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10 AWESOME IDEAS FOR BEING AN AWESOME PERSON.

You can’t make other people awesome if you’re not committed to the same for yourself. The way people learn how to be awesome is by watching you do it first.

They see you achieving greatness in spite of the obstacles that are in your way. They notice how you practice kindness to those who don’t deserve it. How you work hard and stay optimistic in spite of tough times and impossible obstacles.

They learn how to think and act based on what they see you do.

“THE MOST IMPORTANT THING YOU CAN BE DOING RIGHT NOW IS TO LIVE A LIFE THAT’S INTENTIONALLY AWESOME.”

It doesn’t need to include luxury or fame, awards, promotion, or grandeur. There are however, a few things it should include.

Here are a few awesome ideas for being an awesome person:

  1. Love the things you love even if others think your passion is stupid. Pay attention to the people who you admire for doing extraordinary things. They do that by being a little bit weird. Try it.
  2. Try new things — even when they are scary and new. You don’t know what you like or dislike and you won’t know what you are good at until you try everything you get access to. Don’t limit yourself.
  3. Stop taking criticism so darn personally. Here is the hard truth — your toughest critics are the ones who have the greatest potential to show you the path to being awesome because they don’t hold back. Listen.
  4. Embrace failure. View it as an opportunity to “figure it out.” Success isn’t a test you take or a race you run. It is a process. A series of experiments as you work to figure it out. So stop giving up. Just work.
  5. Keep your vices under control. Drink a beer. Or Don’t. Whatever you do, don’t let vices like drugs, porn, or alcohol slow you down in your pursuit of achieving progress. Avoid anything that gets in your way.
  6. Give people a chance — and then a second chance. Stop judging people and situations so quickly. You might think that you can tell if a person is going to be cool. But maybe you just need to be friendly.
  7. Ignore the advice of people who “don’t get it.” Your parents were right at one time — but they might not have current advice. The same is true with that certification or diploma. Find out for yourself.
  8. Be a helpful person. Stop thinking only about yourself. Everyone is going through something. You can be valuable to the world when you reach out and give time and attention to people who need it most.
  9. Never stop learning. Get a degree. Or don’t. Whatever you do, keep adding new voices and new ideas to what you consume each day. Make it a habit to learn and grow. Keep an open mind. Then fill it.
  10. Don’t wait for a better time to get started on being awesome. Tomorrow isn’t guaranteed. Today is a gift. Treat it that way. Quit stalling and just jump into the mix. Go for what you want and encourage others to do the same.

Be the type of person who would want others to be.

Don’t expect people to copy you — or even notice you at first. But they will. And when they do, you need to be able to explain your rules for achieving awesomeness.

“THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WHO YOU ARE RIGHT NOW AND WHO YOU WANT TO BE IS WHAT YOU DO.”

Share with them this list. Encourage them to own it. To make it better.

Keep pushing limits. Never settle. Be awesome.

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52 INSPIRING QUOTES TO KEEP YOU MOTIVATED WHEN YOU FEEL LIKE YOU CAN’T GO ON.

Make no mistake — the battle to achieve success is rough.

You’ll be battered and bruised by the journey. And that’s on a good day.

When you are feeling down, it’s easy to fool yourself into believing that the success you want for yourself isn’t worth it.

Here’s the truth.

You don’t need a sudden rush of motivation.

What you really need is a new perspective. A fresh look at your situation.

“WHEN YOU CHANGE HOW YOU LOOK AT THINGS, THOSE THINGS CHANGE.”

Here are 50+ perspectives to help you find the inner strength to keep going when you feel like you can’t.

Find one that works for you. Write it down. Put it on your wallet. Tape it to your mirror — or on your steering wheel. Say it out loud until it’s burned into your brain.

Whatever you do, don’t wallow in your fear and failure. Own a new perspective

  1. When you feel like quitting, do it tomorrow.
  2. The difference between who you are right now and who you want to be is what you do.
  3. Most people aren’t awesome because what you have to do to be awesome isn’t awesome.
  4. If you aren’t willing to sacrifice for what you want, what you want becomes the sacrifice.
  5. You don’t have to be perfect to be awesome.
  6. Just because they’re loud doesn’t mean they’re right.
  7. Inspiration is the one thing you lose just after you stop looking for it.
  8. Nothing works if you don’t work.
  9. You either make progress or make excuses.
  10. If you want something you’ve never had before, you must do something you’ve never done before.
  11. Tough goals take tough people. Be tough.
  12. The opposite of success isn’t failure. It’s apathy.
  13. What you have to endure builds excellence.
  14. What you believe you become.
  15. Creativity is messy.
  16. How you do anything is how you do everything.
  17. Success is intentional. You make it happen. Or you don’t.
  18. What you learn determines how quickly you grow.
  19. Belief does not negate sweat
  20. Hard work is smart work.
  21. Success is a mindset long before it is something that other people can see.
  22. The difference between success and failure is usually just an excuse you are making right now.
  23. Nothing you ever do will ever outperform the quality of your beliefs.
  24. You can’t be great without being grateful.
  25. Now is the best time to fix the rest of your life.
  26. Don’t believe yourself. Believe in yourself.
  27. A shortcut is really a dead end in disguise.
  28. It’s not really a dream if you’re sure you can achieve it.
  29. Half measures only achieve full regret.
  30. Everything happens for a reason. Sometimes that reason is that you make bad choices.
  31. If you don’t know what matters, what you’re doing probably doesn’t.
  32. Productivity is a process. Not a moment in time.
  33. Avoid negative people at all costs. They will cost you everything.
  34. Fear is the fiction you feel.
  35. You’re never too busy to not do the right thing.
  36. Awesome is a choice.
  37. If you will, it will.
  38. Practice is the performance.
  39. You gotta want it before you get it.
  40. People who talk behind your back are behind you for a reason.
  41. It’s not supposed to get easier. You’re supposed to get stronger.
  42. There is no substitute for hard work.
  43. Success isn’t about the resources you have, but how resourceful you are.
  44. You don’t have problems. You have opportunities for greatness.
  45. You can’t pretend like you have it all figured out, and actually figure it out.
  46. What you believe, you become.
  47. Your thoughts become things.
  48. Belief is a drug.
  49. You can’t change people who don’t think they need to.
  50. Fear is a feeling. Not a fact.
  51. Work hard at working smart.
  52. Happiness is a habit.
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7 EASY WAYS TO GET CLEAR ON WHAT YOU REALLY BELIEVE.

In any discussion about beliefs, people stand on one of two sides — the “I don’t have it” side and the infectious “I got all of it” side.

The truth is that without infectious belief, you will have a hard time convincing anyone to see things your way. You will struggle to accomplish the massive success you want for yourself.

On the other hand, belief makes anything possible.

“YOUR INFECTIOUS BELIEF IS LIKE A CHILD’S LAUGHTER. EVERYONE FEELS BETTER BEING AROUND YOU.”

People want to hear you talk about what you believe in. They can feel the excitement radiating from you. They want to be close to you just because you make them feel good. You challenge them. 

That’s the side of belief you want to stand on — the infectious side. 

Here’s the problem — you probably don’t really know what you believe. Most people don’t.

And you can’t be infectious about your beliefs if you, yourself, aren’t sure what it is you actually believe in.

Whether you are trying to sort it out — personally, religiously, or professionally — there are few ways you can work on figuring out what it is you believe in. 

1. Ask Yourself

Despite how independent you think you are, you are conditioned to believe what you have been told by your parents, by the church, by the news — by other people in general. Over time, you really do start to believe everything you hear.

Look inside and ask yourself of all the ideas and ideals that have been instilled in you, which are the ones you will not change your mind about? Dig deep. Ask yourself hard questions about your past results and current behavior.

Are you where you want to be? Has your behavior been helping or hurting people? What do you actually stand for? Examine your top three beliefs and adjust accordingly. 

2. Look at Your Past Behavior

The way you act and the things you do when people are not around reflect your true beliefs.

It’s easy to be driven when other people are watching you or cheering you on. It’s another thing to be resilient when the crowd is silent. The same thing is true about honesty and every other area of personal integrity.

When you look back at your past results it’s easy to see the dotted lines connecting your beliefs to your behaviors and to your results. It’s there. Hidden right in sight.

At a very basic level, you will do what you believe you should do. So that’s a good indicator of your beliefs.

3. What You Do When Things Go Bad.

The way you react to a horrible situation, especially when you under extreme pressure, will clearly show you what you really believe in. Who you really are.

Think about the last time you were in a situation where your circumstances were spinning horribly out of control. What was your temperament and feelings? What was your go-to strategy in that moment?

Did you whine and point fingers, get angry and give up, ask for help, double down on your mission, or do a little bit of all of that?

“TOUGH TIMES ARE WHAT DEFINE YOU.”

They show you quite clearly what you believe. About yourself. Your capabilities. Your self-worth. And how the world should work around you.

4. Look At The People You Surround Yourself With.

The company you keep says everything about you and your beliefs.

Inspired people surround themselves with inspired friends. It’s impossible to stay motivated when everyone around you is negative about where they are in life right now.

The same is true about your beliefs about continuously learning, reading books, bringing smart mentors into your life, inspiring others with your behavior, competing hard but fairly, and thousands of others important aspects of living a successful life.

If you’re embarrassed about your friends, then maybe that says something to you about your beliefs. It should.

You will eventually be just like them — beliefs and all.

5. Listen To The Excuses You Make. 

What are the explanations you tell yourself in a given situation?

What are your explanations for what happens around you? Are you an “everything will work out person?” Or are you a “why does this always happen to me” type of person?

Do you hear these words coming out of your mouth?

  • I’m too old to get started on something new.
  • I’m not talented enough to do something awesome.
  • I’m not smart enough to figure this out.
  • I’m not the type of person who is successful.
  • I’m not educated enough to know what to do.
  • I’ll get started on that later — maybe tomorrow.

The words you say reflect your beliefs and predict your future.

“IF YOU BELIEVE THINGS WILL WORK OUT, THEY USUALLY DO. IF YOU BELIEVE BAD THINGS ALWAYS HAPPEN, THEY  USUALLY DO.”

Figure out which system of belief you have adopted and adjust your mindset to grow in a positive direction.

6. What You Feel When You Feel. 

How do you feel when you have feelings? Fear? Anger? Jealousy? Gratitude? Satisfaction? How do you feel?

Think about all the issues that plague your thoughts and keep you up at night. Do you avoid talking about them during the day because you don’t want to cause conflict?  

What you feel when you have feelings is a good indicator of your beliefs. It’s OK to be scared. It’s natural to doubt yourself. But those shouldn’t be your primary feelings.

They should come and go as quickly as possible.

Are you afraid of what people may think? Do you back down when you get scared or when people tell you that “that will never work”?

Those thoughts define your beliefs. Take what you believe and foster it. 

7. Take This Quiz.

If you aren’t avsolutely sure what you believe, take this rapid-fire quiz. You never really know how you feel until you have to make a snap judgment or answer a series of quick questions.

This quiz will give you a better idea of what you believe in. 

TAKE THE EDGY BELIEFS QUIZ


The great thing about beliefs and the great thing about being human is that you are always changing and growing. You have the opportunity to get better. If you don’t know what you believe in, use the suggestions above to work on it.

If you aren’t happy with the things you’ve been told you should believe in, choose something different. You have the option to change your mind, change your thoughts, and change your behaviors. 

Once you’ve developed your infectious beliefs, you will be ready to change the world. 

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11 INSPIRING VIDEOS TO GET YOUR MOMENTUM BACK ON TRACK.

You wish you had some momentum. You get discouraged. Things seem to be falling apart. They aren’t working out the way you had planned.

You want to call and vent to someone. You want some encouragement. But nobody is answering the phone. Nobody is texting back. 

We’ve all been there. Sometimes you just need someone to give you a tidbit of encouragement. 

If today is that day, you’ve come to the right place. 

If you’re feeling stressed and like you are lacking momentum, take a few minutes to watch the videos below. Or just put in some earbuds and listen because these 11 videos will help you build momentum and inspire you to change your thinking. 

1. Don’t Quit

In this four minute video, you will be encouraged to do anything. Even one small step in the direction of your dreams gets your momentum going. So take one small step to get to the big milestone. 

2. Life Goes On

You have this moment to start. It’s not that you won’t have other moments. But for right now, this is the only one you have and you won’t get this exact moment ever again. 

3. No One Cares

You sign a contract with yourself about what you will or what you won’t do for success. And the truth is, no one cares what you’ve promised yourself. You are the one who has to hold yourself accountable. You have to be the one who cares about what happens. 

4. Rise and Shine

What voice are you listening to? The one that gets up and gets it done? Or the one that tells you that it can wait? Do you take the easy way? What choice are you going to make? 

5. Do it Today

Why do you keep waiting for tomorrow to start? Because you have your whole life to get there? Are you making excuses to not start today? The moment is now. You may not get tomorrow. 

6. The Mission

Sometimes things work out exactly as planned. And other times, things fall apart. All the way apart. Sometimes you have to walk your own path. It may be a lonely path, but it’s one all your own. Commit to being OK with that. 

7. Learn to Fly

You have to take your reality and make it exactly what you want it to be. You have to learn to walk before you run. But once you learn to run, what’s stopping you from flying? 

8. Clarity is key

We need to keep moving forward. How much of what you did today helped you create a better tomorrow? You need to know what your goal is and how you are going to get there. You need clarity. 

9. The Struggle

There is no magic pill to success. You need to have the hustle. You need to have the dedication. You have to learn the hard lessons. 

10. Refuse to Fail

Failure is always a possibility. But sometimes, we fail because of ourselves. It’s not because of chance. It’s because of a decision we made. It’s time to refuse to fail. 

11. Do the Hard Things

To be successful, you have to do the hard things. Stop playing it safe. Invest in yourself. Be accountable. Easy to say, hard to do. But moving towards where you want to be is not supposed to be easy. 

Words of encouragement aren’t meant to be listened to once. They are to be repeated.

Beaten in your brain. Make a playlist. Save the ones you enjoyed the most. Listen to something encouraging daily. It’s too easy to get lost in our own negative mindset.

Find the positivity. Press Play. Repeat. 

Whatever it takes to get your momentum back on track.

Got an awesome video I didn’t include? Share it in our Facebook group.

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5 INSPIRING LIFE LESSONS YOU LEARN FROM THE PHYSICS OF MOMENTUM.

It was Isaac Newton who first identified the physics of momentum.

He proposed that any object which is moving has momentum — and that the amount of the momentum (p) possessed by the moving object is the product of mass (m) and velocity (v). In equation form:

In scientific terms, the formula is simply this: p = m*v. The amount of momentum is determined by the mass of the object multiplied by its speed.

To dig even deeper, Newton demonstrated that momentum has both speed and direction. 

“YOUR MOMENTUM IS DETERMINED BY THE SIZE OF YOUR HEART AND THE SPEED OF YOUR DAILY ACTIVITY.”

For example, if you were to throw a 2.5-pound model airplane off the top of a small cliff in a southeast direction at 4 miles-per-hour, the plane would have a momentum of 2.5 pounds times 4 miles per hour due southeast measured with reference to the ground.

With a calculator, you can predict exactly where the plane will land — without any wind. You can also predict in real time how the wind will impact the direction and speed of the model airplane. 

It’s science. Math. Raw physics.

You can run your calculations in a dozen different ways and you will always end up with the same thing. Momentum is a result of mass times velocity. 

That never changes. Here is what also never changes — if you increase your speed, you get more momentum.

If you increase your speed by 300% (with the mass held constant), you will increase your momentum by 300%. It’s directly proportional.

It doesn’t matter whether you understand or agree with it, the formula remains true. It works every time, the exact same way. Absolutely predictable.

And it’s not just true for science.

The same math works for your life goals.

The lessons are endless, but a few powerful examples come to mind immediately

  1. If you need to break through bigger obstacles, you’ll need to increase the size of your mass — like your team, your friends, or your bank account — or gain more speed — like working faster. 
  2. There is always someone trying to sell you a shortcut. But it is the ageless strategies that work best. The science of progress is about the basics — not parlor tricks. So play the long game and do the right thing.
  3. Problems only become a problem when they hit you harder than you are willing to hit back. It’s on you to push back, get back up, and keep fighting. When you stay down, the problems win.
  4. What goes around comes around. If you are slow to go, and stop and start and stop again, basic goals will be impossible to achieve. The harder you push, the more likely you are to keep making progress.
  5. Slow and steady progress is better than starting new activities that you’ll just stop working on a few days from now. Take the time to know where you want to be and why you want to get there.

You won’t get to where you want to be without obstacles.

Life isn’t going to treat you fair.

Success requires that you achieve progress religiously. Relentlessly. On days when you feel like it and on days when you don’t even feel like getting out of bed,

Your speed matters. Your mass matters. Your will to win matters. 

Momentum isn’t about quick wins. It’s about moving towards where you want to be. Each day. With each decision that you make.

It’s science. It’s destiny. It’s your life.

So go get some.

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11 WAYS TO MEASURE YOUR MOMENTUM WHEN IT MATTERS THAT YOU ACHIEVE YOUR GOAL..

The single greatest metric that is not being measured right now is momentum. It seems like an intangible. But it doesn’t have to. 

Some people say Momentum = Product x Motivation. 

Although I don’t have a provable formula, I say that sales is a telling indicator of your momentum. At least, your business momentum.

The last thing that happens once you’ve achieved optimal momentum is that someone buys your product, right? 

What do you do to get the sale?

Momentum is what you do to sell that thing. You have to build momentum and maintain momentum. Once you’ve done that, you have to be able to have some way to measure it, right? 

Trying to figure out if you have momentum in your business or if you need to build more or maintain what you already have isn’t as easy as figuring out your profit margin. 

But it’s not as difficult as you might think. Sometimes you just have to look below the surface to figure out if you are on the right track. 

Here are a few ways you can measure momentum. 

  1. How do you feel? — Are your fears in check? Is your anxiety in check? Do you feel like you have things under control or do you feel like you are lost at sea surrounded by sharks? If you are feeling confident about your business and the plan you have in place, then you are on the right track. 
  2. How do other people feel about you? — Do you have an internet presence? Is there a buzz around your name? If you aren’t sure how the community you serve views you, then ask them. Create a poll. Have a customer appreciation night. Call them. Reach out in some way to get the answers you need. 
  3. Look at your recent results. — You’ve got the data. Look at the results you are interpreting. Look at the micro-results. Do you see forward motion? Even if it seems like you’re moving in slow motion, growth is growth. 
  4. You hear other people using your lingo — Have you created a word or phrase that is tailored to your brand? Do you often hear other people throwing it around as if it’s commonplace and a regular part of their vocabulary? That means you are ingrained in their lives. You are making an impact. You are not only changing the way people live, you are changing the way they speak. That’s measurable. 
  5. Your community will be growing — You don’t have to have a million followers or friends on facebook, but if you are adding one (real) person to your community every single day, you are steadily growing. If each special event you have is bringing in more people than the last, you are steadily growing. That is how momentum is measured. 
  6. Measure your own stimuli — It’s great to give other people things to think about, but what are you doing to fuel your own success? Are you reading new books? Are you going to networking events? Are you watching motivational videos? What are you doing to help spread your own wings and give you new tools to use in your business? 
  7. Are you doing your 1-3-5? — Are you doing one big thing, three medium sized things, or five small things each day that matter? The key to being productive and keeping the momentum going is to always be doing things that matter in the long run. Keep in mind you don’t add those numbers up and overwhelm yourself with nine things you can’t get done, you pick from the list: Do one big thing that matters or Do three medium tasks that matter or Do five small tasks that matter… And repeat that every single day. 
  8. Where is the excitement? — Is there excitement buzzing all around you? Are you getting emails asking you when your next big promo is or telling you how much they enjoyed your last facebook video? Always keep excitement buzzing around you, your brand, and your product. 
  9. You are noticing micro-Improvements — What small changes and breakthroughs are you creating that make a difference? You don’t have to go all out and stress yourself about buying that million dollar equipment. Start small. Work your way up. Rome wasn’t built in a day and your business isn’t going to be either. 
  10. Your sense of fulfillment and personal mission is highlighted and accentuated — Have you ever seen a picture or a video of someone who radiates happiness and you know it’s genuine because they are doing the mission they set out to do and they just look fulfilled? Strive to be that person. Make sure everything you are doing in life is accentuating all your positives and highlighting the person you truly aim to be. 
  11. The right people are coming into your life — When you are doing what you are supposed to be doing, you will notice more people around you who you NEED to be around. You will be surrounded by people who are on the same mission as you. People who encourage you. People who know the struggles and can relate. People who want to see you succeed. Look around. Who are surrounding you? 

You see, there are plenty of ways to measure the momentum you have gained or the momentum you need to be working on. 

It’s not always transparent and as palpable as a math equation, but there are still ways to figure it out. 

And momentum matters. This is your future. Your destiny. 

Based your momentum measurements how close are you to getting to where you want to be?

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8 QUESTIONS TO ASK YOURSELF WHEN YOU’RE NOT SURE WHAT TO DO.

Doing the right thing isn’t always easy. In fact, it’s not always easy to know what “doing the right the right thing” actually is.

It’s painful to realize that your past actions have come back to threaten your current momentum. It’s hard to watch everything you have worked for melt away under the consequences of poor past deeds.

So there needs to be a way for you to check, in the moment, the quality of your decision.

To gauge the possibility that what you are deciding right now might come back to hurt you in the future.

Here are a few helpful questions to help you protect your future momentum:

  1. Would I be embarrassed if other people were to know that I was making this decision?
  2. What advice would I give someone else if they were in my position?
  3. Is this a legitimate step towards getting closer to where I want to be or am I chasing a shortcut?
  4. When I look back at this decision, how will I feel?
  5. What else haven’t I considered that might help me make a better decision?
  6. Am I making this decision based on fear?
  7. Why am I really doing this?
  8. Can I deal with the consequences that will come from making this decision, this way?

There are no easy answers. Or easy questions. But these tough, discerning questions will save you heartache and disappointment.

They will protect your future momentum. Your destiny. That future you want so desperately for yourself. 

Take time now to think about where you want to be. And what you are willing to get there.

Are you willing to ask yourself hard questions? 

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11 WAYS TO MAINTAIN MOMENTUM WHEN YOU ARE DOING SOMETHING THAT MATTERS.

It’s no secret that you need momentum in order to accomplish your goals. Especially your business goals.

Once you’ve built the momentum in your business it is important that you maintain that momentum at all costs. 

That doesn’t mean you just keep doing what you’re doing. It means you keep doing what you’re doing better and you make small positive changes that will keep you growing.

Getting better. Being better. 

The last thing you want is to lose that momentum and find yourself a “has been” of history. Lost. depressed. Confused. And sharing the war stories of what you did — not what you are going to do.

Here are a few ideas to help you maintain the momentum you’ve built. 

  1. Eliminate negative people from your life — The same way you are making an effort to surround yourself with positive people is the same way you have to be prepared to cut negative people out of your life. Because they will sap your momentum and they will sap your energy. If you feel bad for cutting people off completely, just tell them you’ve “been busy.” And then stay busy. The negative people will eventually find someone else to project their negativity onto. 
  2. Keep doing things that matter — If you’ve picked something that matters to you and you run out of things to do for that “cause,” find another one. There are plenty of places and people and ways you can help. Don’t just stop when you’ve done your “good deed” for the day. Keep doing things that matter. And you will always have momentum. 
  3. Be focused on people not on profit — If you spend your time trying to help people, profit will follow. Sure you can get rich if you are just worried about the money, but people will know that about you. Make sure when people mention your name they are following it up with a positive statement and not a negative one.  Be the person you wish you had when you were starting out. And hire the people you want representing your product or service. 
  4. Stick with your original process, but improve it incrementally — If you have a process that seems to be working, even the smallest “improvement” can throw your team off. Especially if a new process comes along every week. Humans are creatures of habit. That doesn’t mean you can never change. It just means, make necessary changes slowly. 
  5. Who do you know? — You’ve told one person about your business. They’ve told a person or two. Now it’s time to get even more personal. Start asking people who they know that would benefit from using a product or service you have. Let them give you three names and numbers. Then give those people a call. Those people are more likely to receive you warmly because you have a common friend. 
  6. Ask how you can help — It’s really annoying to people when they see you in their social media feed always trying to get them to buy something from you but never trying to help them. Start asking how you can help or offer to help solve a problem that you know they are having. A little effort goes a long way in all relationships — especially in business. 
  7. Over-Communicate — If you are doing something big, make sure to tell everyone. Tell your mom, tell your best friend. Pay for the Facebook Ad. Even if you think it’s corny or a waste of your money. Shout it from the proverbial rooftops. The lack of perceived momentum will slow you down. What’s the point of making progress if no one knows?
  8. Add people to your life who have already done what you want to accomplish — You follow them on Facebook. You run into them in the community. People who are in the business of doing what you do are not the enemy or the competition. They are and should be your allies. Make a point to connect with them. Invite them to lunch. Invite them to speak at your next networking event. Share your thoughts and get theirs. 
  9. Push yourself in areas that are not core to your goal — You need a creative outlet. Find a hobby. Remind yourself of the things you like to do and then go do them. It doesn’t matter if it’s skating, baking, painting, brewing beer. Just do something.  In those moments away, you learn to value where you are and getting away will give you the push and energy you need to keep going. 
  10. Watch your diet and make sure you’re sleeping. — Although this one is a given, most people tend to ignore it. You have to treat your body right if you want to perform at an optimal level. You can’t live on coffee and chocolate no matter how delicious it sounds. You have to have a balance of real food and real sleep.  Eat right. Go to bed at a decent hour. You know how much sleep your body needs to function. 
  11. Work up a sweat (a.k.a. “Exercise”) — Another often overlooked idea is getting physical. Momentum is physical. If you can’t physically keep up with the demands of your job, your momentum will be noticeably lacking. Exercise keeps you sharp mentally and physically. Even if it’s just a 30 minute walk a day. Or parking in the furthest spot from the door. Or having sex. You don’t have to start training for a marathon today. Just take some baby steps to improve your physical health. Plus exercise has been known to spark creativity. You may find your next big idea on the treadmill. 

Without trying to sound negative, let’s be clear about momentum.

“YOU DON’T HAVE FOREVER TO GRAB YOUR DREAMS. YOU HAVE TODAY. YOU HAVE TODAY TO BUILD MOMENTUM. YOU HAVE TODAY TO KEEP IT GOING. YOU HAVE TODAY TO WORK ON SOMETHING AMAZING.”

Tomorrow isn’t guaranteed. 

So always be doing something today to improve your business. To improve your life. 

What do you need to be doing right now to maintain your momentum? 

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11 WAYS TO BUILD MOMENTUM IN LAUNCHING YOUR NEW BUSINESS IDEA.

It’s easy to talk about momentum when you are running a race — or even training for one. It’s not as easy to talk about it when it comes to business. Especially when you are trying to launch a new business idea.

Momentum is important for any successful business idea. But it’s also a bit mysterious. 

It can be really difficult to figure out if you have enough momentum. Or if you need more to sustain and grow your business.  

But it’s not a losing battle. 

Building momentum doesn’t need to be a mystery. 

If you are questioning whether you have enough momentum right now, the answer is probably “no.” And that’s OK.

All businesses, have their ups and downs. The key is not let the downs keep you down for long. 

Here are a few ways you can build momentum, get unstuck, and start moving towards where you want to be:

  1. Have a plan — It’s great to have a go-with-the-flow attitude, but that usually only works when vacationing. You can’t just “go with it” if you want your business to thrive. You have to decide where you want to go. You have to figure out how you are going to get there. Write down your plan and then follow it. Otherwise, you may find yourself on a permanent vacation. 
  2. Have a process — The same way you have a plan on paper (or on your computer), you need to have a process for running your business. You have to figure out what works and when something isn’t working, you have to fix it. You wouldn’t run a marathon without training. And you can’t run a business without a process. 
  3. Use smart tools — You’ve heard the phrase, “work smarter, not harder.” It’s well-known verbiage for a reason. You don’t want to kill yourself trying to keep your business afloat. Especially when there are so many tools available right now to help you scale and automate your business. There is someone in the business of making your job look easy — with an app. Utilize their tools so you can focus on a job well done. 
  4. Start by telling one person — You don’t need to start out with a billboard in Times Square. All you need to do is tell one person. If you have a product, service, or business that stands out, they will shout it from the rooftops for you. They will tell their friends who will, in turn, tell theirs and it will go on and on until you have steady business just from word of mouth. Be proud of what you do and tell someone about it. 
  5. Do one thing each day that matters — It’s tempting to only do it for the money. After all, money makes the world go round, right? But making the world a little better every day keeps the world going round. You don’t have to give away 90% of your profits to charity. But do give your time to help someone out or to make a difference in your community, if you can. And if you don’t have time, then, by all means, spend some of that cash you’re earning. It will come back to you tenfold. 
  6. Eliminate or schedule distractions — It’s unrealistic to believe that you can get through a whole day without distractions. You can, however, start paying attention to the times you get distracted and the things that are distracting you. If you can schedule those things into your day, you will have an easier time dealing with distractions and you will be able to focus on the task at hand instead of running around like a distracted puppy at a tennis match all day. 
  7. Focus on one key thing that matters — What is your mission? What is the one thing you do well? What is the one thing that matters? You may have to ponder this for a bit or maybe it is exactly what you founded your business on. Whatever your “thing” is, you need to give it all of your focus. And if you don’t have a “thing,” you need to find one. If you know what you are working for, it’s easier to build momentum. 
  8. Do something that has meaning for you, not somebody else — You will never be happy living someone else’s dream. If you are in the “family business” because it was expected of you and you are miserable, you will have a terrible time mustering up the energy to give a flying-you-know-what about building momentum. Or your business in general. Make sure what you are doing has meaning for you or you will lose yourself in the daily grind. 
  9. Surround yourself with positive people — You need to have a circle of friends, co-workers, mentors, etc. who lift you up and cheer for you. You will not get very far with people who are happy when you feel lost. You need encouragers in your life and people who always look on the bright side. And don’t forget to be that person to someone else. 
  10. Find alternatives to the problems you face right now — There are going to be problems that arise that you aren’t going to be able to fix or that you aren’t going to be able to look at objectively. It’s OK to ask for help from people with a different perspective. Look at things from every angle before making a decision. And don’t take the problem (or the solution) personally. This is about your business, not about you. 
  11. Pay for help — There is always going to be someone who has been where you are or is exactly where you want to be. If you’re lucky, they will offer their services and you can get them to teach you. Get a mentor. Find a coach who inspires you. Use their resources. Pay for their classes or workshops. Or for one on one help.  Seek out those people and get the help. 

“MOMENTUM IS ONE THING YOU LOSE JUST AFTER YOU STOP WORKING TOWARDS IT.”

Don’t wait until your business idea is old and forgotten to start building momentum. Start today. Right now. 

Do one thing that matters. You’ll already be on your way to building the momentum you need to do one more thing. And more thing after that.

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11 WAYS TO ADD MORE VALUE TO YOUR SALES STRATEGY.

You’re doing great. Your business is steady. You are doing all the “things” you’ve read about in the business magazines and learned about on all the webinars you tirelessly sit through. 

But you want more than steady. You want to be moving forward. You want to be killing it. 

You want to add even more value. 

What can you do to super size the already awesome thing you have going on? 

“YOU CAN’T MAKE A LOT MORE MONEY WITHOUT DELIVERING A LOT MORE VALUE.”

Here are a few ways you can add more value to your clients and your business. 

  1. Do Two Things, Give One Away – When selling a product or service, try to bundle it in such a way that the client pays for two items or services and you throw in the third for free. As a bonus. People love free stuff. You don’t have to break the bank to add more value, just up your game a bit.  Make people feel special by giving them more than they expect. 
  2. Pay More Attention to Your Clients – Your clients are the reason you make any money at all. Make sure they know that you appreciate them. You are aware that they are imperative to your success, and always stay abreast of their changing needs. Take time to have a phone conversation that doesn’t always end in you trying to sell them something else. 
  3. Have a Process Driven Experience – Make the process of working with you an experience that is focused on outrageous amounts of value. Seamless ordering. Stellar customer service. User friendly online apps. You never want the process to be exhausting. That will make you the “go to person” when people want a fast and easy process. 
  4. Polish Any Bad Habits or Procedures – You want the best possible review on any given social media site. The way to get five stars all the time is to make sure there is nothing to complain about. When you have a complaint, address it head on. If the same problems keep arising, fix them. It’s OK to admit when something needs work. 
  5. Eliminate the Busy Work – Legal language and extended contracts are just two of the many reasons people quickly look elsewhere to do their business. The process of working with you should be more like a barefoot walk on the beach and less like a walk over hot coals. Make it enjoyable. Peaceful, even, if possible. Get rid of anything stressful. Immediately.
  6. Be Adequately Staffed – You never want people sitting around on hold or having to wait for a call back because you don’t have enough people to meet customer service demands. It’s bad enough when you have to call or go online for help. It’s even worse when you can’t get help in a timely manner because everybody is busy helping other customers. 
  7. Develop Your Team – You want to surround yourself with people who know what they are talking about. Whether it is sales, marketing, IT support, or general customer service — you want emotionally intelligent people servicing your clients. If it’s not your face in the forefront, it should be the face of someone who represents you. And does it well. 
  8. Overdeliver. And Then Deliver More – I cannot stress this enough. You should always be over-delivering. Whether linking your business to an informative blog where you give away information or inviting your clients to a free webinar where you give away some of your trade secrets — do the things people don’t expect you to do and do them often.  
  9. Handle It – Customers want to know that you’ve got it handled. They want to have peace of mind in what you are delivering. And they want to have faith that you are giving them exactly what you said you were going to give them. And when something falls through the cracks, handle it. Personally. That’s how you add more value. 
  10. Give Them What They Need – People WANT a lot of things, but they don’t necessarily NEED them. You can sell people what they want all day long, but how often does someone say, “you don’t really have to spend your money on that, you don’t need it”? Raise your standards and your value by informing people of what they actually need to succeed. 
  11. Become a Craftsman – It’s not wise to always be dealing with skin-deep, transactional stuff. You need to change the way you do business by becoming an expert and delivering irreplaceable value. It’s great to know a little bit about a lot of things, but it is so much better to be an expert in one specific craft. 

There will always be something new and something better and something more you can do to create revenue. Do those things for your customer.

“DELIVERING MASSIVE AMOUNTS OF MORE VALUE WILL KEEP YOUR CUSTOMERS COMING BACK TO YOU OVER AND OVER AGAIN.”

Doing more is what will keep your name coming up over and over again when someone asks them, “Hey, who do you know who does…?” 

Make delivering more value your obsession.

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10 WAYS TO BE A BETTER VALUE TO YOUR CUSTOMERS.

There is one undeniable truth about value that we all have to admit. 

“YOU CAN’T GIVE VALUE WHEN YOU HAVE NO VALUE.”

Let that sink in for a minute. You can’t give value when you have no value.

It’s like trying to fill up a glass with an empty carafe. Value works the same way.

You have to be a person who is full of so much value that it just overflows out of you unintentionally. 

To do that, you have to come up with better ways to add value. 

If you aren’t sure how to create better value when you feel you’re falling short, here are a few ideas: 

  1. Use behavior to customize the experience — You have to know your customer base to customize their experience. You should be aware if you need to mobilize your website because all of your clients are on the go. You should know if your clients prefer a text over a phone call. Find out and then do that thing that sets you apart. 
  2. Provide a discount — If you want to get people to do something they don’t normally do, try offering them incentives. You may want to provide a discount for clients ordering in bulk or using cash instead of a card. If you want your customers to prepay for 3 months of services in advance, you can give them a discount for that too. In the long run, a small discount will give you repeat customers and a loyal base. 
  3. Deliver. Deliver. Deliver. Deliver. Deliver… — I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. If you can get your product to your customer’s doorstep, do that! And if you can do it in a ridiculously short time span, that’s even better. People are getting in the habit of clicking and having someone knock at their door in five minutes. Look at Uber Eats. You don’t even have to leave your house to get your favorite fast food now. Regardless of how you feel about fast food, the idea is pure genius.
  4. Simplify the process — Nobody wants to answer a thousand questions before checking out. Most of the time they don’t even want to put their credit card number in again. If you have a customer that orders the same thing every month, try something like saving using their email address to pull up their credit card info and last order to auto deliver it to them. No hassle. 
  5. Constantly improve what’s working best for you — They say “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” But if it’s already working great, why not make it better? Find ways that make people want to use your service or product. If you have a restaurant in the middle of a busy shopping area and you always have a wait on the weekend, why not let people streamline their reservations online? Or use their phone number to send them a text alert when their table is ready? You won’t have a bunch of hungry customers waiting around if they know they won’t lose their place in line to go window shop for a while. 
  6. Hire new perspectives — If you surround yourself with the same “type” of person, you will continuously get the same result. It’s a lot like dating. If you want something different, you have to try something different. Try hiring people who don’t come from the same background as you. Hire people with different life experiences. Hire people from different industries. Hire people with an array of education. And it wouldn’t hurt to hire people who love what they do. 
  7. Focus ridiculously on your niche — You don’t need to be all things to all people. The more specialized you become, the more valuable you become because you have an all-consuming skill set. Of course, it’s great to know a little about a lot of things, but it’s valuable to know a lot about one specific topic. Don’t sell your customer’s short by trying to sell them a little of everything. 
  8. Help people improve their personal lives — Yes, you are in business to make money. But if you can genuinely improve people’s lives while doing business, you become quite an asset. Does your product or service help people find themselves? Does it feed their soul? Does it make them a better person? Does it make them FEEL like a better person? You should be able to answer yes to at least one of those questions. 
  9. Obsessively deliver surprise and delight — It is your job to intentionally infuse surprise and delight into every interaction. Give them what they order and then give them a little more. That is how you get repeat business. You’ve probably heard me mention my ‘Box of Awesome’ a time or two. That’s my personal idea of surprise and delight — a box, delivered to your door, with some awesome EDGY loot. Find your own way to add that “Wow!” factor to all you do, whether it’s a handmade card, a thoughtful gift or a personal phone call.  Just do something more. 
  10. Do more at a lower price point — If you can find a way to give more while costing less than your competition, do that. People are willing to pay more for an item they want and an item they believe in, if you can charge them less for what they are looking for while implementing the above ideas, you will gain yourself a customer for life. 

By the way, when thinking about value and how to offer it, it doesn’t matter if you come up with the best idea in the world if your delivery is bad.

“BAD BUSINESS EXECUTION NEGATES EVERYTHING CREATIVE AND GOOD YOU COULD POSSIBLY COME UP WITH.”

It’s on you to deliver amazing amounts of value. So always be asking yourself — how do you think you’re doing? Are you customer friendly? Are you knowledgeable? Are you reasonable? Are you timely? 

Do your customers feel like working with you is a steal? That’s how you measure success. And it happens when you are valuable.

When you deliver better value.

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10 CANDID REASONS WHY YOU’RE NOT VALUED AT WORK.

Gandhi said, “Be the change that you wish to see in the world.” 

Powerful words that put a lot of pressure on a person to be better. The same could be said in business. You have to be the kind of person you would like to work with. 

It doesn’t always matter how much money or experience you bring to the table if your petty behaviors stop people from valuing and respecting you. 

Value and respect are two big factors in being a successful business person.

And a successful leader. 

You have to ask yourself: “Am I the kind of person people can respect?” and “How am I offering incredible value every single day?” 

You have to find the answers to those two questions. And you have to continuously strive to answer them better. 

“IT’S EASY TO BE A RESPECTABLE PERSON. BUT OFFERING VALUE AND BEING VALUABLE IS COMPLETELY DIFFERENT.”

You have to put in a lot more work to be valuable. And when you don’t, it stops you from being valuable. 

Here are a few things that will stop you from being valuable in business. 

1. You’re Not Teachable

Nobody knows everything there is to know in a given field. You might know a lot. You can even know more than most. But there’s always room to grow.

There is always more to learn. You have to be open to learning new things and you have to admit that you don’t know it all. No one — not anyone, anywhere — values the “know it all”.

Continue to teach others and continue to agree that you need to learn more. Being teachable is being valuable. 


2. You’re Negative

Ever been that guy? You walk around all day going over worst case scenarios in your head. Or you show up at the office thinking it’s already going to be a bad day.

Being the office pessimist is not going to get you the recognition you feel you deserve.

It’ll get you recognized for sure, but just long enough to get you replaced. Be the bright positive ray of sunshine that people look forward to running into each day.

When you change your attitude you change your life. 


3. You’re Not Reliable

You show up late, leave early, take a long lunch. You overpromise and underdeliver. You’ve made a name for yourself. But for all the wrong reasons.

If you want to be valuable to others, you need to be a person of integrity.

Always try your hardest to meet the deadline. Show up to meetings on time. Don’t make promises you’re not sure you can keep. Your character speaks volumes about you.

So if your reputation precedes you, let it be one of value. 


4. You Lack Originality

Though it’s true most of us are not trying to reinvent the wheel, we need to try to come up with new, innovative, cutting-edge ideas. Boring — all the time — is bad. And boring.

If you just keep regurgitating the words and works of others, you’ll definitely be useful — but only as a reference guide.

But you won’t be sought after for your ability to think outside the box. And you most certainly won’t be the one to call for fresh insight. 


5. You’re Just Difficult

You don’t have to be in the movies to be dubbed a “diva” who is hard to work with. It happens on every vertical.

You can have the best ideas and the best plan. But if people would rather pull their fingernails out one by one because it sounds more pleasant than meeting you for lunch,` your business dealings may end up becoming scarce. Your options are limited. Significantly.

Be easy to work with. Pair your great ideas with a great disposition. And then you’ll have value. 


6. You’re Only Doing It for the Money

Money keeps us afloat. We need it to survive in the world. But if you are only doing what you’re doing for the love of money, it will be evident. Your time is limited. Your value is limited.

There is something oddly distasteful about the work that comes from people who only care about money. That attitude destroys any beauty or charm.

There is a clear difference between someone who is doing what they love and someone who is just trying to get a paycheck.

Usually, that difference is sheer joy. Valuable people find joy in everything, including their work. And damn, it is so attractive to see.


7. You’re Living to Work

Entrepreneurs are expected to put in long hours and endless days. But even God took a day off in the Bible after 6 days.

It’s great that you want to work tirelessly while pursuing your dream. But if you are exhausted and burnt out, it will eventually start to show.

If you don’t value your sleep, your time, your health, and your overall well-being, it will be difficult to convince others of your value. Self-care is imperative for success. 

Plus, you’ll struggle to bond with others who have a life and opportunity outside of work.

8. You’re Not Trusting

You have managers for a reason. To manage. You have supervisors to supervise. You have an accountant to keep count.

Let your team do the things you’ve tasked them to do. When you are always looking over their shoulders, it’s not only a waste of your time. It’s also a clear indicator to them that you just don’t quite trust them.

Trust is valuable — and a two-way street.

Let the people around you know that you trust them to do what you’re paying them to do. And then actually trust them to do it. You’ll be pleasantly surprised and you’ll free up some time for yourself, too. 


9. You’re Not Productive

It’s all too easy to get distracted by all the other things you have going on in your life and at work.

Maybe you’re that person who doesn’t think it’s important to make a priority list and focus on one thing at a time until you get everything done.

Maybe you’re that person who does a little bit of work on all of your tasks at the same time — and find yourself completely overwhelmed and distracted.

You need to figure out the best way to be as productive as possible. Maybe it’s a task list. Maybe it’s time blocking. Maybe it’s hyper-focusing until you get the most important thing done. It’s probably all of those.

Whatever you need to do to be productive, find it and do it. 


10. You’re Greedy

You don’t have to give half of your earnings away every month.

You don’t even have to give any of it away if you don’t want to. But science has proven that people who give are happier and more successful. And don’t you want to be happier? And successful?

There are numerous ways to give back. Some of them include: 

  • donating money to your favorite charity
  • starting a charity of your own
  • feeding a homeless person
  • working at a soup kitchen and feeding many homeless people
  • donating your time to give free advice or mentoring

There are endless ways to give of your time and resources. When you find the one that speaks to you, life will start to look different. And you will see your value multiply. 

It’s not just about being business savvy.

Lots of people have that skill. You have to be a valuable person. You have to be the kind of person people look forward to seeing each day, each week, each month. 

“TO BE VALUED WHERE YOU WORK, YOU HAVE TO BE THE PERSON OTHER PEOPLE ALWAYS WANT TO TAKE A CALL FROM.”

If you’re not sure whether you are valuable in business, make sure that you don’t fit any of the criteria on this list. 

You won’t become a rockstar overnight, but you will notice an attitude shift in those around you.

You don’t just wake up awesome. You practice daily. And then you share the love. 

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11 GUARANTEED WAYS TO FIX YOUR FINANCIAL SITUATION THAT YOU PROBABLY AREN’T WILLING TO CONSIDER

How many times have you said, “I’d give anything to fix my money situation”? 

Would you really give anything? Do anything? Change anything?

Are you all in of it means keeping your dream alive?

That’s a hard question to answer honestly.

“IN TRUTH, YOU PROBABLY REALLY WANT TO BE SUCCESSFUL — TO BE FINANCIALLY FREE AND FULFILLED — BUT YOU HAVE A LINE YOU’RE NOT WILLING TO CROSS.”

It’s when you decide that you are willing to consider any idea as long as it gets you closer to where you want to be that you open yourself up to the magic of breakthrough.

Here are some of those radical ideas that may seem extreme, but work in the end: 

  1. Sell your car and ride the bus – If you could get rid of your car payment, your car insurance payment, your maintenance payment, and your gas payment, how much money would you save each month? Multiply that by 12. That’s how much money you could save in a year. Minus the $50 a month for a bus pass that you will have to pay. But that’s probably less than what you spend on gas. Sure, you will have to plan your route and be prepared for the weather — but you will also have the peace of mind knowing you are saving tons of money. And you’ll have plenty of time to get work done while you’re not driving. 
  2. Cut the data on your phone – Even if you use your phone for work, you don’t need to have all the bells and whistles and that expensive unlimited data plan. Downgrade your service. Change to a pay-as-you-go provider. Their rates are usually lower and if you decide you want to change your plan or your phone, you don’t have to buy out of it like contract carriers. Wifi is everywhere. Use it instead.
  3. Live in your car – You don’t actually have to live in your car — although people have. People just like you, looking to save money, have lived in vans, lived in tents on a campground. Lived in the parking lot of their office. Lived in their office. The key is to downsize. Do you really need all the space you have now? Could you rent something smaller? Could you sell and buy something smaller? Do the math. See how much per year you would save if you cut back on the size of where you live.
  4. Get a roommate (or 4) – If you don’t want to give up your house or apartment, consider renting out the rooms and/or the couch. Permanently. Or do something temporary like Airbnb. Just keep in mind that extra people in your house means extra expenses (more water and electricity being used) so charge accordingly. And different personalities don’t always click together, so you may end up spending more time refereeing and you’ll wish you just went with number 3 and lived in your car in peace. 
  5. Kill all the bundles – Most cable and internet providers offer you a bundle of cable, internet, and phone for one low price that slowly goes up every single month. Get rid of it all. Unless you work at home, you can use the internet at the library for free. Even if you only do it for a year, think how much you could save. And when the year is up, if you are still missing your favorite cable shows, you can always binge watch them after you get everything turned back on. Plus, do you even know the number to your home phone? 
  6. Work for free – It seems counterintuitive, but that dream job you are dying for, the one you know would take you where you want to go and give you the life you want, but for some reason, they just won’t hire you — tell them you will give them a week’s worth of your time. For free. Maybe even a month. Or a summer. And then wow the pants off them. After a week, they won’t want to let you go. Sometimes you have to gamble on yourself.
  7. Eliminate any new purchases – Unless your shoes have holes, you’ve used all the duct tape and your feet are still getting wet, stop buying things. Most of the time you shop because you want, not because you need. If you absolutely need something, buy it, otherwise, don’t make any new purchases for an entire year. Consider yourself on a shopping freeze. Seriously, lock it down. 
  8. Call everyone and ask for a discount – There are some things you just can’t get rid of right now, but that doesn’t mean you can’t find a cheaper version or downgrade like you did with your internet, cable, and phone. Call every service provider you have and then call their competition. See who has the lowest prices and switch. Then call your credit card companies and ask them about lowering your interest rate. If you aren’t going to move out of your house and into your car, try refinancing and getting a lower rate on your home or car loan too. Call every place you can think of to get lower rates or better prices. It will be an afternoon well spent. 
  9. Adopt extreme couponing and thrifting habits – Don’t get carried away buying things you absolutely don’t need (unless you are going to have a huge yard sale soon). But if you buy the things you actually use with coupons, you can stock up and save yourself a lot of money over time. And if there’s not a coupon for it and you need it, don’t buy it unless it’s on sale. Or buy the store brand cheaper version. Downgrade from always buying name brand food and clothes. Most times they are just as good and nobody but you knows where you got it. Shop at thrift stores if you must have something. And do your grocery shopping at stores like Aldi and other discount grocers. 
  10. Stop eating out completely– And while you are cutting down on food purchases, stop eating out so much. If you go to a restaurant, you are paying for one soda what it would cost to buy a two liter at the grocery store. Maybe more. Same with getting drinks at the bar. By the time you’ve had two drinks, you could have stopped at the store and bought a whole bottle that will last you three times as long. Not to mention the tip you have to leave when dining in. You could likely shop for a week’s worth of discount groceries with the money you would spend on one meal at a mediocre restaurant. 
  11. Start using cash only – It’s easy to get carried away spending when you have that little piece of plastic in your wallet. Try giving yourself a set amount of cash each week for spending on food and other non-essential items and only spend what you’ve allowed yourself. When you physically hand over cash, you have a better sense of how much you have left and you are more likely to think about it a little harder when you can literally see yourself giving the money away. 

Think about the things you really want. Think about the goals you really want to accomplish.

“STOP SETTING A LIMIT ON WHAT YOU WOULD DO OR WHAT YOU WOULD GIVE UP TO ACHIEVE YOUR BREAKTHROUGH. ”

If you are truly dedicated to your cause, you won’t mind being uncomfortable. 

The truth is that you don’t have to do extreme things forever.

Set a deadline. Make a plan. Stick to it. Look for progress. 

You don’t win a race just by entering. You practice. You make mistakes. You see what works for you. And you keep trying. 

If your goal really means something to you, you’ll be willing to do whatever it takes.

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11 PRACTICAL WAYS TO MAKE YOUR BUDGET ACTUALLY WORK.

So by now you realize you need a budget in order to successful manage and grow your money. You’ve probably even downloaded an app (or two) and made a spreadsheet. 

You’ve meticulously gone through your bills. Payday comes. Now what? 

Do you stick with your budget or do you cheat, hoping that everything will work out okay in the end? 

Let’s state the obvious that budgeting is hard.

Even for the best of us.

But it doesn’t have to frustrate you and be so complicated that you quit before you ever really get started.

You have to give budgeting a chance to work before it will actually work. 

And here are a few practical ways to do that: 

  1. Admit you have a problem — Everyone has that one vice. Maybe it’s coffee every day. Cigarettes. Drinks after work. Maybe you have a shoe problem and go shopping every time you’re stressed. Maybe it’s Taco Tuesday or “I don’t want to cook” pizza twice a week. Whatever “it”is, identify your bad money habit and admit that you need to cut back. If you need to get an accountability partner for this, I’d suggest you make the call now. It will help in the long run. 
  2. Cut yourself some slack the first time you try — Your first month’s budget likely isn’t going to pan out exactly as you imagined. It will take a month or two to figure out exactly how long that paycheck will last, where you need to cut back and how much of a stash you need to keep on hand. Practice makes perfect. So don’t get discouraged just yet. Make an honest effort and work from there.
  3. Allow yourself some flexibility — If you didn’t make as much as you’d projected on your budget, look at where you can cut back and do so immediately. And if you surprise yourself and make more than you expected or get that bonus you’ve been waiting on (but not counting on), don’t splurge. Instead, make a wise investment or put it in your savings account. 
  4. Overshoot all your expenses when planning — When budgeting, overestimate your expenses. Like the old saying goes, “better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it.” After a few months, you will see what the real averages are and can adjust your budget to reflect the real numbers. It’s pretty demoralizing to realize that you’re broke just when you have unexpected needs.
  5. It’s not a budget if you don’t list it all — Think about everything you spend money on — from condoms to chewing gum to happy hour to baby diapers. Your life is full of surprises. Make sure you are accounting for all of your bills — and the different ways that you spend your money. The required ones and the miscellaneous. Write down every single dollar you spend. 
  6. Don’t take money from your savings for any reason — Your ideal budget will include a monthly amount for your savings. Make sure to continue to keep that money safe. If you need to cut from other areas to keep your hands out of that account, then eat out less, or cut your entertainment or clothing allowance if you must. But leave your savings alone.
  7. Review your monthly expenses each month — Even if you are “sure” nothing has changed, you need to review your budget monthly. Because things do change. For example, your electric bill if you live in a colder climate will be higher in the winter months when it is freezing cold. Your medical expenses will be more at the beginning of the year before you meet your deductible. Adjust accordingly. 
  8. Plan your splurges — It’s unrealistic to go years or even months without splurging a bit. Plan for the splurge. Figure out when you’re able to and how much you can afford — and then go wild. Or as close to that as possible. You should be able to reward yourself for a job well done or when you hit a savings milestone. 
  9. Make sure you’re getting the most out of your money — Check around for banks with higher return rates or free checking or savings accounts. Sure you might be loyal to your bank, but this is about making money. It’s not personal. Finding a free checking account when you’ve been paying $5-11 per month will add up (to $60-132 per year to be exact). That’s money you can put in savings. Or use to splurge.
  10. Make it more difficult to spend money — It’s easy these days with all the electronics and the apps in the palm of your hand to spend more money than you have in your budget. Try moving your savings account to another bank. Pick a place on the other side of town. Skip the bank card. Skip the app. If you need to take money out of savings, make sure you have to drive out of your way to get the money. 
  11. Have a goal that is bigger than you think is possible — Make sure you have clearly identified what you are working towards– a new car, house downpayment, wedding, honeymoon, divorce, vacation. Always keep the goal at the forefront of your daily routine so that you will be less likely to deviate from your planned budget. 

Budgeting isn’t about doing with less. It’s about building a life that works for you.

It’s about being purposeful with one of your greatest assets — money.

Like everything you ever tried to do and hated at first, budgeting will get easier. It will become a habit.

Follow the guidelines above. Put up reminders of what you are striving for.

The reminders can be pictures on the fridge. Love notes to yourself. Whatever you need to do to stay on track.

And when all else fails, check in with a friend.

Not everyone budgets, if your friend doesn’t, maybe they will join you. If your friend does budget, then they can give you tips and tricks and help you stay the course. 

If you want it bad enough, there is no limit to what you will do to make it happen.

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3 AMAZING BOOKS THAT HAVE CHANGED MY LIFE THIS MONTH

There are stories told that have moved generations. Legends that have empowered unlikely heroes to achieve outrageous success. Books that have inspired massive breakthrough for an entire hemisphere.

I spend my two hours of exercise each day looking for those stories. Soaking in those books in search of those legends.

It’s my meditation. My inspiration. A way to learn and grow and expand my greatness.

So here are a few of those books that I have finished in the last few weeks and why.

The Surrender Experiment: My Journey Into Life’s Perfection (by Michael A Singer)

Talk about perfect timing. Michael’s theory is that life has the perfect plan for you if you’re willing to surrender to it. Years ago I would have called that “weak thinking”. But I see it happening more and more in my own life.

Looking back, I can connect the dots between setbacks and the experience and timing I need to create massive change in the future.

Michael challenges you to give in to the setbacks and struggle that he would otherwise avoid. He tells his rich life story in a way that let you know he’s human. It’s raw and real and tremendously eye-opening.

Another big takeaway is how closely linked success is with belief in a higher being and a daily meditation practice. Your life isn’t just a product of what you want. You are part of something bigger than just you. And if you aren’t willing to stop throughout the day and think about the role you play in the universe, you’ll never be as effective and powerful as you want to be.

BUY THE BOOK FROM GOOGLE PLAY

Deep Work: Rules For Focused Success In A Distracted World (by Cal Newport)

I work. I work hard. Magnificently hard. But doing work isn’t good enough. It needs to be deep work. Meaningful work. Purposeful work. This is something that I have been agonizing about this for years now.

As a highly effective fixer, much of my business is putting out fires for other people — often leaving the things I care about most undone. Cal uses the words “deep” and “shallow” to differentiate between work that has only small, immediate transactional value versus word that has long-term, world-changing potential.

It’s practical advice. And I am already putting the ideas I have learned into practice. It’s making a difference already. I’m making time to do the things that inspire me and letting other things wait.

By the way, I don’t like Cal’s idea of not answering email. I have found as the author of a very successful book and the founder of a community with more than 1 million individuals, that people are usually bashful about reaching out via email. And they often get it wrong.

Choosing only to email people back who fit into your pre-determined view of how you want to answer email abandons large groups of people who could really benefit from access to you. Of course, Cal’s thesis is that your deep work is the most important thing anyways.

BUY THE BOOK FROM GOOGLE PLAY

How To Take Charge Of Your Life: The User’s Guide to NLP (by Richard Bandler and others)

What if I could be 1% better at everything that I do? Richard Bandler’s theories about stories and identity and life choices have framed my own thinking as well as other celebrity teachers like Tony Robbins — and many others.

What makes this book such an easy read is that it’s told as a parable. The story of an individual coming to an event by Richard Bandler who attempts to implement what he has learned in his daily existence. In his relationship with his girlfriend. At his job. And his day-to-day life.

It takes ideas that can seem controversial and complex and makes him approachable. It’s really easy to see how different thinking makes you a better person when you’re reading a story of someone who was accomplished that exact thing. It’s such a smooth read that you’re probably want to come back to it from time to time.

It might also be your stepping stone to more of this practice area that practitioners call NLP.

BUY THE BOOK FROM GOOGLE PLAY

What are you reading? How are you growing? 

What motivates you to be a better version of you?

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11 MISTAKES TO AVOID MAKING WHEN BUILDING WEALTH.

So you want to build wealth. 

You’ve realized that winning the lottery isn’t a working strategy and you don’t have a long-lost millionaire uncle waiting to swoop in and magically fill your bank accounts.

So what do you do?

It’s time to get your act together and start making a plan. One you will actually stick to. 

Gaining wealth doesn’t have to be a mystery. It’s not magic or luck or an accident. And if you know what to look for, you will know what to avoid. 

Here are a few of those mistakes:

  1. Ignoring the plan you created – Wealth does, in fact, have to be planned. The easiest way to plan for it? Budgeting. It’s not as scary as it sounds. Budgeting apps are everywhere. You can have one in the palm of your hand in the next 45 seconds if you want to. Try one like Mvelopes or Mint to get started. 
  2. Expecting your plan to work perfectly – Things will go wrong. A lot. Don’t put your emergency savings on hold. Start now with as little or as much as you want and continue to build it up. You will be thankful you did when you actually need it and have enough saved to cover your disaster no matter what happens.
  3. Not insuring the most important things  – Without sounding too somber, you don’t know how many more days you have on Earth. Are you prepared to take care of your family if something unexpected happens? What about if your house burns down? Make sure that everything that should be insured is insured, including your life. And your dreams.
  4. Spending too much on where you live – When buying a house, it’s easy to walk into the one that you’ve always dreamed of and want to move in immediately. Big mistake. Take a step back. Give it a day or two to sink in. Run some numbers–specifically mortgage, homeowners insurance, property taxes, utilities, furniture, maintenance. Make sure you aren’t biting off more than you can chew.
  5. Forgetting that you need to get your hustle on – You may love your job right now. But if you are employed by someone else, that job is not guaranteed. It’s on you to hustle. Find that “thing” that you can do on the side to generate money. And do that too. That way, you will have something to fall back on if your job falls through. 
  6. Investing in what everyone else tells you is “hot” – Just like you shouldn’t invest in something because you are comfortable and don’t care about the money, the same applies to you investing in something you know nothing about. If you want to invest, but don’t have a clue where to start, do your research and speak with a professional.
  7. Gambling with money you need to live on – If you can’t stand the thought of losing your money, don’t invest it. Even if you think the investment is a sure-fire money maker, only invest what you had planned anyway. You aren’t psychic and the stock market doesn’t care if it’s your last dime or not. Don’t go hungry trying to bet on a sure thing because there are no sure things. 
  8. Comparing yourself to what people are doing – There will always be people with more money than you — and there will always be people with less.  It is a waste of your time to compare your success to other people around you. You family. Your work. your community, church or local group. So stop making comparisons and stay focused on your plan. 
  9. Using shortcuts to try to get rich quick – “Over the next three sentences, I’m going to tell you how you can be a millionaire by sundown.” Sound familiar? Let me be very clear — there are no get rich quick schemes that actually work. Success takes hard work, perseverance, and usually, a few setbacks. All of which are impossible to accomplish by sundown. So quit buying into other people’s shortcuts. 
  10. Listening too much to other people’s advice – What works for one person isn’t going to work for everyone. Sometimes, people just get lucky. It has nothing to do with their skill or hard work. Sometimes, the timing is just right. And your time will come as well. Just like you need to stop comparing yourself to others, you need to stop taking everyone’s advice. If it is part, of your plan, do it.
  11. Not having a big enough reason for building wealth – Money can be a tremendous tool for doing good in the world.  For your family. For a cause that means something special. The truth is that wealth is an attitude long before it is a result. So if you don’t believe in your cause or mission, you are not going to stick it out when things get tough and you start questioning your choices.  

You are as good at building wealth is as you are at sticking to your plan.

“WEALTH IS A MINDSET LONG BEFORE IT IS A BALANCE IN YOUR BANK ACCOUNT.”

Building wealth takes focus, planning and a level of stick-with-it that not a lot of people possess.

If you are not wealthy now, that doesn’t mean that you never will be. If you come from a long line of people who are terrible with money, that doesn’t mean that you will always be terrible with money. 

It’s time to change your attitude about money. And to change your actions when it comes to building wealth. 

Start by avoiding these mistakes.

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12 Ways To Multi-Task Like A Superhero.

There’s been a lot of debate over the last few years about the effectiveness of multitasking.
Productivity experts make the case that trying to do more than one thing at the same time leads to poor results — and half-finished outcomes.

Nothing gets the best use of your attention. Instead of doing more, you actually get less done. And what you get done isn’t game-changing or noteworthy.

Maybe multi-tasking isn’t broken.

Maybe it’s your focus and planning that need a tune up.

If you’re not focused, you’re not going to be achieving your best. You’re not going to produce results that are legendary.

But that doesn’t necessarily mean you need to throw out your multitasking. Maybe you just need to add a better plan — so that you can do better at doing more.

Maybe you need to figure out your focus.

Maybe you need to build a plan to get more things done each day. After all, isn’t a plan the key to being productive?

Here are a few ideas for hyper-tasking your way to outrageously effective outcomes.

  1. Dedicate time each week to prioritizing big picture goals for the coming week, month, and quarter.
  2. Use reminders to notify you of upcoming tasks due throughout the day.
  3. Change your default hour long meeting to just 20 minutes and make sure anyone requesting your time knows you’ll be leaving early.
  4. Use task tracking apps like Todoist, Wunderlist, or Asana to get generic tasks done throughout the day when you have a few free minutes.
  5. Make it a priority to get everything done that you put on your list done each day. Be religious about not procrastinating.
  6. Use your calendar as a “real time” diary of whom you call and what you do in time slots throughout the day. Makes it easier to remember in the future.
  7. Use your smartphone technology to dictate reminders, events, and tasks that need to be done as you think about them throughout the day.
  8. Block out distractions by turning off notifications when you have an important project that needs your full attention.
  9. Use music, a TV in the room, or other background noise to keep your brain engaged while you work on boring business tasks.
  10. Use multiple computers or multiple screens to manage different pieces of the project you are working on at the moment.
  11. Adjust the size of your “to do” list and the number of appointment on your calendar based on your ability to keep getting things done effectively.
  12. Answer, archive, or “act on” your email messages within 30 seconds of reading them. Get them out of your way as soon as possible

Maybe it’s time to plan for getting more things done.

Multitasking, hyper tasking, focusing on what’s important — whatever you call it, the key to being amazing is having an amazing plan.

Just because you do more than one thing at a time doesn’t mean you’re doing less than your best.

It might just mean that your big goals demand that you do more than everyone else around you.

Act like a champ. Be a multi-tasking superhero.

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Stop It All.

Sometimes to go fast you need to stop — and go slow.
Creativity comes from the quietness of observation. Inspiration comes from noticing what could be done better.

So much of getting successful results is being deliberate about noticing the small parts of life that easily getting overlooked in the stressfulness of everyday life.

That’s the power of personal meditation.

Stopping and thinking. Slow thinking. Not running or planning or meeting or calling or strategizing. Just stopping to observe.

There are several good ways to slow down and noticed the best parts of life.

You could:

  1. Get up early and read the newspaper while drinking a cup of coffee by yourself.
  2. Take a nap in your office for half of your lunch break.
  3. Take 10 minutes a couple times each day to shut your office door and listen to calming music.
  4. Go for a short walk by yourself.
  5. Eat a slow lunch outside.
  6. Work up a sweat using your favorite fitness program.
  7. Turn off the TV and watch the sunset each evening.

And even if none of those work for you specifically, you can still take a deep breath and for a few seconds get your head back in the game.

That’s why quietness matters so much.

If you don’t protect your head — your motivation — you’ll never end up getting to where you want to be.

You’ll be too stressed out to make smart decisions. Too tired and beaten up to make it the distance. Too overwhelmed to do what actually needs to be done.

Which is why you stopping and thinking is the best way to run full speed ahead.

To live big, you need to be inspired by big things. Big wonder. Big quietness. Big opportunity.

Don’t let the craziness of life rob you of noticing all the awesome motivation already all around you.

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3 Valuable Lessons I Learned From Top Sales World Going Bad.

It’s easy to get discouraged when you see people doing bad things and appearing to be successful in spite of their poor behavior.
You should never forget that time has a wonderful way of putting things back in their right place. People who do bad things get what is coming to them — and your continued focus and hard work will yield you the results that you want for yourself.

I was reminded of these lessons with my recent falling out with Top Sales World, led my Jonathan Farrington.

Here’s the story of a good guy gone bad.

I’ve been a part of Jonathan Farrington’s Top Sales World  organization for what seems like a half dozen years. He invited me to join — and I donated a few hundred dollars to his cause. He was an underdog with a grand idea — be a “shining light” for the sales community.

Over the last few years I’ve been a part of contributing hundreds of articles and other content that I’ve created over the years. I was never paid for my content — and I was okay with that because I bought into Mr. Farrington’s belief that Top Sales World could help people create better lives for themselves.

In the last two years, a few of my close friends and mentors left the group. Most of them didn’t make a big deal, but they just observed that “everything wasn’t as it seemed”. I figured that out for myself at the beginning of this year.

Sometimes you realize what you were fighting for isn’t real.

When I launched EDGY Conversations in April, I asked 100 of my favorite business influencers to help share the news about our launch. They were all wonderfully kind — recording podcasts and writing blog articles and sharing the news of our best selling book on social media. They helped me sell 20,000 copies of the book in a few weeks — which was amazing.

The only one who wasn’t willing to help was Mr. Farrington. He told me that if I wanted the support of the community that I helped to build and promote — now almost 200,000 members strong — that I would have to pay him. I was shocked to my core.

After investing hundreds of hours in his underdog success — without ever asking for money or promotion, his attitude towards helping me out was appallingly cold water. As a matter of principle, I refused to pay him anything.

Maybe I should have spoken up sooner.

Instead of causing a scene, I just decided to gently ease my way out the door — not let other people drag my attitude down. Up until today you have not heard me gripe or complain about Mr. Farrington’s selfish behavior. That was between him and I.

Last week I learned that the Vice President of Content for Top Sales World wasn’t being paid for work done over several months. Imagine if you went into work and your boss told you that the money you’re owed for working yesterday and last week — and over the last 3 months — won’t be coming to you and that your only remedy is to “sue me.”

Again, I was shocked when I heard the news. And then I felt guilty for not speaking up months ago when I first experienced problems of my own. The organization labeling itself as the “shining light of the sales profession” is majorly screwed up. Perhaps now in legal jeopardy.

I have no axe to grind with Mr. Farrington.

Anyone trying to change the world for the better has my vote.  I’ll put my money and time behind it almost every time — like I did with Top Sales World. Sadly, Mr. Farrington has steered his organization onto the rocks, and I can no longer with good conscience be a part of it.

More personally, here are a few valuable lessons I learned in this process. Chances are, you are going through something like this right now too. If not, these lessons will be helpful down the road when you run into a problem like this of your own.

  1. Asking hard questions up front can save you from disappointment later. — The idea of using other people’s content to build a community isn’t new. The Huffington Post did it successfully a few years ago when they sold to the new AOL. I didn’t challenge Mr. Farrington’s ideas at first. I bought into it. Why not change the world for the better? Had I dug a little deeper and asked hard questions, I would have learned that Top Sales World is really a retirement plan for Mr. Farrington — use other people to build a community and then sell that community to a willing buyer. By the way, there is nothing wrong with that plan. Capitalism is awesome. My problem was willful ignorance. Had I uncovered Mr. Farrington’s monetization strategy earlier, I would have been less bought into the “change the world” rhetoric. I failed to act with eyes wide open.
  2. Apologies and appreciation are more than words. It’s a lifestyle. — We all want to feel like we’re more than a piece of red meat for someone else to get their way. So many of the problems in the past with Top Sales World between Mr. Farrington and willing promoters — like myself — could have been easily resolved with a simple apology or heartfelt appreciation. I can’t rightfully judge Mr. Farrington’s intentions or motivations, but I can tell you how his actions made me feel — which is something you don’t easily forget. Many times when I voiced my concerns about the direction or positioning of part of Top Sales World, I was smacked down. Perhaps Mr. Farrington isn’t aware of his emotionally unintelligent style. My challenge is make sure our clients and community never feel that way. I hope you’ll call me out like this if I lose my way.
  3. A bad business plan might turn you into a bad person. — If you don’t have a plan to do the right thing it’s likely you’ll find yourself in a world of gray that has you crossing the line into doing bad things. By the way, a bad business plan doesn’t just hurt you — it impacts your employees and contractors. In this case, Mr. Farrington seems to be doing bad things — which is hard to reconcile with my perceptions of the gentleman who originally invited me to help him make a difference with Top Sales World. I’ve seen it before though. Money get tight and instead of having hard conversations, leaders decide to point the finger and blame everyone else.  It’s a reminder to me that the decisions I make have consequences months from now.  The employees and vendors we choose might bring out the worst in me. It’s something to remember.

Ever find yourself in a position like me?

Frustrated and confused and angry about people doing bad things and seeming to get away with it?

The truth about success for any of us is that our results are what we make them. It doesn’t really matter what other people do to us — or around us. Each of our response to frustration is ultimately what defines the level of greatness you achieve.

I suggest you tell yourself what I whispered in my own ear: “Stand up. Move on. Go be awesome.”

Learn something that will change the rest of your life.

—–

Update: The monies not paid to the Vice President of Content were not paid over three months and not an entire three month’s worth of payments.

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Manage Your Head Game From Your Back Pocket.

It’s impossible to be mentally fit when your personal finances are all out of whack.
You can’t focus on being successful when you’re stressed out about money and the poor financial choices you have made in the past. Which is why a big part of being mentally fit is making smart financial decisions — being financially fit.

Just like getting in shape physically, it takes a long time to get back into shape financially. Some days it looks like nothing you’re doing is actually working. Weeks and months go by and it seems like you’re barely making a dent in the audacious goals you have for yourself.

But being fit matters.

Even if it takes you years to get your finances back in order, it’s an investment of time and talent worth exerting.

  1. Build a minimum budget for saving. — Have a specific amount of money that you auto debit from your bank account each month to go into savings and investment accounts. It needs to be automatic. You can use your local credit union for savings account or use a platform like Betterment to help you invest the money with long-term success.
  2. Track your monthly spending and review it every few weeks. — There are countless apps like Mint and Check.me that allow you to categorize all of your bills and keep track of how much you’re spending, even on the small things. Sometimes a simple Google spreadsheet works better than all the fancy tools out there.
  3. Purposefully do with less. — It’s easy to fall into the trap of needing a new car, a new television or a zillion new satellite channels. Get in the habit of waiting 4 to 5 days before making any big financial decision. Refuse to make snap decisions that can keep you in debt down the road. By the way, you’ll feel better about doing with less when you notice your extra cash flow each month.
  4. Make sure your small spends don’t become big spends. — A few cups of coffee each day, a sandwich at lunch, and drinks after work can add up — especially if you’re doing them each day. A few dollars here and there can put you in the poor house when you look at your bank account at the end of each month, wondering where all of your money went. Small spending might seem insignificant, but being broke is a big deal.

It’s no fun being broke.

It’s stressful and confusing, and helpless at times.

But it’s also something that can be undone.

You don’t need anyone else’s help to work harder and spend less. It’s all completely within your control.

You’ll sleep better at night knowing that you can focus on what you were put on earth to do instead of freaking out about money that you don’t have.

To keep your head straight, you have to keep your finances straight.

Maybe the reason you just aren’t getting to where you want to be is because you need to “come to Jesus” about how you spend your money.

Game on, my friend.