Now friend, I don’t claim to be perfect in this area, but I do try. And, as a fella’ much wiser then me once said, “shoot for the moon, because even if you fall short, you’ll land among the stars” (note: I originally heard this quoted by Les Brown, but since then I’ve also heard it credited to others as well). One of the most important lessons I was taught at a pretty young age was not to look down on others.

I remember when I was getting into business hearing it said, “be the type of person who can just as easily spend time with those in a suit and a tie, as those in blue jeans.” In other words, don’t look down on folks or think you are somehow better then they are!

I remember one experience that made it crystal clear to me that I should never judge a book by its cover. I was working in our family’s business at the time, a fellow came in to the office to see my father. He still had a few small remnants of dried concrete on his shirt. I didn’t think much of it. Afterward my father casually mentioned that while he was a brick mason by trade — he also happened to own quite a bit of real-estate (multiple apartments, houses, etc.).

Needless to say, I’d have never guessed this if I hadn’t been told. The point is, you just never know a persons background, resources, etc — therefore, if you make the mistake of trying to group them in some way you may end up missing out on an opportunity — and besides, it’s better to treat all folks with the same dignity and respect they deserve.

And as my friend and colleague Vic Johnson would say, “that’s worth thinking about.”

It’s Your Life, LIVE BIG!
Josh Hinds

-I’d love to hear your thoughts and feedback on the above ideas in the comments below.

Believe in the power of your dreams. Believe in your abilities. Friend, to the best of your ability ignore the doubters.

Sadly, there will always be those who doubt others. Take heart, because interestingly, they are often the first to jump on the bandwagon when you begin to tip the scales of success in your favor.

It’s your life, LIVE BIG!
Josh Hinds

I’d like to share two quotes that I believe are important to keep in mind if one wants to remain productive.

Ready? Good, here goes…

“Out of sight, out of mind is a productivity killer!”

and …

Writer G. K. Chesterton said, “More often than not people need to be reminded, more than they need to be instructed.”

With these quotes in mind, let me then share a few things that can keep you productive:

1. Keep your priorities straight. Write down the most important things and do them first! Remember that not every task that comes our way is created equal. While everything in its own way may be important–some tasks when completed give you a greater sense of accomplishment or reward.

Tip: Develop the habit of identifying tasks that if completed will give you the biggest payoff — be sure to keep them front and center of mind so that they’re the first to get your attention each day.

2. Use lists. I’m a big proponent of keeping lists because they help remind you about what needs to be done. Keep these things in mind when you come up with your to-do list:
include your most important items first, leave room for unexpected things, add time frames for when you will do something, and don’t schedule things back to back with little or no time between them. Then, when you finish a task, mark it complete so that you’ll get a sense of accomplishment to give you the boost you need to go through the other items on your list.

Tip: Don’t panic if you don’t accomplish every item on your list. Instead, at the end of the day, just place the items left behind on your to-do list for the next day.

3. Get a calendar. A calendar offers an easy “at a glance” view of upcoming events, whether they are today or in the near future. You can use a traditional paper calendar–such as a day planner that’s small enough to carry with you. Or, if you prefer, you can opt for a desk calendar. My primary calendar solution is the Web-based Google Calendar. There is no shortage of software programs or other web based solutions to choose from.

Tip: With the Google Calendar, you will be able to create unique calendars within a larger calendar. You can have specialized “sub-calendars.” For example, you can create one for personal use and one for work purposes. As you add new tasks you assign the particular “sub-calendar” to the task.

One advantage to this is that while everything can be grouped on your calendar view, you can also easily view tasks by each calendar group. With a Web-based calendar, you could also have alerts sent to either your cell phone as a text message, or sent as an email to remind you of the events on your calendar.

4. Adopt a “Do it now!” attitude. Even the most well-laid plans get derailed when we don’t get moving. It’s not always because we don’t want to do the tasks. At times, they just don’t get done because other things come up and overwhelm us. The funny thing is when we simply do the thing we’re neglecting, we find that it rarely takes anywhere near the time to do it that we may have originally thought it would.

In many instances, we waste more time when we put off a task in order to wait for a more convenient time to do it. Isn’t that ironic?

Tip: Keep in mind that becoming more productive is simply about doing what you know needs to be done as soon as possible, as well as using a few handy solutions and tools which will help you in your efforts.

For starters, these moves should help you get things done right through a more streamlined process that will give you more time to develop groundbreaking ideas. When that happens, then there’s no doubt that you’re on your way to the peak of your productivity.

It’s Your Life, LIVE BIG!
Josh Hinds

PS. If you enjoyed the article you just read click here to download some free sample chapters from my book, It’s Your Life, LIVE BIG!

I’ve heard it said countless times that simply thinking positive thoughts isn’t enough. In fact, I’ve heard it so many times — I liken it to a broken record. So now, rather then argue the point I prefer to refer to the wise words of Zig Ziglar who said, “positive thinking will let you do everything better than negative thinking will.” In other words, even if it only helps a little — those who strive to put positive thinking to work in their lives are better off then those who don’t. Think about it — a little bit of extra effort in exchange for what could very well lead to a whole lot of gain!

And that is worth thinking about don’t you agree?

It’s Your life, LIVE BIG!
Josh Hinds

PS. Grab your copy my motivational CD, Why Perfect Timing is a Myth

Fear can keep you from living up to your full potential if you allow it to. That said, make no mistake — it requires your participation in order for it to be able to hold you back.

Friend, if you can overcome the fear and move forward in spite of your doubts you can achieve anything you’re willing to go after and fully commit to.

It’s your life, LIVE BIG!

Josh Hinds

Resolutions or goals — what’s the difference you ask?

Admittedly, a small distinction in wording, but it isn’t actually as small a difference as you might think.

Here’s what I’m suggesting. The very wording “new year resolution” gives one the wiggle room to stop the thing completely, should they lose interest in it, or happen to have a few days where they neglect to do what is needed to stay on track. Plus, there’s always that idea that if they fall off the wagon — there is always next year — it’s as though it is easier to give yourself permission to just quit and pick up next January (which of course rarely happens).

Using the term goals, rather then new years resolutions, while a tiny distinction in wording in fact can make all the difference for several reasons.

* You go into the goal setting experience understanding that it is not something that has to be completed totally uninterrupted, and should you find that you end up taking a break from your goal it is perfectly acceptable to come back to it at the very moment when you are reminded that you wish to do so.

In other words when you use the term goals versus new years resolutions you go into it with an understanding that you will stick with them until they are completed and will come back to them in the event that you end up losing focus on what you need to be working on for a brief period of time.

Consistency is critical in goal setting

There is no shortage of ways to go about setting goals. Rather then focus on specific techniques I’m going to discuss how important consistency is with regards to achieving what you set out to accomplish.

Friend, more often than not the difference between seeing your goal through and falling short gets down to your ability to remain engaged in the activity.

Make no mistake — consistency is vitally important. I would offer the following suggestion to help ensure you reach more of your goals. Develop the habit of writing out your goals each and every day. It’s repetitive for sure, but that repetition is precisely what makes it work. Keep a journal or 3×5 index cards, whatever is most convenient and rewrite those goals every day. Doing so will do wonders for keeping you involved in what’s required of you to achieve what you have set for yourself.

Your ability to practice consistency in your goal setting will ensure you accomplish far more of the things you set out to do. Make that commitment and you will find that it makes all the difference.

It’s your life, LIVE BIG!
Josh Hinds

PS. If you would like to have me speak to your group or organization drop me a note or give me a call. I look forward to inspiring your group!

Rise above those who attempt to convince you that forces outside yourself are keeping you from your full potential.

Sadly, more and more often I’m seeing way too many people falling in line with the idea that sources outside themselves are somehow responsible for keeping them down. Keeping them from opportunities. Keeping them from better jobs. Holding them back from earning more money. Keeping them from a better education. The list goes on and on.

Friend, you can adopt that philosophy if you wish. You’re completely entitled. You can buy into what the people who are pushing this line of thinking are selling if you wish. I’ll even concede that on the surface, accepting such ideas — that ultimately you are not really responsible for your life, or whether or not you fully live up to and cultivate your full potential is enticing. It’s certainly an easier road to take.

To accept things “as they are” doesn’t require the uncomfortableness that goes along with questioning what people who are peddling this belief system to you really have in mind. Make no mistake, if enough people get to the point where they sincerely believe they are not capable of lifting themselves up no matter what place in life they may find themselves currently, then there is a real opportunity for those who believe in the idea that personal responsibility and rugged individualism doesn’t work.

It’s also that much easier to put people into groups such as the “haves and have nots”. It’s a dangerous direction to move in, where more and more people are losing faith in their own ability to fully achieve their greatness. To live as BIG as they possibly can.

The reality is, there’s just as much opportunity for everyone, from the seemingly poorest among us all the way up to the wealthiest. Every single day countless people across this world of ours from all corners of the earth are going from extreme poverty, to extreme prosperity, and just about every social class in between. We should be celebrating every single time this happens, and friend, I can tell you it happens all the time. I see it every single day in the work I do.

The challenge is that in order to be open to seeing it, and making real change in ones life, a person has to accept that they are responsible for their life. If a greater education is required, then they have got to tap into the resources, get the help, whatever is required in order to gain that extra education. If they determine to go into business for themselves, they have to be willing to start small (countless people all across the world do just that) and have the sincere willingness to persevere until they begin to see the fruits of their labor take hold.

Friend, make no mistake — opportunity abounds. It always has. Just like the phoenix which rises from the ashes, there will be countless businesses which will have been started during the current difficult economic times and will go on to grow beyond anyone’s wildest imaginations. This has always been the case, it was the case during the great depression, and friend, it will be the case in the future. The difference, is as it has always been whether or not you decide to take the road that some are espousing, or if you instead decide to celebrate your own unique talents and GOD given gifts. Knowing full well that you can craft an amazing existence provided you are willing to set out to make it so.

Remember….

It’s your life, LIVE BIG!
Josh Hinds

If you want to reach your goals, be they in business or your personal life, consider that you have two basic choices.

One, you can either respond as things popup through out your day, week, or on the fly — or you can make the decision to plan, and to the best of your ability work the plan you have laid out for yourself.

Friend, certainly there will be times where life throws unexpected challenges your way which may take you off your plan, but even in such instances where this occurs you will be much better off if you’ve taken the time to put into place a plan to bring you back to where you need to be then without one.

Make no mistake — having a plan, and the commitment to work that plan is essential if you wish to succeed in your endeavors.

PS. if you enjoyed the ideas above checkout my motivational CD, ‘Why Perfect Timing is a Myth’

“If you do your best, stay in the game, learn along the way, and adapt as best you can, life has an incredible way of filling in the details for you.” — Josh Hinds

I’m guessing if you’re really honest with yourself you can recount a time or two (or more!) in your life where the quote above held true for you. If you’re in a place in your life where you find it easy to discount the idea above then stop, and grab a piece of paper. Write down all the past “successes” and positive experiences you can recall through our your life (yes, the big & seemingly small ones too. All of them!). Don’t cheat yourself here either. Don’t let that little voice inside you win out (you know, the one that attempts to say that a particular achievement you’re about to write down is small or inconsequential… don’t listen! Just write it down).

Now look over that list you’ve got now. Friend, you can’t argue with the truth. You may be in a hard place right now, but you’ve experienced good in your life (heck the proof is written down before your own eyes), maybe, it appears to be distant, but just the same, you’ve been there before, and as such, if you’ll continue to hang on you will experience a positive shift in your life. Make the habit of reconnecting with times in your life where the “wins” have been plentiful and you will begin to notice that life will begin to pull you in that very direction.

Always remember…

It’s your life, LIVE BIG!
Josh Hinds

* Btw. your thoughts and feedback are always welcome and appreciated in the comments below

I hope you find the following quote inspiring…

“Your presence is a gift to this world. Don’t underestimate yourself or your abilities — truly, you were made for greatness.” — Josh Hinds