Daily Boost — Motivation and Personal Growth

How To Help Others

Have you ever felt the desire to help others?

Do you want to help them figure things out? Make more money? Recover from a bad experience? 

Maybe you want to make a difference in the world yourself.

I’ve always believed that our power to help others is a side benefit of being ourselves - and having a structure to follow -

1) A person in need desires an outcome. It makes no sense to offer advice until we know what they seek. That puts us on the same page.

2) Next, find out their problems, actions, and results. Then, relate them to what you have found works. 

3) Now that you’ve heard their struggle, you can make specific recommendations to move their life positively.

Helping others is a lot like being a Doctor. Listen. Examine. Prescribe. Take action. Follow up.

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Why You Should REST More

Steven Covey called it sharpening the saw. If you take a break to sharpen the blade, you will always cut more wood. The same applies to life.

My formula is Ritual, Rest, Rejuvenate, Reactivate. Repeat:

1) Success comes when you perform ritual actions every day. Figure out what works and do it.

2) Running full-out all the time is not sustainable. You must stop and rest.

3) Resting allows your body and mind to rejuvenate and become healthy again.

4) When you are ready, it's time to reactivate into action mode.

5) Repeat until you get what you want.

It's easier to cut more wood when you take a break to sharpen your saw. A walk in the park on a busy day counts too.

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Jerry Seinfeld’s Success Secret

I’ll never forget the day a friend called and made me an offer I couldn’t refuse - and I didn’t.

Rob was an event promotor who had snagged the chance to book an up-and-coming comedian named Jerry Seinfeld into a local venue. He needed somebody to warm up the audience and introduce Jerry. I was all in when he agreed to cover my drink tab and let me hang out with Jerry before the show.

It was 1986, and Jerry’s television series about nothing was still in development. I know that because it’s what we talked about before the show. As he munched on veggies and sipped sparkling water, I’ll never forget how focused he was on getting what he wanted. Tired and worn out from living on the road, I asked how he managed to keep going. He said —

“I know exactly what I want. I’m a comedian, so I have to be funny. The only way to be funny is to write funny jokes. The only way to write funny jokes is to write every day. So, I write every day and put a big red “X” on the calendar. Eventually, there is a chain of X’s on the calendar. My goal is not to break the chain.” 

Then, in a very Seinfeld way, he screamed, “Don’t break the chain! That’s how you get what.”

Over the years, I’ve read that others have had the same conversation with Jerry. I’m guessing it was a rule of success that he practiced and shared often. I’m happy he shared it with me.

As we begin 2024, pick an action and do it every day until you get so good people notice. And, whatever you do, “Don’t break the chain!”

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Are S.M.A.R.T. Goals Really SMART?

I’m a big fan of setting big-ass goals. Dreaming BIG is my natural state - which is why S.M.A.R.T. goals are not all that smart.

S.M.A.R.T. stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time-Bound.

While it may seem like a good plan, I can't wrap my head around not setting goals because they don't seem achievable or realistic.

Excuse me?

Since when did big - goals seem achievable and realistic?  

If that were true, you would already be doing them. Anytime you are moving from dreaming into doing, you will be living in the land of crazy and scary.

If you hold yourself to what is achievable and realistic, you might as well keep doing what you're doing.

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Your Rules of Success

If you study people who have had success in any area of their life, you will find they have much in common. 

Not only do they follow a set of rules, they follow those rules no matter how much life gets in the way.

What are those rules?

The person who has the strongest "Why" wins.

The person who shows up wins.

The person who shows up on time wins.

The person who is most persistent wins.

The person show never assumes wins.

The person who is the best at what they do wins.

The person who plans and documents their journey and interactions wins.

The person who never gives up total control to others wins.

The person who acceptances responsibility for themselves wins.

The person who serves the most wins.

The person who is grateful for everything wins.

The actions you take automatically become the life you experience. It's essential to be mindful of where you are heading. 

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What’s Your Word?

Around this time every year, successful people are planning next year and many, declare to me the WORD they have chosen to guide their life. 

I like words - especially when combined with wisdom and a few wisecracks - but that might be just me. 

Still, I'm always amazed at how excited people get and how much they believe their WORD will guide them into the next year.

I'm jealous. I need a WORD, too - and that's where the trouble begins.

I can't imagine choosing a single word to represent 365 days of getting after it. However, having a WORD is an emotional trigger and fires neurons in your brain to keep you moving, so why can't my WORD be several WORDS?

Just like magic - they arrived…

Simple. Sophisticated. Focused. Automated. Delegated. Deleted. Ritualistic. 

It's a little Stoic, and a lot of Scott LOGIC - it works for me.

Still… I missed one. And it turned out to be the GLUE that held all those other words together.

Resilient. That’s the key to success.

If you could use an emotional supercharger, choose a WORD… or WORDS for next year… and see how everything goes your way.

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Run Your Life Like a Business

Not a day goes by without someone asking how to get what they want. I almost always say, "It's all about return on investment."

After all, it would be a shame to work hard toward your goals and end up with less than you started - right?

That's why you should run your life like a business:

1) Decide what you do when you are living a happy life. Be very specific.

2) Be flexible in your approach. When you find what works, lock it in, refine your method, and keep doing it.

3) Set benchmarks and measure your progress. You can only get where you are going when you know where you are.

4) If you don't achieve your milestones, immediately adjust and get back on track.

Life is better when you get a positive return on your efforts.

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How to Overcome Bad Experiences

Do you ever get stuck on memories from the past? Bad memories? Unpleasant memories?

Focusing on the good is good for the soul. Dwelling on bad is terrible for everything. 

The other day, my wife asked, “How do you completely disconnect from bad experiences? It’s as if you don’t see them.”

Trust me. I do.  

A long time ago, I made a couple of distractions that guide me: 

1) If you dwell on the past, you bring those experiences into your life. They become real again. You also neutralize positive energy. You will be stuck.

2) Lessons from the past are valuable. Even bad experiences yield wisdom when not attached to negative energy and emotions. Hang on to those lessons.

3) Some bad experiences are pesky. You will have difficulty shaking them from your mind. The solution is defining actions that will put them to rest.

You become what you think. Dwelling on past negative experiences will create more of them in your future. 

Instead, look for every opportunity to think good thoughts, do good things, and enjoy a good life.

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Surviving Holidays with Family

It’s that time of the year!

Millions of folks will soon be heading over the river and through the woods, hoping for a special celebration in the coming months. 

In the spirit of good times, here are a few ideas on surviving upcoming conversation bombs:

1) It’s a stressful time of the year. Money. Kids. Travel. Show empathy. It’ll go a long way.

2) If Uncle Bob speaks his mind, it’s time to practice self-control. There is no need to add fuel to the fire by adding your two cents. Smile. Nod. Exit stage right as soon as possible.

3) Show interest in others and redirect conversations back to the person standing in front of you. They will love you even more.

4) Give yourself plenty of space. Don’t fill every moment with others. Take a walk. Sleep late. Enjoy a cup of coffee.

That should take care of almost everything. If not, repeat number four.

As the season approaches, focus on the meaning and celebrate with your heart. 

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Stay Focused on Your Goals in 5-Minutes

It's the world's most straightforward recipe for success: Stand up, take a step, REPEAT!  

A member wrote asking the best use of that simple advice:

1) Stop what you are doing. Block out everything. Focus on YOU.

2) Find a place where nobody will interrupt you for 5 minutes.

3) Ask yourself, "How is my life going?" Open your mind and let your thoughts flow into your life's different areas and roles. Bring them into focus.

4) For things to go well, continue your momentum. For areas of concern, ask," What CAN I do to make it better?"

5) Immediately take action based on your answers.

Checking in with yourself 5-minutes a day is all it takes to stay focused and on track toward your goals.

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