Ricardo Miller's Blog, page 3
February 21, 2023
2nd Annual Effective Living Cruise
This next chapter of your life is called freedom: financially, emotionally, and mentally.
The worst thing one can do is reach the end of their existence and realize they never lived, they were just alive along the way.
The 2nd Annual Effective Living Cruise waitlist is now open! We're headed to the Bahamas in October 2023 for THE BALANCE LIFE EXPERIENCE. A luxury getaway designed to take you on a spiritual journey…Nothing Missing, Lacking or Broken!!
Please consider joining me, and my friends for this experience incredible FUN, FOOD and FELLOWSHIP. We're going to turn up… the EFFECTIVE LIVING journey is better within the community.
This is not a VACATION cruise. This is a LIFESTYLE cruise. Contact our booking representative Alexis Acedo today at 800-819-3902 ext 40313 or Aacebo@carnival.com and tell him you are booking with the Ricardo Miller & the Effective Living group.
February 8, 2023
Be Consistent
When you know why consistency is an important habit to have, you can use it to your advantage.
It’s unlikely you will achieve great things if you’re not consistently making smart decisions and taking the right actions.
One thing unsuccessful people have in common is they lack consistency.
CONSISTENCY IS THE KEY TO GETTING THE RESULTS YOU WANT.
When you’re consistent, it means you’re dedicated to carrying an activity or completing a task. It means you’re clear on what you want to accomplish and are taking steps to reach it.
To be consistent is a commitment you make to yourself and others. It’s about keeping your word to carry out what you’ve agreed to do. Your level of consistency reflects your values and standards.
When you’re consistent, you’re doing what’s required now to achieve a better outcome. Therefore, consistency is about repetition. It’s about doing the same things repeatedly over time to reach a goal.
When you start reading books, be consistent.
When you start working out, be consistent.
When you start focusing on yourself, be consistent.
When you start working on your goal, be consistent.
6 MONTHS OF CONSISTENCY CAN PUT YOU YEARS AHEAD!
John Maxwell says, “Small disciplines repeated with consistency every day lead to great achievements gained slowly over time.”
January 31, 2023
Things to Do Before You Die
Knowing your time on this Earth is coming to an end is a hard reality to grasp. But helping your family and loved ones accept and anticipate your passing in advance can be a blessing to them—and to you. There are two ways to prepare them, emotionally and practically.
Even people with modest assets can benefit from end-of-life planning, which encompasses much more than just writing a last will and testament. As we all know, death doesn't discriminate by age or any other factor.
A little forethought now about how you would like things to go once you're incapacitated or gone can give you great peace of mind now, as well as spare your loved ones a lot of hassle later.
IMPORTANT information to get your affairs in order!
Make sure all bank accounts have direct beneficiaries. The beneficiary need only go to the bank with your death certificate and an ID of their own.
TOD = Transfer On Death deed if you own a home. Completing this document and filing it with your county saves your heirs THOUSANDS. This document allows you to transfer ownership of your home to your designee. All they need to do is take their ID and your death certificate to the county building and the deed is signed over. Doing this will avoid the home having to go through probate.
Living Will: Allows one to put in writing exactly what you want done in the event you cannot speak for yourself when it comes to healthcare decisions as well as other final decisions.
Durable Power of Attorney: Allows one to designate a person to make legal decisions if you are no longer competent to do so.
Power of Attorney for Healthcare: This document allows one to designate someone to make healthcare decisions for them.
Last Will and Testament: Designates to whom personal belongings will go to.
Funeral Planning Declaration: Allows one to say exactly one’s wishes as far as disposition of the body and the services.
If the above documents are done, you can AVOID probate.
If all the above is not done, you have to open an estate account at the bank. All money that doesn’t have direct beneficiaries goes into this account. You have to have an attorney to open the estate account. The attorney also has to publicize your passing in the newspaper or post publication at the county courthouse, to allow anyone to make a claim on your property. - It’s a complete PAIN.
Make a list of all banks and account numbers, all investment institutions with account numbers, lists of credit cards, utility accounts, etc. Leave clear instructions as to how and when these things are paid.
Make sure heirs know where life insurance policies are located.
Make 100% sure SOMEONE knows your Apple ID, bank ID account logins and passwords!
Make sure you have titles for all vehicles, campers, etc!
Set up a TRUST for intended beneficiaries, especially those that are too young, and appoint a trustee of said trust.
MOST IMPORTANTLY!!!! - Talk with those closest to you and make all your wishes KNOWN. Talk to those whom you’ve designated, as well as those close to you whom you did not designate. - Do this to explain why your decisions were made and to avoid any lingering questions or hurt feelings.
Hope this helps! Hope this lights a spark to encourage all your friends and family to take care of these things to make it easier for those we all leave behind!
My hope is that the above list at least helps you start an important conversation with your loved ones...
December 5, 2022
How to Stop Being a People-Pleaser
During this week’s blog, I want you to focus on freeing yourself from being a people pleaser.
At the very onset of this week’s blog I want you to repeat the following:
Repeat: I choose to live life effectively. My life is filled with joy. My life is filled with love. I am eliminating all chaos in my life. I am releasing all confusion in my life. I am deleting all negative energy in my life. My life is filled with peace. I deserve this. I deserve this. I deserve this. I deserve this.
A lot of our clients find themselves giving away too much of themselves to others, to a point that they feel worn out. Especially in this time during the holidays, people feel they need to give everything they can to others. Whether that is lending an ear to friends in need, giving gifts, or going above and beyond for others. If you find yourself doing this to the point of exhaustion then you may be a people-pleaser.
This usually means that you are taking care of others around you before you take care of yourself.
On your journey to effective living, I want you to realize 10 reasons YOU may identify as a people pleaser:
YOU FEAR REJECTION
YOU FEAR DISAPPOINTING OTHERS YOU WANT SOMETHING IN RETURN YOU WANT OTHERS TO BE NICE TO YOU YOU WANT TO FIT IN YOU ARE GENUINELY COMPASSIONATE YOU DON’T WANT TO FEEL GUILTY FOR SAYING NO YOUR SELF-WORTH COMES FROM EXTERNAL VALIDATION YOU LACK SELF-LOVE
It is super important that you analyze your self-care. Are you practicing these behaviors and wanting to live a better life? If you believe you’re a people pleaser, are you prepared to do the work to free yourself from the bondage that people pleasing brings upon you?
It’s all about self-care. It’s all about wanting to be the best version of yourself. YOUR SELF-CARE WILL HELP YOU ESTABLISH BOUNDARIES BETWEEN YOU AND OTHERS.
Please don’t be afraid to embrace the concept of self-care. It’s the only way you’re going to free yourself from being a people pleaser. YOU WILL LEARN HOW TO SAY, “NO” AND HOW TO TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF AND LOVE YOURSELF BEFORE OTHERS.
November 28, 2022
Daily Reminder on Your Journey
It is super important that we understand that on our journey to living life effectively, everything is not going to always go the way we want it to go.
This week’s blog is real short but very necessary for you to remember as you reflect on where you are in life.
What I’m about to share with you is, it wasn’t always an easy lesson for me to capture. It was something that I discovered lately, that I want to share with you now.
Deep within your heart you must understand that there are some things you need to just be OK with… Here are five of them:
1. It’s ok to ask for help.
2. It’s ok to start again.
3. It’s ok to say no.
4. It’s ok to rest.
5. It’s ok to be not ok.
If you struggle with any of the above five things I just mentioned chances are you’re going to make your journey very difficult.
Life isn’t complicated. We make our lives complicated. I’m trying to help people to simplify the lives and figure out how to enjoy every day to the fullest.
I want to encourage you to live a life you don’t need to take a vacation from. This is a life that is created by you accepting the fact that there are certain things that’s OK.
You need to declare this;
1. I was not born to be broke, sick or frustrated.
2. I am blessed in every area of my life.
3. From this day forward, I will be the head and not the tail, above ONLY and not beneath.
4. I am the lender and not the borrower.
5. Whatever I put my hands to prospers.
6. All things are working together for my good.
7. My future is brighter than my past.
8. My heart, my mind, and my spirit are all FREE of negativity, toxicity, limiting thoughts and limiting beliefs.
9. Because God is my Creator, Jesus is my Savior and the Holy Spirit is my guide, I am becoming unshakable in times of shaking.
10. I am maximizing my potential and living out a fulfilled, impactful, and intentional life.
11. I practice habits that will bring me closer to living life by design.
Now that you have declared what you need, you need to memorize it on a daily basis. Be prepared to except what’s OK on your journey to living life effectively.
November 21, 2022
8 Nevers on Your Effective Living Journey
It’s really all a decision and a high level of discipline. Taking full control of your life is not difficult. You’ve just got to get your mind wrapped around the idea that you can change, if you are dedicated enough.
This week’s blog is all about you taking control of you.
Here are 8 Nevers on your Effective Living Journey
1. Never seek approval
2. Never beg for attention
3. Never quit
4. Never suppress your voice
5. Never react in anger
6. Never make excuses
7. Never blame others
8. Never doubt yourself
As you celebrate Thanksgiving this week with your family and friends, think about how you can start to take better control of your life by choosing to never do the above things.
I’m praying for you! I’m your biggest fan! I believe your best days are in front of you when you take better control of your live with the various decisions you’ve chosen to make.
What I want you to do, is to remind yourself “I’ve got this” everyday.
You may not be doing as well as other people but that’s not what it’s about. It’s all about you making a commitment to becoming the best version of yourself. Please leave a comment below and let me know which one of these you believe will be the most difficult for you.
November 7, 2022
Mistakes I’ve Made & What I’ve Learned From Them
Over the past 47 years of my life, I have learned a few things that I wish someone had told me sooner. Instead, like most of us, I had to learn this all on my own which was probably good life experience even if it felt like hell at that moment in time.
During this week’s blog I want to dive into some of those mistakes with you. I want you to learn from my mistakes. Everybody makes mistakes, the challenge is to ensure that you’re not repeating those same mistakes.
You’ve got to decide to learn from your past to ensure that you don’t repeat it.
If you believe that only stupid people make common mistakes, you’re as wrong as I was. The truth is that everyone makes mistakes.
Smart people admit that. Stupid people do not.
What’s more, the smartest and most successful people in history have made the most mistakes.
Are those two things connected…I think so. This Albert Einstein quote says it all:
“Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new.”
Let’s go ahead and dive into my (7) seven mistakes I’ve made and the lessons I’ve learned from them.
Mistake 1: Giving Power to Fear
Lesson: You feed fear and that’s how it grows.
Mistake 2: Not Facing Realities
Lesson: It is what it is…Being a realist has its benefits.
Mistake 3: Not knowing How to Confidently Disagree with Authority.
Lesson: Those in authority aren’t always right and it’s OK to agree to disagree.
Mistake 4: Being Afraid to Talk About Money.
Lesson: You won’t be able to have it until you’re comfortable talking about it
Mistake 5: Trying to fix what's damaged beyond repair.
Lesson: Learn to evaluate them, assess what’s broken beyond repair and build the confidence/courage to walk away from it.
Mistake 6: Being afraid to express love publicly.
Lesson: Its ok to express love publicly.
Mistake 7: Not being able to discuss everything with friends/partners/family.
Lesson: Comfortably not having anything I’m afraid to talk about with those around me.
There are tons of lessons you can learn from someone else’s mistakes. I pray as you learn the mistakes I’ve made and the lessons that I’ve learned, that you take some time out and assess where you are and what you have done so far.
It’s your journey! If you’re going to live EFFECTIVELY you’re going to have to learn from your mistakes.
October 24, 2022
The Power of Small Habits
Success is the product of daily habits—not once-in-a-lifetime transformations. This week’s blog is all about habits. During our Early Morning Group Coaching series, I’ve been diving into the subject matter to help my clients understand how their life is created.
On your journey to living life effectively, YOU SHOULD BE FAR MORE CONCERNED WITH YOUR CURRENT DIRECTION THAN WITH YOUR CURRENT RESULTS. Where are you going based on the habits you have incorporated into your life.
YOUR EFFECTIVE LIVING OUTCOMES ARE A LAGGING MEASURE OF YOUR HABITS.
FINANCE: Your net worth is a lagging measure of your financial habits.
FITNESS: Your weight is a lagging measure of your eating habits.
EDUCATION: Your knowledge is a lagging measure of your learning habits.
ENVIRONMENT: Your clutter is a lagging measure of your cleaning habits.
YOU GET WHAT YOU REPEAT ON THIS JOURNEY.
Time magnifies the margin between success and failure on this effective living journey. It will multiply whatever you feed it.
GOOD HABITS MAKE TIME YOUR ALLY.
BAD HABITS MAKE TIME YOUR ENEMY.
Most people don’t realize goal setting has so much to do with the kind of habits you incorporate in your life. If you want to predict where you’ll end up, all you have to do is follow the curve of tiny gains or tiny losses, and see how your daily choices will compound ten or twenty years down the line.
The purpose of setting goals is to win the effective living game. The purpose of building systems is to continue playing the effective living game. True long-term thinking is goal-less thinking. It’s not about any single accomplishment. It is about the cycle of endless refinement and continuous improvement.
IT IS YOUR COMMITMENT TO THE PROCESS THAT WILL DETERMINE YOUR EFFECTIVE LIVING PROGRESS.
HABITS ARE THE COMPOUND INTEREST OF SELF-IMPROVEMENT.
Getting 1% percent better every day counts for a lot in the long-run. If you are interested in taking better control of your life when it comes to incorporating healthy habits, join my Group Coaching Community today and learn how to live life effectively.
October 17, 2022
Stop Putting Your Life off for Another Day
If you have the will to explore, learn and grow, you will be unstoppable! Start small and aim BIG!
This week’s blog is all about doing. Deciding to put in the work to get the life that you said you’ve always wanted.
That’s one point…you’ve got to stop talking about it and start being about it.
Here are three things I believe you’ve got to do:
1. DON’T EMPHASIZE ON SPECIFIC FUTURE DATES
“I will start next ..” The sentence ends with week, month, quarter, or year.
By setting a future date, you’re only lying to yourself to feel good about yourself. Do you know that more than 80% of the people give up on their new year resolutions before the end of January?
Do not fool yourself into starting at a future date. This is something that I’ve struggled with over the years and I highly suggest that you pay close attention to what I’m saying.
“The first best time to begin was in the past. The next best time to begin is now.” Those were the words of the late Dr. Myles Munroe.
This is another incredible quote that I found to be so true on my journey to living life effectively.
“If you really want to do something, you’ll find a way. If you don’t, you’ll find an excuse.”- Jim Rohn
2. MAKE DAILY PROGRESS ON LONG TERM GOALS
When I had made up my mind to start working out, I had a long term goal of having ripped abs. The funny part is, a couple of years went by before I actually started exercising.
Unless you break your goal into actionable daily steps, you will reach nowhere.
Take your final target and ask yourself, “What can I do this year to make it happen?” Based on the action you come up with, ask yourself again, “What can I do this quarter to move one step forward.”
Keep asking the question until you come down to action items for the current week or the day. Keep track of the tasks you need to work on each day/week and knock them out of the park.
3. APPROACH YOUR DAY WITH A PLAN
If I asked you in the morning, “What are the important things you must work on today?”, Will you have a clear answer? Most people don’t.
If you approach your day as it comes, you will lose time one way or the other. Having a to-do list does not suffice because it grows in size over time.
At the beginning of each day, you must be clear about the top 3-5 things you will work on, which help your long term goals. If you don’t, random tasks will take over your schedule. Before you realize what’s going on, the end of the day will arrive.
When the same routine persists, you enter a never-ending cycle of bumping one task for another, which does not help you achieve your real goals.Making a plan to chase your long term goals means nothing unless you start.
Following your dreams is not about having a sudden enlightenment one night, informing people, getting excited, and going back to the same old routine the next day.
To achieve your dreams, you must stop waiting, move a step beyond planning, and start doing. That’s the advice I have for you, as we come to the end of this week’s blog.
October 3, 2022
Goal-Setting for Effective Living
If you want to Live life effectively, first you must know what personal success looks like for you – and what you must do to make your vision a reality.
During this weeks blog we want to talk about where goal setting comes in. I’ve come to learn over the years is that goals give you a clear sense of direction. They allow you to pinpoint your destination and map out the journey you must take to achieve your effective living goals and make your dreams come true.
When you understand your life purpose, have a clear vision of what you want, convert your desires into achievable goals, and then take unstoppable action toward those goals, you will have the power to accomplish anything you can imagine!
Let’s talk about what are SMART Goals?
The best kind of goals to pursue are what goal setting experts like to call SMART goals.
These are goals that are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-bounded.
Implementing these into your goal-setting process helps ensure that you are focused on achieving realistic goals that will accelerate your progress to living life effectively.
1. Specific
Your goal must be very clear and defined not only to you but to others as well. It should be precise, detailed, and answer questions instead of creating more.
Effective goals are also measurable. In other words, they should include specific target numbers.
To harness the power of goal setting, focus on setting goals that are truly possible. Specifically, your goal must be achievable by you given where you are in your life right now.
If you want to achieve goals effectively, determine what you can actually accomplish within your constraints of time, money, and environment, as well as your skills and abilities, and other important factors.
This doesn’t mean that your big ambitious goals are impossible! I strongly encourage you to set goals that push you past your limits and expand your sense of what you’re capable of accomplishing.
To achieve those big goals, you may have to chunk them down into smaller, realistic goals that are achievable within one year or less. Then, use the momentum you build up through achieving those smaller goals to propel you closer to your ultimate vision.
Your goals shouldn’t only be attainable, but they must be realistic and align with your true purpose.
I encourage you to set goals that are not only achievable but also align with your current circumstances and the direction in which you want your life to go.
Always set specific deadlines for achieving your goal. Committing to a target date of completion creates accountability. It also gives you the motivation to take action toward your goal. Just make sure the deadlines you give yourself to make sense with your current commitments.
You will attain better results if you allow enough time to complete your goals so you can experience the satisfaction of checking them off your list. Every completed goal creates momentum that propels you forward!
How to Set Your Effective Living Goals?
The first step to your Effective Living goal-setting is to decide exactly what you want.
One of the primary reasons most people can’t figure out how to set goals that work is because they aren’t clear about what they want.
Others may have a clear idea of what they would like their lives to look like, but when they don’t see a way forward for themselves, they dismiss their desires as foolish or unattainable. Please don’t sabotage yourself this way!
If you haven’t already made plans to attend our upcoming EFFECTIVE LIVING BLUEPRINT SUMMIT this coming Saturday please do so today. It’s a virtual event that’s going to be free of charge that’s going to really help set you up to win in every area of your life.
