Your “Why” Or Your “Process”?

As promised, an update on my new ‘ Ready, Reset, Go’ focus.  If you didn’t read the first post, you may want some background so click to read it here.  As expected, some revelations have entered the forward planning for this epic adventure.

THE PROCESS

My good friend and amazingly talented psychologist Nancy Morris and I had a lengthy discussion regarding weight loss and fitness.  I believe that to succeed at something, you need to fall in love with the process.  If you plant a garden and hope to have an abundant crop, you need to get up every single day and be excited about all the watering, weeding, cultivating,  hard work. etc. that are necessary for your plants to flourish.  It is the ‘process’ that gets you to the goal, your ‘why’.

YOUR ‘WHY’

Nancy believes that ‘why you are doing this’ is of utmost importance.  She says that if you have a deep-seated, passionate reason for doing something, your brain will assist you in getting there.  I really can’t argue about that because I also believe that having a huge ‘why’ is vital to anything you decide to do, especially if you are effecting a major life change such as creating health, weight loss and fitness.  Losing weight and getting fit are not simple projects to accomplish.  The blood, sweat, toil and tears are real and being a long process, your ‘why’ needs to be rock solid.

MAYBE THE COMBO?

All of this to let you know that I needed to make adjustments to my process shortly after I began the health/fitness quest.  I had resolved in the initial stages of my planning to add 500 steps per day to my routine until I reached the recommended 10,000 steps per day.  This proved to be much more difficult than I actually imagined.  500 additional steps doesn’t seem like a lot, but when you’re used to being a couch potato and you haven’t exercised to any great extent in a very long time, going from 2,000 steps a day to 2,500 the next day is fairly simple.  Trying to get to 3,000 the next day is much more difficult. By the time I had reached 4,000 steps per day, getting to 4,500 the next day proved to be extremely challenging.  I still haven’t taken my eyes off the prize, so the ‘why’ is still solidly in place. But the process seems to have hit a plateau.  What to do?

IT’S OKAY TO CHANGE THE PROCESS

Realizing that if I didn’t make adjustments the mission could stall prompted me to re-evaluate and regenerate the process.  Apparently at this point in my metamorphosis, a step count increase of 500 per day was not terribly well thought out.  I had simply picked a number and flown with it.  So I  did some research, found that my initial process was flawed and changed the number to something more usually recommended by fitness gurus.  For the past two days I have again found myself in love with the process and the ‘why’ hasn’t changed.  I still know where I’m going.  It’s just going to take me a bit longer to get there.

NOT A FAILURE

“I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.”  That was Thomas Edison’s response when he was asked about the thousands of times he had not achieved his goal of creating a functional lightbulb.  I don’t see revamping the process as a failure.  I see it as a necessary change to the process to achieve my ‘why’.  Focus on the all-important ‘why’ and accept that it is okay to modify the process to achieve.  Focus on the destination but make sure you are loving the trip.  Sounds solid to to me.  Thanks, Nancy!

As you know, I end all blog posts with something to think about, but I suspect the quote from Edison above will serve that purpose today.

So It Begins…..

For most of my adult life I have been overweight.  Not always the same degree of overweight but always chubby enough to know I shouldn’t be.  At times it has passed the threshold of comfort and has certainly been a twisted off-ramp from the highway to good health.

RE-INVENTING ONESELF

Very recently, I made a conscious decision to get healthy and bring a much more acceptable level of fitness back into my life.  My brain tells me I’m in for a lot of work and some serious sacrifices.  I tell my brain that “I know that” and that it can’t scare me because I am already familiar with the concept of re-inventing oneself.  Seven years ago when I left the broadcast profession that had been my home for over thirty years, I needed something of value to do, something that would not only keep me busy but something that would provide an opportunity to help others .  So I built on my strengths and re-invented myself.  The key was to keep busy and although it took me almost a year to find activities and adventures that were a good fit, I did manage to write a book, start an internet radio station, create a speaking career and develop a very successful home business.

NINE POUNDS IN TEN DAYS

I began this journey back to health and fitness with a short term goal of making the simple commitment to get started. I also pledged to take action specifically by choosing a fixed time frame so I could test drive my resolve to make this happen .  I found a remarkable, premium product line that offers a ten day reset program which combines a well planned diet based on optimal nutrition and an activity program that is exactly what I needed (read that as exercise, etc. for people that are really, really out of shape).  Interestingly, I lost nine pounds during the ten days.  More importantly, I solidified in my mind something that I’ve known for years – Plan, Focus, Execute works.  If you’re interested in the products I’m using, don’t hesitate to message me.  Cost of the program is about $100.00 and we can absolutely do this together.

READY, RESET, GO

As I plan to document my trip down self-improvement lane with regular updates on this blog, I intend to keep all articles short and well focused on specific concepts.  I’m learning as I go and I’m hoping you’re interested enough to keep reading and perhaps contribute to the discussion with comments and suggestions.

Here’s where I am now:

Diet (Lost 10 pounds to date)

My food intake is now under control and I’m following an excellent eating plan that includes great menus, optimal nutritional supplements and enough wiggle-room in the process to keep me interested and engaged.

Exercise (Increasing steps by 500 per day. Now at 4000)

I began with the simplest and least expensive form of activity that I could.  Walking.  Yes, Walking.  But I’m walking with a purpose and a plan and an accountability partner who will not ease up on me no matter how much I whine.

Water (64 ounces a day)

Can anybody actually drink the amount of water that is recommended by most experts in the field?  Let’s keep this one in the ‘working on it’ category for now.  I’m up to 64 ounces a day and I’m still trying to figure out how to keep my eyes from drowning….

And your thought starter for the day:  “Exercise is done against one’s wishes and maintained only because the alternative is worse.”  (George A. Sheehan)

 

Philosophy From A Bear

I’m a football fan.  CFL, NFL and college games.  They’re all good.

Living where I do, I cheered proudly for the Red Blacks this season, but having been born and raised in the west I have to confess that if you cut me I still bleed Rider green.

I love football not only for the excitement of the game but for the many lessons that can be learned from the motivation, attitude and teamwork that must be in place to field a winning team.

There have been many life and success lessons learned from watching and reading what the great football coaches and players say and do. As I often mention during my workshops and coaching sessions, wisdom is everywhere. You just have to keep your spidey-senses up all the time.

Few examples better than this exist. I’m not sure who actually first wrote this but I’m going to give it to you as I heard it. The story centres on one of the greatest coaches in football history, Paul “Bear” Bryant. I’m pretty sure he didn’t write it. I’m not even sure if the story is true. But I like it and it’s my blog 🙂

By any standard, Paul Bryant was a superb strategist, motivator and coach. He is legendary, not only for his track record of success with the Crimson Tide but for his remarkable winning percentage and his longevity in the league. In the tough world of US College Football Bryant put up winners and contenders from 1958 until his passing in 1982. You read that correctly. Head Coach for 24 years. Remarkable.

All of which brings me to my point. Although the author of what follows is unclear, legend has it that it was found in Paul “Bear” Bryant’s wallet after his passing. Whether or not it was isn’t important. The message is.

THE MAGIC BANK ACCOUNT

Imagine that you had won the this lottery prize: Every morning your bank would deposit $86,400 
in a private account for your personal use.  Sounds amazing.

However, the prize has rules:

• Everything that you didn’t spend during the day would be taken away from you.
• You have no way to transfer the money into a different account.
• You must spend  it or lose it by the end of the day.
• Every morning the bank opens your account with another $86,400 for that day only.
• Most importantly, the bank can end the deposits without warning at any time. It can simply close the account and the prize disappears.

WHAT WOULD YOU DO?

Because you had to spend all the money today or lose it you would most likely buy anything and 
everything you wanted, not only for yourself but for everyone you love. You might even spend some of the money on people you don’t even know because it would be selfish to spend it all on yourself.

 Certainly, you would try to spend every penny because you knew it couldn’t be carried over until tomorrow.

ACTUALLY, THIS GAME IS REAL

Every one of us has already won this lottery. We just need to see it.

Each morning we awaken to receive 86,400 seconds 
to spend that day.
 When we go to sleep at 
night any remaining time we haven’t spent is not credited to tomorrow. What we haven’t used that day is forever lost.

Each morning, when we wake, the account is refilled, but the bank can dissolve your account at any time without warning.

SO, what will you do with your 86,400 seconds today?

Enjoy every second of your life! And remember to spend every single one.

As always, something to think about: “If anything goes bad, I did it. If anything goes semi-good, we did it. If anything goes really good, then you did it. That’s all it takes to get people to win football games for you.” (Paul “Bear” Bryant)

On Toxic Thought

I am an entrepreneur and I spend a great deal of my time mentoring others who want to be entrepreneurs.

I love what I do.  And like most things in life, I learn a great deal from my coaching students.

One of the greatest challenges to success is the self-doubt, second-guessing and downright toxic thought process that invades their minds.  Most people that want to be successful entrepreneurs have a clear vision of their goals.  Unfortunately, many are not really sure if they’re capable or worthy of leading the process.

You can’t succeed unless you believe you can.  Period.

We all have doubts about our own capabilities.  That’s not the issue.  The skill is to get past the doubts.  I don’t know of anyone that built a successful business while thinking “I’m not capable”.

John Rampton is an entrepreneur and blogger.  He created a list of ‘toxic’ thoughts and some great counsel on getting past them. I agree with him.  Totally.

John writes:

I’M GOING TO FAIL

You’re more likely to fail with that self-talk, certainly. Plus, you don’t really have statistics on your side since the numbers don’t lie: The vast majority of startups do fail. It’s how you see those challenges and take them on that make a difference.

You only have two options as a potential entrepreneur who knows the failure rates: Think you’re going to fail, or think you’ll be an exception. Choosing the latter is a much healthier option. However, should you fail (it happens), learning valuable lessons will make you much more likely to succeed next time.

Related: The Morning Rituals of 10 of the World’s Most Inspirational Entrepreneurs (Infographic)

I SUCK AS A LEADER

Nobody is a natural-born leader, but everyone has traits they can hone to make them a great leader. Remember there are many different types of good leaders, and you don’t need to mimic a particular style to find success. Of course, there are a lot of successful entrepreneurs who aren’t good leaders. That’s why they hire a CEO to take care of the overall leadership for them.

Entrepreneurs are jacks of all trades, masters of none (it’s kind of a requirement), so if leadership isn’t your thing, work on that weakness but also consider bringing on a stronger leader to fill the gaps.

I’M NOT A REAL ENTREPRENEUR

There’s no industry-wide degree, certification or licensing to become an entrepreneur. It’s not like saying “I’m not a real plumber.” The reality is that even the definition of an entrepreneur is up for debate. It’s not about fulfilling a certain number of criteria to “be” an entrepreneur. Don’t ask yourself if you’re really an entrepreneur or put yourself in charge of defining what it is. It’s not important. If you want to start a business, you’re on an entrepreneurial track. It’s time to step out of your shell and become the leader that you’re meant to be.

Related: Are You a Real Entrepreneur or Just a Fake?

I’M A HORRIBLE SALES PERSON

Join the club. It takes a very special kind of person to be a “natural” salesperson, but anyone can learn those skills. There are many ways to work on your sales skills, but remember that the ultimate goal isn’t to be the salesperson on the floor talking to every single customer. Right now, you need to “sell” yourself, your business and your goods/services to investors and your early customer base. There’s an end in sight, since ideally you’ll eventually hire sales teams. You can do anything for a while. Remember: It’s not only “salespeople” who can sell.

MY WORTH IS, WELL….

If you don’t think you’re “worth it,” why should anyone else? A lot of entrepreneurs don’t believe in themselves and devalue their worth, which sets them up for failure. Don’t focus on your “worth,” but instead work on your business drive. Being scrappy with a hustler attitude is what it’s going to take in the early days. Also, “worth” is very subjective, and not necessarily tied to a specific figure. There are plenty of other things to focus on at this point.

You’ll face plenty of negative talk on this journey, so why join in? Welcome support from all angles, especially yourself.

Related: 6 Toxic Beliefs That Can Ruin Your Career

Bottom line for me is that, like any other challenge in life, it’s up to you to push through, abandon your comfort zone and just go for it.  It’s absolutely worth it.

Closing as always with something to think about: “When things go wrong, don’t go with them.” (Elvis Presley)

On Searching For Scams

As most of my friends and readers know, I’ve been involved in the direct sales industry (network marketing) for many years.  I’ve always been very careful about companies that I partner with, because YES, there are some very bad deals out there.  But that DOESN’T mean that all home business opportunities are bad deals.  Far from it.

There are thousands of legitimate, profitable ‘work from home’ opportunities available if you do your homework first.  Most people get into network marketing because someone they know asked them to.  But this should be a business decision.  If you want to find out how to make an informed decision about a networking company, please refer to this article I wrote in November of 2009..

But to the point…..

I got a call from a friend today telling me that he was doing due diligence on a company with an incredible 10 year track record but he was going to decline.  When I asked him why, he responded that it was obviously a scam.  How did he find out it was a scam?  He googled the company name and the word scam.  Almost instantly 39,500 links showed up.  That’s a lot of links.

Here’s the problem.  Google is like the library.  Sometimes you have to find the right section and then look at dozens of shelves to find the book you are hunting.  Most people don’t do that with internet searches.  Google, although the most widely used, is just one of a large number of search engines.  And they are a resource that requires you to manage the information.

So here’s a short comparison.  Remember, my friend googled the company name and the word ‘scam’ and got 39,500 results.  Here’s some comparisons using the company name and the word ‘scam’:

My friend’s search:  39,500 results

Mark Kay:  367,000 results

Avon:  512,000 results

More unbelievable?

Petro Canada:  45,900 results (not a home business but apparently it’s a scam according to search engines)

Canadian Tire:  295,000 results (again, not a home business but also not legit according to search engines)

And if you search ‘Is Apple A Scam’ it returns almost 22 million links.

The point is, Google is a resource.  And like all resources it can be manipulated.  Just for giggles, search “where is Elvis today” and you’ll get about 35 million results answering your question.

Please, do your homework.  But please remember that an internet search is simply a starting point.  The business you’re reviewing may be a scam. Or it may be the opportunity of a lifetime.

And as always, something to think about:  “The greatest obstacle to discovery is not ignorance – it is the illusion of knowledge.” (Daniel J. Boorstin)