Live Life With Purpose with Adam Smith

I started reading leadership and self-help books at first, because of professors making it a requirement in college. I then took a career path that also recommended reading them, so I could grow along the way. It was great advice, but if I’m honest, at that point in life I was reading them out of duty, rather than reading them because I enjoyed them. It just seemed like everyone made the same points over and over again in these books, but worded them in different ways, hoping that readers wouldn’t notice.

As I began writing more often, I began enjoying books much more than previously. It was fun to see the ideas that others had, but still not much had changed in the past ten years on what authors were serving with their words. I began seeing how stale the topic of leadership really was, and also what it needed. I saw that leadership needed to return to the reason the word even exists.

Here are the three main points that I see most leadership books miss out on and why they are too important to miss:

1. These leadership books I am talking about always places the importance on you, but never take it one step further. 

Leadership is always about impacting other people, but leadership books seem to always look out for numero uno. I get it. You have to be better to impact other people, but that’s always where it stops. What if I told you that if you are stopping there, you are missing out on impacting people and ultimately missing out on leading well? You can read all the leadership and self-help books that you want to, but if you don’t actually share your knowledge and put them into action, then you aren’t leading; you are just consuming.

2. If other people are so important, then empathy and love are the biggest leadership traits there are. 

empathy – the ability to understand and share the feelings of another.

Again, you have to care for others deeply in order to lead well, and the only way to do this is to listen to the needs of others and act upon them. Since this is true, then empathy may be the best tool in your leadership arsenal, while hustle is the best tool in your advancement tool belt .

Maybe you are in your car right now, listening to this podcast, and saying back to me, “Well Adam, you don’t know how little time I actually have to talk with others, let alone be empathetic.”. While that may be a valid point to you, everyone else in this world is in the same boat.

Like I have said before, it’s less about the amount of time you have, and more about what you do with the time that you have. I am not asking you to create more time, but rather choose to use it more wisely than you are right now. Choosing better ways to use your time should include loving other and showing empathy towards them as well. When you can relate to people, you will know how they need to be helped and what you can do to best serve them and lead in their life.

Listen, I know you are busy. Everyone is busy. But, that cannot be your excuse anymore. When you choose to take the time to stop long enough and hear someone else’s story and then show love through your life, you are leading. That’s the best way each and every one of us have to lead in this moment.

3. You don’t have to wait for “someday”.

This being said, you already have everything you need to lead right now. Most books will tell you that when you are a manager, or “in charge” in some capacity, or become a CEO of a company, then maybe just maybe you will be ready and able to lead. But, what this misses out on is that you already have the essential tools in your possession to lead with your life every single day. You have a full heart and the ability to care and do for other people. Don’t ever let anyone tell you that you are not enough, because you are. You can and will make a difference once you believe that. Choose to take that belief and run with it.

Even though most leadership books miss these three points, you don’t have to. We can look through out history and see the difference makers of this world and how they made a difference, and these three points are the difference makers. You can do the same when you believe these three life-changing points and begin doing something with them, today.

The post #051: Leadership Books Are Missing Three Things appeared first on Adam Kirk Smith.

Consistency is something that I have always struggled with. I can get on these kicks of doing awesome things and then will suddenly stop them due to not seeing fast results. Just because something is good, doesn’t mean that it will always bring the immediate results that I want, but it also doesn’t mean I should stop doing them.

I one day came to an epiphany.

Just because immediate results don’t come, that doesn’t mean you should stop. Doing things just because they are good for your mind, body and soul are good enough on their own. 

I understand that we are human and there are days we just don’t feel like it. For those days we still need consistency in our lives, but how?

Here are six ways to have more consistency in your own life and push through those times that you just don’t feel like it.

1. Pursue what you are extremely passionate about.

Plain and simple, you will only consistently do what you really want to do. I have heard people as of late diminish the importance of passion, but I couldn’t disagree more. You need passion for what you are doing for it to work long-term. Find your passion for life and find passion for the greatness you achieve routinely. When you continuously practice passion, you won’t be able to keep yourself from attempting those things on a regular basis.

2. Cut out all of the life-draining excess.

All of the things that you are sort of committed to are just wasting your time. Cut out those things that you sort of want to do and see how much better you become at consistency.

3. Create life-giving routines.

Consistency demands structure, unless you are trying to be routinely free-spirited. Consistently performing routines will get you where you want to be faster than just about anything else.

4. Use a positive vocabulary.

The way you word things will help you see life in a more positive light. Wording what you need to accomplish in a more positive manner will help you be more consistent, even with the things that you don’t necessarily want to do.

5. Believe in the benefits of consistency.

You won’t care to be consistent unless you see the true benefits of it. Sometimes you have to retrain how you see things in order to do what you need to do, rather than just the things that you want to do.

6. Know the why.

Why do you want to be more consistent? Do you believe it will actually make you better? Do you believe that it will help you accomplish more? If so, then you are well on your way to becoming more consistent in life.

Those are the six things that will keep you more consistent with the things that you want and need to do in life. Go and find more consistency, today. 

The post #050: Consistency Takes You to The Next Level appeared first on Adam Kirk Smith.

The question, “What is your main purpose in life, Adam?” has stuck with me ever since he asked me. That came from a friend years ago. I have thought about that question many times along the way, and have had many different answers for it as well. After we cut past all the other things that matter in life first – God, family, relationships – I was challenged to dive deeper with my life’s work. It took me months to come up with an answer, but that was because I was making it too difficult. I looked over all of the subjects I had talked about and written about over the years, and as I looked at my different thoughts, I was finally able to put the answer to this question into words. So, here it is –

My mission in life is to challenge selfishness.

What I love doing is helping others find areas to show love and help others along the way. There are so many facets to living a great life, and this is the foundation of it all. If there’s one thing I am on this world to fight against, it is selfishness, because I have been there and have learned to hate what it turned my heart into and I see it in the world around me, too. It’s destroying lives, and people don’t even realize it. Listen, if your outlook on life is that it is all about you and it’s you against the world, then I have news for you. To live a healthy life, full of beautiful relationships and impacting lives, this cannot be your approach.

Everything is not about you. It’s about others.

To sum it up in one sentence, this message is my life work. It is the foundation for everything I believe in. People are all about more, more, more, never being satisfied with just giving themselves to loving people. I have spent years destroying selfishness in my own life, because it creeps in, until one day you look up and realize that you have been living the opposite of a better life. I have seen the destructive path that it can cause. I have seen it destroy lives, because the pursuit of those lives were after the wrong things, and it cost them dearly. Of course you can change and bounce back from anything, but it’s always best not to go through heartache and pain if you don’t have to.

So, spread love instead of selfishness, because if there’s one thing this world needs less of, it’s selfishness. Remember that as you search yourself, as you get ready for your day, as you encounter and embrace people, and as you end your day. People need you to show more selflessness than any other thing you could give away with your life.

My challenge to you today is to search yourself of selfishness and rid yourself of what has you focused on the wrong things in life. After you do that, don’t stop at just one area of selfishness, because there are probably be more. That’s how it works for me, anyways. It’s a daily walk my friend. However selfish you have been in the past, it will be a process, but it’s a journey worth embarking on.

Go, and change the world around you with fighting selfishness, today. 

The post #049: Selfish appeared first on Adam Kirk Smith.

Everyone comes to a point in life where they have to decide what they feel compelled to do, and once this decision is made, you then need to decide what to do with it. It’s a true crossroad in life. Do you keep doing what you have been doing because it’s the easy thing to do and it “works”, or do you follow the road less traveled – the one where you step out and take a huge risk? This road is the one where you are driven to do what has been filling your mind for years, but you haven’t had it within you to pull the trigger, quite yet.

You’re waiting for something, but don’t know what it is. You keep coming up with excuses as to why you can’t do that one thing, and all the signs are pointing to why you can. But, still you focus on the excuses as to why you can’t take the next step.

These excuses keep coming and the fear from it all keeps piling on top of each other. You have given into the lie that it is too late for you to pursue your dream(s) and have settled.

There is still that internal pull to that burning passion within that continues to move you. It’s what matters most to you and that subject matter you want and need to share with others. When you truly decide what the most important thing you have to share with others is, doing what’s important will become your sole purpose. My advice to you –

Whatever you do with each and every breath, do what is truly important.

That’s your answer to doing something great. What’s your biggest conviction? What are you burning to tell other people about? What do people need to know about in order to make their lives better? Those are all things you have contemplated and you probably have your answer. You’ve just been so busy telling yourself all of the reasons you’re crazy, instead of focusing on why your passion is brilliant. The truth is that there will be no better moment than right now for you to do what is important to you and pursue your dreams.

The post #048: Just Do What Is Important appeared first on Adam Kirk Smith.

If you have followed me for any length of time, then you know that Evernote is my favorite app and tool on the market. I have been asked many times how I use the app, and I am finally to the point where I feel the need to break it down, so that others can benefit from the process that I use to save time in the writing process. Why? Because I don’t know how I would write without Evernote. It’s been a huge help to getting important ideas out of my head and into writing.

Here are the 3 ways that I use Evernote to the fullest:

1. Have a brain dump folder.

This is essential for me, because I can even forget what I was going to write in the amount of time it takes to switch folders. I also have about 50 different potential blog, podcast, and book ideas that go through my head on any given day, and Evernote allows me to cut past the usual brain dumping process when I have a brain dump folder. This allows me to skip the brain dump process when I sit down to work on my writings. All of the content I need to expound upon is already in this folder. Convenient, time-saving, and painless.

2. Have different folders in which your content will be sifted into.

I then use my already labeled folders for blog posts, podcasts, and books. When I have a chance to go through it all, that is when I am able to section all of the week’s content into the designated folders that I have already created. Doing this allows me to open that specific folder that I need to work on for that day, and dive right in. Talk about saving time and energy. The folder feature is the best thing that Evernote offers. It has caused me to recreate my entire workflow and allows me to accomplish more in one day than I used to in one week. If you are like me, then you find any and every way to save time that you can.

3. Use the sync feature with Evernote, so that you can write on the go.

I used to use Pages on my phone more often, but I got tired of not having everything in one program. I got exhausted with moving information from one page to another, and then having to make sure that I was working on the most up-to-date document. I wanted to use Scrinever, but they don’t offer an iPhone app to let me write all my ideas on my iPhone Plus when I am on the go. I am the biggest fan of keeping all content in one place. I am a believer that when you have less content in other places, it is much easier to piece the puzzle together.

These are the three steps that I have found to be best when using Evernote. No, I wouldn’t call myself an Evernote expert by any means, but I do know that Evernote offers me more flexibility than any other tool out there, and that alone makes me a fan of Evernote for all of my writing.

The post #047: The Best Ways To Use Evernote As A Writer appeared first on Adam Kirk Smith.

Thank you for tuning into Live Life With Purpose. It’s a new year and I hope your 2015 is off to a great start! I also know you have a lot of awesome goals that you want to accomplish this year, and are well on your way to making them happen.

But, what if I told you a key ingredient that will not only help you reach your goals, but will allow you to be more effective with your goals, will help you accomplish more, and will help you achieve your goals faster?

Ready?

You need more people to help you be more effective in 2015.

I don’t care how awesome you are, you need to surround yourself with other awesome people to be even more awesome. Incorporate more people than yourself and watch as greatness grows. You don’t have all the answers, so it’s time to start seeing where you could use some help.

Do you want to grow your business exponentially this year? Listen to business podcasts, join a business-centered mastermind group, or read business-minded blogs and books.

Do you want to run a marathon? Seek out help from other runners, print out a training schedule, make healthier choices, and begin working out on a more regular basis.

Do you need to begin setting your family up better financially? Use online resources at your fingertips for great advice and listen to what people like Dave Ramsey says on his radio show.

Do you want to start writing your book this year? You can read helpful writing blogs, find that subject that is burning in your heart, and then sit down and write out your take on it.

Do you want to take your relationships to the next level? Be intentional and sit down at the beginning of each month and see what days work out for you to hang out with people. You can make it consistent by making it the same dates every month. This will make you even more intentional with relationships.

Whatever it is that you want to accomplish in 2015, the resources available to us now are far greater than any other generation before us has encountered. Also, see that every solution I offered you won’t cost you a penny. All of these tasks I gave involve content or services from asking questions to other people, but it is all free!

Too many times people want to offer services that will cost you an arm and a leg, but there are better answers to your current circumstances than throwing money at it. You can work towards your dreams right now, even if you don’t have the resources to invest right now. Stop using that excuse in 2015, and start gathering the information you need from others to succeed.

Sure, I offer a coaching program to people who need more of a push in their lives to reach their goals faster, but the one thing I spend almost all of my time trying to teach people to instill in their lives is self-discipline. I find that people seek out every answer to life, only to find out somewhere down the road that the responsibility always falls back on them.

But, I also love seeing when people get serious enough about their lives that they will reach out and do whatever it takes to reach their definition of success. It sometimes helps people to get serious about life when they make an monetary investment, so they can stay accountable in that way. When people get serious about their lives, it is about whatever works.

Yes, if you need that extra push, accountability, and a think tank, then coaching may be a great option for you. But, the most important characteristic you can hold onto is drive, heart, self-discipline, and motivation. This means that your progress is in your hands and your hands alone, but the smart thing remains to enlist help from others. If there’s help available, then by all means, take it. No matter how smart you are, you don’t have all the answers. You can and will be better when you take life on together, rather than separate. Don’t isolate yourself when it comes to improvement. People want to see you succeed, myself included.

Let’s decide right now to make this our best year yet. Here’s to an amazing 2015. Let us begin with being teachable and receiving help from others, today.

The post #046: Want To Be More Effective? Add More People. appeared first on Adam Kirk Smith.

The purpose of this podcast is for you to understand what issues might be present in your life and then you should be able to have takeaways to apply in your life and live a life with more purpose. So, what are we talking about today to help you achieve this? Sleep.

This topic is so important, that I am dedicating a podcast episode to it.

Sleep may be more important than you previously thought. I am seeing an increase on the belief that more sleep is a good thing, but for every person who thinks correctly about their need for sleep, there are five other people who brag that they can get by just fine with five hours of sleep or less. The mentality that less sleep allows for more time during the day is a false belief, because the energy that comes from having the correct amount of sleep for your body is used to be more effective in the hours of the day that you already have. It isn’t about creating more hours, it is more about increasing productivity within the hours that you already have.

There are countless studies out there stating the importance of sleep and how it can actually help you, and I am just going to reference one here.

The Harvard Women’s Health Watch suggests there are six reasons to get enough sleep: [quote]

If this isn’t proof enough that sleep is beneficial to your life, then take the time to read a few more of the pro-sleep studies available to read that go in more depth on sleep cycles, how much sleep people actually need, and the importance of understanding REM sleep.

Here are three ways to find better sleep:

1. Wind down mentally without electronics.

2. Write down what is on your mind and get it out.

3. Don’t do too much close to bedtime.

If you don’t take my word for it or you don’t want to listen to Harvard’s research due to the belief that you keep too hectic of a schedule to get more sleep, then you may need to make the decision yourself to sleep more in order to be more productive, energetic, and effective. Don’t wait until exhaustion forces you to get more sleep.

The post #045: The Second Different View On Time Management – The Importance of Sleep appeared first on Adam Kirk Smith.

Along our journey we all get to know people who we would consider leaders and want to learn from them. Most of the leaders I have come in contact with along my journey are those that are very protective with their schedule. This, I definitely don’t disagree with. Being protective with your time for your family is necessary, but what I am talking about is the time spent outside of family time. What I disagree with is when “leaders” won’t give anyone and everyone at least some of their time.

I believe this one difference separates the real leaders from those who think they are leaders. Why is this? It goes back to my definition of leadership. Each and every one of us have our own definition of leadership and thoughts on what leadership should look like. Most people think of the act of leadership as this huge event that only happens a few times within a year, decade, or even in a lifetime. My definition of leadership looks more like love than anything else. Leadership is the selfless act of impacting others through your life. That’s where leadership happens. So, what does that mean for all of us? Leadership happens all the time. It happens on a daily basis.

How can you change this view in your life right now?

You can begin giving anyone and everyone time in your schedule. I hear a lot of leaders say they only give time to those who are important to them or that can benefit them in some way. Well, that might be the most selfish thing I’ve ever heard. When you give something to get something in return, that’s not any part of leadership, that’s manipulation. Let’s call it what it is.

When you give something to get something in return, that’s not leadership, that’s manipulation.
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As discussed in the last episode, my view of time management is changing, and it starts here. This view is one that not many people have adopted, but it may be the most important view change you can have on time management and your schedule. Why don’t more people think this way? People aren’t aware how much selfishness can ruin their ability to lead with their lives. We all have to want and learn to fight selfishness with everything we have within us and let selflessness take action in all of our lives.

So, how do you actually achieve a leadership lifestyle with your schedule, impact more people, and begin to manage your time better? You can start by doing these 3 things:

We have all been in those meetings that cover more things than are needed. These are those meetings that are twenty minutes in and the realization hits you that you are in the wrong place at the right time. You then look at your watch an hour later and realize there are no real action items from the meeting you are in. It is all talk and you don’t have anything to actually go and do with it. With every meeting time you have in your schedule, know what you want to do with it. No, not every personal meeting needs an agenda, but know that you want to just sit and talk in those times. With every meeting you have that covers business, you do need an agenda to make the best use of your time. Use bullet points, convey what you need to and then get on to what matters most; relationships. Stop covering things that don’t need to be covered in meetings, and instead get to know people on a more personal level. You already have the time you need, but you may just not be using it in the best possible way. Use your time more effectively and impact the lives of more people in return.

Some of those weekly meetings you are having with mentors, friends, and acquaintances might be more effective if you changed those meetings to once every two weeks or once per month. You can use that extra time to meet with other people who you can pour life into and you will also have more things to cover within each time you meet with someone new if there is more time in between each meeting. You can still create meaningful relationships, even if times that you meet aren’t as frequent. You will increase productivity as a result and impact more lives. Again, this is just another way you can lead more effectively through your life.

Reevaluate the reasons that you get together in the first place. If it is more out of duty than creating relationships with people, try to turn those into emails or phone calls. If these meetings can easily and effectively be done via a different form of communication, then by all means mix it up a bit. Maybe it’s time to rethink the process and not just do it that way because it’s the way that it has always be done. Use technology well in your situations and connect over web chat, phone, or email instead. If you can save on travel time alone, it’s worth it in order to be able to have more time back to impact the lives of others.

I hope these three points help you in your journey to getting back more time to live life with more purpose and impact. Yes, your time is precious, but people are more precious. If people need you, be there. And remember, the people who can do something in return for you aren’t the only people who deserve your time. Use these action items to love anyone and everyone with your time.

Take a look at your view of time management, do these three things, and make more time for others, today. 

The post #044: The First Different View On Time Management appeared first on Adam Kirk Smith.

When I think about this podcast and what it stands for – “to live life with purpose” – the meaning is something that I have to define to myself.

What does it mean to live life with purpose?

Does it mean that you need to get a lot of things done to live life with purpose?

I believe that is part of it, but that is only the “how” part of the equation. The how is what leads you to the why. the why of the equation is people. We are to get things done in order to impart ourselves into the lives of other people. Everyone thinks that they can and should stop with the “how”, but if we do this we miss the entire point of living our lives well.

I believe this one statement requires all of us to not only look at how we are using our time, but how we view time and time management altogether.

Today, this idea challenges me with this thought –

It isn’t about the amount of time you have, but what you do with it that counts. When we steward our time well, we live our lives well.

We are taught from adolescence that time is the most important thing we own, but it is because time is what we give other people that makes it so important. Let us never forget the “why”. Time is only important because all people are important, not just you.

This idea brings me to my next thought, which you may disagree with, but I’m okay with that.

If there is ever a choice between being somewhere on time or creating memories with people in the moment, the need to take advantage of making memories in that moment is the better choice.

Now, hold on and hear me out. I still respect you and I still believe in respecting your time, but realize I not only value you, but everyone else in this world, too. Yes, I talk a lot about time management and focus, but I can sometimes get lost in the “how” of things as well. The “why” should always be the reason behind the reason in everything we do. If the reason of “why” to live life always comes back to people, I would rather be known for loving than for being on time.

Are both possible to coexist? Sure. But, the main downfall of using time management with the preexisting idea that you are doing it well with a full schedule is the fact that it forces you to always live in the future and never allows you to relax and just be present with the people around you. Where do you need to be next? Where do you need to be tomorrow? Where do you need to be next week? A full schedule forces us all to live in the future, and again, most people would accept that as the norm and be totally fine with living this way. When we take the time to slow down and take advantage of the current moments,we are in. it is only then that we can take the time to make an impact.

I used to think that every single thing had to be scheduled in during every day, but the more that I live my life, the more I realize that I can miss out on opportunities when every single part of my day is scheduled out. My idea of time management is changing. When I talk about creating margin in your life, there shouldn’t be anything taking up this space. Leave time in your day to just love on people, because that my friend, is way more than enough.

The post #043: The Real Issue With Time appeared first on Adam Kirk Smith.

Besides living out each season of life, there is the process of moving through these seasons. Within these layers, there is the motion of life that we all go through. The first layer leads you to the second one, and the second to the third. That being said, there are three significant layers to your life and how you live in them dictates how you perceive your current circumstances and even your future layers of life.

There are three layers to life and here is what each layer looks like:

The Pursuit – Like the cops in a car chase going after the bad guys in an action flick, maybe you are pursuing your biggest dreams with all you have, giving it your best Dukes of Hazard style. These are those moments in life where you will do anything to reach goals, even if it’s at 2am when you have to wake up at 5am, so you can make it to your day job on time. I am convinced that this is the most frustrating time in life. It feels like people and your job are pulling you in 100 different directions, not to mention all of the different things you need to do in the middle of the night, so that you can reach your biggest dreams.

It can be draining, demotivating, and mind-boggling, but it can also be rewarding. I am a firm believer that life is what you make it, including the process of the pursuit. One of the first things that can suffer within your pursuits are the the things you hold most dear, like your family and other loved ones. The pursuit was never meant to make people suffer. Your pursuit is always meant to bless others. The only point for your pursuit is to make a difference in the lives of others. Set up your pursuit in a way that impacts more people in a positive way, rather than sucking the life out of your relationships.

Tip: Make a realistic timeline and deadline for yourself to reach your biggest dreams, while including your most important obligations first along the way.

Satisfaction and Contentment – Once you are able to reach these dreams you have been chasing for so long, there is a feeling of satisfaction and contentment. Everyone is wired differently. Some choose to dwell here in this contentment and is okay to stay there and then some want more, more, more. My point I want to make here is the difference between wanting more and the need to steward well with what you already have. I believe people have forgotten just how important it is to do well with what you already have. People need to continuously want more. You can go ahead and do well with what you already have in your possession. If your first reaction is to keep going after more, you can and will miss the true meaning of life. When you aren’t concentrating on the next big thing, it allows you to step back and see the need of those around you.

Tip: Pause long enough to see the needs of those around you. You already have enough in your possession to make a difference. You just need to go and do.

Fulfillment – Once someone has been working in this satisfaction and contentment for quite some time, there is a fulfillment that comes along with it. But, it directly ties into doing things for others, not pursing more things and the pursuit of one’s self. The pursuit of more is an empty journey, that can only be filled with something of more substance. That’s where fulfillment comes from. I’m sorry to inform you that this fulfillment can’t be found in yourself or your accomplishments. This fulfillment can only come from a relationship with Jesus and creating lasting relationships with people. As previously discussed in another episode, the only reason to pour into yourself is to then pour into the lives of others.

Tip: Find fulfillment in things that last, not the things in life that waver. 

You know, I think about this life a lot, including successes and mistakes. I think about both to learn from them and pull out the things I want to repeat in the future. The pursuit is filled with wins and losses that we need to take the time to learn from. When you do this, the pursuit becomes an even more important part of life. It’s not only the layer of life where the action happens, but it’s also where you will pull away the most life lessons. The next season of satisfaction is more about working with what you already have and making people better with it, including yourself. The last layer of fulfillment is found in the source of it all.

No matter where you are at, you can steward well in your current layer of life, today. 

The post #042: Peel Back The Layers To Life appeared first on Adam Kirk Smith.