BOOOOYAAAAAAA! Just to triple check my lesson/theory on preparation, I decided to prepare for yesterday like I had OCD. Clothes laid out, food packed, to do list prepared the night before, gym bag sitting by the door, AND as soon as I popped out of bed...I supplied my brain and body with some mental protein (I read a chapter of the book I am currently reading)! Making sure that every facet of my morning was utilized to its maximum potential.
With momentum from dominating my morning (the first five minutes dictate your day and preparation theories being used)I ventured out into the world to see if there would be that feeling at 3 PM of "I am absolutely killing it.." and I am excited to report back that I KILLED IT YESTERDAY! I was on the ball during every minute of the day, meetings, conference calls, emails, working out...I felt great! Now, this isn't the first day that I have prepared but it was the first day that I prepared like a mad man...and to my liking, I will continue to do so from here on out.
How was your morning?
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Monday, February 22, 2010
Lesson 7: If you fail to prepare, you prepare to fail
"By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail."--Benjamin Franklin
A friend emailed me today and gave me one of his favorite quotes which sparked my thought process. "Your first five minutes dictate your day." How do you start it? Do you prepare the night before? Are your clothes laid out, is your food packed, is your gym bag waiting by the door? I highly doubt it!
It made me think of my most productive days. Days that just flow. Days that you look back at 3 PM and say to yourself "I am absolutely killing it!" Why do these days happen and other days just fall by the way side? PREPARATION! Or a lack there of...If you dominate the days you prepare for, why not prepare for every day thus dominating every day? It seems easy enough to figure out... but people don't do it. They press the snooze button five times. They sleep during the time they should be waking up and working out to get their brain focused. They rush around in the morning trying to get to work on time and for what?! An hour of extra sleep? Sleep cycles are in THREE HOUR increments peopleeeeee! The extra half hour isn't doing shit. All of this has brought me to:
Lesson number seven: Preparation is the most important aspect of life
Just like the boy scouts always say, "Always be prepared", and as a young businessperson you should follow the same motto. This is a good rule of thumb for every aspect of your life, not just business or boy scouts. Imagine if you prepared everyday with the intention of getting the absolute most out of it...Meetings, phone calls, lunch, gym, interviews...you would absolutely crush the task at hand. A perfect example is the infamous "To do list"...now, what if you did it the night before when everything you didn't accomplish that day was still fresh in your head? You could hit the ground running! Now what if you prepared for the little things in your day i.e. follow up phone calls, emails, sales meetings, and even internal meetings, like an athlete going on an away game for a championship? Yeah I said it! What if you cared that much?! You triple checked your bag (briefcase), you planned and packed your meals ahead of time (to be as efficient as possible), you laid out your clothes the night before so you could pop up as soon as the alarm rang and hit the ground running. Imagine how efficient your day would be? All because you prepared. But you don't do that now...why? Because American Idol is on? Because your tired (poor baby). Stop making excuses and start preparing. You are in this thing for keeps now. Everything you do has the potential to make or break you...so why don't you do everything in your power to MAKE IT! Prepare, enough said...
A friend emailed me today and gave me one of his favorite quotes which sparked my thought process. "Your first five minutes dictate your day." How do you start it? Do you prepare the night before? Are your clothes laid out, is your food packed, is your gym bag waiting by the door? I highly doubt it!
It made me think of my most productive days. Days that just flow. Days that you look back at 3 PM and say to yourself "I am absolutely killing it!" Why do these days happen and other days just fall by the way side? PREPARATION! Or a lack there of...If you dominate the days you prepare for, why not prepare for every day thus dominating every day? It seems easy enough to figure out... but people don't do it. They press the snooze button five times. They sleep during the time they should be waking up and working out to get their brain focused. They rush around in the morning trying to get to work on time and for what?! An hour of extra sleep? Sleep cycles are in THREE HOUR increments peopleeeeee! The extra half hour isn't doing shit. All of this has brought me to:
Lesson number seven: Preparation is the most important aspect of life
Just like the boy scouts always say, "Always be prepared", and as a young businessperson you should follow the same motto. This is a good rule of thumb for every aspect of your life, not just business or boy scouts. Imagine if you prepared everyday with the intention of getting the absolute most out of it...Meetings, phone calls, lunch, gym, interviews...you would absolutely crush the task at hand. A perfect example is the infamous "To do list"...now, what if you did it the night before when everything you didn't accomplish that day was still fresh in your head? You could hit the ground running! Now what if you prepared for the little things in your day i.e. follow up phone calls, emails, sales meetings, and even internal meetings, like an athlete going on an away game for a championship? Yeah I said it! What if you cared that much?! You triple checked your bag (briefcase), you planned and packed your meals ahead of time (to be as efficient as possible), you laid out your clothes the night before so you could pop up as soon as the alarm rang and hit the ground running. Imagine how efficient your day would be? All because you prepared. But you don't do that now...why? Because American Idol is on? Because your tired (poor baby). Stop making excuses and start preparing. You are in this thing for keeps now. Everything you do has the potential to make or break you...so why don't you do everything in your power to MAKE IT! Prepare, enough said...
Thursday, February 18, 2010
F#&K IT!
"Why not go out on a limb? Isn't that where the fruit is?"-- Frank Scully
A good friend of mine wrote me an email today explaining how my blog gave him the inspiration to just say "FUCK IT" (F.I. for businesses that monitor your emails) on a business deal which he closed because of his "F.I." approach! It made me think for a while about not only the successes that I have had from that thought process, but the victories, accomplishments, and success stories you read about from that very message. Why don't more people just say..."Fuck IT!..I'm going for it. You only live once and I am going to LIVE!"
This rings home to me because I had that very epiphany two years ago when an acquaintance's father (not even a friend)died suddenly. I don't know why I was affected? I don't know why I cared? But for some reason, it was eye opening. Why do we NOT TAKE RISKS?! RFK said it best "Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly." Why is it that our generation feels the need to wear a tie everyday, say yes to everything, have a boring corporate job, and make middle class money! WHY I ASK?! WHY?!
Well I am hear to say FUCK IT. Last year I went for it. On my first side venture, I went for it and it worked! I'm not making a million bucks off of it...yet...but it gave me the eye opening experience of what its like to start, own, and succeed in business...by MY OWN IDEAS AND MERRITT. I have three friends that feel the same way. One of which wrote me the email. But why aren't there more of us? Why cant we all do it together?
I took a step back after the persons death and found myself insanely curious to how he led such a successful life (which he did...the dude was loaded). Which then in turn, started me on my journey of reading books on success and business. Which in turn, has led me to this blog. I mean really...a blog? But I said Fuck it...I am going to live my life to the fullest. I am going to take advantage of ever opportunity that comes across my desk. AND MOST OF ALL...I am going to enjoy the ride.
The next time you feel that little bit of fear in the back of your head when you want to start an idea, meet your future spouse, or make that momentous first move in anything...do the following:
Take a deep breath and just say FUCK IT...I will only live once!
A good friend of mine wrote me an email today explaining how my blog gave him the inspiration to just say "FUCK IT" (F.I. for businesses that monitor your emails) on a business deal which he closed because of his "F.I." approach! It made me think for a while about not only the successes that I have had from that thought process, but the victories, accomplishments, and success stories you read about from that very message. Why don't more people just say..."Fuck IT!..I'm going for it. You only live once and I am going to LIVE!"
This rings home to me because I had that very epiphany two years ago when an acquaintance's father (not even a friend)died suddenly. I don't know why I was affected? I don't know why I cared? But for some reason, it was eye opening. Why do we NOT TAKE RISKS?! RFK said it best "Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly." Why is it that our generation feels the need to wear a tie everyday, say yes to everything, have a boring corporate job, and make middle class money! WHY I ASK?! WHY?!
Well I am hear to say FUCK IT. Last year I went for it. On my first side venture, I went for it and it worked! I'm not making a million bucks off of it...yet...but it gave me the eye opening experience of what its like to start, own, and succeed in business...by MY OWN IDEAS AND MERRITT. I have three friends that feel the same way. One of which wrote me the email. But why aren't there more of us? Why cant we all do it together?
I took a step back after the persons death and found myself insanely curious to how he led such a successful life (which he did...the dude was loaded). Which then in turn, started me on my journey of reading books on success and business. Which in turn, has led me to this blog. I mean really...a blog? But I said Fuck it...I am going to live my life to the fullest. I am going to take advantage of ever opportunity that comes across my desk. AND MOST OF ALL...I am going to enjoy the ride.
The next time you feel that little bit of fear in the back of your head when you want to start an idea, meet your future spouse, or make that momentous first move in anything...do the following:
Take a deep breath and just say FUCK IT...I will only live once!
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Do it now and OUT and About--Put to use today
This morning, I wrote about Lesson 5--Do it now, and I am pumped to write that I already put it into use for some $$$. My lunch meeting to discuss a side venture was unexpectedly rescheduled, during which I was supposed to pick up some documents to review. Keeping Lesson 5 in the back of my mind, I called the guy and told him that regardless of the rescheduling, I still wanted to pick up the information so I could get the ball rolling. During our brief conversation while picking up the documents for the potential side venture, I saw that he did business with a competitor of mine. I jokingly reminded him of what I did for my "day job" and asked why he used my competitor...his response "I don't know why I use them, I will switch to you today". Boooyaaaaaaaaa!!! Because I was "out and about" and didn't feel like waiting a week to get the ball rolling ("Do it now"), I just picked up a HUGE deal!
Lesson 5-- Do it now
"What does money like? Money likes speed. That's the secret few know about money. Money comes to those who act fast. If you think, wonder, question, doubt, plan, meet, discuss, or in any other way drag your feet, money goes to the next person in line."-- Joe Vitale
Lesson 5 -- Do It Now
If you have to do something important, do it now. It has been said that 80% of all decisions should be made immediately. I personally believe this to be true and also believe that if you don't do something the exact moment it needs to be done it will be postponed to the point where its already too late. If the "something" is an idea it should be immediately written down and researched. The more you practice this rule the more successful you will become. Be intelligent about your "Do it now" activity list...you don't want to waste your time on unimportant tasks. The "Do It Now" philosophy is for potential revenue generating activities only and should be put to use every day of your life.
The lesson of doing it now comes from years of looking back from an efficiency perspective and reevaluating why things don't get done. I came to the conclusion that people are habitually lazy and all talk. Its rare that you find someone that acts immediately on what they say and it just so happens that its rare to find really successful people. Why don't we just "Do It Now"? One reason is fear of what will come once we put the wheels in motion and another reason is flat out laziness. Why do we live in a society that has to set a meeting to set a meeting to set a meeting for a conference call? Why cant we all just DO IT NOW? I have a meeting today to go over a friend's business and I wanted my wife's input from a "devils advocate" perspective on questions to ask. Immediately after the initial meeting I called her and gave her a brief overview of my friends situation...she of course was immediately skeptical. The dialogue that followed is the reason success is rare:
Me: "Can you write those skeptical questions down and email them to me so we can have them since they are fresh in your brain?"
Wife: "We will do it this weekend"
It hit me hard when she said those words because I knew I would never have the questions. Why don't we, in the immortal words of Nike, "Just do it"?
Lesson 5 -- Do It Now
If you have to do something important, do it now. It has been said that 80% of all decisions should be made immediately. I personally believe this to be true and also believe that if you don't do something the exact moment it needs to be done it will be postponed to the point where its already too late. If the "something" is an idea it should be immediately written down and researched. The more you practice this rule the more successful you will become. Be intelligent about your "Do it now" activity list...you don't want to waste your time on unimportant tasks. The "Do It Now" philosophy is for potential revenue generating activities only and should be put to use every day of your life.
The lesson of doing it now comes from years of looking back from an efficiency perspective and reevaluating why things don't get done. I came to the conclusion that people are habitually lazy and all talk. Its rare that you find someone that acts immediately on what they say and it just so happens that its rare to find really successful people. Why don't we just "Do It Now"? One reason is fear of what will come once we put the wheels in motion and another reason is flat out laziness. Why do we live in a society that has to set a meeting to set a meeting to set a meeting for a conference call? Why cant we all just DO IT NOW? I have a meeting today to go over a friend's business and I wanted my wife's input from a "devils advocate" perspective on questions to ask. Immediately after the initial meeting I called her and gave her a brief overview of my friends situation...she of course was immediately skeptical. The dialogue that followed is the reason success is rare:
Me: "Can you write those skeptical questions down and email them to me so we can have them since they are fresh in your brain?"
Wife: "We will do it this weekend"
It hit me hard when she said those words because I knew I would never have the questions. Why don't we, in the immortal words of Nike, "Just do it"?
Monday, February 1, 2010
Continuing on lesson 4...love and obsession
"The quality of a person's life is in direct proportion to their commitment to excellence, regardless of their chose field of endeavor."-- Vince Lombardi
Every Monday I email all the people I care about my "Monday Boooyaaaness" which is a motivational quote that gets my week started the way it should be...JACKED UP! Recently I have had more and more people comment on my booyaaaness; for example:
"Lets fucking crush it this week!"
"I love the inspiration every Monday"
"I am jacked up right now...keep em comin!"
With that type of response and energy, why aren't we all "crushing it"? Why do we just talk about it? I feel like my generation needs to follow the motto of the IBM commercial "STOP TALKING AND START DOING". Its a little ironic that I am putting that motto in a blog...but...I AM DOING. I stopped talking about it a year ago and I am on my way. My goal is to be a millionaire, most young business people's goals are...but why don't we do it? Its because of LOVE AND OBSESSION. We cant commit to succeeding in something that we don't love. So why don't we start doing things that make us money and we enjoy?! Their are two reasons: The grass is greener on the other side or 2. We don't know how to make money out of what we love. I had breakfast with my brother on Sunday and we ran into a well known businessman that we spoke to for a while. As we were walking to the car my brother said "he told me how he made his money", I said "how?"... And this is a lesson for the ages: "To make what I have made you have to completely dedicate every ounce of energy to what you do, completely buy in, and love every minute of it." My brother went on to ask him about not knowing what you love yet, and he came back with another great piece of advice "You make it a habit to go 100% in whatever you do until you figure out what you love." Our generation cant commit like that. If we do commit, we get distracted. We as a generation must put a plan in place and FOLLOW IT giving 100%! Its the only way we are going to make it. I am ready, my plan is in place, I am giving 100% and I am ready to make my mark. Are you?
Every Monday I email all the people I care about my "Monday Boooyaaaness" which is a motivational quote that gets my week started the way it should be...JACKED UP! Recently I have had more and more people comment on my booyaaaness; for example:
"Lets fucking crush it this week!"
"I love the inspiration every Monday"
"I am jacked up right now...keep em comin!"
With that type of response and energy, why aren't we all "crushing it"? Why do we just talk about it? I feel like my generation needs to follow the motto of the IBM commercial "STOP TALKING AND START DOING". Its a little ironic that I am putting that motto in a blog...but...I AM DOING. I stopped talking about it a year ago and I am on my way. My goal is to be a millionaire, most young business people's goals are...but why don't we do it? Its because of LOVE AND OBSESSION. We cant commit to succeeding in something that we don't love. So why don't we start doing things that make us money and we enjoy?! Their are two reasons: The grass is greener on the other side or 2. We don't know how to make money out of what we love. I had breakfast with my brother on Sunday and we ran into a well known businessman that we spoke to for a while. As we were walking to the car my brother said "he told me how he made his money", I said "how?"... And this is a lesson for the ages: "To make what I have made you have to completely dedicate every ounce of energy to what you do, completely buy in, and love every minute of it." My brother went on to ask him about not knowing what you love yet, and he came back with another great piece of advice "You make it a habit to go 100% in whatever you do until you figure out what you love." Our generation cant commit like that. If we do commit, we get distracted. We as a generation must put a plan in place and FOLLOW IT giving 100%! Its the only way we are going to make it. I am ready, my plan is in place, I am giving 100% and I am ready to make my mark. Are you?
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