Attitudes vs Facts

Facts are facts. But what is far more important than the facts in our life is our attitude towards the facts and towards our life. You see...all our facts, even the ones that seem terrible, do not come close to the importance as the attitude we have towards those facts.

I know many people who are defeated by the facts far before the issues are even addressed. How much sense does that make? Real life...I know businesses who are defeated because they think about high gas prices or the economy or the stock market. They are defeated before the game even starts. Our mental outlook is by far more important than any facts!

Don't get consumed with the facts in your life...those quickly come and go...are up and down. But what you should get consumed with is YOUR ATTITUDE. That is the critical issue. The focus point should be on your attitude. Your Attitude is at your core; your deep soul level. The facts are skin deep at best.

Sign Up Today: Spur Leadership Conference

This is a MUST: Today, sign up (and all your team too!) for the Spur Leadership Conference. www.spurleaders.org

Lake Hills Church and Mac Richard are doing leadership in a huge way, every single day. Mac has put together a world-class day that you need to take advantage of...including your ENTIRE TEAM!

Many of you have been to my Leadership Seminars and are plugged into one of my programs. This is an awesome "add on" one day blow out, rock star day for your leadership and employee development programs!

I will be there and look forward to seeing you too!

Chris

Habitat on Wheels: Feet on Higher Ground

Next week we are working with the leaders and staff at Mobile Loaves and Fishes. This is a world class group that is doing so much good...it's unreal! Thanks MLF and Alan! We can't wait to work with this group of rock-stars next week! Please check out MFL by either giving them money or donating your time. It's an Awesome organization.

Pay Attention!

Networking 101: Pay Attention!

It is amazing how much you can network by simply paying attention. For a second, let's just look at one, of the literally hundreds, examples: Daily Newspapers. Your daily newspaper is full of potential networking leads every single day. But most are too lazy or not inspired to take advantage of it.

I work a ton in the real estate market. How much business could a real estate agent get by simply paying attention? MORE THAN THEY COULD HANDLE! For example, let's look at today's newspaper in Austin TX...and I am just looking at it for the first time (so this is not rehearsed). In the Life section is an article on a fashion designer moving to the Austin area. What if a real estate agent sent a handwritten note and a copy of the article saying something like this:

• "Congratulations on your successful business! Welcome to Austin. I am in the real estate business and if I can ever help, please let me know. I look forward to hearing about your continued success!"

How do you think this person would re-act? I know the answer....WOW!

One example of just paying attention can make huge differences! Simply paying attention in both life and the marketplace can move mountains for you!

Do the things you love to do

It amazes me how many people have things they Love to Do, but yet, don't do them. And then I ask...simply...why don't you do the things you like to do? And to a person, the common response is "I just forget about them..."

Ahhh....what?

To me, this makes no sense!

• Why would you not write them down?
• Why would you not check up on and do an audit of your calendar to make sure you are doing those things?
• Why would you not hold yourself accountable to do the things you like to do?

Life is to be Joyful! Well to be joyful, we need to do the things that bring you joy! So today do me a favor; and accomplish these two things:

1. make a list of things you like to do
2. DO THEM!

Simple but life changing.

Christian The Lion A Love Story

Have an awesome weekend!

Chris

Power Of One

Rangers: Lead the way...All the Way!

The Ranger Creed is the mission statement for the United States Army Rangers. Most companies have some sort of similar vision and mission statements. But there is a huge difference between the Rangers and most businesses in the marketplace in terms of mission statements.

The difference is that with the Rangers, it is actually the way of life and not just words! They take those deep seeded words and follow them strictly with actions. The Rangers walk the walk. The Rangers can back up the talk with disciplined walk. The Rangers can always cover the check their mouth writes. The Rangers don't just write words that sound pretty and then act completely opposite. No..No. The Rangers say what they do and do what they say.

But in the marketplace, this is not so true. Business says pretty words and have really awesome framed mission statements in the lobby...but the actions are not consistent with those words. The talk is just that...talk; with no walk!

• When was the last time you reviewed the mission and vision statements?
• When was the last time your team had a meeting covering the statements?
• When was the last time you asked your customers if the actions of the company are consistent with the words?
• When was the last time you quizzed your employees on the mission statement understanding?
• When was the last time you asked your employees if the company's actions are consistent with the words?

Make sure the words match the actions; actions match the words! Just like the Rangers!

Fire Away Today!

Please adopt the above strategy in your business or life today! But in real life, this is not the case. Most businesses in the marketplace, do this: Ready, Aim...Aim...Aim some more...Aim again...Aim to make sure....Aim Aim Aim; and never pull the trigger!

What I see all over in the market is let's talk, have a meeting, meet again, and then because nobody took action, let's meet again. Meeting after meeting after meeting....On and on, this cycle goes. All the while, no action is being taken. No Firing! It's just all talking and no doing. It's just all aiming and no firing.

Stop that today.

Fire Away! It's OK...nothing bad will happen. I promise. Great companies take risks. Great companies try new stuff. Great companies Fire Away!

• That marketing idea you have but never acted on: Fire Away Today!
• That person you want to hire but never acted on: Fire Away Today!
• That sales idea you have stored away and never acted on: Fire Away Today!
• That Training Program you know you need but never did: Fire Away Today!
• That new revenue idea but still sits on your desk: Fire Away Today!
• That PROFESSIONAL Speaker you know can help you: Fire Away Today!

Today; don't aim....just Fire Away!

Failure? ...Really?

Thomas Edison tried some 700 unsuccessful times to invent the electric light.

Once he was asked how it felt to fail 700 times...

His response: "I have not failed 700 times. I have succeeded in proving those 700 ways will not work. I will find a way that works."

• Do you share this same outlook?
• What would your life look like with this same outlook?
• What would your business look like with this same outlook?
• What would our city look like with this same outlook?
• What would our country look like with this same outlook?
• What would your family look like with this same outlook?
• What would your church look like with this same outlook?

My high school wheels!

I was doing a seminar in Colorado a couple months ago and while I was walking across the hotel parking lot...I saw it! There it was! I have been looking for it the last 19 years!

My high school wheels!

I tell people all the time that I could win the UGLY DUCKING high school wheels competition!

This is the twin to my high school wheels (yes including the white topper)

What is it?...you ask.

It's a pea-green Ford Courier Pick-up. I describe the green color as the first crayon kids throw away when the open up the new box of 64 crayons!

I loved that truck! My wheels were never, nor ever have been, a status symbol to me. (see current 2002 Ford Taurus..aka The Blueberry... as another example of this). My truck was a means to get me from point A to point B without having to walk. And it accomplished that for 3 years!

In Colorado, I put a note on the truck that I wanted to buy it and wrote my cell number on the paper. I have never got a call so one of two things happen. One, the owner loved this truck so much that she could never part ways...or...Two, the owner thought it was a joke or I was a smart ass.

So if you ever run across this same truck, please let the owner know you have a buyer! (But it must have the white topper)

3 questions (Part II)

3 critical questions you MUST have an awesome answer to:

1. What do you do?
2. What makes you unique?
3. Exactly why should I do business with you?

If you can't knock the ball out of the park on those 3 questions, then you need to go to the strategy drawing board and overhaul your business.

Sometimes we make business so complex and worry about all the little things (spreadsheets, office supplies waste, cell phone usage) but yet we forget about the HUGE Issues...like what makes us unique in the marketplace. Let's slow down....at least for today....and make sure we have killer answers to these hugely important questions.

This is a great team exercise to do. Bring your entire management team together and go over this as a group. Then for extra credit and style points: Take your team off site for a 1 day strategy meeting and make this the central point. I promise that will be the best ROI day of the entire year!

Time Management

I am preparing for our Time Management seminar this Thursday.(call Kelly if you want to attend 512.291.7771)

Some questions on Time Management for you:

1. What did you do last week to move your vision forward?

2. What didn't you do last week that you should have done?

3. Why didn't you do it? (most important)

The last one is the important question to dive into and dig deep to find the answers. We know what we should do, but yet still ,we don't invest our time wisely and do those productive things. Why? How much sense does this make? None. It's kind of like this: We know we should exercise but yet not many people do. Why? Bad Time Management for many!

Real life tool: Knock out the ugliest things first. If you hate paying bills, do that first thing and get it done. Don't stare at the stack of bills thought the day; they don't go away and they don't get any more pretty. Do those things you dislike most, the first thing each day and you will find that the results are improved. You will get more stuff done that way.

Look at what you know you should do and examine why you don't do it. That exploration can make huge positive impacts on your life. For me, I don't like selling...I like teaching and speaking. So for me, I do my selling in the morning and then by exploring that question, it became obvious I needed to hire a salesperson! Great thing for me: I didn't have to look far for the best salesperson I know: My wife Kelly! Wouldn't you all like to have salespeople you can trust 100%? Let me tell you, it's a blessing!

Call Kelly today for information on all our seminars and specifically Time Management!