7 Minutes In The Morning

How do you know when it's time to cut bait? Yesterday we talked about boundaries... and I'm also a fan of pushing your limits. So how do you reconcile those? It's really not as hard as it sounds When you start with personal responsibility! As an individual, you are only responsible for your decisions and outcomes, then there are modifiers. Parents take on responsibility for their kids, entrepreneurs take on some of the burdens for their employees and customers...but there's a limit. About 18 months ago, my adult son died from the effects of alcoholism. In spite of our best efforts, he still made the choices that led to his demise. You only have responsibility for others to the point of their freewill choice. You can't make the decision for them, that is where you have to let them beat the weight of their own burden. Focus on what you can control, make the decisions that are within your purvue, and do everything you can to let the rest go. Enjoy! Thom, THE Unashamed Non-Conformist =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

It's easy to talk about your neighbor violating boundaries, but what about you? Today let's talk about how boundaries help YOU stay focused and in your lane! Especially as a business owner or leader, it's super easy to drift...to "expand" the business into new areas where there seems to be a need. But what happens when you do that too early or with faulty research. Suddenly you find yourself in unfamiliar territory and, perhaps worst of all, the original business can fall on hard times due to your lack of attention. Having and abiding by boundaries let's you focus your time, energy, and attention to create a result! Establish boundaries early on. Create mechanisms to check yourself when you begin to drift, and exercise the discipline to stay inside the lines! Enjoy! Thom, THE Unashamed Non-Conformist =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Thom Rigsby is a lifestyle & business strategy expert. Drawing on his experience as a small business owner and entrepreneur launching almost a dozen startups and more tha

How often do you say no to requests that don't lead to your success or help you meet your goals? Saying no is easier for some than others, but if you have any hope of living the life you crave, you must become a master of culling the invaluable. And THAT begins with knowing what you want. So how do you KNOW what you want? Is it possible to be sure? To have no doubts? I'm just going to go ahead and say it, you WILL have doubts along the way! It's a long road full of hard work. Of course, you're going to questions your choices. And that's not the point! Questioning doesn't derail you...quitting derails you. When you have doubts, that's the most important time to say NO! Saying no to others is always easier than saying no to yourself! Why? Well basically because you can rationalize anything to yourself...it is not until you have to say it out loud...to someone else, that you get slapped in the face with how weak it really sounds. This is one of the three key values to working with a coach to achieve your results

Quick, name one thing that is preventing your success or keeping you from reaching a goal. Don't dwell on the answer, just blurt it out! Now ask, is this something within my power to change? Regardless of what your blocker is, the answer is YES, you can change your circumstances and remove any obstacle! All too often we allow negative self-talk to rule out day. And when that's not giving us the excuse we want, we turn to comparison shopping for progress. You know, "THEY are farther along than me...". And don't even get me started on believing in the "shoulds." You are a unique combination of gifts and talents and you are positioned in time and place to make a difference. And the reality is you are making a difference, the only question is, is it a positive or a negative one. Just because you are talented and gifted doesn't mean you don't have to put in effort toward the outcome though. Pick any great athlete, they still had to put in the work to achieve greatness, and so do you! Just like the tree in this pic

Why do plan always fail? When I was growing up, the A-Team was all the rage on TV. One of the characters in that show had a saying, "I love it when a plan comes together!" Why is that such a great thing? Maybe because it is such a rare thing! One of the most frustrating things to me as a business coach is to see people put so much time and effort into a business plan only to file it away and never look at it again. Is THAT why so many businesses fail? I don't believe it is. A business plan, any plan for that matter, is just a set of intended actions and expected outcomes. It's not cast in stone and there's no guarantee that the expected outcomes will happen. So why do we hold so tightly to plans if they're not going to work out? IDK...THAT's a great question! Many a business owner and entrepreneur have had to cut their dreams short not because of lack of planning ... most do a pretty good job of that. No, I believe they fail because once the plan is done, they hold more tightly to the plan than they do the de

When you confidence isn't founded in focus and purposeful action then you are jumping without a parachute. - Kathryn Lang It's a slippery slope when you start chasing what "seems good" at the time. When you run a business, it is easy to allow distractions, which can dilute your focus even though it seems the "rabbit hole" you're running down seems more exciting. You'll find yourself "confidently" chasing details or "new ideas" that don't make a difference in the big picture when you originally started everything. You have confidence because you've been there before and you're "revisiting" something that soothes you, instead of, stretching you. High confidence should be treated as an indicator that you may not be pushing the boundaries of your comfort zone hard enough... seriously. Before you make a decision, ask yourself how you can measure the result to see if it moved the needle. If you can't come up with a good way to measure, then it's a bad decision because you'll never be able to distinguish between a w

Business (and life) is a contact sport! What do you do when it gets to be too much? Let's face it, it happens to everybody! Sometimes all the moving pieces of your success and fulfillment seem to be moving in opposite directions! UGH! The answer though is pretty simple... The more complicated things become, the more aggressively you have to simplify! Overwhelm, and the feeling of lost control that accompanies it can be debilitating if you let it...but it doesn't have to be. Most people believe when they are experiencing overwhelm that the pathway out is planning or studying or some other distraction. The reality is, there's only one way to dig out from overwhelm...simplify! In the short term, find one thing you can control, that you can make an unimpeded decision about and make it. For Mel Robbins, author of the 5-second Rule, that was the snooze button on her alarm clock. It doesn't have to be big or fancy, just something YOU control. Now that you have some confidence taking control of your 'alarm clock' tak

Do you have what it takes to become an overnight success and turn everything you touch into a win? Are you sure? Sometimes when I'm having a conversation with someone looking for a business and life coach I will ask them this question. Often they seem genuinely surprised that I'd ask such a question. But it's a necessary question. If you're going to win in business, you have to have confidence in yourself! No one else is going to do it for you! Confidence is the residue of execution. The more you execute, the more your confidence builds. And as your confidence builds, so will the success of your business. There is a direct relationship! Think about it, would you rather go with the doctor that "thinks" they can solve the problem or the one that "knows what the problem is and what to do?" You're customers feel the same way! So what if you don't have the confidence yet? Well, this is where fear and courage make their appearance. Your lack of confidence will create fear, and fear is a good thing. It gives you an

Do you LOVE the work you do? Are you excited about getting after it this morning? If you're not, it's not the end of the world. No one promised we'd love it EVERY day. Both business owners and employees alike can find themselves 'out-of-love' with their work. When that happens to you ... what should you do? One of the great lies you've been sold is that you should go to school, work hard, get good grades, get a "good" job ... then gut it out for 30 or 40 years so you can finally live the good life in your golden years. What a load of BS! What about living the good life TODAY?! That said, I'm also not a follow-your-passion kind of guy. I agree with Mike Rowe that you should bring your passion to the work you do. See, no matter what kind of work you choose, you will have some bad days, it's just going to happen. BUT, if you follow your gifts and talents (instead of your passion) you will find the role that is not just perfect for you ... but the role that is MADE for you! You are uniquely gifted, talented and p

How bad does it have to get before you will take action? You've probably heard that all human action is driven by one of two things, avoidance of pain or achievement of pleasure. It's Independence Day here in the US and as I'm writing this I wonder...was it pleasure or pain that motivated the Founding Fathers? As you are reading this right now, there is something you want to do. Something you want to accomplish. It might be a big, legacy type outcome...or maybe something small, like a raise or a promotion. In either case, you have to do something to make it happen. See, the truth is that you already have the freedom you seek, you're just keeping it locked behind excuses! All you have to do to have the freedom you so long for is just choose to act! Now, bear in mind...choices come with consequences and freedom comes with responsibility. You have the freedom to choose friends that will build you up and support your journey...and that comes with consequences related to your existing friends. And then there's fam

When is it possible to be TOO confident? Are you doing it right now? I preach A LOT about confidence because it is the by-product of experience and the fuel for stretching your comfort zone. But is it possible to have too much? To be so confident that you begin to ignore red flags and warning signs of something going wrong? 'Bob' was a prospect for my business and life coaching practice. He came to see me because 'everybody' had told him his business idea wasn't going to fly. He'd heard and read 'lots of people' say to ignore the critics. Basically, he was wanting me to tell him he had a good idea. After about 10 minutes it was clear that Bob hadn't done adequate research into his market, the competition, nor what it would cost to bring this product to fruition. As I started to ask questions and point out some of these deficiencies, Bob got really irritated and explained how I just don't understand, etc, etc. A few months later I ran into Bob working at a big box store. I asked him how the idea was coming alo

When was the last time you really had fun? Take a second right now and really think about it! How much did confidence have to do with it? Joe Namath once said, "When you have confidence, you can have a lot of fun." But is that really true? Confident of what? Have you ever watched children playing? Our granddaughter is 7 and she loves to sing along with songs and videos...but not when someone is watching. She's very confident in herself when no one is looking. Add in an observer and her confidence takes a hit...and it becomes less fun. You need a certain degree of confidence in order to really dive into something and go all out. And the funny thing is, it's not even confidence in the outcome! You can have a great time playing a game and still lose. It's confidence in yourself to compete...to have a chance! (remember that word, chance) See, for any victory to be rewarding, there has to be some risk involved, there has to be a chance that you WON'T WIN in order to enjoy the game! When we take the risk away, ther

Do you ever feel overwhelmed by your circumstances? You may have heard me say that opportunity is just a set of circumstances...facts or conditions that surround you. But is it possible to have so many opportunities or circumstances that we get stuck and can't make ANY progress? Well, sure, it's possible...so what do about it? When you are feeling overwhelmed by circumstances, it is rarely the volume of opportunity that is causing the problem (that doesn't change very much over time). Rather, it is the relative weight you are assigning to the opportunity or the outcome. Sometimes, the weight is appropriate...get out of the street or be hit by that truck...but more often than not, the weight is arbitrary, just something you made up. If you made it up, you can change it! In my life and business coaching practice, I see this a lot around goals (or expectations of outcomes). You start a business and expect million dollar results in the first year...then when it doesn't happen, or it's slow, you start looking at e

What did you do yesterday that scared you? Made you nervous? Was risky? We talk a lot about fear on the podcast (7 Minutes In the Morning, link in bio) because fear is a natural part of life. It serves a biological purpose by causing our body to prepare for 'something' and it tells our senses to 'pay attention!' Fear also serves an important mental purpose as well. When you feel afraid or scared in a work or business capacity, it's a message that you are testing the edges of your comfort zone. Yep, that's right, your comfort zone! Many people live their entire lives inside their comfort zone, even if the life there is less than fulfilling...at least its safe! But not you! When you take on the role of business owner and entrepreneur, you need to prepare yourself...even LOOK for ways...to be afraid every day. It all points back to the principle that, "if you want the things other people don't have, you have to do the things they won't." They won't do them because they're warm and cozy in their comfort zone. Ahh

Do you believe someone is holding you back? Preventing your happiness or success? Maybe you're just worried about their approval. Could this describe you? When talking with a new client, I often ask why they are looking for a life and business coach. Many of them are already a success as a business owner or leader but they still feel there's something missing, something they just can't reach...and often they will tell me about someone who is holding them back. It shows up in different forms for different people. Maybe it's the employee who just won't make enough outbound calls and that costs you sales. Sometimes it's a spouse or family member that is making demands that conflict with the demands of the business. In almost every case, you already know what you need to do. That's not the REAL problem. This feeling of being out of control almost always, 99.999% of the time, is rooted in a lack of confidence! That's actually great because it's easily solved! A lack of confidence comes from a lack of experience. Y

Have you found work/life balance yet? Neither have I and there's a good reason why...it doesn't exist! [read more] You have been sold a bill of goods, a pig in a poke, whatever axiom you want to use. The idea that work goes in one box and life goes in another, then somehow, if you are PERFECT they're supposed to balance out, is just a bunch of bunk! Okay, so if work/life balance is a load of...um...fertilizer, then what SHOULD you expect?! Here's the deal...you need to work. There is something deep in your soul that wants to enjoy the reward and the value you get from seeing an accomplishment of your labor. And that work is just part of your life! Get it? There's no work-life balance, there's just life, and work is a big part of it! When most people say they want more work-life balance, they're really saying they want more life and less work! Is that you? If it is, that's fine, just be honest about what you're asking for! The reality is that you are uniquely gifted, talented, and placed to do work that matter

We're almost half way through the year, are you struggling to reach your goals? That's a good thing, here's why. We hear a lot these days about how things should be easy. Great example: minimum wage should be a living wage. I don't know about you but there was a time in my life where I worked three jobs and my wife worked two...5 jobs between us...to make a 'living wage.' There was nothing easy about it, but we did get one very valuable thing from it. I've always been blessed to know that the best things in life cost you the most, and not always in money. Having to work hard for anything gives us a greater appreciation for the value of that thing. That's one reason I'm so find of saying your employees will never love your business the way you do, they haven't lived the struggle. It's also on e reason I make it challenging to get into my business and life coaching practice. I don't want to convince anyone that they need help, I want them to know they need it! So be thankful for the struggles. They give you an

Are you waiting for ___ (fill in your own blank here) to be successful? Well STOP waiting and start working! I hear it all the time, an aspiring business owner will give me the run-down of everything they have to get figured out before they can launch their business. The vast majority of the list is spot on, then they come...I call them the boulders! The boulders are completely unreasonable, logical fallacy arguments against launching. For example, trying to build a process or a system that will "work at scale" when you haven't found the first customer yet. Trying to negotiate bulk pricing to bring raw materials down 1-2%...these are just excuses to stay warm and cozy in your comfort zone! The truth is that you already have everything you need to start! You are uniquely gifted, and talented, and placed to make this a reality! YOU, and ONLY YOU are the one that will make it work? Others may have the idea, the resources, the leads or connections...but YOU, oh your unique combination of time, talents, and resour

Are you having trouble getting results? Can't seem to get the things you want? Here's the reason...and an answer! You are not getting the results you want because of displacement. You are displacing the work you SHOULD be doing to create the result you want with other work that is either 'busy work' or directed at something other than what you say you want. If you have the ability to read this message, you have access to everything you need to create the result you want! The ONLY thing holding you back is YOU and what YOU choose to work on. I know it's not always sexy or fun...and that's the point! If you want something you've never had you have to do the things you've never done! And so what if they are difficult, or risky, or whatever! DO IT ALREADY... do work that matters! We are almost half-way through 2019...are you half-way to your goals for the year? If you're not, there's still time, you just have to choose the right priority and get it done...then do it again tomorrow...and the next day...( I think y

Can you predict the future? Most business owners and leaders look at the future as some big secret, waiting for it to 'be revealed' or 'unfold.' You will hear them say things like 'no one can know for sure' or 'let's see what the future holds' and the reality is they are wrong! Have you ever used any of those phrases? Do you think the future is a secret or a mystery? Allow me to explain. Every year car manufacturers release new models. Once or twice a year networks release new shows or seasons of shows. Every fall a bevy of new college students are minted and every spring a few of them will graduate. See, everything is a cycle...everything! And if you can identify the cycle, you can predict the future! Here's another example... Businesses and business owners that don't set goals, don't hit them! Leaders that don't measure the progress toward their goals...don't hit them! We're closing in on the half-way mark of 2019! Yep, just a few days is all that's left in the first half of the year...are you halfway to yo