As you may know, I am a huge fan of Beachbody. They are the company that are responsible for P90X, Insanity, Turbo Fire, and so much more! As I started researching Beachbody, I fell in love with their company! I started following as many of their staff as I could! That is how I found Chalene Johnson, creator of Turbo Fire and Turbo Jam!

When I start following Chalene on Twitter, I really liked what she had to say. She shared a lot about motivation, productivity, marketing, branding, leadership, and more. Over time, I became a huge fan of Chalene.

Her book “Push” came out in December. It’s one of the best books that I have found that will help you set priorities, goals, and action items to accomplish everything you want to accomplish. It combines Chalene’s love for fitness with her passion for goal-setting, achievement, and success.

The book is broken into 30 day Challenges! Every day you read 1 chapter or challenge and Chalene gives you action steps for each day. Her goal is that by the end of the 30 days, you’ll have developed habits that will increase your ability to set and accomplish your goals. I’ve gone through the book twice already and I plan on going through it again.

If you’re looking for help setting goals, prioritizing, making the best use of your time, getting into the best shape of your life, and ultimately living a better life, you need to read this book! I would also encourage you to go through Chalene’s 30-Day Challenge on her website. You’ll get a daily e-mail for 30 days with Chalene challenging you. It was extremely beneficial to go through!

Some of the big things I learned and applied are:

• Set 10 Goals Every Week for the Year
• Prioritize those goals by discovering your “Push” Goal
• Reverse Engineer all of your goals
• Make your goals public!
• How to eat right!
• Get around successful people!
• Use your smart phone for everything!
• Establish a to-do system using your phone!
• The best workout is the one you’ll do!

Buy the Hard Copy:

Buy the Kindle Version:

No one who achieves success does so without the help of others. The wise and confident acknowledge this help with gratitude.  ~Alfred North Whitehead

You are the result of a lot of people influencing your life for better or worse. We can all look back on our lives and remember the people who made a difference in our lives. Maybe it was a parent, an aunt or an uncle, a grandparent, a teacher, a coach, a friend, a pastor, or a business man or woman. Perhaps it was a book we read, a sermon we listened to, or a talk at a conference we went to.

My question to you is: Do the people who have made a difference in your life know that they made a difference in your life?

Photo Courtesy of http://tangledinshep.deviantart.com

There isn’t a person on the planet that doesn’t want to make a difference in the lives of others. There isn’t a person on the planet that doesn’t want to hear the words, “What you do matters and it made a difference in my life.”

Recently, I reached out to a professor I had in college in 2004 who made an incredible impact on my life. In one conversation we had together, he said something that changed my life forever. I e-mailed him and told him that he made a difference in my life and that I would love to connect sometime.

He called me last night. We talked on the phone for 15 minutes and it was one of the best conversations I’ve had in a long time! I was able to express my gratitude for the impact he had in my life. I was specific about what he did to make a difference in my life and I encouraged him. I said, “I just want you to know that what you do matters. I’m sure there are days where it feels like you’re making no difference at all, but you are. Thank you.” He was extremely grateful for the call and he said some things to me that encouraged me and fired me up for my future!

Gratitude matters. A lot.

One act of gratitude can encourage and motivate someone to keep going for years!

Make it a practice to continually show intentional gratitude to those who have made a difference in your life. Write them a letter, send them a message, call them, take them out to coffee, get them a gift, and anything else you can think of to show how grateful you are for what they do. Make sure they know that they matter.

Who are 3 people that have made an impact in your life that you could reach out to and thank this month?

What are you waiting for? Go!

Silent gratitude isn’t much use to anyone. ~G. B. Stern

If this post helped you and you believe it could help others, please “like” and share it on Facebook, Twitter, Stumble Upon, and the other social media sites listed below. Also, I would love to hear your thoughts on this post. Leave a comment below! Thank you!

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“Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more of his wonderful grace? Of course not! Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it?” ~ Romans 6:1-2

In this message, Mark Driscoll said that when him and his wife first starting dating, they started sleeping together. They didn’t know any better.He said once they found out that was wrong, they stopped until they got married. Now when he talks about sex, he always teaches abstinence. People will come up to him and say, “Yea, but you did it and it worked out fine.”

He said, “Yea, well I know people that have driven through a school zone while they were drunk and they didn’t kill anybody, but I am never going to tell anyone to do that either. We got a grace card from God on that one. (referring to sleeping with his wife before they were married)”

Photo Courtesy of GraceWalkMinsitries

Have you ever tried to use someone’s story to justify doing what you shouldn’t be doing? “They did it and nothing bad happened to them. They did drugs but never got into the heavy stuff. They slept together or lived together before they got married and nothing happened. They drink all the time and their life is fine.”

So much of pain in life is a result of us doing whatever we want, even when we know it is wrong. We think we’re invincible. We either believe that our actions don’t have consequences or that we are immune to them, even if we’ve seen others face the consequences.

That’s not true. The reality is, if you’re sinning, and haven’t faced the consequences yet, it’s for one reason: the grace of God! But, just because you haven’t faced consequences yet, doesn’t mean there won’t be any if you keep going down the path you’re going down.

I’ve seen too many people start doing “lighter” drugs, never thinking they’ll end up doing the hard stuff. Too many people sleeping around because it’s fun, and end up marrying someone they shouldn’t have married. Too many people making little compromises that later down the road end up costing them a lot of pain, regret, sorrow, and bitterness…or more. 

Sin is real. It has consequences.

If you’re doing things right now that you know are not right, stop! If God tells us not to do something in His Word, it’s for a reason. He loves you! He wants the best for you!

If you’ve messed up or you’re in the middle of a mess, go after God! Get to church! Read the Bible! Get around some Christian friends! God loves you!

Fact: The more you pursue God, the less you’ll sin, and the better your life will be. You’ll make better decisions, you’ll be happier, and you’ll find yourself living a life you never dreamed of living before!

Thoughts?

What areas of your life have you been compromising in that you need to stop?

If this post helped you and you believe it could help others, please share it on Facebook, Twitter, Stumble Upon, and the other social media sites listed below. Also, I would love to hear your thoughts on this post. Leave a comment below! Thank you!

I would also encourage you to subscribe to this blog via RSS feed or e-mail! You can sign-up for e-mail by typing your e-mail address in the box on the left hand side of this site that says “E-mail updates”.

I love the iPhone! It’s changed everything! With smart phones, we can have a personal assistant, a calorie tracker, a calendar, a to-do list, a scanner, a camera, the internet, a gps, and so much more!

I have posted my favorite apps a few years ago in this post, but since so many new apps have come out since then, I thought I should share the new once I can’t live without, with you!

Photo Courtesy of BusinessInsider

My Net Diary - I use this app to track all of my calories, water in take, workouts, supplements, weight, and ultimately my results! It’s worth the $3.99 for the pro version!

Starbucks - I have a Starbucks addiction! My favorite part of the app is you can pay using your iPhone with this app! It’s so awesome! If you’re a Starbucks junkie, download this now!

Evernote - Evernote has changed my life. If you don’t know what Evernote is, watch this! It’s enabled me to go paperless! I don’t know how I ever lived without Evernote!

Instagram - Instagram was the app of the year in 2011! If you don’t know what it is, it’s basically a social network for photography. It allows you to post photos in a timeline for others to see, like, and comment on. It also gives you the ability to edit your photos with some really cool filters!

Diptic -Another photo app. This allows you to make collage of photos! It’s really cool!

Photo 365 -If you like making memories, you’ll love this app! It allows you to pick any number of photos and post them daily on a calendar. If you do it daily, you’ll have entire calendars filled with pictures that will allow you go back and see what you did on any given day!

John Maxwell’s App -A free leadership resource app? I’m in! If you like leadership, get this app now!

Waze -Waze is a social network GPS! 

Downcast - This is one of the greatest apps ever invented! If you listen to a lot of podcasts, buy this app now! It lets you subscribe and stream and endless amount of podcasts. Say goodbye to the days where you had to download a podcast in iTunes and then transfer it to your iPhone or iPod!

Sleep Cycle -I just got this one recently and have been trying it for a week! I like it so far! It’s an alarm clock app that tracks your sleep patterns and wakes you up within 30 minutes of when you set you alarm. It wakes you up based on how deep of a sleep you’re in! Theoretically, when you wake up when you’re not in a deep sleep, you feel refreshed, energized, and ready to go! This app works!

Fooducate -This app is for you fitness nerds! It allows you to scan any food item and then it evaluates how good or bad the item is for you. This app has caused me to stop buying a lot of food I thought was good for me and start buying a lot of food that actually is good for me! You may look like a nerd scanning food in the aisles, but this app can really help you improve your overall health!

Reeder -The best app I’ve found for reading my Google Reader feed!

Mailchimp - If you use Mailchimp (an e-mail service) this app is great! It allows you to build your list and view reports without having to go to their website. I love it!

TED - If you watch TED talks a lot, this app is for you! If you don’t know what TED is, check it out!

What apps am I missing? What apps do you have that you can’t live without?

If this post helped you and you believe it could help others, please share it on Facebook, Twitter, Stumble Upon, and the other social media sites listed below. Also, I would love to hear your thoughts on this post. Leave a comment below! Thank you!

I would also encourage you to subscribe to this blog via RSS feed or e-mail! You can sign-up for e-mail by typing your e-mail address in the box on the left hand side of this site that says “E-mail updates”.

Last week I listened to this message by Mark Driscoll from the 2011 Newspring Leadership Conference. It is one of the most important messages I have ever listened to. I will be listening to this over and over again.

If you’re married or plan to be one day, if you’re in ministry, or if you find yourself chasing success and idolizing people, you need to watch this message!

Thoughts?

Reflection Questions:

Who or what are you worsshipping?

Who are you idolizing?

Are you being a friend to your spouse or significant other?

If this post helped you and you believe it could help others, please share it on Facebook, Twitter, Stumble Upon, and the other social media sites listed below. Also, I would love to hear your thoughts on this post. Consider leaving a comment below! Thank you!

It’s been a while since I’ve done an Ask Me Anything Friday! If you are new to this, ask me any question by filling out the form below, asking me a question on Twitter, Facebook, or Google+ and I will answer it in an upcoming video blog.

“If you have integrity, nothing else matters. If you don’t have integrity, nothing else matters.” -Harvey MacKay

I read this story in Harvey Mackay’s new book, “The Mackay MBA of Selling in the Real World” and  loved it! I had to share it with you:

“A mother was invited for dinner at her son Brian’s apartment. During the course of the meal, Brian’s mother couldn’t help but notice how beautiful Brian’s roommate, Jennifer, was. Brian’s mom had long suspected a relationship between Brian and Jennifer. Over the course of the evening, while watching the two interact, she started to wonder if there was more between them than met the eye. Reading his mom’s thoughts, Brian volunteered, “I know what you must be thinking, but I assure you Jennifer and I are just roommates.”

About a week later, Jennifer came to Brian, saying, “Ever since your mother came to dinner, I’ve been unable to find the beautiful silver gravy ladle. You don’t suppose she took it, do you?” “Well, I doubt it,” Brian said, “but I’ll send her an e-mail just to be sure.”

So he wrote: “Dear Mom: I’m not saying that you ‘did’ take the gravy ladle from the house, and I’m not saying that you ‘did not’ take the gravy ladle. But the fact remains that one has been missing ever since you were here for dinner. Love, Brian.”

Several days later, Brian received an e-mail back from his mother: “Dear Son: I’m not saying that you ‘do’ sleep with Jennifer, and I’m not saying that you ‘do not’ sleep with Jennifer. But the fact remains that if Jennifer had been sleeping in her own bed, she would have found the ladle by now. Love, Mom.”

It takes a lifetime to build a reputation of integrity, trust, and good character. It takes one bad decision to destroy the reputation we’ve built. None of us are perfect, but most of us know right from wrong. Let’s get back to the basics of integrity: do not lie, do not steal, do not cheat, treat others as you would want to be treated! Let’s get accountability! Let’s do whatever it takes to live with integrity before people and before God!

“If you have integrity, nothing else matters. If you don’t have integrity, nothing else matters.” -Harvey MacKay

Thoughts?

If this post helped you and you believe it could help others, please share it on Facebook, Twitter, Stumble Upon, and the other social media sites listed below. Also, I would love to hear your thoughts on this post. Consider leaving a comment below! Thank you!

“Everything doesn’t have to feel good to be God!” -Joyce Meyer

When people ask me how I’m doing, I usually say, “I’m on fire!!!” When I say that, people react in a lot of different ways, but the two answers I hear the most are: “I wish I was on fire!” or “You can’t be on fire all the time, tell us how you’re really feeling!”

Photo courtesy of Psychologytoday.com

Both of those statements bother me! Attitude and happiness is simply a choice. We can’t always choose our circumstances, but we always have 100% control over our attitude and our actions! I believe you can be happy all the time! However, there are specific things you can do to make sure you always have a good attitude.

Here are a few things that help me stay “on fire” most of the time:

Choose to Be Happy – It really is a choice!

Believe Roman 8:28 - This verse says that God works ALL things together for GOOD for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. God’s taken the lowest points of my life and turned them into more than I could ever ask for. He’s a good God. No matter what you’re going through, realize that God can and will bring something good out of it, if you’ll just believe Him!

Trust God - Proverbs 3:5-6! When you don’t understand, don’t know why, or don’t know how . . . Trust God! Isaiah 26:3 says God will keep you in perfect peace when your eyes are focused on Him!

Cast Your Cares -1 Peter 5:7 says to cast ALL your cares upon God, because He cares for you. Let go and let God!

Workout -A ton of research has been done and proven that physical exercise improves productivity, energy, and confidence! It’s a big deal! You should be working out 5-6 days a week! Do it and see how much more confident and happy you become!

Get a good nights sleep! – This was the hardest one for me! I don’t want to miss anything! However, after I decided that no matter what I’m getting 7-8 hours of sleep a night, my life has changed! I have more energy, I’m happier, and I don’t get tired throughout the day.

Eat Right – Stop eating junk! It will do nothing but satisfy you temporarily and leave you more depressed in the long run! Eating right makes you feel great!

Live for a Purpose Bigger Than Yourself – Hopefully you’re not just living for you! Find a purpose bigger than yourself that your passionate about and give it your all! (i.e. serving at a church, non-profit, etc.)

Get a Job You Love and are Passionate About -Never pursue a job just for the money! Pursue your passion and gifting and the money will come! Not to mention you’ll be a lot happier doing something you love! When you’re doing something you love, you will never have to work a day in your life!

Get Around Positive People – Get around people that leave you feeling encouraged and empowered to do anything! Read this post!

Shun Negative People! - Run away from these people! They will drain you of all of your energy and happiness! Read this post!

Start implementing some of these things in your life, and I promise you’ll find yourself having more energy and joy!

Thoughts?

What things do you do to maintain a good attitude?

If this post helped you and you believe it could help others, please share it on Facebook, Twitter, Stumble Upon, and the other social media sites listed below. Also, I would love to hear your thoughts on this post. Consider leaving a comment below! Thank you!

This year, I’ve started a new leadership podcast and a newsletter called, “Learning to Lead”. In the podcast, I will be interviewing leaders as well as sharing what I have been learning about leadership. My hope is that through these resources, you will grow both as a person and as a leader. If you would like to subscribe to this podcast through iTunes, click here!

In addition to the podcast, I will be sending out a. The newsletter will be published 1-2 times a month with new leadership content not found on my blog, leadership quotes, leadership resources, and interviews with leaders. Subscribe to the Newsletter Now!

In this episode, I interviewed my future father-in-law and the Director of Admission at Carnegie Mellon University. In part 2, we discuss leadership in the workplace. Mike and I hope that these interviews will add value to your life and help you to develop as a leader. Listen here: