Where the Hell is Matt?

Just saw Matt Harding’s inspiring 2012 video. He traveled around the world in 2003 doing his little ‘bad’ dance in front of iconic backdrops. Posted it on his blog to share. Kept it up and he talked people in joining him dancing.

Finally he had his moment when he danced with some kids and realized he had been doing it wrong.

Dance with other people. It is not the scenery, it is the people that make this video special. That and Matt’s gift of enjoying people from everywhere. True ambassador to the world.

Watch Matt’s video. Figure out how to invite more people to join you in whatever your calling is. Together we can solve anything.

You can see Matt is much more than a bad dancer. Look at the joy he brings to strangers. The world is a closer place thanks to Matt.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pwe-pA6TaZk

Be a Better You

"Be at war with your vices; at peace with your neighbors, and let every New Year find you a better man." - Benjamin Franklin

Everyone would like to improve. Why else do we make New Years resolutions? We want to make more money, get promoted, lose weight or find the love of our life.

Instead of making very general resolutions that will fail in the first weeks, choose what you will succeed at. That is right, you are going to succeed.

How do I know this works? Have done it. Who else do you know planned to lose 10 pounds, and lost 16? Successfully lost weight and kept it off for years.

Lets Get Started

Start writing a list of desires.  Where do you want your life to be better? Get paper now.

Why do you want to improve this part of your life? Write down all the reasons.

What values & beliefs of yours support these ideas/resolutions? Write them down.

What values & beliefs hold you back? If you think wealth makes you an evil and mean, you will sabotage your efforts. Write down the values/beliefs why you can’t do it. Are they true? I really doubt it. There will be difficulties, but nothing you can’t work around or overcome. Your talent and hard work will be rewarded.

Now comes the hard part. Which resolution is no. 1?  You need to put them in order.  Which resolution is most important to your values and actions?

Then you pick. Preferably choose only 1 resolution, but no more than 3. May be one major and a minor one? You choose which goals to succeed at.

Now start planning how you will succeed at your first resolution. What steps are necessary for you to consider your experience a success? What can you start today? Focus on what you control.

Repeat if you are working on a second resolution.

Why It Works

Focusing on a few goals, and creating actions you follow get faster results. The more you value a goal, the harder you will work to succeed at your resolution.

Writing it down is another reason for success. Write the goal as if it has already happened. Write the actions as if the past and you did them already. You mind will follow you.

The results may take longer or be less than expected. Sticking with it gets results.

Results

Weight loss, was it easy? No. Did I fail at times? Yes, of course. But I stuck with it.

Was technically not fat, just at the higher end of my healthy weight range. However was not playing volleyball 4 times a week nor weightlifting. Sitting around let me gain weight. Just did not feel good physically. Motivation included Dad getting Adult Onset Diabetes. Taking care of myself could prevent that.

 My plan was rather simple. I gained weight one pound at a time. Losing it was going to be the same. Skipped the diet and went immediately to a maintenance plan. Less carbs, smaller portions, more exercise, and add some healthy foods. Did not give up any foods I loved, just limited how much I ate them.

Another secret, allowed myself one cheat day per week. Still could go for cake at a birthday, donut on Sunday, or restaurant meal. Spread them out by dieting 6 days a week.

Results: 16 pounds lost in 18 months. You have heard the last 10 pounds is the hardest to lose? That was my whole goal. Weight did not fall off easy. But have maintained the gain 5 years by making a permanent change.

Second did go through unemployment and find a new job while losing weight. Succeeding at one goal supported working towards another goal.

Follow Thru

Lots of people think they have to be perfect to accomplish anything. Not true. Every plan will have setbacks and make adjustments. Your plan must allow for changes, celebrations and vacations.

People think focusing on one or few changes, the other goals will not happen. Truth is by focusing you complete goals faster. Success motivates you to start the other goals expecting to succeed.

Pick your most valuable goal, and write down your plan. Then adapt and adjust your plan until you succeed.

Following this plan myself. Will let you know how I make out. Let me know how your plan worked for you.

A very happy New Year to you, your friends and family.

Are You Expecting Perfection?

Signs of this include beating yourself up for taking too long, not learning something on the first try, or horrors you make a mistake. These expectations of perfection are flawed perspectives you have chosen. Studies have shown people make more mistakes than they realize, yet we learn, survive and thrive.

Was working as an appraiser, visiting different properties and getting lost occasionally. Have an excellent sense of direction, so was really bothering me. The loss of time and daylight (to take pictures) were adding stress. Took a little time to think it through. Realized I was being unreasonable. Was always going somewhere new, and maps were not perfect. Of course I was going to get loss.

Based on that insight, realized I was getting Paid to be Lost. Still got lost occasionally, but no longer bothered me. My expectations had changed.

 “Give yourself a break, humans make mistakes and are often wrong.” – Steve Amos

Real life will be messy, customers & bosses will be demanding, spouses will not understand, and children will be children. Demanding perfection of yourself  (or worse others) will drive you crazy and make people avoid you. It is a way to be miserable.

Look around. Central bankers do not manage the economy. Leaders of nations react to events they can’t foresee. Predictions of the future are notoriously wrong. Why should you be perfect?

 “The difference between school and life? In school, you're taught a lesson and then given a test. In life, you're given a test that teaches you a lesson.” ― Tom Bodett

How to Build Wealth

Been studying business, successful people and failures for years. It is an interesting and enlightening hobby. Frankly have learned a lot that schools never teach you. A large part of my life is unlearning what I was taught. Let me share one insight today.

First step if you really want to be wealthy. READ. A lot.

Bill Gates of Microsoft and The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has put out a couple list of books to read. Bill curated these list for us. He may have read 50 to 200 books this year to recommend 5 - 10 books for us.

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/heres-bill-gates-2015-summer-reading-list-2015-05-19

Warren Buffet and Charlie Munger of Berkshire Hathaway have created fortunes by buying and investing in well-run businesses. It is not as easy as it looks.

So how do Warren and Charlie spend their days? They read about 5 - 6 hours per day at the office. Charlie’s children joke he is a book with legs. Warren says it is good they work in different states because they would be talking all day about what they read.

Elon Musk has started several successful businesses Pay Pal, Tesla, SpaceX among others. He is the real life example for the Tony Stark character in the movie Iron Man. “You don’t know what you don’t know. You realize there are all these things out there.” Musk says.

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/how-to-be-elon-musk-10-secrets-of-the-craziest-billionaire-2015-06-10

The average Fortune 500 CEO reads about 50 books a year. Rick Warren often reads one book a day. There is usually a reason successful people have a common habits.

“The basic law of wealth creation: principle of asymmetric knowledge – that is, any situation when somebody in a market knows something that nobody else in the market knows, and then has the courage to act on that knowledge.”

- Dr. Jules Goddard

If you want to create wealth, learn by reading. Then take action.

Advice for Young Engineers

What would help you succeed in your career and life?

• Seeing the big picture on projects.

• Executing your tasks on time & budget.

• Developing people skills.

Or you can destroy your career.

It is great you have a technical degree. But what will advance your career are people skills. Be 10-15 minutes early. Meet people and find out about them. Work with customers and co-workers on their (or your) bad days to still get things done. Try to understand what the customer and your management really needs.

Be disciplined at work. Show up, work urgently, make promises conservatively, deliver early, be human, take feedback and adjust.

Learning how to communicate, marketing, project management and problem solving skills are great investments. My best contributions have often been asking good questions, not having all the answers.

Understand finance and accounting. Decisions are made based on value.

Protect your career by continuously learning. Get a Master's degree at night. Especially if your company pays for it. If they don’t, get the Masters at the lowest cost possible. Who needs more student loans?

Live within your budget. There will be times you can’t find a project and will have to live off savings. 40 years of working for the same company does not always work out. Planned to stay in my hometown, but actually working in state #7. Savings also lets you buy houses and make investments to retire or start your own business.

Have a life outside of work. Volunteer, make friends, raise good kids, help others, and give back. This is why you work hard, and what you will value in life.

Thankfulness and True Wealth

Reflective mood being Thanksgiving and a year older today.  Just want to share a thought.

The world struggles because the focus is wrong. The president, congress and the Federal Reserve have it wrong. They think wealth is created by adding liquidity to the economy.  QE has not made the economy grow or most people wealthier.

True wealth is created by helping other people. Washing machines improved people’s lives and freed up time to spend with family. Airplanes let us visit each other all over the world. Microwaves heat our food.

Bank’s being able to loan more debt? How has that improved the world? Finance is not as important as building something, no matter how small.

True wealth to most people is being able to share time with family and friends on a holiday. Charity, volunteering and doing good are the best examples of sharing real wealth.

So what am I thankful for today?

Being able to serve coffee and Danishes at church this morning. May even wash some dishes.

Friends and family who are fighting and beating cancer. Their struggles inspire and show the goodness of people/strangers helping them.

Being able to read inspiring thoughts from other writers encouraging us to be a little bit better every day. Not only the famous like Reverend’s Schuler & Olsteen, but friends like Reverend’s Steve Cuff and James Richards teaching faith.

The few words of peace, love and understanding I am able to share. Example my chapter redefining success not as money earned, bur raising good kids as more important. The words may be read by only a few people, but they will reach someone who needs them.

All the engineers I have been able to teach this year how to be better engineers. Always learn something when I teach.

It is not the gifts or possessions that make me thankful today. It is the life I get to share. Please share some of your blessing today and enjoy today. Lets build real wealth.