Does any of the following sound familiar? You set goals but never seem to hit them…you never seem satisfied…you experience up's and down's, but always seem to live your life somewhere in the messy middle…you have that "someday I'll be happy" mentality. If that's you, here's what I know about you, you aren't productive, rich, or happy.

You're familiar with the adage about keeping the same pattern but expecting different results, right? Starting right now it can all be different for you. This week I'm going to explain why you're having this problem, and I'm going to give you a roadmap to escape the messy middle.

 

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Spiritual Foundations

Here is a truth I was reminded of the other day, "You are the books you read, the movies you watch, the music you listen to, the people you spend time with, and the conversations in which you choose to engage."

The Bible says something similar in Romans 12:2, "And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God."

This week we'll show you how to develop new patterns of thought so that your life becomes "on earth as it is in heaven."

Tip of the Week

In this episode I encourage you to "zero base" your life. What is that you ask?

Our all-knowing friends at Wikipedia describe zero-based budgeting, as an example. Zero-based budgeting is: "a method of budgeting in which all expenses must be justified for each new period."

You start from zero, and every expense needs to justify itself. You can do this with your environment as well. Do the people you hang around with lift you up or drag you down? Does your office or home make you feel productive or drive you crazy?

In this episode you'll get a glimpse behind the scenes as I zero-base my own life. WARNING: This gets a little weird…

Feature Presentation: "Why You'll Never Be Productive, Rich & Happy"

I've got seven reasons why you'll never be productive, rich, or happy. But don't worry! I've also got some suggestions about how to fix them forever if you choose to do so.

Here are the seven reasons you're shackled to mediocrity…

1. You're just as productive, rich, and happy right now as you want to be.
2. Most people are thermostats, pre-programmed and unaware of it.
3. Most people suffer from scotoma (partial loss of vision).
4. Most people have no one who will tell them the truth.
5. Most people are unwilling to experience discomfort.
6. Most people have conditioned themselves to "scratch the itch."
7. Productive, rich, and happy is a matter of being, not doing.

I promised I would have solutions for you…here they are:

1. Admit that you're just as productive, rich, and happy right now as you want to be.
2. Recognize your thermostatic nature.
3. Figure out what your scotoma are, and work to eliminate them.
4. Find people who will tell you the truth.
5. Embrace discomfort as an indication of growth and progress.
6. Recondition yourself to only feel the itch being scratched by achievement, not merely by activity.
7. Figure out who you must become to get where you want to go.

Here are some snippets from our conversation:

• You steer the ship – If you don't like where you are, remember that you plotted the course to get there (11:40)
• Pay attention to the pattern – Why the unexpected is so predictable (12:24)
• Sean's Rant of the Week – The biological reason you need to stop making excuses and do something with your life (12:54)
• What you don't know can hurt you – How your pre-programmed ideas are sabotaging your success (16:10)
• Do you need glasses? – Your mental blind spot could lead to you getting blindsided (16:34)
• You can't handle the truth – Why being "kind" may be the meanest thing you can do to someone (18:04)
• Comfort is overrated – How to get off the fast track to becoming broke, unhealthy, and stupid (19:06)
• Thinking does not make it so – Why confusing activity with accomplishment is a one-way ticket to the poorhouse (19:56)
• The Used Car Principle – It doesn't matter what the outside looks like if what's under the hood is broken (23:10)
• You can't have both – You can have your excuses, or you can have results (23:55)
• Take ownership – How to start making the transition from renting your life to owning it (24:11)
• Escape The Matrix – The more you deny your programming the tighter its grip becomes (25:08)
• You have two ears for a reason – Why listening to truth-tellers can be a painful, but necessary process (26:48)
• Resistance is a compass – Why discomfort is often the most accurate map you own (28:56)
• Nothing succeeds like success – How to break the habit the failure by doing the one thing you don't want to do (30:50)

Resources Mentioned in This Episode

• The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand

 

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