Dan Waldschmidt's Blog, page 23

You’re Not Starting Soon Enough.

You don’t have forever to get to where you want to be. Time is limited.

So is the money and emotional strength you need to grind past the obstacles that stand in your way right now.

Make no mistake: every day is a new opportunity to make progress. You can get started being amazing at any moment.

Right now you can make the decision to change.

But all you have is right now. You’re not guaranteed tomorrow will come. You’re not guaranteed you’ll have enough money or mental stamina tomorrow to make progress.

What if you were in an accident? What if you lost your job? Your life would change dramatically.

You think you have unlimited time. And so you put off until later important things you should be starting right now.

If you look back at your life, you will see that every important thing you’ve wanted for yourself you’ve not yet achieved has been a direct result of not starting soon enough.

Not trying in that moment when you first set your mind to the goal.

You hesitated. You over-thought things. You talked yourself out of it.

Looking back you realize you should have just jumped in with both feet, made some mistakes, learned from them, and soldiered on.

The rewards you harvest in the coming months and years are a direct result of the seeds you plant right now.

That’s all you have. Right now.

It’s working time. Planning time. Moving time. Time to get started.

That doesn’t require much. Just some movement and intention.

You don’t have to finish right now. You just have to take the first step:

Start your day by doing something differently – reading, meditating, or just getting up earlier.
Stop drinking coffee for a day or two. Kill the energy drinks. Drink more water.
Learn how to meditate and practice a little bit each day. Use an app like Brain.fm or Headspace.
Take up running, CrossFit, or some other to fitness program where you can grow.
Hire a coach or call a mentor for a new perspective. Ask for help from people who know something.
Go for a walk, read a book, or do some research on an idea you’ve been thinking about.
Get the “gunk” out of your head so you can focus. Forgive people you’ve been holding a grudge against.

Bet on yourself this time.

Don’t rely on the changing whims of the world around you to guarantee your path to success. Own your destiny.

Nothing happens overnight. That big success you want won’t magically fall into your lap.

You’re going to have to fight for it. There’s no better time to get started than this very moment.

The post You’re Not Starting Soon Enough. appeared first on Dan Waldschmidt: Author of EDGY Conversations.

Copyright by Waldschmidt Partners Intl... Not sure that all that legal stuff really matters. If you want to share this material, do so. Just don't charge for it and don't tell people you wrote it. Both of those are uncool.

Other than that, all rights are reserved to you to change your life. If you are ready to be amazing, now is the time to get started. Onward...

Being Overwhelmed By Gratitude.

No matter how bad things are right now for you, they are better than they could be.

That alone should fuel your sense of gratitude.

And when you think about it further, you realize how very good you have it.

No matter how desperate your situation might feel, you still have the opportunity for change going forward.

Looking back, you can see how far you’ve already come.

You haven’t figured it all out. You’re not where you want to be.

Things aren’t even close to being perfect.

But you should be overwhelmed by a sense of gratitude. Overwhelmed by a fresh chance and new opportunities still to come.

But that won’t happen by accident.

That sense of inspiration and purpose won’t overwhelm you automatically.

You have to put yourself in the position to be overwhelmed.

You have to make time to pause and think about where you are and where you’re headed.

You have to force yourself to look around and realize where you are…and all the opportunities still ahead.

The post Being Overwhelmed By Gratitude.  appeared first on Dan Waldschmidt: Author of EDGY Conversations.

Copyright by Waldschmidt Partners Intl... Not sure that all that legal stuff really matters. If you want to share this material, do so. Just don't charge for it and don't tell people you wrote it. Both of those are uncool.

Other than that, all rights are reserved to you to change your life. If you are ready to be amazing, now is the time to get started. Onward...

The Danger Of Our White Lies.

A lot of our lives are filled with tiny white lies.

We exaggerate our fitness, our financial health, how we feel, and the facts around the things that scare us most.

We embellish the truth almost automatically. It’s something that is subconscious.

Something we do in order to feel better about ourselves. To fit in. To take a break. To have a reason for not hitting the mark.

The real danger of these white lies isn’t that we tell them. It is that we begin to believe them.

Instead of using exaggeration as a coping mechanism, it becomes the plan. You start to believe those half-truths.

And so, instead of improving your fitness, your finances, how you learn, the thoughts you allow yourself to think about, or a thousand other details that define greatness, you stay stuck.

You’re busy. You’re struggling. But you can’t ever seem to break through.

Maybe it’s because you’ve started to believe those white lies you’ve been telling everyone else.

The post The Danger Of Our White Lies. appeared first on Dan Waldschmidt: Author of EDGY Conversations.

Copyright by Waldschmidt Partners Intl... Not sure that all that legal stuff really matters. If you want to share this material, do so. Just don't charge for it and don't tell people you wrote it. Both of those are uncool.

Other than that, all rights are reserved to you to change your life. If you are ready to be amazing, now is the time to get started. Onward...

Not Just Collecting A Paycheck.

Business studies tell us that a disgruntled sales executive will stay at their job for 11 months before they actually decide to quit.

Most of the time, the news of them leaving is a surprise to their employer. 11 months. Unhappy and unmotivated.

Just collecting a paycheck.

If that isn’t bad enough, almost 25% of employees say that they would quit their job if they could.

You’ve probably talked to someone just like this.

When you ask why they are still doing what they do, they tell you something about: “They have to pay the bills” or “You know I’ve got the mortgage.” 

Unhappy and unmotivated. Just collecting a paycheck.

Makes you wonder if we don’t have business all wrong.

We spend money on health insurance and retirement plans, snacks, coffee and beer to create the right office culture, and training programs to make sure our team members keep learning. But that’s still not good enough.

We need to be better about helping our team members find their purpose.
We need to be more choosy about who gets to join the team in the first place.
We need to make inspiration and motivation a part of everything that we do.

It’s easy to put down into words. It’s a little more difficult when it requires your emotional investment and financial commitment.

Imagine the possibilities.

What if people came to work with their best ideas? What if people didn’t just do the bare minimum? What if your team wasn’t just collecting a paycheck?

What if they were all in, with you.

The post Not Just Collecting A Paycheck. appeared first on Dan Waldschmidt: Author of EDGY Conversations.

Copyright by Waldschmidt Partners Intl... Not sure that all that legal stuff really matters. If you want to share this material, do so. Just don't charge for it and don't tell people you wrote it. Both of those are uncool.

Other than that, all rights are reserved to you to change your life. If you are ready to be amazing, now is the time to get started. Onward...

14 Things Winners Do Differently.

Winners refuse to give up. They just won’t do it. They get hurt. They feel pain. They cry.  But they keep going. Regardless.
Winners want it more. There is always a very good, very smart reason to give up. That doesn’t mean it’s the right decision to make.
Winners stay focused on what they want. Your goals look a lot scarier a few months after you make them. That’s not an excuse to shrug them off.
Winners are tough. The difference between winning and losing usually just comes down to who has the most guts — not brains.
Winners make time to think beyond the stress they are facing right now. What you think about the most you eventually do.
Winners put their head down and grind. If you keep moving towards where you want to be, you’ll eventually end up there.
Winners will themselves forward. The most important power in the world is “will power”.  If you “will”, it will eventually happen.
Winners are willing to be wrong. Just because you don’t know the exact next step to take doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take a next step.
Winners believe. If you don’t believe in yourself, no else’s opinion or support will be enough to motivate you to keep moving.
Winners master the details. Success comes down to the little things — beliefs, courage, and a relentless pursuit of your dreams.
Winners are obsessed. No amount of intellectual data can persuade you to stay engaged emotionally when you just want to quit
Winners learn from their mistakes. Just because you gave up one time isn’t a good excuse for you to keep giving up.
Winners know how to handle the pain. You’ll feel better when you get to where you want to be. It just hurts until you get there.
Winners embrace the battle until they win. Learning to “tough it out” is a life-long skill worth mastering.

The post 14 Things Winners Do Differently. appeared first on Dan Waldschmidt: Author of EDGY Conversations.

Copyright by Waldschmidt Partners Intl... Not sure that all that legal stuff really matters. If you want to share this material, do so. Just don't charge for it and don't tell people you wrote it. Both of those are uncool.

Other than that, all rights are reserved to you to change your life. If you are ready to be amazing, now is the time to get started. Onward...

Are You Willing To Change?

When you’re pursuing success there comes a time where you have to ask yourself a hard question about what really matters.

Is it more important that you are right or that you figure out a way past the obstacles standing between you and your goal?

At face value, the answer is simple.

You would obviously say that you care more about being successful than you do about being right.

You think you want to win. But ego has a strange way of blinding you to poor behavior.

You say you want to win. But usually that means you want the thing you’re doing right now to be a winning thing.

You don’t want your process or ideals to be questioned. You don’t want to believe that your critics might be right.

You just want what you’re doing right now to work.

And when that does work and you don’t have to change, it’s a good day. A rare day. 

Because more times than not, you’re going to have to evolve and grow, change, experiment, and flex in order to get to where you want to be.

Whatever it takes is often something you don’t have to give all by yourself.

Are you willing to learn from embarrassing moments? Or are you more focused on making sure you don’t look bad?

The post Are You Willing To Change? appeared first on Dan Waldschmidt: Author of EDGY Conversations.

Copyright by Waldschmidt Partners Intl... Not sure that all that legal stuff really matters. If you want to share this material, do so. Just don't charge for it and don't tell people you wrote it. Both of those are uncool.

Other than that, all rights are reserved to you to change your life. If you are ready to be amazing, now is the time to get started. Onward...

Live Like It’s Your First Day.

Live like you’ve never been hurt before.

Like you’ve never taken a chance and fallen flat on your face.

Live like each investment of your time and money yields magnificent results.

Live expecting your love and attention to come back to you tenfold.

You’ve often heard people tell you to live like it’s your last day on earth.

Better, you should live like it’s your first.

Before you figured out how unforgiving and brutally difficult life can be at times.

Before you developed all those scars and doubt.

Before you stopped believing that anything was possible if you worked hard enough and kept trying.

What if you could dream again? What if you could forgive yourself for all those times you screwed up?

Today is a new day. Not your first day. Not the easiest day.

But it is a fresh opportunity. Right now, it is a clean slate.

Make of it what you will. Prove yourself right. Live up to your potential.

Live like this is the second chance you’ve always been waiting for. Because it is.

The post Live Like It’s Your First Day. appeared first on Dan Waldschmidt: Author of EDGY Conversations.

Copyright by Waldschmidt Partners Intl... Not sure that all that legal stuff really matters. If you want to share this material, do so. Just don't charge for it and don't tell people you wrote it. Both of those are uncool.

Other than that, all rights are reserved to you to change your life. If you are ready to be amazing, now is the time to get started. Onward...

5 Powerful Ways Your Friendships Determine Your Success.

Being successful isn’t a task you complete all by yourself. The people around you have a direct impact on what you achieve.

Your friendships matter. Your community matters. Both of these are your choice.

Something that you should be aware of.

Something you can change at any time.

Are your friendships taking you closer to where you want to be? Or are they holding you back from the person you want to become?

Choosing to stay around negative people is one of the biggest reasons why you will never reach your full potential.
Your best friends will tell you the truth even when it requires being critical and might cost them your friendship.
You won’t get more out of a relationship than you put into it– so don’t expect to find inspiration when you’re not creating it.
You are right now (or soon will be) the average of the five people you’re hanging around the most.
The only people who say they don’t need anybody or any help in their lives are the people who actually do need people and help in the lives.

Are you around people who are helping you — or hurting you?

Never forget that the best way to find better friends is to be a better friend yourself.

Maybe that’s the real lesson here. You might need to tune up your own behavior.

The post 5 Powerful Ways Your Friendships Determine Your Success.  appeared first on Dan Waldschmidt: Author of EDGY Conversations.

Copyright by Waldschmidt Partners Intl... Not sure that all that legal stuff really matters. If you want to share this material, do so. Just don't charge for it and don't tell people you wrote it. Both of those are uncool.

Other than that, all rights are reserved to you to change your life. If you are ready to be amazing, now is the time to get started. Onward...

Don’t Do It.

Never expect anyone else to work harder than you are.
Never build your business plan around getting lucky.
Never make decisions based on ego or embarrassment.
Never let yourself stay in a bad mood.
Never stop sweating the details and deadlines.
Never waste time being happy when other people fail.
Never stop learning, listening, or leading.
Never stop being grateful for those who help you along the way.
Never let a small mistake turn into a huge disaster.
Never let a break turn into a lazy stretch.
Never run away from a fight.
Never fight when it doesn’t matter.
Never stop moving towards where you want to be.
Never take too long to apologize when you’re wrong.
Never forget where you came from.
Never let pride stop you from asking for help.
Never act petty because someone else did first.
Never be too busy not to say a kind word.
Never stop believing that you are going to make it.
Never allow power or money to go your head.
Never let fear trick you into taking the easy way out.

The post Don’t Do It. appeared first on Dan Waldschmidt: Author of EDGY Conversations.

Copyright by Waldschmidt Partners Intl... Not sure that all that legal stuff really matters. If you want to share this material, do so. Just don't charge for it and don't tell people you wrote it. Both of those are uncool.

Other than that, all rights are reserved to you to change your life. If you are ready to be amazing, now is the time to get started. Onward...

Is It Really Worth It?

You can always find something to distract you.

Even if you’re not looking for a distraction, it’s easy to waste time being distracted.

Sports and school, work, weekend plans, and family — they all have a way of momentarily costing you momentum.

You’re busy doing things that get you closer to where you want to be when unexpected distractions force you to stop and focus your attention on something else.

You lose momentum.

And while you can improve how you handle unexpected distractions, you should plan on the reality that you’re never going to be completely rid of them.

But what about the distractions you cultivate?

The bad habits.
The binge watching.
The excuses and finger-pointing.
The bad attitudes.
The procrastination and laziness.
The lack of preparation.

Your inability to evolve and improve.

If you take an honest look at all the reasons why you don’t have what you want to have and aren’t where you want to be it’s most likely a distraction you’ve not only tolerated but make an excuse right now to continue to hold on to.

Think about that for a minute.

Ask yourself: “Is it really worth it?”

The post Is It Really Worth It? appeared first on Dan Waldschmidt: Author of EDGY Conversations.

Copyright by Waldschmidt Partners Intl... Not sure that all that legal stuff really matters. If you want to share this material, do so. Just don't charge for it and don't tell people you wrote it. Both of those are uncool.

Other than that, all rights are reserved to you to change your life. If you are ready to be amazing, now is the time to get started. Onward...