Daily Boost - Clarity for Life and Work

Wisdom Starter ThoughtsEverything you do is guided by what you think is logical in your mind. Just like everything I do is directed by my Scott LOGIC.Is it common sense? Is it experience-based? Is it how you choose to live? Yes. But mostly, it is the filter in your mind at work.Here are a few of my filters:Life is long enough. But not for everybody.Life goes quickly. But not if you're bored.Life passes slowly when you are fishing.Some people are too serious. Others are not serious enough. Both disagree with the other.You must stand in another person's shoes to understand how they see you.The reward for hard work is a chance to work more. The reward for laziness is a chance to be lazy more.Turning off your phone means it won't ring.Most things in life should be in moderation. Excess is good now and then.  It takes a fraction of the time to read a good book as it does to write one. That makes reading a book a good investment of your time.People who read more good books earn more money. People who don't read don't understand why others earn more.Saying "I don't care" means you do - at least about something.Everything you experience is filtered through what you hold as the truth. Choose what you hold carefully. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Life in Default ModeThere is a myth floating around that life is more fun when you are spontaneous. That’s true, but not all the time.Happiness and success are most common among folks who live in a Default Mode. In other words, they figure out what works for them and keep doing it.Living in Default Mode makes life predictable for you and everybody around you. It limits decision-making and establishes continuity. It’s a behavior that reduces stress and improves happiness.Living your life in Default Mode is the fastest way to reaching your goals - your way. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How to Get Lazy SuccessI have an admission to make. I'm a bit lazy. Yes, I also like to work harder than most people. Still, I'm lazy when doing things I don't want to be doing.It's been said that when you do what you love to do, you will never work another day in your life. Frankly, I've found it to be quite the opposite. What I do is difficult and takes a lot of time and effort. But I enjoy it? Still, I'm lazy. I want everything to be easy, and I want it now. I don't think I'm different than anybody else. I'm lazy. I'm driven. I'm lazy.I think I made my point. And if you know me well, you may be thinking; he's not that lazy. Oh yes, I am…While it may take a long time to master the skill required to make things easy for myself, I'm only willing to go through the hard work if it allows me to be lazy - eventually.And do you know what the coolest thing is about being lazy?Your initial hard work allows you to be lazy and makes what you do look easy to others. Too bad for them. I guess they were sleeping and binging Netflix when you were preparing to make it look easy and be lazy.Here's today's life lesson.It's good to be lazy, as long as you are willing to do the work required to allow you to be lazy - someday. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ritualistic SuccessSteven Covey called it sharpening the saw. If you take a break to sharpen the blade, you will always cut more wood. The same applies to life.My formula is Ritual, Rest, Rejuvenate, Reactivate. Repeat:1) Success comes when you perform ritual actions every day. Figure out what works and do it.2) Running full-out all the time is not sustainable. You must stop and rest.3) Resting allows your body and mind to rejuvenate and become healthy again.4) When you are ready, it's time to reactivate into action mode.5) Repeat until you get what you want.It's easier to cut more wood when you take a break to sharpen your saw. A walk in the park on a busy day counts too. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You Deserve to Say YES to YourselfDo you ever wish you had a less complicated life? Even if your job and life are overcomplicated out of necessity, like launching a rocket or performing brain surgery, you can still simplify everything.How do you do it?The fact is, the actions you are taking in your life and your job are probably not causing the overwhelm. It's the people and the results that are causing you to feel that way.The easier way to under-complicate is to begin saying "No" to the arbitrary and unattainable demands of others and focus exclusively on the results you want. Here are a couple of ideas:1) Practice the law of "Good Enough." Perfectionism is over-rated. It will waste years of productive time that you could use to enjoy life. Set your own standards and rise to them.2) Get good at saying "No." Make that two-letter word your default answer for everything. And remember, sometimes, saying nothing at all gets the same result.3) Keep in mind that the only thing you must do in life is taking a BREATH. Everything else is optional and self-inflicted. Leonardo da Vinci said," Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication." Why not show everybody how sophisticated you are? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

4 Steps to Change Your LifeCreating a difference in your life is a non-stop process that requires simple actions to help you get what you want. And it is, after all, about getting what you want and keeping what you love.You’ll always go through these steps:1) Decide. Everything begins with your decision to head off in a new direction. While sometimes you may feel like you’ve made a decision, if you’re not moving, you haven’t.2) Define. Aimless wandering is fun when that’s what you’ve decided to do. Otherwise, it’s frustrating, exhausting, and takes place more than you think. When you define your path, you get to walk your path.3) Deploy. As dull as the advice may be, putting your plan into action is the only way for you to get what you want. If you don’t deploy, you don’t get it.4) Defend. After working so hard to get what you want, you can guarantee that something or somebody will try to take away your results. That’s not good or bad. That’s life. When you find what you love, be sure to defend it so you never lose it.Simple. I like simple Simple works! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Questions To Ask Before You BeginEverybody has dreams. Daydreams, dreams while you sleep, and dreams of what you wish for the future.I’ve always believed that dreams are goals you have nurtured to become real in your life. But how do you know if the voice speaking to your heart will lead you in the right direction?Brant Pinvidic’s book, The 3-Minute Rule, has four questions that will help:1) What is it? Do you understand exactly what you want? 2) How does it work? How will you go about reaching your goal? What will likely be the outcome?3) Can you do it? Is your plan reasonable? Do you have the time, skills, money? 4) Are you sure? If you are willing to put in the effort, are you confident you can achieve your goal?Use these when something is holding you back. I promise. The clarity you are seeking is around the corner. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Morning Routines That Work For YouYou hear a lot about using morning rituals to get more done. But what if you could use your mornings to get more done for YOU?In the fast-face world, we live in today; there seem to be two groups when it comes to how to use mornings—personal and productive. Once folks remove themselves from the craziness of jumping out of bed, taking care of the kids, and hitting the drive-through, they choose one of the two. But what if there was a third group that was more satisfying?Before I go on, I need to admit that I didn't use to be a morning person and didn't like getting up early at all. I even quit my first couple of jobs as a morning radio host so I could sleep. Later in my career, I would hit my desk at 5 AM and pound through my to-do list as fast as possible. I must have been saying, "I…MUST… GET… IT… DONE!" That didn't work well because I didn't see the purpose of getting out of bed early if it was only to work.For a few years, I spent my mornings reading and meditating before heading off to the gym. I got in better shape, but my bank balance was less, and my future goals were seemingly unreachable.Then, one day out of pure frustration and sporting a brand-new I don't give a heck attitude, I asked myself a question that changed everything -"What's the first thing I should do tomorrow morning that, if I do, will allow me to live a life of my design?"Notice that I didn't ask about work or what was on my to-do list. It didn't have anything to do with getting more done or getting in better shape. I focused on the lifestyle I wanted to live - and it was life-changing.In the years since I made that decision, I've started my days doing the most important thing I deem required to live the life of my choosing, and I've been happier for it.I've also come across dozens of morning do-gooders who are getting everything done, except what they dream of doing, and when they realize it's not their fault, everything changes. They got caught up in the buzz of life, and everyone does. But, the minute you choose to focus on YOU before anything else is when you start making real progress.When you focus on what is important to you, you get what is important to you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Don’t Break Your Success ChainI’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 2023, 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

Are Smart Goals The Secret?I'm a big fan of setting big-ass goals. Dreaming BIG is my natural state - which is why S.M.A.R.T. goals are not all that smart.S.M.A.R.T. stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time-Bound.While it may seem like a good plan, I can't wrap my head around not setting goals because they don't seem achievable or realistic.Excuse me?Since when did big- goals seem achievable and realistic?  If that were true, you would already be doing them. Anytime you are moving from dreaming into doing, you will be living in the land of crazy and scary.If you hold yourself to what is achievable and realistic, you might as well keep doing what you're doing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices