ACTION ITEM: If you’ve ever said to yourself (and I know you have), I wonder what <insert name> is up to? Then you need to take this challenge and call them. There’s a pretty good chance they’re feeling the same way (except they didn’t read this post!). Unless of course you’re one of those SUPER AWESOME people who help share my content.
Incase you missed it yesterday, or you’re wondering what the heck you’re looking at, I launched a 31 day series in the month of March titled “31 Days of Challenging Questions” – follow the link to get up to speed. Enjoy and I’ll see you tomorrow!
ACTION ITEM: I don’t think anyone can be accused of being overly thankful. Take a moment out of your day and thank a person or two who wouldn’t see it coming. It will make their day better and your gratitude will not be forgotten.
While on a flight back from New York about a month ago, I was doing some thinking. I wanted to do something truly BIG on my blog for the month of March. The answer I settled on was 31 days of posts focused on the challenging questions I learned during the last year.
After 31 days of challenging questions and learning more about yourself, it will be terrific to look back at where you were when you started! As my good friend Juan Teran always says, with tremendous enthusiasm (in tribute to his friend Zig Ziglar), “See you at the top!”
ACTION ITEM: Why not you? Why can’t you start that new opportunity, get that raise, run that marathon? Take desire and turn it into action.
Why? Because life happens. Our lives aren’t rigid and they don’t happen in 30 minute intervals (even though every digital calendar ever created says so).
Time management feels about as fun as budgeting your entire month’s spending with real dollars and envelopes (yes I know people do this and I don’t mean to offend). Effective, yes. Fun, not a chance. Do you think people continue doing things that aren’t fun? Some may…most don’t.
I’m going to distill this down to something you can use immediately after reading this post. Think of a project or task you have on your “to-do list” but that doesn’t have a due date for a week or two. What do you do now?
The answer is: Everything but the task due in two weeks! The reason for this is there is no immediacy or priority associated to completing it today. So how can we change this?
If I have a big presentation, strategy, or concept I’m working on it can feel daunting. I have the end in mind of where I’d like to go, but the path to getting there is muddled with questions and idea euphoria. INSERT PARKINSON’S LAW.
Now instead of having two weeks to complete a project and investing 12 hours on the last day, you’ll have started your work and can break the project up into smaller and more achievable mini-projects. Your stress level will be greatly reduced and your finished product will reflect your commitment to start sooner.
ACTION ITEM: Think about a project you’re working on right now. Maybe you have a couple of them. Use Parkinson’s Law to your advantage and start with a short commitment now.
Money can be a taboo topic for many. I get it. It’s highly personal and no one can really evaluate the choices of others because we don’t have a great understanding of their: upbringing, family, debts, income, etc.
But none of these factors should stop you from getting educated on the topic of money. After all, it’s the #1 cause of stress in households in 2015 (by a landslide) says CNBC.
To begin, I’ll confirm to all of my readers that I’ve read each of these books. Each more than one time. Secondly, I’m recommending these books specifically because they offer contradictory recommendations (what did you think I’d just tell you what to do?).
I want you to be able to use your brain and figure out your own financial path. It was already expressed that we’re all in different situations financially, so why offer one cookie cutter answer? Get intelligent, and use this intelligence the rest of your life to evaluate opportunities. When you complete these five books, you will understand there are guiding principles to create your unique financial foundation.
The Total Money Makeover: Classic Edition: A Proven Plan for Financial Fitness
Dave offers a very no nonsense approach to money through his book and nationally syndicated radio show. The foundation revolves around elimination of debt (all debt). I encourage you to learn Dave’s Seven Baby Steps. A person has to understand they can’t get ahead by battling a mountain of debt. Dave also outlines simple strategies to live by a budget and save for retirement. To put this in my own words, “Stop buying shit you can’t afford!” I don’t care what the neighbors are driving or wearing.
Ramit is a Stanford grad educated in personal behavior and his book is great for those starting out. There is a ton of actionable info in this book. His six-week action plan will lay a solid strategy for anyone getting started in the money game. He talks debt reduction, credit cards, 401K/Roth IRAs, asset allocation, and living a truly “rich life”. Here’s a hint – rich isn’t just a number, it’s a lifestyle choice. You can also follow Ramit’s blog at I Will Teach You To Be Rich.com. I get emails from Ramit daily.
Rich Dad’s Guide to Investing: What the Rich Invest in, That the Poor and the Middle Class Do Not!
This book will help you think about money in a very non-traditional “go to work and get paid” linear way. Earlier, I told you I’d provide contradicting advice in this post to get that noodle of yours working. Check out what Ramit thought of Rich Dad Poor Dad here on his blog No book is perfect, but I do love the angles Rich Dad Poor Dad presented to me when I first read it. It made me think about money differently. It makes you take a step back and ask yourself, “What am I really doing to improve my financial picture?”
MONEY Master the Game: 7 Simple Steps to Financial Freedom
This book was just released in the latter part of 2014. I got it for Christmas and it took a while to devour its 600+ pages of material. You may be thinking, “Tony Robbins? Isn’t he the life-coach/self-help author?” Yup! He tapped some of the most unreal relationships anyone could ever imagine to strip down the topic of money. He takes some of the strategies of the ultra-rich and makes them available to you and I. If you’re putting this in order, I think this is more of a master’s level book. Not only is it 600+ pages, it offers many contradicting investment strategies from the world’s most accomplished investors and investment strategists (once again there isn’t only one right answer here folks). If you’re into audio, I love listening to Tony’s interview with Tim Ferriss on his Four Hour Workweek podcast regarding the release of the book.
Think and Grow Rich: The Landmark Bestseller – Now Revised and Updated for the 21st Century
This book was written nearly 80 years ago. How could it possibly be relevant today? Hill’s book helps to answer the question, “What makes a winner?” The reason I’d like you to read this book is because it creates a spark. There are hundreds of stories of people retiring rich who didn’t have large incomes to begin with. I think that’s wonderful. I also think a little bit of motivation and focus goes a long way to achieving one’s goals and this will help you get started. I’ve probably picked this book up 20+ times and read it cover to cover three times.
Okay, so I left out a few books. If you’re hungry for more, there are a few you can dive into:
The Richest Man in Babylon
The Automatic Millionaire: A Powerful One-Step Plan to Live and Finish Rich
The Millionaire Next Door: The Surprising Secrets of America’s Wealthy
Secrets of the Millionaire Mind: Mastering the Inner Game of Wealth
ACTION ITEM: The worst choice you can make is to do nothing. And yes, it is a choice. Don’t try to eat the whole elephant either. Choose to pick up one book and start learning. Pick up another and challenge what you’ve just learned. Tell me where you are a year from now.
~Here’s to a rich life
It was a Sunday morning 2013. I was in Orlando, FL for the National Automobile Dealer’s Association conference. It is customary every year to have a Sunday service during the convention and each year there was an inspirational message delivered to a pretty sizable audience.
I was in that audience the day Mark Kelly NASA Astronaut and husband to Arizona congresswoman Gabby Giffords delivered his inspirational message. The speech was incredibly moving and filled with incredible amounts of insight. Gabby’s perseverance toward recovery alone is an incredible story. Oddly enough, want to know the one thing I remember from his speech?
Yes, a NASA Astronaut shared this simple quote as an axiom to live by. Why? Because in a room of arguably the smartest people on the planet NASA team members could all agree to make a horrible decision. Here is a little more context of the quote,
“A well-meaning team of people can sometimes make horrible decisions that no single individual would make. Groupthink, and an unwillingness to disagree with the bosses, was too often a problem at NASA… None of us is as dumb as all of us.”
I had a wonderful client a few years ago in Eastern Pennsylvania. I’ll leave his name to be anonymous, but I can tell you he was a Georgetown grad and a very sharp business man. I learned early on about his unique management style and engagement with his team and myself. I admire him and will never forget what he taught me about leadership.
I loved it. Notice the careful wording he would use. Challenge my thinking, instead of, I don’t agree with you. Help me poke holes in my idea..
I’ve met many leaders. Very few have the confidence in their teams to openly warrant disagreement and discussion. Many talk about it as the “right thing to do” but few deliver because their teams are either afraid or leader won’t listen to them either way. These are not strong team.s
Disagreement can be healthy so long as the team remains focused on the goal at hand and nothing gets personal. It is healthy to disagree. But don’t just stop at disagreement. The next step, or bookend to the conversation is alignment.
Michael Hyatt said in a great blog post to disagree but always align. What terrific advice. Make your argument, state your case, but there comes to a point where decisions need to be made and teams need to align again when the leader does make a decision. This will send all team members in a positive direction with one single focus (goal) in mind of achieving.
Never forget, “None of Us, is as Dumb, as All of Us!”
ACTION ITEM: This action item is two-fold based on who you may be as a reader. If you are a leader, ask for those around you to challenge what you’re doing. Challenge the “same old same old” way of doing things. Beg your team to push back but remain solutions focused in your pursuit of getting better.
If you’re the team member, offer up suggestions to your boss. Deliver them in box wrapped in positive outcomes and solutions to make the team or business better. If your boss won’t allow it. Update your resume and run like hell.
Image Courtesy of: http://fitnesskinektions.com/road-block/
We’re at the decision point where New Year’s resolutions and BIG goals for the year are at the mercy of becoming extinct. We’re only a little over one month into the year, but that’s all it takes to set a person back on the path to a mediocre lifestyle and redundant boredom.
All it takes is 30 days of inactivity or lack of focus to set our hopes and dreams back into the basement. I believe the key to obtaining what you want is very simple, and sometimes painfully easy if you will follow three steps.
These three steps require two equal parts of commitment: honest reflection and simple straightforward answers. Here is an exercise I challenge you to go through with your goals. I use it for every goal I set.
1. What is the goal? – Is this specific?
2. Why do I want to achieve it? – Do I have a burning desire to achieve it? If your honest answer is no, the chances of you pursuing it through thick and thin are extremely slim.
PAUSE. If you have specific answers to questions one and two, the third question and resulting answers should be painfully easy to answer. IF…if you’re willing to get to the simplest answer possible. No bullshit.
3. What is standing in your way of achieving this goal?
Rewind back to this statement, “IF…if you’re willing to get to the simplest answer possible. No bullshit.” This answer to this question is what keeps people from getting what they want. They’re not brutally honest and in search of the simple answer. Simple answers yield simple action plans.
We lie to ourselves. We tend make our hurdles, struggles, or challenges bigger than they really are. We worry about hundreds of things that could happen. Tony Robbins says most people really struggle to see things exactly as they are. Instead most see them worse than they really are. Seeing things as they really are allow us to see the path to achievement much easier. No Bullshit. No one’s fault but our own.
Once the dirt, lies, and pain of failure are washed away, a roadmap to your goal will appear.
Action Item: I spent about an hour this weekend reviewing my targets for 2015 and doing a brutal self assessment of where I stood. Side note: Honesty doesn’t require a personal mental beating. I challenge you to review your goals and reset the roadmap if you’re off course. There is too much year left not to make an enormous impact and CRUSH IT!
Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less
More is a thing we’re all in pursuit of, even if we don’t know what “thing” it is. Just have more of it. More, more, more! It’s exhausting to pursue more. It never ends.
Ask someone close to you what they’d like to have more of? You won’t get a short answer. Think about all the more you could have in your life right now if you could just achieve it. More:
If immediately you believe you will be reading about giving away your life savings, living like a hermit, and wearing terrycloth clothing you’re wrong. Essentialism is a framework for choice.
Okay, I agree and I like things that sound sexy and simple. So, let me rephrase it the way Greg McKeown did in his book: Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less
Welcome to the essentialism lifestyle. The pursuit of “less, but better” in our lives. More focus, on fewer activities, for a return magnitudes higher than the simple pursuit of more for more. It’s not about living in a 400 square foot apartment and giving away all we’ve ever owned. Its about discipline in following and achieving our dreams by using the power of choice (elimination) and focus (dreams).
If I could recommend five books to anyone, this book is for sure on the list. I devoured it the first time I read it, so I’m going back for a second course to make sure I didn’t leave too much meat on the bone.
I associate the essentialist set of beliefs with another leader I follow a great deal online Gary Vaynerchuk. Gary is obsessed in focusing his efforts on the two or three things he’s really great at. These two or three “world-class” talents can provide him the greatest return (in magnitudes of order) compared to investing his time in the 95% of shit (his words) he sucks at.
Here’s another very strong correlation i found from author and successful blogger Ramit Sethi’s, I Will Teach You To Be Rich blog. The title of his recent post 2015 The Year of More. After you’re done reading this piece, circle back and digest what Ramit is saying.
I don’t want to ruin it for those who would like to consume all the book has to offer, but I do really suggest you think about how the power of choice and elimination could better impact your life.
ACTION ITEM: I really want you to read this book. If you don’t choose to read this book, slow down and read my seven favorite points. They will substantially impact your life and the way you look at how your invest your time.
The inspiration for writing this post is actually a Tony Robbins quote I came across a few times now in my recent readings. It’s an extremely valuable statement because it shapes the lives we lead every day. If we don’t change our questions, and direction, we are likely to end up where we are going.
So that we may better understand the two directions available to each of us, lets look at conflicting lifestyles and frame both viewpoints with the questions each asks.
Life happens to these people. Here is what their questions sound like:
A strong “victim” pattern exists to the style and direction of these questions. There is little to no control. Please read through each of these questions again and take a deep breath. I’ve asked these questions too. It doesn’t make us bad people, we were just ignorant to what else was out there.
That said, what questions can you ask to get more out of your life, career, or business starting today? Here are some I’ve learned over the years. Ask, and a better life awaits you.
What did you notice?
There is a strong pattern of “ownership” in this question pattern. I could keep going, but instead I found this wonderful link on Forbes. 35 Questions That Will Change Your Life. There are categories and I found the “Self Awareness” grouping the most insightful. I really encourage you to dive into the list when you’re done reading. There will be a couple “frying pan to the face” moments with at least two questions you read. That’s what we’re looking for!
I ask three questions to myself and my wife frequently to evaluate who we are, where we are, and where we’re going. Life moves fast, and believe it or not people and goals change over the years. Use these three question to reset your course, or provide better direction along your journey.
The questions aren’t the hard part. It’s the brutal honesty required in the answers and actions that sets believers apart from achievers. Side note, if you really want a ton of money to buy expensive clothes and drive a Ferrari, be honest. Do NOT lie about who you are or what you want. It will either slow you down immensely or set you back. Be honest and own it.
ACTION ITEM: For me the art of asking the right questions is an acquired skill. Skills are developed over time. Personally I feel I’m a few levels away from my black belt in asking the right questions so I continue to practice. Every day I try and change the angle of a conversation with a better question. Think first, then ask and don’t forget to listen.
The topic of money is a really polarizing conversation. When you see the word “investing” in the title, you typically associate it with ROI, rates of return, and diversification of portfolios.
Have you ever asked, I wonder how much money he has? Or, I wonder how he makes all of his money? That’s what investing is all about right?
Remember when Owen Wilson’s flamboyant character in Meet the Parents said, “How’s your portfolio?” Ben Stiller’s awkward and out of place character squeamishly responded, “I’d say strong….to quite strong!”
Meet the Parents
While I believe heavily in the value of being educated on the topic of money and what it can do for you, I think focusing solely on mutual fund categories and stock options will only get you so far. If you start making a little money, and investing a little money, and never find a way to add momentum to your strategy, your only game plan is a beans-and-rice discipline for the next 50 years. Sound fun? HELL NO.
The biggest investment category people are missing out on is themselves. What is your true market value and what are you doing to increase it? What knowledge are you gaining today to warrant a higher price tag tomorrow? What skills are you learning from those who have “been there, done that” to better your position? What challenges are you taking on to stretch your comfort level and capabilities?
If you’re thinking I’m only referring to post graduate education and a mountain of MBA debt, I’m going to disappoint you. We can debate the value of the average MBA at a later date. What I’m referring to is a daily discipline or activity to grow your mind. What are you doing to challenge your thinking? How are you investing in yourself?
It really bothers me that at the ripe age of 18, a naive teenager can choose to go thousands (maybe tens of thousands of dollars) in debt chasing a career they’re uncertain of, but a slightly accomplished professional thinks twice about investing $500-$1,000 in themselves to digest literature, audiobooks, or an online course to better their skills?
Someone much smarter than me said, “If you’re not growing, you’re dying.” I liken complacency and stagnation to dying because today’s economy doesn’t allow for status quo.
I believe the list of items below are small (some even free) investments you can use to get a bigger return from your talents. Invest the time, and increase your value.
, and I think I’ll read it again soon. It’s that transformational.ACTION ITEM: Keep learning. Keep pursuing new and challenging ideas. Keep growing.
