Category Archives: Self-Leadership

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The Struggle is Real

Ever noticed that when you finally get serious about making some changes it seems like everything conspires to keep you from making that change?

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You finally decide to lose a few pounds so you join a gym, buy the workout clothes, and get your bag packed. The next day your boss needs you to stay late for an unexpected project or your child gets sick and needs you to get them from school early or your spouse has to stay late at work so you have to pick up the children. Goodbye gym. Goodbye new routine. Not to mention that every person you know seems to be having a party or a cookout with all of your favorite foods–testing your will power. Why is it so hard to get in shape?

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I’m Responsible

...and so are you!

One of the signs of a mature person is the ability to take responsibility for their life. They own their emotions, the direction of their life, and even their problems. In fact this is such a BIG part of winning in every area of life that I believe your greatest ability is responsibility. We are losing this sense of responsibility in our society. It’s always someone else’s fault. It’s my parents’ faults, the government’s, my spouse’s, my boss…you name it. When we fail to take responsibility we take on a victim mindset…I have no choice in what happens to me or the direction of my life.

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No matter what happens in life you don’t have to be a victim. Being responsible means you are RESPONSE-ABLE…you are able to respond to whatever happens to you. You always have a choice. You always have a say in the quality and direction of your life. Victims respond to the negative of life by asking “Why me?” Victors know they are response-able and instead ask “What can I do to make this better?”

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THE #1 Secret You’ve Been Missing

Everyone is looking for the edge that will take them to the next level. We are looking for the secret that will unlock a world that seems just beyond our reach. It appears that others have found this secret and are tight lipped. If we could just figure out what they know then all of our problems would be solved. We would finally be able to achieve our dreams.

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No matter what you are trying to do there seems to be a hidden secret.

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I’m Not Comfortable With That

Why Saying "No" Is Keeping You Stuck

The older you get the easier it is to say “no” to things you don’t want to do. When you were younger that wasn’t the case. You had to eat your vegetables, you had to go to school, you had to read, you had to meet new people. All of those “had to’s” were supposed to prepare you for adulthood with the hope they would eventually become “want to’s”. The challenge for most of us is that we weren’t internally motivated to complete those tasks, we instead were externally motivated by things like reward, positive affirmations or probably more likely punishment, guilt, and shame.

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Because we never internally saw the value in those “had to’s,” now that we have moved past the stage of others programming our lives we exercise our “mature” voice and say “no”. Maybe the “no” isn’t even audible, but it is still as powerful. Frequently saying “no” to things you’re not comfortable with is keeping you stuck and average.

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Dreaming of the Weekend

Lots of people wish the week away waiting for the weekend. When the weekend finally rolls around they don’t have a plan to make it count and they face Monday morning feeling more drained and tired than they did the week before. Is it possible to spend your weekend in a way that actually charges you up instead of wearing you down? Is it possible to actually face Monday on FULL instead of empty?

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Finding Meaning in Your Evening

We have been looking at how your routine is perfectly designed to get the results you are currently getting. If you don’t like your results you need to change your routines. You already have a routine in these areas and a few small changes could create dramatic results.

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Today, I want you to think about the most meaningful part of your day – your evening. I say it’s the most meaningful part because chances are you are spending that time with the most important people in your life, your family. They are the very reason you are working so hard and the evening is when you have the largest block of time to spend with them on a daily basis. You already have an evening routine, just consider if it promotes harmony or more stress in your home?

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Lunch Hour of Power

We’ve been looking at the hidden power of routines and how they are the key to unlocking a life you feel is outside your reach. If you don’t like the results you are getting you are going to have to do something different. Your routines are the key.

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Today, I want you to think about your lunch routine. You do take a lunch, right? Why not? Many people don’t get paid for lunch so why work through it? You know you aren’t going to leave earlier if you work through lunch–so take the hour break. Use that time to refuel your body and emotions.

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Come Alive While You Drive

I’ve been writing about the hidden power of routines and how they are the key to unlocking a life you feel is outside your reach. Your routines will help you accomplish astounding goals. The life you are living right now is because of the routines you have established.

Right now, I want you to think about your morning commute. What is your default routine as you drive to work? Do you listen to trashy talk shows, celebrity gossip, or sports radio? Are you already making phone calls? Eating breakfast (if so you need to read this post)?

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What if you redeemed that time and instead of wasting your commute used it to grow and develop into the person God has created you to be? Zig Ziglar, who taught Sunday School at my friend’s church, used to call it “Automobile University.” There are amazing resources you can listen to that will encourage and equip you to be the best at what God has called you to do. Many of these resources are even free! iTunes University has tons of free courses (some from your alma mater), not to mention the numerous quality podcasts that are out there. You can even listen to the New Testament on your commute. I did this and was able to listen to the New Testament in 40 days. I loved it and it has become part of my yearly routine.

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Chart a Smarter Start

In the last post I talked about the hidden power of routines and how they are the key to unlocking a life you feel is outside your reach. Your routines will help you accomplish astounding goals. The life you are living right now is because of the routines you have established. Did you take some time to think about what your current default routines are?

Today, I want you to think about how you start your day. Your morning routine can propel you to the best start possible or you will spend the rest of the day trying to catch up and overcome your morning.

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We all have routines in our morning start. What would happen if you replaced a few of the things you are doing with something better? Your morning sets the tone for the rest of your day. If your morning is hectic and rushed you are going to feel stressed and anxious before you even get out the door. That type of start doesn’t set you up for success because when you get to work another pile of stress will be waiting for you. So why would you want to drain your energy tank so early in the day?

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The Hidden Power of Routines

When most of us hear the word “routine” the first thought that crosses our mind is not… “extraordinary living” or “my dream life.”

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We typically think of things like boring, mundane, and bland when we hear the word “routine.” But what if routines were the simple way to unlocking a life that you feel is outside of your reach? What if your routines are a big key to reaching your goals?