Just Another Day Of Playing Goalie

“Most people get through days with a false sense of accomplishment.  They do a great job of playing goalie, handing tasks, and juggling duties at a furious pace.  At the end of the day, however, are they really better off?  Have they invested in the long-term health of their bodies through physical activity and proper nutrition?  Have they gone on the offensive, guided by core values, and worked toward personal goals that will bring about lasting change?  Or have they merely endured another day of making a living?”

Read that quote again… does it sound anything like you?

Are you a goalie in the game of your life?  Does this sound like what you do every day – deflecting the tasks you have to do in an attempt to not get too overwhelmed by everything you have to accomplish?  Are you just trying to make it through another day, week, month or year?

Are you thinking to yourself, “I want to be here in five years, I want to move forward and I want to take the next step” but there’s just so much shit going on it’s not possible?  Do you feel that by the end of the day you’ve spent so much time deflecting the shots of life that you never had a chance to do the things that will guarantee your success in the future and guarantee you will be able to progress forward both personally and professionally?

If you said yes to any of these questions, you’ve got to stop.  You need to take a step back and figure out a new game plan.  Eventually, playing goalie will wear you out.  Unfortunately, in the game of life there are no substitutes.  You either perform or you drive yourself into the ground until you’re body shuts down – then it’s game over.  You need to start thinking about your life in terms of long-term sustainability.

So where do you begin?

You can really start anywhere.  You could start by just fixing one thing at a time for the better.  But if you have no ideas, here are some questions you can start asking yourself to build a foundation.

1. How do you define success?  Is success working 18-hour days 6 days a week and never taking a vacation but having millions of dollars and a poor excuse for a human body?  Maybe.  Or is success having just enough to live on but having a lot of free time to spend with your friends and family?  Maybe.  The great thing is that there’s no right answer.  Just define success for yourself.  It doesn’t matter what others think success is, it only matters what you think.

2. Is what you’re doing now getting you closer to or farther away from your definition of success?

3. As you move forward towards success what are the guiding core values that you will base all your decisions upon?  These are important.  These are the things that will tell you when it’s right to do something or wrong to do something.  They will help direct you on the right path when you are faced with a tough decision or when you are going through a difficult time.

4. What is one actionable step you can take today to stop playing goalie and start taking shots?

If you’re in a position where you realize you need to do something to stir up some change in your life, take some alone time today to sit in a quiet place and really think about these questions.  Once you are free from distractions you will be better equipped to focus and find some real answers.  Don’t be afraid to evaluate your life, recognize what you could be doing better and adjust your sails to put yourself on a better path.  This is an ongoing process that you should be doing every so often.  It is easy to get caught spinning your own wheels so recognize this, accept it and then fix it.  You will then be well on your way to trading those goalie pads in so you can join the offensive attack.

Happy Wednesday!

(Chad)

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How Are Your Relationships?

In any relationship, it’s important to be a good listener as well as a good communicator.  Open, honest communication is the best foundation for any relationship, but remember that at the end of the day it’s not what you say or do, but how you make people feel that matters the most.

In order for someone to feel good about a relationship, they must know that the other person truly cares about them, both personally and professionally.

You have the power to create long-term, meaningful relationships but you also have the power to not do anything.  The first question to ask yourself is what is the basis for all of your success in life?  Answer will inevitably have to do with relationships – customer relationships, coworker relationships, business partner relationships, relationships with your friends and family, and so on.

So…

How are your relationships with your customers or clients?

How are your relationships with your coworkers?

How are your relationships with your friends?

How is your relationship with your family?

Some, or all, of these relationships might already be great.  Some of them might be crap – or at least not what you would like them to be.  The thing to realize is that relationships never reach a point of goodness where you can just sit back and ride the wave of the good relationship out.  They are ever evolving.  They are in constant push and pull.  They require constant work.  They require constant energy, time and focus.

What are you doing to make your relationships better?

This isn’t hard.  It could be as simple as an email, text or phone call.  Maybe you email a customer of yours to see how they’re doing and ask if there’s anything that you could do to make their business run smoother.  Maybe you take five minutes out of your day to talk to a coworker and ask them how their family is doing.  Maybe you send your friends or family an email letting them know that without them you are nothing.

Remember that you will unlikely be able to have great relationships with everyone.  Realize that and accept it for what it is.  You must first make sure that the most important relationship in your life is at the forefront of your focus – that is, the relationship you have with yourself.  From there, you will build out to those around you that you wish to have the best relationships with.  Be willing to be open and honest with those people.  And remember, at the end of the day they will likely forget most of what you’ve said, but they will never forget how you make them feel.

Happy Wednesday!

(Chad)

What Kind Of Shoe Salesman Are You?

Two shoe salesmen from competing companies were assigned by their firms to sell shoes in the middle of the jungle in Africa.

The first shoe salesman boarded the plane and headed into his new territory unsure what to expect, but hopeful that this venture would be a success. His plane safely arrived in Africa and the shoe salesman immediately began his assessment of his new wide open market. It was less then an hour later that he quickly phoned back to his headquarters and requested the first flight out and back to the States, explaining to his boss “This a waste of time. I can’t sell anything here! Nobody even wears shoes here!”

The second shoe salesman hopped on the plane anxious to see what awaited him in Africa. He expected a challenge but was optimistic about this new opportunity. After a safe landing the shoe salesman grabbed his bags and quickly became thrilled at what he observed. The shoe salesman quickly dialed up his headquarters and demanded to speak to his boss, he said “I can’t believe what I’m seeing, send me an assortment of ten thousand pairs of shoes immediately! Nobody even wears shoes here!”

It’s all about attitude and mindset!

What kind of shoe salesman are you?

(Chad)

Strive To Be The Best

“I strive to be the best at what I love to do. This statement is as much an affirmation as it is a philosophical expression. Striving to be my best means I never quite achieve it, and I am always trying to do better. In essence, it says that so long as I am alive, I will be a student.”

Wow!

Are you still a student?

If not, what is stopping you from continuing to learn?

Are you the best at what you do?

If not, what is stopping you?

Could it be because you stopped learning?  Stopped challenging yourself?  Stopped having the drive to improve and to be better tomorrow than you are today?

If this sounds like you then you have to break the cycle and reverse the inertia.  You need conscious and deliberate effort to accomplish this.  Here’s how you can start taking deliberate action: go to Amazon or Barnes & Nobles or Overstock or whatever site you shop for books and pick up a book that will help you become a better speaker, a better cook, a better coach, a better writer, a better parent or a better person.  It doesn’t matter what it is, just make it something you think you could improve about yourself – something that will make you a better you.

When this book arrives give yourself one week to read it.  Then take one thing you learn from reading this book and put it into immediate action.  For example, let’s say you got a book to become a better speaker.  Well, then you have to take one thing you learned about speaking and put it into action by giving a speech or presentation.

The satisfaction you will get from seeing yourself improve will be priceless. And yes, it’s that easy.  So do it!  You will soon realize that the negative inertia that’s stopping you from being your best will disappear.

Happy Wednesday!

(Chad)

Never Give Up!

“Sir Winston Churchill took three years getting through eighth grade because he had trouble learning English. It seems ironic that years later Oxford University asked him to address its commencement exercises.

He arrived with his usual props. A cigar, a cane and a top hat accompanied Churchill wherever he went. As Churchill approached the podium, the crowd rose in appreciative applause. With unmatched dignity, he settled the crowd and stood confident before his admirers. Removing the cigar and carefully placing the top hat on the podium, Churchill gazed at his waiting audience. Authority rang in Churchill’s voice as he shouted, ‘Never give up!’

Several seconds passed before he rose to his toes and repeated: ‘Never give up!’  His words thundered in their ears. There was a deafening silence as Churchill reached for his hat and cigar, steadied himself with his cane and left the platform. His commencement address was finished.”

So there you go… when everyone else throws in the towel because it seems hopeless, you will keep fighting… you will NOT give up… and in the end, this is what will make all the difference.

Happy Wednesday!

(Chad)