Sometimes you just need a little inspiration.  A good quote can provide that and more!  Here are 10 great quotes to inpsire you and make you think daily.

​If there is one thing that has paid off the most for me in my entrepreneurial journey over the years, it is building a great network of people that I can help and in turn can help me when and where I needed it.

You've probably heard that is not what you know, but who you know.  Well, it is actually both.  If you are an idiot, it will be hard to create lasting relationships that can make a difference over time.  But, if you strive to be learned and gain wisdom, that of which you can you use to help others, you will find it much easier to build a great network.  

Network saves legwork.  Building a great network is simply building great relationships that you invest in and in turn, they invest back into you.  Building a solid network of people happens over time and is earned.  It is the epitome of playing the long game.  It is taking time to know people and be there for them.  It is giving of yourself before getting anything in return.  

The great Zig Zglar said, "You can have everything you want in your life, if you just help enough others get what they want."  It's that simple.  

Think about if you cultivated 10 relationships over the next year that in turn referred you 5-10 new clients.  What would that mean for you or your business?  Now, let me ask you, is it easier to focus and put time and effort into 10 great relationships vs. going out and finding 100 new clients one by one?  Of course it is.  And it is a lot more fun and rewarding.  

If you have not put much effort into building your network, now is the time.  See if you can create and maintain one new relationship a month for the next year and help them.  Make sure to share you goals and what you are wanting accomplish with them and ask for them help, but make sure to put them first and do the same for them.  You will be amazed at where things will be for you a year from now.  

Network saves legwork!

Humans are emotional beings.  We cannot escape the impact our emotions have in our lives, but we can learn to recognize when emotions are clouding our judgement or keeping us from recognizing the truth.  

As entrepreneurs, it is very important for us to understand how to use emotion, but also how to recognize when it is leading us down the wrong path or to bad decisions.  This is part of emotional inteliigence.  Remember, emotions are always there and driving our actions and decisions - so it is best that we go to work in becoming masters at recognizing and using them to our advantage.  The most important thing is not to allow our emotions drive us into making double standards or justifying things that are not right, just because we want a certain outcome.

You see a lot of examples of this, especially in places like politics.  For example, as I write this, there is another political scandal going on, this time with President Joe Biden having taken classified documents and stored them in places like his garage when he was a Vice President.  The law says he cannot do that.  But, many people and pundits that are "on his side" are finding ways to justify it or play it down while at the same time saying Donald Trump should go to jail for the same things.  Donald Trump was President when he took documents and had the power to declassify, which a VP does not, but it is not clear yet if he did.  Either way, if they broke the law in handling documents, the response should be the same and they should both be prosecuted according to the law, President or not.  But emotion gets in the way.  When it is "your guy or gal," it is OK and people find a way to justify bad behavior.  This is creating a double standard or avoiding the truth.  A spade is a spade.

This happens in business all the time whether it is with how some employees are treated or when leaders justify breaking rules and principles to succeed.  

So, what is the answer for entrepreneurs when we operate in a world like this?

First, we must know and understand our principles.  What are yours?  Have you ever really thought about them?  Have you written them down?  What are the lines that you will not cross for anything - not for money, power, fame, success, etc?  We must know our principles and stand for them and on them.

Second, we must learn to recognize when emotions are taking over and clouding our logic and stop this from happening.  This is not easy, but just about everyone has had times where they know emotions got the best of them.  It is at these times that we can reflect and understand how this happened and prepare ourselves not to let it happen again or at least the same way.  It is a constant lifelong work in progress, but if we keep rooted in principles, it is much easier because they guide us.  When you get really good, you learn to stop, ask, and choose.  When you feel emotion taking over,  you can stop yourself in the moment and ask yourself, "Is this the action or reaction I want to have in this situation?  Does it align with my principles?"  Then you can choose to move forward to change the action or reaction you were going to have to the best one for the situation.  

Third and lastly, recognize those around you who do not operate with integrity and principles and remove them from your world.  This will take away temptation, but also help you find the those that are true to themselves and better for your life anyway.

As stated prior, emotions will always be a part of our lives and drive us.  There are times where it makes great sense to use them to help in life and business and there are times where we must keep them in check.  Learning how to do this for yourself will be one of the best things you can do to help your success.

Each year I choose a motto to live by.  It is something that embodies how I want my year to go, but is short and to the point.  

Each day, I read this motto as part of my perrsonal growth routine and I look at all the areas I can work it into my daily life.  

This year, I wanted to get back to basics and I asked myself, "What really matters and where should I focus myself?"  In thinking through this I arrived at the following:

Sound Mind, Sound Body, Do Great Work

If I do those 3 things, I know I will have the year I want, but what do they mean?

Sound mind means to grow myself in knowledge and spiritually.  Sound body means to take care of myself physically, but also with how I eat and to limit or remove stressors on the body such as sugar and alcohol.  Good rest and a regular schedule are also needed for both a sound mind and a sound body.  

Do "great" work is a distinction.  Don't just do good work.  Ensure that the work you do is great and you are your best for it.  It means that I will have to strive and focus to be at the top of my game in all my endeavors to achieve greatness.  And it also means that I must help others that work with me to play at their best levels as well.

Have you thought of a motto for how you want your year to go?  If not, take some time and do so.  Write it down and start each day reading it as part of your personal growth routine.  You will be surprised at how it will impact you!

The New Year is right around the corner.  Are you ready?  If you are honest, probably not.  More importantly, are you ready in your business?  Probably not there as well.  

While the holidays are time-consuming and there is a lot going on, we still need to stop and take some focused time to prepare ourselves to succeed in the New Year.  Over the years, I've put together a short, but important checklist to prepare for each New Year.  In a few simple steps, you can get yourself ready and think through the most important items to ensure you succeed. 
​ 
Here's your year end checklist!

1.)  Conduct an honest self-assessment

Take the time to conduct an honest self-assessement of where you are and where you want to be in all areas of your life from welath to health, relationships, etc.  This will help you understand the gaps and what you need to do to reach where you want to be.

2.)  Decide what to "keep, kill, or delgate"

Once you know what you need to do to reach where you want to be, then you must put yourself in the best position to succeed in doing so.  To do this, you will need to decide which things you need to keep doing and add into your life, which things you need to get rid of and/or stop doing and which things you should delegate to others. 

3.) Plan, Plan, Plan

Once you have determined what is needed to get you where you want to go and the things to focus on or delegate to get you there, you need to plan to make it happen.  This means putting in your daily, weekly, and monthly actions that you will need to do consistently to reach your goals.  Do no get overwhelmed by this.  Remember, people overestimate what they can do in a week and underestimate what they can do in a year.  Play the long game.  Planning gives you the actions needed to succeed, so you don't have to think or procrastinate.  You just get up every day and start executing.  

4.)  Resolve to constantly evaluate what is working and what is not

Just because you decided to "Keep, kill or delegate" once does not mean you are done.  You should evaluate, at least monthly, what is working and what is not so you can refine and get even better.

There you have it, a 4-step checklist to end the year successfully and start the New Year on right foot!

I love Parkinson's Law.  It is the ultimate time management lesson - if you heed it and do the opposite.

Parkinson's Law states that "work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion."  This means that whatever the work that needs to be done, it will take the time allotted for it.  So, if you have something that needs to be done in 3 weeks, it will take you 3 weeks to do it.  It's the perfect definition of procrastination. 

Once you understand Parkinson's Law, it will teach you how to mazmimize your time.  The way to do so is to schedule your work with deadlines shorter than the time alotted for completion.  This will allow you to be exponentially more effective and get more done in less time.  For example, if you have 3 weeks to get something done, schedule it to be completed in 1 week and then go to work.  It forces you to have to be more efficient and productive with your time.  

Just imagine how much more you can get done if you are focused and cutting the time down to accomplish things by 50% or better.  Where could you be 1 month from now?  Two months?  A year?  

Right now, there is a little less than 2 months to the end of year.  What if you started applying this principle today?  How strong could you finish the year?  You may even be able to accomplish goals you didn't think were going to be possible.  This is how you finish the year strong and keep getting stronger.  Make it your mission to defeat Parkinson's Law and watch how much your success improves!

How bad do you want it?  How bad do you want to achieve your goal or goals?  Do you wake up every day energized and determined to make it?  Do have a burning fire inside you that will not let you stop or quit - almost like an obsession of reaching the levels you aspire to?

If you do, you have what you need to reach your goals.  The #1 thing that determines whether you will reach your goals is the deep burning desire to reach them.  A desire so strong that nothing can quelch it.  It is desire that drives you and moves you every day to keep going not stopping until you have achieved the goals you want.  

But, how do you get "desire?"  Can it be coached?  Is it something you just have to have?  It's really a little bit of both.  Coaching desire is really helping someone or yourself fully understand what you want and gain clarity around it.  But, the other piece is that once you are clear on what you want - you cannot stop thinking about what you need to do to get it.  You cannot stop working at it and finding ways to make it a reality.  You innovate and work through problems.  You use adversity to your favor to fuel the fire to reach the goal even more.  You have to want it and want it bad.  As noted above, in some ways, it becomes an obsession - albeit a healthy one.  

If you've ever read Think and Grow Rich by Napolean Hill, he states that the secret of the book is right there for you throughout the book.  That secret is to have a "burning desire" for something.  If you have a true burning desire, you cannot help but go after what you want.  And you will know it if you don't, because you won't wake up each day thinking of every way possible to get it.

What is it you really truly want?  Think deep and hard on it.  What is the thing that sticks in the back of your mind more than anything else?  Better yet, what is it that you know you should be doing and maybe are too scared to step out of the comfort zone and do - but you can't stop thinking about?  Figure it out, follow your desire to get it and let it take you to whole new possibilities.  

Mental toughness is critical to success.  It plays a role in all areas of our lives.  But, what does it mean to be "mentally tough?"  And how do you know that you are building mental toughness in your life?

Over the years, I have found that there are 6 signs that someone is mentally tough.  Here they are and more importantly, here's you can foster them in your life.

They Ask "How?"

Mentally tough people don't let setbacks, obstacles, or being told "no" get in their way.  Instead, they ask "How?"  How can something be done?  How can the desired result be achieved?  By asking "How?"  this activates the part of the brain that starts you thinking and looking for other ways to solve a problem...it spurs innovation and creation.  The next time you find yourself thinking something cannot be done, ask "How can it be done?" and then start to put your ideas down.  You'll find the solution may be right in front of you.

They Understand Logic vs Emotion

99% of people make decisions or react to the things that happen in their lives with emotion.  They have emotional responses to just about everything.  There is a time and place for emotion, but it can also get your into trouble.  Everyone has had a time (or many times) in their life where they reacted out emotion and regretted it later.  The mentally tough understand when to seperate emotion and logic and use logic to to help overcome challenges and achieve their goals.  For example, maybe there is a time where you gave up on something in your life.  I bet if you looked back on it, it was emotion that drove the decision.  You may have gotten to a point where "you just could not take it anymore" and you gave in.  That is emotion.  And every one has those moments, including the mentally tough.  The difference is, the mentally tough recognize the emotion in the moment and separate it out.  They then look at the situation logically and see how best to manage it based on what they can control, not focusing on what they cannot.  They take action and work through - but don't give in unless the logic bears out that it is a fruitless effort.  How can you better separate emotion and logic at key moments in your life?

They are Humble, But Believe in Themselves 

The mentally tough may sometimes seem to be arrogant or have a higher opinion of themselves.  The truth is that they are humble, but they have taken the time to "know thyself" and who they are and believe in themselves, their capabilities, and their potential.  And they have built their mental strength up so that what others say or think does not bother them.  Most of the time, they have a quiet confidence as they work toward what they want.  There is nothing wrong with believing in yourself and charting your own path where others do not think is possible - just make sure to stay humble and be true.  

They Keep Going in Spite of Fear 

It may be surprising to note that the mentally tough get scared just like anyone else.  They question things and have fear come into their lives.  But, it should not be surprising that they have the mental fortitude to keep going in spite of the fear, the worry, and the doubts.  This is where they separate emotion and logic the most.  They recognize the emotional response of fear, but use their logic to work methodically through it and push forward through the fear.  The next time you find yourself feeling fear, doubt, or worry - stop and ask yourself "What action can I take now that will help me in getting past this?"  Then do it.  

They Stand Strong in the Face of Real Adversity

True adversity is different than fear.  Fear can come and go on a whim, but real adversity stares in you in the face and can seem insumountable.  It takes a lot to overcome real adversity.  Storming the beaches of Normandy and defeating the German army on D-Day was real adversity.  It took the will to keep going and find a way or make one.  The mentally tough do the same.  They find the will to keep going in the toughest times in their lives.  They will not let themslves give in or give up in the pursuit of their goals and what they want.  What is the biggest adversity you face in your life right now?  Are you shying away from it and taking it head on and working to overcome it?  I can promise that if you choose to take it on and keep going until you get through it, you will be a better stronger person for it.  

They are Extremely Disciplined

Mentally stong people are extremely disciplined in their lives and they use the discipline and structure they have created to help them stay mentally strong.  In fact, being disciplined gives them the consistency in their day to be more effective and action oriented.  It also helps to keep them on the path to success.  Additionally, because for many, part of the structure is devoted to their health, it helps to keep them in their best shape physically and mentally to stay at their best.  Do you have discipline and structure in your life?  Do you hit the ground running each day knowing exactly what you need to do an accomplish for the day or do you find yourself going through days more aimlessly and distracted?  In order to be your best, you must be productive.  In order to do that, you must have discipline.  

If you are looking to improve your mental toughness, take the time start incorporating these 6 traits into your life and before long, you will see the difference they can make.  

I came across this excellent compilation of top entrepreneurs giving them best advice to succeed as an entrepreneur.  There is more wisdom in this short 20 min video than you'll get in more MBA classes!  Enjoy!

I love great business stories.  They teach us so much.  From how entrepreneurs come up with their ideas to the ingenuity to make the business go -  a great business story can teach us a lot and help us on our entrepreneurial journey.  Recently, I came across a Twitter post that went through the story of YETI, the cooler brand, that took a commodity and turned it into a luxury, status symbol.  

The post by @chrishlad and goes through the story of how the founders got sick of rigging flimsy coolers to stand on while fishing and decided to change the game.  And they did so by not competing in the red ocean of the cheap cooler sellers in the big box stores, but by creating a whole new vertical at the top end of the industry.  And they changed the game with the target audience they went after and how they marketed it.  

You can read the full story and post here 

These are my 3 most important takaways...

1. Find a stale industry or product vertical and create a new niche.  Don't compete in the red ocean with all the other players.  
2. Get cystal clear on your target market and don't be afraid to focus on a smaller market and give them what they crave.
3. Little innovations over what currently exist can make a big difference.  Go beyond expectation.

What lessons do you take from the YETI story and how can you apply them in your business?