Brandon L. Clay's Blog, page 6

A Simple Misunderstanding!

"Seek first to understand, then to be understood." Stephen Covey   I have worked in dynamic work environments for many years.  I am first and foremost a strategist.  The things an organization does has to be focused on results.  Those results will come from The People and The Process. The Process can be spelled out very linearly, in progressive steps  - 1,2,3,4.  It has metrics that allow it to be objective and quantified.  It works...or it doesn't. The People - that's another matter entirely!  Each person wanting things to go their way, for their voice to be heard to be respected. It is hard to predict or control what people will do in any given moment. Besides being a strategist, I am also a diplomat.  That does not mean I pander to two sides hoping they both like me.  I try to see the bigger picture realizing that each person brings part of the problem, but also brings part of the solution.  There is no place for emotion with diplomacy, but emotions can run high when the stakes are high. When I sit with two people I know chances are neither of them is totally right...or totally wrong.  Motives often drive the way people see the situation.  If they only see their side then they will fight to "hold their ground".  Myopathy, or "see it my way" mentality is at the heart of their dissention that sometimes manifests in disruptive or passive aggressive behavior.  They become Paul Anka...I Did It My Way!   You can not run a business, a marriage or a family that way .  What is the hardest thing to achieve? Agreement. What is the easiest thing to do? Disagree. What will people have to do to achieve real success? Understand. I will bring more insight into this challenge that married couples, parents with their kids, and organizations with 5, 10, or 1,000 employees face everyday...  A Simple Misunderstanding! Until tomorrow, I wish you Money, Power, Success!  

You Got Heart Kid!

Happy Monday! Over the next few weeks, you will notice some changes in this daily feature.  I have come to realize that over half my readers aren't in sales but correlate the things I talk about to their life. The reality is... everyone is in sales .  From the kid trying to get his first fast food job, to the college graduate doing their first oral presentation. "To me, job titles don't matter. Everyone is in sales. It's the only way we stay in business" Harvey Mackay   Don't worry sales folks, there will always be a lesson in it for you, too!You Got Heart Kid! What does the number 145 represent?  I won't leave you in suspense.  That is my I.Q.  Impressed?  You should be.  That is considered highly intelligent.  Just 25 points away from being the next Einstein.  The number 25 never looked so big...right? Do you remember this carton?  It was called Pinky and the Brain.  One lovable and one despicable.  The two characters are reminiscent of Lennie and George from Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck (those 25 points are shrinking fast!). If you recall, Brain relies on...well his brain and Pinky...his heart.  No matter the situation or circumstance, the Brain is continually foiled while Pinky emerges unscathed. Makes the case that the heart knows best. "What the heart knows today the head will understand tomorrow." James Stephens    Despite my high I.Q, I would tell you that my heart rules me. I understand that the brain is an organ, but the heart is a muscle.  By definition, that means that your heart can grow by exercise and use.  It's power of intuition, inspiration and instinct can be cultivated and enlarged by strenuous activity. The brain knows...but the heart feels. We give the brain too much credit when it is our heart that does the heavy lifting of our lives.  For example, take the mouth.  The words you speak. People think that the brain controls the mouth.  Dead wrong. Your heart does. "Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks."Matthew 12:34 Sometimes the brain and the heart play tug of war.  Many people let the brain win.  Not me.  Sure I have the same battle everyone else does, but my heart usually wins.  Some examples; Just the other day, a older woman on the phone said some insensitive things about race (not knowing my ethnicity).  My brain had every snappy comeback since the Emancipation Proclamation, but my heart said, "No...just love on her".  I did.  I felt better. I had a client that I drove an hour to see only to find that she had to sign up under an retiree exchange and not an independent broker.  She was confused and told me the exchange was very little help.  My brain said, "This is your last appointment, go home".  My heart said, "Here is your chance to be a blessing...you can spare an hour".  I did.  She cried and hugged me.  I felt better. Think of the last time your heart overruled your brain.  I bet it felt good.  People don't say and do cruel things because their minds are small...their hearts are.  My momma used to say,  "Don't think before you speak... feel before you speak."   I tell people to get HeartSmart.  It is a mindset of service and genuine gratitude for the opportunity to serve.  Not subservient or acquiescent where people will run over you, but a mindset that allows people to feel your genuine nature.  It fosters trust - the single greatest factor in closing a sale (see, I told you there would be a connection!) Want to sell better? Get HeartSmart Want to connect better? Get HeartSmart. Want to live better?  Get HeartSmart. Today, allow your heart to win an argument or two against your brain.  It is possible since...  You Got Heart Kid! Until tomorrow, I wish you Money, Power, Success!   Improved Website Coming Soon: www.brandonlclay.com  For now, please enjoy more Daily Crumbs (archive)

Rock & Roll!

                                           Happy Friday! Yes, I have been gone for a few days.  Did you miss me?  Many of you checked on me (thank you!).  Some of you are way too busy right now to notice (thank you too!).  Those of you that read the whole week's worth on Saturday morning will find it a few Daily Crumbs short. Great apologies. I was struck by technological adversity.  It rendered by email account helpless and hopeless...but I am back. I also want to wish a couple of hundred of my Medicare agent friends and colleagues that read this daily a belated Happy AEP!  For those of you that don't know, that is the Annual Election Period where 50 million Medicare beneficiaries get to make a decision...to stay or not to stay with their current coverage...that is the question. It is a busy time and I must tell you that my cup overflows. It is not a cup half full or half empty optimism of which I speak - there is simply more than I can physically do.  I am not complaining, mind you.  I know many people this time of year harvesting and "making hay while the sun shines".  It will not come to you - you have to go get it! There has also been a litany of challenges.  Beyond my technology issues there have more challenges this season than I have seen in quite a while.  Some sales people are moaning, whining and complaining about the chronic issues that we seem to deal with each year...they have yet to get out of the gate. Others are adapting and finding a way - out of no way...and succeeding.  What is the difference?  When stuck between a rock and hard place, successful people roll with the punches.
 When it comes to sales, adversity, challenges and those "rocky hard places" are a fact of life.  What separates the wheat from the chaff is a hard blowing wind. It is not necessarily the seasoned veterans that are winning the fight...I am watching newbies fight through things that would turn a lessor person around. I have always maintained that I would rather have 5 hungry fighters on my team than 20 people with an entitlement complex - sometimes success makes us feel entitled to more than we are willing to fight for.
 "It's not the size of the dog in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog." Mark Twain   I understand that we don't all fight the same way, but if you want to win...you better fight! At first glance and on the surface, I know I don't seem like much of a fighter (I'm a lover!). People who just met me immediately get a sense of my outgoing personality.  They can sense my genuine desire to help and see people develop and grow.  Those that know me would also say the same things.  But they will also tell you I am intense.  I question everything and I have a deep resolve to win...and I am not afraid to fight. I frequently use the analogy of Samson and Daniel from the Bible.  They both defeated the same adversity...lions.  Samson ripped them apart with his bare hands and Daniel put them to sleep. Diversity of approach, but victory nonetheless. How do you fight?  I want to encourage you today to fight through adversity, to fight for the things that you want...to fight for the things that matter. Each one of you is engrafted with a defense mechanism that triggers a fight or flight response.  If you are facing an obstacle today, I want to tell you to stand your ground.  Get flat-footed and brace yourself to push.  Don't back down this time.  When faced with a touch challenge...  Rock and Roll! Until tomorrow, I wish you Money, Power, Success!  

You Better Think!

You Better Think!                                          Happy Monday! Glad it is a new week but I needed this past weekend as I imagined many of you did! Needed to recharge.  My brain was almost toast, and I don't mind admitting it (did you catch the pun - read it again!).   In the last month, I have had to learn new technologies, several new products and launch a new business platform for the upcoming enrollment season.  On Friday, I drove 3 hours to attend an all-day session to learn one more product. Admittedly, it was hard to be ultra-attentive and engaged with you are sleep deprived. The presenter was good and the information was relevant and something I could use. I fought off the specter of lost sleep and determined I would review it more indepthly over the weekend...which I did.  Great stuff! Thinking back to Friday, as I watched and listened to the questions that were being asked, I realized that everyone in the room was battling the same thing I was. Sensory overload.  The Brain has no problem taking it all in and amassing more data than Univac back in the 70's. Ahhh, but The Mind has to cooperate...   The brain is willing, but the mind is weak! There is a difference between the brain and the mind. Of course, they are best friends and can't live without each other! The brain is an organ but the mind isn't. The brain is the "house" that holds your mind. The brain makes sure we breathe when the mind has other things on its mind (another funny!).  The brain takes in information through the five senses...  and the mind tells us what it all means.  The mind does the thinking. It is where ideas come from. Our ability to analyze situations comes from our mind and makes it possible to develop solutions to complex problems and challenges. Friday, my problem and challenge was not so much staying awake, it was keeping my mind alert. I know my brain was hearing and seeing everything, but I needed to make sure my mind would remember what would be important to me in the future. It was only after lunch that the brain was delivered a carb induced "knockout" punch and the only priority was staying awake. I did not try to ask insightful questions or even take notes. The only battle was one of the eyelids.  At 4:30 he cut us loose and a quick jolt of adrenaline kicked in.  As I got in the car and faced the 3 hours of traffic back home I knew (my mind told me!) everything would be ok. The presenter sent each one of us home with stacks of brochures, recorded webinars and product content.   I dove into all of it this weekend when the brain was fresh and the mind clear.  The two of them got together and helped me put it all together.  I feel empowered with new knowledge and have the confidence to use it.   What would I tell the other particpants of the class that were as glassy-eyed as I was?    You Better Think! Until tomorrow, I wish you Money, Power, Success!                                           Happy Monday! Glad it is a new week but I needed this past weekend as I imagined many of you did! Needed to recharge.  My brain was almost toast, and I don't mind admitting it (did you catch the pun - read it again!).   In the last month, I have had to learn new technologies, several new products and launch a new business platform for the upcoming enrollment season.  On Friday, I drove 3 hours to attend an all-day session to learn one more product. Admittedly, it was hard to be ultra-attentive and engaged with you are sleep deprived. The presenter was good and the information was relevant and something I could use. I fought off the specter of lost sleep and determined I would review it more indepthly over the weekend...which I did.  Great stuff! Thinking back to Friday, as I watched and listened to the questions that were being asked, I realized that everyone in the room was battling the same thing I was. Sensory overload.  The Brain has no problem taking it all in and amassing more data than Univac back in the 70's. Ahhh, but The Mind has to cooperate...   The brain is willing, but the mind is weak! There is a difference between the brain and the mind. Of course, they are best friends and can't live without each other! The brain is an organ but the mind isn't. The brain is the "house" that holds your mind. The brain makes sure we breathe when the mind has other things on its mind (another funny!).  The brain takes in information through the five senses...  and the mind tells us what it all means.  The mind does the thinking. It is where ideas come from. Our ability to analyze situations comes from our mind and makes it possible to develop solutions to complex problems and challenges. Friday, my problem and challenge was not so much staying awake, it was keeping my mind alert. I know my brain was hearing and seeing everything, but I needed to make sure my mind would remember what would be important to me in the future. It was only after lunch that the brain was delivered a carb induced "knockout" punch and the only priority was staying awake. I did not try to ask insightful questions or even take notes. The only battle was one of the eyelids.  At 4:30 he cut us loose and a quick jolt of adrenaline kicked in.  As I got in the car and faced the 3 hours of traffic back home I knew (my mind told me!) everything would be ok. The presenter sent each one of us home with stacks of brochures, recorded webinars and product content.   I dove into all of it this weekend when the brain was fresh and the mind clear.  The two of them got together and helped me put it all together.  I feel empowered with new knowledge and have the confidence to use it.   What would I tell the other particpants of the class that were as glassy-eyed as I was?    You Better Think! Until tomorrow, I wish you Money, Power, Success! 

A Missing Ingredient!

                                         I am not a big fan of reality television.  Unless it is Charlie Rose and real people are on it talking about real things going on in the real world. I do have to admit a fondness for cooking shows.  More specifically, eating shows .  Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives ia a favorite.  Triple D with Guy Fieri. Because of Guy, I watched a cooking reality show where contestants had to make a meal out of limited ingredients.  I watched contestants sweat over not having this ingredient or that. One of them was crying over not having cilantro! Big deal, my momma did that all that time.  Sara Clay could beat all these people like a 5th grade bully taking your milk money.  She could look in the cupboard and take down some of this and some of that and "throw down"!  You would never know something was missing. Being an adult and looking back, I now realize that the only way we made it was due to her intellect, instincts, intuition, imagination and inspiration. My dad was there and did a lot but my momma was a straight warrior. She was one of the most ingenious, imaginative and innovative people I have ever known...I miss my momma.  She taught me how to think.  More importantly she taught me how to survive.  I have never been the fighting type in the traditional sense.  She nurtured my inclination for book learning and helped me turn that into a method of survival as a child.  It was that same approach that has helped me develop sophisticated business principles and models that have helped build billion dollar companies.  When you boil it down to it's core, the approach to meeting and beating challenges that she passed on to me really isn't complicated.  It is the same approach she would use when she faced a bare cupboard ; Tell me what you want. Tell me what you have. Think. She wouldn't give answers and she wouldn't let you off the hook.  With a hug and a smile she would tell you the answer is there...look for it. Think. The ideas will tell you what to do...with what you have...to get you what you want. What she taught me is the reason I never panic when there appears to be... A Missing Ingredient! Until tomorrow, I wish you Money, Power, Success! 

Eureka!

                                         "Eureka!" Some of you would think that I needed a vacuum cleaner (ok, not many of you I hope!). Others would know my exclamation was because I had just solved a major problem.  That I had just been enlightened with a Big Idea. Eureka in this context is a word used by Archimedes, a Greek scientist who exclaimed the word when he had resolved a problem.  He is also famous for the quote, "Give me a lever long enough and a fulcrum on which to place it, and I shall move the world." Archimedes   Ahhh, the Greeks...yogurt, salad and Archimedes.  There was a while there in history that the Greeks had most of the worlds big ideas.  It was a nation of scholars, thinkers, artists, scientists and philosophers. Thinking is a lost art.  Most people want to be told what to do and what to think.  Big Ideas come from spending time in thought.  Spending time meditating and reflecting on a problem or objective until the flash of brilliance comes.  Creation of ideas can be spontaneous, but most come from a process.  A combination of sources that coalesce when concentration is added. 5 Ways To Have A Eureka Moment; Intellect - Collect the data on a challenge, problem or objective.  Crunch the numbers.  On the other side of that empirical analysis and answer will come forth.  Information drives the intellect.  Reading, studying and observation provides helps us deduce an answer.  Many ideas are "offspring" of what we know and what we have learned. Instinct - Following your gut.  That inner pull that says this is the way to go.  You can't always rationalize it as it sometimes goes against the grain of conventional wisdom or what your intellect says is the proper course.  Many great innovations have come when people trusted their instincts. Intuition - First cousin to instinct.  It is usually in flashes of revelation that create the same type of gut prompting as instinct.  Webster defines it as "a natural ability or power that makes it possible to know something without any proof or evidence : a feeling that guides a person to act a certain way without fully understanding why". Inspiration - Being compelled to act based on outside influences or an internal "spark" that pushes you to a higher level of thought and action.  Seeing others achieve or hearing the right words or music that transfers the active emotions of dreaming, aspirations and a "I can do this" spirit.  When you are inspired, your mind is more open and alert to the ideas that are all around you...and you see them! Imagination - .We live in a world of the senses - sight, sound, touch, taste and smell.  The imagination is not bound or governed by the sensory.  It can transcend them and take you to a place that your present circumstances say can't happen.  Close your eyes and see yourself flying around the room.  Pretending to fly is a child's game?  Ask the Wright Brothers or Elon Musk (Paypal, Tesla...and SpaceX).  Your imagination is transformative and full of big ideas! No matter which of these you use, there is always a solution for your challenge, a Big Idea to help you achieve your goals and dreams.  You have to dedicate time and energy to focusing until that moment comes when you can exclaim...  Eureka!  Until tomorrow, I wish you Money, Power, Success! 

Fresh Out Of Ideas?

                                         I had a friend and colleague call me last week who was working on a project.  He told me that he was "fresh out of ideas".  I told him that was impossible...there were always ideas. "That's why I called you," he said. Yes, I am an idea factory.  I told a group of people yesterday that I am part Rain Man and part Rainmaker.  Yes, that means I make it rain (you had to know that was coming!). Yes, I am an intense thinker, analyzing all the factors present and through deductive and inductive reasoning I am determined to find a way.   Yes, my number one strength in Strenghfinders 2.0 is Strategic.  If you have never done your profile before, I highly recommend it.  If you want to know more about Brandon Clay but were afraid to ask you can view My Strenthfinder Profile.  It is dead on! A few decades ago (that makes me sound old!), I was struggling financially and professionally.  A wise, successful person told me, "You don't have a money problem, you have an idea problem.". What that meant wasn't fully apparent at the time.  It is hard to hear sage advice when the rent is due.  As the years have gone by, I understand that he was trying to tell me that for every challenge, there was an idea that could overcome it.  In my You. Change. Now! program, I say that there is a "bridge for every barrier".
 Ideas are bridges.
 They help you go from where you are to where you want to be.  The problem is, many people only see challenges and not the ideas that can help them get through them to victory. The key to growing your business is ideas.  To generate more clients you don't need more marketing money (yes, that would be nice), you need ideas.  To position your product more favorably in the prospects mind, you don't need the cheapest price, you need ideas. One good idea can change everything!  "The difficulty lies not so much in developing new ideas as in escaping from old ones."John Maynard Keynes    "Studies have shown that 90% of error in thinking is due to error in perception. If you can change your perception, you can change your emotion and this can lead to new ideas."Edward de Bono  "Ideas are like rabbits. You get a couple and learn how to handle them, and pretty soon you have a dozen."John Steinbeck  "If you have ideas, you have the main asset you need, and there isn't any limit to what you can do with your business and your life. Ideas are any man's greatest asset." Harvey S. Firestone "Like stones rolling down hills, fair ideas reach their objectives despite all obstacles and barriers. It may be possible to speed or hinder them, but impossible to stop them."Jose Marti   The next few days, I will go into ideas, where they come from and how to get more of them.  For now, I wanted to leave you with a few quotes to stimulate your idea muscle.  Yes, it is a muscle that will atrophy if you don't use it!  I want to help you get to a place that you are never...
 Fresh Out Of Ideas! Until tomorrow, I wish you Money, Power, Success! 

Keep Up!

                                          Happy Monday! The other day I needed to use an I-Pad app that I downloaded about a year ago.  It was a project planning tool that had all kinds of neat features to help keep me organized and on track.  Ironic.  I needed some data that I had put into it and that information was nowhere else.  I had to have it! When I launched it, it said I needed to update to the most current version of the program.  Ok, no big deal and I expected that.  In less than year, there had been 8 updates.  After the update, I tried to launch it again.  Now it said I had to update my version of IOS.  After a bad experience, I only update my IOS (operating system) under duress and mandates.  This was a mandate. I started the download only to find my power was at 23%.  It will only update with 50% power or you have to plug in.  I was at a Starbucks and didn't have my power cord.  I really needed that data for an upcoming call, so I asked a stranger could I borrow their power cord.  They obliged with an understanding nod and I updated my system.   An hour later, I pulled out the data I needed... exasperated and frustrated.  I love technology, but does it have to change so much and so often?  I guess it is to be expected since the industry is still in its infancy.    Did you know that you are part of the world's oldest profession? No...not that one - sales! For a profession that is centuries old, it is hard to believe that things change so rapidly.  Just like technology, if you don't keep up with the changing times, it is easy to be left behind.  Even the professional sellers who have great relationship building skills have to stay abreast of industry changes, new technology and current marketing approaches. 5 Things You Must Do To Ensure You Aren't Left Behind; Look again - It is easy to get locked in to a pattern of doing business.  Selling the same products in the same way as you have the past few years.  Look at your products and industry.  Some evolutions are obvious, some are more subtle.  For example, some companies prefer online applications with digital signatures.  Have you looked to make sure you have the most recent updates?  Keep Learning - Sure your inbox is flooded with product details, updates, webinars and appeals to sell more of companies products.  Make a habit of at least scanning these alerts and dedicating a block of time each week to learning about them.  Your contracts allows you to sell, but your clients expect you to understand what you are selling.  Go deeper - Does your product have new and exciting features that would help you sell more and service your clients more effectively?  Sure, the top 2-3 benefits keep the sales going, but if you went deeper into the things your product can do you might get an extra sale or two.  Certainly sets you up as the trusted advisor and expert on your product.  You are an expert on your product, right? Pay Attention- I just talked to an agent that submitted $3,000 in annualized commission on the wrong application.  They had not sold the company before and did not review the most recent updates.  Not only embarrassing, but left them open to losing the client and leaving them vulnerable on a decision vitally important matter - life insurance.  Stay excited - The best way to make sure you stay abreast of changes in your industry is to keep your enthusiasm for it.  People that love fashion read the magazines, the blogs and shop to keep up with industry trends and changes.  Do you love what you do?  Then it should be easy to make it a part of your life.  Excitement is contagious and helps you sell more! I know you are selling many products and have several balls in the air and plates spinning.  To reach your goals and serve your clients you will have to add one more thing to that spinning plate... Keep Up! Until tomorrow, I wish you Money, Power, Success! 

Times, They Are A Changing!

                                         Happy Friday! I was in a training session all day yesterday.  Not as the presenter or content expert - as a participant.  In order to sell their product, they require a face to face. Was it easy sitting quiet for 5 hours when you are used to delivering rousing informational and inspirational sessions? Yes...and no.  Yes, it was easy because I was learning.  Taking the information that I already knew and seeing it in a fresh light. Fully engaged and highly interested, I had 5 pages of notes when I left the meeting. No, because I wanted to jump up and tell the 70 other agents, whose questions demonstrated they were missing some of the power of the product and opportunity, to stop majoring in the minor and see the BIG picture. And there was a big picture. I held my mule for the entire session (that means I kept quiet for the younger crowd!) and only after everyone had left, did I walk up to the presenters and engage a conversation. In less than a minute, our exchange "grew legs" as he understood that I understood the big picture.  He smiled the smile that only comes when you realize that someone in the audience "Got It". I never name drop (even my own sometimes) but when I told him my name and background we instantly knew many of the same people and our paths had crossed before even though we didn't know it. We talked a bit about the "good ole days", but quickly acknowledged that the opportunities and evolutions of our industry over the past decade were inevitable and, ultimately, good for the industry.  We also lamented that many agents were not staying abreast of the changes, choosing rather to complain and then move on when things changed too much. The change we were describing was actually progress.   Change.  Say "change" to most people and they revolt, fighting to keep things the way they were.  Progress.  A kindler, gentler version of the word "change".  It implies things get better, easier, more organized.  Old dog...new tricks.  People fight change but they demand progress.  That paradox is what makes some people retreat back to their comfort zone and makes others push forward out of it! Progress can only come from change and change can only come by breaking from the status quo. Ever heard of Moores Law?  Gordon Moore is the founder of Intel (you are likely reading from a computer that has him inside!) and his law says that technology will double every two years.  Think back to 10 years ago and the price of computers, or the absence of tablets or smartphones.  Now, the new I-Phone 6 has more power then the best computer of just 10 years ago. Change...and Progress  Next time, I will share 5 Things You Must Do To Ensure You Aren't Left Behind, but for today, take a look around you.  Think back to just two years ago in your life, business and industry.  Do things look like they did then?  Probably not, because... Times, They Are A Changing! Until Monday, I wish you Money, Power, Success!

Here and Now!

                                         If you can't tell from the last few days, I m excited about the fall harvest opportunity.  A lot of people have put in a lot of work to put themselves in a position to reap the rewards of their planning and execution. Sure, things could be less than expected...but they could be more, too. I would rather do the work and rely on the process of seed, time and harvest than to sit by and have to wait on luck. "Luck has nothing to do with it, because I have spent many, many hours, countless hours, on the court working for my one moment in time, not knowing when it would come." Serena Williams    Hard work is NEVER wasted! To those of you who have prepared and worked hard to finish the year strong and bring in your harvest of end of year opportunity...I salute you. To those who did not give it their all, or find themselves in another cycle of missed opportunity...I challenge you. I challenge you get your mind right.  Challenges are not always the result of having a poor mental attitude but how you weather them and how long they last are.  It is time to Elevate Your Mind and Get Yourself Together.  Shake off the doldrums and negative thoughts that have held you down.  Think higher! "Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude."  Thomas Jefferson    I challenge you to set goals and begin building a plan and strategy to achieve them.  Sure, I know you know all about goals - probably have some.  The question isn't whether you have any, the question is are you committed to them?  The people who are most successful not only write them down, they build executable strategies to make them reality.  Setting goals should be fun...and so should working hard for them!  "What you get by achieving your goals is not as important as what you become by achieving your goals." Henry David Thoreau     I challenge you to take one BIG action today.  What do you know you need to do to get your life going in the right direction?   Most of us have one major thing that could change the trajectory of our future IF we did it.  I am not saying that you solve everything with one action.  A down payment on a house still leaves you with 30 years of payments.  Make the 20% down payment action today and then follow through with the "monthly payments" of continuous action.  Massive change convinces the mind that you are serious...get serious! "Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage. If you want to conquer fear, do not sit home and think about it. Go out and get busy." Dale Carnegie   I challenge you to find the joy in your work.  I know people who love to work out in the gym.  I hate it.  But put me on a 10 mile trail, with my running shoes and my 1980's music mix...I am in heaven.  Work is no different.  If you do not have a fundamental love for what you do, it will become drudgery.  Success can not come if you hate what you expect to bless you.  Reconnect with what you love about your work...or change it!  "We are at our very best, and we are happiest, when we are fully engaged in work we enjoy on the journey toward the goal we've established for ourselves. It gives meaning to our time off and comfort to our sleep. It makes everything else in life so wonderful, so worthwhile."  Earl Nightingale    Don't get it twisted, life is not fickle or preferential.  There are things that make it appear so, but human existence is based on seeds, time and harvest.  Food, money, relationships...everything.  If you want to be in the harvest next cycle, then you have to plant better seeds...  Here and Now!
Until tomorrow, I wish you Money, Power, Success!