Tag: life

Why reading 5 pages per day will change your life

5 pages per day x 365 days per year = 1,825 pages per year.

If a book averages 300 pages (which seems high), you would finish 6+ books per year.

What you read daily changes the way you think. If you can change your thoughts, you can change your life.

We all need constant, little reminders of how we should be acting. By going too long without thinking about something (leadership, business, marketing, sales, relationships, finance, etc), we often forget what we should be applying in everyday circumstances.

A parent’s (and spouse’s) responsibility

Your number one responsibility is to be able to put food on the table and keep the lights on for your family. After that, then you need to focus on doing something that you love. You don’t even have to love it at all the time. But as long as you like it enough and it pays the bills, stick with it. If you are miserable, find something else, but remember your responsibility to your family. Making sure you’re setting them up for success (more than just surviving, but thriving) should be your top priority.

Five things to always work on for self-improvement

Things to always work on…

1) Do not get defensive. If someone is critical of you, listen to them. There is probably at least a grain of truth that you are blind to.

2) Do not make excuses. If something didn’t go your way or there was an accident, sincerely apologize. Don’t diminish your apology by then giving an excuse for why it wasn’t your fault. Some things will always be outside of your control, so focus only on what you can influence.

3) Eliminate can’t from your vocabulary. Sure, there are some things we literally can’t do (I can’t teleport, read minds, or fly). But, for the most part, when we say we “can’t” do something, it’s because we’re not willing to make the necessary sacrifices to do that thing. It’s more like we won’t do that or we haven’t prioritized that.

4) Be nicer. Treat others how they would like to be treated. Find ways to help others get what they want.

5) Do not avoid difficult situations/conversations. Life is full of tough decisions. The best way to live without regret is to have the courage to face your fears. Always act in alignment with your core values.

Being a perfectionist…

You’re not a perfectionist. You’re just scared.
“You’re not a perfectionist. You’re just scared.” – Gary Vaynerchuk

Don’t aim for perfection. To claim that you’re a perfectionist…it’s not funny, it’s not cute, it’s not admirable. Being a perfectionist STOPS you from achieving because nothing will ever be perfect. That’s why there’s a common phrase, “DONE is better than perfect.” Otherwise you’ll keep waiting for perfect and never get anything done…

If you really want to move forward and achieve your goals more quickly, you will do something to the best of your ability and submit it. After getting feedback of what worked and what didn’t, you’ll modify your actions – tweaking what did work to slightly improve it, and eliminating or changing what didn’t work. You’ll get those results back and continue the process.

The goal should be not to “never fail,” but instead to fail quickly. The word “fail” here is not meant to be permanent. If you fail and then never try anything again, then, yes, it’s a failure. But if you fail and use that information to get better/move you closer to your goals, it was actually a success.

Lifestyle creep, material possessions, and happiness

“People who live far below their means enjoy a freedom that people busy upgrading their lifestyles can’t fathom.” – Naval Ravikandt

Don’t fall victim to lifestyle creep. If you were happy living on “X” salary per year, as you make more money, you can still be happy living on that same salary. Buying more expensive things doesn’t make you happier, not in the long run. But sharing meaningful experiences with people you care about will bring you lasting happiness. Happiness is a state of mind, not a state on the map. If you’re not happy where you are, moving will not make it better. You must change your mindset to change your life. Choose to be happy. Life is too short to choose anything else.