One Step Forward, Two Steps Back by Rick White, President 180BIZ

I want to talk to you today about the concept of two steps forward, one step back. We've all heard that. And we say it from a perspective of negativity which concerns me. Two steps forward, one step back shouldn't be a surprise. They are lessons. When you're doing something new, this is where you get to learn. This is where you say, “Whoop. I didn't get what I wanted. It didn't go the way it should have.” That's why we have the one step back. You get two steps forward, one step back, and then two steps forward, one step back. That's the way life should be when we are in growth mode.

The problem I have is when it's one step forward, two steps back. Have you ever felt like that in your life before? I know I have.  That's when it's scary. And I'm going to tell you why that's happening.  It's happening because of (1) FALSE EXPECTATIONS. That's the first thing. False expectations are causing the...

Stay in GROW IT Mode by Rick White, President 180BIZ

I have been talking a lot lately about the states starting to open and how you are going to see incredible business. You’ll be booking three to four weeks out. I told you that was going to happen. But, I have also been saying that it's going to slowing down again. If you are one of the shops that hasn't slowed down yet, that's amazing. But there are some shops now that are starting to slow down.  Here lies the problem. Everyone is so focused on getting today done that they’re not thinking about the bigger picture. You must continually work on your business in two areas.

I've said this before, and it needs to be said again. You're either growing your business or you're doing your business. Most of us are very comfortable doing our business; we’re comfortable fixing the cars.  However, you must market your business.  Don’t think that you’re too busy. You need to market your business. You...

What are you doing each day? I think this is a great question that every manager, leader, and owner needs to ask themselves many times throughout their day. Why? Because it’s so easy to fall into the trap of getting the work of the day completed that you get stuck in doing it mode. Doing it is a focus on what’s happening right now, getting the work out, making it to the end of the day. This is a trap because doing business doesn’t grow business.

Are your sales down? Is your schedule full? What are you doing to prospect for new business? Not comfortable prospecting? What about marketing your business? How are you differentiating what you do from others? How about finding great help? Feel like they aren’t out there? The standard response to each of these issues is the same; you complain about customers not buying, being slow, being the same as everyone else, and about the lack of quality help. The problem isn’t any of these; the problem is you.

These...

The steps to success are really very simple. You need to know where you’re going, you have to know where you are, and you need to know how you’re going to get there. While some people get hung up on not being sure of where they want to go, that isn’t the major stumbling block. The issue most people have is their level of honesty they have with themselves regarding their current condition.

Let’s say you’re going on a trip to California (you know where you’re going), you tell yourself you’re in Michigan (where you are), and you come up with a map route that will get you there. Everything’s good, right? Wrong! Because you’re not really in Michigan, you’re in Massachusetts. Can you see how all your dreaming and planning are wasted because you’re not where you think you are?

What I’m talking about is called bias and each of us has this to some degree. Bias is a self-serving prejudice; it’s seeing...

You want more from your life and that is fantastic! You’ll never feel more alive and engaged in the moment than when you’re pushing yourself to grow. Lessons are a natural part of that growth and are there to help you BE more in order to HAVE more. The funny this is, no one is exempt from these lessons, especially those that are trying to just get by and fly under life’s radar. See, I believe that each and every one of us is put on this earth to travel a lifelong path of learning and enlightenment, helping those around us cope and grow along the way.

Life is awesome because it keeps teaching you the same lesson until you finally get it. When you learn that lesson and grow, there is another lesson on the other side of this one that helps you become more. I recently came across a wonderful concept on these lessons of life that I’d like to share and expound on a bit this morning. This concept is called, “The feather, the...

Blame is such an insidious word that has destroyed more dreams and relationships than I could possibly count.

Blame is all about finding fault. It’s placing responsibility externally for an event or situation in your life on someone or some circumstance.

Blame is destructive when it’s pointed inward because it beats you up, weakens your resolve, damages your confidence, and makes you feel bad.

Blame is avoiding responsibility, dooming you to repeat this savage cycle over and over again.

Blame is all about finding fault to protect your ego.

Blame is robbing you of the life you want to have.

Blame focuses on the problem and places the source of that problem externally. What this means is that for things to improve something over which you have NO control must change for things to get better.

Blame is a word and an action that you must remove from your life with surgical precision.

Blame is dead! Long live Blame! Take responsibility instead.

Responsibility...

If you’re starting your day feeling frustrated, nervous, or fearful, you’re not alone. Eighteen percent of the US population (40 million people) are affected by anxiety according to the Anxiety Disorders Association of America. If you ignore these feelings, they will undermine your confidence and weaken you to the point of paralyzing any forward movement you’d like to see in your life ultimately requiring professional help to overcome them.  The good news is you can kick these feelings to the curb while they’re small with three simple steps.

1. Stop staring at the problem! When you’re feeling frustrated, anxious, or fearful, it’s because you’re staring at the problem you have in your life. The thing you need to understand is that problems feed on attention. The more attention you give it, the bigger your problem gets. The secret to success when dealing with a problem is that every one of them comes with an opportunity hidden somewhere...