Live Life With Purpose with Adam Smith

My biggest weakness is stopping long enough to live in the moment. (I’ve previously written a post on the need of being present, which you can find here.) I know it and have always known it. This being said, I must be very intentional with celebrating any wins along the way, I must fight the urge to skip past the present moment, and I must put my phone down and engage with the people around me. I have fought my biggest weakness many times before, and won, but as with many issues we all face in life, it isn’t a one and done circumstance, but rather, a continuous battle that I find myself in.

Since I have always dealt with this, I have learned a few things about how to best deal with bringing myself back to the present, instead of always being in the future, and here they are:

I have to say that I didn’t truly realize this point until I had kids. Imagining my kids ten years older than what they are now, and knowing what I want them to say about me, has significantly influenced where I put my time. I have cut out things that aren’t necessary in order to create the moments I want to have with them. I haven’t been perfect in this area, because there have been seasons where business dictated my schedule more than I liked, but I am very aware that a busy schedule is only manageable for a season, not a lifetime. If I have any piece of advice for you in regards to time management it is to find a reason big enough to make you question where you put your time, and then make changes to match what you want from your life. When you create margin in life, you can then put things back into your schedule in order to do what you really want to do. But don’t forget to leave enough time to enjoy the present, to stop and smell the roses, and to live in the moment.

Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today. Let us begin. ― Mother Teresa
Share on X

28,000 days is the average person’s life expectancy. That may sound like a long time, but it really isn’t. You get one life, you can’t escape death, and what you do every day matters. Got it? Now go and figure out what matters to you, and cut out the things that don’t matter, because life is short, and you need to do something that matters.

When you take this idea to heart, the fear of missing out is lost in the hard work and dedication that it requires for doing what only you can do. You were put on this earth for a reason, and it is up to you to find that reason. You don’t have anything to prove to anyone else. Nobody else can be you. Own that, take that responsibility, and be the you who you are meant to be to the people around you.

Now, go and live in the moment today. 

The post #121: My Biggest Weakness appeared first on Adam Kirk Smith.

Making a decision is much more difficult than anything else that comes before the actual decision. We can mentally prepare for what’s ahead, but to actually make a needed decision is much different that the process of preparation. To make a decision you must take all data into careful consideration, and then make the decision that you see fit, no matter how hard that may be. The good news is that very rarely is a ‘final decision’ truly final. There’s always room for improvement and there’s usually a chance to make things right. This being said, people many times become paralyzed, not able to make a decision due to the fear of being wrong. Let me just say that perfection isn’t possible, no matter how much time is put into the process. There will always be something that could be done differently, but the most important part to know is that a decision must be made, right or wrong.

So, here are five steps to making the best possible decision with the information you have in your possession: 

If you’ve read my work before, then you know that I am all for making mistakes on the way to finding success. You need these mistakes to learn what works and what doesn’t. You can then make changes along the way to better your final outcome. This is called life. If you are just starting out along the decision process, it’s okay to not have it all figured out. Own that. You don’t need to know everything. Life will teach you lessons along the way — learn from them, become smarter from your journey, and keep pressing forward. Don’t let the wrong decisions cause you to give up, but rather, use what you learn from your decisions to become better in the future.

Also on this point, keep your distance from those who force you to be perfect with every decision. Those are the people who will hold you back and keep you from ever making a decision, because it’s ‘not good enough.’ Make the decision that your research and gut tells you to make and make changes if needed.

If I’m passionate about an idea and believe that it will work, then I see it as worth fighting for. If I’m not fighting for a certain outcome, then I know that it either doesn’t matter in the grand scheme of things, or I don’t care about the outcome. Either way, I don’t need to waste my time with it. This principle applies to anyone and everyone. If you don’t believe in something enough to fight for it, then it’s probably the wrong decision, and you need to rethink your position.

One of the best ways to know if you are making a good decision or not is to look at others who made the same decision in a past similar situation, and decide if that’s the outcome you want for yourself. The results may not turn out the exact same way, but they will most likely be close.

Every decision has a ripple effect on your world, sending future consequences into motion. Every choice has a cost; impacting people, the available time that you have, or your own journey. This can be heavy to think about, but consequences are real.

This step is important because emotional intelligence, or EQ, takes emotions into consideration when making decisions, those of your own and the emotions of others. Emotional intelligence is explained as self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, social skills and empathy by Daniel Goleman, author of the book, Focus: The Hidden Driver of Excellence. And these are all important attributes to possess as you make better decisions, because let’s face it, humans are emotional beings.

The post #120: At Some Point You Have to Make A Decision appeared first on Adam Kirk Smith.

Time is one of the most important possessions we have, so we must learn to use it wisely. This being said, here are three ways to save hours every single week:

Time is one of the most important possessions we have, so we must learn to use it wisely.
Share on X

Many times, due to ego and pride, people won’t ask questions. It’s like the old story of men not stopping at the gas station to ask for directions, which kids don’t even understand because of gps and smartphones, but it further proves my point here of questions saving time. Whether you ask a question to someone who already knows the answer or you type it into Google, asking questions and seeking answers saves much more time that just trying to figure it out on your own. There’s a difference between doing new work to go where others haven’t gone before and doing tasks that others already know how to do but you haven’t done before. You don’t know everything — none of us do — and that’s perfectly fine. Keep asking questions and find the answers you need along the way. And then use the knowledge of others to become better at what you do.

I have been using this process for years, as it doesn’t force me to drag out less than ideal tasks for longer than I need to. And even still, I also use this process for things that I like doing, such as writing. The mind best focuses on one thing at a time, and if you can devote each day of the week to one specific area, it’s better for you and your time. Doing this allows you to focus on the task at hand, allows you to get more done, and helps you build on previous ideas, rather than having to drop everything and come back later.

If you figure up all the time you take to care for children, sleep, eat, drive, shower, and use the restroom, the time adds up. Those are the necessities of life — the things you have to do. I’d say that all of these things add up to 11 hours per day, give or take a few hours. Whatever you need to do every day, tally up the time and hold yourself to it. Be realistic with the amount of time you need, because it’s important. Just like the budget you have for your finances, your budget of time keeps you accountable to what matters most.

So now, if you add in work and working on the relationship you have with your significant other, you don’t really have much time left in your day. Now, the question becomes, where can you save even more time in order to make time for others? The answer is to combine strengthening relationships with the meals you already have to eat. I believe in Coke CEO, Muhtar Kent’s philosophy of always eating with others so you can focus on relationships while taking care of the necessity that eating is. This is a simple way to fit even more in and care for people at the same time. Since caring for other people is the only reason that we do what we do, we must learn to steward our time well.

The post #119: How to Save Hours of Time Every Single Week appeared first on Adam Kirk Smith.

There are two ways that people can operate their businesses — with a takeaway or giveaway mentality. In my experience, I have found that businesses grow much faster when they are more generous with customers than when they are always stingy. In fact, in an interview I did a few years back, I attributed giving things away for free as a key factor of my success; I believe in it that much.

Business people, it’s okay to give some things away for free every once and awhile. Of course, I’m not saying to give everything away for free, nor am I saying that you shouldn’t make money — that’s not what I’m saying at all, actually. But what I am saying is that being nice in business is the best way to get more attention from a new audience, and it creates better relationships, no matter what business you’re in. When you begin thinking long-term rather than short-term, and you see every action as an investment rather than needing an immediate return on it, then you are well on your way to finding what it means to be generous in business. If you’re wondering if you should be more generous or more stingy with your next business decision, I would choose to error on the side of being generous.

We can give life to others with our words.
Share on X

The post #118: Three More Ways to Be Nice appeared first on Adam Kirk Smith.

Most people want to make a positive difference in the world, but many times, people don’t know where to start. If that’s you, here are the necessary five steps along the way to doing something that matters: 

SO many people live life in a monotonous routine, not paying attention to the people around them. Listen, if you’re not impacting people in some way, then you’re not making a difference. I’ve been making a difference for the last ten years by consistently producing free content so my readers can benefit and use it in their own lives. Why did I start putting my valuable time into doing that? Because I wanted to make a difference in the world, so I used my expertise and combined it with my interest in social media to find my place in the business and self-help landscape. And it worked. Whatever you do in life, shoot for making a difference in the world. People need you.

Knowing who YOU are, and how you’re designed, and what sparks passion inside of you, and what you’re good at, is so important. Too often people look at others to know who they should be, but that’s not creative, that’s not innovative, that’s not leaving your imprint on the world, that’s not you; that’s someone else’s job, not yours. Stop worrying about what everyone else is doing, and begin concentrating on who you were designed to be. Ask yourself the question, “Who do I want to be and where do I want to be in life?” Answer that question and plan accordingly. Life is too short to spend wishing, or not being who you were intended to be in the first place. You have purpose.

What I am about to say I don’t like to admit, but it’s the truth — it’s how the world works. And here it is: If you don’t chase your dreams, someone else will recruit you for theirs. Now, if you believe in someone else’s dreams enough to help them, then I am all for it — helping people is what I do. But at some point you have to wonder if there isn’t something else that you were made for. Maybe it’s time for you to lead the way. My question to you is, “Why not you?”

I am constantly asking people the question, “What problem do you need solved?” I ask this question because when enough people give the same answer, it lets me know that people need an answer. And if it lies in my area of expertise, then I will research it, draw a conclusion, and then produce content on the topic. When you do something that matters, you will find a solution that works through trial and error and provide it to those who need an answer. Complaining about the way things are is one thing, but actually taking the time to find a solution is taking it to another level. You were designed to help others.

Putting in the work is the most important part of the equation. When results aren’t realized early on, and people aren’t patient enough, quitting becomes a reasonable option. On the other hand, when people are determined while putting in the work, and they already know who they are and what they were created to do, putting in the work becomes a way of life. When people have this mentality, a lengthy timeline isn’t a distraction, but rather, it becomes something to work towards. Your reward is found in the work.

One of the weirdest questions that I get asked is, “Why do you work so much?” Of course, if you have read any of my work, then you know that I believe in the principle of getting back what you put into something. Big dreams require a lot of work; they just do. If you truly want to make your ideas a reality, you will put in the work.

The post #117: How to Do Something That Matters appeared first on Adam Kirk Smith.

For the past ten years I have been building my online community, trying new things, and building businesses, all while attempting to meet my own expectations and the expectations of others in every other important area of life. Just like you, because of all the daily demands, I am always trying to find more time in my day. 

After sleeping, working, and taking the time to meet all other basic human needs, it probably seems that there isn’t much time left to do what is needed — I know I have found myself in this place before — but I found that there are some fixes to the shortage of time we all experience. Once I began saying that I didn’t have enough time to exercise, or enough time to spend with friends, or enough time to vacation, or enough time to take a day or two off every week, or enough time to write a book, or enough time to [_fill in the blank_], I would hear of people who were busier than myself who had enough time to do all of the things I wanted to accomplish and even more, all while doing them well. You know who I’m talking about — the CEOs, and the entrepreneurs, and the politicians, and the successful business people who you hear about who have done everything you ever wanted to in life, but you in your busyness can’t seem to find any extra time in your day.

So, what’s the difference between you and those who can find the time? The difference between them and you probably has to do with three things, and here they are:

I can speak from experience here — when you run multiple businesses, you have to learn how to get creative with time, and that means that you learn to let go of things. Yes, you may even need to get rid of some things that you like doing in order to make room for the things that you love doing. Ask yourself, “What am I passionate about?” If you’re passionate enough, you’ll make ample room in your schedule for those things. Even if it means that you have to pay someone to cut the lawn in order to free up an hour, or you have to pick up carry-out for dinner to free up the hour of time spent cooking and cleaning up, or whatever small task you can pay others to do for you, it’s worth it if you can save any time at all. (Some people may think that fifteen minutes is just fifteen minutes, but I see it as fifteen minutes of opportunity.) As valuable as time is, my advice is to always save it when you can. Know what you need to do to accomplish your dreams, take care of the people who need you, and get rid of the excess. This is where you need to start when chasing your wildest dreams.

If you are a single mom or dad and you have three kids under the age of seven, this may not the best season to build a startup. If you can figure it out and still enjoy your children, then great, but so many people ignore their current situations and will find that they missed out on more important things later down the road. Trust me, when you realize the current season you are in and you dance in those lines, you will save both your relationships and your sanity. And if you are extremely driven to accomplish your dreams, and you want them right now, you need to begin pairing that determination with patience, as it will save you from so many future letdowns. Success is coming; it may just appear a little slower than you think.

You know you can improve on efficiency when projects take much longer than they should. Maybe you allow your mind wander more than you should, or maybe you don’t give yourself enough deadlines, or maybe you are always working in an open space where people are free to interrupt you whenever they please, or maybe you engage in too much ‘small talk,’ or maybe your meetings have become unfocused. Whatever the case may be, increased focus equals increased efficiency, so looking for ways to better your productivity is extremely important. Saving time allows you to start your next project sooner, it gives you back time to put in better work, and it makes space for the opportunity to put more time into the areas you actually need to work on more often.

When you get rid of the excess, are realistic with your time, and become more efficient, you will realize that you have more time than you think. Now, go and find more time today. 

The post #116: There’s More Time Than You Think appeared first on Adam Kirk Smith.

For the past three years I have offered life and business coaching sessions to people who are interested, but it has never something that I push. I figure that if people want to seek that service out from me, then they will see that I offer it on my website. And even though I offer this service, it’s not my main goal with my blog to gain more clients. In fact, I’ve had so many people interested that I have a waiting list right now. It’s a good problem to have, and I’ve had other investors approach me with ideas to scale my business even more, but again, that’s not my goal. So, what is my goal with everything I do? 

My main goal in life is to make the best use of my time and to empower people. By myself, I can only coach twelve people at the most every month, whereas I can write on this blog and reach thousands of people with every article. Looking at these numbers, I can easily see that the best use of my time is to focus on providing content for my online audience. With my full schedule, posting online in any of the formats that I use — writing, video blogging, or podcasting — is the best use of my time.

But, if my goal truly is to impact the most people that I possibly can, then the numbers don’t lie; I need to go where the people are. I charge a premium for coaching because I am short on time, but people are only interested in my program after hearing my unique perspective on my blog. This being said, I very rarely add a client just by telling people that I offer coaching, but instead, people approach me for coaching after reading my work and becoming a part of my online community. This is why my mentality on marketing has changed over the years. I now believe that selling a product has much less to do with the actual product than most think. But it does have more to do with whether the person selling a product is truthful and believable with how a product can be beneficial to one’s life. This is what makes testimonials so powerful.

I’ve been writing for ten years now, not because I want to sell you something, but I began this blog because I enjoy writing, I feel like I can help people, and with these things in mind, people eventually took notice of my work. I gained attention by providing value, not by trying to make a sale, and this is what I am still trying to do. I’m just trying to add value. I see new opportunity as a means to begin new conversations and a way to spread new ideas. That’s the best way to influence, make a difference, and sell products.

The post #115: Do Anything But Sell Your Product appeared first on Adam Kirk Smith.

When you realize that you and/or your work aren’t for everyone, it’s liberating. It’s at this point of realization that you can stop your appeal to the masses, and can instead find your audience. So, in an effort to help you push through the noise, here are three ways to shut out the critics when they come your way: 

I am fascinated by the Wright brothers, because anyone who takes a giant leap with their work has my attention, and to go first is a pretty scary thing. (Some believe that Gustave Whitehead was the first man to take flight, but I still believe it was the Wright brothers.) The two owned a bicycle repair shop and spent any extra time they had working on their idea of creating a flying machine. They executed on their idea, and created modern aviation on December 17, 1903. They helped make the world a smaller place, so that the rest of us could fly and enjoy far away places. Their sense of adventure and innovation showed through their work, but the road to get there was anything but easy. They had their share of critics along the way, but they kept pressing forward, because they knew they were onto something great. Critics in the European aviation community converted much of the press to an anti-Wright brothers stance. The Wright brothers certainly made their share of mistakes, but they kept experimenting and eventually found a way to make their idea work. They had to know who they were and that their work was going to make a difference so that they could defy both the odds and the critics simultaneously. Of course, the Wright brothers aren’t the only ones who had to learn how to tune out critics, but the principle has always been the same: stay true to yourself, take risks, be innovative, do the work, and repeat.

This is just the truth. People’s personalities will clash, and as much as you want to be accepted by everyone, it will never happen. This is why it is so important to be yourself rather than trying to please everyone, because you will never be able to make everyone happy; you just won’t. The people who will love you and/or your work will be there for you no matter what, and the ones who don’t will still have their opinion no matter how hard you try to please them. Find the people who appreciate you and your work and fight to make a positive difference in the world.

Now, please don’t hear me wrong. This isn’t a call to do whatever you want, but more of a call to find who you are and to be yourself, but to also care about other people and to produce great work for them at the same time. Great work always displays some piece of the work’s creator. You are you, but your work is an extension of who you are for this very reason. It is also for this reason that relationship brings an even deeper appreciation for one’s work. When I get to know someone, it helps me understand where the work came from, and that brings a deeper appreciation for their effort, their attempts, and their convictions. Relationships bring importance not only to the person, but to everything they do. If we have relationship, if it matters to you, then it matters to me.

Nothing shuts critics up faster than producing results. If people keep criticizing you and your work, don’t give them your precious time if you know you’re heading in the right direction, define what success is to you, focus on your work, and fight for success. Find the problem you want to fix, and fix it. We all need that from you.

The post #114: You and Your Work Aren’t for Everyone appeared first on Adam Kirk Smith.

You need passion because you need to experience every ounce of life that you can. Yes, life is dull without passion. So if the idea of having passion intrigues you, but you don’t know how to obtain it, here are three questions you can ask yourself to get you heading in the right direction: 

If you hit the snooze button more often than not, then it may be time to look at your level of passion for life. (Or how much sleep you’re getting.) Are you excited about your life? If not, then this is something that you can change. If ‘dull’ describes your life, then your best remedy is finding passion. Each new day includes strengthening relationships, doing great work, dreaming up new ideas, planning the future, and exploring nature. Life offers much to become passionate about.

Passion exudes out of people when they grab hold of a life worth being passionate about. And the only way for this to happen is to remain curious about life. When we stop being curious about life and what it holds for us, we lose sight of future opportunity, possibilities, and hope.

What are you curious about? What sparks passion in you? What do you seek to change? Who do you seek to impact with your life? How can you influence others? How are you wired? These are great questions to begin with to raise your level of curiosity. Never stop asking questions and never stop being curious about what is to come.

Many people never find a life full of passion because they only concentrate on finding passion in their work. And while being passionate about work is important, I believe that someone can become passionate about any type of work, as long as they find their reason for doing the work. When one finds their ‘why’ there’s not much of anything that can stand in the way of finding purpose and passion. An easy way to do this in any profession is to find the people who you most impact and to do your work for those people, because people always matter. Yes, work is something to be passionate about, but outside of the conversation of work, life as a whole warrants passion. There is so much to do and life is shorter than you think. It’s time to use anything and everything to fuel your drive, and begin finding a passion for all facets of life.

Now, go and find more passion, today. 

The post #113: 3 Questions to Ask Yourself to Find a Life Full of Passion appeared first on Adam Kirk Smith.

Every time you choose one thing over another, you are taking time and effort away from something else, or even someone else. Every single choice has a cost. This is just another reason that our choices are so important. No, not everything in this world can be a priority for this very reason. We have to be very intentional with the way we live our lives, because we all have limited time and resources. Sure, we can delegate tasks to others, but this doesn’t solve everything. This means that we must weigh the cost versus the payout; the risk versus the reward; and the effort versus the possible result, and then make decisions accordingly.

In an effort to help you see all of your options, even if there seems to be no margin left in your life, here are three ways to know if the cost of your choices is adding up to something great:

So many times people do things that just aren’t important, but they feel are required of them. The role of the micromanager comes to mind here. One question you can ask yourself along the way to know if you are doing what is necessary is, “Am I helping or hurting the situation?” People can actually hurt the outcome just by doing the right thing at the wrong time, so timing is important as well. Not to mention that when you allow others to make attempts, you allow them to learn valuable lessons in the process. Letting others take action empowers them to do more in the future. Yes, by not doing everything, you are actually helping people, because they need practice, too. In the end, it is imperative that you know you are doing the absolute very best thing you could be doing. If you’re not doing what brings the most value, then it’s probably time to find a way to either eliminate it or delegate it.

We can’t look at the amount of people who are impacted by our work enough, because the reach of our influence changes things. My goodness, are people important. To change the world, we must examine the way in which we view others. People aren’t here to be used and abused, but to be cared for, and it is when we find how we each are individually wired that we can care for people in remarkable ways. Sure, there are people all around us who need us, but we must be willing. Ideas are never enough; there must be action taken to create a lasting change.

Your decisions show how much you value your time. If you are wasting time, not focusing on your priorities, then you aren’t viewing your time as valuable. When you realize that we all only have one life to live, and there isn’t much guaranteed in this world, but we are all guaranteed to die, this whole valuing your time thing becomes so much more important. When you waste your time, you waste your life — it’s that simple.

The post #112: Everything Has a Cost appeared first on Adam Kirk Smith.