Wins Live in the Land of Loss

Do you ever feel like giving up? I do…and here’s how I keep going.

Some days are better than others. You wake up with all the energy and excitement you need to power the week! Then other days…not so much. Why the difference? Frankly, there are lots of reasons from the physiological to psychological to the weather…but today I want to address the REAL underlying reasons why you want to give up.

Have you ever seen the movie 300? Did you know it’s based on the true story of King Leonidas and the Battle of Thermopoly? How did Leonidas get somewhere around 300 men to fight to the death against a Persian army of almost a million troops? And why didn’t they want to quit?

I’ve been fascinated by stories like this most of my life all leading me to ask the same question…why didn’t they give up? Why not just quit and live to fight another day? I’ve found that the answer for all of them, and for you, is remarkably simple…

You have to know your why!

I can’t tell you how many aspiring business owners I’ve faced across the business coaching table and asked this question and received confused looks in return. They don’t know why they want to start a business (or they assume making money is the only legit answer!).

So why do you do what you’re about to do today? Whether it’s going to work at a job, going to school, working on a side gig or side hustle, or unlocking the doors to your own business…why are you doing that?

And now for today’s golden nugget…Once you know your why, that ‘big picture’ destination you’re working toward, the little day-to-day don’t matter as much, and you can blow right past them without a second thought. If you’re why is to win the world series, does swinging and missing at this pitch make a difference? Does getting one out for trying to steal second make a difference? Does losing today’s game make a difference? Sure, some of these individual fails hurt in the moment, but do they change your big picture why?

Don’t get so wrapped up in this day, this hour, this minute…that you lose sight of this outcome!

If you need help finding your why, I can help. Send me a DM or schedule a no cost, no obligation introductory call on my website (link in bio), I’m happy to help!

success demands hard work and focus

Yesterday we talked about there being no easy path, no ‘lotto solution’ to your challenge.

Those of you with kids can probably relate to this (or maybe it was an employee!). They work so hard and spend so much time trying to get out of doing something that you look at them and think (or say), “You know, if you’d spend that much time doing what I asked, you’d be done already.”

While I do believe that you are uniquely gifted, talented and placed to do your work that matters…that is only part of the story. You still have to put in the work, and sometimes, maybe even most of the time, that work is difficult!

But that’s okay, in fact, that’s preferred! Why? Simple, because the harder you work for an outcome, the more valuable it is to you! The sense of accomplishment and fulfillment you get from completing something hard far outweighs the momentary difficulty of the work!

So just like fear and risk are really good indicators that you are on the right path, so to is hard work! It reminds me of that old saying, “If it was easy, everybody would do it!”

If you want the things no one else has, you have to do the work no one else will!

There is no risk free path to success

Psst…hey…are you looking for a watch? I guess a more modern version of this old trope would be, “Hey, buddy, you looking for a 100% guaranteed way to make $10k of totally passive income by tomorrow?”

Why are we so enamored by these kinds of offers? What makes them so appealing even when we immediately view them with doubt and skepticism?

I often say that an opportunity that doesn’t come with some risk is not really an opportunity, it’s a gift or a hand-out. Intuitively we know that anything of real value comes with a cost. For an opportunity, that cost is risk! So when we are offered something “risk-free” we (should) start asking questions!

But isn’t risk bad? Shouldn’t we be trying to avoid risk? NOOOOO! Just like yesterday’s post about fear being a great indicator that you’re on the right track, so too is risk. NO great accomplishment was ever made without risk! And in fact, the greater the risk, the greater the reward, in both monetary terms and personal satisfaction!

So yes, be on the lookout for risk, mitigate it when you can, then charge head-long into its face…because behind the risk is where the reward is hiding!

If you’re are unsure about how to handle a risky situation in your business or life, DM me, I can help!

How to Have Whatever You Want

Do you have what you want or settle for what you can get?

As a life and business coach, almost every day I have a conversation with an aspiring business owner that starts out something like, “Yeah, I have a great idea for a widget! I have a solid design and I’m ready to quit my job to work on it, BUT {insert excuse here}!”

You’ve probably heard of the placebo effect, you know, patients given sugar pills experience the same benefits as those that get the real thing? Why is that? Simple, because they believed!

And you don’t have to know how it works to use it to reach your goals! You still fly on an airplane without understanding how to fly it yourself, don’t you? Your understanding has very little to do with it.

You may want to write this date down in your journal because I’m about to give you a pass on something (that NEVER happens!). It’s not your fault! You’ve been duped!

All your life you’ve been told that you can’t buck the system, follow the rules and you’ll get your reward, focus and work hard, etc, etc, etc. Well, I’m here to tell you YOU CAN and YOU SHOULD! Don’t wait! Live your legacy every day…starting today!

You already have the ability to create ANY outcome you want if you will just make the choices that lead to that outcome! All you have to do is BELIEVE!

I want you to find your why and do work that matters! So, leave a comment and let me know what outcome YOU want and what you’re going to do TODAY to take at least one step toward making it a reality!

Make a Buck or Make a Difference?

What do you think about this quote from Tom Brokaw? Is it easier to make a buck than a difference?

I look at this and think “Transactional versus Relational”… and relationships are hard, thus, making a difference is hard. Okay…how about an example.

Here in the south, we have the Publix grocery store chain. They do lots of “little things” right but one of the most visible is that they offer to take your groceries to the car for you. Nah, it’s more than that…they assume they are going to unless you tell them no…and they don’t allow tipping!

So why is that important? Because any one of the millions of grocers in the US will execute a transaction with you, Publix wants to make a difference!

In my business coaching practice, I often talk with business owners and leaders who are too focused on making a buck and they miss the opportunity to make a difference! Frequently this is rooted in a cash flow problem but more often than not, they just aren’t thinking about it. Why should they worry about it? Why should YOU worry about it?

Publix is far from the cheapest option. Their location closest to our house, in fact, two of their locations here are across the street from a WalMart…and yet they are always hoppin’! Why? Because they make a difference!

Spend some time today thinking about how to put your customer first, what that will look like for you, and how you can make a difference in THEIR day! Leave a comment below and let us know how you’re going to do it!

Find the Will to Win

transformation for the week: From afraid to confident / courageous
For Today: Finding the will to win

Do you have what it takes to win? Are you willing to do whatever it takes?

I had a terrible boss once. No, I mean REALLY bad! Combine that with my stubborn streak and what do you get? I became determined to stay at the company longer than he did. That vision, that mission, gave me the will to put up with a LOT of crap!

For many people, the ‘will to win’ is something soldiers or athletes need but you don’t need it in your role, right? Well, maybe! I hate to break this to you but every day won’t be a great day, in fact, some days will be downright terrible. But even those aren’t the days when you need the will to win.

When you’ve been working on that big pitch, trying to land that game-changing client, or working diligently to open a new store…then you lose! The pitch get’s accidentally deleted, the game-changing client goes with someone else. The new store has a new neighbor…your biggest competitor!

THESE are the days you need the will to win!

Will You Be Happy If You Get Where You Are Going?

Do you know where the road you’re on will take you?

I ask this question a lot and most of the time the answer resembles, “Um, yeah…I guess.” You have probably heard most of your life that if you study hard, get good grades, get a good job and work hard that you can finish happy. The problem is, what about the journey?

See, the reality is that you can do all those things, just like the checklist tells you to, and still have a miserable trip only to arrive at an empty destination. Kind of like that Chevy Chase movie Vacation. After ALL THAT…the park is closed.

So if following the checklist is not what you’re supposed to do…what SHOULD you do? Well, I have good news and bad news… First, the bad news, you’ll have to wait till next week to find out! What and how to change your trajectory is our topic next week on 7 Minutes In the Morning (be sure to watch and listen).

Now for the GOOD News…there is something you can do right now to start the change. Over the weekend I want you to think for yourself, not what anyone else says…what YOU say success looks like to you. Big vacation every year? Maybe three or four mini-vaca’s every year? Private jet or just a nice car. Sky’s the limit here…just take some time this weekend to do this exercise…

Grab a piece of paper, at the top write, “I envision a time when…” then spend the next few days writing out some bullet points to describe what success looks, feels, tastes, sounds and smells like to you.

Bring that with you next week, and we’ll start working on making that plan a reality for you!

Have an awesome weekend.

Thom

Have You Held On Too Long?

There’s a fine line between committed and crazy, have you crossed it?

I once coached a business owner who was frustrated by their lack of progress in bringing their product to market. When I dug into the details, he told me he didn’t really have the time to work on that product because he was so busy answering customer calls for another product.

He was so focused on one product that he was blind to the success that was right in front of him!

Knowing when to stay the course and when to pivot is hard, no doubt about it. We have to have a tenacious spirit and a willingness to do the hard work, but there is also something to be said for taking the outcome that is right in front of you and living to fight another day.

Every situation and circumstance is different and ultimately you have to make these kinds of decisions on your own. But a great place to start is by asking, “which option moves me closer to my goal today?”

The answer may not be the sexy one, but it will very likely be the right one.

If you need help finding your why or setting meaningful goals for your business or you life, send me a message, I can help!

Keep Moving

How will you know you’ve ‘made it’?

It’s a pretty common question, especially in entrepreneur and business owner circles. So common in fact that we don’t really pay attention to what the question assumes…namely, that there IS such a thing as making it!

Too many business owners, leaders, and high performing individuals assume that the promised land awaits if they just keep their head down and soldier on. Do you feel that way? What if that’s wrong?

In my coaching practice, I’ve had the opportunity to work with several business owners as they were making an exit from their company. All but one of them looked back on their time owning the company with a perspective of failure, or at least missed opportunities. “We never really made the big time” kind of thinking. It’s not until I remind them that they did manage to keep their family fed, clothed, housed, kids through college, employees employed, suppliers supplying…that it finally dawns on them that they’d been “making it” all along.

So instead of seeing today’s trials and challenges as failing, or as Sir Winston says, “Going through hell,” consider it par for the course. These are the things that keep out the weak and give the strong the opportunity to shine!

So yes, if you feel as though you’re going through hell, by all means, keep going. You certainly don’t want to camp out there. But also consider just how bad today’s “hell” is…maybe it’s not so bad after all.

If you are having difficulty seeing the value in the journey or you’re just feeling the weight of ‘failure’, DM me…I can help!

Enjoy the journey.