Get Going!!!

It’s 5:30 AM and the alarm goes off…  You are faced with your first difficult decision of the day; do I hit the snooze and get a few more minutes of precious sleep, or do I get up an exercise?  That is just first of many choices you are presented with during the day.  It is a lot harder to muster the motivation to do something that requires more time, energy and effort.  Hitting the snooze button always seems more appealing in the moment.  But by 6:15 you are thankful you chose the latter, you got up and ran your four miles in the cold, and you are now better for it.  You have the energy and determination to take on the next challenge.

We are all faced with a barrage of choices to make each day: what to wear, where to eat, what to do, who to follow, when to lead.  Some of these decisions are more significant than others.  But when and how do you know which is right?  When we decide to take the easy way out we are deciding the effort and possible reward are not worth our time.  This can create a mindset or habit of avoiding challenges rather than tackling them head one.  Doing what is difficult creates stress, which promotes growth.  It also improves your ability to focus on the bigger issues and not sweat the little things.  So get out of bed, lace up your shoes and get running!!!

$100.00 Challenge Project Update:

I have been working on completing my spreadsheet of the results of my project and putting together some pictures and for the powerpoint presentation.

Journal Post #10

Priorities and Time

Priorities and time are two concepts that go hand in hand.  They sometimes work together and other times not.  As a married, father of 4, full-time employee, full-time student, soccer coach, and active LDS member I have come to understand the importance of priorities and the value of time.  Priorities are abundant and time—obviously, is not.  In fact, in many situations I find others around me trying to prioritize my priorities for me, which is somewhat of a paradox.  Having limited time and often-unlimited list of priorities or responsibilities I have found a couple of things that have worked for me:

1. Identify what is important to you and allow that to direct your prioritization.

We should all have a “short list” of things that are most important to us.  For me, my wife and kids are what I value most in this life.  Yes, I enjoy snow skiing, I like being with friends, I would love to spend time training to run a marathon, but right now many of those activities do not occur as frequently as I would like.  Understanding the time and season of life improves my perspective and allows me to allocate my time efficiently right now.

2. Do your best.

At the end of the day, all you can do is your best.  If you put forth a sincere effort each day to setting daily (even hourly) goals and accomplish them, your best will get better.  You will still come up short, but as long as you efforts are directed by your core fundamental priorities you will be able to go to bed each night knowing you have given it your all. 

$100.00 Challenge Project Update:

I have one me more shelf install to complete this morning.  I am planning on completing my budget spreadsheet and see where I have ended up.

Journal Post #9

Asking the Wrong Questions

As kid I was often asked, “So, what do you want to be when you grow –up?”  Honestly, I had no idea.  I did know that a career was a commitment and I didn't want to be committed something I didn't like.  My response to that question was always, “A doctor.”  Looking back my understanding of what was required to be a doctor, the day-to-day responsibilities and the different fields of medicine were very limited.  I did know that a doctor was a respected profession and I knew that I could avoid any follow-up questions like, “Why would want to do that?”  I also knew that as doctor I would be able to take care of the needs of my family.

Later on in life, after working 2 years in an E.R. as an Orderly and being overwhelmed by the amount of schooling required, I realized that this was not a realistic career path for me.  I did not have a passion for medicine and I definitely did not have a passion for school.  But for some reason I still associated success with being a doctor. 

In reflecting on this I have come to the conclusion that I was being asked the wrong question.  It’s not what you want to be, but who do you want to me.  There was nothing wrong with my logic in wanting a respectable career and the means to take care of my family.  Where I went wrong was in thinking that this was the only way to achieve my aspirations.

In talking with my own children I have caught myself asking them the same question I was asked.  I have made a resolve to ask them WHO they want to be rather than what they want to be.  Focusing on “the who” requires a lot more work, but it removes the any boundaries in allowing you to reach your full potential.  

$100.00 Challenge Project Update:

This week I was able to install two of the shelves I built and was able to get paid.  I have two more installs scheduled next week.  Excited to see how many I actually end up selling.

Journal Post #8

Family Management and Business Management

With some of the discussion board posts we have had this week, I have thought a lot about the correlation between family management and business management.  I think that there are a lot of similarities.  The other day my wife made mention to me that she thought it was interesting how on Saturday morning I brought all of the kids into the living room and mapped out the schedule of things we would be doing.  Our four children are fairly young, ages 10, 8, 5, and 2.  Looking back on that situation it felt pretty natural to me.  Like most families, our Saturdays can be pretty eventful—chores to accomplish, basketball games to attend, errands to run, etc.  I wanted to make sure we were all on the same page and that everyone knew what was expected.

I do the same type of thing at work.  When things get pretty hectic around quarter end I usually call a quick meeting with the team.  Go through our to-do list, review our goals, update everyone on where we are at, and essentially make sure we are all on the same page.  And if there are any issues, let’s discuss how we can resolve them.  Both approaches are very similar in nature.  I also think that both approaches also show each member the team and your family that you care.

There was a part in the “E-Myth Revisited” that I really liked.  It stated, “If your thinking is sloppy, your business will be sloppy. If you are disorganized, your business will be disorganized. If you are greedy, your employees will be greedy.”  Our business management skills are essentially a reflection of who we are as a person.  I think thing can also be said for our family management skills, as well.

$100.00 Challenge Project Update:

I was able to paint and stain the shelves and frames today.  This week I have scheduled a few installs.  I should actually start to see some money coming in…

Journal Post #7

Prepare to Fail

Prepare to fail… It’s going to happen.  Try as you might to avoid it; you’ll soon find you can’t.  It will find you in every endeavor you pursue.  Whether it be picking up a new sport, building a shed in the backyard, starting your own business or even in relationships—like your marriage.  That’s right, you are destined to fail and no matter how smart, how aggressive, or how focused and determined you think you are—you are gunna bomb...  Big time. 

Failure is something many of us try to circumvent at all costs.  Why?  Because it leaves nothing to be desired, just a feeling of self-doubt, self-pity and discouragement.  No one wants that title of “failure” at the end of his or her name.  It doesn’t do much for your ego or your reputation among your peers. 

Failure and success should be looked at as moments in time.  They are both part of the process of progression; however, I feel failure is much more vital.  True, success does gives you a taste of what can be, a feeling of accomplishment, but does it actually make you better?  When we fail we are left in a hole with a decision, to give up or get up.  It’s the getting up requires us to trust in whatever strength and resources we can muster to dig our way out.  We leave with a renewed perspective, appreciation and understanding of who and where we want to be.  Thankfully, it is the failure that prepares us for the success.

$100.00 Challenge Project Update:

So now the real challenge begins—time management.  I have quite a few orders in, I have my materials and supplies.  Now it is just a question of finding the time.  With midterms in three of my classes this week, I wasn’t able to spend my Saturday in the garage working, as I would have liked.  This week I am going to have to put some time in on the evenings.  I want to get everything built and then stain and paint them all at the same time, to use my time more effectively.

Journal Post #6

Mid-Term Reflection

As we are approaching mid-term this week, I have taken some time to reflect on what I have learned up to this point.  Not necessarily the specific subjects themselves, but things that will help me become a better entrepreneur.  The first thing that popped out in my mind is time management.  I then started to dig a little deeper and determine why that area of my life has improved.  I was able to associate this improvement to one skill set that I have begun to implement in my life, which is delegation.

I hate to ask people to things.  For most of my life I have operated under the mantra that “if you want something done right, you are gunna have to do it yourself”.  Not that I think I am better than most, I think it is more so that A) I hate asking other people to do things for me, as it feels like I am too weak or unable to do it myself, and B) Not knowing if someone else is going to place the same level of importance or priority on a project that I would.  As a manager, this has been an area where I struggle. 

This semester I have been assigned to be the group lead on a couple of projects in two of my other classes.  In both classes, I have roughly 4 other classmates I have been working with on group projects.  (Did I mention I hate group work?)  In both situations the first couple weeks were really tough.  Motivating the others to get involved, do their part, and making sure it was done on time… Not necessarily my cup of tea.

I quickly found out that I couldn’t do this all on my own.  It was at that point I was pushed into that uncomfortable area of asking people to do things.  I found that when I explain clearly what needs to be done, when we need it completed and what we are expecting it to look like at the end; that doesn’t necessarily mean it is going to get done.  However, it does give you peace of mind in knowing the assignment has been delegated effectively.  It can however increase the quantity and quality of things you accomplish in this life, as a student and as an entrepreneur. 

$100.00 Challenge Project Update:

Orders are in!!!  I have few orders now that I have some materials; I am going to start building my projects.  I haven’t determine if I am going to paint or stain each of the projects, as my customers seemed to feel somewhat indifferent on what was done.  I am going to review the prices for both paint and stain and try to stick to just a couple of colors for all the projects to keep my costs low.

Journal Post #5

Review of: Living on One

My daughter’s and I watch a documentary the other day call “Living on One”.  It was about a few college-age guys that went to rural area of Guatemala for a few weeks to live and struggle in the same type of environment that many of the people there, and in other parts of the world, endure each day.  For 2 months the lived as the people live there; randomly allotting themselves, on average, one dollar a day.  Some days they would have four dollars and other days they we would have none.  This allowed them to experience the hardships in a real setting, battling with real challenges, such as hunger, fatigue and disease.

In watching this documentary I began to see how many in third-world countries can feel trapped.  The literally do not have the energy at times to work.  In fact, the guys doing the documentary had to start purchasing fat to cook with their rice and beans just to get the calories they need.  At the end of the documentary it showed how many individuals were getting small business loans for around $100.00.  The large majority of the individuals applying for these loans were women.  In one example, a woman bought a chainsaw so that she could cut firewood, which is one of the most valuable commodities in that area.

The film was very inspiring and showed how willing these people are to work and improve their situations.  The women, in particular, were very intuitive and entrepreneurial in their approach to providing for their families.  How grateful I am to have all the many blessings I have been afforded. 

$100.00 Challenge Project Update:

I have started to collect the materials for my project.  I have quite a few boards that I have picked out and have some good ideas on what I should build.  I have also reached out to a few individuals and have talked to them about this project.  I am in the process of determining the pricing and how many things I will need to build.