Obsession
Throughout history, many great accomplishments were made by people who were "obsessed". Are you consumed by thoughts of what you want and how to get it?
True Friends
When things are going great, friends seem to be plentiful. Who is there when you are down and/or need help? Who is that for you?
Do you have a self-discipline problem?
Everybody knows WHAT to do. And these days finding out HOW to do it is easy. You are the boss of you. (Isn't freedom wonderful?) So much can be unlocked, and more is possible with self-discipline. Do you have it?
Hard work beats lazy talent.
Talent alone won't get you there. What will is training, preparation and hard work. Hard work beats lazy talent every time.
Dreaming without action.
Dreaming is easy. The fun part. But a dream turns to hard work if it's to come true. Dreaming without action gets you nowhere except regret for what you didn't do. Dreams into Learning. Learning into plans. Plans into action. Let's go.
No excuses, blaming or whining.
Got your major key goal set? Something you really want? Know the next step? Get after it.
Responsible for your adulthood
When you were a kid you were told what to do. Then you became an adult and the choices were yours. What did you choose (do)?
Thinking Long Term
Short-term thinking most often leads to failure. Failure in relationships, finances and life. Long-range thinkers do best. They set themselves up for what they want to make happen in the future and they know the future will inevitably come. They delay gratification. They save and plan and get better. Today…
Glory
"In great attempts, it is glorious even to fail" - Wilfred Patterson Last night I was talking to my son Tanner. It was 108 degrees and he's driving to Flagstaff AZ to start an 18 mile running race at 7 pm. He will be running at night when it's cooler…
Basketball won't make you a living
Getting really good at something takes a long time. You can get good at something that creates value for others, or you can get really good at something that is just a hobby. Compound interest is when you lever actions over time into the future. It is very powerful in…
Obsession
Throughout history, many great accomplishments were made by people who were “obsessed”.
Are you consumed by thoughts of what you want and how to get it?
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True Friends
When things are going great, friends seem to be plentiful.
Who is there when you are down and/or need help?
Who is that for you?
I am extremely grateful for my team Joe , Mike and Eric always believing in me !
I am grateful to have friends that I’ve known since I was a child – thank you Brenda, Bridget, Katelyn, and Brittany! I’ve had many wonderful friendships in my life but none that have stuck by me like my core group.
I have several good friends from the neighborhood I grew up in. We’re talking 60 years and still going strong! P.S. Love todays picture…classic
MaryJo Gourd
My friends and leaders from church always seem to be there when life gets tough.
Lately i’m very grateful for my fellow friends in the network who are always happy to listen, help, advise, teach, and build me up whenever I’ve got questions or challenges.
Grateful for you, Larry, and all of my friends in Contractor Nation!
Here’s a good speech I listened to this week from a successful guy on why friendships matter: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G702C_uxPJA.
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Do you have a self-discipline problem?
Everybody knows WHAT to do.
And these days finding out HOW to do it is easy.
You are the boss of you. (Isn’t freedom wonderful?)
So much can be unlocked, and more is possible with self-discipline.
Do you have it?
A very fitting post. I have struggled with discipline all my life. Until 3 years ago I was either on or off. Swinging from one extreme to the other. It was around this time I made a decision that I would take the path to self discipline and personal freedom. I am in the final stages of my book which discusses this path. My book titled The H.E.W.M.R. Method: A Quick Fix for Quick Fixes is being formatted as I type this. I have worked very hard on this project with the hopes that it will give others the tools they need to become more disciplined and self aware. It would mean a lot to me if you were able to read my book and give any feedback. Hope to hear from you soon.
I am grateful for you
We are grateful for you Larry!
I am grateful for everything because it came from God, which means it has to be what is best for me….whether I like it or not. (Mindset)
I am just starting to really dig deep into my self discipline. Being able to continue a hobby or a professional development commitment. I realized that going out is not a good time filler but I instead can be doing things that bring me more joy and will make me an overall better person. So I think self- discipline and motivation go hand in hand. I need to keep encouraging myself to continue on the path I want no matter how much time it takes. P.S. Yes Freedom x Liberty is AWESOME!
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Hard work beats lazy talent.
Talent alone won’t get you there.
What will is training, preparation and hard work.
Hard work beats lazy talent every time.
YES!
Great Quote..
I’m going to Ironman again this year for 1000
Maybe we’ll see u down there.
Cheers
Benrud 715x
And I am grateful for you!
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Dreaming without action.
Dreaming is easy. The fun part. But a dream turns to hard work if it’s to come true.
Dreaming without action gets you nowhere except regret for what you didn’t do.
Dreams into Learning. Learning into plans. Plans into action.
Let’s go.
Something that taught me this was the book The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. Life goals are supposed to be difficult because they are meant to teach you something. If everything was easy to accomplish we wouldn’t learn anything.
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No excuses, blaming or whining.
Got your major key goal set? Something you really want? Know the next step?
Get after it.
Today I’m grateful for Basements Systems !!!!
Congratulations on 35 years.
Amazing!!
Hey all from Dover, NJ . . . have a grrreat and productive day!
Hello from Seymour, CT…Enjoy the weekend and Happy Fathers Day to all you dads our there.
So Cal, home of the 7 buck gas. Temecula wine countr
Gods speed Larry.
Today I am thankful that me and my company are part of a network of elite individuals and companies with noble purpose and desire to advance the industry of foundation contracting. Hello from Pittsburgh!
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Responsible for your adulthood
When you were a kid you were told what to do.
Then you became an adult and the choices were yours.
What did you choose (do)?
My parents may have “told” me what to do but it is only because they probably did it themselves. I took the “told” what to do as a positive and looked more on it as being advised. It made me into the person I am today …. strong, independent and happy with who I am.
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Thinking Long Term
Short-term thinking most often leads to failure. Failure in relationships, finances and life.
Long-range thinkers do best. They set themselves up for what they want to make happen in the future and they know the future will inevitably come. They delay gratification. They save and plan and get better.
Today is yesterday’s future and those that thought about where they’d be and what they wanted now are doing far better. You can tell which people they are.
Live today, yes; while working toward a better future for you.
I’m thankful for Kathy Richardson, too.
Good Morning Larry!
Thank you for the daily encouragement in your blog. I enjoy reading them every Morning before I begin to work, Is inspiring!
Remember the 7 P’s 1. Proper 2. Prior 3. Preparation 4. Presents 5. Piss 6. Poor. 7. Profomance
Great Think Daily blog. I agree 110% and shared it with my family.
That’s the best advice that I can pass along.
Today was my first company meeting. This came in handy. Reading it to the small team who believe in me enough to quit their own jobs to work with me helped. I was at a loss for words, leadership is tough. This helped me in this journey. Thank you
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Glory
“In great attempts, it is glorious even to fail” – Wilfred Patterson
Last night I was talking to my son Tanner. It was 108 degrees and he’s driving to Flagstaff AZ to start an 18 mile running race at 7 pm. He will be running at night when it’s cooler – but still hot. Then he goes to sleep and wakes up early for another running race at 7 am. That race…34 miles. A total of 52 miles. He is not necessarily a well-trained long-distance runner.
I didn’t have to ask “Why would you put yourself through all that”. I know why.
As I write this, he is running. I do not know the outcome. I do know he is in pain.
I have entered enough Spartan beast races with him to know the pain, even with preparation.
I have spent months preparing for races I would not likely finish.
I have started endeavors that had no clear outcome that would take many years.
I know.
Great effort and digging deep within you, reveals glory, no matter the outcome.
There’s no better feeling than looking back on an event and saying to yourself, “I tried and I feel great because of it!” One certain is you’ll never experience success if you don’t try.
All the best to him in his race.
That is awesome. You find out a lot about yourself when you push yourself to limits even you can’t understand.
Well Stated.
Embrace the suck, soldier on.
I needed this today. I feel like there is a lot at stake right now huge hurdles for me to get over. 💪
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Basketball won't make you a living
Getting really good at something takes a long time. You can get good at something that creates value for others, or you can get really good at something that is just a hobby.
Compound interest is when you lever actions over time into the future. It is very powerful in a career. Skills, experience, relationships, connections, and resources that are accumulated over time can be used to do more faster and make more progress in a month or year than someone who just started more recently.
That being said, what would we steer our kids into when they are young – basketball or Boy Scouts?
Soccer or a trade? Would we rather they go to a school on a football scholarship or one for a profession?
Ok, I know I may have lost half the crowd here – so let me say this. I love sports. Kids learn how to train, practice, work together, win and lose. They gain confidence which is really important.
I am highly involved in my sport – motocross and racing motorcycles. This sport makes no money – it only costs money. I don’t do it for the money, I do it for fun, challenge, and adventure.
My son was a competitive archer when he was 13 and 14, and finished third in the world championships. I had him riding a motorcycle at five years old. My daughter rides horses competitively. I love sports. Fun to play, fun to watch. To see someone at the top of their game it quite amazing.
But sports is not a trade or viable profession for very many people. Obviously so few make it to the pros. When your career ends because you didn’t make the cut at the next level, you are done. All that effort can’t be levered into a trade people pay for so you can begin to make a living and eventually get really really good at it.
No compound interest.
I realize I am losing my way with this post and I bear some risk of upsetting people who are really involved in sports. And I know most of you have no aspirations to get your child into the NHL or NBA. You are just having a great time growing up and teaching physical arts – very important in the world of screens.
Let me tell you the real reason I began writing this. I pondered this question –
You have a kid in the projects who is aimless. You want to help. Do you teach him basketball or plumbing? Football or how to write code?
Which will help him most in his life?
We live in the same town we grew up in and I was lamenting this morning how the path across the park which we used to walk to school on no longer shows. Kids aren’t walking the path they’re being driven to school. I know I’m gonna sound like an old fart but parents are doing way too much for their kids. When I was growing up yes I played sports but I also started my first business a lawnmowing business. And worked for my father and his remodeling business. as you have stated I learned from both but the second is what put bread on the table and employees 20 families.
Larry- I really enjoy your posts!! I tell ya what would help a kid most in life. A Dad that takes their kid to the archery range (we love archery too), or the race track. Teaching a trade is easy. Ask your managers how many times do they have to “re-parent” a team member. Most valuable thing to spend on a kid is time. Thanks for the thought-provoking posts
You don’t pick one over the other; you do both. Kids – no matter where they come from – should be exposed to multiple activities. How else will they learn what they want to do? As for sports, they are more valuable than you give them credit for being here. Teamwork, relationship-building, competition and more. Perhaps the most important benefit of sports for kids – especially in an increasingly screen-dominated world – is sports teaches kids to test their limits. Faster, higher and stronger. If kids fail, they learn; if they succeed, they build confidence. Sports are a tremendous teacher. (Having said all this, the pay for play model that now dominates youth sports is a negative influence.)
….but you love the Green Bay Packers, right???? Kidding aside…we always told our kids they just had to be involved in “something”. A club, sports, charity work, get a job….anything. They couldn’t just stay at home parked in front of the TV or computer. Lucky for us, they picked a variety, which included sports AND clubs AND charity work AND jobs. They’ve grown into well rounded adults that we are proud of. I would have never wanted them to pursue a professional sports career, even if they were super good at something. That is a short term benefit and a short term goal. I see a lot of parents pouring money into their kids sports needs. Equipment, trainers, physical therapy etc., for a sporting career that, let’s face it, often ends at high school graduation or if they are really good, at college graduation. Be in sports if you like them, but do something else too. Just my opinion. Great topic of conversation! GO PACK GO!
I spent 6th-12th grade in band (sports werent my thing) but I also got a part time job at 16. I loved band but my part time retail job gave me life skills that I still use today. Sports teach important skills and I believe there needs to be a balance, which can be touch to achieve at any age.
I couldn’t agree more with this… too many parents “think” their child is going to be the next big sports star and they push and push him or her thinking they will turn pro. It is pretty simple , if the child has it in him/her they will do it on their own. Same as trying to be an actor/actress or musician…Very difficult to be a “star”. Best to learn a trade or profession for a lifetime. Play your sport you love for fun. If you are meant to be a star you will be.
I once read that it takes 2000 hours of continued practice to become an “expert” in any field. It takes determination, perseverance, and much dedication, be it in sports, a trade, a profession, or any other area. So hang in there and give it your all- whatever your area of interest.
Spot on!
Larry, I respect sports and the team player mentality that sports spawn when played and coached right. By that, I mean the proper lessons need to be taught while playing. I’m not a fan of the everyone get’s a trophy mentality plan that most kids and parents expect these days. Call me old fashioned if you’d like, but I played sports when I was young. In fact, I was the top catcher in baseball in high school from 1982 to 1986. In 86 I never got a base stolen on me, I batted fourth (clean up) and I hit three grand slam homeruns that year also. I was at the top of the game in baseball in high school. I was scouted and offered scholarships to play for several colleges. As good as I was, it wasn’t for me. I found out why it wasn’t for me when I started turning wrenches in my shop classes in high school and the place I lived in. By the way, I was also offered and accepted a scholarship for a local trade school on trades as well. People said I was crazy for turning down the offers to play college ball, but I love working with my hands and seeing the results due to my efforts. To say I’m a huge fan of the Trades is a major understatement! I wouldn’t change my decision if I could. I’m extremely grateful that I have gotten to do exactly what I was designed to do!
The trades would seem to be the logical, long game choice. Although, sports would also teach about hard work and team work. In addition, to the trades, good work ethic and people skills would certainly put together a good start for a young person.
Completely agree with the point on surface level, however I’d suggest that the life lessons learned in sports play a large role in developing an individual who is better equipped to succeed as a plumber or any profession. Teamwork. Sacrifice. Perseverance… and so on. The specific trade skill is undoubtedly more valuable than the skill of shooting a basketball or hitting a fastball, but the overall experience in sports –especially a team sport– can profoundly shape a young person for the better.
Amen! Teach a man to fish and he can feed himself. Learn a marketable trade and the odds are in your favor. Sports is a looooong shot.
You make a good point and I agree completely. When I was a child I played baseball and loved it. We all aspired to be a pro one day and we all had some pro athlete that was our hero. When I was a teen I quit because we moved to a rural area that didn’t have a ball league and I started working. By that time I had realized that I wasn’t cut out for the majors and I could actually make good money if I worked construction with my dad. What if we treated the trades like a sport? What if we had trade camps, competitive building projects, pro builders with trading cards? What if we made the trades as fun as sports? We would then be super productive, have fun while doing it and all eventually become a well paid “pro”!
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Good morning Larry, YES!
Yes, My thoughts work me! I said that right, they work me! I enjoy the immediate results in most cases. The long term plans that work out are more enjoyable.
Hey Larry, thanks for the shout out and thanks for the impact you have had on the way I think and lead.
Dave
The interesting thing about obsession is that it doesn’t leaves room for anything else. Thus, it is a form of controlling focus and ignoring the extraneous. This reminds me of the famous von Clausewitz strategy; “The talent of the strategist is to identify the decisive point and concentrate everything on it, removing forces from secondary fronts and ignoring lessor objectives.” The point…I need to become more obsessed with my High Value Activities to dominate the Pittsburgh market.