The Tree And the Fence

Quick, name one thing that is preventing your success or keeping you from reaching a goal.

Don’t dwell on the answer, just blurt it out! Now ask, is this something within my power to change?

Regardless of what your blocker is, the answer is YES, you can change your circumstances and remove any obstacle!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-Jh-uRZb6g

All too often we allow negative self-talk to rule out day. And when that’s not giving us the excuse we want, we turn to comparison shopping for progress. You know, “THEY are farther along than me…”. And don’t even get me started on believing in the “shoulds.”

You are a unique combination of gifts and talents and you are positioned in time and place to make a difference. And the reality is you are making a difference, the only question is, is it a positive or a negative one.

Just because you are talented and gifted doesn’t mean you don’t have to put in effort toward the outcome though. Pick any great athlete, they still had to put in the work to achieve greatness, and so do you!

Just like the tree in this picture, don’t let any fence stop you from following your path to success. Yeah, you might have to go under or around and it might not be the prettiest…but it will be yours!

You may look at a fence or a wall and see an obstacle, something that will influence you to change your course. Instead, see it as an opportunity to overcome something that would stop a lesser person, someone who will have to settle for mediocre while you enjoy the fruits of your effort.

When you get stuck and need a hand seeing past your next fence or wall, DM me. I can help. And join me for a bit of daily inspiration, watch or listen to my daily video podcast (link in bio).

When To Flex and When to Focus

Why do plans always fail?

When I was growing up, the A-Team was all the rage on TV. One of the characters in that show had a saying, “I love it when a plan comes together!” Why is that such a great thing? Maybe because it is such a rare thing!

One of the most frustrating things to me as a business coach is to see people put so much time and effort into a business plan only to file it away and never look at it again. Is THAT why so many businesses fail? I don’t believe it is.

A business plan, any plan for that matter, is just a set of intended actions and expected outcomes. It’s not cast in stone and there’s no guarantee that the expected outcomes will happen. So why do we hold so tightly to plans if they’re not going to work out? IDK…THAT’s a great question!

Many a business owner and entrepreneur have had to cut their dreams short not because of lack of planning … most do a pretty good job of that. No, I believe they fail because once the plan is done, they hold more tightly to the plan than they do the desired outcome! In fact, I’ve probably read hundreds of business plans that didn’t describe ANY desired outcome!

How do you make decisions if you don’t know the outcome you’re trying to create?

As Kathryn says in our quote of the day today, “…[be] focused on the goal but flexible in your execution.” You may think a pop-up shop is THE way to go, so you struggle and suffer for two years… when all along you could have been posting your products online!

Take a minute right now and try to articulate your goal, out loud, in one sentence. If you can’t do that, then you don’t have a firm grasp on what you’re trying to accomplish. Don’t do any more planning till you know what you’re building…your odds of creating a successful plan will go way up!

If you need help with your plan, DM me or follow me on my website at www.ThomRigsby.com (link in bio).

It’s Your Call

Business (and life) is a contact sport! What do you do when it gets to be too much?

Let’s face it, it happens to everybody! Sometimes all the moving pieces of your success and fulfillment seem to be moving in opposite directions! UGH! The answer though is pretty simple…

The more complicated things become, the more aggressively you have to simplify!

Overwhelm, and the feeling of lost control that accompanies it can be debilitating if you let it…but it doesn’t have to be.

Most people believe when they are experiencing overwhelm that the pathway out is planning or studying or some other distraction. The reality is, there’s only one way to dig out from overwhelm…simplify!

In the short term, find one thing you can control, that you can make an unimpeded decision about and make it. For Mel Robbins, author of the 5-second Rule, that was the snooze button on her alarm clock. It doesn’t have to be big or fancy, just something YOU control.

Now that you have some confidence taking control of your ‘alarm clock’ take on that giant pile of decisions that are overwhelming you. Simplify the decision point all the way down to, “which choice moves me closer to my goal.”

Take Jocko’s advice (slightly modified by Thom), “Relax, [take a breath], look around, and make a decision.” Those decisions are the reins of control in your business and your life…start deciding and take back control!

If you need help finding your clarity or simplifying your decision matrix, DM me or connect with me on my website (link in bio) at www.ThomRigsby.com.

The Freedom to Succeed

How bad does it have to get before you will take action?

You’ve probably heard that all human action is driven by one of two things, avoidance of pain or achievement of pleasure. It’s Independence Day here in the US and as I’m writing this I wonder…was it pleasure or pain that motivated the Founding Fathers?

As you are reading this right now, there is something you want to do. Something you want to accomplish. It might be a big, legacy type outcome…or maybe something small, like a raise or a promotion. In either case, you have to do something to make it happen.

See, the truth is that you already have the freedom you seek, you’re just keeping it locked behind excuses! All you have to do to have the freedom you so long for is just choose to act!

Now, bear in mind…choices come with consequences and freedom comes with responsibility. You have the freedom to choose friends that will build you up and support your journey…and that comes with consequences related to your existing friends. And then there’s family…

It’s kind of like getting your driver’s license. Yes, you get an immense amount of freedom when you can finally drive yourself where you want to go. But you’re also doing so in a 2,500-pound projectile that is more than capable of killing you and others. With that freedom comes great responsibility!

So today, as you celebrate our nation’s freedom, remember:
– freedom isn’t found in waiting for the answer
– freedom isn’t found in researching and reading
– freedom isn’t found in sitting still

No, freedom (and it’s requisite responsibility) can only be found by being bold, brave, and taking action!

What action will you take TODAY to move yourself one step closer to the life and lifestyle you crave? Leave a comment and let me know!

Get Scared!

What did you do yesterday that scared you? Made you nervous? Was risky?

We talk a lot about fear on the podcast (7 Minutes In the Morning, link in bio) because fear is a natural part of life. It serves a biological purpose by causing our body to prepare for ‘something’ and it tells our senses to ‘pay attention!’

Fear also serves an important mental purpose as well. When you feel afraid or scared in a work or business capacity, it’s a message that you are testing the edges of your comfort zone. Yep, that’s right, your comfort zone!

Many people live their entire lives inside their comfort zone, even if the life there is less than fulfilling…at least its safe! But not you! When you take on the role of business owner and entrepreneur, you need to prepare yourself…even LOOK for ways…to be afraid every day.

It all points back to the principle that, “if you want the things other people don’t have, you have to do the things they won’t.” They won’t do them because they’re warm and cozy in their comfort zone. Ahh but you my friend…you’re out there making it happen!

You can start testing the boundaries of your comfort zone by signing up for a no-cost, no-obligation business strategy session! The link is in my bio!

What Is the Displacement Principle

Are you having trouble getting results? Can’t seem to get the things you want? Here’s the reason…and an answer!

You are not getting the results you want because of displacement. You are displacing the work you SHOULD be doing to create the result you want with other work that is either ‘busy work’ or directed at something other than what you say you want.

If you have the ability to read this message, you have access to everything you need to create the result you want! The ONLY thing holding you back is YOU and what YOU choose to work on.

I know it’s not always sexy or fun…and that’s the point! If you want something you’ve never had you have to do the things you’ve never done! And so what if they are difficult, or risky, or whatever! DO IT ALREADY… do work that matters!

We are almost half-way through 2019…are you half-way to your goals for the year? If you’re not, there’s still time, you just have to choose the right priority and get it done…then do it again tomorrow…and the next day…( I think you get the idea ).

If you are struggling with your goals I would love to help! You can schedule a no-cost, no-obligation call with me on my website (link in bio). You will find clarity, gain confidence, and take back control of your time! You CAN make great things happen before the end of 2019!

See it before it happens

Can you predict the future?

Most business owners and leaders look at the future as some big secret, waiting for it to ‘be revealed’ or ‘unfold.’ You will hear them say things like ‘no one can know for sure’ or ‘let’s see what the future holds’ and the reality is they are wrong!

Have you ever used any of those phrases? Do you think the future is a secret or a mystery? Allow me to explain.

Every year car manufacturers release new models. Once or twice a year networks release new shows or seasons of shows. Every fall a bevy of new college students are minted and every spring a few of them will graduate.

See, everything is a cycle…everything! And if you can identify the cycle, you can predict the future!

Here’s another example… Businesses and business owners that don’t set goals, don’t hit them! Leaders that don’t measure the progress toward their goals…don’t hit them!

We’re closing in on the half-way mark of 2019! Yep, just a few days is all that’s left in the first half of the year…are you halfway to your goals for 2019?

If you don’t have goals for the year, it’s not too late! If you haven’t been measuring them, it’s not too late! If you want to learn how to predict the future, it’s not too late! DM me or visit the website to schedule a call (link in bio).

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!

How to Overcome the Fear of Failure

What fun, exciting, or great thing are you missing out on because you are afraid of failing? Stop missing out!

Fear serves a great purpose for us…it is our mind telling our body to pay attention and it kept us alive for many generations! But when you accept fear for what it is, and why it exists, overcoming it gets easier.

All fear is rooted in uncertainty and serves to help us avoid pain. The only way to reduce or remove fear is by reducing uncertainty by 1) studying the situation or 2) just do it.

I was talking with a coaching client yesterday who kept adding tasks in between now and THE critical task in his journey to success. He was avoiding the fear!

There’s at least one other tactic you can use right away to reduce fear…but you’re going to have to check out the podcast for that one (link in bio)!

Just remember, regardless of what you’re afraid of, it is impossible to demonstrate courage in the absence of fear! If you’re afraid, be courageous and be a winner!

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!