter. The future outcome is often unknown when you’re in the moment, so why convince yourself that it’s negative or likely to be a pain in the . . .  afterthought?

Instead of worrying, view change as a challenge, one that allows you to show what you’re made of.  This way of thinking gives you the power to overcome, survive, and succeed. Change your perspective and fear not: learn, prepare, adapt and conquer.

Rob Liano
Rock Star Life Coach & Sales Strategist
1.855.832.ROCK (7625)

© Rob Liano and Rock Star Success Coaching, 2016. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Rob Liano and Rock Star Success Coaching with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Putting the FUN Back in the Fundamentals

Are you struggling with your career or relationship? Maybe it’s just not fun anymore? Over time, almost anything can become mundane.

What if you could get excited again and harness that excitement to give yourself a kick in the . . . aspirations?

Well, no matter what it is that you want to improve upon, you can, with this quick tip.

Remember your first day at a new job, that first date or a new opportunity you took on? Remember the excitement and anticipation that you felt? Whether it was thoughts of romance or success, it energized you didn’t it? The sky was the limit!

Did that feeling help you to succeed, stay encouraged, or persevere? I’m willing to bet that it did. That’s the fun part of the fundamentals.

Much like the foundation of a building, fundamentals act as the essential structure for you to build your life upon. Excitement and enthusiasm are integral parts of that foundation. A “gung-ho” attitude propelled you through on the job training, planning a first date or two, or taking hold of whatever you pursued and you made the most of it. That mindset can still be a valuable asset to your personal and business success right now.

The Good Old Days

Everyone gets pumped up about an exciting new idea or opportunity; we dive in headfirst and exclaim, “I got this!”  But what happens after the initial success? We lose some–or even all–of our enthusiasm because we experience some minor failure or disappointment.  That can be fatal, but only if you allow it to be.  So it is imperative that we recapture that exuberance and apply it going forward.

• Remember when you looked forward to going to work, and arrived early?
• Remember how often you worked late in order to show your employer (or yourself) that you were a go-getter?
• Remember when you were constantly speaking, texting or emailing someone you were interested in?
• Remember when you stayed after practice to get better at a sport?
• Remember when you were excited to impress the boss, yourself or even your friends and family?

What’s the common denominator in all of this? You invested your attention into it and the results were positive! Well it’s time you got fired up again, because that will help to improve any area of your life, and when it comes to your career, getting fired up will always be better than getting fired.

Choose Wisely

It’s safe to say that you originally believed you would be successful or you probably wouldn’t have tried in the first place. If the opportunity is the same and the person you gushed about is primarily the same, what changed?

It’s highly likely that your attitude changed. You shifted into a so called “comfort zone” because you no longer had to prove yourself. Perhaps it’s not the only answer, but a positive attitude can be a major factor in what has now become a less than desirable relationship or career.  So, go for it.

Get Back

Try this technique: when you return to work or plan a night out with your spouse or partner, act as if it was your first day or date, meaning relive all of the enthusiasm that went along with the initial feelings of your shiny new toy. Be proactive. Take initiative. Ask questions and listen intently to the answers. Focus on learning about this person or opportunity again.  You’d be surprised at what you might have forgotten or possibly never knew, regardless of how much time you’ve invested.

What happens after we have a good experience? We stay excited and can’t wait to do it again, and now the sky’s the limit!

Fortune Favors the Bold

I’ve often heard people say “well that’s easier said than done” but is it really? It might seem easier to say something than to actually do it. However, by making the statement that it’s easier said than done, it’s usually because your feelings of frustration and discouragement have taken over and left you struggling with disappointment or even failure, and that’s NOT easy.

Achieving success is a challenge, and so is struggling, so you might as well choose success.

Decide right now to show up early, put forth more effort, have a positive attitude and start fresh. It’s a new day and a new opportunity. Act as if your job or your life depends upon on your success, because if it doesn’t yet, it just might some day. And that can happen sooner than you think.

To your success!

Rob Liano
Rock Star Success Coach & Sales Strategist
www.rockstarsalestraining.com
www.robliano.com
1.855.832.ROCK (7625)

© Rob Liano and Rock Star Success Coaching, 2015. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Rob Liano and Rock Star Success Coaching with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

4 Ways to Turn Hope Into Reality

Hope floats but effort propels

Does any of the following sound familiar?

▪ Have high hopes.
▪ Hope will not disappoint.
▪ Hope for a better tomorrow.
▪ I hope so.

Why is it that so many that people have hope, yet rarely get the very thing that they’re hoping for? The answer? Because hope alone is not enough. If you only have hope, without taking any positive action, you may be waiting your entire life.

Think back to the last time you had to take a test. Which of these two choices sound more like your thoughts prior to taking the test?

▪ I hope I pass.
▪ I totally got this!

If you hoped you were going to pass, the odds are that you didn’t study enough to feel confident; otherwise, you would have thought differently.  A great amount of study (effort or practice) will breed confidence and confidence is critical to success.

Let hope inspire a better tomorrow, but take action today and every day to bring it to fruition.

Hope is a buoy…..but…like any buoy, it only floats: it can’t be steered nowhere. 
~ Charles Dickens (Dombey and Son)

Hope is NOT a Strategy

Hoping that something works out is suggesting that you have no control over it, as if it’s totally up to luck or chance. While there are certain scenarios that are out of our control, it’s not always the case. Got fired? Were broken up with? Failed a test? Did you have control over any of those outcomes? In most cases, I’d bet that you did.

So what can we do when we have control over the outcome? Let’s break down the word hope and create a new plan of action.

H = Hatch an idea
O = Obsess over it
P = Plan on how to achieve it
E = Endure all obstacles

1: Hatch an idea

First, you must have an idea of what you want. This is the easy part; it’s what you hope for.

▪ More money.
▪ A better job.
▪ A better relationship.
▪ Fill in the blank.

2: Obsess over it

Obsess over all of the possibilities and dream big! Create a burning desire. Keep this idea or thought prominent in your mind while allowing it to spill over into your life. Live it, breathe it and get excited about it.

▪ Do you want the fairytale relationship?
▪ Do you want to leave an incredible legacy behind?
▪ Do you want to increase your income?
▪ What exactly do you want?

3: Plan on how to achieve it

The one thing that can turn hope into reality is planning.  You must plan all that it takes to achieve your goal.

▪ Who will you need to help?
▪ What will you need to sacrifice?
▪ How long will it take?
▪ Who will you have to become to achieve it?
▪ What habits will you have to change?

4: Endure all obstacles

Too many people give up before they ever achieve their goals. One or two minor setbacks and they simply lose hope. You must modify the plan if it isn’t propelling you in the right direction, not abandon the plan entirely.

▪ Recommit.
▪ See what went wrong.
▪ Ask for help.
▪ Learn more.

You have to keep going and going and going, while ensuring that you’re continually making progress.

Hope is the only universal liar who never loses his reputation for veracity. 
~ Robert G. Ingersoll

Rob Liano
Rock Star Success Coach & Sales Strategist
www.rockstarsalestraining.com
www.robliano.com
1.855.832.ROCK (7625)

© Rob Liano and Rock Star Success Coaching, 2015. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Rob Liano and Rock Star Success Coaching with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

5 Keys to a Thankful Thanksgiving

This is a wonderful blog written by Jim Rohn, worthy of sharing, I hope you enjoy it!

If your home is like most, your Thanksgiving Day will be very busy, either traveling to the dinner destination or preparing your home for guests to spend the day. Neither option lends itself to preparing your heart to be reflective and thankful.

Here are a few keys—that are simple and practical to apply—you can use in your quest for becoming more thankful this holiday season:

1. Time.

Regularly set aside time to be quiet, to reflect. We live in the fastest paced time ever. From the moment we awake to the moment we collapse into bed, we have the opportunity to go at full speed and never slow down. If we schedule time every day to reflect, we will free up our hearts and minds from the tyranny of the urgent and rushed.

2. Thought.

Give thought to the many blessings that you have. Living in a consumer culture, most of us are fully aware of what we do not have and how we absolutely must have “it”—whatever it is. But how often do we reflect upon that which we already have? Take some time each day to think of one or two things you have that you typically take for granted and then take a moment and give thanks for those gifts.

3. Generosity.

Be generous toward those with less and not envious of those with more. We tend to look at others who may be wealthier than ourselves and think, “I sure wish I had what he has.” That kind of thinking breeds envy and jealousy rather than contentment. What can we do to break that cycle? I would suggest being generous to those who are less fortunate than yourself. Go work at a food bank. And not just during the holidays—everybody works there then—but on a regular basis during the year. That will remind you of how good you really have it.

4. Ask.

The next time you are at lunch with a friend, ask them what they are most thankful for. You will be amazed at the answers you receive, and you will create a meaningful bond with your friends as you focus on this powerful question.

5. Acknowledge.

Tell those you love how thankful you are for having them in your life. So many times we neglect to take time to craft words for expressing what our close ones and their presence in our lives really mean to us. Take Thanksgiving Day as an opportunity to write them a note or, sometime during the day, put your hand on their shoulder, look them in the eyes and tell them. Let them know what they mean to you, and in return you’ll begin to create the possibility of deeper, richer, more fulfilling relationships with those you love.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Rob Liano
Rock Star Success Coach & Sales Strategist
www.rockstarsalestraining.com
www.robliano.com
1.855.832.ROCK (7625)

The Bricklayer – 5 Steps to Building Success

Many people see a brick wall as an obstacle, when it’s really a how to for success. You build both one brick at a time. ~ Rob Liano

Remember the old brick school houses from our childhood? As children, they looked overwhelming to our wide open, little eyes, and probably brought some mixed feelings with it. Excitement, fear, insecurities, wonder.

Have you ever wondered how such a structure is built? It’s interesting when you consider exactly how a bricklayer does their job.

Watching the process from the beginning, initially you can’t really tell what they’re building. The first brick is put in place. Just one. Then a second one, and so on, through to its completion. It seems so small and insignificant at first, but over time it becomes something substantial; a wall, a factory, a house, a school, a bridge, or even a series of buildings.

It rises from very humble beginnings, to significance. You can do the very same thing with your life and career.

In the beginning . . .

Start with the first brick, the very first step that you need to take, then build on it. You can build a life’s work, one brick at a time.

The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.
~Chinese proverb

I know this might sound oversimplified, but it truly is that easy. It only seems difficult because you might have skipped an oft-overlooked portion of the process, which also happens to be the most critical part: the first step should be the planning stage.

Would a bricklayer just haphazardly put that first brick in some random place? Of course not. Only after some very thorough planning and preparation do they begin. Otherwise, how would they succeed at all?

Step by step

What would you need in order to make bricklaying a piece of cake?

1. The Right Materials: You must have the right materials and approximately the right amount of those materials to complete the job. For bricklaying that includes bricks, cement and sand.

2. The Right Tools: You’ve heard the expression “the right tool for the job” haven’t you? Bricklaying tools include a mixer, wall ties, a bricklaying trowel, a spacing rule, and a level.

3. The Right Plans: Let’s face it, without the right plans you just won’t be very successful.

4. Training: I’m pretty sure that you would need a professional or some kind of mentor to teach you exactly what to do until you can do it right on your own. And that takes . . .

5. Practice: After getting everything else in place, the act of doing it over and over again until you master it is essential to your success.

These are the very same steps it will take you to succeed in your life. What materials, tools, plans, training and practice do you need to succeed?

Avoid the rubble, Barney

Can you imagine trying to build something without plans, using the wrong tools, or without being fully prepared? Haven’t many people used something else to bang in a nail when they couldn’t find a hammer? Any task becomes much more difficult when you aren’t fully prepared.

Not only that, but whatever you built could end up incomplete, incorrect, or even pretty dangerous and unstable. It could also be costly, frustrating and discouraging.

Are you going into your chosen career unprepared? If what you’re doing is costly, frustrating, and discouraging, that might be a hint that you haven’t prepared properly, or that something in your plan might need revising.

As an example of how easy it is to succeed with the right plans and materials, try putting together a Lego set. It’s so simple a child can do it, as long as they follow the instructions.

To begin building your career, ask yourself these questions:

1. What is the very first brick that I can put in place to start building my career now?
2. What are the additional, necessary steps I should take after that?
3. What do I need to acquire, learn, practice or implement to reach my goal?

Choose the right tools and materials, plan the steps, keep learning, and take action. And don’t stop until your dream, or your dream home, is built!

As Mark Twain said . . .

The secret of getting started is breaking your complex overwhelming tasks into small manageable tasks, and then starting on the first one.

Start on the first brick today.  It’s one small step for you, one giant leap for your career and life.

Rob Liano
Rock Star Success Coach & Sales Strategist
www.rockstarsalestraining.com
www.robliano.com
1.855.832.ROCK (7625)

© Rob Liano and Rock Star Success Coaching, 2014. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Rob Liano and Rock Star Success Coaching with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Success is everything! by Jim Rohn

Someone once said to me that success isn’t everything, and I think I know what they really meant. I believe they really meant that money wasn’t everything, and I certainly agree with that. But I do believe that success IS everything.

First, you need to succeed to survive. We must take the seasons and learn how to use them with the seed, the soil and the rain of opportunity to learn how to sustain ourselves and our family.

But then second is to then succeed to flourish in every part of your life. A good question to ask mature people is, “If you could do better, should you?” I think almost everybody would answer the question in the positive. If you could improve your health, shouldn’t you do that? If you can learn more, shouldn’t you do that? If you could earn more and share more, shouldn’t you do that? If you can improve your relationships and spirituality, shouldn’t you do that? I think that is what success is really all about. It is not just a destination that is set for everybody to try and go for.

It is like Zig said: “Improving in every area of your life to see if you can’t, with satisfaction, at the end of the day, week, month and year say, ‘I have made excellent progress this year for myself, for my family, for my business, my career and my health.’” I think that kind of success is something everybody recognizes as legitimate and something we should all strive for.

An interesting phrase in the Bible says to strive for perfection—not that we can ever reach it. But it is in the striving to be a little bit better today than yesterday, in our speech, our language, our health—everything we can possibility think of.

So yes, in my opinion, it is good to succeed!

Rob Liano
Rock Star Success Coach & Sales Strategist
www.rockstarsalestraining.com
www.robliano.com
1.855.832.ROCK (7625)

Do or do not, there is no try!

The Two Choices We Face

by Jim Rohn

Each of us has two distinct choices to make about what we will do with our lives. The first choice we can make is to be less than we have the capacity to be. To earn less. To have less. To read less and think less. To try less and discipline ourselves less. These are the choices that lead to an empty life. These are the choices that, once made, lead to a life of constant apprehension instead of a life of wondrous anticipation.

And the second choice? To do it all! To become all that we can possibly be. To read every book that we possibly can. To earn as much as we possibly can. To give and share as much as we possibly can. To strive and produce and accomplish as much as we possibly can. All of us have the choice.

To do or not to do. To be or not to be. To be all or to be less or to be nothing at all.

Like the tree, it would be a worthy challenge for us all to stretch upward and outward to the full measure of our capabilities. Why not do all that we can, every moment that we can, the best that we can, for as long as we can?

Our ultimate life objective should be to create as much as our talent and ability and desire will permit. To settle for doing less than we could do is to fail in this worthiest of undertakings.

Results are the best measurement of human progress. Not conversation. Not explanation. Not justification. Results! And if our results are less than our potential suggests that they should be, then we must strive to become more today than we were the day before. The greatest rewards are always reserved for those who bring great value to themselves and the world around them as a result of whom and what they have become.

Getting Paid for Your Passion, it’s not a bad thing.

There is no passion to be found playing small – in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living. ~ Nelson Mandela

In pursuit of your passion, is it worth risking everything? Only you can answer that; only you can put in the hard work, and only you can make it happen. Is it easy? No, it isn’t.

But nothing is harder than waking up every morning to go to a job that you hate.

I’m a huge football fan. Okay–I’m actually a tall football fan. Finally, my favorite team, the Seattle Seahawks, won their first Super Bowl in February, 2014! With the NFL draft recently completed, and training camp in full swing, I’ve been reading some of the articles and blogs questioning how the Seahawks can win another Super Bowl after having lost some key players. And I noticed a common theme among the responses.

Many fans are angered (or jealous) that athletes earn millions of dollars. They call them “whiny rich athletes”, or complain that they’re getting overpaid to play a child’s game. You often see a similar attitude expressed towards anyone who earns a LOT of money.

Why all the hate?

Is it easy to become an NFL player? No. In fact, it is phenomenally difficult. Do they all earn millions? Many do, but not all. And not only do they risk injury in practice and during games, they have a very short career, if they succeed at reaching the level they hope to.

Odds are not even

Children dream of becoming NFL players, even though it’s incredibly difficult to succeed at the professional level. Statistically, just about 215 out of 100,000 high school seniors who play football every year, will ever make it to an NFL roster. That is 0.2%! Does that justify getting paid a lot of money?  I’d say so, but let’s take it a step further.

Out of the 9,000 players that make it to the college level, only 310 are invited to the NFL scouting combine, which is the arena where NFL teams make decisions on who they’ll take on their team. So most athletes who dream of becoming NFL players and work towards it, simply won’t make it.

Let’s look at the pool of 3,500 players who could be chosen just to audition for an NFL team. In 2011, only 254 players got a chance to show their stuff. In other words, approximately 7% of the players that are eligible get drafted. Just 7% of the best players in the country make it to a tryout. Then, if they are drafted (chosen) they have to compete with every other player on the team to keep their spot. Those are some tough odds!

Who wants to be a millionaire?

It should be noted that, despite what most people think, not all NFL players are paid millions each year. As an example, in 2012 the minimum salary for rookies was $390,000. Earning close to half a million obviously doesn’t suck, but when you consider the work, the odds against sustaining success, and the risks involved, is it really sufficient pay?

At the age where the million dollar contract should kick in, many careers are over. That’s right: the average length of an NFL career is about three and a half seasons–not even four years! Although there are many players who have careers that last longer than the average, most only stay active for those few years. They’d better invest their money wisely, because what happens after that? They’re faced with the challenge of finding a new career, while they’re still in their early to mid twenties.

And what if they get injured? Their career can be over before it even starts. And the risk of a permanent disability is very possible, which makes pursuing any other career challenging, if not out of the question.

Those are the risks they take to do what they love, to pursue their passion. Although on the surface it might seem that all NFL athletes are millionaires, that isn’t the case.

They make approximately 1.2 million over the course of three years and they’re done. If you earn $30k per year for 40 years, you’ll have earned 1.2 million as well. Same pay, different way.

7-11

Hard work and  honing of skills are not enough to reach the elite status of an NFL player. Because there’s so much competition, a potential NFL player must excel in many categories on and off the field.

In addition to strength, speed, and agility, players must possess the ability to listen and follow direction, intelligence, concentration, and the discipline to stay out of trouble off the field. If you’re a football fan, you’ve seen this can be a real challenge for some players.

They have to work hard all year long, to reach their goal. In the off-season they have to stay in shape, and during the season they are locked in meeting rooms, at practice (in the heat), and are required to watch film of other teams. It’s nonstop work. And for this they have a short career that doesn’t always set them up well enough for the future.

Snow Job or Dream Job?

Let’s forget the average job many of us have chosen to accept, does your dream job have the same risks? If so, is it worth it? I’ll bet it is. If the risks and odds are less than what’s outlined above for an NFL player, then what are you waiting for? Even if there’s a high risk, that means the reward is even greater. Say hike and run with the ball!

Unless a man believes in himself and makes a total commitment to his career and puts everything he has into it – his mind, his body, his heart – what’s life worth to him? ~ Vince Lombardi

Rob Liano
Rock Star Success Coach & Sales Strategist
www.rockstarsalestraining.com
www.robliano.com
1.855.832.ROCK (7625)

© Rob Liano and Rock Star Success Coaching, 2014. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Rob Liano and Rock Star Success Coaching with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

How have you been? Can your answer be better?

This is worth a share, written by Chris Widener

What have you accomplished in the past year? Don’t like the answers? Wish you had better ones, more fulfilling ones? You can—just one year from now.

You have within yourself the power to decide that when someone asks you just one year from now, “What have you been up to?” you will respond, “Let me tell you—I’ve been on fire!”

You aren’t getting any younger, and neither am I. If nothing changes, next year you will be one year older and still stuck in the rut wondering when you will achieve your dreams. But you can change.

1. Decide what you want this year. 

What is it exactly? You will never pursue it, nor get it, if you do not know what “it” is. Crystallize it in your mind. See it. Know it.

2. Put some sort of physical reminder where you will see it every day.

Maybe you want to lose weight. Put a picture of someone who looks the way you want to, or perhaps a picture of yourself from when you weighed what you want to weigh again. This will keep it in your mind each and every day.

3. Increase your positive self-talk. 

Stop telling yourself negative things, and include thoughts, not just verbal talk. Start telling yourself positive things. “But Chris, those thoughts just run around in my head. I don’t put them there!” Well, catch them. Take them captive and throw them out. When you catch yourself thinking negative thoughts, stop and ask yourself what the exact opposite would be. Then begin to think it. Let the positive thought expand and take over the terrain of your mind the same way the negative thought would have before you ran it out of town.

4. Act. Yes, act. 

I don’t mean join a theater group. I mean get some action going in your life. Want to get out of debt? Ask the boss for five hours of overtime a week. Over a year that would be 250 hours (I give you two weeks for vacation. Aren’t I nice?). If you normally make $15 an hour, you will make $30 (or something like that—go with me here); $30 multiplied by 250 is $7,500. Your action will move you toward your goal. Worrying about money won’t. If you want to lose weight, go to the gym on a set schedule. Whatever you do, act. Just make the action something that will propel you toward your goal.

If you do the above, if you decide what you want, put a physical reminder of it where you will see it, increase your positive self-talk and take actions that will propel you toward your goals, you will ignite your life! And next year when someone asks how you have been, your eyes will light up and you will boldly say, “Man, I have been on fire! Let me tell you all about it.

 

Making Decisions Today That Will Lead to Success Tomorrow

by John Maxwell

We not only make decisions, we are made by them. Every one of us is where we are today as a result of the decisions we made yesterday. Decisions powerfully shape our lives, and the effects of a major decision can linger for years or can even last for a lifetime.

Of course, not all decisions are equal. A few major decisions, particularly those about our personal values, give direction to all of the other choices we make. Values put choices in context and simply our decision-making, making it more consistent. In fact, once you know a person well, you can usually figure out which choices they’re going to make based on what they value.

Every leader faces a specific context in which they must exercise judgment in making the right call. However, some decisions transcend our individual situations and are worth making regardless of our particular circumstances. They establish values that, in turn, inform a host of future choices that we will make.

Decisions with Lasting Value:

1) Personal Growth: Decide to Grow Every Day by Developing Your Strengths

Being intentional about personal growth is a wonderful habit to have. However, taking the time to study, practice, and gather advice only brings uneven growth and miniscule gains if it happens haphazardly. We always get the greatest return by focusing our effort to grow on those areas where our natural ability (what we do well) intersects with our natural affinity (what we love to do).

2) Partnership: Decide to Add Value to Others Before Expecting Value from Others

When you make a habit of helping others reach their goals, then they will eventually help you attain your own aims. Young leaders eagerly scout out the road to success, searching for the quickest way to climb the ladder to the top. More seasoned leaders spend their energy building ladders instead of scaling them. Instead of wondering, “how can I excel?” they ask: “how can I help others to win?” On life’s journey, you’ll always go faster alone, but you will inevitably go farther in partnership with others.

3) Leadership: Decide to Add Value to Leaders Who Will Multiply Your Value Through Others

As undemocratic as it sounds, the best leaders invest their time unequally, favoring those with greater leadership aptitude. Investing your energies into non-leaders is like pumping water into a reservoir; it pools up and is prevented from going anywhere else. However, pouring yourself into leaders is like channeling water into a river; what you add is carried onward and can provide nourishment several miles downstream.

Thoughts to Ponder:

What are your natural strengths and how are you growing them?
Who are you serving and how are you helping them to succeed?
Who are you equipping and with whom do they have influence?

Before you make a decision, ask yourself this question: will you regret the results or rejoice in them? ~ Rob Liano

Rob Liano
Rock Star Success Coach & Sales Strategist
www.rockstarsalestraining.com
www.robliano.com
1.855.832.ROCK (7625)

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