GoHuman Blog

Habits aren’t broken. They’re replaced.  My whole purpose for participating in an 8 Week Wellness Program wasn’t to just break the habit of eating unhealthy foods; I wanted to create a new system that I liked better and would give me the results I wanted. Otherwise what have I replaced?

Always look for something better to replace your habit with. Subconsciously your habit is a survival mechanism.  At some level you think the habit is serving you. In order to let go of the subconscious clinging to the habit, you want to show your subconscious mind that the new system you’ve introduced into your life is even better! Then you can let go.

That’s the law of creation.  Create a replacement for the habit you don’t like.  Don’t react to the habit by fighting it off.  The law of creation is a law that can kick in at any stage when you’re ready to shift your mind. From breaking to replacing.

A mind shift is a shift in your thinking and allowing new ideas to be entertained. Most of us are limited by our current status or resources and therefore, we tend to limit our thoughts, in terms of our results, as well as the beliefs we have about ourselves. When we allow ourselves to shift into a new paradigm, we begin seeing and creating new things in our lives.

“When you know what you want, and want it bad enough, you will find a way to get it.”

~Jim Rohn

Allow the power of MIND SHIFT move you to the next level of your life!

Four weeks down, and a lifetime to go! I just need to put it out there how great I’m feeling since having changed my eating habits. Once I entered adulthood, I never paid much attention to nutritional value. Make no mistake, when I was growing up, we were allowed McDonald’s once a week and that was pretty much it. Otherwise, my mom cooked homemade meals every night of the week. With that being said, I didn’t like vegetables then and I have yet to acquire much of a taste for them, now.

The greatest transition I’ve gone through over these past four weeks is the change in my physical well being. I wake up in the morning with more energy. I no longer feel lethargic during the day. And after eating a meal, I don’t feel like immediately going to take a nap. I’ve also noticed my mind is clearer, which allows me to focus better throughout the days. What’s more, this is usually peak season for my allergies to get completely out of control and (knock on wood) I’ve yet to experience some of the  usual symptoms that typically occur for me, this time of year.

The best part about this wellness program is the gradual process of changing old, bad eating habits and replacing them with new, good ones. This is equally true for the weight loss I’m experiencing. At this stage of the game, many people might be discouraged about how slow it’s taking for the weight to drop. However, just the other day, I suddenly realized I was using the fourth notch of my belt-loop, as opposed to the usual second.

During each weekly consultation with the dr., she gives me a new recipe to try out, which usually contains a few added ingredients that are more in alignment with the kinds of foods I enjoy.

What’s next? Dr. Angela is prepping me for “life after the wellness program.” Part of last week’s assignment was to provide her with a list of all the foods I’ve enjoyed in the past, i.e. tacos, fries, burgers, pizza, chocolate, etc. With that in mind, she’s going to show me how I can still have the best of both worlds, while still maintaining a healthy diet. What more could a person ask for? There actually is a way to have your cake and eat it too, without all the guilt ridden feelings that usually come afterwards. Literally!

Patience and perseverance have a magical effect before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish.

~John Quincy Adams

Learn your fear of raising prices and stand up to it. Don’t allow the fear you have about money and prices to be the decision maker. Acknowledge the fear, set it aside, and then get creative and make a non-emotional decision, regarding your prices.

When you’re having a conversation with a customer, whether in person or via advertising, focus on “the value” of the product/service you offer. People love to hear stories about other happy customers who have experienced the joy of doing business with you. Talk more about value and less about the price. Being enthusiastic and passionate about what you do is viral. Customers want you to believe in yourself and your business. They want to buy from someone who is proud, passionate and confident about what they do.

When you raise your prices, you’ll have more money to gain more, and better customers. The additional income allows you to market, advertise and promote your business in ways you couldn’t afford to before.

Operating a small business is vastly different than running a corporate giant. Small businesses can be more creative and opportunities to succeed are greater. Very few principles can be taken from a corporate giant and applied to a small business with similar results. Your advantages in a small business are the complete opposite of theirs. They have mass volume, distribution and leveraging advantages.  You don’t. Don’t be misguided by the pricing war behavior they engage in because thankfully, it doesn’t apply to you!

One falsehood many people fall for is that by lowering their price, they’ll “make it up in volume.” Here’s a great example…..a guy buys a boat load of money change-making machines and someone says, “How will you make a profit? People put a dollar in and you give them four quarters. How in the world can you possibly make any money on that deal?” The guy responds by saying, “I’ll make it up in volume.” Really?

Much of the fear of raising prices comes from the whole small business self esteem factor that says, “I’m not worth it and would feel guilty raising prices because my customers trust me for this price and therefore, if I raise them, I’m taking advantage of them.” Really?

Take yourself back to the state of mind you had when you first started your business. Remember all that energy you had? You were so excited that you stayed up all night researching and writing down all the limitless possibilities you could create? Never lose that game element because it’s what keeps every business’s energy and creativity flowing.

There will never be a shortage of opportunity for you to raise your prices, when you are continually raising the value of the buying experience. You won’t lose customers, you’ll gain them.

Once you begin living your life with purpose, notice how your resentments are mere obstacles in the way. The focus and energy you have are so strong that you can’t wait to remove them altogether, so you can feel the deep power of your life’s purpose.

Listen to that internal, driving force that continues to draw you near what you really love. Pay close attention to it and respond.  Live life consciously and be aware of the happy moments you experience in life. Ask yourself, when have you felt most alive?

The movie Shawshank Redemption is a superb illustration of the amazing things that occur when people wake up to their purpose. They carry that purpose with them throughout the day, every day and that purpose becomes the driving force of all the actions they take. They ask themselves every morning when they wake up “How could I use this? How does that help me with my intention of breaking out of here? What’s useful here that would be of benefit for what I’m trying to accomplish?”

Living a life of purpose, versus personality, is a way of converting bad news into useful news. Most people, upon hearing “bad news,” will allow themselves to slide down the ladder into a state of depression or adapt their mindset to a negative way of thinking about the world.

On the contrary, if you’re in the midst of creating something and some particular news comes in, you’re able to look at the situation different and ask, “Given what I’m up to in life right now, how can I use this?”

When I work with a client, I lead them down a path that allows them to gain great clarity about what their purpose is in life. Next, we create and when we’re creating, the energy is flowing into them because they’re so focused on “purpose” and not “personality.” Being focused on who you think you are, forces the energy to flow away from you, giving you the false perception that all the power lies outside of you.

Have you ever wondered why some people not only survive but actually prosper after enduring tragedy in their lives, while others allow their life to crumble right before their eyes?

What’s the difference for those who turn tragedy into triumph? Attitude!  It’s a choice. I can choose to be happy, sad, mad or frustrated. It’s my choice and  choices I make impact every moment, every action and every thought I have. Sometimes I need to really work on being happy.  I often take time to reflect upon all the joy and laughter around me, reminding me how precious life is and all I have to be thankful for. Despite the hardships in coping with a lifelong disability or the unexpected, tragic loss of losing a loved one, a person can choose to be happy.

Many situations can be and are very difficult, but we have the choice to live a happy life or a life of misery. The circumstances may not change, but the outcome and quality of life is a result of how a person chooses to live.  Attitude is the ultimate determining factor as to whether they take charge of their life, their own energy, their spirit or if they allow life to take full control over them.

So, what does a person decide? To live or not live?  Find an outlet to take your own personal tragedy and the fears that may exist, along with the anxiety of having to cope with such heartache and channel those negative feelings into creating something triumphant.

Turning tragedy into triumph can be achieved in many ways: Keep a journal and document your thoughts daily. This is a great exercise for releasing stress, as it allows you to take the countless thoughts that continuously swirl around your head and put them in a separate, safe place. The next time you feel yourself getting distracted by the same thoughts, remind yourself they’re someplace else and can be dealt with, if/when you choose.

Another way is to create a blog and write about related stories or topics that are familiar with your own story and discuss the various stages of feelings you dealt with and how you overcame them.

My personal favorite is serving others. What good can you do for someone else who has experienced their own tragedy or perhaps lived a life of one misfortune after another that will in some way give them comfort or a fresh and new perspective on matters?

It’s all a choice. Your choice. And you can choose to live a happy life by helping others along the way.

I married a Milwaukee girl and, expecting our first child, moved to Madison, WI in 2008.  The move had nothing to do with Cheeseheads, except for two of them – Grandma and Grandpa.  While I can enjoy football if it’s on, I never sought it out and know nothing about it.

Which explains why I didn’t know that the Packers are the only NFL team not owned by big money.  But last week an article titled “Support Green Bay, annoy the rich” caught my attention.  It explains that the Packers are “still, effectively, owned by the town of Green Bay, population 102,000.”  And more importantly, “The Pack has 112,000 stockholders. No kidding. None is allowed to own more than 200,000 shares — a tiny stake. That’s how they got to keep a major franchise in a town of just 102,000 people.”

It floored me that, according to the article “the NFL won’t even allow it anymore. No team is allowed to have ownership rules like this. These days, each team is required to have to have a small number of rich owners.”

Then and there my heart warmed to the Green Bay Packers, and the fans keeping their dreams alive.  Football may not be the place I would have chosen to stake out the issue of ownership vs. disenfranchisement.  But one of the reasons I co-founded GoHuman is exactly this point.  That ownership and control needs to be managed in a democratic, sustainable manner.

There’s something just wrong in millions of Americans supporting ideals they disagree with, because the rich and powerful keep their agendas hidden, and are adept at managing information, communication, perceptions, moods, attitudes, and ultimately, votes.

So the Green Bay Packers have one more loyal fan this year.  Go Pack!

Entrepreneurs are always learning – about their industry, about marketing, about the competition, about the business. They attend courses, seminars and conferences to learn and network with other entrepreneurs.  One of the easiest and least expensive ways to learn is to read business books and/or listen to personal & professional development audios. Most  entrepreneurs have an office filled with a diverse collection of business and success books.

In Barbara Stanny’s book, “Secrets of Six Figure Women,” the story revolves around hundreds of interviews Stanny had with women with incomes above $100,000. During these interviews, the author uncovers seven key strategies for women (and men) to increase their earnings to a level that would be forever life changing.

Have an Intention to Make Good Money:  You need a profit motive. Money doesn’t buy happiness, but poverty doesn’t either. It’s also true that entrepreneurs have multiple reasons for starting a business and making money is definitely one of them. Bottom line, if you’re not making money, you’re not in business.

Letting Go of the Ledge:  Be willing to lose the security of your comfort zone in order to take the necessary leap that will raise your income. Stanny writes: “Their ledges took many forms, both concrete and intangible – from unfulfilling jobs to unpleasant relationships, from inappropriate goals to inaccurate beliefs, from damaging habits to detrimental emotions.”

Get in the Game:  Stanny writes that people are basically playing one of two games: Not to Lose or To Win. The game Not to Lose is about playing it safe; avoiding risks, not looking bad, not making mistakes. As with investing, making safe choices as an entrepreneur limits the risk you take, but it also limits how much you can gain.

When playing the game To Win, it’s not just about acquiring more money than the next guy. It’s about being and doing your best and seeing how far you can stretch. A critical component to playing To Win is being willing to take risks, feel the fear and do it anyway.

Speak Up:  In other words, ask for what you want! For employees it can include asking for a raise and for entrepreneurs, it’s about raising your rates, raising your level of service and value, without cutting your fees.

The Stretch:  Stanny writes “High earners are keenly aware of the immense power of audacity, which comes from the Latin word audace, meaning to dare. The women I interviewed somehow intuitively (if not always early) embrace this strategy as common practice: Stretch, dare to do which you think you cannot.”

If you’re a true entrepreneur, you’ve got to always be stretching. Whether it’s speaking at a networking event, cold calling or negotiating for a good deal. One thing is certain; the things you dislike the most about business, are not good at or are afraid of, are most definitely the things you’ll have to attempt at some point, in order to reach the level of success you want.

Seek Support:  Never be too proud to ask for guidance or support from another person or people. If you want to be successful, this is something you need to overcome because no one can do it alone.

Stanny writes about two types of help the successful women she interviewed talked about: True Believers, people who encouraged and believed in them whole heartedly, and Way Showers, mentors who served as proof that success is possible. These supports help us implement the other strategies.

“They inspire us to set our intention high and stick to it when our faith falls short. They gently pry our fingers loose when we cling too tightly to safety and then lead us into the game, explaining how to play. Maybe most important of all, they assuage our fears so we can stretch even farther.”

Obey the Rules of Money:  Being successful isn’t just about how much you invoice each month, it’s also about how much you keep, how well you get to live. as a result. Stanny’s rules of money are simple: Spend less than you earn, pay yourself first, put your money to work.

If you’re an entrepreneur who’s not earning the kind of money you’d like, Secrets of Six Figure Women is a great read. The stories these women share about how they applied the success strategies to their business are both inspiring and motivating.

For the women out there who are ready to ignite their own businesses to the next level, check out my new women’s group, set to launch in April. Applications are being taken on line. All applicants will be considered, with only a select group chosen for membership.  We’ll share and teach in depth, how to apply these same strategies to your business, in order to increase earnings and create the financial and personal wealth you want in life. www.igniteinnercircle.com.

I’m intrigued with author Frances E. Vaughan’s definition of intuition as “a way of knowing…a way of recognizing the possibilities in any situation.”

Decisions based off of intuition come from an ability to integrate and utilize both the left and right sides of the brain.  The combined product of both facts and feelings that are unclouded by the involvement of personal ego.

Leaders with good intuition see new opportunities in any given situation. They visualize the future and are well equipped to move an organization forward, in response to it. These leaders are particularly good at generating new ideas and providing fresh, creative solutions to old problems. They function best in quickly changing environments, and moments of crisis.

Most men tend to refer to their intuition as a “gut feeling,” whereas women are more comfortable calling on their “feminine or women’s intuition.”

Because intuition originates from a certain feeling in our body, when someone asks how we know, we can’t explain the rationale behind the conclusion. As a result, we’re inclined to keep these thoughts to ourselves in fear others will label us as being unreasonable or foolish.

In the business world, effective leaders understand the importance of using logic and analysis when making certain decisions that will or have the potential to heavily impact the overall standing of the organization. Furthermore, leaders who possess these key traits also understand when to call upon their intuition, not as a substitute to analysis, but as an equal to it.

Whichever path you choose in life, there will always be someone to throw cold water on your plans. If you want to keep playing  the game “to win,” ignore the naysayers and do it anyway. Don’t let them stop you from pursuing your passion and transitioning it from a project into reality!

Naysayers aren’t necessarily mean-spirited people; they come with the territory. When we dare to attempt something different, there’s always a group of people standing by to tell us how ridiculous the idea is. However, these people actually add great value to our lives. They test our level of commitment. The more tentative you feel, the more negative they sound. If they’re successful in discouraging you, be grateful. This allows you to reevaluate your intention or let completely go of what’s holding you back. If you’re determined and committed enough to succeed in spite of all the cynicism, then you will.

Criticism and rejection are unavoidable when playing “to win.” All the more reason to never take the harsh words spoken by others, personally. Don’t personalize the criticism. Don’t allow the remarks made by other people to become personal, giving you an excuse to find fault within yourself. Repel the negative comments by calling upon the guidance of those who WILL support you; a counselor, a coach or a friend; someone who will help you discover a new and fresh perspective. Adlai Stevenson quoted, “Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional.” Any business is tough and the higher you climb, the higher and bigger the stakes get. It becomes increasingly difficult to continue putting yourself out there, but do it anyway.

A great solution for many has been to focus on a higher purpose rather than immediate gratification. Remind yourself why your passion is so strong. Passion and purpose are great motivators. Experiencing such a mind-shift can make all the difference. The game is only a game, And games are fun if we allow them to be. And when they’re not, the work becomes demoralizing and often destructive, in which case, it may be time to walk away.

It doesn’t seem like it would be true, in that by slowing down we’d get more done. But it is true and it does work. Every day you do it, you will get more done. Every day as you experiment with slowing down and focusing on doing what’s most important, the better understanding you’ll have about the truth behind the legendary story of the tortoise and the hare.

Think of it this way, if you’re on the wrong road, it doesn’t matter how good you get at traveling faster down that road because it still is and always will be the WRONG ROAD.

On the flip side, when you take whatever time is needed to think some major (or not) personal or business decision through with a clear, uncluttered mind, and act accordingly with your complete and only focus being on “doing it right the first time,” the sooner you’re able to cross it off the list as complete and move on to the next priority.

Those who recognize the value of slowing themselves down, soon realize how quickly it speeds up their success. When they slow down and focus on that next small step ahead of them and TAKE THAT STEP, they’re surprised at how their whole world changes by doing that.

Every little achievement raises the self confidence. As your confidence increases, your achievements become greater and greater. The real success in reaching any goal is achieved by breaking down a plan into small steps to take along the way, and then start taking them. With each of these steps your self-esteem rises. In the end, the goal itself isn’t even as important as the huge strides you’ve made in self-confidence and self-respect along the way. Because of the increased self-confidence and self-respect, the next challenge that comes your way, will be that much easier to handle. It’s those small steps that build the self-confidence.