February 3, 2016 - Goals

Good day!

I am going to be writing a very short entry today. I had a migraine yesterday. I don't get them very often but yesterday marked the peak of one of the worst ones I have ever had. Not the worst, but definitely in the top five.

I'm not looking for sympathy at all. Sometimes my migraines are "self inflicted". I may have had red wine containing a lot of tannins, or eaten cured meat or something else. I was puzzled believing this was not self inflicted but I spent some time analyzing myself.

You see, I have put myself in a position for my brain to rebel against me. Self inflicted. I have been teaching so long that I should be used to January and February. I teach for 6 weeks and then I get paid. Self inflicted. I had some unexpected expenses late last year and ran through most of my savings. Self inflicted. Although I know I will have money coming in to me in a couple of weeks I have allowed myself to get upset. Self inflicted. I had a headache on Saturday as I was working with some material that gave me a small headache, I said to myself “I hope I am not getting a migraine.” Self inflicted.

I’m not saying that every little ailment I am exposed to or get is self inflicted and can be “talked out of” but I do believe I talked myself into this migraine.

So what do you care? I’ll tell you what I did yesterday.

I ate Tylenol and drank water and tried to sleep. Then last evening I knew I needed to organize today. I was starting to feel better and knew I had to be prepared for today.

I decided to listen to a presentation by Zig Ziglar. He was talking about making a life plan. Also a daily plan. Hmmm. He also said 95% of people DO NOT WRITE THEIR GOALS AND PLANS ON PAPER!!!!!!

I then spent about half an hour (that’s all!) writing the plans I have in my mind on paper. I reviewed my expenses and incoming monies. By the way incoming eclipsed outgoing. And wow. My pain was gone. I read a bit before going to sleep – I’m reading a bio on Abe Lincoln. And I slept like log.

This morning I was up and out the door with Bosley for our walk. Home now. I did my brain training. Put soup on for supper. I feel very well indeed.

I suppose my message today is simply this. There are no problems that are as large on paper as they are in your mind. If I had taken the time to map out my time, expenses, income, work and play, I would not have had that migraine.

So. If you feel stressed. Write out a plan. Start with writing out your goals. Then time line your goals. Map out everything else and I will guarantee you that the stresses you were feeling will fall away. They will fall away because there is nothing more powerful in your life than you. Let your mind be filled with positive thoughts and positive achievements will be seen by you.

Have a terrific day. Be well. Stay well.

Peace.

February 2, 2016 - Put Everything You've Got Into Everything You Do.

I had a great class yesterday. Absolutely terrific. This is easily the best first year class I have ever had. I try to start each class with a saying or thought or something like that to start a discussion.

That morning as I was eating breakfast I listened to Jim Rohn - a "new" one I had not yet heard. He used a line he had used before but with much better explanation. The line is "Put everything you've got into everything you do."

Now he followed it up with some very wise words. He said that if you find you can't put everything you've got into everything you do then perhaps you need to find something better to do. WOW. Sage words.

So I started class with two things. I started with Jim Rohn and when I read the first lines there were eyeballs rolling. You have to admit, those words are kind of gung ho. You know, give 110%, never say die and all of that. But when I told the class the rest of the phrase I could see light bulbs going off.

You see, many of my students are stuck in jobs or stuck at employers that do not have the same ideas as my students do. I try to give my students the psychological power to understand that THEY are in control of their own lives. 

We had a discussion about how sometimes you need to move on. I am coaching them to do the best they can where they are but sometimes, you just gotta do what you gotta do.

Then I laid this on them:

“If you don't have peace, it isn't because someone took it from you; you gave it away. You cannot always control what happens to you, but you can control what happens in you.” - John C. Maxwell

We talked about how there is no one that has control over your emotions except you. We talked about the importance of getting negative people out of your life. We also had a chat about how you are sometimes stuck with negative people and need to protect yourself against them.

All in all it was a terrific class. I really thought we connected well.

And then I got the email.

A student emailed me to thank me for everything I do to help them succeed in life. Made it all worthwhile.

February 1, 2016 - Make a Decision!

Good morning,

Interesting morning. I decided to get up early as I have a class that starts at 8:00 am. I’m usually up at 5:00 am but on the days I teach I have to leave around 6:00. That only gave me about an hour for grooming and getting ready.

My morning ritual includes going for a 2 km walk with Bosley, doing about 20 minutes of personal training and about 20 minutes of planning. I am listening to Jim Rohn. He is discussing the Diseases of Attitude.

So yesterday I went to bed early and set my alarm for 4:00 am. I’ve had my walk, had my yogurt (homemade) and am listening to some personal training. I teach three days a week so that equates to 60% of my week. I think I’ll try this schedule for the next 7 weeks for the duration of this semester…. Let’s see!

Two things from this morning I really got a lot from is “Put everything you’ve got into everything you do!” and the discussion on the “Disease of Indecision”.

It’s a very interesting thing. I wasn’t going to write this morning until I heard the “put everything you’ve got….”. One thing Jim said was if you aren’t putting everything into what you are doing it MAY be because that thing isn’t worth your time.

WOW. That made me stop and think. One excuse I was using NOT to write in my blog was that I didn’t have time but I would have time to watch a movie on Netflix, or read a mystery novel… Interesting.

So I am conducting a social experiment starting today. I am going to use reading “drivel” (I will not restrict reading for education or business) and things like Netflix as a reward at some point during the day. I’ll keep you posted. .

The last thought I have is the discussion on the Diseases of Indecision. Really that all ties into my getting up early. Indecision means making a bad choice or an easy choice. Here I am up and almost ready for the day. This time last week I was tearing around like a mad man trying to get ready. I ma in a good place now.

I read a book (several times) a while back. And I need to read it again. Called The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy. Awesome. Everyone gets something different from it but here is what I got. KEEP GOING. I know that one morning of getting up at 4:00 and this morning ritual won’t pay off fast. It will take a while before I see the positive effects. That matters not one iota to me.

You see, knowing it will take a LONG time makes it very easy to enjoy each day. Here is a tangible example. I am in huge short term debt. Massive. Am I worried. No. I am constructively concerned, but no where worried. Why? I have a plan. In about 18 months, I will have removed one of the debt monkeys from my back, never to allow it to climb aboard again. I see very little change in my statements but THERE IS A CHANGE. I’m on my way.

So when I look at these decisions I am making I don’t get depressed as I used to. I know that my walk and yogurts and berries will cause my belly to decline, my energy to climb and my health better. I do not expect to wake next week and have all of this done. Maybe next Christmastime.

So, do yourself a favour. Put everything you have got into everything you do. If you can’t find something you can. AND make a decision.

I saw a cute cartoon but it was very poignant. It was Snoopy and Woodstock on top of Snoopy’s doghouse. One says, “One day I am going to die.” And the other says, “Yes, but all of the other days you will not.”

Peace.

January 31, 2016 - PEACE

“If you don't have peace, it isn't because someone took it from you; you gave it away. You cannot always control what happens to you, but you can control what happens in you.” - John C. Maxwell

Good morning all,

I love this quote from John Maxwell. I got into network  marketing and discovered the path to personal development. I think I also realized – subconsciously – that I would not be successful until I became the man I wanted to be. Some people might think that sounds very weird but it is absolutely true. If you want to be a millionaire, act like a millionaire. Not spend like one – act like one.

I was driving to Ottawa once when I was listening to an interview Darren Hardy was conducting with John Maxwell. John said, “Everything rises and falls with leadership.” Once I heard that and discovered John Maxwell my life started to change a little more dramatically.

I was a very angry person. It wasn’t until I started this journey that I realized that everything was my doing. It wasn’t anyone else in my life that was MAKING me angry, I was allowing them the control to allow myself to become angry.

So what happens now? Honestly, if I am over tired or if I have had a couple of pints of beer, the control over my self direction wanes. I tend to react poorly in those times. I have to go through a very conscious effort not to CONTROL myself but to reason with myself. There is no reason to get angry.

Its funny this all came about this morning. Yesterday, my business partner – Todd – and I were working on a townhouse we are renovating. Todd kept dropping screws as we were trying to hang a door. He and I were chatting about how he can handle the big things but the screws dropping were driving him nuts. I understood.

What I have learned is I cannot control the things that happen to me. I can’t control gravity. I can’t control other people. I can’t control the weather. But what I do have 100% control over is myself. I can control my mind, how I HEAR and FEEL what is happening to me. I can control HOW I react to those things. Each and every day I try to do that. It works.

I guess what my real message is this morning has to do with a very positive word and one of my favourite words. PEACE. I am becoming, more and more each day at peace with myself. I am accepting myself with the understanding that I am working each day to IMPROVE myself. A leader in the company I am an IBO in – ACN – Larry Raskin says something along the lines that we are not human beings, we are human BECOMINGS!

So each day I am working very hard to BECOME a better man. I was doing great for a while. I didn’t go backward but I coasted. And when you coast you lose momentum, you lose speed, you lose motivation.  I started back up about a week ago. I already feel like a million bucks!

One last thought along these lines before I finish up. Try to treat each and every person you come in contact with as if they are the most important person in the universe. Why should you do that? Well, to them, as Earl Nightingale says, they ARE the most important person in the universe. When you make other people feel good the Universe conspires in your favour and all of a “sudden”, you will feel the same way you are trying to make others feel.

Happy trails!

January 29, 2016 - Re-re-re dedication LOL

Wow. It has been a l o n g time since I have written. I’ll tell you why I have re-started this….

I try to follow a routine. I get up early, around 5 am and go for a walk with the hoond, Bosley. It is a great way to start the day. While Bosley is outside relieving himself, I am drinking 500 ml of water with a splash of lemon juice. He comes in and we are out the door. We go at a very brisk pace and go about 2 km.

We get home, I feed Boss and then I listen to something from Success Magazine. I have an odd brain and can listen and read at the same time (I am listening to an interview as I am writing this) so I read articles while I am listening.

After that, I work on my day. Planning, preparing, etc.

I am following Robin Sharma’s 20-20-20 plan.

Anyhoo, that is just about me. When I started this blog I told myself I would only talk about myself if it is an example to others, either something not so good I have done or something good.

I listened to an interview with Darren Hardy this morning. He was interviewing Scott Ginsberg who is called the “Name Tag Guy”. It is an awesome interview about connecting with people. About how to connect with human beings.

One of the valuable things he talked about is blogging. The whole interview was based on how to connect with other people. I want to connect with anyone who reads this blog. I am also going to assume no one will read this blog. Really, I think I am writing to the future me – sort of a diary but more of a plan.

So, here I am headed out to work. I need to get going go I have to draw this to a close. My vow to me is to blog at least 4 times a week.

Have a terrific day no matter where you are reading this from, who you are or when it is.

Matt

October 4, 2015 - Learning is a Change in Behaviour

Good morning,

"Learning is a change in behaviour not just a change in knowledge and attitude." - Ken Blanchard

What a concept. I have been teaching for over 25 years and although I knew this I didn't realize it. It is so true. I remember when I'd come home from class and be all pumped up. I'd have a huge change in attitude and obviously knowledge but my behviour, my habits were the same.

So here I am building my business…

I have a huge change in knowledge. Every morning I am up at 4:45 and do a few things including facilitating a change in knowledge. I usually end up with a huge change in attitude as well. After listening to Darren Hardy interview some thought leader I have a change in attitude and a change in knowledge, both to the positive.

What I have not had is a change in behaviour. I always have gone back to my old ways. I need to change my behaviour, my habits….

Denis Waitley says you cannot get rid of habits, you can only replace them. I have some bad habits. I have been focused on tension relieving rather than goal achieving.

The past week has been one of change in me. I am focused on achieving my goals – business and personal. I am using my schedule to drive my day – so I am not wandering back and forth between things that make me feel good in the short term.

What am I doing different specifically? Here are today’s goals

• Close the pool
• Make 10 positive business contacts
• Organize the “back corner” of the basement

What am I going to do in order to make this happen?

• Schedule my time today Sidebar: I go through a three step program every morning. 20 minute walk, 20 minutes of personal development and blogging, 20 minutes of reviewing goals and planning. I am in the second portion, about to migrate to planning and reviewing. Robin Sharma calls it the 20-20-20 formula of the 5:00 am club
• WRITE IT DOWN
• MAINTAIN my schedule
• AVOID all distractions, Netflix, etc.
• Schedule fun

Well, my 20 minutes is up. I am committed to building my business. I cannot build my business unless I change myself. Every day and in every way I am getting better.

By the way, I told you I’d keep you posted on my progress on studying myself and planning where I need to improve. It is a lot more time consuming than I thought. I’m scheduling some time tonight to finish off the grading and planning.

Have a wonderful day.

Matt