The Grind It Out Podcast with Michael Herrera

This is one of the harshest facts I have encountered, but it is unquestionably accurate.  Let's get something straight; I was a member of the 98% club until April 1999 when I decided to take charge of my life, become my own boss and take responsibility for what was going to happen to me.  I was no longer going to be making someone else's dreams come true.  That day was the starting point of my personal road to wealth and achievements. There is nothing great about being members of the 98% club.    I share my experience with being a member of the '98% club', the story of how I got out, and the five steps I took to get me to the 2%. 

In this episode, we will discuss the importance of fitness and how it impacts your success personally and professionally.    Now, let's set the record straight; I wasn't always that person whose working out was part of their DNA; in matter of fact I was far from it.  Physical fitness was something I dabbled in now and then or when I had to buy a bigger waist size, or my Doctor would say I need to lose weight or when each new year would come around.    My Mom who was a great cook and made us wonderful meals every day.  We ate large portions and combined with my family genetics being husky as a kid and overweight as an adult was a reality.    Over the years, I had added 30 pounds, 4 waist sizes, high blood pressure and sleep apnea to my 5'6'' frame.  To add to it, my stress leveI was a bit high; I was running my consulting company that was in a critical stage of its lifecycle, traveling over 100k miles a year in the air, working 60 to 70 hours a week and oh yeah, trying to be the best father possible but dealing with an ex-wife who made joint parenting a living hell, etc.       It was the perfect storm for a disaster that was waiting to happen.  

Today's episode #046 is one of my favorites: Book Smart vs Street Smart – How Important is Common Sense?  In this week's episode, we will discuss the concept of Common Sense and how impacts your progress.    Society as a whole is lacking common sense and is overemphasizing the importance of book smart versus street smart.  So, looking at your life, are you book smart or street smart?    

In the last 3 podcasts, we have covered 3 critical components to being able to take the STAIRWAY TO SUCCESS and they include:    Adopt a Success Mindset  Build a Bulletproof Routine Think Like a Wealthy Person        The journey to SUCCESS is not a straight line; there will be ups, downs, retreats and gaps between achieving goals and making it up the next set of steps on the stairway. 

Ever since I was a young man in my hometown of Deming New Mexico, I imagined myself as a wealthy person and seeing myself in a position of financial success and wealth that at the time was so far from being achievable.  Yet, I implanted visions of myself on what kind of person I would be when I achieved financial wealth, how I would dress, how my family would live, how I would help people, where I would travel, what kind of car and house I would have and would actually see the balance I wanted to achieve in my bank account.   

In this week's episode, we will discuss Step 2 of the 1+1+1=4 CONCEPT which is BUILDING A BULLETPROOF ROUTINE to ensure consistency and discipline to make a positive change in your life.        Everyone has a routine, but is it a positive, goal-oriented routine or a routine guided by where the wind takes us that day?     So, why don't you have a positive, bulletproof routine?   What is your excuse?  I guarantee if you asked 10 people around you more than 75% don't have a positive routine they stick by that has become part of their DNA and made a difference in their life.   

In this episode, we will discuss the concept of 1+1+1=4 and its individual components that when added up will be greater than the sum of the individual parts.     Adopt a Success Mindset  Build a Bulletproof Routine  Think Like a Wealthy Person  Take the Stairway to Success  Today, we are going to talk about the first step in 1+1+1=4 which is Step 1 - Adopt a Success Mindset.    A success MINDSET is key to everything in your life; it must be applied in all areas of your life (personal, professionally, socially) in order to be successful.  

In this episode, we will discuss the importance of evolving as a person as you become successful over time.  As we have discussed in previous podcasts, success isn't just about having a big bank account. Many people with lots of money have horrifically unhappy and radically imbalanced lives. Success is about continuously improving who you are, how you live, how you serve, and your relationships with others.  So why won't most people be successful? Why don't most people evolve?  The more evolved you become, the more elevated becomes your thinking, behavior, expectations, and standards.    Becoming evolved means:   You no longer major in minor things — As Jim Rohn said, “A lot of people don't do well simply because they major in minor things.”  You are intentional about every moment of every day — even when that means being fully unplugged and present with your loved ones.  You know that you become the product of what surrounds you and who you interact with every day.  You know that everything you put in your mind and body shapes the person you become — As Zig Ziglar said, “Your input determines your outlook. Your outlook determines your output, and your output determines your future.”  You realize that your behaviors shape your personality and identity — therefore you recognize that EVERY CHOICE YOU MAKE signals to yourself the type of person you are.    Balancing the few essentials  The more successful you become — which is balancing the few essential things (spirituality with your God, relationships with those most important to you, your physical and mental fitness and financial well-being) in your life and removing everything else — the less you can and will justify low quality.  Lets be real; accepting “just ok” leads to a low level of quality in your life.  Its that simple.    Before you evolve as a person and accept “just ok” as the norm:  You can reasonably spend time with just about anyone  You can eat just about anything put in front of you  You can waste time on just about anything to fill up your time  You can justify having terrible evenings because you don't have anything meaningful to wake-up for anyways    So, as your vision for yourself expands      A quote from Wayne Dwyer, a truly beautiful person and a great life philosopher of our generation - “If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.”      As your image of the future you expands; you realize you have to make certain adjustments. You need to cut back on spending all of your time and effort on crap that doesn't benefit you in your evolution as a person.           So, as you become more successful and evolve as a person:    The less you can justify low quality the higher your standards become for yourself — As Tony Robbins said, “Remember in life we get what we tolerate! Where in your life is it time to draw the line in the sand and say no more! To yourself? To others?”    The more you value your time — and how that time is spent. When you're at work, you're 100% at work. When you're at home, you're 100% at home.    You are no longer willing to work on a time clock (this type of work is a thing of the past).  Instead, you only work and get paid for what results you produce.  You apply the 80/20 rule in all you do. You only focus on those things that produce the best outcomes, and you ignore all else.  You get the best mentoring.  You work when your energy levels and brain-power are peaked, which for most people is during the first 3 hours of their day.  You're totally unplugged spending quality time with your friends and family.  You're investing more and more into your self-improvement. You get to the point where 20% of your time is spent working, and the other 80% is spent either learning or resting.  You're continually upgrading your mindset, mentorships, skills, abilities, and income.  Your life and your identity are a product of your choices. Your personality doesn't shape who you are. Your behaviors shape who you are.    You put yourself into environments that force you to rise to new standards. Said historian Will Durant, “I think the ability of the average man could be doubled if it were demanded. If the situation demanded.”  You surround yourself with people who have higher standards than you do.  Your input shapes your mindset and worldview, which shapes your output. That output creates opportunities for the future.  So, as you increasingly become successful, evolve as a person, continually improve your world around you, and as you consistently make better and better choices, your identity changes. Your environment changes. Your confidence and abilities change.  You begin taking on much bigger goals.  You begin recognizing and appreciating how far you've come.   You begin collaborating with brilliant people. You transform yourself over and over, all the while continually going deeper and deeper into your “why.”  In Closing  Lets be real, most people won't be successful. Most people won't evolve and progress.  But you will. You know it, and you can feel it. You've already begun. And every day, you're taking one step closer.     Soon enough, you'll fully commit to being who you know you can be. Once you pass that point of no return, nothing will stop you.  I leave you with a quote to consider that sums up this podcast as we all work to become successful and evolve as the persons we ultimately wish to become:     “Some souls leave behind a trail of light that is never forgotten”. Muses from a Mystic 

In this episode, we will discuss the concept of DECLUTTERING YOUR MIND to make room necessary to make a positive change in your life.       How many of you today are thinking I have so much to do I don't know where to start?  Or you can't sleep at night because you are thinking of every item you need to complete?  Are you stressed to the point of being physically ill?   Or do the days and nights just run together, and you see no end in sight?  Have you just given up?  Are you mentally hoarding every idea and task you need to work on, complete or think you are responsible for completing?  I talk to a lot of people who have a CLUTTERED mind of tasks, projects and to-do's that go on forever and forever.  They can't think straight and have no focus or clarity in their approach to life.  They are paralyzed in their lives.    As I have always said, if you don't know what road to take in your life it doesn't matter which one you choose.  A cluttered mind distracts you from taking the right road you need to be traveling on in your life to enhance it and make it the life you want to lead.  So, why don't people take the time to clear their CLUTTERED mind?  Well, how many people do you know that need to clean out their closet or garage and say I will get to it tomorrow but never do.    Many people are like the show HOARDERS who just hold on to everything they need to do before someone from the outside comes in, intervenes and helps them declutter and clean it up.    Remember this important statement:  Your MIND is meant to create ideas not hold them.  Your MIND is meant to create ideas not hold them.  Your mind needs to be decluttered to permit you to have clarity and focus on the ideas, tasks and activities that improve and make your life GREAT!   As an entrepreneur for 20 years, I remember the days I thought my brain was going to explode or run out of memory because it was so cluttered with personal, professional, and social to-dos I couldn't keep up with it anymore.    I was forgetting things or intentionally not wanting to take the next step whether it was something as easy as I could do in 2 minutes, ask for outside help or just need needed to plan a project to get it done.  I was OUT OF CONTROL to put it nicely.  How many of you feel like this right now?  So, you ask, what is the solution: DECLUTTER YOUR MIND  Decluttering your mind is like doing a spring cleaning of your house or storage shed.  You look at the mountain of clutter and slowly break it into groups of KEEP, THROW AWAY or DONATE.  The same goes for your mind and the endless list of ideas and to-do's.   So, what are the steps to DECLUTTER our mind.  Here are the steps to making this happen:   STEP 1 - DO A BRAIN DUMP  Plan for an hour to two to get this done; I spent 2 hours the most recent time I did this  Sit in a quiet room with no interruptions (family, friends, technology, etc.)  Get multiple blank pieces of paper to note what comes from your brain dump  Now sit down with a pen/pencil   Note down everything in your brain you need to accomplish (personal, professional, social) that you are responsible for now and in the near future and/or believe you are responsible for making happen. I mean note everything you think you need to get done over the next 3 to 6 months.    It should take time to go through every recess of your brain and identify everything you need to do and/or believe you need to do personally, professionally, socially, etc.   I considered myself to be well organized and yet my last brain dump took up 5 pages of the all of items floating around in my brain that were each flashing signs of pick me, pick me!     It should take you time (an hour or more) to get your brain dumped.  If you can't get it done in an hour, schedule another hour to get it done.    STEP 2 – NOW ORGANIZE THE BRAIN DUMP  Now that you have the multiple pages of to-dos and you should have multiple pages of items from your brain dump; if you don't you aren't thinking hard enough and searching every area of your brain.    Once you feel comfortable that you have emptied your brain, let's look at the list and categorize each item into one of these three groups:  Keep    Donate  Throw Away    Look at each item you identified intensely and decide what to do with it (keep, donate or throw away).    KEEP items are those that are key to making you successful in your life personally, professional or socially and align with your vision of who you are and want to be.   You have to get these items done to succeed.    DONATE items are those you thought you needed to be responsible for but can donate these to someone else to do and take off your hands.   For those of you who take on too much responsibility or try to do everything yourself, you should have quite a few items in this category.     THROW AWAY items are those that have no bearing on your life and level of success personally, professionally or socially.  There may be items you shouldn't be doing and are caustic to you and your life (scheduling time to meet with negative people, etc.)   Get rid of them like the plague.     STEP 3 - IDENTIFY THE NEXT ACTION STEP  You have dumped your brain and organized it into Keep, Donate and Throw Away piles.   We only need to focus on the Keep and Donate piles.    For each item in the KEEP and DONATE categories:   What is the immediate next step for each item; is it an email, phone call, schedule time to assess/plan, etc.?    Can I get it done in 2 minutes or less? If yes, do it and get if off your list right this minute.  Do I need to schedule a time to address it? If yes, schedule it right now.  Will I need a project to get this done? If yes, schedule a time to build a project plan right now.  Who can I identify that I could donate the item to get off my list and let them handle it for me?   You will be amazed how many items can be completed in 2 minutes or less and/or progress made towards completing.  A lot of good can be accomplished in 2 minutes or less, so use the time for good not bad.   STEP 4 – INTEGRATE KEEP AND DONATE TASKS INTO YOUR SCHEDULE  You have dumped your brain, organized it by need and identified the immediate next step for each item. Now that have your cluttered brain dump is organized you can take the KEEP and DONATE tasks and integrate the items into your daily schedule to be completed.    Break out the lists into manageable pieces and put the items with high priority into your daily and weekly schedule for completion before those that have a medium or low priority.  It's not about getting everything done all at once; it's about getting something done every day.  Consistency in daily action leads to future success; it's that simple.  Build on small pieces of success every day.   STEP 5 - REFRESH THE BRAIN DUMP   Dumping the brain of its contents, organizing it and acting on it is a liberating feeling that gives you back control of your life.   You eliminate worry because it's now organized in a way you can focus on what is right for your life.    So, how often should I do a brain dump?  I would recommend that you dump your brain on a regular basis at least every couple of months. I personally do this once a month but that works for me and the number of areas I am working in personally, professionally and socially.  So, I leave you with a quote from Lisa Shultz who specializes in decluttering your life:  “We all have a million things vying for our attention. If you tell yourself that you don't have enough time to clear out your junk, you might be delaying the well-being and relief you could experience by tackling it. If not now, when?”   ― Lisa J. Shultz, Lighter Living: Declutter. Organize. Simplify.  Go out, lighten your mental load and focus on building a better life.  

Today's episode #039 is titled – THE REALITY OF SUCCESS. In this episode, we will discuss the REALITY of SUCCESS and its dark side.  We all strive for the gratification that comes with achieving success in life. For me, I get a natural high from the simplest tasks to the biggest wins—everything! I am achievement and success orientated in every aspect of my life.     But, there are the not-so-glamorous aspects as well. The truths about achieving success are quite similar. I've spent some time on this in the past — there is always the other side, the dark side.    

  Like all bad habits, excuses are easy. They allow you to box yourself into your comfort zone and be “okay” with your life. After a while, you'll find this way of living isn't enough for you. You can either accept where your life is (which is the excuse-coated version of “give up”), or you can eliminate your excuses by taking responsibility for where you are now and more importantly, why you created the excuses in the first place.  To help you get started, this episode will lay out 7 ways to eliminate your excuses.  

This is one of the harshest facts I have encountered, but it is unquestionably accurate. At first it seemed impossible to agree with, but the more I see society's entitlement mentality, the more this fact becomes true. The reason this fact is true is even more shocking.    Let's get something straight; I was a member of the 98% club until April 1999 when I decided to take charge of my life, become my own boss and take responsibility for what was going to happen to me.  I was no longer going to be making someone else's dreams come true.  That day was the starting point of my personal road to wealth and achievements. There is nothing great about being members of the 98% club.      So, are you a member of the 98% or 2% club?  Be honest with yourself and where you stand today.  Remember life is no dress rehearsal.   

Running your own company is immensely gratifying but also terrifying. There is no better feeling than watching your vision take off and become a living, breathing entity that changes your life and those around you. I believe running your own company is like being a professional athlete. Many of us look up to professional athletes, fantasizing about being in their shoes, in all their moments of glory. However, many don't often think about is the enormous amount of dedication, willpower and the failures that they had to overcome to achieve success.  Strangely enough, this same phenomenon occurs when people look up to entrepreneurs. 

  Remember Every Struggle is a reminder of the question…How Bad Do You Want it?  If I asked you right now to rate how bad do you really want to change your life on a scale of 1 to 5 with 1 being a maybe and 5 being all in.  Where are you at; be honest with yourself because most people go through their lives as 1 or 2.  How do you get to success? You want it more than breathing. Review your list of excuses, and make a decision to stop sabotaging yourself with this week's episode.      

Have you ever had a slip of the tongue?  Put your foot in your mouth?  Or had that moment when we wish we could take back something we've said?  Communication experts agree that our vocabulary contains many word traps that can impact how we are perceived by others and destroy our credibility.  What is interesting is these words are so commonplace, you may not notice it but it can instantly trigger negative reactions from your listeners. This is especially true in high-stress situations or where there's a lack of trust, causing sensitivity to these word traps to be heightened.  Find out how the words we use impact us in all areas of our lives and how words can hurt you. In this episode.

The most in-demand skills that employers crave are the elusive "soft skills"--the intangible but important qualities that enable you to work and interact with the people around you effectively. Having great soft skills can be a huge game-changer as you go through your career and life. It can be the difference between getting people to believe in you or being forgotten, the difference between advancing a project or having it rejected, the difference between getting a promotion or finding yourself in yet another disappointing lateral move. These skills teach you not just to be a better employee but a stellar human being as well.

If you want to be unsuccessful in your life; you came to the right place today; here are the top 7 traits of highly unsuccessful people. I hope you can take a look at your life and see if any of these 7 traits are impacting your journey to a magnificent life. We are not perfect and throughout your life, these traits will have a way of creeping back into your life.  You need to recognize it and eliminate it from your life.  Remember: Behind every successful person there are a lot of unsuccessful years.

We all have heroes, people we look up to and inspire us to be the best we can be.  Heroes come in many ages, shapes, and sizes. Many of our heroes are everyday folks like you and me.   Everybody's heroes are different for each and every one of us.  The definition of a hero is a person who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities.  My Dad, Alfredo (Fred) Herrera, is my hero.  He was a first-generation American who was born in La Union NM,  growing up on a farm. He was a self-made man who with a 6th-grade education and limited means raised himself to become a highly successful businessman, politician and most importantly a monumental person, husband, father, and grandfather.    

Let's make one statement right now.  Everyone deserves to be at the highest levels of the Wealth Pyramid.  The Wealth Pyramid does not care what color you are, where you came from, what level of education you have or what gender you are. It does, however, mandate as a condition of membership that you be willing to transform your life, commit to the transformation, build an action plan/daily routine and execute it every day like your life depended on it.   So, let's talk about the 5 levels of the Wealth Pyramid and what it means, and how to climb it.   

In this episode, we will discuss my three lessons regarding excellence,  complete with my own experience and examples that you can relate to in order to understand the nature of excellence and what it takes to achieve it. Think of that day where you did everything you wanted to in terms of being disciplined. Now imagine doing that every single day. Going to the gym may be fun for a day, 2 weeks or even a month. But how about 3 months, 6 months, a year? Two years? Most people will have a surge of initial motivation and commitment, but its grinding past the feeling of boredom of doing the same thing over and over is what ultimately compounds into the achievement you sought in the first place. You MUST learn to embrace the boring parts of the process. Accept the fact that being the best version of you means doing the daily stuff that doesn't show immediate benefits.

In this episode, we will discuss the steps to getting your life back in control when all hell has broken loose and your running with your hair on fire.  So, is your life out of control right now?  Is it pure chaos?  All of us experience this awful feeling every now and then, because no matter how much self-development you do, there is going to be a time when even the most perfect person's life gets out of control.  Now, there are lots of things we can't control: your company may go out of business, you can get fired, your investments may plummet, your most valued relationships may end—the list is infinite, really.   This feeling is normal, and there is always going to be winter in every season of your life. There have been times in my life that were pure chaos when everything around me was collapsing on me and crushing me under the weight. Through all of the chaos what kept me going is the belief that it wouldn't last forever. This is normal and even the people I look up to have dealt with this.   But I have learned that we would be far more effective if we focused on all things we can control instead; if we stopped worrying about the indefinite and started benefiting from the guaranteed?  When I begin to feel out of control, I have learned to go back to what I have control over in order to bring me back to center.       

In this episode, we will discuss the concept of metanoia.  Metanoia is defined as the profound transformation in one's outlook.  How many of you find yourself in a position right now where you need to transform your outlook and life?  Are you sick and tired and being sick and tired?  Have you have reached this point in one or more aspects of your life (your job, your relationships, your finances, etc.)?  So, what's keeping you from making that transformation?  Do you have a fear of failing, are you in toxic relationships that keep you from transforming, are you lazy, or are you a world class quitter?    If you want to live that magnificent life you will need to rethink everything. You'll need to resort to the concept of metanoia, the radical rethinking, and alteration of who you are right now.   

In this episode, we will discuss the 7 reasons you are not a millionaire yet. If you are already a millionaire already, listen anyway and we would love to hear your insights on how you became a millionaire. Look, we are all trying to get ahead in life or you wouldn't be listening today. For me, becoming a millionaire has been a goal of mine since I was a teenager growing up in Deming New Mexico and working at my Dad's gas station.  Now becoming a millionaire to a lot of people is like finding a unicorn; the odds are unfathomable to them that they could someday be a wealthy person and achieve financial independence.  In this episode, I'll go over what financial independence means, why it's so important, and the 7 traps to avoid on your way to becoming a millionaire.     

In this episode, we will discuss the proven relationship between fitness and success.  Researchers have conducted numerous studies to determine the relationship between exercise and productivity in the workplace. To varying degrees, many studies have found some positive correlation between regular exercise and improved productivity, reduced absenteeism, and fewer health-related work limitations — especially through participating in worksite fitness centers. The fact is when a person is being physically active their body goes into fight or flight mode. This response releases an endorphin called “Brain Derived Neurotropic Factor (BDNF)” that gives you the ability to think more clearly and better respond to business demands. When you exercise you actually increase the amount of BDNF in your Hippocampus, which is associated with heightened cognitive functions such as memory and emotion. Even better, studies show that this endorphin is sustained for as long as several weeks after exercise. Life is tough enough; you need an optimized body to grind it out every day. Find out more about why and listen to my tips on how to add more fitness into your life. 

In this episode, we will discuss the importance of having good manners and etiquette and what importance manners plays in being a happy, successful human being. Manners, in my humble opinion, have nothing to do with your level of socioeconomic status but simply how you were raised and influenced by your parents and others around you. You can be rich and have no manners and etiquette or poor with the best manners and etiquette or vice versa.

Today's episode #023 is titled – HELLO? HELLO? ARE YOU PRESENT? In this episode, we will discuss the importance of being in the present moment in your daily life and with those around you. How often do you often find yourself physically but not mentally present with not only yourself but in your interactions with your family, friends, co-workers and the world in general? What does it mean to live fully in the present moment? It means that your awareness is completely centered on the here and now. You are not worrying about the future or thinking about the past. When you live in the present, you are living where life is happening. The past and future are illusions, they don't exist.

In this episode, we will discuss my recent visit to a city and the lives of three people I encountered all in all different stages and conditions.   A benefit of my job is the travel I take and the cultures, companies and people I get to meet, work with, and build long term relationships with each and every day. I see people at their best and at their worst in a variety of environments.    Over many miles of travel, you become a keen observer of people as you watch them navigate through life; I seek to learn from others and take what is good in life as well as what to avoid at all costs.   In my last business trip to the Midwest, I observed 3 different people in  3 different stages of their lives.  Listen to these tales, see if you identify with any of them and I hope you take away positive steps to help your life. 

In this episode, we will discuss the difference between being nice and kind and why kindness will pay immeasurable dividends. Throughout the course of our lives, we all have opportunities to decide who we are and how we want to treat people. One of the biggest decisions that we have to make is whether or not we want to live our lives for others or for ourselves. There is a striking difference between a person who is kind and a person who is nice. We live in a day in age where saying someone is nice has become one of the most commonly heard compliments, but you rarely ever hear someone say that someone else is kind. In doing so, we have slowly begun to forget the importance of being truly, deeply, kind to one another.

In this episode, we will discuss the importance of owning each day in your journey to your magnificent life. Each day we are each given 86400 seconds to make progress in reaching our magnificent life. Owning each day and every second of it to achieve a magnificent life is paramount. What you achieve each day is one more building block that builds your pyramid to a magnificent life. I watch in utter sadness as so many people just wander through their day with no direction; they let the day take them like the wind versus driving the day in the direction they want. Do you wander through each day or do you own it? Does each have a meaning? Yet many people look at me and say: Michael, its only one day in my life, why is it so important? Well, its simple, days add up to weeks, weeks into months, months into years and years into decades. As one of my favorite groups Nickelback sings in their song “If Today Was Your Last Day”: “Each day is a gift not a given right.: Do you treat each day as a gift and own it? Do you maximize its 86400 seconds?

In this episode, we will discuss a subject that is near and dear to my heart – Dressing 25% Better than Everyone Else. Now many people think that just washing their face, combing their hair (maybe) and putting their clothes straight from the dryer is sufficient. Is it? Are you one of these people? Do you even care how you dress? Since I have been a young man, I have been a clothes horse. I love well-made clothes that make you look and feel like a million dollars. It was always my goal to look my best at all times. And in my job as the CEO of a consulting company where you work across many different company cultures you need to dress better than everyone else; always at least 25% better.

In this episode, we will discuss the untapped power of the smile and how it changes the world around you. There are days when you wake up on the wrong side of the bed, got into a fight with a loved one or struggled through driving to work to a job you don't enjoy, it can be a tough task to put a smile across your face when you're feeling less than your best. But when you choose to smile, positive changes start to occur automatically, both internally and externally. Great power lies in a random smile, so long as you choose to share it with the world.

In this episode, we will discuss the difference and importance of being persistent and consistent in your journey to your magnificent life. Most people are not persistent.  Think about this…you're 10 pounds overweight (the ‘cause') and you decide to take up a fitness program (the ‘effect'). In a few months you succeed in losing the weight….you feel good about this and you stop your program.  Then in 6 months your back to being 12 pounds overweight and you do the same thing again and again and again. Why? Lack of persistence! Once the ‘cause' was eliminated (the excessive pounds) the ‘effect' stopped (the working out) If there you had persistence, your exercise program would have continued past the point of losing the weight.

In 1999, I started my own business, and since then I've acquired a wealth of knowledge. Today on the Grind It Out podcast, I am proud to share the 10 tips I've learned in my 19-year journey as a successful owner of a multi-million dollar consulting firm.       

In this episode, we will discuss the importance of clarity of vision and maximizing the pursuits that will make you successful in your life's journey. So, do you know what your vision is in life? Is the vision of YOUR future crystal clear? A clarity of vision is critical to maximizing who we want to be and how we need to get there. It takes dogged persistence and consistency to stay on the right road to our final destination. It often means letting even good opportunities go that could detour us from our final destination. It means doing a lot of what we don't want to do versus what is easy or seems to be a good opportunity at the time but not in the long run.

In his wonderful book, The Art of Living, Thich Nhat Hanh presents a concept called Interbeing. Interbeing is the thought that we are all a continuation of the world especially our parents. My mother is with me every day, as I wake up and as I go about my life. Whatever I do, wherever I go, she is with me and a part of me. Not only is no man an island, but rather his interbeing is shared with the plants and animals he eats, the people who make his clothes and food, the people who populate his home, country and the very world he perceives, the insects that pollinate the trees that yield his fruit, shade him from the sun, and provide lumber for his house.

In this episode, we will discuss the importance of recognizing patterns in our lives and that by identifying them and deciphering them we can make effect dramatic change in our future.   “What we call chaos is just patterns we haven't recognized. What we call random is just patterns we can't decipher.” ~Chuck Palahniuk   Look around you. Why do some people have a pattern of success and others a pattern of failure that follows them like the plague? Is it hard work, defined action, luck or subconscious sabotage that impacts these patterns?   Life has a funny way of teaching us lessons. When there is something you need to learn, something that you need to work on, something you need to defeat, the same situation will continue to repeat itself until you either learn your lesson or find a healthy way of dealing with that particular issue.

Today's episode #012 is titled Your TOO Busy – That's a Load of BS. In this episode, we will discuss the rampant belief that being busy is worthy of a medal of distinction. So, how many times, have you ever said to yourself, “I'm too busy”? “I'm too busy to meet this person…” “I'm too busy to take care of my health…” “I'm too busy to go back to school…” “I'm too busy to call someone I care about…” “I'm too busy to spend time with my spouse or kids…”  We take in a big sigh and lead ourselves to believe that being “too busy” is something worth celebrating and getting a medal bestowed on us. I've certainly been guilty of this BS in my lifetime. Now, we live in a world of rapid change, infinite access, and countless distractions, our society has built a culture around commending “keeping busy”, for the sake of… well, keeping busy. But there's a massive difference between activity and performance. We can be efficient in a lot of things in our lives, without ever being effective. 

In the latest episode of the Grind It Out Podcast, will discuss the Think & Grow Rich book authored by Napoleon Hill in 1937.  This is one of my all-time favorite books and one I regularly apply its concepts on a daily basis.   The Think & Grow Rich book is focused on applying specific principles to acquiring financial wealth but can be applied to achieving wealth in any aspect of your life (e.g., relationships, fitness, parenting, work, etc.).  However, like anything else, YOU must be ready for change, and SEARCHING FOR a NEW LIFE to make it work. And remember that you can't get something for NOTHING.   

Today's episode #010 is titled “Get a GRIP on Your Life” with an emphasis on the word GRIP. In this episode, we will discuss a simple set of 4 steps to help you quickly move forward in your life a get a GRIP on your life:   G = Get Up & Take Action R = Realize You are the Reason Your Life is Where It Is  I = Implement a Plan to Succeed P = Plan to Succeed

In this episode, we will discuss “The Law of Attraction” which is one of life's biggest mysteries. I personally believe is one of the important laws to achieving success. Very few people are fully aware of how much of an impact the Law of Attraction has on our day to day life. Whether we are doing it intentionally or not, we act as human magnets sending out our thoughts and emotions and attracting back more of what we have put out whether it's positive or negative. Unfortunately, so many of us are blind to the potential that is locked deep within us. Consequently, it is all too easy to leave your thoughts and emotions unchecked. This sends out the wrong thoughts and attracts more unwanted emotions and events into your life.

Discomfort plays an important role in being a lifelong partner in helping you achieve new levels of success. Discomfort is your friend, not your enemy. Discomfort is defined as: dis·com·fort disˈkəmfərt/ noun 1. slight pain."the patient complained of discomfort in the left calf" 2. synonyms: 3. pain, aches and pains, soreness, tenderness, irritation, stiffness; More verb 1. make (someone) feel uneasy, anxious, or embarrassed."she liked to discomfort my mother by her remarks" Discomfort is the feeling of irritation, soreness, or pain that, though not severe, is annoying. Every year, people who get a cold or the flu experience a few days of discomfort. Now, nowhere in the definition of discomfort does it state that by experiencing discomfort, you have some kind of death sentence. Despite this, many look upon experiencing discomfort as catastrophic.  A serious question for you. Where do you stand on the discomfort tolerance mete from 1 to 10 where 1 means you fall apart when you experience the smallest signs of discomfort and 10 being you're a rock when dealing with discomfort. Seriously, think of where you stand and think where are your kid's scores are as well. If you can't stand discomfort, where do you think our kids will be on the scale. Let's face it. Society is doing everything it can to eliminate discomfort in our lives and those of our children to the detriment of the world. We are becoming averse to any discomfort and we are going to pay for the lack of GRIT in the future. Listen to me closely, eliminating discomfort is not a good thing; YOU CANT ACHIEVE SUCCESS WITHOUT IT OR FEEL THE POWER OF OVERCOMING THE OBSTACLES IN FRONT OF YOU! DISCOMFORT IS THERE TO TELL YOU ARE ALIVE AND NEED TO CHANGE YOUR LIFE! By defining our fears and shining light onto them, you may just realize that what you fear the most is not as bad as you thought and you have built a Plan B for yourself that grinds FEAR into the dust.

How many of you got up still yawning, not feeling rested, in a bad mood, and needing coffee to stay alert? How many of you know that you'll be nodding off or even falling asleep at work today? Or are you one of those lucky ones that only need 3-5 hours of sleep at night, making you a true rarity? Years ago, I would see my need for 6-7 hours of sleep as a weakness. I would often strategize about getting less sleep so that I could get more done. Little did I know how important getting those 6-7 hours of sleep was and is to all facets of my life.   

Do you need a way to kick your procrastination habit and make it easier for you to stick to good habits?  I have a simple strategy that couldn't be easier for you to use, in fact, it'll take you two minutes. I've used this strategy as an easy way for me to gain clarity, get to work, and grind it out.  

"Everybody's working for the weekend." Loverboy had it right. So many of us give it our all week and use Saturday and Sunday to catch up on rest. Many don't realize that spending a day bingeing Game of Thrones or sleeping off that last margarita ends up being a waste of two-sevenths of our life. Successful people know that even if we don't spend the weekend working, we have to stay productive in order to stay ahead. Using our time effectively on the weekends can propel you to reach your goals sooner. Think about what you did this weekend. Did you use your valuable time to connect with others? Did you work on your side hustle? Or did you just read a book to improve your mind? In this episode, we review 8 things successful people do for the 60 hours between Friday at 5 o'clock and Monday at 8am.

Whether you realize it or not, you have probably been using auto suggestion techniques your whole life.  If you have ever told yourself to wake up at a certain time, “relax,”,“sleep,”  “concentrate,” “smile,” “breathe,” or whatever -- you have used auto suggestion.  We do it naturally.   The problem is that most people use autosuggestion UNCONSCIOUSLY– and often in a way that holds them back from accomplishing what they want.  For example, people talk about being “tired” of this or that. Then, they wonder why they feel low and lethargic. Or they bitch that their boss is a pain in the rear, and then they begin to have problems with their lower back.      Let's emphasize this - Self-talk is a very powerful tool that can enhance your life or lead you into a spiral of negativity. 

BEING GRATEFUL is one of the most important elements for success. It's the key to experiencing life at its best.  Being grateful for your blessings in life is arguably one of the keys that opens the door to a life of success and prosperity.  Gratitude:  Improves physical health—experience fewer aches, pains and illnesses  Increases likelihood of exercising regularly and making healthier lifestyle choices  Promotes longer, better sleep patterns  Reduces negative mental states—envy, frustration, malice, resentment, jealousy, regret  Fosters strong fulfilling relationships—see more good in others, express more thanks  Improves mental health—increases joy, builds self-esteem, reduces depression   Amplifies compassion, sensitivity, and empathy toward others  Strengthens ability to overcome trauma 

GET UP EARLIER, YOU ARE BURNING DAYLIGHT. I believe getting up early is a key to a successful day, week, month, year and life in general. I am up between 4:30 and 5:00 a.m. every day and the extra time I give myself (2 to 3 hours) gives me valuable time to focus, to be creative, and to complete those tasks key to enhancing the success of my daily mindset. In this episode, I review how to get up earlier, the three steps you can take to actually get yourself up, what to do when you get up earlier, going to bed earlier, and what you achieve by getting up earlier.

Before you got into your car today to get you to your destination, you had pre-determined where you needed to go, how to get there, what you needed to take with you, and how long it would take to get there.. You developed a mindset of what you needed to do to get to your destination. Yet, how many of us do this with our life daily? In this episode, I go over what a good daily mindset is, and provide you the step-by-step process for shaping your daily mindset. 

Welcome to the first episode of the Grind It Out Podcast!  Throughout all my travels and life experiences I've learned that there is a magnificent life for each of us, no matter where you are in your life, what has happened to you, and what the definition of a magnificent life may be for you. A magnificent life for some of you listening today may be financial success, for others it's being in the best shape of their life or being the best spouse or parent, and yet for others it could be a life of helping those less fortunate. Building a magnificent life comes down to one thing; the ability to relentlessly grind it out each and every day.