Dan Waldschmidt's Blog, page 24

Use That Guilt As Motivation.

You know that sick feeling you get deep down in your stomach when you’re disappointed in yourself?

You know you could have done better. Maybe even won. But you didn’t try hard enough.

You didn’t get started soon enough. You didn’t have enough intensity, urgency, or drive to do enough of what mattered.

And now you’re left with that feeling of frustration and disappointment.

It’s not a feeling that you want to have.

That guilt and disappointment isn’t something that you want to experience. You just feel awful.

Another time you let yourself down. That’s the feedback that keeps running through your mind.

Use the memory of that guilt as motivation to get started right now.

Doing a little bit of the things that matter.

Use guilt as a weapon against procrastination.

Guilt yourself into taking action.

Remind yourself of how you will feel later on looking back at this moment when you could have started something awesome but didn’t have enough motivation to get started.

Think about that awful feeling. Let it soak in for a few moments.

Ask yourself if there is one thing you could do to move a little bit closer to your desired goal. Right now. Just something small. And then do that one thing.

Every time you feel like there’s nothing you can do. Every time you’re discouraged by where you’re at. Every time you look ahead and don’t see a path forward.

Instead of giving up and feeling guilty later, use that guilt to drive yourself towards where you want to be.

The post Use That Guilt As Motivation. 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...

You Get To Decide What You Do Next.

Most of your life is just a series of decisions. The rest of it is you sleeping.

Every waking moment, you have unlimited opportunities to do the things that you think are important. Everything is a choice.

You can change your mind 100 times in a row. You can get started on something and then stop and go do something else.

Everything is a decision.

You get to choose.

It’s easy to fall into the trap of believing that you “have” to do things.

That you are forced into making certain decisions.

You have to go back to that job. You have to be nice to that person. You have to spend your money in a certain way.

You don’t have to do any of it.

You can quit that job you hate. Or you can take your time and find a new job before you quit the old one. Or you could keep working that job while you build your own business idea on the side — using your available night and weekend time.

You have more options than you think you do.

At times it’s hard to see all those options. It’s hard to feel powerful. It’s difficult to take the first step towards living life on your own terms.

But at least you can.

And maybe the most important part of this entire conversation is not that you do anything radical right now.

Maybe you still go to that job you hate. Maybe you still hang around those negative friends who drive you crazy. Maybe you still overspend and overeat.

But at least you know the truth that it’s all a choice.

You’re making that choice.

It’s your decision and no one else’s.

You are aware of the power that you have. You are aware that you can change anything at any time if you choose to do that.

It doesn’t matter how broke you are. It doesn’t matter how beat down emotionally you are. It doesn’t matter what sickness or stress is tormenting you.

You get to decide what you do next. This choice. That choice.

And every choice after that.

The post You Get To Decide What You Do Next. 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...

13 Steps To Getting All Those Things Done.

You won’t ever get to where you want to be if you can’t get things done consistently. Whether it is a New Year’s resolution or a new life direction, you have to do something different if you want to achieve success.

That requires focus and determination and a plan for getting things done.

If you can’t get things done, you’ll never change your life for the better.

You have to have a plan.

And be willing to do whatever it takes to execute that plan.

Here are a few steps to help you do that:

Take the time to build a list of everything that you need to do. Keep that list updated as new thoughts, ideas, and goals hit you. Make sure you have easy access to that list at all times so that you can quickly add to it.
Make sure you know what matters now and what can wait until later. Build priorities. Label contingencies. Describe the outcomes you want to see.  You can delete stuff later.  Just get it all listed out in order of importance.
Use smart technology to remind you of key events. Tools like Todoist and Google Calendar make it easy to set up alarms and repeating events. You’re guaranteed to get more thing done when you are reminded of the most important things that you need to be doing.
Build a “Minimum List”. Tag the items on your list that make up the bare minimum that you need to achieve each day. You’ll be surprised at how few items stay on the list, and you’ll be motivated to keep building momentum.
Hire the extra help you need. Instead of trying to do everything yourself, find key tasks – or parts of tasks – that you can hire someone else to help you with. Use online platforms like Fiverr and Upwork to find the help you need to be amazing.
Take time to get physical. Instead of eliminating regular exercise from your schedule, protect the time you work up a sweat. Run. Punch. Kick. Cycle. Just move fast. You’ll find yourself thinking of ideas you wouldn’t have considered. You’ll return to your work focused.
Refuse to waste a second on regrets or worries. It’s easy to spin out of control when you think about what you could have done or should have done. Replace those negative thoughts with specific thoughts for moving towards where you want to be.
Stop watching so much damn TV. It’s amazing how distracting a binge-watch session on Netflix can be. Instead of working toward success, your brain goes to mush when you call up the latest episode instead of working on the things that matter most.
Be clear about what matters and why you want to achieve it. That state of not knowing exactly what you want but feeling dissatisfied with what where you are right now is just a waste of your time. Hire a coach or a therapist. Join a Master Mind group. Find a new set of friends.
Get enough sleep. Most human beings need 6 to 8 hours of sleep each night to operate at optimum performance. When you do more, you need more sleep. Don’t overdo the sleeping part and don’t think you can cheat time by sleeping less. It’ll backfire on you.
Give time and attention to others. When you invest in others, your brain tells itself that you have more than you need. That sends a signal to the rest of your body to calm down. That everything will be ok. You’ll actually do better work.
Pay attention to the details. Getting things done isn’t the same as getting things done well. Don’t just check things off your list. Make sure you’ve done the best that you can do. Take the time to reflect on what you can do better the next time.
Apologize when things don’t go the way you want them to go. When things are busy and you’re focused on you, it’s easy to make mistakes or hurt people’s feelings. Instead of letting that negativity linger, make the smart decision to apologize early. And mean it. Then move on.

Each day is an opportunity do things that matter.

Don’t waste your chance at greatness because you don’t know how to get things done.

Move. Plan. Work. Strategize. And improve.

The post 13 Steps To Getting All Those Things Done. 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...

A Breakfast With Bobcats.

I was more than 18 hours into my run and slightly more than 92 miles closer to the finish line of the Arkansas Traveller 100 than when I started at 5 a.m. earlier that morning — and I had to go to the bathroom. Bad.

My stomach was blowing up. I didn’t feel like eating or drinking or anything else. I just wanted to run those last eight miles and be done with my first hundred mile race.

I stepped off the trail to handle my business, and my running partner took the opportunity to take a little break himself.

As I readjusted my gear, unpacking and repacking the necessary equipment, I noticed a set of headlights not too far away from me.

I thought it was strange that a car was way out here in the middle of the northern mountains of Arkansas —  but it wasn’t any of my business.

Kind of strange. Oh well. I had a race to keep running.

When I rejoined my running partner, he asked if I had seen the mountain lion or bobcat that was slinking around in the bushes next to me.

Needless to say, I picked up the pace and finished that race with a little more urgency that I had a few minutes previously.

What kept me safe was my imagination. Instead of seeing a dangerous animal, I saw a car and headlights.

I was completely distracted from a situation that could have been dangerous or deadly because I was living in my own world of dreams. My imagination protected me.

That’s a silly example. And certainly, for me, lack of sleep and the harsh conditions of running a 100-mile race contributed to my hallucinations.

What are you imagining? What big dreams and goals do you have for yourself?

The world will always be full of small-minded people and negative circumstances. There will always be things that distract you and days that seem to beat you down.

It’s going to happen. It might be happening right now.

In truth, the only thing that will keep you safe is a dream. The only way past mediocrity and negativity is imagination. Imagination and will.

Take some time each day — each morning — to imagine a better future. Challenge yourself to do something different today than you have done before.

Be consumed by the endless possibilities you have to achieve a breakthrough. Commit to making the small changes that will allow you to reach big results.

The post A Breakfast With Bobcats. 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...

When You Decide To Not Fix That.

The details don’t really seem to matter until you realize that they are the only thing that ultimately determine failure or success.
The people who doubt you most will always be the best source for finding those small ways to make a big difference.
The final 1% of mastering the details will take you 99% of the time and make a 1000% difference in how much revenue you generate.
The importance you place on monitoring and improving the details directly relates to the magnitude of the success you achieve.
You don’t have to fix all the details before you can be awesome, but you do have to be aware that they exist.
There is always someone out there willing to improve on the details that you make excuses to avoid fixing right now.

The post When You Decide To Not Fix That. 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...

What Would You Do If You Believed You Could?

A few months ago, I was interviewed by a popular business magazine. In between the questions about making money and what it takes to push through the dark times, I was asked one particular question that made me stop and think.

“If you could go back and give one piece of advice to yourself at 20 years old, what would that be?” the interviewer asked me.

The thoughts that went through my head immediately were some combination of: “I don’t know. Just work harder than everybody else” or “Don’t believe all the idiots telling you to do it their way.”

But then it hit me. It’s something that has been brewing in the back of my mind for some time now.

“Believe,” I said. “Believe in yourself. Believe in your ideas. Believe that you have enough strength to keep moving forward.”

Believe that you’ll figure it out.

Over the years I had a spent a lot of time trying to convince everyone else that I was up to something awesome instead of just doing that something awesome.

It took me time to figure out how to believe in myself.

To believe in my ability to perform even though no one else had been able to do it thus far. To believe in my tenacity to keep trying long after it gets fun, funny, or comfortable.

To believe in my courage to place all my financial resources and physical ability on the line in pursuit of my dream.

Belief is a powerful force.

It can make you a terrorist, on a mission of hate and fear, or it can compel you to give up the niceties of life in pursuit of selfless missionary work, where your only reward is the love and inspiration of those you work for.

What you believe, you can achieve.

If you don’t believe that you deserve to lose weight, you won’t.

If you don’t believe that you deserve to make more money, you won’t.

If you don’t believe that you deserve to find happiness, you won’t. If you don’t believe that you deserve to get what you want, you won’t ever get it, find it, keep it, gain it, or win it.

What do you believe? Do you know?

Your beliefs control everything about your activity and attitude.

Nothing you do will ever outperform the quality of your beliefs.

If you believe that you’re a loser and always will be a loser, you’re going to stay stuck being a loser. Not because of genetics or education, location, friendships, or anything else other than the beliefs that control every conscious and subconscious part of your being.

If you believe that you have the capacity to achieve your goals. If you believe that it’s only a matter of time until your hard work and tenacity yield the results that you so desperately crave.

If you believe that you’re worthy of better things.

Then success is inevitable.

Breakthrough is a foregone conclusion. You’re not going to stay stuck for long.

You’ve got what it takes. Now it’s just a matter of time and circumstance.

Maybe you haven’t examined your beliefs in a while. You aren’t actually sure what you think about you.

You’re a little rattled by how life has beaten you up recently. You’re not sure where to go or what to do and how to respond if you ever get close.

Take action. Start with a quiet moment of reflection where you rekindle the flames of your belief.

Your belief in you. Your belief that your effort matters. Your belief that the consequences of your actions lead to the results you so desperately want for yourself.

Impossible is a belief. So is possible.

It all comes down to what you believe.

As I stepped away from that interview, the thought that went through my head was simply: “How much time have I spent since 20 not believing? And what do I need to do right now so that the fire of my belief never goes out?”

Your answer to that question for you is the most important thing you need to start working on today.

The post What Would You Do If You Believed You Could? 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...

You Don’t Need A New Day.

Go ahead. Make a resolution to be better. Use the new year as an opportunity to find greatness.

Do what you should have done last year right now. Get started being busy.

Make no mistake though; it’s not a new year you’ve been looking for. It’s not a new day that you’ve been needing.

It’s desire. A deep craving for success.

That’s not a resolution. It’s a belief system.

A new way of life. A new way of thinking that permanently changes your behavior. Not just right now but for every day from now until the day you die.

When you’re willing to get out of bed earlier than feels normal because you’re possessed by a sense of mission, you know you have enough desire.

When you go the extra mile even though no one is looking because you don’t want ever to take the chance of not showing up when it’s time to play the game, you know you have enough desire.

You are completely focused on pursuing your dream.

You’re not thinking about your 9-to-5 job, how much vacation time you’re going to get this new year, or how to game the system so you can get away with bad habits and mediocre living.

What if you believed so much in your mission you couldn’t sleep in every morning? What if you spent your money investing in your future rather than just buying things you think you need to have right now.

You don’t need a new day. You need enough desire to spend the rest of your life doggedly pursuing awesome.

So make a resolution. Or don’t.

Just don’t think the another day or another year will magically change the position you’re in right now. To change that, you need something more.

To change that, you need something more. Desire.

It will change everything.

The post You Don’t Need A New 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...

Greatness Isn’t A Resolution. It’s A Decision.

Instead of hoping this year is better than last year. Instead of wishing that tomorrow would be different from today.

Instead of feeling frustrated, pointing fingers, and making excuses.

Instead of staying stuck, resolve to do things differently this coming year.

Resolve to be open minded. Resolve to be candid.Resolve not to be petty. Resolve to start doing the things you’ve been scared to do up until now.

Take a deep look at yourself each day.

Don’t wait until the end of the year to decide what you need to improve. Make small changes every day.

Perhaps there’s a kind word you need to share. Perhaps there’s a skill or lesson you need to learn. Perhaps you’re spending too much time around negative people.

Why wait to reflect and improve until a new year comes around?

Take the first 15 minutes of your morning and ask yourself what you can do to improve.

Make it one small thing. Not five. Or four. Or two.

One thing that you could work on each day.

The possibilities are endless:

You could eat better, drink more water, and take back control of your health.
You could give a compliment to somebody you’ve never spoken to before.
You could read a book about that topic you’ve been wanting to research.
You could look for a new job or find a new opportunity for growth and your current job.
You could spend a few more minutes sharing time with family and friends.
You could make a phone call to somebody you know is struggling.
You could just spend 10 to 15 minutes quietly meditating by yourself.
You could take a walk, go for a run, or try out a new fitness class.
You could save the money you’re wanting to spend on that thing that won’t matter in the long run.
You could find a new coach to help you take your game to the next level.

You could start just about anything in a day.

And that’s the beauty of resolving to be great.

It’s not about endlessly big dreams and lofty goals that you’ll never end up actually achieving. It’s about the tough, tiny decisions you can make right away.

The changes you can implement immediately.

Greatness isn’t something vague in the future. It’s right now. This moment. What you resolve to do today.

That’s so much better than hopes and dreams. So much more powerful than resolutions. It’s time to take action. Time to change.

Get started right now. Today.

The post Greatness Isn’t A Resolution. It’s A Decision. 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...

Earning Hope.

Having hope changes everything.

It gives you the courage to try something new. It gives you the stamina and endurance to keep working even when it seems like what you’re doing isn’t paying off right now.

Hope gives you a potential ending to your story.

It’s a light at the end of the tunnel. The understanding that what you’re going through right now, the pain and fear and struggle — they aren’t forever.

But hope isn’t free. It comes at a cost.

You have to earn it. Work for it. Be in the game.

If you want to stop feeling hopeless you have to do something about it.

You have to do something different today than you’ve been doing every other day up to this moment.

You can’t just go through the motions and look busy.

And you can’t make excuses.

Hope is built on responsibility and accountability. To be hopeful, you have to believe that your deliberate actions lead to results — good and bad.

You have to know that you can change your circumstances for the better. It has to be something deeply wired into your soul.

It’s not about what other people are doing. What they’re getting away with. When they seem to be luckier than you.

It’s all about you.

What you can improve. What you can start. What you need to keep trying.

The negative people you need to avoid. The new skills you need to learn. The books you could be reading. The inspiration you need to find.

You already know what you should be doing. It’s probably scary and impossibly unreasonable. And you don’t feel like doing any of it.

Just remember — hope is earned.

The post Earning Hope. 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...

Do Your Thing.

Do your thing. Play your game. Put in your effort.

Don’t worry about them. It’ll all work out in the end.

There is only so much time in the day. You can spend that time chasing justice against those who do you wrong or you can invest it in your long-term success.

You can just make forward progress.

That’s hard to hear. That’s even harder to do.

Because it requires you to put aside hurt feelings and personal injury.

And, for a while, it looks like they are getting away with something. They are winning.

What you don’t see right now is the future consequences of their behavior. Eventually, it is all going to come back to them. For good or bad.

The same is true for you.

Your results and consequences and success hinge on how you spend your time and emotional energy.

If you’re not doing things that matter, don’t expect results that matter.

Which is why your mission is to do your thing. And ignore them. As hard as it feels and as unfair as it seems.

Be awesome. Even when it hurts.

The post Do Your Thing. 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...