Are you living Day to Day?

Words of wisdom from a multi-millionaire...

"The very poor live day-to-day, the poor live week-to-week, the middle class live month-to-month, the wealthy live year-to-year and the very wealthy live decade-to-decade" - Kyle Pacetti

Wow. I can’t stop thinking about how true this is. Imagine how this can affect the decisions we make. I've been everywhere from poor to very ‘comfortable’… I can attest to this. When money is tight you can’t even see beyond the week or the month and you make decisions accordingly. When things are going very well then you can plan out a year in advance. I would love to get to the point where I can plan out decades in advance.

I started to really think about this in terms of mindset and ethics. Think of someone who is very poor and living day-to-day. If someone struggles to get through the day and someone leaves a $20 bill unattended on the table do they take it? I’m sure we all know someone who would. I suspect they would have a way to justify to themselves as well… Perhaps saying that if the roles were reversed, the other person would do the same. Maybe they would justify by saying they need it more. On the other hand, what if this person were wealthy? Would they take it? I highly doubt it…

There was another successful speaker that spoke of the fact that she gets to change lives for a living. The money is really just a bonus. I totally understand. I believe that we all need to make a living and so why not earn your living by doing something with the purpose and intention of helping others. However, at the same time I looked around the room and saw that some people were rolling their eyes.

Why is it that some people think that it’s all about the money?

I believe that our current circumstances shape how we perceive the intent of other people. If things are rough in your life and someone approaches you with a way to help you that has a dollar figure attached to it, you might immediately become skeptical and defensive. What’s more is that you don’t have to be homeless to be in a bad situation. Maybe there is some uncertainty in your job… any time fear creeps in you will potentially react in a negative way to people who are trying to help.

Bottom line is that, it is okay to be skeptical. There are certainly people out there trying to scam you.  However, there are also so many people out there who want to help you. Just learn to ask the right questions. It is important to find out what the "win-win" situation is. If you can be clear on what each of you gain from the deal then you can make a better decision on whether you should move forward.

Who's the Boss?

It's 11pm and I’ve just had a totally unproductive day. It seems like I just keep getting pulled in so many directions that it is hard to get anything done. I’ve spent the last 20 minutes planning my day tomorrow and I hope that I can get my things done.

Sound familiar? For me this cycle repeats daily.

‘We are constantly being tugged on from a thousand different directions, so your ability to be productive & ultimately achieve your big hairy audacious goals has more to do with all the things you DON’T do versus the things you do. Doing MORE is not the answer. Doing less is. Saying “no” to more things so you can say “yes” to the right things is the key to taking you more efficiently & expeditiously toward your goals.’ - Darren Hardy

I get this. I just don't always know how to  it. I know I'm being too nice. As soon as someone needs me I cave. What is worse is that today, technology has made me way too accessible. People can get ahold of me by text, phone, facebook, email, twitter… The list goes on and on. It seems that everyone's priorities are SO urgent and my priorities pale in comparison. Not to mention the guilt trip I get if I do happen to say "no".

I attended a leadership conference a couple months ago that spoke about "being your own boss". The only 'job' of a boss is to make sure the work gets done. To be completely honest, I have done a very bad job at being my own boss. 

We need to take more responsibility for advancing our own lives forward… Which means being the boss. Otherwise, we let other people and other circumstances take over.

'If you don't design your own life plan, chances are you will fall into someone else's plan. And guess what they have planned for you? Not much.' - Jim Rohn

Picture this. You were at work, the boss gave you a serious deadline and a friend asked you for a favor what would you do? I bet you would say; "I'm so sorry, I can't, my boss is on my back about getting this work done."

So why is it easier to say no when there is a "boss" telling us what to do?

I had an ‘a-ha’ moment. I know that I have a hard time saying no and taking the "blame" for disappointing a friend. When I have a "boss" then it is not my fault. So I decided. Why not implement my own boss? It sounds crazy but if you adopt the mindset of an employee then you can blame the boss all you want. When someone pulls you in a direction other than the one that your 'boss' has defined for you, then blame the boss.

Here's how I did it. I put the "boss" hat on and I define all the goals and tasks for the day. My "employee" self has no choice but to finish what is on the list. I also add 1 more "miscellaneous" task to my schedule. When I am asked for a favor I simply say "I need to check my schedule, just send me a quick text/email to remind me." I never drop what I'm doing to take care of the favor. I simply finish what I'm doing and then take care of the miscellaneous task.

So I ask you this.  Are you ready to be the boss?