A Test

When you finally have enough money, the real man/woman is revealed.

If you had enough money to retire, leave, and go do anything, what would you do?

Would you keep doing what you have been doing and build on it? 

If so, then you have been doing the right thing all along.  You were doing what you were meant to do and were happy doing it.

If not, then you were here doing this for the money or out of fear.

No judgment, just a question that reveals something about a person and their work.

Don't (always) play by the rules.

I have invented many things.  I have 32 patents. 

In some of these cases in particular, I had to go against what everyone else was doing.  I had to break the rules, part with conventional wisdom, and challenge “truths”.  In a couple cases I had to violate the building code to make things better.  I risked lawsuits and my business, but I knew I was right.

In those cases, I changed my industry forever.  I brought more value, security, comfort and health to millions of homeowners that just was not available before.

You don’t have to play by other people’s rules.

What conventions in your industry are you obeying because they were always there?

What if you started over and reinvented it all based on what you know now?

What would your customers love?

What are you afraid of?

Everything you want is on the opposite side of fear.

Fear holds people back more than any outside force.

Fear of failure. 

Fear of losing what they already have even though it’s not great.

Fear of looking bad, silly, stupid, or like a beginner.

If you want to do or achieve anything significant, courage is necessary.

But what if you looked at things differently?  What if you saw less risk?  What if you learned more about it?  What if you asked, “What’s the worst that could happen?” and determined that if it did happen, you would be ok with it?  What if you built your desire much bigger than your fear?  What if you saw the biggest risk as NOT doing it – not giving yourself the chance?

In most cases, it’s all in your head.

If you melt the risk away there, you need less courage.

Life is an inner game first.

You created that fear by how you processed it all – and you can change that.

Two kinds of freedoms

Freedom from, and freedom to.

Having “freedom from” is great.  Freedom from violence, oppression, and injustice.

“Freedom to” is next level.  Freedom to do whatever you want when you want.  Now that is freedom.

Of course, it comes only with discipline, learning, and creating value for others.

Freedom from is a blessing of liberty bestowed upon you in a free country.

Freedom to is earned in that same place.

Compass over map

Compass over map.

Explain the goal to your team.  Review your why.  Explain the values they must hold on the journey.

Then let them help figure out how to get there.

A new year – what will be different?

If I do the same thing this year as I did last year, I will get the same results; or maybe a little better or a little worse based on external circumstances.

I want to do better.  I am thinking about new and different marketing campaigns.

I am thinking about putting key people on key projects.

I am thinking about new training and ways to excite my team.

Then, I am prioritizing.  I will delegate what I can, empower others with what I can, and get to work on the highest priority projects that will make tomorrow better right away.

What are you doing to make 2025 better than 2024?

Do your core values and your big goal match up?

What are your core values?  Not your company’s core values – yours.

What is your big goal?

What kind of person do you need to be to accomplish the goal?

Do those three line up?

If they do, then you are onto something great.  It feels right.  It excites you each day and you can be genuine and honest as you move forward.

If your personal values, your big goal and who you need to be to accomplish the goal do not line up, then something doesn’t feel right.  It feels like a fight, a struggle, hard work…

Are you doing the right thing in your life?

No confidence? Have this instead…

Confidence is a great thing.  You get it by knowing what you are doing, experience and believing in yourself.

With confidence, you can move through a day filled with tasks that would make others nervous, anxious, and afraid with ease.

But what if you don’t have confidence yet?

Then you will need courage.  You are nervous or afraid, but you do it anyway.  By using courage, eventually, you will gain confidence. 

The difference between courage and confidence is that confidence feels good.

You will need one or the other to move forward.

Goals

Goals are important – for a lot of reasons.

Your mind needs something to work on.  It really doesn’t care if it’s something big or small, great or average, or good for you long term or not.  So if your mind is going to work on something (your body will follow) then you may as well give it something great to work on.

By thinking about your goals, you will use your imagination.  Imagination is the preview of coming attractions in your life.

You’re going to be doing something each day, you may as well be working toward a goal.

A goal in the front of your mind will give your mind something to optimize for.  You’ll be looking for resources, openings, and what you need to achieve it – and you will find a lot.

It’s the start of a new year.  I wrote down all my goals on a card that I keep on my desk facing me everyday.  I’m on it!

What are your goals for 2025?  

YOU need to know!

Who are you becoming because of this?

“The ultimate reason to set big goals is to entice you into being the kind of person it takes to achieve them.” – Jim Rohn

Being in business and wanting things to work out and grow is a personal challenge.

You will have to learn many new things, do things you have never done before whether you feel qualified or not, and face many problems and figure out what to do.

In all this, you are getting better, smarter and more capable – even if you aren’t making money yet.

The business will get better – because you do.