Morning Motivator – The Power of Your People…

"If all my friends were to jump off a bridge, I wouldn't follow. I'd be at the bottom to catch them when they fall."
- Unknown

I have to SHARE an AMAZING experience I have enjoyed in the past 24 hours…

On Saturday, I, in addition to 4 others teammates, will participate in the Nashville Oyster Race. This is a competitive "adventure race" mixing elements of a scavenger hunt with the diversity of a triathlon. (VERY COOL!) The most IMPRESSIVE element of the whole event is that each team is REQUIRED to fund raise for the benefit of the Nashville Greenway System (a collection of walking, cycling and nature pathways throughout the city). What a GREAT cause with personal and social benefits galore!

As of yesterday morning, my team was $100.00 SHY of our fundraising goal with LESS THAN 36 hours to meet it.

In an effort to ensure my team's efforts were SUCCESSFUL, I petitioned my personal teams of friends, partners and clients – all of whom I hold very dear and protect vigorously. Here's what happened…

Less than 24 hours later, we have RAISED $560.00 with an additional $100.00 in verbal commitments… WOW!! Again… WOW!!!!

2 DEGREE SUCCESS STEP:

What I have learned over time is that people, who SUPPORT and BELIEVE in you, do so because of the QUALITY of your character and actions. They are the ones that will ALWAYS be in your corner to defend your decisions, support your passions and give you the leeway to get "off course" without lasting retribution. Can you THINK of any greater group of people to be ENGAGED with?

Sometimes, we don't fully UNDERSTAND the associations and relationships we maintain in life. Sometimes, they show little surface VALUE or they become distant over time. However, I do know this… These people that have SUPPORTED me are EXACTLY the ones I thought would. And WHEN they need me – I will be there…

Because that is what you do FOR your PEOPLE!

Cheers,
Zach

*To enjoy past editions of the Morning Motivator go to – http://grow-learn-lead.blogspot.com

The Morning Motivator is a copyrighted publication. The use of this article is open for print or publication with proper citations.

Morning Motivator - Bend... And If That "Don't Work..."

"Outside of science and law, all rules can be bent or broken."
- Timothy Ferriss.

FACT: RULES are made for those who are unwilling or afraid to test limits. But not for ALL of us...

I'm not putting DOWN anyone that is not prone to "rocking the boat." Simply, I am stating that CHANGE is made by those that do not ACCEPT the current path, mentality or focus of a situation. When you consider the great change makers of our time, you realize that they were people that were willing to RISK embarrassment, financial loss, social agony and potential banishment... just to make things BETTER (as they saw it).

As a LEADER or someone that is ASPIRING to be a leader, you have to RECOGNIZE that rules are a general acceptance of social norms. Rules are what people ACCEPT to be proper or "right," even if it doesn't make sense or if there is a better way.

Your TASK is to change that mentality of the WORLD! Yes, the world... and start with the people in your back yard.

2 DEGREE SUCCESS STEP:
As shifts in VALUES and BELIEFS are made socially, it is the RESPONSIBILITY of leaders to ensure that the best policies and actions are made for the people that are unable or unwilling to take the position of "change maker."

The needs of people, companies, non profits and nations will CONTINUALLY change as education and incomes alter. There will always be a NEED for leaders to recognize this shifting system and BEND (and BREAK) rules in order to shift the perceptions of people. Laws have GRAY areas. SCIENCE has none. Both are not intended to be broken, yet with further knowledge and understanding, both have the ability to altered and leveraged...

Don't be AFRAID to put your "donkey" on the line... Someone in this world HAS TO stand up and do it. Why not YOU?

Cheers,
Zach

*To enjoy past editions of the Morning Motivator go to – http://grow-learn-lead.blogspot.com


The Morning Motivator is a copyrighted publication. The use of this article is open for print or publication with proper citations.

Morning Motivator - A Contribution from a Very Good Friend

Today's Morning Motivator is VERY special as it was written ENTIRELY by my very good friend, Mr. Todd Lamon. (I am very impressed Lamon - GREAT JOB!)

"Things may come to those who wait, but only the things left by those who hustle."
-Abraham Lincoln
 
Have you ever found yourself watching poker on the four-letter sports network when NOTHING else is on? Yeah, me too. 

If you look at the way that some of those players play, you might notice that they put relentless pressure on the opposition for the win.

They constantly find ways to improve their game, whether it changing their betting style or changing the pace of play. The guys who come away from the table as winners have one thing in common. They SEIZE the opportunity when presented with it.
 
2 DEGREE SUCCESS STEP:
Always find way to improve yourself. Nobody is perfect all the way around. There is ALWAYS something that can be improved on to help you achieve better results.
 
I know it's cliché, but never let up for a second! The second you find yourself satisfied, you're losing the battle.

By striving for a greater goal and always committing 100% to what it is... you achieve those goals.
 
Cheers!
- Todd Lamon


EXCELLENT work!! I'm so honored to have other leaders contribute to this forum.

Strive for your BEST today... And keep your POKER FACE on!

- Zach

*To enjoy past editions of the Morning Motivator go to – http://grow-learn-lead.blogspot.com


The Morning Motivator is a copyrighted publication. The use of this article is open for print or publication with proper citations.

Morning Motivator - Getting to an Easier Life

"Never wish your life was easier. Wish that you were better."
- James Rohn

How often have you asked for an EASIER way? You know, it sounds like, "Dear GOD, please give me a break here..."

I too, am GUILTY of this silly request.

What I am LEARNING is that the problem isn't that my life is DIFFICULT... It is that I am ill-equipped to manage it. WOW! Would anyone really ADMIT that?

Commonly, we create EXCUSES for out lack of execution. Its the "economy, referees, my boss, the temperature and so on..."

2 DEGREE SUCCESS STEP:
RARELY, we ACCEPT that we FAILED to meet our goals because we didn't have the tools.
This would be ADMITTING we didn't train enough. We didn't PREPARE before the meeting. We didn't know the RULES...

The SOLUTION: Work on YOURSELF first. Whatever you can't do or are not GOOD at... OUTSOURCE it to someone else!! It is worth your MONEY, to ELIMINATE your weaknesses.

Cheers,
Zach

*To enjoy past editions of the Morning Motivator go to – http://grow-learn-lead.blogspot.com


The Morning Motivator is a copyrighted publication. The use of this article is open for print or publication with proper citations.

Morning Motivator – More Eggs, More Baskets

"Concentrate; put all your eggs in one basket, and watch that basket..."
- Andrew Carnegie

I have been THINKING a lot about the future lately. I have been also been CONISDERING the idea that our "current" economy is, in fact, our new economy. What if it is??

Most people have ALL of their eggs in one big basket. One INVESTMENT plan (401k), one INCOME source (your job) and one RETIREMENT plan (keeping saving and pray). I WONDER if having a few more baskets that have smaller eggs doesn't make more SENSE??

Consider the idea of starting your OWN business. Not QUITTING your job, just starting your own business. In the age of "the web," you now have the ABILITY to create a business without having to sacrifice your security. You can now start a small web company and create a NEW revenue source.

2 DEGREE SUCCESS STEP:
Imagine if you had a small, niche website that GENERATED an additional $1,000 per month. How hard would that be? A product of $25 per unit profit with 40 sales per month… THAT'S IT!! That isn't even a GOOD, PRODUCTIVE site… just one that sells the minimum.

Now, consider if you had 10 sites that generated a profit of $500 each per month! $500 x 10 =$5,000. WOW!!

Say a few have a BAD month and generate ZERO. OK, so you make $500 times 7 which equals $3,500. Now THAT's pretty well covered… and not requiring much!!

Maybe it is time to look at your EGGS, pick up a few more and find a few more baskets to put them into. You don't need big baskets, when you are CREATING so many eggs…

Cheers,
Zach

*To enjoy past editions of the Morning Motivator go to – http://grow-learn-lead.blogspot.com


The Morning Motivator is a copyrighted publication. The use of this article is open for print or publication with proper citations.