Give Up or Win!

You can give up or you can breakthrough! Choose wisely.

The difference between winning, change, or a continuation of the same. Don’t give up! Faith in all that you do will see you through the tough times when you want to give up. Giving up comes in the form of emotional pain.

I call it kicking your own ass! 

We are conditioned from a very young age to avoid pain. Our brain will have us run from pain. Here is an example of overcoming emotional torture.

Prayer, God, Spiritual

Marathon runners hit what they call the wall. This happens late in the race when your body is so fatigued your brain begins to say you need to stop NOW. Runners say they feel as though they are hurting their bodies beyond measure.

Yet studies have found this is all in mind. That if you can break through this process, on the other side, you complete the Marathon. Bodies are not injured, it’s simply fatigued that your brain registers as pain.

Humans can see themselves through tremendous emotional pain. You genuinely do not know what you can take until you try. More often than not, giving up too soon, when achievement is just one more step away. Success can take one action further than most are willing to do.

Yes, you will have to work through emotional pain to achieve real success in anything you set out to make. Moreover, this is worth your investment, time, and energy. Stop losing and learn to win. Achieve more than you dreamt of!

How you say?

Learning to recondition yourself, your auto-response to emotional pain. This takes time and your fullest attention. 

  1. Look at the state of your home or office. Is it cluttered? Is it clean? Clean is good, cluttered is bad will talk about that. The state of your mind runs congruent with the state of your account. East start, get your home and office in order! 
  2. Organize your life to win. In my book, we talk about activity vs. productivity. When you fully understand the difference, this is the secret sauce. For example, the action is social media, gabbing, etc. Productivity: net a result. Work on a project to completion in a set time. 
  3. Take care of Body, Mind & Soul. Eat healthy, walk, get in the sunshine. Take time to unplug from social media (most significant waste of your time) phones, get outside and leave the phone at home or in the car. Unplug! 
  4. Meditate and pray. During your meditation, see yourself as you would love to live. It’s not about fancy cars, mansions, it’s about being present in a moment. Success will come if you can actually be present in a moment. Giving full attention to the tasks at hand. See yourself and pray to God for wisdom. Not possessions. 
  5. Learn. Simple enough. Make time every day to broaden your mind. Watch videos, take a master class, attend night school. Do something that brings a better you to this world. 

Five quick things to get started.

None of this will make any difference if you don’t follow-through. This means set out reminders for 1 Year. Exercise, make time for an entire year to exercise. One hour per day for 365 days = 365 hours of training, education, family. It’s time to organize to win in life.

For the “I don’t have time, crowd.” Let me piss you off here and say YOU DON’T KNOW HOW TO MANAGE YOUR TIME, AND I CAN PROVE IT. I can also HELP!

Give me ONE day of honest assessment:

  • Track your day literally every 30 minutes make a note of what you have done in this space of time. Journal your day as close to the times as you can. 
  • Be HONEST (Goofed off, social media, personal stuff, bathroom breaks) Chronicle it all HONESTLY. 

Then with all the time, you’ve wasted doing junk. Add that number up and times it by your work weekdays.

I would challenge you to fill 1 hour with complete focus. NO phone, no email, nothing but real production. As you can begin to focus like this on daily tasks, complete one move on (oh, by the way, multi-taskers the 90’s called they want you to come home).

Laser-sharp focuses on the task at hand. Start and complete. It’s much harder than you might think to fill an entire hour with PRODUCTION.

Now you must begin to realize the enemy; your head will not want to let go of your goof-off time smoothly. You will start “this doesn’t work” “its too hard” will fill your head with crap. How bad do you want to win? Bad enough to not kick your own ass???

This is why we set out a year for changes in our life. You want lasting change? Do something that produces a result religiously for one hour per day for an entire year. This time next year, you will not know yourself as you do today. You will have achieved much, my dear friends.

Two of my books are great starts:

Organize your Life to Win

 

Christian book, Life Change, Organize

 

Tying it All Together

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I Can’t Gets A Divorce

Organize Your Life to Win

Breaking down parts of the book to help you achieve greater success in any aspect of your life. You can apply these principals to adjust the trajectory of your life right now.

In this article, we briefly touch on one thing you can do right now to bring about lasting change. One thing is an easy win!

Time to divorce “I can’t.” The “I can’t” syndrome will stifle all greatness in you. “I can’t do it:

  • I’m too old
  • I’m too poor
  • I’m too set in my ways.
  • I’m too busy

This list stops here. Otherwise, we continue excuse-after-excuse until we quit. Not this time, my friends.

You can I’m too yourself to NOTHING! Or you can realize you are never too old, too weak, also set in ways or too busy to change. Beliefs that have been indoctrinated into your head for years are strangling you to death.

Life, hope, happy

You can absolutely change if you want to, period. The problem most have is when it becomes emotionally painful, we wimp out and stop. Instead of fighting through screaming at the heavens, “I am winning this time!”

Gaining faith in our ability takes time. Successful people will tell you that the reason they win. They’re willing to take one more step farther than you, no matter the effort needed. They simply outwork you.

Organize your life to win, teaches you how to organize, so you win. If you do not hold yourself towards success, you will never have success. This is all part of getting “I can’t” out of our vernacular. Out of our heads forever.

Here are some actions you can take right now:

  1. Put up, visualizations, “I Can!”
  2. Meditate on I can vs. I can’t.
  3. Instead of looking at why you cannot, search for why you can do something you set your heart too.
  4. Key is to make a To-Do every day that works towards letting go of “I can’t.” The above is a great start.
  5. Keep going until this becomes second nature. Change does not happen overnight. Set out a minimum of six months of continuous focus.

Replace I can’t with I can! Stop overthinking and set the reminders now.

Learn to have faith in yourself. How do you get confidence in your own ability? Practice what I have suggested over-and-over again until it becomes natural to you. Nothing in this life is easy until you master the technique.

You don’t walk out on a golf course and shoot par first time out. It takes a lot of practice to master the game. Life is the same way. If you want to change something about yourself. Stop saying I can’t and begin to say I can. Have faith.

Faith takes practice because it will be tested. Your ability to work through these times will take  training. Do not get discouraged if things get tough. Only I can. This is your new mantra. When you think you cannot take a step further, take action.

Through determination, practice, and your will. Finding a new, you; is just around the corner.

Questions:

 

Resources vs. Resourcefulness

“Infuse your life with action. Don’t wait for it to happen. Make it happen. Make your future. Make your hope. Make your love. And whatever your beliefs, honor your creator, not by passively waiting for grace to come down from upon high, but by doing what you can to make grace happen… yourself, right now, right down here on Earth.”—Bradley Whitford

In my research, the one common denominator that stood out to me more than anything. Peoples fear a lack of resources. We don’t have the right equipment. I don’t have a proper education. We don’t have enough money.

All great excuses if you don’t want to win. Throw in the towel before you even get in the ring.

Let’s dispel a few things.

The definition of resourcefulness as it appears in the dictionary:

noun

the ability to find quick and smart ways to overcome difficulties.

“his films show remarkable technical resourcefulness.”

You are learning to become clever. If you say you can’t be clever, I am going to scream.

Yes, you can!

Let’s work a couple of scenarios:

You want to start a photography business. You have no gear or at least not too much.

  • Some of the gorgeous photographs taken with a smartphone. Apple®, for example, has photo contests for its products.
  • Have you seen how many commercials shot on the phone? YouTube®
  • Pentax® introduced a new point-n-shoot and shot all the national promotional commercials with it.
  • Rent gear. Several cool shops offer this service for any camera you can think of including Cinema cameras. I should know I rent equipment all the time.
  • Free editing software. I use an editor called Resolve®. It’s free and very robust. Even pay software is not that expensive to use.

With a little research, you can get smart enough to start your business. Besides, most great videographers prefer simple equipment. You don’t need a $50,000 camera to shoot incredible shots. It’s the eye, not the gear! The expensive gear will come, be great the gear companies will come to you!

How about relationships. Who says you can’t find the right person? Say your supper, shy. Social occasions, you freeze, cold sweats, and disaster.

  • In chapter one, we learned volunteers. Do something you are passionate about that helps people. My guess is you do something in your life that you do well, and the shy you fade away. Helping others is a great way to get out of your head.
  • Teach people something. You can go to the library and offer a class. Can you potty train a puppy, do you cook well, can you bowl, what can you do that you could teach someone else to do?
  • Read to kids at the library. Kids are funny and will keep you on your toes.

Find something that will help you strengthen yourself to have confidence. Then we go out and tackle the big fish. Use things you’re comfortable to do to help you develop.

Most people I meet that are shy are afraid of social interaction. Why? Because of a lack of being in that environment. I get there are clinical issues that can go beyond this simple process. What I am suggesting is if you’re comfortable, to try simple things like volunteering. It’s easy to exit these situations if needed.

The more we can put ourselves in situations that allow us to grow from our fear. The less likely we are to fail.

Resourcefulness is fun to challenge the mind to find solutions to the impossible. My favorite comeback when asked what I am doing at work; “I am making Ice Cream out of dog shit.” Talk about resourceful, forget about it.

However, let’s stop for a second. You would have to be resourceful to make ice cream out of dog poo. The extreme that I want to take you too. If we lack in resources, then we better learn to make this ice cream.

How pray-tell do we achieve this smelly task, you ask? Knowledge, read, research, we learn how. Did you know that Warren Buffet reads much of his day? Other veracious readers include Bill Gates and Mark Cuban. My thinking is if these guys gather this much knowledge, seeing what level of success they enjoy. Well, there is something to the power of education.

When we have a lack of resources, maybe gaining knowledge that shows us how to be resourceful to overcome an obstacle will serve us well. Even if we have the resources, would you not prefer to solve a problem vs. writing a check cleverly?

witty, clever, smart

Something I have learned along the way about having funding for a business. Of course, who would not want a million in the bank to begin a business? However, many who start a business with funding often fail. It makes you complacent. Take more risks in advertising, or we need this piece of equipment. When reality says no, you don’t.

Let me share something with you that I thought was one of the most profound statements ever. Robert Stephens, the founder of Geek Squad®, made this vague statement; “Advertising is the TAX you pay for being Unremarkable!”

What does advertising do it begs people to buy your stuff cheaper than anyone else? Have you ever seen a Cartier® commercial that says; THIS SATURDAY ONLY WE’RE BLOWING OUT ALL OUR ENGAGEMENT RINGS AT 50% OFF OUR LOWEST PRICE. Are you kidding me? Cartier® does not even open the store on Saturdays. If you can’t come during the week, you can’t afford to shop there. Moreover, they’re remarkable!

Think about that metaphorically. You could apply this statement for every aspect of your life.

 Are you remarkable?

  • Remarkable Human Being
  • Remarkable Spouse
  • Exceptional Parent
  • Outstanding health

This statement speaks to resourcefulness. People are much more impressed with cleverness than they are any amount of money.

I could hire a ghostwriter, or I can write my books myself. Writing requires me to be smart. If I can’t keep you engaged in the book, I won’t sell to many. Amid this, I still hold down and everyday Joe job that is a stepping stone to my new life.

Learning to become resourceful will help you gain a great many new skills when no choice exists but to do something or try something. As you journey into that abyss, you will retain more because your focus is more.

You can teach yourself to do just about anything. The question is how bad you want your dreams to come true. Are you willing to invest in your success? The question applies to any aspect of your life. A great deal of what I’m writing sounds like a business success story. This information is all-encompassing.

The only way you can ever expect to win is to have more knowledge than the other guy. Allow you the resourcefulness to amaze. When you can solve issues without having to buy your way out or in, my friend that is genius. Who would you do business with a talent or a dude that has a lot of money (keep in mind money comes and goes)? The genius has a higher long-term yield.

Apply this to a relationship. Who will win the girl? The clever man or the guy with money? The clever man will have to work much harder and do even more spectacular things to win a girl’s affection. A good woman is going to weigh out and respect more the guy who must come up with unique ways to make the girl feel special. Money might buy you a good time, may purchase good food, but a resourceful guy wins over the heart.

If people can see your ability to solve problems consistently, that will take you to the finish line every time! Money comes and goes. Intelligence if forever.

I go back to the photography business. It’s not the gear; it’s the photographer’s eye. You can see the subject in a way that inspires. You can give a $50,000 camera to someone that never guarantees a Pulitzer prize.  For that matter, a decent photo.

Being resourceful solving issues, seeing life in a way that you embrace challenge you don’t freeze because things get tough. Seeing the opportunity in all things is our minds destination. For years, I did not, and gave up. No more!

Today I am always looking at how to improve a bad situation. Looking to be resourceful helps me hone my skills.

This is a Chapter out of Tying it All Together. Link to Amazon

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Why Challenges are More Tempting than a Cinnabon

Yes, friends, I can hear you saying, “have you ever had a Cinnabon?” Of course, I have who hasn’t but and this is a big but, challenges mean HUGE change is coming!

“You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You can say to yourself, ‘I lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.”–Eleanor Roosevelt
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Challenges have to drug me through change that feels like rolling down a briar patch hill at full speed. Bruises, cuts, stickers and a BIG owe damnit. If you’re like me, sometimes we fight change because of old habits and paradigms we need to shed like a snakeskin.

hope, freedom, life

A Challenge, Quit or Win it’s your Choice!

When you learn to embrace challenges, life opens up in a whole new way. An easy analogy would be beginning a diet. At first, it’s a real challenge to put down a Soda, put down the ice cream bowl, put down a big juicy hamburger. It takes a reconditioning of our mindset to conquer this challenge. Willpower is tested to the nth degree.

Often we cave into temptation because of the pain of change at that moment is too high. Until we overcome that challenge to our will, we continue to struggle.

Here is how I overcome challenges that, in the beginning, maybe painful. Most change for a brief time is painful, just saying!

  • Resolve yourself to the fact that on the other side of this change, is that which you truly desire. Meditate on the end result daily, multiple times if needed.
  • Keep faith in your heart. Hope that you can do that which you desire.
  • Any discomfort is temporary. Change does not take the balance of your life to achieve. Really, you can’t take a month or two to make a notable lasting difference in your life? Come on!
  • No matter how dim it looks, how challenging it becomes never lose hope.
  • Make time every day to focus solely on the challenge and overcome fears that surround it.

Some will say easier said than done. Agreed!

If you don’t overcome fear, overcome pain, then nothing will change. You have to want it bad enough, the discomfort is temporary.

When challenge rears its head, you can be sure the enemy is behind this. The enemy does not want you to win. Don’t cave in! On the other side of this is the life God has for you. Nothing worth having comes without a price.

The price you pay when you successfully navigate to the other side of the challenge you will tell yourself, “I would have endured a thousand times more to have what I have achieved today.”

Giving up is a bad habit for a temporary problem. Make a choice with me today, that giving up or giving in is no longer an option in your life! God bless.

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Change to Live Today

Excuse me, hello, excuse me. Yes, you! Can you look this way, please? You’re looking at yesterday; I need you focused forward, thank you!

Are you looking to TODAY?

Today is all you have. Yesterday is gone and tomorrow is just that tomorrow. So what can you do to make today a good day? Plan for it. Have a project that has tasks that need doing today. Prepare the night before at least three things you know for sure you can accomplish in a day.

God, Prayer, Spiritual

Have small successes every day. Complete tasks that will help bring about big success. In whatever aspect of your life that needs help the most right now.

What happens is we tend to get to scattered out with all the things we need to fix. Like, relationships, job, ourselves, bills, and the list gets bigger. How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time! Apply that to your life, and you will achieve much, more.

This process has eluded me so many times in my own life. By appearance, just organizing aspects of our life for success seem simple. The real test is, are you doing it now? Will you stay consistent?

Here are some tasks to help you get started:

  1. Set daily reminders in your phone to alert you to jobs for that day. Tasks to complete for that day.
  2. Use apps like Google Tasks, Google Calendar, they’re free. I use them, and they help me a lot.
  3. Make time in the evening to plan out tasks (minimum 3) for the next day.
  4. DON’T PROCRASTINATE!
  5. Use a calendar to help your track deadlines. Also, a Project Management app is a great way to keep track of your progress.

Five quick things you can do today!

It’s your turn to win! Get started right now. Don’t think, just DO!!!

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