There are some days where you just get frustrated.  Maybe things don't go your way.  Maybe you have a bad day in business.  Maybe you get frustrated with a loved one over an issue or a challenge.  Whatever it is, there are just times things don't go right and we get frustrated.  Of course, this is an emotional reaction.

So, what do we do?  How do we get over the frustration quickly and not let it affect us.  First, use logic, but understand - frustration will affect you.  The key is to make sure it has minimal impact.

You should logically think through why you are frustrated or angry and then ask yourself what is in your power to do about it and then what is not.  You can then focus on the things you can control.  

The second thing you can do is what a Misfit Entrepreneur guest, Harma Hartouni called the "5 Minute Funeral."  Instead of just ignoring the issue and letting frustration impact you, deal with it and do it quickly.  It is OK to get pissed off and be angry or even say a few choice words - just do it for 5 mins, get it over with, and get to work on the things you can control to resolve it.  

We will always have things that get us angry or frustrated.  The key is to understand that.  Deal with it.  And get moving to a better place as fast as possible.  And the more challenges you can handle and overcome the more you will grow and succeed!

Everyone has their own hacks and ways to help the to focus and concentrate.  One of my favorites is to listen to ambient music.  But, over the years, I've found there are certain types that really work for me and have found a number of great long (1 hour+) compilations on Youtube that I can throw on and just let go as I work.  Most of them involve movie scores or soundtracks.  You'll probably be surprised at what works best for me, but it works and that is all that matters.  Here are my Top 5 Youtube compilations for concentrating while I work.

1.)  My Go to Favorite:  Harry Potter Ambient

2.)  My Second Favorite:  Fantastic Beasts Ambient, Raining in New York

3.)  My More "Upbeat, Yet Serious) Favorite:  Bat Cave Ambience, Dark Knight Trilogy

​This one doesn't allow it to be embedded in other websites, so here is the link.  It's a killer compilation.

https://youtu.be/p-9AbH4Q1OU

4.)  My Fun Favorite:  Both Sherlock Holmes Soundtracks 

5.)  My Favorite for Deeper Concentration:  Interstellar Main Theme Extended

This won't be a long post.  In fact, it is more like a gut check - one that we all need from time to time.

Are you being truthful to yourself?  Are you?

Before you answer, stop and really think on this.  Are you living the way you want and know you should be?  Are you living by the principles you believe in?  Are you compromising them in any way?  Or more importantly, are you settling in any area of your life where you know you should not be?  

Most people are living a lie in some area of their lives.  It may be in a relationship, their work, or internally within themselves.  Most of the time, they are complacent and settling in an area they know they should not be.  They know what they should be doing or the choices that need to be made, but they avoid them and keep the lie going because it's easier to do that than face the truth and potential consequences - even when they know by doing so, they will be better off in the end.  

Don't be one of these people.  Face your lie(s) and breakthrough.  Act.  Do what you know you need to do and push forward.  

Free yourself by telling yourself the truth and living in it.

Structure. Equals. Freedom.

What?  How does that make any sense?

When most people hear, "Structure equals freedom," it confuses them as the word structure conjures up thoughts of limitations or making people follow certain terms or rules, etc.  But that is not the structure I am talking about.  I am talking about the structure you implement into your life that allows you to regain control and freedom on your terms.

Most people don't take the time to plan and decide what they will or won't do on a weekly basis and thus are at the mercy of everyone's needs and whims.  From work to family and other actors, our time is constantly getting taken away from us by outside influences.  Do you ever feel like there is not enough time in the day to do all the things you know you need to do?  You're not alone.  And this happens because we haven't implemented the structure in our lives to take back control.

It starts with taking your time back.  You can do this by setting parameters for those around you for your time and availability.  The easiest way to accomplish this is to set specific times when you are available and when you aren't.  For example, my teams have specific days and times that I am available for their needs and they can schedule a time with me during those blocks to work through them.  I also block times in my calendar for Ironman training every day as well as family time and fun/personal time, etc..  These times are non-negotiable and if someone tries to book time during one of these blocks, it gets denied and then can go grab time in one of the open slots.

In the end, this simple tactic allows me to dictate what times I am available for others and the focus for those times, instead of them just taking any opening in my time they wish.  In doing this, I have trained others when I am available and am able to focus much better and be more productive with them during those times.  By implementing this simple structure, I have given myself more freedom in my life to be able to do everything I want/need to do and meet all of my obligations in my businesses.

How about you, what areas can you implement structure in your life to give yourself more freedom?

No matter who you are or what you do, in order to perform at your best levels, you must take time to recharge and clear your mind - each day.  I've experimented a lot over the years looking for the best ways easily charge my energy and senses back up during the day and help my mind to be the sharpest it can be.  Some things worked and others didn't and I can say that some things will work better for some than for others.  But I've found 5 ways to recharge and clear your mind that should work for most people and want to share them here.

1.)  Get Up and Take a Walk

This is pretty easy.  When you start to feel fatigued or your head is feeling "cloudy," get up and taking 15-20 minute walk outside if possible.  This will get your blood and oxygen flowing and get you refreshed.  Another thing you can do is schedule your work out time(s) for the day in a way that they give your breaks after working for a period of time.

2.)  Do a 10 Minute Yoga or Meditation Session

If you are not a walker, you can also do 10 minutes of guided Yoga or a meditation session.  You can find free ones on Youtube from beginner to advanced.  It's amazing what 10 minutes of this will do to clear your mind and help you think better.

3.)  Stretch!

Most people hardly stretch their muscles and this causes all kinds of problems for them that they don't even realize.  Muscle tightness can cause tension, it can cause fatigue, it can make it harder to concentrate.  If you take a few minutes each day to stretch your muscles, you will be amazed at the benefits and it helps you to have more energy and be refreshed.  Try it!

4.)  Do 10 Minutes of Boxed Breathing

A lot has been studied on breathing and its benefits.  In fact, if you have an apple watch, it has a breathing app and reminder that comes with it.  I am big fan of Boxed Breathing, it is simple and easy to do.  In fact, here are just some of the benefits.

• It can help you cope with panic and stress when feeling overwhelmed. Counting helps to take the focus from the panic-producing situation enabling you to handle and control your response.
• Helps you to sleep when you are having insomnia.
• Helps to control hyperventilation as you can instruct your lungs to breathe rhythmically.
• Helps you refocus when you are having a busy or stressful day.
• Eases panic and worry.
• Keeps you calm while preparing for the day.
• When making a big decision.
• Lowers blood pressure and decreases Cortisol — a stress hormone — which can improve your mood.

Add this to your daily routine and use it as needed to help you.

5.)  Leave Your Office Environment and Do Something Non-Work Related

This is another way to recharge and refocus - just remove yourself entirely from things for a little bit.  Go play a game, hang with the dog, talk to your significant other or your kids - just do something that doesn't have to do with work.

Bonus!  Clear Your Mind by Writing it All Down

If you feel like you are overwhelmed and have too much on your plate, take 5-10 minutes and just write everything out from your mind.  Make a list of everything you need to do or that is in your mind.  Then leave your work area for a few minutes and come back and review it.  It will help you get clarity.  

There are a lot of things that go into being successful and maintaining success.  Hard (and smart) work, grit and the ability to keep going, seizing opportunities and actioning them as they present themselves, dedication, focus, and many more.

I could write many posts about the ingredients to consistent success, but I feel it especially important to write about one characteristic I've seen consistently across almost every entrepreneur I meet or interview.

That characteristic is this:  It is not one major thing that they do that sets the apart from their peers and competition, but a lot of little things done just a little different or better that add up to a huge advantage for them.

Many of these things are thing that all entrepreneurs do - lead people, work with clients, make sales, manage finances, create and work toward a vision, etc.

The key difference is that the most successful entrepreneurs either do these things differently or more uniquely than others or focus intently on how to be better than even the best they are up against.

For example, I recently interviewed Alicia Jarrett out of Australia.  Alicia invest in real estate in the US and is highly successful to the point where her "competition" is coming to her and her business partner to teach them what they are doing to succeed.  Alicia's secret is in a couple areas.  First, her and her partner have a developed a unique process to mine and manage data to find the absolute ideal prospects that are currently in a position to sell their property at a discount.  Next, they market to them through not just one method, but multiple.  Additionally, Alicia has carved out a very specific niche in that she buys vacant land that prospects have had for many years that has potential, but usually has a couple roadblocks that had kept it from being developed.  Alicia and her team have put together everything they need to alleviate those roadblocks, so they can buy the property at a discount taking the burden off the owner's hands, then fixing the issues, and selling it for a great profit.

As you can see Alicia does a number of things uniquely and differently and her obsession with fine tuning prospect data to find the perfect lead is better than others.  These things all combined give her a great competitive advantage and have made her and business partner consistently successful.

How about you?  What areas can you get just a little bit better than you biggest competition in?  What things can you do in a more efficient or unique way that will help give you an advantage?  Start thinking on these questions and jotting down your thoughts and you'll find there are a number of opportunities that present themselves.  Use this critical element to success to your advantage!

Life is so precious.  We forget that.  While, for those of us that have accepted Christ as our savior, we are just passing through on our way to our eternity with our maker, this life still is a wonderful, incredible gift that we have been given.  And it goes by very fast.  A blink of an eye and someone is there, then gone.

Mark Eaton was a guest on Misfit.  I did an interview with him about a year ago, but the audio came out bad and I was never able to release it.  I had reached out about scheduling another interview, but Mark and I had not been able to pin down a time.  If you don't know Mark, he was a top former Pro-Basketball player with the Utah Jazz - a future Hall of Famer, who had retired and had taken the lessons learned on the court and applied them to business.  He was a top rated speaker and consultant who was really becoming big in the space.  He died just over a week ago from a bike crash.  He lived in Park City Utah and had gone out for a nice summer ride for some exercise.  Somehow, he ended up crashing his bike and was found by a car driving by.  He was rushed to the hospital but didn't make it.

As a competitive Ironman triathlete, I spend a lot of time on the bike and know how just one wrong move or someone not paying attention while driving can cause severe injury or death.  Just like that, Mark was gone and he had a lot more to share and give to the world.  

I share Mark's story because it is a great reminder of how precious things are.  It is sad to see someone's life end before we think it should (although we must trust in God's plans) and it should spur us to think deeper about how much we need to cherish our lives and those around us.  And it should bring us closer in our relationship to our maker and learn how to use the talents given to us to be what we were born to be to the world.  We must not go through life without giving our best to the world to make it a better, more meaningful place.  I know Mark's impact will live on and you can learn more about his teachings at https://www.7ft4.com/

Cherish it.  Cherish it all, because we never know when our time in this short life is up as we pass through.

When is the last time you sat back and contemplated this wonderful world and life in which we live?

When was the last time you listed all the things you were grateful for?  Or the blessings you have and/or been given?

As I watched the sun come up over Mauna Kea as I stood inline to start my Ironman race on the Big Island of Hawaii this last weekend, I could not help but think of the beauty all around me and in our lives. 

Here are 10 beautiful things about life...

1. The love of your family.  When it comes down to it, they will be there through it all.
2. The unbelievable love and devotion of a dog.  I don't need to say much here.  If you have one, you understand.
3. The feeling you get and the impact you have when you make a difference in someone's life and care for them.
4. The feeling and "high" you receive when you set, work toward, and achieve a big goal.
5. Watching the sunrise anywhere you wake up in the world and being grateful for another day.
6. The innocence and simple wisdom of children.
7. How you can always learn something new and it seems we know everything and nothing at the same time.
8. The anticipation, excitement and joy of the holiday season (and birthdays for some)
9. A good book, a good movie, and a good time.
10. Knowing that the chances of being alive are 1 in 4 Trillion and that God put you here for a reason and you have a purpose - even if you don't know what it is yet.  The beautiful thing is finding it.

It's time to become Un-Common.  Most people live their lives in a comfort zone and don't ever realize their potential.  This is common and they are common, but this is a call for all reading to throw off the status quo and become the Un-Common among the common.  It is a call for you to stand out and to be better.  It is a call for you to push yourself and answer those questions deep down that have been nagging at you about who you are and who you should be.

The Un-Common person is someone who creates high standards and lives into them.  They are someone who is never finished and never "makes it."  No matter what level of success they reach in every area of their life, they know there is another level possible and it is this possibility that drives them, energizes them, and gives them un-relenting, un-matched passion for life.  But, they are also confidently humble.  They know they are Un-Common, but they also know that to be Un-Common is something that everyone else is capable of being in their own way and are excited to help others tap into this potential.

To be Un-Common is to go above and beyond and stretch your limits.  It is not only striving and becoming the best, but also redefining what it means to be "the best."  It is an ethos, a mentality, and a lifestyle.  And it is asking the questions, "What am I willing to do?  What limit can I breakthrough next? Are there really any limits?"  

Lastly, and most importantly, the Un-Common know that the biggest battle they will fight are the limits in their own mind.  And they go to war every day to defeat the enemy of self-doubt, complacency, and self-imposed limitation.  They are committed for life, hungry, and never give in.

So, how about it?  Are you ready to become Un-Common?  The Un-Common don't start out being the best, they work their way there over time.  Pick one thing today that will break you out of comfort or push you beyond you limits.  Do it.  And then once you've done it and proved to yourself it is possible, start asking what is possible?  Are there really any limits?  Then go.  

It's time to become Un-Common.

Read the above stats very carefully.  Maybe read it a couple of times to let it sink in.  

80% of the sales are made on the 5TH TO 12TH CONTACT.

How many times do you or your sales people follow up with prospects to close business?  It if is not at least 5 times, then you are missing out on sales.

Why do l2% of salespeople follow up 3 times or less?  I think it is because most salespeople don't want to be seen as "bugging" anyone or being "pushy."  We can all understand this and don't like it when salespeople are over-aggressive with us.  

The key to managing this is to find a balance between what I call being Professionally Persistent and over-aggressive.  Usually, the reason salespeople become over-aggressive is because they become desperate to make a sale or hit their numbers and go after what they think is the most likely sale.  This desperation shows and as such, they are not professional and come off as abrasive, annoying, and in some instances mean to the client.  Conversely, being Professionally Persistent is the opposite.  It comes from confidence, patience, and an understanding that the process has to play out.  It is being consistent, courteously following up, and maintaining visibility with the prospect until they are ready to make a decision.  

Being Professionally Persistent requires maturity and the ability to manage emotional responses.  It also takes the ability to remain calm and professional under pressure and the fortitude to stick with things over time.  It also requires and attention to detail.

Developing the habit of becoming Professionally Persistent takes work and time, but it literally pays to do so.  Make it a priority today!