The Daily Mastermind

The Past Does not equal the Future- Anthony Robbins   Learn and move on. Your Future is not created in the past. Your future is also not created in the Future...It is created in the present...Listen to that again...   Now let's discuss the 7 Critical Questions for Focus and Direction...toward your path to success.   Review from Monday and really think through each question 1-The Opening Question- What's on your mind? -what are your dominant thoughts -why are you thinking them   2-The Expansion Question- What else is on your mind? -go deeper...remember, that your thoughts are driving your expectations and actions -you must seek to understand before you can direct   3-The Focusing Question- What's the most important thing you could be thinking about right now? -what is the big domino in your day, life, direction -key question is: are you focused on something "not" important to your direction and path   4-The Target Question- Exactly what do you want? -what emotions do you truly want in your life -how can you feel these emotions right now while continuing to make progress   5-The Guidance Question- How can you obtain help? -who is the best person to help you -how can you clarify and communicate your needs clearly   6-The Action Question- What is the best thing for you to do right now? -listen: you can only do one thing at a time, so what is the 1 thing you can do right now -how can you create daily rituals to drive the "correct" actions   7-The Growth Question- What are you learning by examining your thoughts and how can it help you grow? -what is the biggest take away (learning) you can have from examining your thoughts -how can you implement ways to create consistency   Final Thoughts Are your thoughts helping you to experience what you want in life? What you focus on grows...Focus your thoughts on what you want and you will attract it in your life.   Please share this podcast with someone you know. Also, please like and subscribe.   Thanks for listening.   George Wright III

Quote of the Day "Your time is limited; so don't waste it living someone else's life." Steve Jobs   This week I want to talk with you about this thought...right out of the Life Handbook from my partner Robert Stuberg.   We grow into our expectations...but, your expectations originate from your most common thoughts...so what are you thinking about all the time??   Are your thoughts taking you toward your goals, or have your thoughts or other distractions drifted you off course??   Robert has created 7 critical questions that you can use to keep you focused, motivated and moving in the right direction. He has refined parts of these questions over time and I want to talk with you this week about these 7 questions specifically.   We are all different...talents, abilities, etc...   But we all have various opportunities and can leverage the power of our thoughts to capture our goals and dreams.   There is so much power in your thoughts...you must learn to believe and harness that...   More importantly, you must learn to direct your thoughts rather than drift through life.   I'm going to walk you through the 7 questions today and then dig into them much much deeper over the next couple days. Use these episodes to really get clear on where your thoughts are taking you in your everyday life. Let's really dig into what you want and why you want it.   Here are the 7 Critical Questions, and don't let the simplicity of these questions fool you into thinking there isn't significant strategy that needs to be put into each of them.   The Opening Question- What's on your mind?   The Expansion Question- What else is on your mind?   The Focusing Question- What's the most important thing you could be thinking about right now?   The Target Question- Exactly what do you want?   The Guidance Question- How can you obtain help?   The Action Question- What is the best thing for you to do right now?   The Growth Question- What are you learning by examining your thoughts and how can it help you grow?   Simple, but not Easy...don't be fooled.   The key is guidance and direction daily...the devil is in the detail.   After all, Your Thoughts Create Your Life. Are they helping or hurting you.? Focused or Distracted?

I am so grateful for the opportunity I have to record the Daily Mastermind Podcast each and every weekday.  I hope it brings you some inspiration, motivation and education as it was intended to do.   Today and this week I want to focus on helping you to create some clarity, focus and even more happiness in your present day life.  I am super excited to share one of my go-to articles I keep in my book of inspiration next to my desk.   I highly recommend you keep a folder or book of great ideas, thoughts, quotes, songs, or whatever can help to motivate and inspire you when you need it.   Great article in Inc. Magazine The Secret to Happiness is 10 Specific Behaviors -despite happiness being a primary human motivation, only one in three Americans say they're happy.   Why do so many people complain about their circumstances...all the time?   Bad stuff happens to everyone, but your quality of life isn't about what happens to you. The quality of your life and happiness depends on how you respond to what happens to you.   10 Behaviors, that if applied, will make you a happy person.   1-Let go of the need for specific outcomes. -fall in love with the process and the results will follow ...when I work to close deals, negotiate, or strategize, I will always do more when I focus on the race rather than the finish line.   2-Define your own success and happiness. -success and failure ebook by Stuberg is a great idea   3-Commit 100% to the things that make you happy. -quote by Mahatma Gandhi, "happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony." -committing 100% will make all future decisions for you.   4-Be grateful for what you already have. -happiness is as simple as gratitude. -Practice gratitude to truly live gratitude: journal, daily reminders, acts of service, your language. ...I have always had vision boards, but a gratitude journal has been incredible.   5-Say "I love you" more. - simple words that bring happiness to others. -create the frequency you want to attract into your own life. -become what you want most in your life.   6-Have hobbies directed toward your dreams. -daily rituals for happiness and focus on creating your best life. ...I have experienced this in my day to day and it grounds me.   7-Don't wait till tomorrow for what you can do today. -don't put your happiness off until tomorrow. experience in the present. ...I used to work for the future but realized the present is the future I thought about yesterday.   8-Do something everyday that terrifies you. -status quo is a recipe for dull, boring and stale life. -your best life lies outside your comfort zone.   9-Put "the important" before "the urgent". -are you the driver or passenger. -client that feels job is "stuck" and passion is "free" is always stuck   10-Forgo the good to pursue the best. -many times in my life I have settled for a high level of success instead of pushing for greatness. -greatness is growth. happiness is growth.   Conclusion...Happy People Live in the Present.

• Break free of self-sabotaging thoughts and behavior patterns.
• Expand your knowledge, skills, and experiences.
• Become physically, mentally, and spiritually healthier.
• Deepen interpersonal relationships.

• Learn to Identify Thought Distortions. Our minds have their clever way of convincing us of something that isn’t actually true. These faulty thoughts reinforce negative thinking.
• Counter Negative Thoughts with Positive Affirmations. Positive affirmations can be used in a number of different ways. ...
• Avoid External Negativity. Take steps to avoid things or people in your life that hurt the way you think and feel.
• Take a Break. One way to separate yourself from negativity is to allow yourself a specified period (no more or less than 10 minutes) with the negative thought.
• Practice Feeling Grateful. Research shows that feeling grateful has a positive influence on your levels of happiness.
• Focus on Your Strength. The more you try to focus on your strengths instead of dwelling on mistakes you’ve made in the past, the easier it will be to overcome negative thinking.
• Seek out Professional Support. If you still have a hard time managing your thoughts and find that they are affecting your ability to meet your daily responsibilities or enjoy.

It's Monday Morning...How are you feeling about your week that is starting?   Are you feeling motivated, inspired and ready to go? I would bet that you are like most people and are thinking, "here we go again"...   I've had days like that, and believe it or not it's going to happen more often then not. In fact, it will happen even when you are working on a plan and have passion for what you are doing.   But, you are not alone, and it doesn't mean that you are not driven or motivated to get to your goals. It simply means you are human and its a typical response when you sometimes feel overwhelmed with the path you are on.   In fact, I would argue that the more "outside your comfort zone" or the more challenging the road you are on...the more overwhelmed you will feel.  Learn to look at this as a positive and turn that "overwhelm" into FUEL to push you further.   Remember Prosperity Pillar #3 is I ACT IN SPITE OF MY MOOD.   You don't have to feel like doing things to do them   You don't have to feel motivated or inspired to get RESULTS   You don't have to have more good days than bad days...just EXECUTE   You don't need to OVERCOME the overwhelmed...just START   Here are a few SOLUTIONS if you need a little creative Support or Inspiration: What can you do to CHANGE YOUR STATE? How can you STOP making it about YOU? COMMIT in advance and Don't QUESTION   Look, we all have up and down days. Nobody feels like getting up early and executing on days they are tired, sick, overwhelmed... Do it anyway.  That's what high performers do.  That's what gets RESULTS in your LIFE> THAT IS WHAT WILL CARRY YOU FORWARD AND CREATE FULFILLMENT.

I want to take you back to a core concept that I have covered that I know will help you in all aspects of your life to creat mroe gratitude, appreication and prosperity in your life right now...   Here is the problem most High Achievers face... ...they constantly improve and achieve, but they are never satisfied.   Have you ever set a goal...worked hard for it...reached your goal, and yet wasn't totally satisfied. In fact, you just ended up setting an even higher goal..or another higher bench mark.   I'll add link in the show notes. Summary Ideas from Book

  PART 1 The GAP is an attachment to something outside yourself. Its never being satisfied until you get what you WANT... ...but its never enough...leaving you always WANTING more.   The GAIN is based on knowing what you want, but knowing you don't need it to be happy. The GAIN means enjoying the journey. Create Ability to Be FREE from WANTS. Q What are your goals right now...are they all externally focused...why? Q What are some internal GAINS you can add to the list of milestones?   PART 2 Wanting external things means you are never truly in "control" because the goal posts are always moving.   By creating an INTERNAL focus, you are taking back control of your life and perspective. Internal focus and "success" means you get to set the parameters and live more present. Q How often do you compare yourself to others? Q How much time do you spend on social media? focus external   PART 3 How to get out of the GAP and get into the GAIN...practice the Stoic Philosophy... ...imagine losing something allows you to put more value on it.   Stoic imagine losing everything Stoic reflect on their mortality   Getting into the GAIN has a compound effect on your life.   PART 4 Always measure backwards. Journaling will allow you to do this effectively. KPIS should measure both forward but value backward results and progress Measuring Progress is key to enjoying the moment.   You are not the same person you were years back. Recognize the progress and it will motivate you. It will also build your confidence, self esteem and resilience rather than future taking it away.   Q What have you accomplished lately? Q What are 3 wins you can acknowledge and celebrate? Q Find ways to celebrate short term (in the present).   PART 5 Measure your wins daily. Best time is right before bed. If you are scrolling your phone or social, you are training your mind to be REACTIVE. If you are recognizing wins, you are training your mind to Proactively focus on success. Journal right before bed 3 wins daily. Pearson's Law states: When performance is measured, performance improves. When performance is measured and reported, the rate of improvement accelerates.   Journaling and accountability partners will help accelerate your success.   PART 6 Make every lesson and every experience a GAIN. Being in the GAIN is not about always being positive. Being in the GAIN is about finding ways to take every situation and make it SERVE YOU... Victim mindset vs Creator Mindset.   Are you taking responsibility and EMPOWERING Yourself... ...or are you playing the Victim and DisEmpowering Yourself?   I hope this topic has given you some fresh perspective and also given you a few strategies to work on in your own life. I truly believe that learning to measure backwards while motivating yourself to go forward is a very productive strategy for you to start implementing right away.   Thanks for listening and please like and subscribe the podcast if you haven't already. George Wright III   GET THE BOOK on Amazon

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Have you read the book, “The Obstacle is the Way” from Ryan Holiday…If not…read it!`

What if “embedded inside the problems” we are facing or “inherent in it” were certain benefits…benefits only for you?  What would you do if you knew that?  Let’s be honest…probably nothing causes most of us are the same… we are simply paralyzed or stuck when it comes to massive obstacles in our lives.  The reason for this is that stuff that blocks us is blocking us for a reason…Fear, Frustration, Depression, Anger…years and years of programming have us trapped inside our heads.  Usually, we know exactly what to do but simply CANNOT ACT…Right?

So why is it that some people can push through their problems and others can’t?  Why do most of us get stuck and can’t seem to get past the same challenges that plague us week after week or month after month in our lives?  There are men and women in life that have become famous because they have overcome their challenges and went on to become amazing leaders because they used the challenges or obstacles to propel themselves to amazing heights…the better versions of themselves.  People like Abraham Lincoln, John D Rockefeller, Margaret Thatcher, Amelia Earhart, Oprah Winfrey, Michael Jordan and on and on and on….

Why and How did all these people overcome massive obstacles to become Great and trust me they all had massive obstacles to overcome in their individual stories. 

Bottom line, all Great leaders and successful people find a way to turn Weakness into Strength.  Like oxygen to fire, their obstacles become fuel to their internal fires that burned.  All of these people learned to Flip their Obstacles upside down and turn them into Fuel.

It’s not about ONLY “changing the way you look at things” …it involves thoughts, actions and commitment to a purpose…a philosophy in your life.  This is what the idea of Stoicism entails.

The most important thing to remember from the start is that most problems that are keeping us stuck in life are INTERNAL not EXTERNAL problems in our lives.  Most things that happen to us are things that we wrestle with in our minds and because of our perception to the obstacles and problems that we face. 

In the book The Obstacle is the Way…Ryan Holiday talks about

Overcoming Obstacles is a Discipline of Three Critical Steps…Perception, Action, and the Will.  All 3 of these steps are important to really and truly turning your obstacles into benefits and fuel in your life.  You need to start by analyzing how you look at a problem…your Perception.  Then you need to work on the energy, creativity and approach you use to break the problems down and turn them into opportunities.  Finally, you need to cultivate and maintain an inner WILL that will help you to handle any defeat and difficulty.

With your perception you need to understand and recognize your power, deal with your never and emotions, and learn to focus on the present moment.  With your Responses and Actions, you will need to understand and focus on moving forward, being persistent, channeling your energy and sizing the moment to choose your direction.  And with your WILL (part 3 of the process) you will need to practice discipline, find peace of mind, and find motivation outside of yourself.

When you realize that you are not the only one dealing with problems you face and that the Hero’s in the stories of life are not “superhuman” or even always “unique, gifted or rare”, you will start to learn that becoming Great is simply a process.  A Path that each of us can choose to take if we will just apply some time-tested principles to our lives.

So…why do I love the book The Obstacle is the Way and this idea of Stoicism?

First, I feel like it’s time that each of us First recognizes that Our Perspective is the key to changing our results in life.

Second, that there are specific and proven strategies to help us do this. 

Third, I want you to know that you are not alone and that you can change your life on a Dime and start to create the life you were truly meant to live.

Let’s start to do the heavy lifting in life.  Let’s be willing to do what it takes to accept that the road is difficult and (instead of struggling without happiness), lets learn to Struggle “intentionally” to Create more Happiness, Fulfillment and Success in our lives.

That is the purpose behind why I do this podcast.  That is what we are going to try and accomplish each morning that we spend 10-15 minutes with motivation, inspiration and education.

I hope you are having an amazing week.

Today I want to take a minute to get you to stop and think about this idea of...

Are you just making a living or designing a life?

So many of us are getting so caught up in the day to day that time is just passing you by.

I truly believe that all of us can make a decision each and every day to start designing our best life and one that we are excited and passionate about...but it really has to start with awareness and focus on creating that best life.

I hope these ideas today inspire you to refocus your attention on the most important things so that you can begin to start living "DAILY" the life that you are MEANT TO LIVE>

Thanks for listening.

George Wright III

Please share this episode with someone you know...

Have you ever felt Overwhelmed with your day?

Have you ever felt like your day just got away from you?

Have you ever felt like you have no idea where you day went…

…or how time could pass so quickly?

Most importantly, do you ever feel like all this time passed and you didn't really accomplish your goals and things that were most important 

We have all felt that way.  It's part of the process of navigating this busy, fast paced life.

Today I want to talk to you about how to become more productive and intentional with your time.

When I consult or mentor companies and individuals, one of the biggest obstacles holding people back is their time management…admittedly…

So, today let's talk about this, because if you are just going through life and continue the pattern of looking back wondering where the time went…you will be filled with regret and you will not be successful with your goals, dreams and desires.

First and most importantly, you need to realize and believe that your TIME is your greatest ASSET.

It's the great equalizer… (think about it)

We all receive the same amount… whether you believe it or not, you CAN control where you spend your time… 

You can waste it, spend it, or let it slip by…. or, you can invest it in things that will create value and reward for you.

You can invest your time to build relationships, create an amazing business, increase your active, and passive income, dedicate it or service or philanthropy…and so much more.

But…until you realize, accept and decide that it has value, you will never truly value it…

…and therefore, you will never spend it wisely.

You must learn to Budget your time just like any other Asset.

You’ve heard me say before, that what you focus on grows.  What you focus on you attract.

When you do not value your time, it gets wasted, spent…it disappears and you can seem to figure out where it went…just like your paycheck or your money you’ve been slow to track and budget...

For now let's do this…Accept that your time is your most valued asset and treat it accordingly.

Second, you need to be intentional with your time.  You need to make specific and intentional decisions with when, where and on what you will spend your time. 

You need to protect your time like it's your last few dollars in your bank account.  How are you going to spend that time each day to create a return for YOUR LIFE? 

Now let's pause for a quick minute, because I know what some of you are thinking…

You’re gonna say, "George, easy for you to say because you have your own business and get to make your own schedule.”…and this is true.  But it was not always this way.  

You see people think that, but the truth is that my FREE TIME and FLEXIBLE TIME is a “RESULT” of working hard, managing time, and creating a return.  Sometimes the best return you can get on your time is “more time”.

This comes from working hard but more importantly it comes from being intentional with your time.  You cannot just spend your time haphazardly everyday responding to the whims of life and think you are going to free yourself up.

 Life is a trap that buries you in the mediocrity of an average existence.  

You have to break out of the pattern you are in.  

You have to break out of the thinking pattern that you “Don't have any time” because it simply isn’t true.  You can totally change things about your day. 

You have 24 hours each day and you probably sleep a 1/3 of that time anyway.

Tony Robbins has been quoted as saying that everything in life and productivity comes down to two things….1)resources (like time and money) and 2)resourcefulness (your ability to desire change).  And ultimately, it all boils down to resourcefulness, because if you become resourceful you will find the time and find the money.  I believe that.

 Besides, what have you got to lose.  It’s time to start making some changes and getting your time back and starting to live you BEST LIFE, right?…

So let me give you some tips on how to create more productivity and time in your day.

You may have heard a few of these before but I want you to really assess your life and pick a few of these things you can commit to changing starting right now…

·       Set some Goals

·       Keep a Schedule or Planner

·       Prioritize your Activities (match your vision)

·       Set a time Limit

·       Take Breaks Between

·       Reset Your New Intentions (Brendon)

·       Get Organized

·       Delegate or Eliminate (Stuberg)

·       Plan ahead for Schedule (at least a week)

 And here are some obvious ones that need repeating...

·       Don’t Wake up and Check your phone (30 min at least)

·       Don’t Check Email till your top priorities are Complete

·       Monitor your Phone time by checking your weekly usage

·       Take time before bed so you can sleep better

 These are all ways you can create a better return on your time and they will lead to much more productivity in your life.  And, as an added bonus, when you start managing your time better, you will also receive a ton of benefits to your life and quality of life:

·       stress relief

·       more time

·       more opportunities

·       better health

·       ability to realize your goals

·       and much much more…

 I hope these are ideas and strategies that will inspire, motivate you to value your time.  I also hope you will begin to be more aware of your time so you can invest it wisely increasing Your Best Life.

George Wright III