Daily Boost - Clarity for Life and Work

I’ll never forget the day a mentor of mine said to me —“You have to become the person you want to be before becoming the person you want to be.”What? So I have to fake it until I make it?Heck no! I’m not going to change who I am - no way!“No. You’re not changing who you are. It’s just that you have to understand that the future, you will have a different set of beliefs than you hold right now. That’s called growth. Whatever you believe, you will become.”At first, I thought he meant I would have to sell my soul to the devil and take on beliefs that were not mine to get what I wanted. But one day, I realized that day-to-day living is changing me anyway. I may as well make a choice myself.My thinking when like this —If I hold a self-image because of what I believe, all I have to do is create a future self-image, decide what that person would believe, and design a set of rules and actions that make those beliefs happen.What’s the best part?There’s no waiting. The very minute you decide what you believe, everything begins to change. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's the time of the year when it seems almost everybody is setting new goals. It's also the time of year most folks will quickly give up on those goals.There has been a lot of research about how long New Year's Resolutions last. On the short end, most folks give up at 12 days, the most committed stay in the game for an entire month.Now, since it takes 66 days to set a new behavior, it's no wonder people have such a difficult time changing. Here's an exciting way to think about that problem.Setting a goal is a conscious decision that is an executive function of your brain - which operates serially. While you may think that you can multitask, your brain processes one item at a time. That means it must prioritize what's most important so it can work on it for you.When you set and prioritize a goal, you are essentially eliminating other alternatives that may be more important to you. When you do, your brain views taking action as a potential opportunity lost and makes any new tasks difficult.How do you make it easier?The answer can be found in the word ''Alternative'' because the inverse is true—Any new goal will feel easier when it is more important to you than the alternative choice.In other words, choose wisely.If you want to set great goals, pursue them, make a significant change to your life, the secret is to make your goal more important than any alternative that may be lurking in the back of your mind. When you choose correctly, you'll find yourself automatically motivated to reach any goal you have successfully. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I’ll never forget the day a friend called and made me an offer I couldn’t refuse - and I didn’t.Rob was an event promotor who had snagged the chance to book an up-and-coming comedian named Jerry Seinfeld into a local venue. He needed somebody to warm up the audience and introduce Jerry. I was all in when he agreed to cover my drink tab and let me hang out with Jerry before the show.It was 1986, and Jerry’s television series about nothing was still in development. I know that because it’s what we talked about before the show. As he munched on veggies and sipped sparkling water, I’ll never forget how focused he was on getting what he wanted. Tired and worn out from living on the road, I asked how he managed to keep going. He said —“I know exactly what I want. I’m a comedian, so I have to be funny. The only way to be funny is to write funny jokes. The only way to write funny jokes is to write every day. So, I write every day and put a big red “X” on the calendar. Eventually, there is a chain of X’s on the calendar. My goal is not to break the chain.” Then, in a very Seinfeld way, he screamed, “Don’t break the chain! That’s how you get what.”Over the years, I’ve read that others have had the same conversation with Jerry. I’m guessing it was a rule of success that he practiced and shared often. I’m happy he shared it with me.As we begin 2022, pick an action and do it every day until you get so good people notice. And, whatever you do, “Don’t break the chain!” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Toss Your To-Do ListThis is the time of year when people start thinking about getting more productive in their life. Over time, I've learned there is a significant benefit of growing older and wiser, figuring out what works in most areas of life, and learning to avoid the school of hard knocks.I'm always amazed at how much time people fritter away deciding how to be more productive— trying to keep up with their never-ending daily list of things. Eventually, though, we all learn that a good life will always offer more opportunities than you can ever use. The day will come when it becomes easier to focus on essential and yield consistent results. I ran into that when I learned to fly little airplanes. Aviation is over one hundred years old. That means new pilots experience information overload as their Instructor crams their brains full. And flying airplanes can be unforgiving when you get things wrong. That causes you to micro-focus on tiny details - especially when performing your Pre-Flight Checklist. One day, while walking to our airplane, I was freaking out. I was finding it impossible to remember the thousands of items that make for a safe flight—"There is so much on my list, and I keep thinking I'm going to miss something and get myself hurt… or worse."My Instructor smiled…"That's not a list of everything you need to do. It's a DID I DO IT LIST. That way, you’re only double-checking that you did the important stuff."Pure brilliance!I embraced the "Did I Do It" philosophy in flying and everything I do from that day forward. It also became the mantra for how I go about getting things done.Why does it work?A "Did I Do It List" assumes that you already know what you must accomplish. All you have to do is make sure you've done it. That way of thinking allows you to release the stress of information overload, enjoy yourself more, get lots done, and celebrate your victories. Plus, the boost you get from seeing how much you have accomplished feels great. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I can't tell you how many times I've heard somebody say—"If I knew I was going to live this long, I would have taken better care of myself and saved more money."True or true?Modern times are interesting times, and when it comes to living a long life, people either think life is too short or long. If you do things correctly, long enough is the best answer, but 200 years ago, most folks didn't have the luxury of thinking about things like that.If you lived during those times, you lived at a slower and harder pace. And, since time is relative, your perception was slower, as well. Everything was slower. It would be like a two-week, off-the-grid vacation in a mountain cabin without your phone in modern times if you think about it. That used to be daily life.Yes, time-wise, living to the ripe old age of 40 felt like living to 100 today - if something simple didn't take you out sooner. When California had open land, low-priced real estate, and gold in them-there-hills, almost everybody died much younger than today. Usually from an exotic disease like a toothache.  If you lived a couple of centuries ago, the simple life meant simple goals:Survive childhood.Buy a horse.Get married.Buy another horse.Build your first house on your 40-year old Grandparents' property.Get your kids through 5th grade so they can graduate to help you plow the field.And if you were a planner, plant a tree on the hill a soon as you can so that it is big enough for your kids to bury you under when a toothache took you out.While it's easy to make fun of the old days, one thing rings true—If you lived in the past, wondering what you would do next in your life would never be an option. Since you have that option, the question is, what are you going to do with it? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

My friend sent a note on a subject that profoundly resonates with me. He asked me, "What's more important, passion or money?"Ask any person who knows me, and they will tell you that I am all about doing what makes my heart sing - PASSION! After all, you know what they say —"Do what you love, and the money will follow!"I bet you've heard that most of your life. I will also bet that you have personal experience that would suggest otherwise, and there are millions of starving artists, writers, actors, and other creative types that would agree with your observations. That list should also include stay home moms and dads, school teachers, police officers, and many more. I believe there is no happier life than living a passionate life.I also believe that everybody has different monetary requirements that make them happy.And, I know that, while our quest to live with passion may be why we live a prosperous life, it's also what gets in the way of that life.If you desire to do what makes your heart sing and live a happy and prosperous life, there are two things to remember:1) Focusing entirely on your passion at the expense of other and more routine aspects of life eventually stops you from living your passion. Life will get in the way.2) Focusing exclusively on money and other routine aspects of life will force you to postpone doing what you are passionate about - possibility forever.I know many will disagree with this statement, but my experience and ScottLOGIC has taught me something —Life is long, and it is impossible to focus on ONE thing without covering everything else. It may work short-term, but acting that way is a recipe for disaster and frustration.The solution comes down to a simple equation—Passion + Realty + Discipline = Everything you want!Like it or not, when you obsess and demand that you do what you love, accept the reality and costs of real life, and discipline yourself to strike a balance, you will get everything you want in life. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Let me start by saying that goal setting is powerful, and you should be doing it - but there is a good chance that you are overdoing it.It's human nature to set goals, and you do it every day without thinking. That's why it's so powerful. It's also why it's so easy to set so many goals that you can never get any of them done. Let me define how I see goals.No matter what distracts me, I've come to think of goals in two ways:1) Legacy Goals that I will spend my entire life achieving.2) Living Goals that will propel me to my Legacy Goals.I didn't think this way for much of my life, but one day, I accepted that no matter what I was chasing, it was the "who I would become in my life and how do I get there" thoughts that were always rolling around in my head. My internal ScottLOGIC told me that if I'm thinking about something anyway, I might as well think about it purposefully.Also, since I've never met anybody who was happy to pursue daily activities that didn’t lead to something bigger, I knew that everything should always lead to something bigger. Anything else will eventually break your spirit - and that should never happen.As you set yourself up for a life of satisfaction, no matter how much life gets in the way, think of "Legacy Goals" as the top of a pyramid that is built on a foundation of "Living Goals." "You must build up your life action by action, and be content if each one achieves its goal as far as possible — Marcus Aurelius.Your mission is to focus on daily "Living Goals" that are designed and intended for you closer to your "Legacy Goals," Stoic philosophy also says —The culmination of human endeavor or end is "happiness" or "flourishing." For some, the idea of a single "Legacy Goal" may seem impossible. After all-How can you possibly know who you will become after an entire lifetime of living?How is it even possible that you can reach a goal you can't define?How is it possible to stay focused on one goal your entire life?Frankly, understanding how that works is something we don’t need to worry about today. It's been debated, analyzed, and tweak for eons. There's no need to overthink, only accept.If you live a happy and flourishing life, your Legacy will define itself. Someday, you will arrive at the person you are meant to be - and be happy for it.One goal is all it takes. Everything else is a step on the journey. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When my wife and I were first married, it wasn’t long before I learned that waking up at 5:45 AM, and every step after that, seemed to be programmed into her DNA - and I was not too fond of it.Over the years, I had grown to dislike mornings. Mostly because I found myself doing one of two things; the hustle and bustle of the daily grind or what the self-help gurus were telling me I “should” be doing with my mornings.Sometimes it worked. Sometimes it didn’t. My wife, on the other hand, doesn’t do that. Unlike most folks in the world that are caught up in the drama of life, she operates with a “figure out what works, keep doing it, never think about it again” mindset. If I’m being honest, as a widely creative, spontaneous, and go-for-it kind of guy, Joi’s mindless persistence drives me crazy. But, since there is no way to change her ways, I have no choice but to find my way.Besides, as a guy who has worked with tens of thousands of successful people, I’ve seen the same behavior so many times there is no denying that a simple and constantly repeating morning routine is where success is born. After all, the early bird gets the worm!But that still leaves us to figure out what our routine should be? For me, that boiled down to one simple question—What’s the most important thing I can do that will make everything else possible?Now, I’ve found when I ask a question like that, the answer comes flying at me like a brick falling off a roof and hitting me right in the forehead - and it happens fast. I may not like the answer, but sometimes the truth hurts.If you want to lose weight and get in shape, the most important thing is to exercise.If you want to make money, your most important thing might be to invest.If you want to write a book, your most important thing is to write.In my case, I have legacy dreams for myself, my family, my business, and you. To make that happen, the most important thing I can do is write in the morning. Once I made that decision I…Wake up, get out of bed, shower, and dress, eat a quick breakfast, sit at my desk, and write for the next three hours. No distractions. No questions asked. So, how do I get everything else done?Frankly, once you take care of what is most important to you, there isn’t much else. Still, when the time comes, I ask myself what the next most important thing that will make everything else possible - and do it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Are you a person who always does things the same way or prefers to change things up at every chance?If you’re lucky, you are both.Traditions are the secret sauce behind the emotional connection we feel at this time of year. Family get-togethers, office gatherings, crazy shopping crowds?Yes. I know we’re in a pandemic, and not everything is as it used to be - but it is in our minds. The traditions make our lives unique and are always present, never forgotten, and form the fabric of our lives. They are very human, and they are essential.But let’s get back to my earlier comment that “traditions make our lives special.”The fact is, somebody has to make the tradition. Is that you?My wife and I were walking in the neighborhood and noticed that Janice was almost finished with her Christmas decorations. I stopped and said—“Wow. That looks like a lot of work!”“Yes, it is. But I love it, and it’s my tradition,” she said.“Well, thank you for making Christmas for the rest of us.”She didn’t know what to say, but she understood what I was meant.Whether it’s Christmas, New Year, or any other time of the year, traditions are the same as habits and rituals. They make our lives more fulfilling. But always remember, somebody has to make the tradition so that all of our worlds are a better place. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

My mind is constantly searching for a simple, three-step process for anything that will help me get what I want, and that usually comes down to something I talk about a lot; making a decision. I speak about decision-making much of my day because it’s the most dynamic tool you have in your personal development tool kit. It should be easy —Almost everything you will ever want to do in life has already been done. The solution to getting what you want should be based on logic and proven steps. In other words, figure out what works and do it. But, as much as we can all agree that it should be easy, using logic to get what we want doesn’t have much to do with being a human—that’s where emotions and a more phycological approach come into play. “Come on, let’s just do what we know works?” You say.“No. I’m not feeling it. Let’s go with the flow and figure it out?”Logical vs emotional thinking is an epic battle that could be told by Stephen Spielberg in a blockbuster movie. Oh, wait, it always is!Let’s take a side trip to the movies and prove my point.The Hero has a problem in a movie, and something has to change, but they don’t know what to do? Professionally speaking, they are an emotional mess, no matter how real it may be.Then, in a movie, their situation suddenly thrust them into taking action to solve their problem. Logic kicks in, and they get busy fixing life.But, in a movie, life gets in the way, their actions are not working, and their emotions take over. It seems that all is lost, but never fear.Before any good movie ends, our Hero figures out precisely what needs to be done. One. Two. Three. Victory is at hand. Somebody, please roll the credits.What’s the lesson in the story we are writing?Everything that you want to do has already been figured out. Your job is to set your emotions aside, go into logic mode, and take the fewest steps possible to reach your dream. They’re no need to wait. Hero’s don’t wait. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices