DREAM THINK DO I Motivation, Encouragement & Strategy

We’re welcoming Chandler Bolt BACK to DREAM THINK DO!   If you know him… you love this guy.  Chandler Bolt is the host of the wildly popular Self Publishing School Podcast and he’s the author of 6 bestselling books including his most recent book titled “Published.”  He’s also the founder & CEO of Self-Publishing School… which is an INCREDIBLE online resource for writing your first book.  And in recent news… Chandler was just named to Forbes’ 30 under 30 list due to SPS’s success with helping more than 6,000 authors to write… publish and market their books!  He’s doing a lot of good in the world… and since I know A LOT of you want to write books… I wanted to have Chandler back to help us to dig in and figure out the steps needed so you can finally get your BEST SELLER done!   HELPFUL LINKS:  The first 50 People can grab their FREE copy of Published here: www.publishedbook.com/published Check out Self Publishing School here: http://self-publishingschool.com  Watch Self Publishing School training videos here: http://bit.ly/SPS-YT  OTHER DREAM THINK DO EPISODES MENTIONED: 3 Keys to Publishing your FIRST BOOK (with Chandler Bolt): www.mitchmatthews.com/160  Write and Publish YOUR Best Seller (Part 1): www.mitchmatthews.com/061  From Sky Slopes to Bestseller (An interview with Chandler Bolt): www.mitchmatthews.com/006  New Perspectives, Simple Truths & Tree Houses (An interview with Chandler’s brother, Seth Bolt from NEEDTOBREATHE): www.mitchmatthews.com/043 MINUTE-BY-MINUTE: 0:02 Spoiler Alert! We have a gift for you. 2:11 Welcome back Chandler Bolt 4:07 How Chandler and Mitch met 5:22 Who? not, How? 8:20 Why Chandler is republishing his book 12:51 The best advice for beginner authors 16:36 How to overcome overthinking in your writing 18:00 Never deal with imposter syndrome again 21:38 The importance of niching down 28:43 Chandler ideal writing day 33:30 Start before you’re ready 34:44 Mitch’s minute I WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! What did YOU think?  What stood out to you?  What helped?  What got you thinking you could do this (which you can!!!)?  Drop a comment below and let me know.  I can’t wait to hear from YOU!

This week we’re talking about GRATITUDE!  Why?  Well… gratitude is our brain's superfood.  If we can feel gratitude... it helps us to feel happier, less depressed, more creative, and more abundant. Heck… it can even work in our brain’s memory centers to help us remember more!  ALL the good stuff!  BUT... how do we stir it up?  Especially on those days when it might be a little hard to feel grateful?  On those days circumstances make it a real stretch to feel gratitude?  We know we want to… but how do we get there?  In this episode, I share some science and a few of my own favorite strategies.  BUT I also share 12 tips from YOU… Dream Think Doers who answered the call… “How do YOU get to gratitude?” It makes for a very special episode that I think you’re going to love.  Most importantly… we’re going to help YOU to find YOUR “Gratitude Secret Weapon!”  So let’s get to this! RELATED DREAM THINK DO EPISODES: The “Christmas Carol Method” of getting to Gratitude: https://mitchmatthews.com/304/ The “Rest vs. Restoration” Experiment: https://mitchmatthews.com/330/ DREAM BIG… No Matter What (with Amberly Lago): https://mitchmatthews.com/310/  The FIVE Non-Negotiables for an Ideal Day (with Sarah Yourgrau): https://mitchmatthews.com/294/ MORE ABOUT THE The Gratitude Secret Weapon EPISODE: Gratitude is our brain’s SUPERFOOD.  (The upside is that it doesn’t taste nasty like Kale. LOL!)  There’s PLENTY of science to show that when we intentionally stir up Gratitude… it makes a BIG difference IN our bodies and WITH our perspective on the day and our world!  BUT the question is: HOW do you get there? With this episode, I’m going to walk you through 14 different strategies to help you fill your Gratitude ToolBox!  The extra-special part of this episode is that 12 of those ideas come from YOU!  That’s right!  I posed the question on Facebook and you guys BROUGHT IT!  (By the way… if we’re not connected on Facebook… make sure to reach out there! Let’s friend it up… friend!) The "Gratitude Secret Weapon" is a simple two-step process:  1.) Acknowledge the importance of Gratitude  2.) Find YOUR way to stir it up! My GO-TO Gratitude Strategy:  “Gratitude… NOW!” Listen to the episode to get the full story, but I like to ask the simple question: “What can I be grateful for... RIGHT NOW?” Melissa’s GO TO Gratitude Strategy:  “Gratitude for YOU!” Again… listen to the episode to get the full story, but my bride finds that her “Secret Weapon” for stirring up true gratitude is to relay her gratitude to someone else.  She LOVES to tell others how she’s grateful for them.  It’s a true gratitude win/win! SO… I asked YOU what YOU do to stir up gratitude… to get your brain some of that superfood!  And you BROUGHT it!!!  You submitted ideas… and I’ll admit I added names to make them a bit more memorable!  But here are the ideas… in your own words.  So… here we go! 1.) "Snooze Bar" Gratitude Denise Griffitts: “What a lovely idea! I used to be one of those people who would hit the floor running and as my mom would say, oh crap she’s awake. But over time I have learned to stay in the bed, breathe, and examine what I am so grateful for. It starts the morning in a perfect kind of way. There’s a lot to be said for quiet moments of reflection.” 2.) The "Tuck the Day Away" Strategy: Annie Caves:  “Honestly I think it was realizing it is good and bad in every day- and what you focus on is made bigger. I heard that how you end your day is how you “tuck it away” in your mind- so I ask the questions: What good thing happened today? What am I grateful for tonight? It helps me to tuck each day away as a good day! It is truly a practice - and when life SUCKS is when I am more mindful of finding what I’m grateful for.” NOTE: A LOT of people suggested keeping a Gratitude Journal.  Chuck Thuss brought his to our recent “Next Level Speaker Event” and he showed folks how he’s been doing this for YEARS and it’s made a HUGE impact on his life. 3.) "Dinner Table" Gratitude Dan Zehner:  “Every night with our kids, everyone in the family shares at least one thing we're grateful for. My 3-year-old is constantly grateful for pre-school (too cute). Sometimes it's a favorite toy, time with mom and dad, or just getting to watch their favorite show. It's a great time as a family!” 4.) Find It and Turn it UP! Denny Ransom:  “My daily(ish) practice:  I pull up mental images of the people and things in my life that I'm most grateful for.  I cycle through those images until I feel a sense of gratitude in my body.  Once I have that feeling, I turn all of my attention to how gratitude feels in my body, which tends to amplify it.  Once I have that feeling 'turned up as much as I can get, I start repeating a little mantra I have:             "My life is filled with blessings, I am grateful."  Through repetition with this process, I've pretty much anchored the feeling of gratitude to that phrase.  If I'm struggling, or need quick access to a state of gratitude, now I can just say that phrase a few times and the feeling of gratitude comes alive in me almost instantly.  This practice was a game-changer for learning how to quickly access resourceful states.” 5.) "Happy Memory" Gratitude Julie Thompson:  “I learned recently to think back on a happy memory and remember the feelings of gratitude and joy I had. I might think about a family vacation, a special holiday, or a time that I experienced joy while in nature, like standing on a mountain and being captured by the view. I also name things out loud for which I am grateful, and I use Ann Voskamp's monthly gratitude list of ideas from her website.” 6.) The "Gratitude Together" Strategy: Cheryl Swisher:  “I am part of a group and we submit 1 thing daily that we are grateful for the next 30 days.” Create a group and start doing this! 7.) The "It's Not ALL Me" Strategy: Patricia Ortega:  “I can be a little prideful, so I start with what I’m most proud of (big success at work, owning a home, good marriage...) then I stop and think about how it was NOT all me who made that happen (sometimes it’s not me at all!)... I have been blessed by other people, circumstances, resources, that made these things possible.  For example my husband’s amazing grace, patience, love, and leadership play a major/primary role in making our marriage great, and it’s what I’m soooo grateful for ❤️.  So my little activity works on both my gratitude and humility. Because God knows we need both. :)” 8.) The "It's a Wonderful Life" Strategy: Nicholas Andrew: “For me, gratitude starts with selflessness. I meditate on what I have and then picture my life specifically without those things.  I get deep into what it would feel like to not have who and what I have. I then look again at what I have In my life and the fact that I wake up every morning to it. I thank God for waking me up and then just have a moment of silence with myself. But going deep on the emotions of what life would be like if you lost everything puts what you do have in perspective. I don't take little things for granted as much. My Attitude is Gratitude!  For me, it starts and ends with Flip'n your mindset to Flip your Reality.” QUICK LISTENER SHOUT OUT!!! See if it's you! Click here. 9.) The "Grateful TOGETHER" Strategy: LeeLee Genovese:“Gratitude is the single most important practice I have ever taken on. I do it daily, usually in my journal, but also focusing on things I am grateful for, happy about, excited about, proud of, committed to, who I love, etc.. to mix up the focus.  I also have categories to spread the grateful love around and think about my mind, body, spirit, family, nature, experiences, beliefs, friends, tangibles, and intangibles, ohhh Love it so.  ***BUT, the single most exciting part of my gratitude practice is that at the beginning of last year my husband and I started one together.  Simple and sweet and my favorite part of the day. It is also a blessed way to end the day as we do it just before we go to bed, pillow talk gratitude if you will.  I started asking my husband what he was grateful for and he loved it so much we often race to be the first to ask. Just the asking warms my heart. The things we share always fill my heart with happiness and love. Communication is powerful as we often learn about each other, or are reminded about the wonderful things we both like doing together, dream together, set goals and intentions together. It is surely a powerful practice for any relationship, I highly recommend it. I'm addicted and can't sleep without it.” 10.) The "Random Acts of Gratitude" Strategy (RAGS): Heather Medford: “I practice random acts of kindness. I’m pretty good about doing that often, but especially if I am in a funk, I will go out and intentionally share smiles and kindness! It’s the best way to snap myself back into gratitude!” 11.) The "Write a Letter" Strategy: Aree Bly: If I really want to go big, I write a letter.  Full-size paper.  Pen.  Envelope with a stamp.  It’s like writing a journal entry about how an individual has impacted me, and also letting them know it.  So I get my own gratitude and I get to share it with them. Win-win. 12.) The "Send it Ahead" Strategy: Sonja Sorenson Arnold: “In the morning I send my gratitude ahead of me. I think about (sometimes write them down) what is happening today that I will be grateful for.  I think about who I will see and activities I will engage in and let myself feel that gratitude. Then when they happen I can add a second layer of gratitude... even when if they play out differently than expected!  I’m still thankful and move into gratitude! So there you have it. 12 + the two from Melissa and me.   14 different ideas for sparking gratitude. REMEMBER: The key is: Recognize the power of gratitude in our lives Find YOUR secret weapon  a.) That thing that YOU do! b.) Maybe it’s one of these 14 c.) Or maybe you adapt one of these d.) Find YOUR way… and that will be YOUR “Secret Weapon” One last note… In the end… I’ve found that having a number of different tools to get to gratitude is my secret weapon… because I like to mix things up AND I have a short attention span… so I need to keep things fresh!  If you can identify with THAT… I hope these 14 added some new tools to the toolbox! Okay… well… if you’re in the US… I hope you have a WONDERFUL Thanksgiving!  And no matter where you are listening from in the world… know that I’m GRATEFUL FOR YOU!  Seriously!!! Please share this episode with someone who might need it!  And if you haven’t already… please leave a review wherever you listen to the podcast! LASTLY… I WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! Let’s keep the conversation going!  What’s one of YOUR favorite tools for getting to GRATITUDE?  Big or small… comment and let me know!  I can’t wait to hear from YOU! And until next time… keep bringing your awesome!  Because the world needs it!  Episode Minute By Minute: 0:02 What to expect today 2:02 Episode starts 2:12 The scientific truth behind gratitude 6:28 What sparked the inspiration for this episode 12:22 Step up to the gratitude buffet 14:23 The snooze bar strategy 17:53 Keep a gratitude journal 18:59 The dinner table strategy 20:01 The Find it and turn it about strategy 26:17 The it’s not all about me strategy 30:31 Shout-out time! 33:17 The grateful together strategy 34:04 The random acts of gratitude strategy 36:07 The write a letter strategy 38:03 What’s your secret weapon?

Dr. Mike Patterson is a lifelong learner dedicated to helping leaders and teams get stuff done!  He’s the author of the book, “Mission First, People Always: The Definitive Guide to Balancing People and Performance.”  I can say that Mike is a leader you want to learn from… because he was actually a leader for me when I first entered the corporate world YEARS ago… and his leadership style had a huge impact on me.  That’s why I’m so excited to introduce him to YOU!  In addition to an impressive pedigree in education, Mike has also been an officer in the Army; and he’s been a leader in sales, marketing, and training with the corporate world.  More recently… he’s teaching doctoral programs AND doing consulting and speaking… that allows him to work with leaders and teams from many of the world’s top organizations. We’re talking about what it takes to be “Mission Focused” and how we can get there as individuals and as leaders! RESOURCES: Mike’s Website: drmikepatterson.com Mike’s book: https://www.missionfirstpeoplealwaysbook.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drmichaellpatterson Mike’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therealdrmikepatterson OTHER RELATED EPISODES: Lindsay Strage: Someone who’s living her MISSION: https://mitchmatthews.com/337 Is being a SPEAKER part of YOUR mission: https://mitchmatthews.com/332 Jess Ekstrom: Someone else who’s LIVING her MISSION: https://mitchmatthews.com/242 MORE ON ARTHUR GUINNESS: During our conversation, we mention that Mike pointed to the founder of the Guinness Brewery as an example of someone who LIVED true to his MISSION.  Here’s a few fun (and inspiring) facts you probably didn’t know! https://www.irishcentral.com/roots/history/facts-arthur-guinness https://www.guinness-storehouse.com/content/pdf/archive-factsheets/general-history/arthur-guinness.pdf MORE ON MIKE PATTERSON: Mike teaches in the doctoral programs at Pepperdine University’s Graduate School of Education and Psychology and California Baptist University.  Other academics:  Wheaton College on a 4-year Army ROTC scholarship While on active duty in Germany, Mike earned a MPA from Troy University.  A few years into his business career, he earned a MA in organizational leadership with high honors from Biola University. Followed by a Certificate in Biblical Studies from Biola’s Talbot School of Theology.  Then Mike completed his doctoral work at Pepperdine University’s Graduate School of Education and Psychology.  His consulting firm is Ambassador Associates. Their goal is to help clients bridge the gap that sometimes exists between people and performance.  MINUTE BY MINUTE: 0:02 What to expect today 1:20 Conversation starts 2:17 How Mitch and Mike met 6:23 The importance of “seeing” people 9:55 Why your mission truly matters 18:27 You are blessed to be a blessing 19:42 How to get more clear on your vision 24:48 Conflict triggers and how to use them 31:09 Help your team (and yourself) staying on mission 38:31 What Mike wishes he understood sooner 40:05 Mitch’s minute NOW… I want to hear from YOU! Comment and let me know what stood out to YOU from my convo with Mike.   More importantly… what might be your MISSION for 2022 and beyond? Here’s some questions to guide you: What do you want to see more of in 2022? What change do you want to be a part of in 2022? What’s a small but significant step you can take towards THAT… today? Comment and let us know.   What’s YOUR mission for life and/or leadership?  And/or why do YOU think it’s important to get clear on your mission?  Or… why do you think it’s not?  Or… how do YOU get clear on your mission?  What questions do you ask yourself?  What questions do you suggest for people to help them get clear on THEIR mission?  Let me know your thoughts.  I can’t wait to hear from YOU!

Jon Acuff is a creative force for good.  Heck, I’d even call him a creative juggernaut.  He’s written 7 NYT bestselling books in the last 11 years… including “Finish: Give Yourself the Gift of Done,” and “​​START: Punch fear in the face, escape average and do work that matters.”  His most recent book is “Soundtracks - The Surprising Solution to Overthinking.”  (It’s crazy good!)  Guys… 7 books in 11 years?  Creatively… that’s like having 7 babies in 11 years.  Not only that… but he’s talking with and creating content for a lot of people.  He's an INC Magazine Top 100 Leadership speaker and has spoken to hundreds of thousands of people at conferences and companies around the world.  Plus, he’s creating content for his “robust” (total understatement) social media following.  Oh… and he’s got his podcast too… “All it takes is a goal.”As he delivers all of this amazing content… he brings powerful tools and strategies… with some serious doses of humor… truth and hope.  During our conversation… we’re going to talk about how he creates all of this content AND how he has to apply the strategies from his own book… to bust through the overthinking trap that can shut us all down!  It’s a powerful and fun conversation I think you’re going to love!  So let’s get to it! FIND JON ON THE WEBS: Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/authorjonacuff/  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jonacuff/  Twitter: https://twitter.com/JonAcuff Websites: https://acuff.me  https://www.amazon.com/Soundtracks-Surprising-Overthinking-Jon-Acuff/dp/1540900800    EPISODE MINUTE BY MINUTE: 0:02 What to expect today 1:27 Episode begins 4:30 A look into Jon’s creative process 10:02 Why speaking is perfect for introverts 15:41 Jon’s journaling routine 20:36 How Jon sets his week up for success 27:11 Your key to stop overthinking for good 32:02 Finding your “broken soundtracks” 41:12 Jon’s Doppelganger 42:48 How to add more honest humor to your life 44:43 A new project Jon is working on 50:26 Mitch’s Minute  I WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! Okay… so I shared some of my biggest takeaways during my Mitch’s Minute (which may have been a little bit more like 10 minutes!).  How about YOU!?  What’s something that struck you from this conversation?  I want to hear from YOU!     Somewhere you’ve been overthinking and you need some new “Soundtracks” Something you needed to hear Something that resonated (big or small) Something you TOTALLY agreed with Or… something you DIDN’T agree with at all Or… what’s a NEW “soundtrack” that you’re playing after listening to this convo         Leave a comment and let me know.  I can’t wait to hear from YOU!

With a podcast called “DREAM THINK DO,” it’s not a surprise that we talk a lot about the keys to ACCOMPLISHING our goals and dreams.  But recently, I realized that we don’t talk a lot about what happens when we actually ACHIEVE some of those goals and dreams.  And let’s be real #realtalk.  We need to celebrate those blessings and be grateful when a goal is achieved and a dream is realized.  AND at the same time... we need to recognize that there can be some challenges that come when we actually receive some of the blessings!  We can experience some discomfort… heck... even some problems… when some of our dreams are realized.  The very things we'd wanted... the very things we'd prayed for...  can… at times... cause some "stuff." You know what I’m talking about.  Those blessings can also sometimes bring some new challenges to navigate. It’s something we’re calling the B.S. of your blessings.  It’s critical… and we need to talk about how to acknowledge the BS and then what to do with it!  Oh… and we need to have some fun as we do all of this too!  Let’s get to it! RESOURCES & PODCASTS REFERENCED: The NEXT SEASON: https://mitchmatthews.com/331 From FREE to FEE: Becoming a PAID Speaker: https://mitchmatthews.com/332 A Hiro’s Journey: What I’ve learned from our Akita puppy so far: https://mitchmatthews.com/322/ MORE ABOUT THIS EPISODE: Okay… if full transparency… when I say "BS" I may not be talking about the "BS" that might come to mind. LOL!  But… I did that to have some fun... and to make this concept even easier to remember.   The BS I'm talking about is something I've started calling: "Blessing Shift." What is BLESSING SHIFT? Blessing Shift is what happens when we experience some discomfort… some change… some pain… after we’ve achieved a goal or a dream.  We all have to acknowledge that sometimes… some “tough stuff” can come with the “good stuff.”  Right?   The big thing is we need to ACKNOWLEDGE it and then decide what to DO with that BS. I give some examples in the episode… of some recent BS that I’ve experienced (with one story involving Hiro) as well as BS some friends and other Dream Think Doers have been experiencing lately.  Then… we’ll dive into the steps to deal with the BS. STEPS to DEAL with the BS: STEP 1:  Acknowledge the BS STEP 2: ACCEPT the BS ADAPT to the BS  or... ALTER the BS QUESTIONS for each STEP: STEP 1: Acknowledge the BS What are some of the blessings in my life currently (big and small)?  - Feel the gratitude What are some of the possible "blessing shifts" that I might be experiencing right now? Where do I need to acknowledge some of the blessing shifts? Now… pick one to walk through STEP 2 with STEP 2: ACCEPT, ADAPT and/or ALTER the BS Where do I need to ACCEPT the Blessing Shift? (Maybe even celebrate them?) Where do I need to ADAPT TO the Blessing Shift? How could I make some small but significant changes to help adapt? Where could I get some additional training to help me adapt? Who could I be learning from to help me to adapt? Where might I need to give myself a little grace AS I/we adapt? And where do I need to ALTER them? Where do I need to set some new boundaries? What’s something (small or big) I need to STOP doing because of this BS? What’s something (small or big) I need to START doing because of this BS? Do I need to just sell the Mercedes?   (As in… do I need to dump, ditch or delegate the BS?) NOW… I want to hear from YOU! Comment and let me know where you're seeing a "Blessing Shift" right now in your life.  Big or small… what’s an example of some BS for you right now? Then… let’s keep this convo going.  If you’re up for it... let me know how you are either ACCEPTING it... ADAPTING to it... or ALTERING it.  I can’t wait to hear from YOU on whether this resonated WITH you… helped you or offended your delicate sensibilities. (LOL!)  Let’s have a BS CHALLENGE! As we’re ramping up for the big THANK YOU DAY of Thanksgiving here in the US… I thought it might be a good time to explore the potential BS in our lives.  I mean… what if we got people talking about what they’re grateful for AND we got them talking about how they’re either ACCEPTING, ADAPTING to or ALTERING any BS they’ve been experiencing this year.  Heck… it could be gooooood.  Right? So… invite a friend or some family to this episode and have a little discussion about the BLESSINGS from this year as well as some of the BS that may have hit too!  Then talk about some of the ways you want to Acknowledge... Accept... Adapt and/or Alter those amazing freeeegin' blessings in your life!   Tag me... and/or share the link for the episode and include a hashtag #blessshift and let's see where this goes!  You in?  I hope so!  #letsdealwithourBS :)

Amanda Zwanziger is the author of the bestselling book, "The Paralyzed Movement." She’s also a speaker and coach focused on helping people to chase their dreams and change their lives. She’s both an entrepreneur as well as… as she calls it... a ministry"preneur!”  Since she’s a long-time friend… AND a long-time coaching client… I can tell you she walks her talk.  We’re going to dig into strategies to help you to break through paralysis and the things that can cause us to feel stuck.  She knows because she’s needed these strategies herself.  Plus, she and her amazing husband Todd, also learned a lot about breaking through literal paralysis… after he was healed from a spinal cord injury that had left the entire right side of his body paralysed.  As you can imagine… that experience taught Amanda what it takes to go from being paralyzed to moving in the ways you’re called to move… physically… spiritually… vocationally… relationally… all the “lly’s” really.  And she’s fired up about this.  So… if you've got a crazy cool idea stirring deep down inside you, AMANDA has a passion for helping you to move past those places where you feel stuck… so you can make it happen! RESOURCES: Amanda’s website: www.amandamotivates.com Amanda’s author page on Amazon. Amanda’s book on Amazon. Francesca Battistelli’s “It’s Your Life” song: click here Amanda and Todd’s Miracle Journey:  https://mitchmatthews.com/338 MINUTE BY MINUTE: 0:02 What to expect today 1:55 Get to know Amanda 4:14 A snapshot into Amanda’s career 10:00 The day everything changed 16:11 Lessons from miracles 20:10 What can move us towards paralysis 27:17 Amanda’s tips for getting started 35:42 How to connect with Amanda’s content 37:00 Wisdom of the week 42:02 Mitch’s minute MITCH’S MINUTE: So a number of things struck me from our conversation, but one of the biggest may have also been one of the simplest.  (Isn’t that how it often works?)  I mean… hey… I LOVE the story of Todd’s miraculous healing story and where it’s taken them since.  Plus, I love that Amanda has broken through some of her own paralysis in life to step out in faith… launch her own business… and write a book too!  So cool.  BUT one of the key things I needed to be reminded of is that we need to have a breakthrough mindset.  We need to set our mind towards breaking through.  Sure… we need to acknowledge it’s going to be tough… and maybe even scary at times… BUT if we set our minds towards breakthrough… there’s a MUCH greater chance we will in fact experience that breakthrough!  And THAT is the epitome of dreaming BIGGER, thinking BETTER and doing MORE of what you were put on the planet to do!  Right?  So that’s what I needed to hear.  How about you?  Comment below and let me know.  What struck you… and what stuck with you?  A story?  A strategy?  A thought?  Post and let me know!

We’re talking with Lindsay Wrege.  Lindsay is the co-founder and CEO of 321 Coffee… which is a coffee shop and roaster in Raleigh, NC that employs individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.  Get this gang… 80% of adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) are unemployed.  But Lindsay is doing something about this!  Her staff, features amazing people with down syndrome, autism, and other neurodiversity.  Together… they are modeling inclusion for other companies to follow. And THAT is inspiring.  But what is ALSO inspiring is to find out that Lindsay started this as a freshman in college with ZERO dollars, some folding tables from the student union and a few friends and it’s blossomed into something amazing!  (Oh… and by the way… Lindsay is just 22 years old!)  Whether your 15, 35 or 75… I think you’ll be encouraged by her story, her heart and some of her specific steps to making this all happen!  So, let’s get to it! RESOURCES: WEBSITE: https://321coffee.com/ 321 Coffee’s Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/Drink321Coffee/ 321 Coffee’s IG: ​https://www.instagram.com/Drink321Coffee/ An Episode of Matthew’s Minute:  https://mitchmatthews.com/337 OTHER DREAM THINK DO MENTIONED: Finding the Bright Side (In a Bad News World) with Jess Ekstrom: https://mitchmatthews.com/242/ 5 Keys to Journaling When Life Feels a Little Crazy with Jess Ekstrom: www.mitchmatthews.com/328  The NEXT Season - A Deep Dive with Mitch: https://mitchmatthews.com/331/ MORE ABOUT THE 321 Coffee: Again… Lindsay Wrege is the co-founder and CEO of 321 Coffee, a coffee shop and roaster in Raleigh, NC that employs individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. 321 Coffee is a nonprofit coffee shop that employs adults with IDD. Their mission is to provide meaningful employment for adults with IDD and to model inclusion for other businesses to follow.  MINUTE BY MINUTE: 0:02 What to expect today 1:37 Episode starts 3:29 A look into 321 Coffee 10:06 How and why Lindsay decided to experiment 18:21 One of the scariest decisions Lindsay had to make 22:37 Lindsay advice for anyone building something 26:51 Tips for being more inclusive 31:40 The power of speaking your dreams out 33:51 Mitch’s minute MITCH’S MINUTE… & LET’S HEAR FROM YOU! I’m blown away by Lindsay’s story and her get it done approach to this.  When she said, “Dream BIG but start small” I just wanted to give her a big ol’ high five!  (You could probably hear it in my voice!)  I think that is THE way to start pursuing our dreams and goals.  Find those small but significant ways to START and then… well… START!  Experiment and figure it out as you go!!!   How about YOU? What do you think?  What was something that stood out to you from Lindsay’s story and her outlook?  What did it inspire YOU to… dream about… think about… or DO?!?  Leave a comment and let me know! And PLEASE share this one because the world needs to hear stories like Lindsay’s!  You agree?  If so… spread it!!!  Thanks in advance!

Our self-talk is key. The questions we ask ourselves… minute by minute…  are critical. How we make decisions (BIG and small) have a huge impact on our lives.  In short… if we do it right… we WIN more.  If we do it wrong… we lose more.  I don’t know about you… but I want you to WIN more.  I bet you're right there with me!  So… today… I’m going to walk you through a decision making process that can take you 5 minutes or less… but can make all the difference.  It’s a series of some of my favorite coaching questions put into a powerful sequence.  These are questions I love to ask my coaching clients AND when they start to use them… they see results!  And… OF COURSE… we have an acronym to help us remember.  S.P.E.E.D.  That’s it. Better decisions… faster.  Winning more.  You in?  I hope so.  Let’s get to this! RESOURCES: PAST EPISODES WE MENTION: Rock Thomas: “60,000 thoughts a day!” https://mitchmatthews.com/rock-thomas/ Melissa Johnson-Matthews: “Being Bi-Lingual in the 5 Love Languages” https://mitchmatthews.com/being-bilingual/ TWENTY Really Good Questions: https://mitchmatthews.com/245/ The THREE Questions that Change Everything: https://mitchmatthews.com/7-the-3-questions-that-change-everything/   MORE ON THE EPISODE: Researchers debate a little on this… but people who dive deep on this say that we have somewhere between 50,000 and 100,000 thoughts a day. We’re aware of some… not aware of others… BUT as you can imagine… our self-talk is CRITICAL!  So… we have to get intentional about this! As a “recovering-worrier” I know alllllll about this!  If we’re not careful: We can lose the day… even before it starts.  We need a better way to be INTENTIONAL about our thought life.  So we can WIN the day more.  That is what we’re digging into today. S.P.E.E.D. It’s a simple acronym that helps us be INTENTIONAL about our inner-thought life… and the decisions we’re making on a day to day basis. Made up of some of my favorite coaching questions… put into a specific order. Here are the elements: S: Success  What does success look like? Examples:  What does success look like for today? What does success look like for my business in 5 years? What does success look like for me as a dad? What does success look like for this meeting?  What does success look like for dinner with my family tonight? What does success look like for this Saturday? P: People Who’s involved?   Question for THEM (TEAMS/OTHERS):  What does success look like for them? What does success look like for this meeting? What does success look like for our vacation? Questions for YOU when it comes to OTHERS::  How do you want to treat them?   What do you want people to experience around you? E: Experiment How do I/we want to experiment to achieve this? ________ ex·per·i·ment noun noun: experiment; plural noun: experiments /ikˈsperəmənt/ a scientific procedure undertaken to make a discovery, test a hypothesis, or demonstrate a known fact. ________ EXPERIMENT COACHING QUESTIONS: What do I/we want to try? What’s a small but significant step I/we could take? How could we improve this incrementally? How could we tweak it to make it better this time? A QUICK SHOUT OUT TO DREAM THINK DOers who are contributing reviews, sharing and commenting!!!  Click here to see if you were featured:  https://mitchmatthews.com/336 E: Evaluate How do I/we want to  evaluate this?  EVALUATE COACHING QUESTIONS: What worked? What would I do again? What would I want to change? What’s something I learned? What do I want to try next time? What’s something I want to remember when I do this again? D: Determined How do I want to remind myself I’m committed? Calendar blocks Involve other people Reminders  Example from Mel and my world! Review the elements again. Point them to Parkinson’s Law!   PARKINSON’S LAW: This process could take 5 hours… and in the beginning… it will take longer.  BUT remember “Parkinson’s Law:”  “A task expands to fill the time it’s given.”   So… you can do a version of this in 5 minutes… as you start your day… and end your day… as you get ready for a meeting… and as you create a vision for you life. Taking the elements of the S.P.E.E.D. approach can make all the difference! MITCH’S MINUTE: When I teach on this… people will sometimes ask… “Where does prayer fit into this?”  The added BONUS of the S.P.E.E.D. approach can also be a prayer.  How cool is THAT?  For those of you who LOVE prayer and for those of you who are curious about prayer… and/or anyone in between… have at it and see where it takes you! That’s one way I’ve adapted S.P.E.E.D.  So… how about you?  How do YOU want to apply it?  Where are you already using questions like these?  What’s working for you?  What’s something small but significant you’re going to try as the result of listening in?  Leave a comment below and let me know.  I can’t wait to hear from YOU! Episode Minute By Minute: 0:02 If you want to WIN more, this episode's for you 2:16 Episode starts 4:45 Let’s talk about S.P.E.E.D 8:40 What does success look like? 13:19 P is for people 17:39 The freedom in experimenting 19:53 Shout out to a few Dream Think Do-ers! 24:00 What every great experiment must have 29:23 How Mitch is living this acronym out practically 40:39 A refresher on Parkinson's law

Singer and entertainer Jon Mero is with us! His voice is incredible… his musical acumen is nothing short of astounding… but his heart… and who he is as a human... is even more impressive.  He was born and raised in Des Moines, Iowa… and now resides in Atlanta, Georgia building an incredible career. He’s been a finalist on NBC’s The Voice. He’s gotten to sing on movie soundtracks like Pitch Perfect 3 (alongside Anna Kendrick and Rebel Wilson).  And most recently… a single he did with LONIS… was featured on the ABC tv show “Station 19.”  He’s walking out a true story of talent, grit, faith and entrepreneurial spirit and I can’t wait for this conversation! RESOURCES: Jon’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jonmero/ Jon’s Linktr.ee: https://linktr.ee/jonmero Jon Mero’s The VOICE Blind Audition:  https://mitchmatthews.com/335 Jon’s first appearance on DREAM THINK DO: www.mitchmatthews.com/151 “3 Keys for Sticking with a Dream (in 15 minutes or less): mitchmatthews.com/320/  “Dreaming BIG No Matter What” with Amberly Lago: https://mitchmatthews.com/310/ “True Grit: Stories you didn’t hear in History Class but should have!” with Ben Stein: www.mitchmatthews.com/173  MINUTE BY MINUTE: 0:02 What to expect today 1:30 Get to know Jon 7:00 What gave Jon the confidence to sing 15:24 Looking within and bettering yourself 23:30 Developing a life of continual growth 26:58 What success looks like for Jon 31:27 Mitch’s favorite The Voice moment 35:30 Tips for staying in the moment 46:36 Jon’s little known dream 53:32 Mitch’s minute MITCH’S MINUTE: I loved this convo.   One of my favorite moments was Jon’s quote: “The reason why we miss today is because we think there is a moment in the future that’s more important than today.” Whew… that’s wisdom.  AND a cautionary tale… right? I love how Jon says he’s still working on living in the moment, BUT that understanding was at the core of him KILLING his blind audition for The Voice.  He was in THAT moment… fully.  And you could TOTALLY tell.  True joy.  Fully there.  No matter the outcome.  Okay… it didn’t hurt that 4 chairs turned and they almost got in a fist fight over him… BUT living in the moment helped.  HA! How about YOU?  What stood out to you?  Was it something Jon said?  Was it the vibe?  Was it a thought or a memory that this convo sparked?  Let me know.  I shared some of my favorites… now I want to hear from YOU!  Leave a comment below and let’s do this!

In this episode we are going to talk about the importance of injecting a little adventure into our lives.  C.S. Lewis once said, "Some journeys take us far from home. Some adventures lead us to our destiny."  Sure, adventure can mean climbing peaks in Peru or Nepal… but there are other ways that we can inject a little novelty and adventure in our daily lives… even if you live in the burbs, like I do!  In fact, I make the case using some good ol’ research-backed arguments, but I also share a way that I’ve been experiencing a little “adventure” lately.  And it doesn’t cost me a thing… but it’s been a way that I’ve been finding some rest and restoration.  And as you’ll hear… it’s also been teaching me A LOT about life and business.  Check it out… and then join me in finding a little “adventure” no matter where you live! EPISODES MENTIONED: Ruth Soukup | Surprising Secrets For Living the Good Life - (click here)  Beating the "MEH" with LAURA SANCHEZ-GREENBERG - www.mitchmatthews.com/308  A Hiro’s Journey - mitchmatthews.com/322 The Rest vs. Restoration Experiment - mitchmatthews.com/330 MORE ABOUT THIS EPISODE: For some ADVENTURE might mean a trip to the big city... or it might be going to the other side of the planet. "Some journeys take us far from home. Some adventures lead us to our destiny." - CS Lewis  Amelia Earhart once said, "Adventure is worthwhile in itself." "You can't define adventure... and what it means to you... until you've wrestled with it.  True adventure happens beyond what you might think is safe... or obtainable.  That's where you see miracles happen.  Adventure is the distance between the present and the fulfillment of your dreams!  And how you navigate the "in-between" is the great unknown.” - Clay Croft - Creator of the Expedition Overland  (Find out more here:  www.xoverland.com) BUT... you might be saying...  "THAT IS NOT ME!!!  I LIVE in the burbs... I have a house filled with kids, schedules, dogs, cats and a bird... I can't be traipsing around the globe looking for ADVENTURE!!!" I get it... I'm right there with you!!!   Here’s a brief history of “Adventure and me”: I grew up a scared kid... but I learned a motto... "I may be scared... but I'm going to do it anyway!"  Or... a shorter version is... "Do it scared!" I grew up afraid of heights... but at the same time... I've climbed the tallest mountains in Montana and some of the tallest in Colorado! I was afraid of leaving home... so I hated my first summer camp experience... BUT when I got older... I moved to England at 18 and went back when I was 20. When my bride and I lived in Montana (two places)... we'd camp in the mountains countless weekends… then we had cubs... and decided to move back closer to family.  We first spent a year in Chicago... and then we landed back in Des Moines and we've been here for over 20 years! ADVENTURE NOW: As a result… I live in a suburb of a moderate sized city... in a state where the highest elevation is 1,670 feet.  Literally, it’s: Hawkeye Point Hawkeye Point which is the highest natural point in Iowa at 1,670 feet (510 m). It is approximately 4.5 miles (7.2 km) north of Sibley on the eastern side of SR 60 and approximately 3.5 miles (5.6 km) south of the Iowa-Minnesota state border. My favorite part is the directions say,  “The high ground lies 100 feet (30 m) due south of an old silo.” But remember:  ADVENTURE isn't a location... it's a mindset! Also remember… "Stay curious. It will lead to a life of adventure!" - Mitch Matthews It's sooooo important... and this is backed up by SCIENCE!!! I’m betting you remember Episode 308 - Beating the "MEH" with LAURA SANCHEZ-GREENBERG. www.mitchmatthews.com/308  (More from Laura below.) In that episode, we talked about how novelty is critical.  Mixing things up.  Trying new things.  Stretching yourself.  Growing.   So sure... if you can go climb a mountain... DO it!!! BUT if you’re in a suburbs in the flat lands… (like me)... you need to find other ways to experience adventure! DEFINING ADVENTURE For OUR purposes, let’s define adventure as: Staying curious Pursuing novel experiences  Stretching... growing... putting yourself in situations from time to time... where you might actually fail. Yvon Chouinard... rock climber, world adventurer and founder of Patagonia once said,  "It's not truly adventure until something goes wrong." You might get some of that at work... or at home.  You might say... I've got a teenager... stuff goes wrong all the time! LOL! BUT seriously... what if you introduced some adventure WITH your teenager.  What if? My Invitation: Pursue some adventure... Try something new Do something where you might fail Stay curious. Walk in awe. See where it takes you! Dreaming BIGGER... thinking BETTER and doing MORE is all about living an amazing life and that's what I want from you... if you're living in Nepal... or Fiji... NYC… or a really nice little  suburb. Adventure is out there... we just have to find it. Amen? RESOURCES: In the episode, I mention that past DREAM THINK DO guest Laura Sanchez-Greenberg had provided some SCIENCE and RESEARCH to back up today’s episode… so I wanted to provide it here… in her own words. She shared... “Novelty and “sustainable happiness” studies suggest that doing new things is good for our well-being and some authors have suggested that fulfilling our need for novelty is a basic requirement for optimal functioning (Gonzalez-Cutre et al 2016).   Research here tied to the self-determination theory (SDT is the so-often-attributed to Daniel Pink’s Autonomy, Mastery, Purpose triangle from his book “Drive” – this model is actually research by Deci and Ryan (1980, 2000) which Pink translated.)  The research notes that novelty is a basic tenant of being self-determining.  Without novelty, then you wouldn’t know if you were self-determining as it would just be more of the same.  In simpler terms: How do you know if you are choosing for yourself (autonomy), if you are competent (mastery) if nothing changes? Some suggested things to read:  The Importance of Novelty » Brain World (brainworldmagazine.com) The Role of Novelty and Adaptation in Well-being - The Positive Psychology People Laura continues… “I’d say pointing to Barbara Fredrickson’s work “Positivity” is also good.   The bottom line is, although there is novelty specific research, the word itself takes on all the research that’s there and gives it name.   When we change our view, our brain activates, it learns, it absorbs.   So the important role that awe plays in happiness, that nature plays in happiness, importance of learning in happiness… all of these are related to novelty – we change our environment, learn something new, feel awe… all novelty.   So “novelty” is a catch all for so much of the research (I use the word as a shortcut).  Super nerdy research: Oxford Handbook of Positive Psychology - Google Books (Chapter 34) Acts of Kindness and Acts of Novelty Affect Life Satisfaction: The Journal of Social Psychology: Vol 150, No 3 (tandfonline.com)  In the Suburbs… grab your lip smacker… put out a bird feeder and let that Cardinal surprise you; better yet, let the seeds call it to you in winter where the red pops on the snow background (they don’t migrate). Smell coffee. Take a peek at a chipmunk… take a walk and for a minute, check out how bark on a tree can form art… all sorts of novelty.” 0:02 Let’s go on an adventure 1:24 Episode starts 5:30 Mitch’s background in adventure 14:34 One adventure you can take every day 19:58 How Mitch gets his adventure in 26:25 Mitch’s Narnia moment 36:06 Adventure is a mindset 39:23 Closing thoughts  I want to hear from YOU! What do YOU think?  Is finding some adventure… some novelty important?  Did you need to be reminded of that?  (I know I do!!!)  What’s one way you want to inject some adventure into your world?  What’s a way to experience a little novelty?  Share something you love to do… or something you’re going to try!  I can’t wait to hear from YOU!  Comment and let me know.