Daily Boost — Motivation and Coaching

During the Great Pandemic Pause, most folks found themselves in a simpler world.  With a few exceptions, everything was slower. There was more time in the day. The rush of what used to be our day-to-day seemed distant.  Is that such a bad thing? When the storm passes, as we reignite our lives, why not consider lessons from a few smart people of the past. "Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication....

So you’ve decided it’s time to make a change. Good for you. Making the decision is the most challenging thing you can do. Now, how do you figure out how to make it work? In most situations, you can get clarity by taking an inventory of where you are and where you are heading.  There are three areas of focus: 1) Do the math. What is the cost of your change? Can you do it now? Do you need to save so...

Are you striving for something different? I have a client who, after years of poor eating habits, had gained over 100 pounds. She decided to get healthy - and had no idea where to begin. My advice was simple. If your mind is telling you something you are doing is NOT who you are - give up what you are NOT. In her case, not exercising was making her somebody she didn’t want to be. Going to the gym...

The quality of your life is a direct result of your relationships.  Whether it's a personal, professional, or business relationship. There are three ways to play the relationship game. There is only one way to win. 1) All relationships begin with two independent individuals. If you remain independent, you will never connect. 2) Some relationships become co-dependent. Developing this kind of relati...

Are you find yourself needing to get more done? You might consider creating more productivity. The first rule of being more productive is deciding what is important to you. The second rule is to take control of your day.  A few simple adjustments can change everything: 1) Say, “Yes” to yourself before you say it to others. Meetings, phone calls, casual conversations. If that doesn’t work, say “No”...

It happens to all of us. We're going about our day, hot on the trail of checking off items on our never-ending To-Do list. Then, we discover that we didn't get everything done before time ran out.  When my son was entering the workforce, we would often find time to catch up on weekends. He was trying to navigate the business world while balancing his life. He had an exceptionally fact-paced job an...

You hear a lot about using morning rituals to get more done. But what if you could use your mornings to get more done for YOU? In the fast-face world, we live in today; there seem to be two groups when it comes to how to use mornings—personal and productivity. Once folks remove themselves from the craziness of jumping out of bed, taking care of the kids, and hitting the drive-through, they choose...

Woody Allen said, "Half of success is showing up."  I've thought about that quote many times over the years. There was something about its logic that didn't match up with my day-to-day experience.  Don't get me wrong, no matter what you want to do in your life, showing up is the first step in getting it. But I've shown up many times and ended up going home with the prize that I so much wanted. I'v...

We all live in a competitive world that makes getting what we want a challenge. If you've ever found yourself missing out because somebody else beats you to the punch, there may be a simple reason. I've always been a competitive person. Once I set my mind to accomplishing a goal, I will always do whatever is required to win. Still, I've often tripped on my way to winning by others who wanted the s...

How do I get from here to where I want to go?  That's a question you may find yourself asking - especially for the big adventures of life.  What you need is a dam bridge!  A few years ago, I was standing atop the Hoover Dam. It's awe-inspiring—Lake Mead views in one direction and the Colorado River in the other. Below is one of the great engineering marvels in history. But there was something more...

Since the beginning of time, successful people have given this sage advice; you must set goals.  In the human mind, setting goals are the heartbeat of your life. Setting a goal will harness your focus, give you meaning and purpose, and drive you forward. It gets even better if you place a deadline. If your goal is essential, timely, urgent, you will likely do anything possible to get it. Yes, like...

When I was growing up, I was an energetic, enthusiastic, and excitable child. I never let a day go by without challenging something - usually with my mouth. Thanks to those responsible for turning me into a good person, I learned a valuable lesson when they said- "Listen twice as much as you speak. You have two ears and one mouth for a reason." You’ve heard that before, and in today's fast-paced w...

My friend Sid called to tell me he had found his next big thing. He decided to take flying lessons and couldn't wait to get started. I have always wanted to learn to fly after hearing my Mom's stories over the years. Her father was a contractor in Wilmington, North Carolina. When an airport client couldn't pay, he offered lessons. She was 15-years old. Her stories of landing on the beaches of Nort...

Many have said, "Life is a marathon, not a sprint."  But what happens when you find yourself doing both at the same time?  If you've been living on this planet for any length of time, you've figured out life is a long game made of day-to-day sprints.  If you want a big bank balance, you make small deposits over time. If you want to lose weight, you make small reductions over time. If you want to g...

Have you ever found yourself stalled? A few years ago, I had big plans, and nothing was moving forward. When I say nothing, other people didn't seem to get the memo that I was on a mission.  We've all been in situations where nobody will return your call. Your email gets ghosted. You can’t seem to get support or commitment for your future, world-saving plans. That's what happened to me and caused...

Have you noticed that airplanes fly crooked?  Heading to their destination, winds attempt to blow them off course. That’s why pilots turn their aircraft into the wind. They call it Wind Correction. The same thing happens when you set a Goal. While you prefer the straight path, you will likely run into winds that will blow you off course. Your spouse disagrees with your plans. Your boss demands mor...

The Law of Attraction should be called the Law of What You Think About Most. Like attracts like. What you think about, you get.  If you think, "I won't get it because I never do," - you are correct. Dreaming of something new while focusing on current problems is a sure way to keep spinning your wheels. The secret is to focus your attention and actions on what you want to attract. That will require...

I have a question for you. What is your ONE most important activity?  What is the ONE core activity that makes everything else fine? What is the ONE core activity that, if you don’t do, causes everything to fall apart? In Brian Tracy’s book Eat The Big Frog First, he recognized that many people focus on anything but the most critical activity in their life. They are usually surprised when things f...

Over the years, I've witnessed dozens of people set themselves up for failure by following seemingly wise advice - "When you set a goal, make it public and tell everybody you know so that they can support you." In my experience, that hasn't worked so well - especially on long-term goals. The reason is that anybody outside of my close relationships doesn't know me well enough to understand why I'm...

Everything we do is guided by what we think is logical in our minds. I call my way of thinking Scott LOGIC. Is it common sense? Is it experience-based? Is it how I choose to live? Yes. But mostly, it is an endless list of thoughts that make my day better. Here are a few that will no doubt do the same for you. Life is long enough. But not for everybody. Recognize the difference. Life goes quickly u...

I want to live forever! Well, that’s what I used to say when I was a kid. As I passed a few birthdays and dealt with life’s challenges, I started thinking differently with a realization — My life, all of our lives are spent learning and figuring things out. While it can be tiring, it’s also what pours energy and meaning into our days. As we age, our knowledge deepens, our day-to-day get less attra...

Call me crazy, but everything I've ever done had its roots in a 30-day sprint - and it's a long time.   A week is easy, crossing several weekends and life events will make it seem like forever.   Here’s how you do it: 1) Set what Napoleon Hill calls a Major Definite Purpose, otherwise known as a big ass goal. 2) Stop that silly negative self-talk. Others may throw sticks and stones; don't throw th...

Do you ever feel like there are a thousand things that must line up before you can get what you want?  It may feel safer to wait until the stars align to take the next step toward your goals. Another choice would be blowing up, tearing down, and blasting away what you don't want.  Hmm - it seems that we are living in a time that did that job for us - right? I’m talking about Creative Destruction....

As we get closer to the endemic phase of the pandemic we've been living in for the last couple of years, I've noticed that people are getting back to their old ways. Now that we're not being forced to evaluate our daily lives, confused about what you want - and how to get there. That's okay. It's a journey. But what is that journey? Winston Churchill said, "To improve is to change, so to be perfec...

Have you ever wondered how the most successful people in the world get that way? Is their timing is right?  Do they know somebody?  Did they get lucky? Every person I’ve ever known who achieved remarkable success did three things: 1) They accepted what they wanted and believed it could be theirs. 2) They decided that their dream IS going to happen.  3) There is no Plan B.  When you know what you w...