New Year

NEW YEAR, NEW YOU!! People that are successful recreate themselves anew with every failure. What I mean by that is, when I would do something wrong (which was and is all the time) I would learn from that “failure” and become a new person moving forward stronger than I was prior. This would be a usual course of action and I would mentally clear the slate and become excited for the increased awareness and skills to move forward.

Most people in my opinion don’t do this often enough. I’ve seen the Marita’s, Mark’s, Ardie’s, and Marwan’s, and many of the MDC’s of the team do this ever single week since they were started. It is a great trait to add. It has allowed them to become even better than they know by slowly adding and growing.

Others get their chance now with New Year’s. Look on the past as a great learning experience. Cut yourself some slack for the lack of results you wished you had achieved and get ready to go nuts. This is a great date to really clear that slate and become a new affiliate that brings tons of focus and production forward this coming year. Think of everything you’d like to be in 2008 and act that way starting day one. It’s a whole new year, let’s make it the BEST YEAR EVER!!!!

Memory Point: Dream

D is for Dare (dare to dream while others don’t)
R is for Relentless (relentlessly pursue your dream no matter what)
E is for Excellence (strive for excellence in all you do)
A is for Abandon (abandon any other alternative plans)
M is for Measure (constantly measure where you are in your dream journey)

Holidays

The holidays are upon us; a time of celebration and joy. I love the last days of November through the beginning of the New Year. The pure magic of the holidays is something that I anticipate and enjoy each and every year. 

For some though, the holidays have lost the joy and excitement they once had.  For many, there is so much stress.  They don’t enjoy the times they get to spend with their family and friends during what is supposed to be days filled with joy and peace.

Why is that? Probably a lot can be solved by us individually and is in our total control.

I believe our holiday times should be wonderful and filled with lasting and enjoyable moments and memories. So how can we ensure that we come out of the holidays in January with great memories of the past month? Here are six thoughts that will help you experience the holidays the way they were intended to be experienced:

1. Be Moderate.
Holidays can be days of excess for many.  Too much food, too many cookies and treats, too much chocolate, and schedules that are too busy. One thing that will help you enjoy the holidays is to do things in moderation. Enjoy the food. Enjoy the treats. Enjoy the busy schedule of activities and parties. But also be disciplined enough to know when to hold back and say, “no”.  When we go overboard we regret it and lose the opportunity to fully experience that moment. When we enjoy a little and refrain from going too far, then we can enjoy all that little moment of time has to offer.

2. Lower Your Expectations.
Much of the frustration people experience from the holidays is from setting their expectations too high. They expect too much from friends or family, and when they don’t get what they want, they get frustrated. They expect presents to be perfect and when they aren’t, they get frustrated or disappointed. Instead of having huge expectations this holiday season, just take it as it comes and enjoy what you can. And this brings me to my next point.

3. Enjoy What You Can and Ignore the Rest.
This holiday season, go with an attitude of knowing that things will be what they will be. You can’t control other people or their actions. If a family member pushes the limits of your patience, ignore that and instead focus on how much you can enjoy the time you have with other family members. If things don’t go perfectly - which they won’t - then enjoy what you can and let the rest slide. You will feel a lot better about life if you can take all things a little easier.

4. Stay Out of Debt.
Debt is a killer. It will steal your enjoyment of life. Be sure to stay within your financial boundaries this holiday season. The last thing you want is to start the New Year with a deeper burden financially. Know where you are financially and stay within those limits. You don’t have to impress anyone, just buy gifts that you can afford and express your heartfelt feeling in the giving of the gift.

5. Take Time for Yourself.
Be sure that no matter how busy you get, that you take time for yourself. Take time to read. Take a long bath if that relaxes you. Take a walk. Spend some quiet time in front of a fire. Don’t rush through the holidays and sap all of your energy. Your mind and body need to be reenergized, so be sure to take time to do so.

6. Focus on Your Spiritual Life.
Ultimately, no matter what tradition you come from, the holidays are historically days in which we focus on the spiritual. Men and women are created with a natural draw toward spiritual life. However, our culture today tends to stay away from a focus on the spiritual and that has even crept into our holidays. Be sure to place an emphasis on building your spiritual life and growing in that area. This will help keep you grounded and give you the ability to deal with anything that may come your way.

Friends, we are coming to the end of another year. I have enjoyed this year more than ever! A lot of this is thanks to you and I am very grateful for you!  But get ready for this next year because it’s going to be the BEST ONE YET!!!!

May you experience the very best this holiday season and move into January better than ever!

Memory Point: Teachability

Teachability
Your growth determines who you are.
Who you are determines who you will attract.
Who you attract determines the success of your organization.

1.  Cure your destination disease.  There are always further destinations that you can grow to.  Look for higher levels of success, which of course can only be obtained by further growth.

2.  Don’t take shortcuts.  The longest distance between 2 points is a shortcut. For everything you value in life there will be a price that must be paid in full and up front.

3.  Trade in your pride.  Do you really know everything?  You must know that you will make mistakes because you are not perfect.

4.  Remember the lessons.  When you do make mistakes learn from them so you don’t have to repeat them often.

If you don’t like the crop you are receiving, check the seed that you are sowing.

Memory Point: Communication

Communication
Leaders must be able to share knowledge and ideas, create urgency, and develop enthusiasm in others.

4 keys:
1.  Simplify
2.  Think about them.  Believe in them.
3.  Show the truth.  Believe in what you say.  Live what you say.
4.  Seek action.

Daily memory point: Responsibility

Responsibility
If you won’t carry the ball, you can’t lead the team.

Good leaders never embrace a victim mentality.
1.  They get the job done.  Eight hours a day for survival, everything over is investment in future.
2.  They are willing to go the extra mile ahead of their own agenda.
3.  They are driven by excellence.  Stress comes from doing less than you can.
4.  They Produce regardless of the situation. 

To improve:
1.  Keep hanging in there.
2.  Admit what’s not good enough.  Don’t lower your standards.
3.  Improve yourself always.

3 Legs: Ability, Motivation, Attitude

“Ability is what you’re capable of doing. Motivation determines what you do. Attitude determines how well you do it.” Lou Holtz

There are three primary aspects of your life that will determine whether or not you are successful in your endeavors. You will not be successful if you only have one or two. You must have all three working together. Consider them like the three legs of a “stool of success.”

Ability – the level at which you are able to actually do things; your skill level. If you have a high level of skill, that´s good. The better you get, the better it will be for you. As you perform at higher and higher skill levels, the more and more success you will find in your chosen field.

Motivation – the level at which you are able to find “a reason to act.” This is the internal drive that you find that enables you to exercise your abilities. To the degree that you can find a way, or ways, to keep yourself motivated. You will see yourself right in the thick of things, carrying out your actions to the best of your abilities and succeeding accordingly.

Attitude – this is the mental state that you have while carrying out your actions to the best of your ability. It is the way you view the world around you and choose to see it, either positively or negatively. To the degree that you can maintain a positive attitude about yourself, others, and the circumstances you find yourself in. You will see yourself achieving greater and greater things.

“But Chad, can’t I get away with just two?”

No.

What if you have high skills and motivation but a rotten attitude? People will stay away and it will hinder your success. What if you have a good attitude and motivation but poor skills? People will like you, maybe even root for you, but will go to someone else with the skills they need. What if you have great skills and attitude but no motivation? Well, you’ll be sitting on the couch like a lazy slug while the motivated people are out there making your money and achieving your dreams!

No, it takes all three. So let’s ask some questions:

Ability: How highly skilled are you? Is your skill level holding you back? How so? What could you achieve if you just took your skills to the next level beyond where they are right now? How would improving your skills improve the bottom line of your success?

Motivation: How motivated are you? Why do you answer that way? What would your spouse or close friends say? Would they say you are as motivated as you say you are? Why or why not? Why do you have the level of motivation that you have? What could you do to find a higher level of motivation? What would happen if you became super motivated for the next year of your life. What great things would happen?

Attitude: Do you have a good attitude or a poor one? How would you rate yourself? What about when things go wrong? Are you more of an optimist or a pessimist? What would happen if you took your attitude to the next level for the next 60 days? What if you just chose to have an incredible attitude? What would be the ramifications?

“The world cares very little about what a man or woman knows; it is what a man or woman is able to do that counts.” Booker T. Washington

This is so true. People will judge you on what you accomplish, not what you know or what you talk about. In fact, if you know a lot or talk a lot but do not accomplish anything, people will wonder what happened. So the question is whether or not you will take the actions necessary to deliver on your potential. To do so, you will need to focus in on the three legs of the stool of success: Your ability, your motivation, and your attitude.