This week, as we journey together through this exciting time of year, filled with the positivity that goals and aspirations can provide, McKay proclaims his optimism for 2022. He also delves into the concept of the big rocks in your life – how to find them and what to do once they are found. It’s so important to put these big rocks first in our lives, and today, our host tells us all exactly how to do that.

McKay starts the episode by sharing an interesting story about asteroids, and then linking the concept of big rocks to our lives. He discusses the Big Rocks concept as popularized by Stephen Covey and the impact of finding the big rocks in our lives. He explains how we can find those big rocks by following the 80-20 rule and focusing on the one thing that makes everything else easier or unnecessary. When you find those big rocks, McKay tells you to deal with them right away, overcome distraction, stop overanalyzing and overthinking, and then watch as your life becomes filled with success and clarity.

The Finer Details of This Episode:

-   An insight into asteroids

-   Are you focusing on the tiny rocks of life?

-   The big rocks concept

-   The difficult task of finding the big rocks

-   How Steve Young’s life was impacted after he found his big rocks

-   The 80-20 rule

-   Do that one thing right away

-   Overcoming distraction

-   Why overthinking and overanalyzing can rob you of your focus

Quotes:

“We often approach our life, our business, and our goals without focusing on the big rocks, without focusing on the most important and leveraged activities.”

“If you look at people who reach their goals or build a prospering business, you find most of those people have become skilled at concentrating on the big rocks.”

“We only have so much emotional and mental capacity, we only have so much time in our day, and we can only fit so many things in our life.”

“If you've set a bunch of New Year's goals and not decided on your one thing, you'll likely struggle.”

“Most of our progress comes from only a few key things. Success does not necessarily come from doing more things.”

“Things which matter most must not be at the mercy of things which matter least.”

“What one thing can you do that, by doing it excellently, everything else will be easier or unnecessary.”

“Life is not about finding yourself or unearthing some hidden talent, as much as it is creating yourself. And the way you create yourself is finding the big rocks in your life.”

“Things we just automatically do without thinking or effort free up our minds and confidence and other things needed for the day.”

“Distraction robs you of your maximum performance, your inspiration and being at your very best.”

“If you've identified the one thing you need to do to reach your goals, don't wait. Be fully energized by your focus.”

Show Links:

Open Your Eyes with McKay Christensen

As we find ourselves facing a new year in 2025, we are once again given the gift of a new day where we can leave the past behind and reimagine ourselves and our lives for the better. We are so blessed with all the possibilities that this new year holds for us, and sometimes it can help at these times to zoom out and gain a broader or different view of our place in the world. Today, McKay shares some proven strategies for life and enlightens us on how to create some that can propel us into becoming the best version of ourselves in the new year and beyond.

He begins the conversation by discussing the importance of having a clear destination in life and why you should create strategies that work by setting yourself apart and starting something new using the Blue Ocean Strategy. Our host then goes on to discuss why you need to form strategic alliances that can help build you and also to do everything with purpose and have a clear understanding of yourself and your talents. Listen in to McKay’s wise words today, learn to forge a strategy for your life, and watch yourself grow into the success you’re destined to be.

The Finer Details of This Episode:

-   Walking in circles

-   The importance of having a clear destination

-   Change your perspective - lessons from Southwest Airlines and Netflix

-   Innovative strategies you can employ

-   Where do innovative strategies come from?

-   The Blue Ocean Strategy

-   The power of strategic alliances

-   Doing things on purpose

-   Why do you need a clear self-understanding?

Quotes:

“Often in life, it feels like we're in the desert or dense forest of life's overgrowth - job, kids, bills, needs, and a host of other objects sometimes block our view of where we need to go.”

“Will you do the things the way they've always been done? Or will you use an innovative strategy for success?”

“Innovative strategies are game-changing strategies.”

“What blue ocean is waiting for you in your life?”

“Successful strategies often involve strategic alliances.”

“Don't let your lack of skills or tools or courage keep you from your aspirations.”

“Activity or goals without purpose is simply a drain on your energy in life.”

“In your strategy for life, think about how you might connect and learn from the people closest to you.”

“We must win the private victory before we can win the public victory.”

“Each year, we go about setting resolutions to change behavior, without really getting to know ourselves, and as a result, we end up changing very little.”

Show Links:

Your Eyes with McKay Christensen

What do successful presidential candidates, businesspeople, and military generals all have in common? The answer is that none of them go into a campaign without a strategy, without understanding their ultimate goals and the internal and external factors that influence their chances of success. In this week’s episode, McKay discusses how having a fully developed and articulated strategy is key in finding success in all areas of your life, and offers sage advice on how to design your own strategy. 

First up is a discussion of political strategy and how Biden and Trump utilized it in their 2020 presidential campaigns. McKay points out that while Biden’s strategy worked better, the point is that, just as no presidential candidate would ever enter a campaign without a strategy, we can’t win at life without one either. Instead, using a series of examples including IKEA, the Disney Corporation, and Frank Sinatra, he demonstrates how having a fully developed, properly articulated strategy is key to achieving success. He also introduces SWOT analysis as a tool for examining your personal strengths and weaknesses to reveal your strategic focus. Finally, McKay encourages everybody to approach 2022 in a strategic manner, which will bring new energy and new success as we head into a new year.

The Finer Details of This Episode:

-        The core of every political campaign.

-   Winning at life.

-   Comparing goals and tactics with strategies.

-   The stories of IKEA, Frank Sinatra, Walt Disney, and Tata Motors.

-   The steps in creating a life strategy.

-   The SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) analysis.

Quotes:

“Our perspective directs our actions, and my hope is that after listening to this podcast, you have a new perspective of yourself, the possibilities in your life, and how you can find your way forward.”

“I’ve spoken to groups about having a strategy for life dozens of times, and each time I asked the question, ‘Do you have a written strategy for life?’ I usually get about 10% of the audience who raises their hand.”

“A strategy is a dynamic collection of interwoven tactics that enable you to reach and sustain advantage in life.”

“You too can create huge advantages in your life if you’re living based on a strategy, versus just letting life come to you however it comes to you.”

“In business, people buy you long before they buy your product. So what strategy have you put in place to make you more attractive? A strategy to improve you would make all the difference.”

“When you look at the external conditions in your life, you may have to make some modifications to your strategy. Perhaps your chosen career isn’t working, your daily schedule doesn’t allow you to do what matters, or you don’t like the group of friends you’ve inherited, and so forth. It will require some changes. And that’s the value of an external analysis.”

“One of the interesting things about COVID-19 has been watching how the changing external conditions in our life have caused so many people to adopt new strategies for life. People have reevaluated where they live, they’ve changed careers or started their own business. In short, external factors matter.”

“Once you’ve considered a few of these factors and completed your analysis, next, you need to start trying on a few strategies. Just like clothes shopping at the department store, you try something on and see how it looks and feels and evaluate it before buying into it.”

Show Links:

Open Your Eyes with McKay Christensen

​​It's almost the holiday season, a season of joy and giving.  And during this giving season it’s easy to get caught up in the day-to-day of things and get weary in the difficulties that life seems to send our way.  We may want to be a giver but raising kids, building a business, providing a living and all other demands on our life, can rob us of the ability to give. And while it may seem counterintuitive, the greatest gift you can give your family and the world is a healthy you. If you are emotionally unhealthy, you can’t give your time and inspiration to others.  If you are mentally unhealthy, it’s almost impossible to have the strength to persevere, lead and give. If you’re spiritually unhealthy, you can’t inspire, uplift or be the example you want to be.

In this episode, McKay tells the story of Philip Stern, a photographer and book editor. Stern gifted the US servicemen and women in World War II by editing, compiling, and resizing hundreds of popular books to fit into the pockets of military uniforms.  During this inspired time of Stern’s life, he would write the famous story of The Greatest Gift.  It would eventually become the award-winning film It’s A Wonderful Life. Taking Philip Stern's example, McKay elaborates on how we impact the world in unique ways with our choices, and asserts that one gift, our lives, and the choices we make, can bless others for years to come. He shows how selfishness and the pursuit of bringing more to ourselves halt this impact, and draws lessons from the 1987 Jessica Morales rescue story.  McKay then asserts that the greatest gift you can give your family and the world is a healthy you, and shares a life experience when his renewed Mustang got stolen from his garage and relates it to the choice to be healthy. Listen in today as McKay shares lessons learned from both fiction and real life that open our eyes to the ways in which doing good and making healthy choices can lead to a healthier and happier life.

The Finer Details of This Episode:

• Philip Stern’s gift to US World War II servicemen and women
• A lesson to be grateful for life
• The award-winning film It's a Wonderful Life
• How one gift and your life can bless others for years to come
• The effect of selfishness and the pursuit of bringing more to ourselves
• The Morales Family story
• The greatest gift you could give yourself – a healthy you
• The reintroduction of the Mustang of the 1960s
• How you begin to make choices that lead to a healthier you
• The 2003 movie Freaky Friday, starring Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan
• How our frame of reference determines our health
• Gym owner and workout Coach Marc Zalmanoff
•  Lessons from the movie Gladiator
• Lessons from the story of Theodor Geisel, aka Dr. Seuss

Quotes:

"Our life is a gift. It is both the greatest gift we've been given and the greatest gift we have to give."

"Raising kids and building a business and providing a living and all the other demands on our life can rob you of any ability or desire to give."

"The greatest gift you can give your family and the world is a healthy you."

"When we're always looking for the right person or the next job or more money or whatever we think is going to bring us happiness, we lose sight of what is right in front of us."

"Good choices are not perfect choices."

"We often just say ‘no’ to good things because we don't have the time or resources to do everything."

"Choose what makes you healthier, not what's easier."

"If you're striving for a happier, healthier life, you may have to walk away from the habits and behaviors causing discontent."

"We get to choose our frame of reference."

"What we do in life echoes in eternity."

"If choices ripple in the long term of our lives, then remember to choose wisely."

"We mistakenly assume that each choice we make and each action we take is only affecting that particular moment or circumstance."

"Choices have consequences."

"Do not get tired of doing the right thing."

"We make choices and choices make history."

"God has given you this life to make good choices that will echo in eternity."

Show Links:

Open Your Eyes with McKay Christensen

We all have gaps. Gaps in our awareness of others’ feelings, in how we communicate or don’t communicate, or in the many ways we don’t measure up particularly in dealing with people. Our emotional intelligence allows us to navigate through life and difficult times and, as such, the topic of emotional intelligence is one of great importance. McKay enlightens us on the subject today and how we can bridge the gaps many of us tend to have in our emotional lives.

McKay starts with the story of the Golden Gate Bridge which was built despite the many apparent impossibilities and how this bridge has become a great landmark in the city of San Francisco. He likens us to this bridge - when we decide to improve our emotional intelligence, we bridge gaps that we have in our lives. Our host also discusses the impact of negative emotions and avoiding the ‘me-monster’ that neglects the views of others, and identifies some ways to strengthen our emotional quotient - bridge gaps by seeing the views of others, and show genuine interest in things that interest them. McKay finishes up by sharing his message for us all to harness the power of time, use the NIB rule - Notice, Importance, and Belonging, and watch how strength comes into our lives as a result.

The Finer Details of This Episode:

-   Creating landmark moments in your life; lessons from the Golden Gate bridge

-   Recognize that you have a gap

-   Why does your emotional quotient matter?

-   The impact of negative emotions

-   How do you avoid difficult emotions?

-   Ways to strengthen your EQ and bridge your gaps

-   Walk in the shoes of others

-   Harness the power of time

-   The NIB rule

Quotes:

“There's something about us or what we're doing that needs to be overcome, and this isn't easy.”

“It's our shortfalls that are at the heart of our gaps in life. And here's the thing, bridging the gaps in our life is possible.”

“It is critical to remember that we all have gaps, we all fall short, and sometimes we need to step up and do what we think isn't possible.”

“When we overcome and become more of who we can and should be, we find landmark moments in our life.”

“A ‘me-monster’ is someone so self-absorbed that no one else matters. Someone who thinks and makes decisions out of their mood or need or perspective.”

“It's easy in life to get so focused on ourselves, that we don't see the major things going on around us, and this makes us blind to the gaps that exist in our life and with people.”

“EQ is the ability to perceive, control, and evaluate emotions. It is the ability to understand things from the view of other people, empathize with others, and overcome challenges in dealing with people and defuse conflict.”

“Success in school is 75% IQ, and 25% EQ. In life, it's exactly the opposite.”

“Every time we strengthen our emotional intelligence, we bridge a little more of the gap.”

“When you can step into another person's view with ease, and empathize with their way of thinking, and do that with a variety of people, you don't get stressed or upset or thrown off course in life because you understand others.”

“As we learn to catch our emotional reactions before we act them out, we become more self-aware and more emotionally mature.”

“EQ comes alive when you're able to become aware of the full extent of your emotions, whether positive or negative.”

“I've learned that, over time, things tend to be less important than I thought they were at the moment.”

“Patience and perseverance have a magical effect before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish.”

Show Links:

Open Your Eyes with McKay Christensen

The force of hope is a potent one that has the power to brighten our lives and bring happiness. No matter how isolated or stuck in your business or life you may feel, it is so very important to hold on to hope and allow it to influence the decisions you make. It is a key ingredient in helping you to live the life you want to live, and in this week’s episode, McKay explores the propensity to hope, demonstrating just how powerful it can be even in the bleakest of situations.

Trapped in a sinking cave for two weeks, 12 young boys and their coach held onto the hope that they would survive without food and sufficient air. This moving story acts as our opener in this episode as McKay correlates it to situations we face in life. The propensity to hope is having a behavior or pattern that results in a habit of holding on to hope. Today, Mckay discusses what hope encompasses and how it can be defined, and also delves into how to find hope when all seems lost. The episode comes to a close with McKay encouraging us to always choose hope because when we let hope make our decisions, we discover a better and happier way of living.

The Finer Details of This Episode:

-   Having hope in a bleak situation- the story of the Wild Boars of Thailand

-   Understanding what propensity means

-   Hope in Pandora’s box

-   What does hope encompass?

-   How to stop thinking about the ‘nevers’

-   How do you find hope when you are down and discouraged?

-   A story of hope told in a painting

-   The choice of hope

-   The benefits of holding on to hope

-   Ways to acquire the trait of being hopeful

-   Hope as a force multiplier

Quotes:

“We all get buried, stuck from time to time, whether by our own poor judgment or by factors completely beyond our control.”

“We had each other and we had hope.”

“We all face storms and darkness and are lost in isolation from time to time. Sometimes we lose, fail, regress and it's in those times that we're unsure whether we can, in fact, do what we're being asked to do.”

“Hope is a passion for what is possible. When things around you say give up, hope always remains.”

“The definition of propensity is an established pattern, behavior, or an attraction to a thing.”

“Are you a person of hope? What's your propensity?”

“When we have hope, we have more than we think.”

“Don't give in to your depravations, live up to your expectations.”

“You weren't placed here to peek into your future, but to open the door wide and walk through with confidence.”

“Hope is the belief that circumstances will get better. It's not a wish for things to get better, it's the actual belief, the knowledge that it will happen.”

“Remember, you can't make someone else's choices, and you shouldn't let them make yours.”

Show Links:

Open Your Eyes with McKay Christensen

Too often, we seek to get by doing the least we can do. And, after a while, the least we can do becomes a way of life for many of us.  The problem is that we then work and live well below our ability and level of performance possible.  And this habit or way of living begins to take over our life. Imagine an Olympic athlete whose attitude is to do the least they can do in their training as they prepare for the Olympics. It would be foolish to assume you could excel with that mindset.  World class athletes instead do the most they can do to reach their goals.

For example, many people dream of becoming wealthy without having to put forth any effort. Today’s episode begins with a discussion of why playing the lottery seems tempting but is an unwise investment. McKay points out that the real lottery winners are the IRS and state governments, which take in almost half of the winnings, while those who buy the tickets lose week after week and would be better off putting that money into savings instead. He argues that we’ve developed a habit of wanting to do the least possible to earn money but that this attitude will catch up to us eventually, like a bank robber who makes one mistake and loses the money and their freedom. Instead, McKay encourages a change in attitude, leaving behind “the least possible” and instead developing a culture of excellence in ourselves, our families, and our work environments. Using examples of big-name companies, including Procter & Gamble and Disney, he demonstrates how the pursuit of excellence can have huge benefits, both in business and in our personal lives.

The Finer Details of This Episode:

-   Why do so many people play the lottery despite the odds being stacked against them?

-   Federal and state governments are the big lottery winners

-   The story of Alan Pace, who tried to get rich by doing the least possible (by robbing a bank) but wound up in jail after one simple mistake

-   How to encourage your children to strive for excellence (featuring the story of creating spelling bee champs by encouraging teamwork)

-   Scarcity mentality vs. abundance mentality in the workspace

-   The pursuit of excellence as a business strategy

-   Disney’s development of The Lion King as an example of the pursuit of excellence in action

 Quotes:

“Let’s say I put $100 million inside a house somewhere in North America, somewhere in Canada, the United States, Mexico, Guatemala, etc. And then I gave you a key, and you had to pick the right house, you had one chance to pick the right house. Those are better odds than your winning the Mega Millions lottery.”

“I also think people enjoy the fantasy of it, they dream of what it would be like to have all of that money, right? And that’s a little exciting and brings excitement to their day. But most of all, I think they get in the habit of chasing the least they can do to be wealthy.”

“If I were to ask you if you’d rather win the lottery or not, of course, you’d rather win the lottery, right? But here’s a proven fact. When you have to work to build wealth, you build yourself, you build your life, you build your capabilities.”

“The least we can do becomes a way of life for many of us.”

“When you begin, even in small ways to invite excellence into your life, you will feel a spirit of self-worth and peace enter into your life. And that spirit will invite you to rise, to do things with the best part of you, instead of the least part of you.”

“Excellence is not an act but a habit.”

“When you stop doing the least you can do and do your best, it brings you back to who you can and should be.  It restores you, your hope and your future.  Excellence is a strategy for being happy.”

“Find one way each day to be excellent, and here’s what you’ll find - you’ll find the real you.”

Show Links:

Open Your Eyes with McKay Christensen

How do you find your true worth? Our self worth is determined not by how much we get, but how much we give.  When you see your noble responsibility to use your gifts for good, you find your worth. In this week’s episode, McKay delves into the subject of noblesse oblige, explaining the noble responsibility we have of helping others by giving, and getting inspired to live happy lives along the way.

He starts off with the story of Chhiring Dorje who, in spite of being in danger himself, carried out the most daring rescue on the deadly K2 mountain. McKay also talks about finding inspiration by giving, explains the law of giving, and encourages us to practice the Five-Minute Favor to incorporate a lifestyle of giving into our lives. He finishes off by advising us to accept the noble responsibility of sharing our strengths and gifts with others - not to get something in return, but to live fulfilled and enriched lives.

The Finer Details of This Episode:

-   The most daring rescue in climbing history- Chhiring Dorje Sherpa’s story

-   Finding inspiration by giving

-   Stories of those who gave

-   The law of giving

-   Conditioning yourself to a lifestyle of giving

-   The Five Minute Favor

-   The gift of La Liberté éclairant

-   Getting from giving

-   How to become a genuine giver

-   The noblesse oblige concept

Quotes:

“When we turn from getting to giving, we find strength and inspiration we didn't know we had before.”

“But when we forget ourselves and focus on helping others in their climb or goals or efforts, we get inspired. We also find our true capability.”

“Perhaps there should be a different kind of Forbes list— a list of people who give.”

“In giving, you find your worth.”

“The law of giving is a law or principle with a promise that if you become a person who focuses primarily on giving, you will find a greater return than might otherwise be possible.”

“Every time you find five minutes, think about how and to whom you can give. It's amazing how rich your life will become if you take all the extra five minutes in your day to give.”

“Self-worth is perfectly correlated with two important outcomes —happiness and freedom from stress.”

“Giving creates reciprocity. Giving creates influence.”

“Your Maker and life and circumstances have given to you certain endowments, and the purpose of these gifts is to be an ongoing blessing to those around you.”

“We have all been given gifts, and some are different than others, but we all have them. And they don't need to be something magnificent - just often a simple talent.”

“Your talents are embedded in the nucleus of who you are. You are more gifted than you know, and these gifts were given to you because you have the unique characteristics and talent to, in turn, give these gifts to the world.”

Show Links:

Open Your Eyes with McKay Christensen

What goal are you pursuing in your life? Perhaps it’s to be healthier, or to save a relationship, or maybe it’s to break long standing bad habits. It might be to succeed in business, academics, or your spiritual life. Whatever it is, in this week’s episode, McKay gives insight into the most effective way to achieve your goal, and that’s by doing small, consistent actions over time.

He kicks off by narrating the story of a 544 BC Chinese Grandmaster credited with being the author of the famous book The Art of War, which has been used by modern day leaders up to this day. McKay then cites his favorite quote from the book, “Plan for what is difficult while it is easy, and do what is great, while it is small”, and goes on to reveal how a small and quick apology early on can prevent a potentially large disagreement later. He also shares examples of how doing something small may not seem urgent today, but could lead to something great in the future or even prevent a disaster, and emphasizes the need for consistency in doing the small things for they have a cumulative effect and become more powerful. In essence, today, McKay reveals why the “go big or go home” mentality may not be the most effective, and in doing so, reminds us that what is simple to do is also simple not to do, so we need to be apt to take small, consistent actions to reach our goals.

The Finer Details of This Episode:

·  Stories and examples of the effects of doing or not something great when it’s still small.

·  The law of attraction.

·  How doing something small led to Stanford University.

·  The fallacy of the “go big or go home” mentality.

·  The principle of action-oriented momentum.

·  How small things lead to great outcomes.

·  Being apt to act.

Quotes

“In the midst of chaos, there is also opportunity.”

“Plan for what is difficult while it is easy, and do what is great while it is small.”

“Small things done consistently alter the trajectory of your life.”

“It's easy to do something today rather than trying to make up lost ground tomorrow.”

“Small is easy, small is fast, small doesn't take much time, and small is doable.”

“Small choices are at the root of almost every result in life.”

“A small thing that will lead to something great comes about just by doing the next right thing.”

“While small may not be sexy, small moves are successful and sustainable.”

“Small has a sister and her name is simple.”

Show Links:

Open Your Eyes with McKay Christensen

In this week’s episode, McKay explores the concept of the life thermostat, showing how people set internal limits and how they can reset those limits to achieve personal and professional growth. Through the stories of individuals who faced significant challenges on their journey to achieving greatness, our host highlights themes of resilience, breaking through barriers, and resetting your thermostat. 

David Goggins’ journey, from surviving childhood abuse and battling a learning disability to transforming his life through Navy SEAL training and ultra-marathon running, showcases the power of resetting one's mental thermostat. McKay also shares Simu Liu’s story of defying his parents’ expectations to pursue an acting career, eventually landing a role in a Marvel superhero film. He also documents Brian Epstein’s rise from working in his family's record store to managing one of the greatest bands in history, The Beatles. Each story presented here today emphasizes the importance of perseverance, embracing change, and shedding old identities. McKay concludes with a powerful message: by resetting our internal thermostat and refusing to settle for mediocrity, we can unlock our true potential and lead ourselves and others to new heights.

Main Themes:

• Understanding the life thermostat and how it governs behavior
• 
  
• The power of resetting your mindset to overcome past traumas and personal limitations
• 
  
• David's inspiring journey from hardship to becoming a Navy SEAL and ultra-marathon runner
• 
  
• The role of resilience and commitment in achieving personal transformation
• 
  
• How great leaders model change and set the tone for their teams
• 
  
• Practical tips on making small adjustments to realign with your personal and professional goals
• 
  
• The importance of shedding old labels of self-doubt and stepping into new identities

Top 10 Quotes:

"Every breakthrough you want to make in this life requires a break with your old identity."

"We live in a society where mediocrity is often rewarded, but I wanted to be like those guys who detest mediocrity."

"I've been scared to death of this guy, but this time, I stood up and started helping my mother."

"I realized no one was coming to help me, and that was the moment I decided to change."

"Change is a daily activity that, if practiced, becomes easier the more you do it."

"When you set your thermostat, you establish a range in which you operate—it's up to you to reset it when needed."

"I knew I could be something special, but I was afraid of the work it was going to take."

"Momentum in life and leadership is easier to maintain than to recreate."

"Hope remains for you and me, and it is hope that helps us create a new belief of who we are and can be."

"Reset your thermostat and find the life and person you’ve hoped for—you can change and rise to your true setting."

Show Links: 

Open Your Eyes with McKay Christensen