Your Priorities Should Guide Your Plans - s3e24

Your decisions shouldn't be made in a vacuum. That might not be true. Maybe you are in outer space, and then they would be made in a vacuum.

Anyway, I was talking metaphorically. Never mind…

In the paradigm of mission, goals, and objectives, there is a concept that has been latent in my mind over the years, but one that I have never discussed directly. That is the concept that there are different areas of our lives that afford different levels of priority.

For instance, many people would say their personal health is more important than having a nice flower garden. On the other hand, putting food on the table for the family has probably a higher priority than does getting to the next level in a video game.

Higher level priorities get first dibs on the time available.

So, back to the mission, goal, objective concept.

Agreeing that everyone's life includes priorities and different areas, I'd argue that within each area, there are sub-priorities. In the area of "family" getting a new TV might be a lower priority than getting a new hot-water heater.

That accepted, we can move on to the actual point!

Whenever an opportunity comes along, assuming it fits within the overall life mission you have established, it is necessary to examine the effect of the opportunity on the different areas of your life.

If it hurts your family, but helps you with your on-line gaming friends, should you do it? But if it helps your family AND boosts your career, then maybe it is a better choice.

Looking at the effect of something on the different areas of your life should be an integral part of making decisions. If it undermines one area while bolstering another, then the priorities you assign to those areas needs to direct what you decide.

Preparation Is Vital For Success - s3e22

To be successful, you need to be ready for whatever is required. A part of a good plan is a preparation step. Preparation is the process of acquiring the skills, experiences, materials, and tools needed to complete the task at hand.

As you look to your horizons, whether they are related to your career, your education, or even socially, you need to anticipate what is needed to succeed (whatever you define as being successful). Then, you need to take the steps in the present to provide you with all the things you will need for the future. There are two types of things for which you need to prepare.

First, you need to prepare for those things you can anticipate. As you look ahead, where do you want to be? What do you need to do to get there? What do you need to learn? What tools do you need?

Second, you need to prepare for the unexpected. This is far more abstract. The old adage of being prepared for anything applies. What skills MIGHT you need? What experience PROBABLY would help you in the future? While this is vague, it is equally important; you never know what opportunities might come along, and having the right experiences and skills could make the difference between having a chance at something great or not.

Preparation is not always fun or exciting. But if you want to succeed in the future, it is a vital process that you need to always be thinking about.

Complete the Have-tos to Get to the Want-tos - s3e21

You gotta do what you gotta do so that you get to do what you want to do.

Don't Be Yourself (Maybe)! - s3e20

Maybe you just need to stop being yourself!

Advice to "just be yourself" abounds. Individuality is applauded and encouraged all over the Internet and in the classroom. But is it a good idea?

Not if being yourself fails to lead to your goals and objectives. Not if being yourself annoys other people. Not if being yourself violates other people's rights!

Better advice would be to become the self that helps you move toward your goals!

If being yourself doesn't work, don't keep trying it. Try something else!

About Making TikToks - s3e19

Not everything we need to know to be successful comes from a math, science, or English book.

#tiktok #edcuation #success

You Don't Have To Write Down Your Goals

There are times when you actually don't need to write down your goals. Really.

It starts when you fully, totally, entirely, completely understand your mission. You know the "whatever it is you are trying to do" so fully that there are circumstances that arise and the mission itself is enough to guide your actions.

Consider an emergency room setting at a hospital. Taking care of patients is clearly a big part of the mission. So, keeping the walkways clear so that no one falls naturally follows the mission. There need not be a goal of "moving 10 things out of the aisle." The mission is strong enough that, when understood, it informs a host of related actions.

A mission of wellness and health situationally informs food choices. A mission that includes being kind to others automatically guides actions when out in public, and a goal of smiling at eleven people is not needed. The mission, itself, is clear enough that smiling naturally occurs.

Certainly, writing goals is necessary in many cases. But, there are also many cases where a strong and clear understanding of the mission is enough to fully guide decisions and behaviors.

Can You Believe It? - s3e16

In a world of social media and large, open space work areas, compliments in passing aren't uncommon. But, are they true? Similarly, supervisors are taught to encourage the good things instead of just criticizing the areas needing improvement.

How can you tell if a word of encouragement or a compliment is true? How do you know that it is not just some obligatory gesture of kindness—and perhaps it is just the precursor than attempt to lure you into something!

Two things offer evidence that compliments and words of encouragement are true.

First off, does it come unexpected? Could the person who said it (typed it) have just as easily said nothing? The fact that they took the effort to stop you and say something (or go to the comments section and type something) is a good indicator that whatever they typed was something they believed.

Secondly, is it specific? A passing "nice job!" comment could just be an effort toward them looking thoughtful and not a genuine attempt to encourage you. Sure, it's great to be told you did something well, but the lack of specificity leaves such a compliment open to doubt. However, if they say, "Wow! How you handled the customer's complaint about the packaging was really great!" there's a good chance that they really believe that.

When someone pops up out of nowhere and offers you a compliment that is specific and relevant, there's a really good chance that it is true.

AND, if you want someone to feel encouraged… Let them know what you think (specifically) at a time that it is not expected.

My Zipper's Stuck! - s2e13

The road to success is often riddled with obstacles. Getting around them is not always something you can do alone.

When you face a challenge that is too much for you, alone, there are some things you can do to greatly increase the likelihood of successfully overcoming them.

First, you have to recognize you need help. Knowing when you are in over your head is vital to starting the process of finding solutions to your problems. There's nothing wrong with asking for help!

When you do ask for help, be prepared to, as much as possible, explain exactly what's wrong. Metaphorically, the more you can tell the mechanic, the easier it will be to get the problem fixed!

Also, when possible, make known what you think the other person can do to help you. Be as specific as possible so the other person can get right to the thing you want and not waste time doing things you don't need them to do.

Being able to get help when you need it, explain what's wrong, and express clearly what you need done are three very important steps on the road to success.

SMAC Your Goals! - s3e9

In the big picture of "whatever it is you are trying to do," any chance at being successful requires you to have effective goals. A good goal can help guide your planning and inform your resource utilization so that your quest for success is more easily completed.

A bad goal is one that doesn't clearly define what you are to do and when you are to do it. A bad goal requires you to expend resources you may not have or may have allocated to other goals. A bad goal is unrealistic or incompatible with the "whatever it is you are trying to do" in the first place.

So what are good goals?

Simple. Not in terms of being easy to achieve but in terms of being independently attainable. A simple goal is not bound to other goals.

Measurable. "Better" is not actually measurable. "Increase by five" is. If you can't measure it, you will never know if it has been achieved.

Attainable. You can say you set a goal, but if it is not attainable, it's really just a wish! Goals must fit within the context of possible. NOTE: there is a difference between something that's hard and something that's impossible. Goals can be hard… But there must be some plausible path from where you are to where the goal ask you to be.

Compatible. Every goal that you decide to pursue must fit with and not compete with all the other goals. You can't have two goals that require thirteen hours of time each day. Two such goals are not compatible.

If you want your goals to be effective… SMAC them!

What's Your Problem? - s3e6

The idea of mission and goals can be viewed from many perspectives. One such perspective is that the "thing you are trying to do" is solve a problem. The mission becomes solving the problem and the goals and everything else lines up to do just that.

However, from this perspective, the subsequent essential actions can only be effective if the real problem is identified.

It is easy to set out to fix a problem only to eventually realize you're working on the wrong thing. Doing this will result in frustration and require abandoning the plan because the plan was meant to solve one thing when something else was the real problem.

A simple example of this might be related to not being ready for a job or school task. Perhaps a presentation is expected on some certain day at some time. Perhaps reaching some particular phase of construction is expected to be done by a certain date.

Failing to reach a deadline could be caused by many factors. If the real cause is bad habits and bad time management, the goals and plans to fix that would be one thing. But suppose the problem is that the tools needed to finish the project were inadequate? Suppose the copier was chronically jammed or frequently produced bad copies… Suppose a particular nail gun needed for some aspect of the construction was underpowered or unreliable. The failure to meet the next deadline could be avoided by fixing the tools (or getting replacements).

If the problem is the tools, changing habits might solve the problem by creating more hours to do the work, but that would be a bandaid solution. The real problem—inefficient tools—would still exist.

Conversely, if the problem is bad habits, then investing in better tools may or may present a solution. No matter how good the tool is, if the person using it is watching Netflix on the phone, the work won't get done.

It is vital to identify and fully clarify what the real problem is before trying to create a plan to solve something. A great deal of time, energy and resources can be wasted by working on the wrong essential actions.

Another Different Look At Missions and Goals - s3e4

There is more than one way to describe the mission-goal-action process. One way is to think of goals as being subparts of larger, broader goals. In that paradigm, goals line up from broadest to most specific with each smaller goal nesting under bigger goals.

If you think of a specific goal such as winning the state championship in marching band, goals would fall under that one getting more and more specific down to a very basic essential task, such as learning the notes in a musical scale. And further, "winning the state championship" might be a subgoal of something even larger, such as creating an exciting and effective music program, which itself might be a subgoal of having a high-quality school system.

Each goal in the continuum might be met by completing certain essential tasks. Each essential task might look like a goal with smaller parts associate with completing it. In this way, goals can nest under each other and organize downward from broad and general to narrow and specific.

It all begins with that broad, large scale purpose. What is it, in the most general terms, that you are trying to accomplish? Knowing this will give direction to everything you do, to every goal you set, and guide the achievement of those goals all along the way.

If You Don' t Have Goals You Are Lost - s3e3

If a journey is the metaphor for your life, then the purpose of the trip is your mission statement and the destination is a goal. The route you take is your plan, to carry the metaphor further.

Whatever your purpose in life, your goals need to line up in such a way that, reaching the goals are steps toward fulfilling the purpose. Every goal—every thing you set out to accomplish in the specific—needs to fit with your general, overall purpose.

Or purposes. A fulfilled life is a balance between numerous areas such as work/career, family, and recreation.

If you want to be effective and successful, you need specific, measurable goals, and every goal needs to fit within the big picture. They need to work together to move you toward satisfying the demands of your mission.

Know what it is you are trying to do—develop a clear, meaningful mission—then create goals you can work toward and achieve that move you in the direction of your purpose.

It Starts With Your Mission - s3e2

What is your mission? What is your whatever it is you are trying to do?

If you don't know what you are trying to accomplish, you will never be done! Your mission (or missions) define what you are trying to accomplish. They set the boundaries that give your actions direction and purpose.

If you are setting out to be effective in anything—business, social life, recreation—having a mission and knowing what it is guides everything else. It informs your goals, your plans, your practices.

Operating without knowing what you are trying to do is a chancy behavior. You take a chance that you might get what you want or you take a chance that you might get—who knows what.

Make sure you have a mission and can articulate it. This is a key aspect at being effective and successful.

SNAPlife: Meaning Comes From Your Mind - s2e130

Getting heard is easy. Being understood is different.

There are two barriers to communication that bear consideration. First, there are physical barriers, relatively easily overcame. In the mid-twentieth century, radio communication was obfuscated by static. Further into history, slow mail service—or no mail service—was a barrier to communication.

In the early twenty-first century, however, physical barriers are not entirely gone. Noise in the environment or loss of cell service emerge as physical barriers, but for the most part, the physical obstacles are easily and routinely overcome.

The second type of communication barrier is psychological. Though the words and images are received well enough, it is the mind of the receiver who interprets the signals and gives them meaning. The life experiences, expectations, and beliefs derive meaning from the words and images.

When such precognitions about a situation are rigid and unchallengeable, misunderstandings abound! The meaning the sender intended is lost to the prejudices of the receiver.

When the person receiving the message has preexisting beliefs and expectations, the chances of the intended meaning coming through are very slim.

SNAPlife: The Whole Meaning Package - s2e129

Meaning is far more than words. Trust me!

Context sets the stage for meaning. The content of the message is highly influenced by where, when, and why it is said or written.

For example, saying "This is going to be great!" when someone invites you to a nice dinner is different from saying "This is going to be great!" when you discover you get to have a tooth pulled.

Context changes the meaning of the words drastically. Further, you will never (probably) understand the context if you don't do more than hear the person.

Listening is usually construed to mean getting through the sounds (or written words) and finding meaning. Listening is the process of going past the content and bringing it in to clear light of context.

As the speaker, you need to make sure you are being clear and accurate. You don't simply say the easy words and let it go. Fully and completely expressing yourself and making sure the other person understands is of huge importance!

Words, alone, deliver only a part of the message. (So, you should watch the video!)

SNAPlife: Should You Be Power-leveling? - s2e128

That thing you want to do? How are you going to get there?

You can put your blinders on, focus on the goal, and charge forward. You can ignore all the distractions and single-mindedly attack the goal, get it done, and move on.

Power-leveling is a reference to gaming whereby you set a single goal and forsake everything else as you work towards it. Applying this idea to real life is to attend to and only to the demands of the accomplishment you are seeking.

The upside to this is getting done and moving on.

But…

When power-leveling, you don't take time to see the sights and experience the ambiance as you work toward you goal. You miss out.

If you've been there before and know what your missing, that's one thing. But if you sacrifice quality of life as you go for you goal, then make sure the destination is worth sacrificing the fun stuff on the journey getting there.

SNAPlife: Are You Telling The Wrong Story? - s2e126

What is actually the main "story"?

For your customers, the main story is the products or services you provide. How those things came to be isn't really as important to the customer as is the actual delivered goods.

Yet, the backstory is important to you. What you do to get to the main story is important. Just as having a good backstory grounds fiction, having a backstory contributes to the significance and satisfaction of a setting or character, the "backstory" of your product or service make a huge difference.

The customer is not impressed by how you organized your back room. They are not impressed by your mop-washing system. They care about the main story. The service you provide.

This is true with relationships, too. All of the events leading to who you are, now, are important, but very few people you encounter are interested in them. People care most about how you act in the present.

While focusing on the backstory—the experiences, systems and processes that lead to the actual here-and-now—is not important to the customer or to the person with whom you have a relationship, they are important all the same. But the focus needs to be on the final result, the finished product.

SNAPlife: Are You Prepared? - s2e124

Are you ready?

What does it take to be prepared for the future? There are essentially two things.

First, you need to have some reliable view of what the future will be like. Insight gained from research and interviews, like a sports team scouting the competition, will give you some idea of what to expect. Carefully investigating the situation into which you anticipate going is vital.

With that done, you need next to have some idea what to do when you face it. You need to have a plan of attack, a plan of approach. What materials do you need (clothes, tools, devices…)? What skills are required? What are the expected social behaviors, and are you equipped to operate within them? Knowing what the situation will demand is the next vital component.

Being prepared is not something to assume just happens. Preparation and readiness are the result of effort and intentional action.

SNAPlife: How Do You Want To Be Characterized? - s2e123

What is your character like? In fiction, characterization is important. Characters need to be understood by the readers. The author, therefore, creates a consistent display of the character that, though changeable, is something the reader can figure out and observe. Think of James Bond. No matter the actor, the character is very similar.

In life, characterization is also important. How the world sees you is a direct result of what you display to the world. Live the way you want to be characterized!

Are you dependable? If you say you'll do something, do you do it?

Are you responsible? If something is expected of you, do you do it?

Are you accountable? If you do something—or forget to do something—do you acknowledge your action or inaction?

How you live—your honesty, your integrity, your dependability, your responsibility, your accountability, your view of others, your interactions with people—creates your character. It tells people what they can expect of you.

Live in the way you want to be perceived.

SNAPlife: What You Seek Is What You Find - s2e122

There is an expression that claims "what you see is what you get." It means that the thing presented is exactly as it appears. There is no secret under-layer. It is what it is.

Similar to this is the idea that what you seek is what you find. If you are looking for… antique stores… barbecue joints… gas stations… The thing you are looking for is most likely the thing you will find.

This is true, not only in travels but also in your experiences with other people and institutions. If you are looking for the flaws, you'll find them. If you are looking for the good things, you'll find them.

Evaluators, parents, teachers, coaches… All can focus on the gaps, not the gains. Anyone can pick out the rough edges and overlook the assets.

While identifying the growing edge of things—people and institutions, systems and methods—it is a vital aspect of growth and improvement, it is equally important to identify what is good and what is working well. Otherwise, changes may blot out those good things trying to improve where the weaknesses lie.

SNAPlife: Being Grateful Does Not Mean Giving Up On Goals - s2e121

Being grateful for how things are is not the same as being satisfied and ceasing the pursuit of better. A heart grateful for the now does not quash the desires for a better future!

Being happy with what you have—being grateful for the "things" of the now is a huge gateway to peace and contentment. Research has been done (Google it) on the connection between an attitude of gratitude and feelings of peace and happiness.

But, just because you are grateful does not mean you have to stop looking to the future and setting goals for things.

A traveler once was walking a long a rough rocky path that twisted along a curvy path. He had some choices to make. He could complain because his path was rough. Or, he could look off to his right where the path wound its way through the muddy mire of a bog riff with biting insects and poisonous snake and be grateful that he was on a better path than that.

He could rest in his gratitude, or look off, up to the left, up the ridge a little, to the nicely groomed path free from rocks and rubble. Indeed, it would be a little work to get to that path, but in the long run, it would be easier and faster. Just because he is grateful for not being in the bog does not stop him from seeking a better course. /#metaphor

You can be grateful for what you have and still have the desire to grow, improve, and get better. Gratitude and complacency are not the same thing.

SNAPlife: Gratitude Is A Decision - s2e120

If you ask me, gratitude is a conscious decision. It's a choice you make wherein you look at what you have and focus on the good things, the good circumstances around you. You make a concerted effort to think about things for which you can be grateful.

It is more natural to notice the short-comings. "Painful stimuli" call out loudly prompting us to avoid, change, divert, move… Often, we let the painful drown out the good around us.

By stopping and taking appraisal of what is around us, we can, for a short period of time at least, bask in the good. We can see that we are out of the quicksand, at least. Though things could be better, they also could be worse, and that the are not is cause to be grateful.

Having an attitude of gratitude is something you should practice. Thinking about those things for which you can be grateful is something you should intentionally do, and do so often.

SNAPlife: Sometimes You Need To Clean Out The Garage - s2e119

Too much stuff can be as big a barrier to success and productivity as is not the right stuff.

Materials, tools, and supplies are all important aspects of getting a job done, and doing it well. But if the physical components of a task are not organized and arranged well, they themselves can become a barrier to getting things done.

There is a similar comparison available with time. Filling our schedule with too many things gets in the way of doing those things that are important and meaningful.

To maximize efficiency, it is necessary to have some degree of organization (and a plan for using it). Clutter and chaos work directly against this.

Sometimes, you just have to take time to organize and arrange things (also true for time management) so that subsequent attempts to get things done are more effective.

SNAPlife: Just Because You Can (Eat It) Doesn't Mean You Should

Sure. A lot of things are possible. But, should you do it?

Just because something is edible does not mean it is healthy to eat it. Just because something is edible does not mean it is pleasant to eat it.

The fact that something CAN be done does not mean it SHOULD be done. And what defines what should or should not be done?

Values, ethics, and your moral code should define the boundaries in which all activities fit. Just like taste preference and nutrition needs should define what you put in your mouth to eat.

That something is possible is only one factor in deciding what to do. That it fits with who you are and what you stand for is a powerful aspect of deciding what should be done.

Don't let the fact that something can be done be the only reason behind doing it.

SNAPlife: Don't Get Hung Up On The Label - s2e118

What's in a name? A rose by any other…

If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, and talks like a duck, it's probably a duck. You can call it a cow, but it's still a duck.

If you allow the labels and titles to stand on their own (or the lack of a label) you are failing to see things realistically. The role or status is actually defined by the actions. Just saying someone is a leader does not actually make them a leader. Likewise, not having the official title of leader does not preclude someone from being a leader.

The actions are more indicative than a label.

Two people who act like they are a couple—who do all the things a couple does—are probably a couple, even if they haven't officially embraced a status or label to describe themselves. A person who leads others, who mentors, who organizes is a leader, regardless of what position the hold in an organization.

Don't get hung up on the words. Listen to them, but trust the actions.

SNAPlife: The Other Side of the Coin - s2e115

There is an expression that there are two sides to every coin. The central idea of that expression is that everything can be viewed from different perspectives.

However, some people seem to think that it mean that if they are in a situation they don't like, the opposite situation—the other side of the coin—would be better.

In truth, the opposite is not better. In fact, the opposite is not always opposite. Just because you find a situation undesirable does not mean that the opposite situation will be better at all.

Two sides of every coin does not at all contradict the old say that the grass only appears greener on the other side of the fence. Sometime, things get better. Sometimes they don't.

Before you decide to change a major aspect of your life think about one more idiom that might apply. Could your change be an example of out of the fryer and into the fire?

Change can be good. Or it can go terribly wrong. Before making changes, be sure to investigate what both sides of the coin are like. (And if there is more than two sides… investigate everything.) Make your decision based on real information and facts.

Don't end up jumping from the pan to the pot! It might not be better, but rather only different.

SNAPlife: Live The Way You Want To Be Remembered - s2e115

Being dead is not a cheery place to start a discussion, but just bear with me. It is normal, upon death, for those who survived to say things about the one who had died. Epitaphs and obituaries recap the fondest memories held of the one who has passed away.

Have you ever thought about what someone would say regarding you?

What do people think of when they think of you? Is it something you'd want on your grave stone? Is it something that you's want printed in your obituary? The very first thing people think of should be the thing that most accurately defines you as a person.

What do you want to accomplish with your life? If you were successful at that, is it the thing you want written about you after you are gone? Is the thing you are pursuing the thing you want to be remembered for?

If so, are you living in such a way as to attain that thing? If you keep living the way you live, will you be remembered in the way you want?

Your personal life mission should guide the things you do. And everything you do should align with your personal mission. Live in a way that leads you to that thing you have set, that thing you want people to think of when you come to mind.

Live the way you want to be remembered.

SNAPlife: Pride Is Okay, Different From Conceit - s2e114

Being proud in the 21st Century is sometimes a thing frowned upon. Being prideful, though, is not the same as being proud.

There is a big difference between conceit and being proud of something accomplished. While the words don't seem that different, in truth, they are.

Conceit can be viewed as an undesirable self-inflation of importance. It is an attitude that projects outward to others.

Being proud, though, is internal. It is that good feeling that results from doing something that is meaningful or creating something that turns out well. The feeling of pride is a positive thing that rewards a job well done and stimulates the desire to do so again.

But being proud has been, many times, put down to the point that people who feel proud also feel guilty. Vanity and conceit are so closely linked to being proud that many people often are conflicted.

This should not be the case. There is nothing wrong with feeling good for doing something well. The whole purpose of that good feeling is to stimulate a repeat of the behavior, so go ahead and be proud of a job well done. Then do it again.

SNAPlife: Well Begun Is Half Done - s2e112

Every task requires there being some sort of execution. That's the nature of a task.

Successful completion of a a task of any kind often is closely connected to effectively preparing. The cliche "well begun is half done" is accurate!

Showing up for a "job" of any sort—school… career… even family events—needs to include getting ready to show up. In sports, announcers will sometimes say, "well, they just didn't show up today," meaning not that their bodies weren't there but rather that they didn't arrive with the mindset of preparation.

Prepare for the "job" ahead of time. Have your gear sorted out. Have knowledge of the thing you are supposed to do. Have knowledge of what your responsibilities will be. Just being physically present isn't enough.

The preparation that goes into something is often the single most important aspect of success. Though being prepared alone is not enough to make anyone successful, not being prepared IS enough to many anyone fail.

Begin well, execute well, and seize the success you aim for.

SNAPlife Work Hard On The Front End So the Back End Will Be Easy - s2e111

Let's face it… We'd all like the easy button. But in truth, getting the easy button to work is hard. At first.

They say "work smart, not hard." But the smart thing is often to work hard at first, then let all the front end work pay off as you work smart through the back end!

In order to make things most easy, spending time on the front end to get things set up and optimized is a good investment of effort. If you need to do something long term, then spending a little time early that will save you time over the long run is just plan smart.

Even if you are only going to do something once, taking time to get the tools in place and handy will ultimately save you time over the course of the project. Keeping your tools organized (hand tools, software, devices, etc.) pays huge dividends in time saved.

The easy button can be created, but it takes time and effort. And putting in the time on the front end pays off big on the back end of the project.

To Keep Doing Things How You've Done Them Change Everything - ...

Many things in life can be done in a way that is very satisfying. But with time, circumstances
change. People change, age, become injured. Software changes. Apps come and go. Health and relationships change. Customer expectations and needs change. Laws change.

When things change, procedures have to change, too, if getting the same results in the goal. Methods and tools need to be updated.

Sometimes, you have to change what your doing in order to keep doing what you have always done.

In order to get the outcome that we want we have to do things differently. When circumstances change, our methods have to change. We have to adapt and find new procedures.


Don't give up on the outcome just because the circumstances have changed. Sometimes, to do things they way you've always done them, you have to do things completely differently. Don't get so set in your ways that you forfeit the desired outcome just because you can't use the same old methods.

SNAPlife: Waiting To The Last Minute Can Teach You Important Lessons - s...

As a rule, waiting until the last minute is considered a bad thing by most people. But, is it?

Some people have a personality that works with last minute behaviors. They are able to, in the last hours, pull things together and have good results. They have the personality that works well under pressure, relying on past experiences and knowledge to champion a task through in the end.

People who have this personality are just the kind of people who step up in a crisis and get through it as if nothing out of the normal was going on. They have, over the courses of their lives, created so many crisis by waiting to the last minute that one more problem has little affect on them. One more "do or die" situation appears… What's the big deal?

While waiting until the last minute is not a great habit to get into, people who have lived their lives in that way for a long time develop approaches to problem situations that tend to be effective. They have, thus, developed skills and techniques that work "in a pinch," so when the crisis hits, they are very able to handle it.

People with the personalities that work well waiting to the last minute very likely possess the capability to be highly effective in the times when the wheels come off. They are the types of people who can walk up on a situation, take in a lot of information quickly, and launch into a course of action.

While it is probably better to not procrastinate, there is value in what can be learned by waiting to the last minute to successfully get things done.

What's Wrong With My Channel (And The Rest of The Internet Generations)?...

Too many people have abandoned working through the process and now only want to get to the answer. While access to information is great, mastery of some skills and processes are equally important.

A majority of people that I encounter are looking for instant answers and never-ending entertainment. They don't want to know why. They don't want to know the logic behind something. They want to know were to set the dial and what button to push.

Leaving thoughtful interaction with the world behind, they look ever for the laugh, or if they can't laugh, what is the fastest way to get done with the task so they can go back to laughing. Their minds do not struggle with deep thoughts. They feast instead on sugary sweet entertainment that always leaves them wanting more.

And the Internet makes sure that more is just a swipe or click away!

I see this in my own YouTube channel, a metaphor I'd claim, for the current state of society. Tutorials and spoofs (show me how now or make me laugh) reign supreme, while videos that seek to challenge people to think, reflect, and grow are glanced at or ignored.

The problem? Like any addiction, the quick fix of instant gratification does not last long. Higher and higher levels of "it" are required to give the person the same sense of satisfaction. Eventually, the entirety of the day is required, and anything detracting them from what they want is viewed as unwanted or painful. People who don't take time to find out how or why, who don't pause to think, analyze, and evaluate end up slaves to the "laugh now" or "just show me what button" mentality.

Ultimately, this cannot be a good thing.

SNAPlife: Don't Date Someone Who First-off Wants To Change You - s2e107

Cupid's arrows hit you hard, and now you are on the verge of a new romantic relationship. And, first off, the other person wants to change you.

Plot twist: this is the wrong relationship!

Likewise, if your first inclination about the other person is that you'll change a few things, then… no. Don't do it.

Sure, love can find a way and sometimes opposites really do attract. But if it is the "oppositeness" that attracted you, then you won't want to change THAT.

The older you are to begin with, the less a person is going to change. The past days have shaped and molded them a certain way, so don't expect the future days to change them into something vastly different.

Indeed, people change with time, but the best situation is that, at the beginning of the relationship, you are both mutually satisfied with the other person. Starting a relationship with the expectation that the other person will change or facing the assumption that you will change is starting off poorly.

If the first thing you think of about a potential relationship is that the other person has to change or that you have to change for them, then you're probably in the wrong relationship.

Decision Without Data Are Just Guesses

Decisions, decisions!

When you face a choice, you can rely on your gut. You can flip a coin. Or, you can do something more effective.

The decision making process needs to be guided by real information that is based on some kind of reliable information. Otherwise, you are only guessing.

Data gives the decision making process something that leads the choices toward the possibility of a good outcome. If you base your decisions on anything less than real information, you are essentially just guessing. A decision based on a hunch that does not grow out of observations and experiences may as well be decided by a dice roll or coin toss.

Decision-making occurs everywhere. In business. In education. In careers. In relationships.

All decisions need to emerge from the reality of the situation. In business, what the customer wants or needs needs to be associated with what is already in the market and what the business has to offer. This is just an example of how the reality of the situation directs the decisions. Just because a business owner thinks people will like blue is not sufficient for developing a product line.

Without data, the decision making process is hindered. Before you start into something new or before you abandon something you've been doing, make sure you have a clear picture of what has been and what is. Use that to predict what might be.

Then, you are doing more than just guessing!

Is Your Cargo On Fire?

Imagine a truck, its cargo box and contents fully ablaze, belching out black smoke and hot orange flames, driving heedlessly through a crowded market area. Imagine the people on the street jumping out of the way!

This is a metaphor for how some people live their lives.

They proceed through their day ignoring or oblivious to the fact that the trail behind them fire and smoke.

The results of their life choices and life situation have resulting in chaos or other "blazes," and when they pass others in the course of their day, the smoke and flames choke and burn them.

Life is lived in community, and your experiences have an affect on the people around you.

Living your life like a fiery truck blasting its way through a crowded market area is no way to live in community. Our lives affect others, and we need to take care.

Don't be so unaware of your cargo of fire that you fail to allow for the affect it is having on those around you.

Push Through The Unwanted Present To Reach The Desirable Futur...

So, you don't something, but "they" are telling you you need to do it? Or maybe you are telling yourself you need to do something, but you just don't really want to do it.

If you let the unpleasantness of something in the present stop you in your tracks, you'll never reach the desirable payoff down the road. You can't look at something you don't want to do and let that deter you from that thing you are trying to accomplish.

You have to push through the unpleasant present in order to get to the desirable payoff of the future.

Push through the challenges and undesirable circumstances in order to get to the goals you need to reach. Muster the maturity to face the unwanted tasks of the now in order to reach the gratification of the future promises. It's not easy.


Things aren't always sugar coated or fun. Some things are very unpleasant, yet have to be done just the same. To be successful, sometimes you have to push through unwanted, unpleasant things to get to those end results you desire.

Let the desirable future payoff be the carrot that leads you forward down the undesirable present circumstances.

When You Fall, Get Back Up Fast - s2e100

So, you have a goal or objective related to forming or breaking a habit? There is some pattern of behavior you are trying to establish—the doing or not doing of something on a regular basis…

When you fall out of the pattern of acting in a way that you are trying to maintain,, you can't stay down for long, or staying down will become the new pattern. Just this once becomes, one more time, which becomes, one more time again, which become the new pattern.

If you have long-term goal for your business, for your health, for your finances, for relationships, and you mess up, it's not an excuse to give up. It's just a blip, and you need to, as quickly as possible, return to the habits you were trying to maintain.

The longer you linger in doing the things that differ from the goal behaviors, the harder it will be to return to way you want things to be. Don't let a fall become a fail!

When you accidentally mess up, it's easy to intentionally mess up "just this once." And then it's even easier to mess up on purpose "just once more" and then "just one more time!" In no time, you are back in a pattern of acting that is utterly different from what you wanted to be doing!

If you fall down, get back up. Messing up is not an excuse to give up! Slipping back is not an excuse to stop moving forward.

Go back to the things you were doing that were working. Keep doing what you were doing in order to keep getting the results you were getting.

Don't let one departure from your course derail you forever from your gaol.

Why Are Thermostats So Hard To Understand? AND Messing Up Does Not Mean ...

Setting goals is fairly common. Failing to achieve them is also fairly common!

Suppose you are on track toward reaching a goal. You are making progress. Then one day comes along and you mess up. You don't do the whatever-it-was that you had been doing.

You can just quit. You can abandon your goal. Or you can pick up and get back at it.

Just because you mess up is not an excuse to give up. Just because you fall down is not an excuse to stay down. Get back up and get going again!

When you fall out of your routine, don't abandon what you had been doing. Go back to the routine, pick up, and carry on.

Just because you mess up does not mean you give up. Just because you fall down doesn't mean  Just because you miss a day doesn't mean you miss the rest of your life.

Go back what you were doing to get the results you were getting!

SNAPlife: Is It Time To Quit, Change, or Keep Going? - s2e98

So, you started something. A business… A relationships… A training or education program…

Time passes and you find yourself wondering if you are wasting your time. Are you getting anywhere? Is the thing—the "it"—growing and developing the way you want it to?

If you find yourself in this situation, you need to stop. Don't make a decision based on a snap, emotional reaction to whats going on. There are a few things you need to do first.

Start off by reflecting on what your expectations were when you started. Maybe you thought it would be fun. Maybe you thought there was some intrinsic value to doing "it." Maybe you thought it would be a nice source of extra income. Maybe you just wanted a hobby.

You might have set goals. Maybe you wanted to have some level of sales. Maybe you thought you would have some degree of engagement.

But, with the passing of time, you can't see or you don't feel like you are making progress toward your goals.

The first thing to do is to sit down and reflect on why you started "it" in the first place. What were your expectations?

Next, you have to look at the data—what is the factual reality of the "it" in the current state. Don't base a decision to quit or change on a gut feeling or an emotional response. You need to, in the next step, have a reliable view of the current situation.

Next, compare your initial expectations to the current reality. How does it compare? Are you on track? Falling behind? Further than you actually thought? Don't confuse what you hoped for with what you actually expected! Before you give up or change, make sure you are comparing what you expected (different from what you hoped for) to what actually is happening!

Fourth, look at the current circumstances related to the "it." Has anything changed that made your expectations mute? Do you no longer have time for the fun you wanted to have? Maybe it just isn't as fun as you thought! Do you no longer have extra money or capital to run your start-up? Did your values or ambitions change? Has anything changed that nullifies the reasons that prompted you into starting the "it" in the first place? If so, maybe it is time to quit.

Alternately, maybe it is time to change. If things have changed but the "it" is still valid, perhaps you just need to alter what you are doing to fit the new situation.

Stop and be careful before you decide to quit or change. Maybe you need to keep your original reasons and expectations in mind and just keep going.

Blah Is The Safety Bar Of Life - s2e96

Life…

Some days are awesome. Some days are not. Some days are up. Some are down. Many are just.

Not everyday is the loopy-loop on the rollercoaster! Some days are like being at the amusement park and standing in line to throw away your trash. You remember the loopy-loop from earlier. You know there's another loopy-loop coming up. But, for the moment, you are just standing in line, waiting.

There is a purpose, indeed, a need, for the blah parts of the day. The spaces between the loops help us deal with energy demands of the loops!

Everyone needs the space in their life that allows them to recreate, to get ready for the next round of loops and spins. If you don't have a safe place in your life where you can recharge—if you are forever rushing from one loopy-loop to the next, you'll probably burn out. You'll probably unravel.

Look into your life and situation and find your oasis. Find the places (literally and figuratively) that are safe and refreshing. You need them!

Does IT Fit? From Mission to Action and Everything Else Between

How you spend your times reflects your priorities. If successfully reaching your goals is your priority, you need to start with your overall, totality of purpose—the mission—and work down from that. What, precisely, is the mission of a person or organization? This is the starting point.

The overall mission will dictate the goals. All goals need to fit with the mission. Goals that don't line up with the mission need to be set aside, and resources need not be expended. The mission identifies the valid goals.

Each goal will be defined by a set of objectives. Reaching all of the objectives represents completing the goal.

Every objective will be accompanied by action items which, when completed, move closer and closer to seeing the objective met—and to seeing the goals completed—and to seeing that the mission is fulfilled.

NO action items should ever exist that are not part of an objective which is part of a goal, which fits with the mission. If there is an action item that MUST be done, stop and figure out which objective/goal it is a part of!

Policies and procedures surround the action items (and objectives and goals) and also grow out of the mission. Policies and procedures need to reflect the overall mission, supporting it completely.

SNAPlife: That's Not a River! - s2e89

Point of view and perspective are fundamental to how people look at life and at circumstances. There is no doubt. What you think of when a situation is mentioned directly influences your reactions.

But many times, there are different perspectives. Different points of view lead to different views on things. Understanding grows out of context, and if the context is different, the resulting ideas will be different.

When differences of opinion occur, it is possible that the parties involved are approaching the situation with different points of view. It is possible that life experiences, being different, have led to differing ways of understanding the same thing, and that the differences in understanding have led to the dissimilar points of view.

Don't be quick to discount what someone else says when their ideas are not the same as yours. Stop and think about their perspective. Could it be that they see the same thing through a different lens, a lens ground from their past that focuses differently?

What do you think of when you think of a river? There's a good chance that your perspective is not universal!

SNAPlife: Love Comes To Where You Are—You Don't Have to Wait For The Sto...

Are you waiting on your prince to come or looking for your damsel in distress? You are probably doing it wrong! Nearly no one ever has such fantasy, story-book experiences with romance!

For the vast majority if people, where you are throughout your daily routine is the biggest factor in your romantic relationships. You simply cannot have a relationship with someone you don't meet.

Though the 21st Century has created the real possibility of meeting people through the Internet, that is still a meeting of sorts. These types of meetings are, indeed, real and can lead to long-term, meaningful relationship.

Thus, the reality stands that, unless you meet someone (Internet or otherwise), you cannot have a relationship with them. But, many people cling desperately to the romantic notion that you can sit back and wait, and your long-lost, never-yet-met soulmate will appear and give your life the meaning it has been lacking. This is simply not remotely likely.

The truth is, where you are and who is proximal to you there are the biggest predictors of who you will have a relationship with. Stop and think about it. How many people do you know that have meaningful relationships with someone they have not met? Zero.

So it is that your schedule and the architecture (or software user interface) of the place where you spend the most time are the biggest factors in romance. The fantasy idea simply does not play out in reality, and if you are sitting around waiting for the very unlikely, you are probably going to be waiting forever.

SNAPlife: Just Be Yourself Might Be TERRIBLE Advice - s2e86

Want to be accepted? Need to fit in better?

If so, then "just be yourself" might be terrible advice.

If you have found a group that would, if you were a part of it, make you or lead you to becoming a better version of yourself, then you very well might need to change things about yourself in order to become a part of it. It's a tough situation!

If being part of a group mean compromising your morals or ethics, then its probably not a group that would benefit you. But if it means refining yourself and adding to what you are becoming better, then you might want to try and make those changes.

It's a difficult question, and everyone has to answer it. But if you would be better off as part of some group or in some sort of relationship, then take a serious look at how you line up and tweak the things that would make you better.

s2e85 SNAPlife Being Busy Is Not The Same As Doing Something

Being busy does not mean you are getting anything done.

Reaching your goals and objectives—becoming successful—requires action, but not just any action. It requires actions that are directed and focus. And meaningful.

It is far to easy to fill your schedule with business rather than with productive activity. And once the schedule if full, then the things that would really lead toward your goals have no place on it.

Being successful is often defined in terms of mission, goals, and objectives. Plans and individual action-items should line up with specific objectives, and policies and procedures need to align with everything from the mission down to the action item.

But, it is frequently the case that action items show up with little or no connection to the overall big picture. We become busy, but in terms of our mission, get very, very little done.

SNAPLife: Hustle With Intent - s2e83

Success… It's not how fast you are going. It's whether or not you are getting anywhere!

Running in a circle very fast gets you nowhere. You can drive around a race track and go 500 miles, but end up essentially where you started while at the same time, you can go 120 miles down the interstate highway. If success is measured by the degree to which you move, which case represents the biggest gain?

Hustle alone is not the key to success. Hustling with intent, with purpose, toward goals and objectives is the way the path to success is traveled! Don't just be busy. Be busy doing something!

SNAPlife: Is The Tide Rising OR Is It A Zero-sum Game - s2e80

Competition or collaboration? Does having another player in the game help your cause or hurt it? If someone else gets a breakthrough, does it hurt you or does his or her gain also benefit you?

The question is this: is it a rising tide situation or are you in a zero-sum game? You have to decide if the benefits to someone else also benefit you, or does their gain mean a loss for you.

While there are, indeed, many situations that follow the principles of the zero-sum game, there are many, many others that better fit the idea of the rising tide.

Stop and consider. Don't just become jealous or envious when something good happens to someone around you. Perhaps its a rising tide that will life your boat, too.

SNAPlife: You Cannot Stay On Step 1 - s2e77

Inherent in the idea of success is progressing toward mastery. If you never get off step 1, you will never achieve the levels of success you intend.

Starting off with the basics is a must, but as time passes, being successful demands that you move into higher and higher stages of development. Someone who can make a really, really good grilled cheese sandwich would not be considered a great chef. Mastering the basics is a must, but the basics should lead onward to more complex sets of skill.

SNAPlife: You Cannot Skip To Step 10 - s2e77

One step at a time. That's the best way to go from the beginning of something to the masterly level. You start at the beginning, learn the fundamentals, and grow into expertise.

Trying to do things far beyond your skill level rarely works out. At best, you can get by for a while. At worst, you find yourself making dreadful mistakes and becoming frustrated and discouraged.

The road to success is, sometimes, long and demanding. Success comes from starting with the foundations and building on them.

Day In The Life: Get Started Or You Will Never Get Finished AND Dealing ...

Sometimes, you have to stop talking about things and do them.

If you have come to the place where you have decided that something is a good idea, that something needs to be done in order to make things better, then there comes a time that you need to do them! Talking about them doesn't get them done. Take action!

SNAPlife: How To Fail With The Least Effort - s2e74

The road to success is lined by failures, by people or organizations that have, along the way, just pulled over and stopped. This shouldn't surprise anyone. Failure is easy.

If you want to be successful, you need to stick to your plans and push through the discouragement until your goals are reached. Don't give up just because things get hard.

Coffee Chat: Connections Between Thoughts, Actions, Body, and Feelings ...

Humankind is complex. Body. Mind. Feelings. Actions. All of these things are interrelated and connected. They all influence the other. When one is off, it can affect the others.

Learning to control what you think and being intentional about what you do can have huge impact on your emotional state. Seek out uplifting experiences and focus your thoughts on the positive and your feelings will follow.

Day In The Life: Plan Ahead To Succeed - s2e71

Planning ahead is vital to getting ahead. Your plans and preparation will make your efforts pay off with bigger returns! Don't skimp on the planning and preparation part of the things you want to accomplish!

Coffee Chat: The Silver Lining Still Doesn't Make It Okay-The Afghan Gir...

When bad things happen…

Sure, often, good things can eventually come out of the bad things that happen. But just because that is true doesn't make what happened right. Looking back at something tragic and saying, "Well, it eventually led to this good outcome" in no way reduces the bad of what happened.

SNAPlife: Just One Big But - s2e69

When you use the conjunction "but," it negates whatever comes before it. The focus becomes whatever comes after the conjunction.

There are ways of giving critique that are gentle, true, and helpful. Negating a compliment with a "but" is not one of them. Learn how to give critique in an effective way.

Coffee Chat: Stick With It AND Indoor Track - s2e65

Do you every have to just push through and finish? Yeah, that, sometimes, is the key to success.

There are many things in life that require us to simply get started and keep going. Many skills are acquired most directly through repeated experiences, building endurance for that skill and mastering its intricacies.

There is most certainly a connection between being successful—at anything—and sticking with it. Push through the process until you reach your goal.

SNAPlife: Focus On What Matters - s2e63

Do you know what really matters? Do you? Well, then you should be ready to focus.

Make sure that what you do is part of what "you do." What is your life/organizational mission? That is the guiding light with regards to your todo list.

What really matters are the things that lead you toward the things you have defined as part of who you are and what you do. Focus on those things.

SNAPlife: Come Early, Stay Late - s2e62

The journey to success is sometimes a long one. The prospect of being successful is vastly better for those willing to begin as soon as possible and carry on until the goals are all met.

Every day you delay in starting is a day wasted, and if it is your intentions to change something, every delay is just more time you spend doing it wrong, the outcome of which will be compounded.

Start your journey toward success immediately. Stick with it, and as the time passes you will realize the gains you wanted.

Live Better: Family Matters BUT This Will Make You Groan - s2e61

Family is sometimes an amazing asset and a great support in life. Take a moment to think about your own family and how it has helped to create who you are.

Coffee Chat: Connection IS Motivation - s2e60

One challenge in leading others it to transfer to them the vision, the passion for the task to be done. One way to do this is to connect them to the underlying reasoning that allows whatever it is you want to do make sense.

SNAPlife: It's Normal To Struggle - s2e59

If you can remember that everyone is struggling, it will help temper your reactions to people who may also be having a bad day, too. Keeping this in mind will help you not overreact when people do things that aren't exactly the way you want them.

The fact that all people struggle is a reality for everyone. When things don't work out, you have two choices: you can give up or you can find a new way to get things done.

SNAPlife: Doing Something You Shouldn't VS Not Doing Something You Shoul...

Your mission (life mission, organization mission) should define the broad scope of what you want to accomplish. It should be the guiding light by which you evaluate all of the things you do.

Though many people have a general idea of what they want to achieve, often, their resources are taxed by things that don't fit into the overall mission. The result is that resources are being used that do nothing toward advancing the missions and things that would advance the mission are left undone.

SNAPlife: Your Choices, Your Consequences - s2e56

Many people stand on the "right" to make choices for themselves, for their business, for their family and close friends. Each of these choice come with results. Depending on the decisions made, different things can happen.

Often, when things don't work out, people want to cast blame away. "It wasn't my fault!"

Maybe it was. Maybe the series of choices you have made over your life have resulted in the circumstances were the undesirable results were likely.

In fact, it probably was (if not your fault) precisely the consequences of your decisions.

SNAPlife: Is It Time To Abandon Your Goal? - s2e55

Setting goals is fairly common. Abandoning goals is an equal reality.

Should you give up on your goal? Should you walk away from a goal you set?

There are two reasons you should just forget about your goals and cut them away from your life mission. If the goal was bad in the first place, abandoning it actually moves you closer to your life mission. Similarly, if the goal started off as a good one, but if the circumstances that were true when you set the goal change, then it is very possible that the goal no longer is compatible with your life circumstances.

Otherwise… should you give up on a goal?

Coffee Chat: Being A Teacher / Mentor - s2e53

Teaching… leading… mentoring… Words that mean a lot more than just shoving facts into someone's head.

There is an amazing privilege that goes along with helping others grow. Guiding someone toward their goals and toward things they need to become a better version of themselves is a huge responsibility and amazing experience. 

SNAPlife: A Dream Realized - s2e50

Dreams are personal. Saying one person's dream is better or worse than someone else's is unfair. There is value of a sort in taking the steps needed to move a dream from fantasy towards reality.

It takes work. But if you have a dream, start the process of making plans. Set goals and find the steps needed to make your dream come true.

SNAPlife: What To Do With Your Dreams - s2e49

Even after you have come up with a life mission and set goals, it's still not too late to have dreams. Dreams are that star on the horizon that catches our eye and compels us to ask, "What if…?"

Dreams that are never embraced and configured into the life purpose, that never become part of the plan of action remain a fantasy idea. Without putting actions in place, without moving ideas from the realm of wishing-for to the realm of goals, you will never reach dream.

Don't forever let your dreams remain on the horizon. Bring them into the plan and go for them.

SNAPlife: Compassion And Kindness Are The Epitome Of Humanity At Its Bes...

When you see a need, do you take action? Are you a bystander, letting things happen without getting involved, or do you step in and try to make things better?

Seeing the needs of others and showing compassion and kindness are the highest, most noble aspects of humanity. Showing care to others and helping them is fulfilment of the purpose for which people were created. We are meant to look into the world around us and make it better, and that means seeing things through the eyes of others and taking actions to make things better.

Coffee Chat: "Just This Once" is the First Step Toward Failure - s2e47

Long term goals and plans take discipline to see them achieved. It's easy to get derailed when you think you can set aside the program "just this once."

But "just this once" leads to "just this once, again," which leads to "just one more time." Eventually, you've abandoned the goal completely.

SNAPlife: Does Your Plan Cover Contingencies? - s2e44

Planning. You need to do it, no matter what the scope of the task. How will you get from point A to point B?

And, beyond having a plan, you need to anticipate what could go wrong… and more importantly, what will you do if they do!

Live Better: What To Do When "Things" Just Don't Line Up - s2e43

Humans are created with a lot more "radar" systems than you think. We are constantly picking up stimuli from the environment and processing them.

Sometimes, the signals don't make sense, even if we are not able to articulate why. When things don't add up, you need to stop, appraise the situation, and make the appropriate decision as to what to do next.

SNAPlife: The Four "A"s of Dealing With Stress - s2e42

Stress is the body's reaction to stimuli from the environment that elevates the alert response status to prepare the body to take care of itself in the face of danger. But in 21st Century culture, there are many stressors that increase our level of anxiety without otherwise offering positive benefit. Our world if full of stressors.

What can you do?

There are four strategies you can apply to reducing stress:

1. Avoid
2. Alter
3. Adapt
3. Accept what's left

Planning Is Futile

It's not the plan. The best plan, not followed, ends up with worse results than a poor plan that is executed.

Day In The Life: Optimizing Your Situation For Success - s2e39

There often comes a time when you look around and think you have room to grow. When that happens, you need to do four things to get from where you are to where you want to be.

First, look around and see where you are and what is going on around you.

Next, speculate, estimate, or conjecture what you could be doing in the space nearby.

Third, appraise the situation to find obstacles and barriers that would keep you from expanding in that way.

Finally, create a plan to go from where you are to that new place and execute it.

Shawn Guenther—Failure Doesn't Always Look Like Failure

Failure… We don't like that word in 21st Century western culture. But failure is a fact of life, and it teaches us where to go and how to change as we go forward.

But, another type of failure is to fail yourself. To pour all of your time into something that does not really fit with what you want and need to be doing.

SNAPlife: The Storm Will Eventually End - s2e32

At any time, life can throw you a big change. A storm can blow in, and change everything.

It is important to remember that the storm will eventually pass, and when it does, you have to be ready to go on. You must eventually resume normal (or a new version of normal) life.

While in the storm, if you can, begin looking for the clouds to break and what you need to do to be ready. The storm will eventually end.

How You Influence Others and How They Influence You

We live in community with others. We were created that way. This means many things, one of which is that we both influence and are influenced by others.

Iron sharpens iron, so they say. Being around the right people can help you sharpen yourself, help you improve yourself. Pick people to be around that make you better.

But iron can dull iron, too. If you spend too much time in the pigpen, you end up smelling like a pig, so be careful. Even if you go to the "pigpen" to help others get out… stay too long, and you smell like a pig!

Bringing Others On Your Journey

The idea of passing what you know to others goes way back. But, you need not wait until "the end of the race" to pass the baton.

Much more can be accomplished in the way of developing others if you enlist them into that thing that you love early on. (Or, enlist them into those tasks that are a necessary part of their future.)

Don't wait! Find others who are watching you on your journey and invite them to take part. As you go along, you can teach them many things. And from them, you can learn many things, too.

SNAPlife: Be Worth Knowing - s2e28

Trying to become well known is going about it the wrong way. Try to be worth knowing. If you want to become famous, to have your ideas and services recognized for their important contributions, you must begin by having ideas and services that stand out, that are recognizable. If you focus on making what you do fame worth, then fame will follow.

Adolescent and Your Adult Relationships: About The Friend Zone - s2e27

Men and women—males and females—are different physiologically. And the differences extend into how the brain works, which makes how men and women think and feel different.

One result of these differences collides in the friend zone.

SNAPlife: You're Not The Chef - s2e27

Learning to do things they way you are hired/contracted to do them is a vital aspect of becoming successful. You have to start somewhere and work your way through the corporations procedures or the customers expectations and demands.

As a photographer, I have to take the client's wishes in mind as I compose and edit images. A builder has to follow the blueprints. A franchise owner has to abide by the rules of the franchise.

Learning this early is very important.

Day In The Life: Be Ready! Roll With Changes, Go With Opportunities PLUS...

You need to be ready. Ready to roll with the changes that inevitably come along. Ready to respond to opportunities when they come along. If you are not ready to respond, you end up stuck where you are.

SNAPlife: Leaders Do Not Set Out To Lead People - s2e24

How do you lead people? What makes a good leader?

There is a common misconception that leadership is about getting people to do things. But a great leader is different. A great leader imparts his or her passion about a cause to others, motivating them to take up the cause themselves.

SNAPlife: Work Your Strengths Then Turn To Your Resources - s2e22

Your success is not dependent solely on what you can do. Work your strengths. Work them thoroughly, but when you get to the place you can't do something, turn to your resources.

SNAPlife: Quitting Is An Option That Always Leads To Failure - s2e20

When circumstances line up against you and things get really hard, quitting is an option. But if you quit, you de facto fail…

You may not consider it a real failure, but the reality is that quitting leads to failing to reach the goal. Call it what you will…

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Coffee Chat: Looking At Your Dreams and Wishes Gets Nothing Actually Don...

Dreams mean nothing. Missions mean nothing. Wishes mean nothing. Even plans mean nothing unless your plans move onto your todo list and calendar.

Create Better: The Creator Community: Your Source for Motivation and Ins...

When your creativity wanes, what can you do? If you are part of a group of creators, then you are not alone. You have a support network that will help pick you up, help get your creative juices flowing once more.

Coffee Chat And DITL: Getting Into And Staying In The Groove - s2e12

Once things start going the way you want, you start to feel like you are in a groove. But, are you ready for the unexpected? Are you ready just in case something comes up you weren't anticipating?

Road Trip 2019: Don't Take Family For Granted - s2e10

It is easy to get caught up in things and put family appreciation to the side. However, keep in mind all that family can mean to you. Don't take the family you have for granted.

Live Better: Don't Forget Your Roots OR Dance With The One That Brung Yo...

Don't overlook the things you did that got you to where you are. Your past successes probably are still relevant to your current goals. Remember the things you have done that worked, and consider if they are still relevant to what you are trying to do.

SNAPlife: Willpower Keeps You Moving - s2e2

So you've started something you think is really worth doing? Along the way, you feel like your motivation is waning. That's natural.

Willpower is the thing that keeps you going, keeps you moving toward your goal. Realizing that the value of that thing you are trying to do is worth more, in the long run, than that thing that is tempting you to stop.