Do you run your business or does your business run you?

This is another video I recorded up in Vermont while I was up there with my wife, a trip that was made possible by the responsible actions of the people of New London County in keeping our Covid numbers down.

As your business grows, it becomes more and more important to block out time for the things you need to do. You will become more and more busy, and the things you were able to do in spare time will become the things you aren't getting done.

The first victim of this is often time with family, followed by work for future growth.

Your time can also be taken up by inefficient marketing. If you are spending all of your time chasing leads and chasing business but not getting enough, that will also consume your entire calendar and leave you feeling like you failed at the end of the day.

If you need help prioritizing those important but not urgent parts of your life, or if you'd like to learn about Solution Oriented Marketing to help making your marketing activities more meaningful, visit www.guywhoknowsaguy.com and click the calendar link to schedule a call.

This past weekend, my wife and I took advantage of the fact that New London County has been doing the work and keeping Covid numbers down to take a trip to Vermont. During that trip, I took a series of videos which I'll be sharing throughout the week.

Today we'll be talking about making your calendar working for you rather than working for your calendar.

My business has been taking off. The more clients I have, the more time it takes to serve them, and at first I was caught flatfooted by this success from a scheduling standpoint. It was then that I realized that I needed to take control of my schedule.

I put the crucial things into your schedule before it fills in (2 weeks out now for me). So I'm prefilling my schedule with time to do school work with Rowan, as well as time to work on new projects, develop new systems, and find new clients. Only by doing that first do I prevent my schedule from closing in and waking up Monday morning with no open time left in the week.

How is your schedule looking?

Is your calendar working for you, or are you working for your calendar?

Do you need some help?

Email me at [email protected]

What is the hardest part of your past?

That is the foundation of your future.

Think of any successful person you like, and chances are that there is something in their past that toughened them, taught them, and built them to be able to do what they now do.

Think of the kid who grows up poor and has to work through school to help their family. They learn to work hard and never stop.

Think of the person whose family never thought they were good enough. That could be the inspiration that leads them to do impossible things later on.

Myself, I deal with ADHD, and a bit of anxiety and depression thrown in for good measure. I get restless in the standard corporate world. That forced me to try different things, work with different companies, and that give me the broad experience that informs my coaching work today.

I could have looked back at my history of moving from job to job, the irregular income history, and the resulting poor credit, and believed that history was destiny. Instead, I chose to believe that every experience had put one more tool in my tool belt, and I have used those tools to build a bright future.

So, what is the hardest part of your past?

To learn more about Michael Whitehouse, the Guy Who Knows A Guy, visit www.guywhoknowsaguy.com

Humans are a unique machine. Any other machine, the harder you push it, the more it breaks down. Humans, on the other hand, the harder you push us, the stronger we get.

The most successful people out there had to overcome adversity. They had to go through a crucible to achieve the grit and strength that allowed them to succeed.

What's that mean? That means that every bad thing that's ever happened to you, every time you've been knocked down and gotten back up, every time you've failed, every negative event in your life has made you more prepared to win now.

If everything's been easy for you, it will be hard for you to achieve your dreams, but if everything has been hard, then I've got good news. Like the athlete who trains at high altitude, you have prepared yourself for greatness in the future.

If you'd like to talk about how you can draw on your past to build your future, or if you want to challenge me on my assertion, comment "greatness" below, and let's talk. Or cut right to the chase and click this link to schedule a 10 minute call with me:

https://calendly.com/mwhitehouse/10min

www.guywhoknowsaguy.com

Who do you want to be proud of your success? Your parents? Your grandparents? Your best friend?

Everyone has a gift to give the world, but most people are hiding their light under a bushel, marking time and getting by while their gift is not shared. There are all kinds of reasons. "I don't have the education" "I don't have the money" "I don't have the time" but to me they are all procrastination.

Think about what your gift is. Now think about whom you most want to see you realize your potential. Now imagine how you would feel if you wait so long they are no longer around to see it. Imagine having to say, "I wish _____ was still here to see me do this."

Why have regrets that you waited too long? Discover you gift now. Live your best life now. Live the life that you are meant to live NOW.

If you are having trouble figuring out what your gift is, or if you know what you should be doing but don't know how to make it a reality, let's talk. Comment "gift" below, or use this link to schedule a 10 minute phone call.

The market does not care how good you are at what you do if you are not able to communicate your talent. I know many people who are the best of the best who are struggling to pay the bills. I know people who phone it in and are faking it who have piles of money. What's the difference? Packaging.

Some of the best, most organized people around are making $14 per hour as glorified secretaries. Meanwhile people are making millions repackaging Amazon's sales portals as third party web sites. One creates real value, the other simply moves money around,

If you are creating real value, you should be making real money. If you're not, you may want to consider why. You also may want to talk to me about some strategy.

To connect with Michael Whitehouse, visit www.guywhoknowsaguy.com

Inspiration strikes me at all times, including in the car, so I'll sometimes record a video in the car. Invariably, when I do so, someone will ask me about if that's safe. So I recorded this video in the car to make a point.

Don't worry about me. Worry about you.

We love to worry about what other people are doing. How they're driving. How they're raising their kids. How they're running their business. Why? Because it's easier to point out other people's errors than to fix your own.

Don't worry about anyone else. Worry about you. Yes, looking at yourself will mean you need to actually think about the areas you need to improve, and that can be unpleasant, but then you can improve, and that is well worth it.

If you're an entrepreneur, not working might be more stressful than working. Taking it easy may not be in your DNA. So what do you do to recharge?

Michael Whitehouse, The Guy Who Knows A Guy

I was listening to Tony Robbins this morning, and he shared this concept that what you do for a living can be characterized as "work", "career", or "mission." When you are living your mission, the work you do is no longer tiring, it is inspiring.

Every one of us was put on this Earth with a set of skills, talents, and gifts. These give us the ability to do a certain kind of good for the world around us if we put them to work. Unfortunately, too many of us waste our gifts because we are not able to find places to deploy them where they will be appreciated.

If you have gifts to share, there is a good chance that you could make a living doing what you are meant to do if you know where to start. If you are interested in have a conversation about where you particular gifts might be valued, let's talk. Comment "gifts" in the comments and I'll message you or click the link below to schedule a brief phone call. Everyone deserves a fulfilling life.

Do you really want to learn new things? I don't. I want to get better at the things I already know.

Americans love new things. New technology. New stories. New strategies. The newer the better! But new is not always better.

Bruce Lee said, "I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times."

In business, we are always looking for the new thing. That new silver bullet that will slay our competition and launch us to fame and fortune. I've got bad news for you. There's no silver bullet. You need to find good strategies and the refine them until they are perfect.

Of course, it has to be a GOOD strategy in the first place, so you may need to kiss a few frogs before you find your prince strategy, but once you find something that works, keep doing it!

Don't practice 10,000 kicks once. Practice one kick 10,000 times.

If you are interested in getting some help to figure out which kick you should practice 10,000 times in your business, click the link below to set up a 10 minute phone call with me.