Daily Boost — Motivation and Personal Growth

Your Happiness Equation

Is there a magic formula for happiness?

Yes. It comes down to how you look at the world.

Most folks do one of two things:

1) They view everything from an emotional place. When life is good, everything is excellent. When things go wrong, life is terrible. Remaining stuck in the emotional zone is like writing a letter in the sand with a rising tide; it will never stick around long enough to make you happy.

2) Others view the world from a black-and-white and logical perspective. But life is not always logical. Using your analytical brain for everything is like painting a wall black and expecting a rainbow of colors.

I’ve found the best way is to naturally ride the highs and lows of emotions, tap into logic to navigate what crosses our path, and get back to the fun of emotions as soon as possible.

Emotion + Logic + Emotion = Happiness.

First and foremost, humans are emotional creatures that will not change. But logic allows us to sort through our feelings and make the best decision.

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Raising Your Self-Confidence

I got off the phone with a client who told me I insulted her with a comment on a recent call. I said, “Your self-confidence is low, and that’s okay. Everybody has low self-confidence - even if they walk with a swagger that says otherwise.”

It turns out she had spent the entire day thinking about my comment. She didn’t realize that I was only referring to a moment in time along her journey. 

We had a short conversation and sorted things out. Afterward, I sent this -

No matter how long you live, how much you succeed, or how much swagger you have in your walk, there will always be someplace where you feel like the underdog. It’s the same way for everybody. As soon as you take the next step, your self-confidence is forever boosted - until the next step arrives. The process will continue throughout your life.

If you want unstoppable self-confidence, get used to feeling uncomfortable and taking action anyway. 

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What if everything you did today came with no limitations and good consequences?  

What could you do with your life?

Limitations can be helpful. Staying within speed limits keeps you from getting tickets. That's good.

Limiting yourself to a job that doesn't serve you? That's bad. 

Fear of change usually creates limitations. Or is it the fear of harmful consequences? 

What would happen if all consequences were good? 

Asking someone on a date may cause fear and hold you back. That all goes away the instant you hear, "Yes!"

Reach for the good!

Roll through your day believing that you are ten feet tall and bulletproof. Anything is possible! The Universe might prove you right.

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There is a simple formula that you can apply to get what you want, enjoy the process, and ensure that it will last for a lifetime.

1) Get clarity. You must clearly define what you want. When you don’t know your path, you will drift with frustration.

2) Accurate Thinking. Assume that you are not getting the correct information. Double-check and confirm. Then move forward. The more accurate your understanding of your plan, the more comfortable and quicker it will be to get there.

3) Leverage. You may think that you can do all the heavy lifting yourself, and you can see in the beginning. But why? You’ll get there faster if you find a way to leverage every action for maximum results. Don’t go it alone.

4) Systemization. Create ritualized actions that move you closer to what you want. Once there, automate those actions. Your purpose required an operating system to stay focused and on track.

Get what you want to be using CALLS to action: Clarity. Accurate Thinking. Leverage. Systemization.  

Life is about to get much more relaxed.

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As a child, I remember heading out the door for a day in an endless adventure. It usually concluded with a game of Hide-And-Seek.  

Those days seemed to last forever.

These days, most of us are still running until the sun goes down. But there's so much to do that we rarely have time to ponder the bigger picture.

Remember-

You will always find time for your most important tasks. You will eat, sleep, pay bills, feed the dog, and take care of your children - no matter how crazy life gets.

When life gets crazy, and you scream, "Something has to GIVE…" it's usually your dreams for the future that get put off.

Steven Covey reminded us how important it is to focus on what's important as much as possible. Make sure you put yourself on the list too. Then, when life goes off the rails, fix it as soon as possible, get back to what's essential, and keep moving.

Not all dreams come true, but the important ones always seem to come your way.

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I'm sure you have a lot to do. If you use a To-Do list, I'd like to pass on advice to make your days much more fun.

LOSE your "To-Do List." Replace it with a" Did I Do It List." 

To-Do Lists make you a slave to the checkmark. They cause more stress the longer they get. 

A" Did I Do It List" assumes you know what must be done. Instead of chasing, you are checking to make sure you did it. 

An un-focused path produces additional tasks to fill your day. Using a "Did I Do It List" will focus you on your goals and create quick results.

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Do you remember what it was like to be in 1st grade?

It was when everybody lavished you with encouragement for being YOU - and because you finished your art project without eating the glue.

Those were beautiful times. But you may have noticed things have changed since you were okay to take a nap in the middle of class. You grew up.

Yes, growing into an adult brings many mentors your way. They do their best to motivate and inspire you. But you know in your heart that they can only do so much. It's up to you to drive yourself in the direction of your dreams. That's called adulting.

I say it's time to PYOTB, my friend!  

YOU are your own BEST Cheerleader. Don't sit around waiting for somebody to make you feel good. Pat yourself on the butt. Scream, "I done GOOD!"  

It's going to be the best day ever!

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Mapping Your Success

Wouldn’t it be great if you had a plan to help you get what you want? 

What you need is M.A.P.S. - a system that gets thinking out of the way and focuses on actions in four areas:

Motivation - Everything begins with motivation and knowing ‘WHY’ you set your goals. Stay motivated.

Accountability: Being accountable and accepting responsibility for your results will empower your success. Saying, ‘If it’s to be, it’s up to me’ is a great way to get started.

Planning: Plan your work, work you plan. It’s simple. If you can’t plan it, you won’t be able to do it.

Systemization: The first steps of any worthy goal are difficult. As you get more comfortable with your process, lock in the actions and repeat them until you get what you want.

Sustainability: Everything takes longer than you think. Momentum is built in life by stacking your accomplishments sequentially. Make sure you set yourself up for the long haul.

The freedom you desire rests on a stable and repeatable foundation. Motivation, Accountability, Planning, Systemization, and Sustainability. 

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I have a saying -

“Next year begins THIS year. Next month begins THIS month. Next week begins THIS week.”

If you want to stay on track, accomplish your goals, and enjoy life more - you MUST take control of your calendar. It’s easier than you think:

1) Life will come at you FAST! Schedule any significant and can’t-miss life event at least one year in advance. Put it on the calendar and block it out. You can always change your mind.

2) Hold your space. Decide in advance what you will be doing with your days. When will you work on projects? When will you see clients? When will you have fun? 

3) Never end one week without locking in your schedule for the next - and stick to it. 

Focus, my friend. Focus. The future is always brighter when your day-to-day focus fulfills your goals this week.

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Turn Obstacles Into Opportunity

Have you ever wondered how much easier things would be if you didn’t have to think so much?

What if the future or your past didn’t matter?

Imagine if you didn’t worry about the possessions, success, or drama of others?

What would happen if you believed that YOU were in control? 

Now you are starting to think like a Stoic Philosopher.

Stoicism is about paring down and simplifying. They eliminate unproductive traits that define the majority of the population. One of the most common is turning obstacles upside down, creating opportunities, and seeing them as teachable moments.

For a Stoic, every bad thing becomes a new source of good. 

Marcus Aurelius said it this way, 

“The impediment to action advances action. What stands in your way becomes the way.”

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