WIT

How about you?

• Are you all in for an amazing 2010? (no...seriously....all in?)
• Have you pushed all your chips to the middle of the table or are you holding back?
• Are you willing to get messy in 2010 in exchange for amazing? messy to amazing
• Winning Matters! Nothing is better for the human spirit than winning...Are you winning now? Do you have a plan to win in life?
• Do you have the courage it takes to live the life you want to live?
• Are you being bold in life?

I'm in!...whatever it takes!

Question...

I had a great question asked of me yesterday by Tim Hamilton who designed our website.

If you need a website, call Tim at Astonish Designs! Great dude.

Question: If you were 100% more bold, what you would do?

I love that question and have been really thinking on it. Answer to come after I digest it.

What about you?

Strike Now

Strike while the iron's hot!

For me:

• Take Vision and turn into Actionable Items!
• Then do them..
• Passion and Energy
• High Payoff Activities only (never do $10 per hour work)
• It's Go Time! (Don't wait...)

My 5 year old son Teddy and my conversation on a race car he wanted to buy with money he earned:

TT: Dad, we can't wait we have to go now.

Me: Just give me a minute and wait a little bit.

TT: Dad, why wait?

Me: I have no answer for that!

Really....why wait? Strike now for me.

3 R's with my adversity

I was taught and want to share this mountain moving stuff.

With my pain and adversity, God will:

1. Redeem: God takes my most dreadful pain and does good with it. I don't always see it or understand it, but awesome good comes out of my pain. God will never make me suffer pointlessly.

2. Restore: God will restore my dignity. God always has the last word and the last word with my tough times is always Good! My adversity is not fun to go through but God will make me better because of it.

3. Remember: God always remembers my deepest pains. He never forgets me. God will wipe every single tear from my face.

Checklist

Do each day all that can be done!

• Focus on the right activities...the high payoff activities
• Avoid waste at all costs (law of inertia...keep moving forward)
• Don't get ahead of ourselves. Do today's work today and tomorrows work tomorrow
• It's not about how many things you do...it's about how many meaningful things you do
• Never do $10 per hour work
• It's all about choices...make good choices (no luck involved)
• Don't like your results, then change your behaviors
• Don't ever settle
• Be patient...success takes time
• Avoid distractions
• Track progress to stay on track

The list above represents some of my checklists to take our life (and business) to the next level. The good news, it works. The bad news, it's hard work. But the payoff is well worth the hard effort to achieve some meaningful progress.

I don't know...

It's not what you know that is important. Real maturity is knowing how much you don't know.

I have to keep things really simple.

• Don't do meth
• My kids shouldn't use a chain saw
• Being on stilts is never a good idea

That's about all I really know.

Outside of this, there is so much I don't know! But the pursuit continues....

Sunset in the ATX!

There are amazing things right in front of us every single day.

I have been working on this and certainly still am working on: Pay Attention!

So many we speak to and work with tell us the struggles of daily life. They are running around a million miles per hour...rushing here and rushing there. And when you live in this havoc pace, you can't live in the moment.

We have been working on:

• Slow Down
• Less is more
• Pay Attention
• Conscious Living
• Pay Attention
• In the moment moments
• Stop and smell the roses
• Stop and pay attention to the sunset on Lake Travis in Austin TX!

It's completely opposite as society tells me...but it's the right path.

Clarity

Clear Thinking?

With all the noise and chaos around today, I need to make sure I don't fall captive to all those distractions. I need to make sure I have clear thinking.

I seek clarity:

• Clarity of thought
• Clarity of focus
• Clarity of priorities
• Clarity of time
• Clarity of strategy
• Clarity of relationships
• Clarity of vision
• Clarity of marketing
• Clarity of purpose
• Clarity of my business

It doesn't come easy. To gain clarity, it takes hard work and being very intentional.

But the payoff is huge. And when I have clarity, it's like clear blue water. Amazing!

What about you?

Do you have clarity? Or do you need to work on it? Spend some time on seeking clarity, because the return on this investment is unbelievable!

Inventory

Managing inventory is a huge issue in the marketplace. Those that can get the most r.o.i out of their inventory have a huge competitive advantage. Organizations, the good ones, spend tons of hours managing inventory and it is a absolute focus.

But what our in our lives?

Do we take inventory?

Do we make sure we have the right inventory (priorities)?

Do we make sure we are getting the best r.o.i. out of our life?

Here is my inventory:

• My relationship with Jesus Christ and My Faith
• My wife Kelly and our marriage
• My boys Teddy and Tate
• My work and company
• My relationships
• My impact and serving others
• My time and my money...are they in line with the above?

Not even close to where I want to be but on the journey nevertheless...

My stupid thinking...

My Pity Party (a couple days ago)

Nobody shows up. Nobody signs up for that event. Nobody cares.

I should just stop having them.

And how about this Chris?

Turn problems into possibilities!

Yes, that makes more sense.

I think I will change my thinking today!

Man, there are days where I frustrate myself with my stupid thinking. I know there is no bigger waste of time and energy than on self pity. But yet I did it. Why? I know it's negative and produces nothing but junk and funk. But yet I did it. Why? I know it's against what I believe in. But yet I did it. Why? I know nobody wants to participate and talk about my pity problems. But yet I did it. Why? I know it's taking my life backwards. But yet I did it. Why?

I don't know.

But I do know this. I can change my thinking. And when I change my thinking, my outcomes will also change. And when my outcomes change, my life changes. And when my life changes, I can do my job of helping others change their life a whole lot better.

On with the change....

My questions for today?

Some questions I am thinking about in our business:

• What new and creative message can I get out? (Must be Innovative!)
• How can I reach more people? (Must be Diligent)
• What new accountability's can I put in place? (Must have be purpose driven)
• When to start new programs? (Goals with passion and avoid procrastination)
• Why go through all this hard work? (Relationships matter most!)

Some questions I am thinking about in life:

• Why are people losing sight of the important priorities? (relationships vs watch some more TV...helping others vs buy more stuff....it's not all about me vs it's all about me...go to the park with my family vs go to the mall)..And what can I do about this?
• What do bad things happen to good people? (My 38 year old fraternity brother dying with 3 young girls)
• Why is fear so controlling and what can I do to overcome it?
• What can I do to be more transparent?
• Who discovered coffee?
• Why does health care need to be some complicated and broken?
• If money were not an issue....then what?
• What can I do to master peace of mind?
• What can I do to take my relationship with Jesus to the next level?
• Why does my son Teddy ask so many questions? I wonder where he gets this from?

Today, it's only questions with no answers.

Communication...yeah it kind of matters!

3 questions

The three most important a business or organization must answer:

1. What do you do?


2. What makes you unique?


3. Why should I do business with you?


These must be answered using a two part formula of:

• Clear +
• Motivating

Change your place

I am in Dallas all week. I love changes of environments. A new setting = new insights.

Change of place + Change of pace = Change of Perspective!

When is the last time you changed your surroundings intentionally to get new ideas and fresh approaches?

Try it...it works

Oh...you flat tire

This was flat this morning.

I had two choices; one was to let to ruin my day and be in a funk and not get anything done today or....second was to go with the flow and not allow it to affect me.

I choose the second.

These "issues" we face every day are all just relative and need to be put in proper perspective. Give me a break, you think I am going to allow a flat tire to throw me off course for the day? Nope, not today, thanks for playing. Now was it fun to deal with this? No. But hey, put it in big picture lens of my life. Not a big deal so that is how I reacted.

Five years ago, my reaction would have been the opposite. I would have thought the world was coming to an end, been really mad, and a mess for the entire day. But I have learned, the hard way, that all life's problems are really learning opportunities in disguise.

For today anyway, I think I passed the test.

Blanket of Clouds

One of my mentors taught me to slow down every single day and find a miracle.

Amazing advice. Try it.

14,000 ft descending into Austin TX!

All over the place today

Have a Do It Now Mindset. Fear stinks. Why Not? The Orange test: When I squeeze oranges I get orange juice, when I squeeze you what comes out? i love the water. re-actions are more important than actions. Ignore Society...stick to your own plan and don't get distracted by outside white noise. pre-decisions are more important than decisions. Big Dreams Rock! study success. surround yourself with successful peeps. caffeinated life only. attitude matters a ton.Vision 1st...tasks later. people more important than message. Best Story Wins! greatness is inside you...motivate it out. winning matters. don't let time talk you out of your dreams. go to work to work.have fun. my kids are cute. burn calories for your cause. have a great day!

Safe is not the goal

There has to be more than just the goal of arriving safely. There has to be more than the goal of just surviving.

For me, it's about making a impact; about speaking to the potential of others by making a splash. Well to do that, I have had to take on risks (and still taking them). With risks and living on the edge come some serious ass kicking. I have enough for all of us. But with everyone of them come huge lessons that afterwards, I would not change for anything!

My lessons on adversity:

• It's at the storms of my life that I found God
• God wastes no pain
• It's not about my circumstances but rather God will get make terribly uncomfortable and full of messes in order to improve our relationship. And for that, I am incredibly thankful.
• Turn problems into possibilities
• View each pain as an education opportunity. (I am a Ph D)
• Focus on what I can control and nothing else
• Let go to go up (give up white knuckling my life and my circumstances)
• Stop being self absorbed. Be small. Humble is a huge life lesson
• One day at a time. Live in the NOW.
• When I am on the floor, at least I can't fall off (perspective)
• Master Time (take in all conscious moments intentionally)
• Be committed to my vision and my dreams even in the huge storms of my life

I have learned the hard way but the right way that adversity is healthy! That doesn't mean it's fun or enjoyable but neither is cough syrup. But adversity like cough syrup, it's needed and healthy.

Love My Punks!

Some lessons these two miracles have taught me:

• One size doesn't fit all...everyone has a unique code to unlock the potential. It's my job as a leader to figure out what key works and what buttons to push.
• Time is the most important issue to master on the planet. Time, priorities, and behaviors...Are they all consistent? Are they properly managed? Are they maximized each day? It's a stewardship issue at the core.
• Go. Set. Ready....It's Go Time! What are we waiting for? Why are holding back? Why not?
  "Dad, let's GO!" ...No One is Lazy in Lazy Town...Go Go...(see Nick Jr Lazy Town show)
• Key element of joyful life = being able to laugh at yourself.

Teddy: Dad what are those lines on your head?

Me: Where?

Teddy: There (as he points to my wrinkles on my forehead!)

Me: Now that is funny!

• Imagination is huge! With time and as we get older we tend to limit our imaginations. Mistake. Dreaming is crucial and we need to apply intentionality in using our imaginations. "Dad, can you believe Santa showed up and was here?"
• Don't listen to society's advice and their barometer on success. "Dad, let's just take a rest."

I always say that I learn more from my kids than any other source. I got some smart dudes and Thank You Jesus for those miracles.

Jasper Toe Story

At some point, we need to take action!

At some point, we need to spend the energy!

At some point, we need to turn nouns into verbs!

Are you ready to make 2010 the year of impact and action?