Author: justbelimitless

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Dollars or Donuts?

I speak with many small business owners who scramble to spend money on business cards, brochures, websites, ink pens and other gadgets.  Additionally, I hear the same small business owners complaining about not having enough money left in the budget to cover bonding costs, other business necessities, or to even eat more than a few donuts!  So, what’s the deal?  Here are some simple pointers when you are considering spending your dollars and living on donuts in order to purchase marketing materials.  Work equally on both tactical approaches and strategic approaches.  Your brochures, websites, etc… are your “tactics”; your “strategy” is the long range goal or overall impact you want your company to have (the ultimate marketplace position or perception you want your clients to have).   Now, ask these questions BEFORE, you spend any dollars:

  • How do your tactical efforts support and help accomplish the strategic position?
  • What are the strategic objectives of each tactical effort? (brochure, window card, etc)

If you are spending the money on tactics (brochures, websites, etc…) simply because ‘other people do’, save your dollars until your tactics support your strategies and you can hang out with ROI (Roy)… your Return On your Investment!  Don’t be so quick to lose your dollars on tactical items without ROI’s connection to strategy. No ROI means trading your dollars to live on donuts! Besides….donuts are sooo unhealthy, and dollars fit better in your pocket! 

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“The PROOF of desire is Pursuit!”

Mike Murdock, in his book Wisdom for Winning, created the quote above as well as its partner: “A productive life is not an accident!”.

Most of us have desires in life.  We talk about them, dream about them, hope about them…however, we may not actually pursue them! How is it we say we want them, but the proof of the desire to possess the dream is in the pursuit of it!  A productive life is not an accident, it happens on purpose.

Many times it is because we simply don’t know what to do next.  Is that you? or is it because you feel it is too overwhelming? (a chunking issue) or is it because you have conflicting beliefs? or limiting beliefs?

First, know it is OK to feel a bit uncomfortable when you are embracing change.  Then, take control of your thoughts, versus your thoughts defining or controlling you.  Sounds easy, but not always so. You choose what to focus on and how you will focus on it.

When I teach on this, I instruct participants in this manner: Open you hand and spread your fingers wide. Now, hold the palm of your hand with its center about one inch from your   nose.  How much of the world can you see? Only fragmented pieces….right?  This is what happens when we focus on things in a particular way.  My past, my fears, lack, pain…whatever it may be, if I bring it up close to where WHAT I focus on is so BIG, I see “it” and only “it”… this will affect how I respond behave…act (take action or not take action).  Do you see how this can also affect my emotions? Beliefs? even my reality?

This affects depression, business success or failure, families, marriages, self-esteem and so much more.  So what are YOU focusing on? Is your life purpose or desire so BIG that you easily plan and take action on it producing measurable results? or are your reasons for not taking action one inch from your nose?

Be honest with yourself! Acknowledging what is there is a step towards removing its power to hinder you.  

So TODAY, brainstorm the first things that come to your mind when you think of taking action or pursuing your dream.  Don’t focus on each one, just write fast without judging. Now write what you have to believe in order for those things to come to pass. Next, what is the pain associated with not following through and continuing to live with those limiting beliefs? What would happen if you adopted different beliefs? What beliefs could you adopt that would make it easier to pursue your dreams? What will your life be like when you do fully embrace your purpose and desire?  What does it look like?  Feel what you will feel, see what you will see, hear what you will hear when you are fully walking in that dream!  

NOW, what are three (3) action steps you can take NOW towards its accomplishment.  Do it NOW!!  Yup, do it now!  When is NOW a good time to begin living the life of your dreams?   Your level of commitment will make a way. Spend at least 15 minutes every day seeing what you saw, feeling the feeling, hearing the sounds of when you are living out your purpose,… your desire.

Change occurs in the PROCESS, not as much in the outcome.

I am looking forward to hearing about your progress, as well as any challenges we all can join in on assisting you in walking through and achieving your goal.

Until next time….Just “Be”…limitless!

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How vs. Do

Victor Frankl, in his book Man’s Search for Meaning, stated that “he who has a great enough why, can deal with any how”. I have found that we tend to want to figure out the “how” before taking action.

When there is a great enough urgency and importance, real or perceived, we have the ability to simply take action. Similar to touching a hot stove.  Most folks would not need to have a plan on how to remove their hand to relieve the pain.  The pain level is great enough they simply take action!

We have the ability, through the use of our active imagination, to leverage the motivating factors of pain and pleasure.  When my perception of pain is great enough, I am fueled for action. When my “Why”, my purpose or reasons for taking action, are compelling enough, it creates a fire to light the fuel connected to the pain.  The result? ACTION!

Now I am not saying to never make a plan. I AM saying, even plans without action are of little use. If you focus on your “Why”, and increase the level of pain associated with not following through and pleasure for following through, you have a formula for action…for doing!

There is a reason you have greatness in you! There is a business in you, a work of art in you, the ability to reach others to share and help in you…there is a BIG dream in you. Tell me…when is NOW a good time to press inward in order to propel outward the accomplishments you dream of? Well OK…then let’s wake up and MAKE those dreams happen!

Decide, that TODAY, you will take at least one action toward the fulfillment of those dreams. One action before your head hits the pillow! Make the phone call, schedule the meeting, start the business, clean out and set up the office, begin to write the book…  Be accountable and we can help each other.  Say it outloud and write it on this page so we can help each other follow through.

What is the one thing you are committed to doing TODAY? What is your big enough “Why”?  I look forward to hearing your successes.

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Normal Abnormalities

Ok, so what exactly is normal? Stuff that many people do? …and exactly who is “everybody” when we are told “everybody does it”?  Dr. Steve Houpe stated “Any behavior begins to look normal after being exposed to enough of it”.  This includes unhappiness, failure, lack, insufficiency, ‘just getting by’…

Normalization is a way of thinking which leads to beliefs. The behavior is the response which leads to outcomes or manifestations in our lives. Does this mean, if I should want to change my outcomes or manifestations….I must change my behavior? To change my behavior I must change my beliefs. To change my beliefs I must change the way in which I think about things. In short, I can take the first step by changing who I listen to or observe on a regular basis.  My “everybody” can be who I choose it to be.  When I am around people who live life full of passion, challenging previous limits in their lives, I can make that my new “normal”.

Living out my purpose, living life to the fullest, taking the limits off is merely a way of thinking. What I focus on and how I focus on it…on a continual basis. Making sure I am normalizing the behaviors I choose on purpose…not that are chosen for me.

Is this why, no matter the economy, irregardless of the level of education, upbringing, size, color or income… people have defied the odds in their personal lives and businesses?

…because they chose to…because they made a decision to live life on purpose…because they chose to make “normal” what some said was impossible, or in the least…”abnormal”.

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“It ain’t what ya know that hurts ya, it’s what you know that ain’t so”

As I sat in a restaurant enjoying my food, these words came barreling out and absolutely stopped my consumption process…which is not at all easy to do! I looked around to find the source of the comment and found an elderly gentleman in overalls with a cowboy hat in the chair next to him. He was speaking to a young lady. I did not hear the remainder of the conversation even though I strained out of curiosity. I believe it was simply meant for me to consume just those words!

So we live and operate with certain belief systems. We produce outcomes in our lives based on the decisions we make, which are based on those beliefs. Even though I want to say I believe for bigger and better, I will only produce what I truly believe is possible.  If I only challenge, or question, the questions I ask myself, I will only progress to a certain level. What if my assumptions of what is true are faulty? Then, what I think I know could actually hinder me. So, now I say, don’t just question your questions, question your assumptions! Get to what is at the core. Because, “it ain’t what you know that hurts ya, it’s what ya know that ain’t so”. 

What have you discovered when you questioned your assumptions? In your personal life, in your career or in growing your business?