3 Tips For Those Who Want to Read More

So you want to read more books this year? 

Life is busy. How do you carve out time to grow through reading? Here are three tips from Coach John for to get more reading in this year:

1.Put up the books that you do not enjoy. 

You buy a book because you are drawn to it. Then, you get a good way in, and it’s not what you thought. But you spent the money, and you’re one of those type-A people who have to finish what they started. 

What’s the trade-off if you keep going in the book? You are sapping all your reading energy into something you don’t care about or connect with. 

I was in two different books that I didn’t enjoy reading. I felt this compelling feeling to finish them.  But then I decided to put them both away, maybe for another time or maybe for good. I immediately got my reading mojo back and was into two new books that I couldn’t put down. 

2. If you can’t sleep at night, get up and read. 

Give it a try. You know you’re just going to lay in bed and look at tik-tok videos. If you wake up and you can’t go back to sleep, put your phone down and pick up your book. You’ll either fall back to sleep, or be more productive with your time.  

3. Consistently delete social media from your phone. 

I know you can’t live without it, but just try deleting those apps. Then once a day or twice a day, redownload them again to check it. Once you’re done checking it, redelete the apps. 

I know it sounds tedious, but you’ll start to pick up your phone, and really think if you want to spend 10 minutes watching videos of people dancing or 10 minutes in the next chapter of your book. 

Those little changes can free you up to read more and grow more this coming year. 

By Coach John

5 Months Into the Year- How Are Your Goals Holding Up?

Goals are good. Most people know how to set them, but few know how to reach them. Sometimes, you know how to reach them, and yet you still don't make any progress. 

This is why it helps to focus on habits. Consider focusing on habits rather than goals. 

Start by asking yourself: “what type of person do I want to be?” 

• Someone who reads a lot?

• Someone who is healthy and takes care of their body? 

• Someone who inspires others around them? 

• Someone who always has a potential sale brewing?  

Those things don't magically happen. They happen through habits. Habits start small, but result in massive life changes.  In his book Atomic Habits author James Clear suggests starting with a habit in such a way that it shouldn't take you more than two minutes to initiate.

Start your reading habit by pouring a cup of coffee and sitting in your favorite reading chair. Then proceed to read just 2 or 3 pages from a book. 

Start a healthy habit by lacing up your sneakers, which you leave out the night before, and setting out a healthy snack for later. Then proceed to walk just 5 or 10 minutes.  

If you want to inspire others, pick up the phone at the same time everyday and call someone to check on them. 

If you start small with these habits, and grow them every day, you will  find you are reading a full chapter, walking 30 minutes, or calling two people instead of one!

Many people try to go big or go home. But, in trying to go big by setting huge goals, they end up quitting and going home. 

Don't be afraid to start small to get the ball rolling with your habits. Think about the type of person you want to be and create little habits that help you grow in that direction. 

Build on those habits and over time you'll see big changes.

By Coach John

A Shocking Finding Among Our Clients

This might surprise you. 

When we begin with a new client we have them create success statements. This helps us to be sure the actions they are taking are in line with what they really want in life.  

Something interesting has come out of this practice: none of those success statements refer to money.  The statements we have seen have nothing to do with money and everything to do with people...primarily, family and friends. 

Most say something like:

“to me, success is giving my children opportunities I didn't have”

or 

“I want to create a lifestyle where I spend more time with my family than at work”

or 

“I want to be traveling the world with my friends”

or … one of the most interesting ones to me is when people who are young and single and their main motivation is:

“creating a life for my family that I might have in 5 or 10 years.” 

Not money, not things....people. Do we need financial resources to help with these things?  Yes....we do, but the feeling we are looking for shouldn't take us 5 years to experience.

Here's the question I pose to all of us today: why are we waiting? I challenge you right now to connect with people today, or this weekend...why wait? 

Success, my friend, is a phone call away.  Success is attainable right now.  This mini session has no call to action regarding our coaching or our podcast...because our idea of success is to help you have success and it's most likely you spending time with your loved ones. 

Set up something fun with your people this week...enjoy them and enjoy that feeling of success sooner rather than later. 

By Coach Laine

But Should You Really?

Here we go...another phrase that needs to be kicked to the curb. 

“WeIl... should.”  

I should be working 60 hours a week 

or

I should wake up at 4AM like the author of that book I just read

or

I should take out a ridiculous loan because someone told me to get my doctorate because it would give me more credibility. 

What are the things that are eating away at you right now, taking up all that space in your brain? What are those things that you think you “should be” doing....those things that aren't necessarily necessary, that are actually oppressing you more than giving you freedom to work better? Ugh, I'm getting heavy just thinking about this.  

One thing that points to a healthy professional is someone who can consider the validity of an "I should" option and take decisive action.  

Sometimes, you should do the thing...you should be to work on time, you should be treating everyone with respect, you should be financially responsible, but take that external pressure you're feeling and ask yourself if you didn't do it, what would that look like?  

Will you still be able to work well? Will you still achieve what you'd like to achieve?  We are gifted with so many options.  Be sure you're choosing the ones that are right..for...you. Those are the things that will give you progress without the stress.  

Know someone who's feeling the pressure?  Send this to them today.

By: Laine Schmidt