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I Envision A Time When…

Why do you work? Can you clearly articulate the end-state you are striving to achieve?

It’s a simple enough question but one that will probably stump you. I’ve asked this question to hundreds, maybe thousands of people and the most common answers they have given fall into one of two categories: 1) to pay bills, or 2) um, because I’m supposed to.

It is exactly this lack of goals, absence of vision, that lead over 70% of employees to be mentally and emotionally disengaged AT WORK! They just don’t care.

Among business owners it’s slightly better…but not much. In a recent Reddit thread the question was posed, “Why did you start your business?” and the majority of answers centered around what the job allowed them to escape, not what it was providing for them.

So whether you are an employee or a business owner, it’s really easy to get trapped in the “it’s what I’m supposed to do” way of thinking. That’s not intentional thinking and will NOT produce the results you’re looking for!

The reality is, if you don’t have a clear vision of what YOU call success, you will just wander around, doing whatever looks interesting and never really reaching your full potential!

So instead, why not give this thought experiment a try. Grab a piece of paper and finish this sentence, “I envision a time when…” What are the criteria you will use to decide if your journey has been successful?

Not only will this make answering the WHY question easier, but it also gives you a great decision-making tool! Use it when you face a choice and ask yourself which option moves me closer to my vision of success…then choose that one! Over time, you just might get there!

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Overcoming Limits (and Limiting Beliefs!)

Question of the day: What do you want to do but believe you are unqualified or unable to do?

Have you ever known someone who constantly believed they were falling prey to the latest malady in the news? Cancer from styrofoam cups? Yep! Flesh-eating bacteria? You know…my arm has been itching a lot…!

There is a medical condition known as hypochondria where your mind convinces you that you have a condition…so your body begins to act like you have that condition! It becomes a self-reinforcing condition!

So here’s my thought…if you mind is powerful enough to make you sick…why can’t you mind be powerful enough to make you well? Or in the context of your work or business…if your mind can prevent you from being successful, why can’t your mind assist you in being successful!?!?

You’ve probably heard the old axiom “fake it till you make it,” right? Well, there’s definitely a bit of truth in that. In EVERY successful endeavor, the first person you have to convince that it’s going to work…is YOU!

How many times have you seen a great opportunity but passes on it because of {insert your weak excuse here}!

STOP Doing That!

Instead, find the reasons why you should jump head-long into that opportunity and make it a winner. Remember, there are a million reasons why not, only one great reason why!

Drop a comment below and let us know what opportunity you are going to move on today! Make a commitment then take action to make it real! It’s the only way to change your future!

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Is Your Dream Big Enough?

Did you share your dream with the world yesterday (see yesterday’s podcast)? If you did I have one question for you…is it big enough?

Let’s just say I’ve been coaching and helping people unleash their pent up potential for well over a decade and in that time I’ve learned many truths about coaching and getting the best out of people. Here’s one of them…if you shared your big, hairy, audacious goal with the world yesterday…there’s a VERY GOOD chance that you held back! Yep, I said it…you held back! Here’s why!

Even if you feel like you put it all out on the table…walked through the food court at the mall in your underwear (sorry for that visual but it works!), fearful as you may have been…there’s still more. See even if you laid it all out on the table yesterday for the first time, you’ve had that dream stored up for so long that you’re just not used to talking about it!

And if you did share it all, your dream bucket is exposed to the world, what kind of coach would I be if I didn’t challenge you to stretch!

You’ve already come this far, you’ve exposed your hopes and dreams this much, WHY NOT think bigger! Want to make $1 million? Why not $2 million? 100 new customers, why not 200? Hire a new technician, why not 2?

See, once you’re over the hurdle of sharing at all, it is time to REALLY share what the REAL dream is! So go ahead, update your dreams and BHAG’s in the comments!

I DARE YOU!

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Unleash Your Potential

Are you living at your full potential? Is your business, your work, and your life as good as it could be? Even if the answer is “almost” then you still have work to do! Read on…

When energy is stored (like in a spring or a battery) and not used it is called POTENTIAL energy…potential because it is not being realized. You have the potential within you and it is stored in the form of a big, hairy, audacious goal…a BHAG…a dream that is so big and crazy that, until today, you have resisted even telling anyone else about it!

Well, today is the day you are going to share your big dream with the world. Here’s why…

Potential does nothing for anyone until it is released…but it can degrade. Over time an unused battery will lose its charge. A spring will be sprung (yep, that’s really what it’s called!) If you don’t begin releasing your potential TODAY you will begin losing it TODAY!

If you’ve been tracking with us all week, you know that Monday I challenged you to refine your BGAG into a clear concise sentence…Well, today is the day to share it with the world and what better place to start than right here!

Within the Thom Rigsby community you have people just like you, similarly situated to you, ready and willing to support YOU! Everybody here has a crazy, non-conformist dream, I just want you to be an UNASHAMED non-conformist!

So go ahead, drop that powerful sentence in the comments and let the rest of the community know what you will pursue and make a reality!

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What Wants You?

What is the one thing that you keep coming back to, time and time again? It keeps calling to you and you just can’t get it out of your head? Have you ever wondered why that is?

Because you are uniquely gifted, talented and placed to have an abundant life and do work that matters, you are like a puzzle piece, uniquely shaped to fill a given spot in the masterpiece. That means you have at least one matching piece out there somewhere…and it is calling to you! Unless you answer that call and do you part, there will always be a gap, a hole, an unfinished piece! You don’t want that do you?

Someone needs to benefit from your contribution. They need the product you offer, the service you provide, they need to hear what YOU have to say!

But answering that call will lead you into the unknown, the unfamiliar, and therefore will be at least a little bit scary! But hey, what great accomplishment comes without risk!

Indeed, as Emerson said, everything you want is out there and it also wants you. Like two magnets you will be drawn together to create something much greater than either one on your own can produce. Just think what great things you could do if you redirected your focus away from maintaining the status quo and toward success!

Go forth boldly today, with confidence, and pursue that which you desire…it’s trying to find you too!

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Where All Dreams Start

What dream do you have that is so big, so crazy, so ridiculous that you hesitate to share it with anyone else…but you just can’t let it go?

Last week we talked about fear and the role it plays in reaching your dreams, this week we’re talking about boldly pursuing your dreams. This week, we’re gonna jump start your journey to reaching that dream by creating some clarity around what you want and building some confidence behind your ability to do it!

Lately, the word desire seems to have taken on a negative connotation. The reality is that the desire of your heart is there for a reason. You are uniquely gifted, talented and placed to have an abundant life and play your part in the bigger picture. Desire is that calling…that aching that continuously draws you into the role you are uniquely qualified and able to fulfill.

As we make our way through this week, I want you to focus on the big dream, that BHAG (big, hairy, audacious goal)…today, work to define it, refine it, and put it into one powerful sentence. Something you can say to yourself every time the going gets tough and you want to quit. Something you can share to rally others to follow you. Something that will light a fire in your belly and keep it blazing until you make it a reality!

What is your BHAG?

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Why You Can’t Throw That Ugly Lamp Away!

Before you knew how to ride a bike (and maybe while you were learning) you may have thought it was impossible. For thousands of years, people believed it was impossible for mankind to take to the skies.

You are looking at some limitation, constraint, or obstacle today and thinking it is impossible to overcome, yet, all your limitations live only in your mind. Everything is possible. It may require sacrifice or difficult choices…but Everything is on the table for you today!

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Why Average is Good Enough

What are you not trying because you don’t feel qualified or ready?

I love this quote from Bruce Lee because it calls it perfectly…greatness is present in everyone, even the average person, but it requires effort to achieve.

With all the opportunity for distraction available to us…literally in the palm of your hand…we often fall prey to Distraction Over Action. We know that the next task or project is going to be taxing, stressful, or lengthy so we opt for a “quick” distraction. That quick distraction turns into a long one, the BAM…off your game.

One of the best ways I’ve found to defeat DOA is with block scheduling. Schedule a block of time, say 20 minutes, to focus on one task. Turn off all your notifications, don’t check email or answer the phone…just focus. You will be amazed at what you can accomplish in a short period of time.

How do you avoid DOA and get that To Do list knocked out? Leave your best tip in the comments!

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Why Cash Is NOT King!

You’ve probably heard the old saying that Cash Is King…right? What if it’s not?

As business owners and leaders, the odds can feel like they’re stacked against us. With more than 90% of new businesses not making it through the first five years, and their demise often attributed to inadequate funding (wrong, but that’s for another day) it’s easy to understand why so many businesses chase the money. But there’s another currency you should be chasing instead.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1AKmcH4fADo

Harold Geneen once said, “In business, everyone is paid in two coins: cash and experience. Take the experience first; the cash will come later.”

Chasing the cash turns every customer interaction into a transaction. The truth is, this is very transparent to the customer, and many times they are fine with that. But there it also prevents the development of a relationship and any semblance of customer loyalty.

Now, I’m not saying you should do the work for free, but do consider what you are gaining from every interaction. There is something you can learn…and that might be worth much more than cash!