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How to Make the Journey Just as Fun as the Goal

Sometimes the journey is just as fun as the fulfillment of the goal. Our son, Ben’s, journey to becoming a full-time musician started in the basement of our old house on 58th Street in Milwaukee. He had picked up the guitar and learned mostly on his own. Before long he bought a little four-track recorder and started writing and recording songs. Tonight he is the opening act in Atlanta for Parachute, a major label recording artist and pop band.

Ben Guitar

For the first time he will be riding on a tour bus for a run of dates. He will be playing in front of sold out houses. He will be enjoying the green room amenities in each city. He will be selling merchandise and meeting fans.

But it’s all only one step of the journey. The fans in those sold out houses haven’t necessarily come to see him. They have come to see Parachute. He’ll be fighting an uphill battle to draw attention and win over even some of the crowd. He’ll probably be playing over folks who’d rather look at their phones and talk to each other until the major act comes out. He’ll be hoping to sell at least a few items every night so that he can make a little money as he goes*.

(*Side note: if you’re ever at a concert and are tempted not to pay attention to the opening act, remember that this is a huge opportunity for that artist; remember that they have worked very hard to get where they are; remember that they have family and friends cheering them on from afar.)

This is just one single step on the journey to become a full-time, money-making musician. But it’s a pretty fun step. It is the most recent in a series of steps that have brought Ben and his musical project, “My Red and Blue,” to this place in time. These steps have included:

  • Moving to Nashville to attend Belmont University, a school for hopeful musicians
  • Meeting friends in Nashville who eventually became members of his band
  • Writing and recording a first EP on a shoestring budget and some of Mom and Dad’s money
  • Being selected to participate in Belmont’s Songwriter’s Showcase
  • Being selected to participate in Belmont’s Rock Showcase
  • Graduating, taking a corporate job for Warner Records on Nashville’s Music Row
  • Deciding that the corporate life wasn’t for him
  • Writing and recording two more EPs, the most recent with top notch Nashville studio musicians
  • Being signed by Sorted Noise, a company that places music on commercials, TV shows, and films
  • Traveling to Los Angeles to participate in a conference for music placement industry people
  • Working in a restaurant to make ends meet, while spending the rest of every day writing new songs, making connections in the industry, and learning the business

It hasn’t been always easy, but there’s always been an element of fun. Ben’s goal is to be a musician who makes his living on music alone. Being invited to participate in a small leg of this tour with Parachute is just one step — a big one — but just a step nonetheless.

Before he knows it he’ll be back home and working, writing, learning, and working some more. He’ll be making art under the mantra: “Don’t wait for opportunity; create it.” And opportunities will most certainly arise, just as this one has. Ben hasn’t reached his ultimate goal, but he’s having fun along the way.

What about you? What step can you take today toward a goal you have for your life? When you take one small step every day pretty soon you’ll look back and find that you have traveled a long way toward your goal.

As you take those steps make sure that you are enjoying the journey. There is fun to be had even before a goal is reached. It’s fulfilling to look back and see the steps you’ve already taken. There is gratitude in recognizing those who have helped you along the way. There’s no sense in thinking it’s only the goal that brings pleasure.

The journey itself should be fun, as well.

How are you seeing to it that you are enjoying the journey toward your goal?

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When Courage and Faith is All You Have

Sometimes courage and faith is all you have. Today I met someone who is filled to the brim with both. Thanks to a lead from one of the members of our church, I went to the hospital to see her. This woman, thirty-years-young, has a debilitating and sometimes terrifying disease called Paramyotonia Congenita. She needs both courage and faith. And the minute you come into her presence she exudes both.

Hands of Faith

Paramyotonia Congenita is a disease that causes muscles to stiffen, periodic paralysis, and in severe cases, can even constrict the diaphragm and chest muscles so much that it can stop one’s breathing. That has happened to her far more times than she’d care to count. Doctors tell her this is the worst case they’ve ever seen. She’s been in and out of the hospital in life-threatening situations numerous times over the past couple of years. That’s why her life has been boiled down to the essentials: courage and faith.

She beautifully tells her story on her blog. She speaks of worrying about her young daughter, who also has a form of the disease. She feels badly that her parents’ lives have often been put on hold to care for her. She longs to be well and live what she calls a “normal” life. You can’t help but cheer for her every step of the way.

There are many things she’s lacking in life. But there are two things she has in spades: courage and faith. Very rarely have I heard someone with such a serious and unsettling disease speak with such calmness and conviction. Very rarely have I heard someone with such an uncertain future speak with such solid trust in her Savior. She told me that when she can’t do anything else, she prays. Some people just say that. I know for certain that when she prays she does so until her words don’t know what else to say. Then she puts the full weight of her faith on Jesus.

My problems pale in comparison when I sit in her presence. I learn from her that I need more courage and faith. And here’s what I know as a result of meeting this true hero:

  • There is nothing this world can take from me
  • There is nothing the Evil One can steal from me
  • There is nothing my own stupidity can do to rob me of the One who gave His life for me

Courage and faith are essential in a life that is filled with uncertainty. That defines life for all of us. Some of us need more courage and faith than others, but we all need a measure of both.

What will you do to feed your courage and faith today?

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When Life Is About More Than Just Survival

There’s nothing like Florida mornings. They teem with life. Every morning when I ride my bike on our local trail I get to observe the beautiful sunrise. I see the mist rising off of the open fields. And I get to ride through lush green woods filled with banyan trees, palms, and deep green vegetation. It’s the time of day when the wildlife is waking up. I see hawks, turkeys, squirrels, rabbits, snakes, egrets, osprey, and even an occasional alligator.

Tropical

What strikes me every morning is that all the birds and animals are waking up simply to survive another day. They are searching for food. They are hiding from predators. They are both eating and trying not be be eaten. Every day for an animal is simply a matter of survival. I’m not sure how much enjoyment there really is. It’s all survival of the fittest.

It reminds me that for us human beings life is so much more than simply trying to survive. We live at a time when food is readily available. Our homes and vehicles are climate controlled. We don’t usually have to fight for our lives. Life is relatively easy in the twenty-first century. I get to step out of my garage, put on my helmet, and ride through a gloriously green suburban trail.

Since we don’t have to put all of our energy into surviving life we get to use life to create things, help people, and find meaning. We get to read, and work, and travel. We get to eat for pleasure, gather around a table with friends, and throw parties.

When life isn’t merely about survival there is a certain joy that should always be in the undercurrent of our minds. That obviously can’t always be the case when there is trouble, and trial, and difficulty. But in the open spaces of life when everything is relatively easy we ought to be taking every advantage not only to get ahead in life, but to do what we can to help and serve other people.

Unlike the animals it isn’t just about living one more day if we possibly can. We get to live as God’s highest creatures in God’s great creation doing what we can to enhance life for other people. Helping and serving brings meaning to our lives and provides joy for the journey.

What will you do today with the relatively easy life God has given you? How about trying some of these things:

  • Smile
  • Lend a hand to someone who doesn’t expect it
  • Give away something of value
  • Write a poem
  • Read that book that’s been on your shelf for a long time
  • Let another car cut safely in front of you
  • Volunteer to watch the neighbor’s kids
  • Start something brand new
  • Take a nap
  • Stay up late
  • Watch a documentary

So what will you do today with the relatively easy life God has given you?

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3 Ways Blank Pages Can Increase Your Productivity

Blank pages and computer screens aren’t always a good thing. In fact they can be downright frustrating. As I sat down to write this post I was staring at a blank page and had no idea what I would write. But I’ve committed myself to writing regularly. So I racked my brain for ideas. Nothing came until I moved away from the computer for a little while. Then I came back. The white screen was still there, but suddenly it began to speak to me.

Greece

This is what it said: “Without me you would be far less productive.” Blank screens give us life. They give us opportunity. They give us the possibility of creativity. They beg to be filled. White is a wonderful color.

Blank pages can increase your productivity in these three ways:

  1. Blank To-Do List. You know that to-do list you had last week? The one with all kinds of scribbling and scratching? The one that has items yet to be crossed off? Every Sunday night grab a new, blank page. Transfer the old to-dos from the dirty page to the blank page. Add the new to-dos that you have to accomplish this week. Start from scratch. Start fresh. Embrace the white, new page and make it a productivity primer. The blank page of your Monday morning will now be filled with all the things you can begin to cross off as you get the week off to a productive start.
  2. Blank Notebook. One of my favorite things is a brand new Mickey Mouse Moleskine Notebook. A Moleskine Notebook is a great productivity tool. A Mickey Mouse Moleskine Notebook, for me, is even better. Disney in and of itself reminds me of creativity and the creative process. The notebook is filled with blank pages where I like to jot down thoughts and ideas. It helps me keep track of potential blog posts. It’s a place for taking notes at meetings. More than that, it has been proven that writing with a pen or pencil fires up our brain in different ways and even makes us more creative. Want to have more productive creativity? Write things down with a pen or pencil on a blank page.
  3. Blank Computer Screen. In this digital age there comes a time when we have to finally fill a blank computer screen. It helps us share our thoughts and ideas with the world through the many channels that we have available to us. But when we sit down at our computers we are often distracted by all the bells and whistles of the internet. There is a wonderful app called Freedom that allows you to block any pages of the internet that you want for a certain period of time. It helps you turn a blank screen into one filled with thoughts, ideas, creativity, and new life. A blank computer screen can be one of the most productive tools we have at our fingertips.

For anyone who aspires to be creative, white is a wonderful color. It can be filled with dreams, and ideas, and possibilities. It can be filled with all the colors of life.

How do blank pages make you more productive?

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Don’t Dream Alone

Today’s post is a guest post from my friend, Tanner Olson. Tanner lives in Nashville, Tennessee, and operates a web site called Written to Speak. He is a spoken word poet, a person who dares to dream, an innovator, a wordsmith, and someone who loves to live life on the edge. Please check out Tanner’s web site and go ahead and purchase his brand new spoken word album: All Things.

Don’t dream alone.

Remember when you were in 7th grade and everything, including you, was weird and awkward? 
We were clueless, thought cargo pants were stylish, and were beginning to understand hygiene. 
I remember, too. 
Being a 12 year-old is hard.
 Along with being 12 comes the great calamity known as middle school.

Dare to Dream

Not only do I remember the growing pains of 7th grade, but I remember a project assigned in history class. I was assigned to write a paper and construct a model of the Parthenon from Ancient Greece, all while trying to grow arm-pit hair and make a joke funny enough to make her smile. 
Side note: I went 1 for 2 that year and no, she didn’t smile. 
Constructing the Parthenon was another painstaking assignment I couldn’t accomplish alone.
 I needed to ask for help.

If you’re like me, asking for help is often the last thing you want to do. Some days I’d rather fail than ask for assistance. Pride and ego say we can do it ourselves, while fear says asking would be too much. When I cave in and ask others for help I feel as if I am creating a ripple in the life of another, becoming an annoyance and an inconvenience.

But I’ve learned asking for help isn’t an annoyance or an inconvenience. Rather, asking others for help is us inviting them into something bigger than themselves.

I recently released my second spoken-word album. It was another dream brought to life and wouldn’t have been made possible without the help of others. And like constructing a replica of the Parthenon I had to do the thing I feared the most (besides glitter): I had to ask for help. 

And I did. 
I asked for help and the response was incredible. 
Musicians, artists, photographers, designers, and editors willingly accepted the invitation to help make this dream a reality.

Not inviting others to help isn’t only hurting your dream, but it’s keeping others from joining something incredible.

Dreaming alone can be a nightmare. 
Our dreams are too important to bring them to life alone, so why do we try to do it? 

Perhaps it’s fear. 
And fear isn’t a good enough reason. 
Perhaps it’s failure. 
And failure isn’t a good enough reason, either.

What’s the worst that could happen if you invited someone to help you? 
They can reject you by saying no.
 And we all need a reminder of what high school was like every once in a while.

Don’t let fear or failure stand between you and your dream. 
If your dream is to write a book, travel the world in a van, start a non-profit, or bake the world’s biggest cake, you need the help of others. 

Passion encourages passion, like invitation begins turning a dream into reality.

Invite others to dream with you.

Allow yourself to ask for help.
 Allow yourself to invite others to join your hope. 
Allow yourself to reach out your hand and bring someone into your dream.

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Love Yourself Like You Really Mean It

I’ll be totally honest with you. I don’t always love myself. And I bet you don’t either. When I compare myself to certain others I don’t always measure up. My children know how much I love them, but there were times in their lives I could have done better. Sometimes I wonder why my wife loves me. I feel like I don’t deserve it. Loving oneself is sometimes harder than it seems to people on the outside looking in.

Leap

The Bible says that we should love our neighbor as we love ourselves. How can we do that very well unless we love ourselves first? The world and our TV screens are filled with people who don’t love themselves. They show it by hurting not only themselves, but hurting others. Instead of making the world a better place, they make it worse. Instead of helping out, they hinder. Far too often I am that person, too. And so are you. I want to love other people well. It’s just that I far too often get in the way of myself.

I’ve found it a great comfort to be surrounded by people who love me despite my faults and failures. I’m reminded on a daily basis just how much I fall short in so many ways. That’s why it’s good to be around those who love me so much that I can’t help but love myself. They do it by:

  • using encouraging words when I don’t feel very encouraged
  • simply sitting and listening
  • creating opportunities to help me succeed
  • making me laugh
  • allowing me to be myself
  • giving without expecting anything in return
  • expressing appreciation for something I have done
  • remaining loyal
  • not allowing time or distance to impact our relationship
  • bringing comfort when I feel nervous or under appreciated

A pastor friend of mine whom I respect very much recently met me for lunch. He commented that he’d really appreciated the things he’d seen me do online with respect to creativity and writing. He said, “It’s like you’re becoming who you really are.” For me it was the greatest compliment I could have received. He recognized a gift in me and saw that I was working hard to become the true me.

Even I can appreciate the true me. It’s why I’m passionate about you becoming the true you, too. The closer we are to fully utilizing the gifts we’ve been given as a Divine gift, the easier it is for us to love ourselves. And when we do that, we find it easier to show that same affection for those in our lives who need it, as well.

So love yourself like you really mean it. You are valuable. You are worth fighting for. You are full of gifts and talents given to no one else. You are appreciated. You are the creation of the Creator.

The world needs the true you. 

What does loving yourself well look like?

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Exciting Sales Tips from Street Performers in Key West

If you’ve ever been to Key West you’ve probably been to Mallory Square. It’s a waterfront area filled with vendors, sunset seekers, and engaging street performers. Many of the street performers are like the circus acts of long ago. They use their skill and dramatic flair to draw a crowd, perform for them, and then persuade them to leave generous tips. It’s the way they make a living. They have to know sales techniques well.

IMG_5795-2

As I recently watched these performers on a beautiful Key West April evening I learned that they are skilled salesmen and women. They can teach us all how to be better at sales. No matter your work or vocation you more than likely have to sell something. It may be goods. It may be food or drink. Or it may be ideas. Learning to sell things well is a skill upon which most of us could improve.

  • Draw attention. In order to draw a crowd each performer used various means of getting attention and getting people to follow their curiosity. One juggler/acrobat/fire eater poured liquid out of a bottle of lighter fluid to make a border for his act. He later revealed that it was only water, but everyone was waiting to see that border go up in flames. As he was setting up chairs and a table he began to engage the crowd with a loud voice and audacious claims. He most certainly gained the attention of a significant group of people and soon began his act that would result in sales.
  •  Build anticipation. The performers we watched all used this tactic. They made a bold promise and then built up to it. To a performer they all fulfilled their promise. But they used anticipation to keep the audience engaged. I didn’t see anyone walking away. People stayed because they wanted to see what happened. One man drew a young couple out of the crowd to help him with a trick in which he leapt over the young woman through a hoop that her boyfriend was holding. He didn’t just set it up and do it. He built the tension for at least five minutes before he performed the stunt. Anticipation builds desire that helps with sales.
  •  Capitalize on your uniqueness. Not everyone can do what these performers do. Each one is unique. They do things that you don’t often see in your everyday life. They are different. They are individual. They aren’t easy to duplicate. If you want to sell something you need to emphasize the uniqueness and value of what it is you want to sell. People don’t use their valuable leisure time to watch something that isn’t unique. These performers are exceptional and are able to capitalize on it.
  •  Use humor. The Key West street performers that we saw brought humor into their acts mainly by using volunteers from the crowd. It’s daring because you never know what you’re going to get from a volunteer. The juggler/acrobat/fire breather that we saw used two volunteers. One was a precocious little kid who gave the performer the kind of lip he had received from him. Another was a thirty-something Cubs fan from Chicago who was as stiff as tree branch. It was an opportunity for the performer to make some jokes at the expense of the guy. The crowd was in stitches…and still engaged. Humor always seems to do that. Humor also puts people at ease as they get ready to make a purchase.
  • Be straightforward. When the act was over each performer was bold to ask for tips. They all had a huge bucket into which people could place their money. They were even straightforward enough to suggest an amount of money that would be appropriate for a street performed that had just entertained for the previous fifteen or twenty minutes. From what I could see, all of these tactics were enough for each performer to take in a substantial amount of money. Don’t be afraid to specifically ask for what you want.
  •  Work with a team. What I really admired was that the performers seemed to be working together. Once an act was over another one started momentarily. The performer who was finishing an act promoted the one that was about to start. In sales it always helps to get referrals…and give referrals. It helps to work with a team.

What do you have to sell? These tips for creatively selling something will most likely boost your sales. Give it a try.

What tips would you give to help sell something?

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The Top 10 Reasons the World Needs Even Your Art

The world needs your art. Yes, even yours. Just think if Steve Jobs had never introduced his art to the world. We wouldn’t have Macintosh computers or iPhones. What if Elon Musk would just sit on his ideas and never act on them? We wouldn’t have Tesla cars or Space X.

crayons

In my upcoming book, Fully and Creatively Alive: How to Live a More Joyfully Fulfilling Life, I talk about a new definition of art provided by Seth Godin. He says in his book, Linchpin, that art “isn’t only a painting. Art is anything that’s creative, passionate and personal. And great art resonates with the viewer, not only with the creator…Art is a personal gift that changes the recipient. The medium doesn’t matter. The intent does … Art is a personal act of courage, something one human does that creates change in another.”

I would add to Seth’s definition of art by saying that art not only changes the recipient, but it changes the one making the art.

So here are the top 10 reasons the world needs even your art:

10. It changes the world. Or at least your small part of the world. Determine what it is that only you can provide, then do it. The world will be a better place.

9. It changes you. Even if nobody pays attention to your unique art, it gives you an opportunity to think through things and improve yourself. There are days when very few people read the blog posts I put out three times a week. But even if no one read them I would still keep writing them because they give me the chance to think through things in my life.

8. It makes the world more beautiful. Good art, the kind Seth Godin talks about, may bring aesthetic beauty. But more than that, it may also bring the beauty of helping someone else, which is one of the most beautiful things this world knows.

7. It provides something somebody else may need. There are many times in my life that I need something you have to give. I don’t know how to use Adobe Photoshop or Adobe InDesign to create my own graphics. I have to rely on others to do that. I’m sure glad there are people in the world willing to help me with that, people like Megan Phillips and Lindsay Galvin.

6. It gives you purpose. There is a reason God planted in you certain gifts and talents. In the doing of them you find purpose and fulfillment. Why would you want to deprive yourself of that?

5. It makes you more courageous. The other day I received an email from somebody letting me know that they appreciate my writing. They thanked me for putting myself “out there.” It made me realize that there are times my writing is an act of courage. Simply putting my thoughts out into the world can be intimidating. I have to summon up the courage to be honest and to write about things that matter.

4. It brings exhilaration. Although it is, at times, scary to put art out into the world, once it gets out there it is an exhilarating feeling to know that something that never existed before, something I created, is now in the hands of others who often appreciate it.

3. It makes life interesting. If you’ve always got “art” to do you will never be bored. When you are in the mode of creating you will always be on the lookout for inspiration. There is never a dull moment when you make it your goal to share your art, whatever it may be.

2. It makes life more fun. When you are doing something that you have been gifted to do you find yourself in what artists and entrepreneurs call “the flow.” Those are the times when you love what you are doing so much that time slips away. It flies. Making art makes life fun.

1. It’s what you were created to do. The God who created the world, all of its intricacies, all of its beauty, all of its art, is the God who created you. You were created to be creative. Yes, even you. You’re unique and you have unique art welling up inside of you wanting to get out.

Please share it with us.

What is a reason you think the world needs people to make their art?

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How to Show Passion for the Things You Love

This past Sunday we had guests from Pennsylvania at our church. It certainly doesn’t always happen, but this couple stood up at the time we introduced guests and revealed how impressed they were with our service. They were going to take ideas back to their home church. Following the service they told me one of the things they really appreciated about the service was my passion in leading the worship. Now you could probably criticize me for a great many things, but I hope that I could never be criticized for the way I lead worship and am passionate about it.

Passion 2

I would hope the same could be said of you and your work. I would hope that people see the passion when you fulfill the vocation to which you have been led. Lack of passion can kill momentum more quickly than you can even say the word. Lack of passion could be a deal breaker. Lack of passion can halt the forward motion of an organization, let alone your own career or pursuit.

So how do you show that you’re passionate about something? Here are some proven ideas:

  1. If you’re not passionate about it don’t do it. Really. Stop doing the things you don’t love. It may mean taking a leap, but it’s worth it. John Lee Dumas, the host of the “EOFire” podcast tried his hand at a few things before he became a podcaster. He went to law school but dropped out. He tried commercial real estate but found he just didn’t enjoy it. On his many commutes to work he started listening to podcasts and came up with an idea for a new one: interviewing a different entrepreneur seven days of every week. He had found his passion, and now he makes over six figures a month doing it. Listen to him for just a few minutes and you can tell that he’s extremely passionate about what he does. He stopped doing the things he wasn’t passionate about and found something in which he now is.
  2. If you’re passionate, prepare. People can tell when you’re not prepared. Passionate people plan ahead. They prepare for meetings, things they do in public, things that will be open to the outside world. Not too long ago I took the StrengthsFinder inventory. It revealed that one of my strengths is “Maximizer”: “Excellent, not average, is your measure…you want to capitalize on the gifts with which you are blessed. It’s more fun. It’s more productive. And, counterintuitively, it is more demanding.” Since I want to maximize things, and make them better, I feel the need to prepare so that all will go well and go smoothly. It greatly bothers me when there are public mistakes or things happen because people aren’t prepared. Show that you are passionate by your preparation. Professionalism is a key to drawing people in with your passion.
  3. If you’re passionate, let your voice show it. A dull voice and dull speech patterns are the quickest way to show people you couldn’t care less about what you’re doing. When you’re passionate about something it flows from your brain to your toes and back up through your body to your heart and finally out of your mouth. One of my favorite things to do all year is to tell the story of Jesus’ passion and resurrection when that time of the church year rolls around. I’m passionate about it because I believe it with my whole heart. One of the things I’ve been able to do is read the story out loud from Walter Wangerin, Jr.’s account in his Book of God. If you can’t be passionate using those words to tell that story you’re going to need some help. Have excitement and expression in your vocal tones. People will catch your passion.
  4. If you’re passionate, let your body show it. Like a dull voice, stooped shoulders and a slouched posture will show your lack of passion. In college I had a professor to sat in his chair and lectured from notes every class the entire semester. How involved do you think we, his students, were? On the other hand, I had a professor who actually stood on top of the desk when he was lecturing one day, without a note in sight. It’s not too difficult to remember the things he passionately taught us.
  5. If you’re passionate, tell other people about it. Be an evangelist for the things that make you prepare, and shout, and smile, and sing. Don’t keep it to yourself. Your enthusiasm will rub off. The president of our congregation is passionate about our church. Every Friday in our weekly email he writes about the people doing things that make our church a better place, serve others, and are carrying out their own passions without even desiring recognition. His passion is spreading the passion around.

Seeing people passionate about the things they love makes the world a better place. What are the ways in which you will show your passion today? You may just change a life with your passions. And the life you change could be your own.

How do you show passion for the things you love?

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What Happens to the Gift of Time You’ve Been Given?

The older I get the more I realize just how precious is the gift of time. I’m surrounded by reminders that it goes by very, very quickly. We have pictures in our home of our children when they were young. I don’t know how those pictures could have been taken that long ago. This weekend the Master’s golf tournament kept showing recent shots of previous tournament winners. Arnold Palmer couldn’t even participate in the ceremonial opening drive. He had to look on from a chair. When Jack Niklaus took his turn he swung the club like a player who has most definitely seen his better days.

Clock

Have you noticed the value of time in your own life? Some days it seems like I get up in the morning and before I even know it it’s time to go to bed at night. The days just fly by. Like many before me, I want to hold time, slow it down, maybe even make it stop.

But since I can’t do that, I have made a concerted effort to make the most of the gift of time I’ve been given. I seem to get more frustrated when I waste my time, or have it wasted by others. But more importantly, I’m attempting to use my time more wisely. Many times I fail to do so. But I’m getting better at using my time more wisely. That’s going to be one of my life’s goals from this day forward.

If you’re looking to recover some wasted time, may I make a few recommendations? 

  1. Turn off the TV. Yeah, really. Turn it off. Very little that you see on TV will help you make the most of your time, move forward in life, or give you what you need to succeed. I haven’t turned off the TV completely, but I have drastically reduced what I watch. Even cutting back a little bit, or even to half of what you used to watch, will enable you to do things that you previously thought impossible. Some people have asked where I found the time to write as often as I do. This is where I found it.
  2. Read Living Forward by Michael Hyatt and Daniel Harkavy. This book will help you create a life plan and stick to it. If you feel like you’ve been drifting this book will inspire you to take charge of your life rather than simply waiting to see what happens next. When you have a plan you can put the pieces in place to make that plan happen. You will more likely fill your empty spaces with things that really matter.
  3. Fill gaps with things that matter and move you forward. I have written here and here about the way listening to podcasts has changed my life…or at least driving in the car. The amount of time I have dedicated to this pursuit has taught me things, made me laugh, cry, think, and challenged me in ways too many to count. You don’t have to listen to what I listen to. Go find some podcasts that inspire you and teach you things you never knew before. You will thank me. What are some other ways you have found to fill the gaps between events in your life?

Time is too valuable to waste. It slips away far too quickly. You’re never too young or too old to make the most of it. Start today.

How have you made the most of the gift of time?