When you start down the road of growth towards your GREATNESS, it’s easy to think that things are going to get better and better. And they do, your life does get better, but it’s not a straight climb up to the peak of your potential. On an intellectual level, you can understand and agree with that statement and still you’re surprised when, after all your hard work and effort, there are valleys on the road to your peak.

You see there are seasons all around us besides just the weather. Economies, relationships, businesses, and even your health have seasons and it is wise to be mindful of them. You need to look no further back than this past recession to see just how many people were genuinely surprised and unprepared for the “winter” of the economy.

As I have stepped back and become aware of the seasons all around, I came across some tips for dealing with the seasons in a way that will help you progress quickly to your greatness. My favorite is the ...

How many times have you caught yourself saying, “l didn’t get to it today, I’ll do it tomorrow.”? A lot I’m willing to wager. If I’m not careful, I find myself doing it too. Why is this a big deal? Because when you put off what you could do today you’re making excuses, creating stress, and living a life less than you’re capable of and designed to live. That’s the danger of tomorrow.

The past is gone and nothing you think, do, or say can bring it back. All you can do is realize that the life you have today is a result of decisions you’ve made in the past. More importantly though, you need to know that your past doesn’t have anything to do with your future. If you don’t like your current circumstances and want to make tomorrow better, all you have to do is make different choices today. Wielding the power of choice and taking action NOW makes you feel more in control, and reduces stress because...

When you’re in the groove everything just seems to be going right. You feel great and you’re achieving great things. You’re on fire and loving life. If you’re not careful, you’ll end up turning that groove into a rut. You don’t want to be in a rut. This is where each day is filled with mind-numbing activities and the only goal you have is to make it to the end of the day or to the weekend. Where are you today? You in the groove or in a rut? Being the curious guy I am, I decided to dig into this and figure out what causes each and how to turn the rut back into a groove.

I discovered that when you’re in a rut you’re focused on the activities of the day. You’re focused on what you’re doing. The monotony of performing the same tasks every day has put you in a trance and you’re drifting. This is a sad state to be in because you’re allowing your present moment of disengagement to become your past.

When...

Have you ever been around someone that made you feel like the most important person in the whole world? Someone that you love to be around because your day is brighter because of them? If you step back and observe, you’ll find that you’re attracted to them like metal to a magnet. What you’re seeing isn’t magic, it’s a mindset and it’s a game changer for the those that can master it.

What they do is put the needs of others before their own needs. I know this sounds counterintuitive but hear me out. When you’re thinking of yourself first, everything you do is with the thought of what you can get. Your thoughts and sentences start with me or I. And then there’s the sense of fairness that comes with a self-serving attitude where you count everything you do for others and demand that you get at least as much in return. You do this in business and in relationships. I know what’s best for my customer, so they should do it. Or,...

For the first time since I started writing this blog, for the first time yesterday I realized there are two buttons at the top of the Add New Post window in the software I use to write this blog from my iPad, a Create button, and a Cancel button. I’ve used the Create button numerous times but just noticed the Cancel button yesterday. Every week I’ve made a choice to click on the Create button and share my thoughts and outlook with you. And then it struck me that this is how life is too.

Every day you get up you make a choice. You choose whether to click create and make your day or you click cancel and let your day be made for you. And as you combine these days, you end up with your life. Whether that life is a great life or a mediocre one is completely up to you. It’s your choice. You either drive ahead or drift around.

You’ve been given a gift that is unique to you that is meant to bless this world and make it a better place. You’ll never see your...

There are things you know you should be doing and yet you’re not doing them. There are things you need to do and yet you’re not doing them. Why? Because your brain tries to avoid what it perceives as a risk at all times to keep you safe. Your brain’s main function is survival. That’s why there’s a comfort zone. But do you want to survive or do you want to thrive?

There’s a great success law called the Law of Diminishing Intent which simply states that longer you put off something you should do now, the less likely you are going to do it at all. When you start thinking about what you want, should, or need to do, your brain kicks in and that little voice in your head tries to talk you out of doing it using fear, doubt, and procrastination as its weapons. This is your brain in pure survival mode which worked twenty thousand years ago when we lived in caves but not so much now. Survival mode will give you a life of mediocrity and just get...

Everyone procrastinates sometimes. The problem with procrastination is it causes you to take tasks that could’ve and should’ve been done yesterday and brings them into today. Over time, these tasks become baggage that you carry with you where ever you go in the form of stress and failure. I’ve found that procrastination is caused by one of two feelings, fear or dread.

Notice I said feelings. Your brain uses these feelings to keep you from getting outside your comfort zone or routine because your brain’s main purpose is survival and it likes to conserve energy which is why you have a comfort zone. You get up at the same time, get dressed the same way, eat the same thing, drive the same way to work, do the same thing you did yesterday, drive home, eat the same things for dinner, watch TV, and then go to bed about the same time each and every day. Your brain loves cruise control. Anytime you think of doing something new or different, within five seconds, your...

Everybody dreams about having more in their lives, and most wait for it to happen to them while some plan for it but are waiting for the perfect time to do the work to see their dream come to pass. Fewer still actually achieve their goals by using one simple secret to getting everything they want.

I see it time and time again where a person decides on a goal, makes a plan, and then waits for the perfect time to do the big work they need to do to realize their dream. An example of this issue is a shop owner that has a pile of payables sitting on his or her desk just waiting to be entered into their accounting software. Every day they look at that growing pile and beat themselves up about when they can set aside the time to get the bills all entered. All the while this looming task silently steals their joy and causes them to doubt themselves and their abilities.

The simple secret to achieving anything you set your heart and mind to is called “The Rule of 5.”...

This past weekend my grandson Brandon schooled me on the power of impact. I took Brandon camping for the first time. The Cub Scout Pack he belongs to planned this past Saturday as a day filled with sports, fun, friends, and fishing culminating with the last Pack meeting of the year and then a covered dish dinner. They also invited families to stay the night camping if they so desired. The weather report didn’t look promising and the thought of setting up a tent on a rainy Saturday with people I barely know held little pleasure for me. Brandon slept over our house Friday night and helped get the truck packed as my wife pushed me through this upcoming ordeal. Here I was silently dreading going and while Brandon’s excitement was evident, it wasn’t until we got in the truck and were driving to the campsite that he really opened up about how excited he was. 

Then it struck me. A story I’d read many moons ago about an old man searching for a photo of his wife...