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Learn From People Who Are Where You Want To Be

January 18, 2012 By Leave a Comment

So many people want to be leaders, if for nothing more than the status that comes with it.  People want to win, but not pay the price of learning to lead.  In 1998 I attended a John Maxwell conference in Jacksonville Florida, and I can say that was the pivotal point in my life. From that point on I started taking notes from any and every leader I could find.  I got Dr Maxwell’s InJoy Life Club that later became Maximum Impact  I still have those cd’s that I listen to when I drive.   I bought cd’s from JimRohn, Brian Tracy, Zig Ziglar, yes even Tony Robbins. I read book after book, because I knew what God was calling me to do.  I bought them because I knew I was called to lead, and the only way I was going to learn how was to find people who had been there and learn from them.

When you find people doing what you want to do get as close to them as you can. For me it was tapes and cd’s, but today you can get blog posts, and podcasts from just about every type of business in the world.  Don’t just try and imitate these people.  If you try to “Fake it, till you make it” you’ll end up just going in circles at best, broke and discouraged at worst.  What you want to do is learn from them and pay the price of personal growth.  You may not see the change today or tomorrow, but one year from now you will see a difference, five years from now you will look back at the person you are now and not know that person.  But it starts with finding people to learn from and applying the principles to your life.

Give back what you learn.  One of my goals is to personally mentor two people every year and challenge them to pass that on to someone else.  If you are a leader I believe you should pass on what you know. If you are an aspiring leader find someone to come along side you and learn together.

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Get Out Of Your Own Way

January 16, 2012 By 2 Comments

You have probably heard the saying from the King James version of Proverbs 23, “As a man thinks in his heart so is he.” And while most modern versions don’t translate the phrase that way, it is still a true statement about you and me.  What we put into our minds is what is going to come out of our thoughts and actions. Take sports for example.  What are some factors people think about when they play sports? Weather conditions, location (home or away), who the players are, the win-loss record, and many other factors that are processed over and over every week.  But if a player starts to think about those factors, he or she has already lost the game.  The same goes for us.  If you and I start thinking about the factors and conditions; I’m to young, I can’t write, I’m to old, what if my beliefs are challenged, and what ever else you think, we have already lost.

To turn it around we have to take responsibility for ourselves.  When you realize you are the only person you can control and you take responsibility for that, you will begin to change.  You can only control you and no one else can control you, unless you let them. Chose what you watch, chose what you listen to, chose who you hang around, and you will see a difference in your life.  When I stopped watching the political news everyday I began to see a change in the way I thought about politics and people on the other side.  Instead of thinking of them as stupid or bad or dumb, I began to see their point of view. I also realized that most politicians are just talkers who have no goal but to stay in power, so now I have no party affiliation. Sorry for the digression, but don’t miss my point.  When I started taking control of what went into my mind, my thoughts changed.

Paul ends his letter to the Philippians by telling them to think about the good things,

Finally, my friends, keep your minds on whatever is true, pure, right, holy, friendly, and proper. Don’t ever stop thinking about what is truly worthwhile and worthy of praise. You know the teachings I gave you, and you know what you heard me say and saw me do. So follow my example. And God, who gives peace, will be with you. (Philippians 4:8-9 CEV)

Put the good stuff in your head and the best stuff will come out of you.

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Discipline Yourself

January 13, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Self discipline can be one of the hardest changes to make because it is born out of habit.  We are habitual creatures, so anything that breaks our habits is viewed as a nuisance.  When we understand that we need to change we can begin to look for things to help us.

First of all has to be books.  We are a book buying society.  Whether or not we read the books we buy is another story, and that is part of the self-discipline problem.  If you buy a book to help you then at least take the time to read it.  You can read five pages a day and complete a 200 page book in a month and a half, so reading is not hard.

Next you can get apps on you computer or phone to help teach you discipline.  I have an app that I enter every bite of food that goes in my mouth on.  It tells me how many calories i need, what I take in, and how much exercise I have done.  I use it because I needed discipline in that area, and it is great.

Find someone to keep you accountable.  If you can’t hire a coach then get a friend, but make sure he or she is willing to ask you tough questions, and make sure you are ready to give truthful answers.  If you are not willing to be honest, you will never do this.

The bible says Knowledge begins with respect for the Lord. but Foolish people hate wisdom and discipline. (Proverbs 1:7 NCV) Get smart, learn to discipline yourself, and get growing.

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