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The day to day, the small tasks, the things that nobody sees, the things that you do for others and the things that don’t seem like a big deal to anyone else…

Those are the gestures that make up who you are, especially the things that go unseen.

So, here are 3 ways to make sure these kinds of gestures receive more focus in your own life:

1. Realize that repetition makes you better when opportunities come your way, no matter the size.

Practice. And with practice comes repetition. If you practice repeatedly it becomes a habit and a lifestyle change.

Someone once said that character is made up of the unseen things that you do for people that have no affect in your life. You can act out a totally unselfish action for those that can’t advance you in your job, that can’t financially reward you, that won’t lavish you with praises…

We have good excuses not to do this, right?

“I am just way too busy!”

Sound familiar? This one seems to be the most common excuse.

When we get to the end of our lives, we will come to the realization that busyness was the sole purpose we didn’t help others if we don’t focus on what is really important now. Don’t let busyness get in the way of pouring out everything you have to offer into other’s lives. Blessing others is much more rewarding for everyone involved than busyness will ever be.

2. Your actions build your reputation.

Whether you realize it or not, people are always looking. I am sure you heard this line from your parents growing up.

People will always judge a book from it’s cover and to some extent we should care about that because our reputation is at stake. Build character behind the scenes as well as in the open. Remember, it takes a lifetime to build your reputation and a minute to tarnish it, so don’t be so quick to act. Think about things before going all in.

3.When a great job is done with the small things, bigger items will be entrusted to you.

I am sure you have seen this in your own life as well, especially in the workplace. When you do an amazing job with a small project, then others trust you with bigger responsibilities. A job well done creates trust.

It is a Biblical principle as well, so it works.

What have you seen come out of your own life when doing great with the small things? You can leave your comment below.

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As leaders we need to ask ourselves this simple question…

“Does my work offer people real solutions?”

If our work doesn’t, then there’s an issue.

Whether you answered with a “Yes” or “No” to that question,  here are 3 ways to make sure you give more solutions to others through your work:

1. Know what areas you are strong in.

I go to an accountant for my financial needs. I go to a Bible scholar to know more about the Bible. I go to authors to find out more about writing. I go to book publishers to know more about publishing. Teachers have specific subjects that they teach.

Why do you think this is?

Because it is better to focus on one or two strengths and become really good at them. This allows you to know your field and become an expert.

People become experts in one or two things, not ten.

2. Study to find solutions.

Anticipate the questions that will be asked in your area of expertise and seek those solutions. Putting the time in to know your field inside and out will give you the solutions you and others are seeking. Then, take the time to understand the real issues that others have. Really listen to who you are helping and take the feedback to heart.

Research and feedback help form concrete ideas and solutions to the issues in your field of expertise.

3. Apply solutions in your own life.

Give your solutions a test run. If you really believe in something, you will apply it in your own life, not just talk about it. This alone influences others to apply those same real solutions in their own lives just by seeing the great results in yours. Remember that great results produces influence, which is where leadership abounds.

If you call yourself a leader, devote yourself today to become known for delivering a solution to the issues at hand. Of course you won’t be able to give a solution to every single thing, but you can know where to find the answers if needed.

Do you consider coming up with solutions an easy task for you? You can leave your comment below.

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If you have a place of an employment or have kids, then you have most likely encountered a stressful situation. So, I am not showing you how to eliminate stress in this post, but how to deal with it better than you are right now.

Here are 3 ways to alleviate stress, change your perspective and enjoy life more:

1. Focus on the positive and do not magnify the negative.

Be first to find the good out of every situation. This changes perspective. A lot of stress happens when we make bigger deals of things than we should. Avoid this and come up with reasonable solutions for the issues at hand.

2. Accomplish tasks as soon as they come up.

Instead of letting tasks linger and having them on your mind for long periods of time, finish tasks as soon as you can. Schedule in “free time” each day if possible to make time for tasks that might come up within your day.

3. Make a point to have fun in every day.

If we become too focused, we can miss the fun. This comes easier for some people that others, but it is an important part of ever day for everyone. Find fun in what you are doing and enjoy life more. Know what things you enjoy at work and see how your perspective changes. When you enjoy what you do, work becomes play.

How have you dealt with stress before and what has worked for you in the past? You can leave your comment below.

Have you ever thought that you needed to have more discipline in your life? I know I have.

The question is usually, “I know who I want to be, but how do I get there?”

That is exactly where this eBook came from. It came from my experiences of being in that spot where I didn’t know where to turn next. I share what I learned during this time of focusing on different areas of my life… and that is to become disciplined even when I don’t feel like it. In the end it is not only habits that change, but a different lifestyle is formed and greatness is achieved.

This short, effective read can be used as an assessment tool as well as an action plan to get you to where you have always wanted to be, but weren’t willing to take the necessary steps or just didn’t know how you could achieve discipline in your own life.

Having discipline in your life doesn’t just have to be a thought, but it can be a reality in your life today.

You can get my FREE ebook by subscribing to my blog. After you sign up to receive regular updates, I will send you an email that will let you download, Discipline: The Art of Achieving Greatness.

Once you have read it, please leave a comment below telling me how it has helped you achieve greatness in your life.

Books offer tons of information that you can consume to instruct you in specific areas of life. The great thing about a book is that you choose what you read about and there aren’t ads or other things distracting you. The information that you want to read about is right there at your fingertips.

Maybe you like to read, but just haven’t found the time to read in the past. Or, maybe you are like I used to be and just didn’t view it as an important thing to do. If you don’t view reading as a learning tool and more like a chore, then you have defeated yourself before you have even started.

Realize that you don’t have every answer and that is where reading needs to comes in. You get to choose an expert in the area that you want to know more about and use their expertise to your advantage. Books allow you to cheat time and advance quickly off of someone else’s knowledge that they have taken many years to learn about.

So, are you ready to carve out time in your week to read more books and grow yourself in the specific areas you want to learn more about? Great.

Besides scheduling in reading time on a daily basis, here are three ways to find more time for reading books starting today:

1. Know the difference between when it is time to consume and when you should create.

This just means that you need to be aware of where you are at in the process. When you are feeling depleted, know that it is time to consume. When you are feeling full on information, it is time to create. Share what you have learned with other people and watch them grow. The most rewarding thing you can do is to share information and make a lasting impact on someone else’s life.

2. Learn how to “speed read” or consume quicker than you are right now.

Do you have fifty books on your “want to read” list, but can’t seem to get through the book that you’ve been reading for months now? Try speed reading. There are even online courses on how to “speed read” or just teach yourself to skim quickly and be able to extract the important information. This allows you to read more books within the year, consume more useful information and start on that next book you have been wanting to read.

3. Join a book club or go through books with other people.

If you just aren’t quite disciplined enough to read more than you are right now, then going through books with other people and studying them gives you accountability when reading. It motivates you to not only have your chapter read, so you can go over the material, but it also helps you to learn more from the books that you have read. It really is something to think about for those that want to take reading more seriously, but don’t quite know where to start.

What books have you wanted to read lately? You can leave your comment below.

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It’s true. You have to love the process to fall in love with the end product. There has been times in life where the work process was “blah”, so the end product was “meh”. On the other hand, when the process is “Wow!”, the end product is “Amazing!”. I don’t know about you, but I would be thrilled if the process was “Wow!” every time.

If I don’t like the process, I am rushing to push out the end product. When this the case, I am just worried about quantity, not quality, and that never works out well. Maybe you have been there, too. When quantity is key, you have a lot of blah. When quality is key, then a few gems are made. We all want to be part of something special, unique and life-changing. But, these things aren’t created in a day. To create something life-changing, there needs to be time put in.

So, how do we fall in love with a quality process in almost every situation?

Here are 4 ways to fall in love with the things you are working on and how to actually produce greatness in what you have started on:

1. Before you jump into something new, really think about what you want the outcome to be.

Imagine the finish line before you think about the start. Does the product that you are able to produce out of the process excite you? Would you say that it is worth it? If not, is there anything that you can change to make the process more exciting? Bring others in on your exciting journey and show them what the end could look like if hard work is put in. Then, have a plan and use the team to add on to it to make it their own. You will need buy-in from others.

Passion is what influences others.

2. Surround yourself with the positive people who are on the same team.

People who are all in want to be successful as much as you do. Identify those people who have a positive attitude and as a group influence others to get out of the downward spiral that is negativity, which will eventually result in destruction. Plain and simple, negative people suck the life out of everything they are around. Don’t accept negativity, you don’t have to put up with it and you don’t have to allow it. Bring life to your current situation and others will have to follow.

Celebrating success with others who are on your team is a reward in itself.

3. Don’t be afraid to change.

As a leader, if you see the process going in the wrong direction, don’t be afraid to change it. This may be one of the most important things you will face when changing an outlook of a team or the momentum of a project. Recognizing where and when change needs to happen is a true mark of a successful leader. Have courage and stand strong.

Chances are that you won’t walk into a perfect situation every time. Change is part of the process.

4. Again, you cannot rush greatness.

While sometimes being done with a task is better than being perfect, if you are going to shoot for mediocrity, then you might as well not even start. Just getting by isn’t productive for anyone involved. Set high standards and watch everyone else rise to the occasion. Set low standards and what you will get is a terrible product.

It starts with you. Be the one to achieve greatness. Don’t expect it just to happen on it’s own. When you understand that achieving the ideal finish takes being in it for the long haul, you can mentally prepare yourself. It may take years to get there, but do not get discouraged. It will be worth it. The key is to make the journey fun, so it doesn’t feel like work.

Be known for greatness, not mediocrity.

Where are you at? Do you enjoy the work you are putting in or do you need to fall back in love with it?You can leave your comment below.

When you can’t find the words to say to God or you can’t think of anything new, the Bible has you covered. Whatever you are facing this week, it is a good practice to get your mind in the right place and to have the correct perspective.

So, here is something to meditate on today:

You have something to thank God for today. Use these verses in your conversation with God today. When you run out of things to say, you can just thank Him.

What is one thing you can thank God for? You can leave your comment below.

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Your words matter more than you think. They affect how you think, the things that you think about and the way you come across and communicate.

Words captivate, propel, encourage and engage and really show who you are as a person.

I would say that is a pretty big deal…

You may be asking, “Do my words really matter THAT MUCH?”

Well, try to remember an instance where you lifted someone up in a less than ideal circumstances. How did your words help them?

Their attitude towards circumstances probably changed, their demeanor lifted and even the words they started using didn’t sound so “down in the dumps”.

Remember, your words not only affect you, but those around you.

You can make a difference with only your words.

Whose life can you speak positive words into today? You can leave your comment below.

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What if I told you that you can’t fail if you don’t give up?

You would probably go after things with even more diligence than you are right now. That is because if you can’t fail then your fear goes away.

You live life with more freedom. You take the first step sooner. You take more risks. Missing the mark becomes a lesser ordeal.

Stop letting your past experiences or “failures” hinder your beautiful future. Stop focusing on what you wish you could have done differently and start focusing on the things you can actually do something about.

Don’t give up.

Be open to new experiences. Step out on a limb. Embrace change. Live for a new day.

All of these things set you up for more self-confidence, bigger goals and ultimately more success.

And I know you want more success, right?

So, what is a situation that you have had to stay persistent in, even when the odds were against you? You can leave your comment below.

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You control you. You have to remember that.

This also means that you control your attitude and your outlook. That includes your joy level, too.

Here are three ways to get your joy level where it needs to be and to get you back where you were intended to be:

1. Don’t let outside circumstances determine your joy.

Joy comes from within. Remember that. Nobody can steal your joy. Your joy is determined by you and you alone.

2. Put yourself in less situations where your joy is depleted.

I know this sounds too easy, but it is so true. You know who and what helps your attitude go in the right or wrong direction. Be more intentional with your time around these people and these activities.

3. You get back what you put in.

This starts even as a child. Even Colbie at two years old already reacts to what she puts in. When she watches a movie that has something sad in it, her attitude changes almost immediately. Believe it or not, it really doesn’t change as you get older.

I have seen adults react in very similar ways, too. When negativity is put in, it is what is talked about in conversation. It becomes the focus. The same is true for when positive things happen. Let good things be your focus and watch how it changes the environment around you.

When you focus on joy, you get back joy. When you focus on things that get you down and depressed, that is what you will get, no matter what age you are.

What is an action step that you take when your joy level is low? You can leave your comment below.