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Many people get overwhelmed when they think about goals or dreams. They seem intimidating or unachievable. Because of this, many people stop dreaming and setting goals altogether. Today I want to encourage you to spend some time dreaming. Get a notebook, a pen, and find a peaceful place to think about what you want to accomplish in your lifetime.

• What do you want to accomplish in your family?
• What do you want to accomplish in your work?
• What do you want to experience in your free time?
• If money were no object, what would you do with your life?

Now, write down a next step for each of your dreams. Don’t worry about the entire plan. Figure out one next step and commit to taking action. Then come up with another next step. Keep repeating this and keep moving forward. As the familiar saying goes, you can only eat an elephant one bite at a time and similarly you can only accomplish your dreams one step at a time.

I believe you have greatness within you. You were created with a significant purpose. Your personal and professional potential are great, but you have to intentionally take action to achieve all you are capable of.

What is your dream?

What’s your next step?

Ready. Set. Go!

Be Intentionally Great today!

The Scene

As I write this, I’m sitting on the 3rd story balcony of the beach house our family is living in for the week. I am reminded that life on the ground can often be short-sighted and overwhelming. I’m watching the sun go down over the Gulf of Mexico. I’m watching rows of cars pass by down the street. I’m watching joggers and bikers go up and down the bike path. I’m watching families head back home for the night after a fun day at the beach. The ocean is calming down for the night. The moon is rising and reflecting on the water. Life is good.

The Lesson

As I reflect on what I’m seeing, I realize that I don’t get up above ground level enough. I need to climb higher regularly. I need to reflect on what is going on around me consistently. Years ago I was on a youth mission trip to a Native American reservation in northern Arizona. Our team was broken up into smaller groups to climb a nearby mountain where we could see over top of the community we were serving. At the top we could see approximately 90 miles away. We could see 360 degrees. It was breathtaking. It gave us greater perspective about the community we were serving and why we were there. There was a much grander vision than we saw at the base of the mountain.

• Do you ever stop to reflect at a higher level?
• Do you rise above the daily grind to reflect on your greater life purpose?
• Do you consider why you do what you do?
• Do you think much about the mission and vision of your job, organization, or family?

Many people are afraid of heights, but let me tell you that life from the 3rd story brings a greater perspective. Maybe it’s time to face your fear of heights so you can see things more clearly. Maybe what you need most right now is a higher view of your life so you can gain greater understanding of what’s going on at ground level. Maybe a time of reflection will refuel your tank and help you achieve more personally and professionally.

If you desire to Be Intentionally Great, you must start with greater clarity. One of my mentors has taught me the following path that makes a greater difference in our lives: clarity > competence > confidence > influence > impact > income.

I believe in you. You have greatness within you. You were created with a great purpose.

Go Be Intentionally Great today!

Last night the Cleveland Cavaliers became the first NBA Champions to ever come back from being down 3 games to 1 in the NBA Finals. They were playing their talented West Coast rival, the Golden State Warriors, who set the single season record for wins this year after winning the title last year. This was a Finals series that will not soon be forgotten.

Two years ago, LeBron James returned to Cleveland after winning two titles in four years with the Miami Heat. By leaving Cleveland for Miami he became a hated man after being the beloved hometown hero of Northeast Ohio. He returned and was forgiven. He came home with a mission to give Cleveland a title after a 50+ year drought of any professional sports championships. Last night, he delivered.

What can we learn from this historic accomplishment?

I believe that DETERMINATION and PERSEVERANCE are the obvious lessons. LeBron was determined to do all that he could to deliver a title to Cleveland, but it came through an incredibly challenging journey. One year ago, the Golden State Warriors defeated Cleveland in the Finals. Two key players – Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love – were injured for the Cavs and LeBron had to depend on lesser role players. They couldn’t overcome the gap. This year they faced the same Warriors team, but were healthy and determined. Because of this, they stayed the course even when they were down 3-1 in the series. They didn’t give up on themselves and they took one game at a time.

You may not be a sports fan. I understand that. However, we are often faced with personal challenges that feel insurmountable. Many of us look at the uphill climb and decide it’s not worth the pain, sweat, and tears so we surrender to mediocrity and “stability.” I confess that I’m often tempted to do this. When the days are difficult and you don’t see progress from your effort, it’s discouraging. My encouragement to you is to STAY THE COURSE. Breakthroughs will come. The biggest breakthroughs take more time to incubate and develop. We have to become the people who are ready to receive the breakthroughs. This means we must have our character developed.

A John Maxwell Team colleague, Ivan Oberon, wrote a powerful post last week that I want to share with you. Click HERE to read his comparison of the gestation periods between dogs and elephants. I’m confident you will be blessed and challenged by reading this.

As you begin your week, let the NBA Champion Cleveland Cavaliers teach you a powerful lesson. Stay the course, persevere, and prepare daily for the breakthroughs that are coming in your life.

Be Intentionally Great today!

How many books have you read this year?

How many articles have you read to help you improve personally or professionally this year?

How much time do you spend watching TV versus reading and studying to improve your life?

Am I stepping on your toes?

So many of us want to have a better life, but how many of us are actually investing in ourselves to get what we desire? How many of us could be called continual learners?

In our Western culture, we spend so much time on formal education to graduate high school and college, but then we opt out of continuing education that will help us to keep growing for the rest of our lives. Think about it. We invest the first 18-25 years of our lives to get diplomas so we can get good jobs and be successful, but then often give up on continual growth for the next 50-70 years.

If you want to be intentionally great, you need to invest in yourself. You need to read books, articles, blogs, go to workshops, work with a mentor or coach, etc. You need to believe that you can keep learning and growing until the day you die so you can achieve greater goals and contribute to society at greater levels.

Don’t be a statistic by ignoring your personal growth. Be a continual learner and put into practice what you learn. Information is abundant in our era. You have no excuse to stagnate. Make a commitment to yourself today that you will invest in yourself, and therefore, invest in those around you as you grow. Pass along what you’re learning and watch how those around you start to grow.

Be Intentionally Great today!

I was in a conversation recently with someone who is looking for a job and wishing they had a sign from God to give them a clear understanding of their purpose so they could find a career that fits it. I believe many people would love to receive a similar sign.

If you are waiting for that sign, start moving forward. By taking action, you are moving one step closer to gaining the clarity you desire. If you want to find the perfect job or career, start experimenting in various industries or organizations. Experimentation will help you discover what you like and what you don’t. Learn from failures and set-backs along the way. They will redirect you toward your purpose.

Studies have shown for years that employees are dissatisfied and disengaged in their jobs. Lack of purpose and clarity is a big reason why. When you do not feel like you are accomplishing what you are called to do, you will lack motivation and be less engaged. You will put in your time, but will not be very effective. When you are focused on your purpose, you will work with much greater passion and enthusiasm.

As the saying goes, “it’s not easy to steer a parked car.” When you are taking action, you can make directional changes much easier. If you are in “park” and waiting for a divine sign, nothing feels like it’s working for you.

Today, if you feel stuck or frustrated with where you are in life, start moving forward by taking action in an area that you think could be good for you. As you get going, you will pick up momentum. Also, pay attention to how you can find purpose in the job or situation the you are currently in. This will help your motivation and effectiveness.

Be Intentionally Great today!

If you would like help discovering your purpose and developing a plan to move forward, please contact me to discuss how coaching can be of value to you.

The older I become, the more value I see in deeply connecting with people. Connecting matters in all aspects of our lives.

• Do you want a promotion in your job? Work on connecting with customers and your co-workers.
• Do you want to lead your team better? Work on building greater personal connections with them.
• Do you want to make more sales? Work on connecting with your current and prospective customers/clients.
• Do you want to make a greater impact as a teacher? Work on connecting with your students.
• Do you want a better relationship with your spouse and/or kids? Make deeper connections a priority.

How do you become a better connector?

• Find common ground with people.
• Put others’ needs ahead of your own interests and desires.
• Slow down and interact more intentionally with people.
• Be more concerned about the other person in your conversations – speak to people regarding what matters most to them, not what you want to communicate
• Listen twice as much as you speak
• Be curious about others – ask more questions and talk at people less

This is not an exhaustive list, but these guidelines will help you become a much better connector. John C. Maxwell wrote an incredible book called “Everyone Communicates, Few Connect.” If you or your team would be interested in a mastermind group study of this book, please contact me to set something up. You can reach me at [email protected] or 770.715.8280.

Be Intentionally Great this week and become a better connector!

Many people want to have or do more in life, but very few realize they have to become more to achieve those things.

A leader once tried to persuade an employee to be dishonest in their dealings with customers as a way to avoid answering difficult questions about why they were not receiving the service they had signed up for. The employee boldly challenged the leader that if that was the kind of environment that the leader wanted to foster then they would resign effective immediately. After some self-reflection, the leader came back to the employee and thanked them for making him think about his life. The leader said that he often told people that he was “honest to a fault”, but that maybe he wasn’t operating in an honest manner professionally. This new awareness caused the leader to reflect and grow. It is very likely that the leader will become a better version of himself and have more success in his career.

If you want more success, you need to become the person who can achieve that success. One of my favorite stories from Darren Hardy (www.darrendaily.com) is that he wrote 40 pages of notes describing the woman he wanted to marry. He was challenged by his mentor, Jim Rohn, to become the man that his dream woman would want to marry. Darren realized he had to become more in order to attract the wife that he described so vividly on paper.

What is the “more” that you want in life?

Are you becoming the person that will attract that?

I am passionate about personal growth and development. I have been mentored by a few key people who have urged me to be an avid reader so I could grow and be more successful. Most people spend too much time on social media or watching television to invest in their growth. Don’t let that be you!

What can you sacrifice for one hour each day to read or listen to personal growth books?

How can you reorder your life to become a person who values growth?

Do you really, really want what you say you want? If so, are you willing to give up some current things in your schedule to become a person who achieves greater success?

You have so much untapped potential. Don’t waste it by settling for mediocrity. Make it your goal to become better each day. Strive to be better in your faith, family, job, friendships, hobbies, etc. As you make it a priority to grow, you will begin to dream more and develop a greater vision for your life. This will spur you on to grow so you can achieve that vision.

I’m not saying that you have a bad life today. I am asking “Is this the life you want for the rest of your life?” If it is not, then it’s time to grow and become the person who can achieve your greater vision.

Be Intentionally Great today!

***I help people discover their purpose and equip them grow to the next level. If you would like to experience how personal coaching can help you move forward faster in your life, please contact me for a complimentary coaching session at [email protected]

Change is difficult for most people. The irony is that most of us want to progress in our personal and professional lives, but run from the change that is required to do so.

If you desire progress, you must learn to embrace change. Change brings unsettling feelings of anxiety, doubt and fear. Change can also feel like an adrenaline rush when things are going your way. The reality is that to advance in our lives, change must happen. The phrase “we’ve always done it that way” has stifled many individuals and organizations for generations. Hanging on to the status quo of what has been comfortable will hinder you from the growth and progress you want to achieve.

We cannot experience progress while resisting change. To reach your dreams and goals, you will have to fight through the negative feelings that hinder most people from moving forward.

Growth Activity:

1. Write down your goals and/or dreams
2. Write down the actions that are required to accomplish them
3. Make note of the actions that cause you the most angst
4. Make a plan to tackle those actions one by one (this will help you build momentum)
5. Make note of how you feel after you accomplish each action item
6. Journal about the feeling(s) of accomplishment and relief you feel after overcoming the feared actions (this will give you confidence to tackle the next actions that you are struggling with)

Doing something for the first time almost always creates unsettling feelings. Keep in mind you have accomplished many “firsts” in your life that have led to great outcomes. If you can keep this perspective when you are facing necessary changes you will be able to push through and achieve the breakthroughs that you desire.

Be Intentionally Great today!

Do you ever get frustrated with the results you’re seeing in your life? Do you ever feel “stuck?” When was the last time you wrote out your priorities and compared them to the daily activities of your life?

Many people are dissatisfied with their lives, but are not taking time to reflect on what is causing the dissatisfaction. It is easy to get caught up in the grind of daily living and forget to reflect on what matters most. When we determine our priorities and evaluate our days based on them, we can see where we are out of alignment, which leads to frustration.

This week, spend some quality time writing out what you value most.

• Who are the people that you want to spend the most time with?
• What are your most important goals?
• What hopes and dreams do you have?

Next, look at your calendar. How much time are you giving the people and things you value most? What is getting in the way? This exercise will highlight what needs to be pruned in your life and maybe your work. You can do this same exercise for your business. Many activities that keep us busy in our work actually take us away from what generates the most success.

A key to living life BIG – Being Intentionally Great – is knowing your priorities and making sure you are taking the best actions to accomplish them. This requires intentionality and dedication. Make clarifying your priorities your #1 priority this week.

Be Intentionally Great today!

I attended a powerful workshop last week that challenged me to think about what I want in life, but also forced me to list what was stopping me from achieving my goals. Afterwards, I was reflecting a bit. One item has been my worry about not having the highest quality of videos to share with people.

I’m not a technical guy. I know enough about computers and technology to do decent work, but when I’ve looked at the work of some of my mentors I knew I didn’t have the resources to produce what they are producing. And it stopped me from starting…

Have you ever been there? Have you ever been paralyzed because you didn’t have everything figured out? Have you ever felt inadequate to get going? Maybe it was writing, speaking, art, a sport or something completely different. Maybe you’ve thought you had to be good before you can start producing something.

This jumped out at me when I was listening to a mentor’s podcast. I had listened to his most recent podcasts, which are REALLY well done. I went back and listened to a few of his first ones and they were very mediocre. But he decided to start and has improved the quality along the way. The crazy thing is that his early content was just as helpful as his latest. It is just better produced. The value is still great!

I share this today because I want you to realize that you need to start before you’re “good” or you’ll never start. If you wait until you have it “perfect”, you’ll never get started. I’ve heard it said that “anything worth doing is worth doing poorly.” While you probably don’t want to do anything poorly, you have to start somewhere and improve along the way.

Whatever it is that you’ve been postponing, do it in the next 72 hours regardless of the quality. Start before you’re good and one day you’ll realize that you’re actually good! You can do this. I believe in you. It’s time to believe in yourself and get started.

Be Intentionally Great today!