My Resolution List. Sort of...

Every year I set goals for myself. Not so much resolutions, but overall objectives for things that I want to work on. In 2013, for example, my mission was health. I succeeded in that by losing over 30 lbs, and now I'm helping dozens of others do the same thing.

In 2014, my mission was cash flow. Turns out that while that was basically what worked, I actually skipped a beat and ended up finding an amazing relationship instead. OK universe, your call. I'm rolling with it. But I still need to work on that cash flow, so that'll 2015's job now!

Of course, in all of these areas it's possible to do a little better. Just because I succeeded in my missions to lose some weight and have a great relationship and make a little extra cash doesn't mean I can be complacent about it! So to make sure things get done, here's my personal resolution list...although I like to think of it more as an action plan. This is where I want to be by the end of 2015, with some adjustment for things that may happen faster:

Cash Flow

This is my theme for the year, so it's going to come down to very specific work and business objectives that I'll be working my tail off to meet:

• 5 corporate clients, 10 small business clients, and 2 nonprofit clients in my web services business.
• 100 new YPRB members.
• $500 per month in sales with my wellness retail business

Health

I find health is always a challenge, because I LOVE to eat. To top it off, I've had acute tendinitis in my shoulder for some time, which serious impacts my ability to work out effectively. I'll find ways around that. But in the meantime:

• Do one nutritional cleanse in each half of the year (in fact, I'll be running a detox challenge to help my YPRB members along too! ...email me to find out more).
• Get my waist down to that elusive 35 inches.
• Make a concerted effort to change out the toxic ingredients, wheat, soy, and refined sugars from my regular diet. I'm not a fan of cutting things out permanently, as there are still plenty of traditional treats I'm fond of for holidays. But that's once a year holidays mind you, not all the time. This book is one of my guiding resources on the subject.
• Eliminate toxins and allergens from my environment. I have allergies, so it's about time I made sure my house is as free from dust and particles as possible.

Relationships

This one is easy, because I have the best relationship I could ever have imagined. But there's also the relationship with my daughter, which hopefully improving my health will give me more energy to pursue. And then there are my family relationships, which means I need to be in closer contact with everybody (don't we all get a little sidetracked from time to time?).

I'm also planning at least one week-long (or longer) road trip with my girls. There's talk of a tenting excursion in there too.

Misc.

• I'm starting a 40-day "spiritual" project that should prove interesting. This isn't a resolution, just a little something I'm trying on. Maybe I can add it to my coaching programs down the road.
• I'd still like to run in the Tough Mudder, but not until this rotator cuff problem is solved. So it still might not be this year, but it is still the goal of my training.
• I have GOT to get organised. Organisation is one of my weaker points I'll admit. This year, it's gotta get under control.

I like to start out each new year not so much by making excessive promises to myself and the universe, but by laying out a set of goals. I'm not inclined to set resolutions in the sense of making a statement, but I do find that focusing on areas of change that need a little adjustment I can set my sights on things that are within my control and take action. 

And if I don't hit the whole list, well it's a long list I'll admit. But that's no reason to hold back from starting, and since I've already made a head start on it I don't doubt things are going to be amazing in 2015.

What's on your list?

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Not so easy after all...

I have a saying that works for me when it comes to motivation:

Be merciless with yourself.

It sounds like a harsh concept. After all, we spend our formative years being told to love ourselves, that we're perfect just the way we are. We go to great lengths to avoid the kind of self-criticism that can lead to all kinds of disorders.

Yet for me it works. It works because I start from a position of self-confidence. I know I have nothing to prove to anyone else, and that regardless of my physical activity level I'm loved by those who matter most.

But I also learned (thanks to my study of music) that you never get better by practicing what you're already good at. So for me, when it comes to reaching my goals, I practice what I consider to be a healthy level of mercilessness.

I make myself accountable to myself, and yes, I beat myself up a little. If I disappoint myself in the process, too bad.

And I can do this because I don't set unachievable goals. If the goals are within reach and I don't achieve them, it's really only my own laziness to blame.

I don't recommend this practice for everyone. If you're less than confident to begin with, you could make yourself truly depressed. And I wouldn't want that. I'd prefer you feel proud that you did something today that moves you toward your goals.

Case In Point

For some reason I hardly slept at all Monday night. Tuesday I had a meeting an hour away. Tuesday is also garbage day, and happened to be picture day at school.

It was also leg day.

Something had to give in this scenario, and unfortunately it was the workout. There was just no way, in my state of exhaustion, I would be able to do a good workout and still have time to get everything else taken care of.

So where's the lack of mercy? Well, funny story...

When I'm overtired, as I was heading to bed last night, I tend not to sleep well. So guess who woke up at 3:30 this morning.

Yup. Me.

So what did I do? Well, at first I tried to get back to sleep, but that was a bust. Instead I used the time as a gift. I watched a webinar replay I'd missed from the day before. Then I got up at 4, took my pre-workout, and banged out my leg day at 4:30.

That, folks, is merciless.

Now, as to why I did that, it's pretty simple. Wednesday is set up for back, and Thursday for core. Legs, however, are extremely metabolically active. If you have one set you should do, it's legs.

My plan is to double up a workout day. But my weakness has always been grip. So rather than do squats today then try to do pull ups, I know I'm better doing those with the core stuff tomorrow. Core exercises don't use a lot of grip so I won't be lacking power for the extra weights.

In any case, I have to say being done before I would normally wake up takes a certain amount of gutting it out. But the important thing is that it got done. I could have spent the morning in bed.

Instead, I beat myself up, hauled my ass out, and got something done. And that's the key. Being merciless doesn’t mean being mean. It doesn't mean being degrading or self-deprecating. It means being forceful and determined, and not allowing yourself to sit comfortably and make excuses.

Because change doesn't happen while you're lying there thinking about it. It happens when you get up and command it to happen.

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OK, let's get started...

5:30 a.m.. Monday, September 29.

That's the start of my 21-day personal productivity challenge.

Three weeks doesn't sound like much, but when you're looking at life-changing strategies it can be daunting. Especially at 5:30 in the morning.

The first step is always the hardest, but when you're motivated -- I mean really motivated -- to get back in shape and get all your important business taken care of, you just swallow that difficulty and get to work.

This first morning should prove interesting. I actually woke up fairly energetic, and I think that's part of the excitement of a new program. But it's not starting from the best place...

If you've been following my journey over the last couple of years, you'll know I've been losing weight fairly consistently. Back in the spring, I made a big leap forward by hiring a fairly high profile trainer, and got down to my lowest weight and size yet: 179 lbs. and a 34.5 inch waist.

Tendonitis in my shoulders made it difficult to continue training at that level, however, and I had to take a little time off. As it turns out, adding carbs back into my diet also started reversing my weight loss, so my training reached a set-point plateau (a point where I stopped losing weight). This had the effect of adding weight instead of continuing to take it off.

My trainer recommended gradually adding carbs and calories back into my diet in order to get used to metabolising them again. But with the shoulder pain, the level of workout required hasn't been possible. As a result, my weight is back up over 190. That's not a great place to start.

But there's good news: with the new program starting right now at a higher starting point in the diet, I should be able to reset my system fairly quickly. So, three weeks of this current program ought to get me back on track. After this starting point, no more plateau, and any calorie cuts will count for more reduction than if I just continued at a low-cal, low-carb level.

And even if it doesn't show any straight forward results, three weeks of conditioning will still be a great point to get launched. And I still have the perfect program for rapid weight loss. So, it's time to get started. Here goes nothing!

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21-Day Productivity Challenge Starts Monday

It's about that time of year again, when I start looking at how I've done so far and what I need to work on for the last quarter.

Holy crap...the last quarter starts next week!!

Better get a move on then...

This year, I'm setting myself a 21-day productivity challenge. This challenge is based on a number of useful resources, including Eben Pagan's "Wake Up Productive," Craig Ballantyne's "Transformation Challenge," and a few odds and ends that have floated across my desk in recent years.

The objective: 3 solid weeks of life-changing rituals and habits designed to produce work, learning, and health each and every day. From the Transformation side of things, you could look at this as "healthy, wealthy, and wise" habits.

I actually do have my own version of this, which forms a sort of introductory chapter to my "Man Under Construction" training program. We'll talk about that later. That version, however, is for complete beginners. For me, the objective for the twenty-one days is consistency in action, and effectiveness in production.

I've started looking at life from a unique perspective lately, beginning with job hunting. I'm not job hunting at the moment, however that process led to the business I currently run, and as a result I firmly believe it will be my most productive and successful venture to date. The reason it worked is this: I started looking at my life and career as a business.

What do businesses do? They trade a product or service for money. They analyse their position in the market compared to others in the same industry. They do marketing. They do sales. They have assets and they have expenses. In this sense, aren't we all essentially businesses? By taking what was my resume and running through the filter of an actual business plan, I was able to find weaknesses, correct them, and deliver a marketing message that landed me the kind of work I was looking for...only I did it with multiple "clients" rather than a single "job." And thus, a business was born.

That's a whole info product in itself.

The point is, after this challenge, I'll be looking to take a Lean approach to my "business" model. Lean and Six Sigma are based on concepts of maximizing efficiency while eliminating waste from production processes. I think in the process of becoming more effective at the business of "You, Inc.," (as I'm calling it), this kind of analysis is crucial to being your most effective.

I know life isn't all about productivity. But being productive frees up your free time so you have less mental clutter and, frankly, more time to yourself.

So, that's what's on the horizon. But what's the challenge?

Right...Here we go:

The 21-Day Personal Productivity Challenge

First, some rules.

1. Be realistic. Don't set as a goal for 21 days "mastering a complete Beethoven Concerto" or "becoming fluent in five Asian languages." It's not going to happen.

2. Be consistent. Make sure what you do is something tolerable enough that you can actually do it.

3. Be merciless. I love this one. Basically, don't allow yourself to deviate from your plan. And above all do NOT allow others to pull you off of your plan either. You're the master of your domain here, not them.

Alrighty then...now that that's out of the way, here's the scoop (at least for my own challenge):

Every morning, up at 5:30. That means going to bed early. Good...do that too. (OK, I'll push some of these to 7 on the weekends).

This exact ritual:

5:30-6:00: pre-workout supplements, review daily tasks, and write a blog post. I have three blogs of my own that I write for with varying degrees of consistency, and I need to do better. Half an hour is more than enough time to bang out a text-based post for at least one of them (or for one of the several commercial blogs I also write for...as long as writing gets done).

6:00: Workout. My schedule for October actually has me on a split routine strength training schedule. That means Monday is chest, Tuesday is legs, Wednesday is back and shoulders, Thursday is core and cardio (burst), and Friday is arms. Saturday is open, cardio or brisk walking, or just playing outside. This should take an hour, which means...

7:00: Post-Workout Supplements, hygiene, pack lunch, throw the kid in the shower. Hygiene is its very own ritual, but consists of all things cleanliness-related. I have my own schedule and routine that I like to stick to, and some of these are things that are spread out on a weekly basis (no, really...check it out: http://thewildnorthapparel.com/blog/My_1_Tip_for_Grooming_Success_Consistency/)

There has to be an hour for this, because on days when my daughter washes her hair (Monday and Thursday), we go at it with the blow dryer. That takes time.

8:00: Walk. This is walking my daughter to school, and walking myself back. When there's no school, I walk myself to school and back.

8:30: Home, breakfast, first important task of the day. This is extremely important, because in order to be fully productive you can NOT let your most important task of the day wait until you get around to it. By then you're distracted, tired, and probably not all that interested. Get it DONE early.

Now things get taken up on a day-to-day basis, as the actual things that need doing will vary. I have key clients who get more of my time each week, and other clients who take less. This is reviewed at the end of the day.

12:00: Lunch. Sometimes I sneak a nap in here as well...30 minutes MAX.

12:30: Afternoon tasks start up. These will also vary during the day, but in general I put client tasks in the morning and my own business tasks in the afternoon. This includes my own blogging and social media activities, marketing, and meeting prospective new clients. It's also when I study units from whatever course I happen to be taking at the time. In October, that will be three days a week of investing, and three days a week of public speaking.

2:00: Mobility Break. Sounds odd, but I have found it extremely helpful to take some time out in the afternoon to refresh myself with some movement. Torment of choice: TACFIT Commando. These I do with the express purpose of staying limber and loose. I don't focus on this as an exercise sequence for fat loss or muscle building -- that's what my workouts are for.

2:30: Refresh. That's a shower, if I really need one.

3:00: Back to Work. This is meant to complete the day's assigned tasks. If everything is done by this point, the day is over and the rest of it is mine. For this challenge, I won't be jumping ahead to the next day's tasks.

5:00: Walk. If the weather is decent, I'll walk down to my daughter's daycare and we'll walk back together, sometimes with her riding her bike.

5:30: Supper, then dishes.

6:00: Family time until bed. This includes chores on a routine basis, but nothing too extreme (because it's CONSISTENT, it's never a total nightmare). For my house, that means cleaning kitchen on Monday (because Tuesday is garbage day!), kid's room on Tuesday, living room and dining room on Wednesday, bathroom on Thursday, and my room on Friday. I do laundry on Saturdays and get the meal planning and groceries done on Sunday (those weekend chores are more flexible, of course, and sometimes get done during the week when there's a little extra time).

Don't be afraid to get help. My daughter, though only 6, loves to dust, and has taken it upon herself to clean the litter box and feed the cat. She's also a good helper in the kitchen and helps make her own lunch.

8:00: Kid's bedtime.

8:30: Write out tomorrow's tasks. Make a gratitude note. Watch something on YouTube to let myself blank out for a while.

9:00: The single most important phone call of my day (to my girlfriend, of course) to say goodnight. This is also when I get my supplements lined up for the morning.

10:00: My bedtime.

Sounds simple and productive enough, right? And if it sounds like it's too much of a "routine," you're absolutely right. That is the point. The point is to get out of this idea that every day should be totally random and you can just ride the wave. That might work in the short term, but for the long haul you're asking for trouble, especially if you run your own business like I do.

The daily tasks that I assign myself (and, often enough, my team) have to do with routines that also deliver consistency to my customers. For example, one client in the telecom field has daily updates of special rates for different regions. I tweet these at the same time each day. They also have a blog which posts consistently at the same time each day, so I do my best to get all my likes and shares for those posts up before 9 a.m., giving the post time to spread in popularity.

I'll be journaling a bit more of this ritual as I go through it, so you're welcome to follow along. I just wanted to put this out there for the general purpose of getting it down. I'm sure it will be a work in progress, but I have worked this fairly well before and it's been a great experience. I hope to turn it into a significant part of my coaching platform down the road, so if you do put it to use, please do comment and give your feedback below. I'd love to hear what is and isn't working for you.

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Happy Fathers Day 2014

How my morning went:

5:55 "Good morning Daddy!! Happy Fathers Day!!!"

"mmmph"

"Here's your present!" (Dad key chain and a...chocolate piano!!) "I'm going to make you breakfast in bed!"

"Awesome! What are you going to make?"

"I'll start with coffee..." (5 minutes later) "ok, I don't exactly know how to make coffee. Can you make me an egg?"

"lol sure..."

(after egg) "Thanks! You can go back to bed for a little while. I'll get you breakfast in bed!"

"Ummm...thanks sweetie. What are you making?"

"Well...I can certainly get you a cheese string!"

"lol perfect."

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"OMG! We're screwed!!" ...or possibly not

The results are in, and Ontario has elected a Liberal majority government. Even Conservative strongholds like Peterborough and Northumberland County have tilted to the left. And unsurprisingly, the Facebook reactions are hilariously hysterical:

[the election results] SUCK.. dark days ahead. Everyone that voted them in should be moved to a special town...far, far away.

Shocking. Truly.

It's good to see that ignorance and stupidity are still alive and well in the province of Ontario.

Were [sic] screwed!!! Whoever had the bright idea to vote in liberal [sic] should seriously give their head a shake!!!! Hope you enjoy the next terrible 4 yrs because of a dumb descion [sic] you made!!!

Thoroughly disappointed in Ontario tonight. Everyone who voted Liberal should hang their heads low, real real low and stand over in the corner for the next four years while Ontario gets screwed without even the courtesy of having dinner first.

These are courtesy of the STAR 93.3 Facebook feed, which of course covers those two ridings I just mentioned.

I suppose the obvious first question I have is, "screwed in what way?" In other words, how exactly is this going to affect your day-to-day life?

The answer is, it probably won't.

The poison being spewed seems to be coming from annoyed PC voters who are unhappy with the overspending and perceived corruption of the Wynne government. And while I will grant that is hasn't been the most fiscally responsible government, the degree to which Ontarians will be "screwed" is pretty slight.

My observation over the last few elections is that people vote on party loyalty, not on reason. So these PC supporters are panicking not because there's a Liberal government, but because their candidate didn't win. However, there's no reasonable way to argue that this election will result in people getting screwed. There's actually no difference between today and yesterday.

What I'm more concerned about is that it's a majority government, and majorities are not to be trusted. They can legislate with impunity, and regardless of where on the political spectrum they sit, this is not a good thing. Although I voted with my conscience this time (Green), I believe the best move for Ontario would have been a Conservative minority. A careful examination of the books is in order, but a solid opposition to unchecked slash-and-burn public sector economics would be a decent balance for the province moving forward.

That didn't happen.

Conservatives Don't Conserve Either

But here's the thing: "Conservative" doesn't equate to "fiscally responsible" either. All governments spend money. The distinction is where they spend it. And if history is any indicator, Conservative governments are not better at saving money; nor, for that matter, do their policies result in improvements for the average voter.

For example, in the federal arena, the Harper government has taken Canada from a Liberal legacy of surplus to the deepest debt and deficit levels in the history of the country. They did this by investing tax dollars and debt into military and law enforcement development projects (all generally deemed unnecessary), corporate benefits (to companies that have since either closed down or left the country), and resource development.

The last one might be a good thing for employment. That remains to be seen. However, it has moved our international reputation as a leader in environmental policy into the gutter. And we have witnessed widespread censorship of scientific research that stands in the way of that resource development. Industry or nothing -- again, majority government.

There are a lot of things I don't like about the federal CPC majority. But we're only looking at "screwed" today.

Tax Cuts Come From Somewhere

The usual line in provincial politics is drawn on benefits vs. income tax. Conservatives in Ontario like to push for income tax cuts as a raw attractor of the average citizen.

However, twenty years ago that line was foisted on Ontarians, who were tired of paying the price for the Rae NDP's unchecked spending. The Harris Conservatives were elected on a platform of tax cuts for Ontarians.

The results were, in my opinion, disastrous.

First, the income tax at the provincial level is laughably small compared to federal taxes. So a cut to this tax for the average Ontarian is often a matter of pennies. It's tiny. And the purported "savings" to taxpayers is so negligible that most hardly even noticed it.

However, the cumulative effect of those tax cuts means a significant loss of revenue for the province. Those losses have to be made up somewhere, and in the case of the Harris government that came in the form of essential services.

• 75,000 nurses were fired, leading to some of the longest hospital wait times in the country
• Benefits were slashed, leading to a massive wave of poverty and underemployment (including a sharp increase in homeless rates)
• Arts programs were cut, driving an otherwise thriving performance industry into chaos (and laying off thousands of workers)
• Government maintenance crews were eliminated, requiring private contractors to handle things like road work. This drove the cost of road work through the roof, which is why highways in Ontario are in such poor shape...we can't afford to fix all of them.
• Many essential services were offloaded to municipalities, which had neither the infrastructure nor the budgets to deal with them. Municipal taxes had to be raised to compensate.
• Other essential services were privatized, leading to the retirement of Ontario Hydro (for which we still see a "debt retirement charge" on our monthly utility bill). Service Ontario came into being, which isn't a government agency, but a private company. Charges for SO services are actually higher than the province would have charged, simply because it's a private company.

The list does go on of course, and the Harris legacy hasn't been forgotten either. Did these increases in privatized costs save the taxpayer money? No...in fact, those costs increased the amount of your hard-earned money you have to spend on services. The tax cut, in light of this, is laughable.

It could have been worse last night. The Hudak plan was, after all, to cut 100,000 government jobs and reduce the school week to four days. How disastrous would that have been to the economy, and to education?

The point I'm making is that Conservatives are no better at balancing the books than anyone else, and having a Liberal government doesn't "screw" anyone any worse than a PC government would. Or has.

The spending doesn't disappear. It just gets reallocated to where the ruling party decides it will do the most good (or the least damage). For the left, that tends to be social welfare, medicine and education. For the right, it tends to be corporate welfare and not much else. We do know that the idea of a "trickle down" economy doesn't work, but that doesn't mean it doesn't have an overall benefit. Either way, "screwed" under a Liberal government probably means you'll see an improvement in provincial services and higher wages overall.

More debt for the province? Probably. But that won't bite into your paycheque or cause your TV to go blank, so stop panicking.

Anyone But Them!

This idea in Canadian politics that anyone is better than the current government is decidedly puerile and nonsensical. Everyone will have a complaint about the current status quo, and they should. After all, these are public representatives and they're playing with your money.

But to say you'd vote Conservative simply because it's not Liberal is silliness in the extreme. It's come out of a new rationale that is anything but rational. Divided lines not on the basis of discourse, but on the basis of "belief" systems, is one of the most dangerous forms of political decision making you can have.

Our system was developed on an understanding based on a common ground of reason and intellect. You present a point with supporting evidence, and those who are not convinced execute a straightforward counterpoint. Yes, it could get heated, but it was still built on respect and reason.

Today's political environment has declined into an us-vs-them approach that I find repugnant. I wouldn't vote Liberal simply because it's not PC. That's stupid. Do the parties have platforms? Where do they stand on issues that affect not just me, but the population at large.

You see it in conversation all the time: "I'm not voting for them! They want to tax me more to pay for some lazy bum who refuses to work!" ...until this person is unemployed of course, then it's, "I can't believe they cut my EI benefits! This government sucks and I'm getting screwed."

Yup. You're screwed, you lazy bum. Get back to work.

So much focus on what the collective I can get from the government, as opposed to what's going to benefit the greatest number of citizens. Hell, I work hard, and I've been unemployed, and I've been declined for both EI and OW (welfare), because it's based on last year's tax return, not on how hungry you are right now. Not cool.

Is that the Liberals? Is it the previous PC government? It doesn't matter. All I know is I had bills to pay.

But when people start in with the "anyone but them" mentality, I cringe. It's demagogues influencing the uninformed and untrained with doctrine rather than dialogue. Logic and sense have gone out the window. And when it happens, we see the kind of hysteria that's had me shaking my head all morning over this election.

I'll tell you this: If it were a Liberal minority, nothing would ever get done, because the PC opposition would vote down every motion put on the floor, simply because it's tabled by a Liberal. That's what they do. If it were a PC minority, I don't doubt the same thing would happen with more controversial legislation, but at least Liberal oppositions have a tendency (not a record, mind you) of weighing the evidence. An NDP minority would never get anywhere, because they'd be stopped every time they stood up by a forceful Liberal or PC opposition, both of whom like to pretend they're the big dogs at the table.

But a majority, even a Liberal one, has pitfalls. We've seen it with the draconian and dictatorial leadership at the national level from both parties.

I'm very sad and scared about the fate of Ontario. Ontario used to be a glorious thriving province. Maybe move out of Ontario...

Not sure when this golden age was, but if we're talking about any time under Rae-Harris-Wynn, you might want to pack your bags. Three consecutive changes of political spectrum, and not one of those parties seems to have done anything anyone is happy about.

We need a new politics in this country, and we need it to start in the education system. Assuming we don't see cuts to that too.

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Can I get you a drink?

Let’s face it, sometimes we single guys meet single ladies. And sometimes, that leads back to our place. And sometimes we get caught without our basic hospitality skills in place because, frankly, we’re single and there isn’t much reason to stay stocked up.

Except now there is, because she’s right there, and you have one thing in your fridge to offer her. If she’s not down with a glass of questionable milk, a protein shake, or tap water, you’re screwed.

I’ll get into more details in future posts on how to prep the rest of your place. But for now, put this into action ASAP.

1. Get a case of Perrier. They’ve just put out a new product, a 10 pack of 250 ml cans, which is pretty inexpensive and compact. Keep this in the fridge for the eventuality. If she chooses water, serve this in a cocktail glass over ice with a slice of lemon or lime (oh, keep some lemons and limes handy too!).

2. A case of ginger ale. It’s not a traditional cola, but as clear soft drinks go it’s also not as Kindergarten sweet as Sprite or 7-Up and still looks awesome served in a champagne flute. Keep a few cans in the fridge instead of a bottle that could go flat before your next encounter.

3. Always have wine on hand. For a prelude to more intimate moments to come, few women can resist a good red wine. My preference for summer, however, is a more refreshing, sweeter white wine that’s been chilled. Remember, this is wine for the sake of drinking wine, not for pairing up with a meal, so you can just go with something you like. I know some people who split the difference with a rose, and that’s totally acceptable (but NOTHING beats a warm fire and a rich glass of red).

Keep these three choices on hand at all times, and your next potential encounter will be a success...at least in terms of your drink menu. We'll talk about that shirt you're wearing later.

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The Coconut Oil Shave Experiment #1

In my never ending quest to find better, healthier, and cheaper ways to do things, I've come across a ton of websites (so many I'm not even going to list them) discussing the many MANY merits of coconut oil.

I've switched to coconut oil for about 90% of my regular cooking (organic butter and olive oil round out the list of course). It's fantastic with beef, chicken, fish, you name it. But aside from its uses in the kitchen, I decided to explore some of the other recommended uses...like shaving.

Now, don't get me wrong. I appreciate a well-established shaving ritual. I have one myself. But I'm open to change when something has the potential to be better. As many of the store-bought grooming products contain factors that can both dry your skin (requiring an aftershave moisturizer of some kind) and contain chemical ingredients that actually have an estrogenic effect when absorbed by the skin (always bad news for dudes), I thought I'd give this a shot.

Experiment #1 took place this morning, and consisted of the simplest form possible: a shave with only coconut oil.

Now, the key here is that it has to be liquid, which happens above a certain temperature. If you're going to do this, make sure you warm the oil first.

I got out of the shower, toweled off, and proceeded as normal; about a minute with a hot, damp cloth on my face to soften the beard (do this regardless of your usual regimen...it works wonders).

I then scooped out about a teaspoon of coconut oil (you may try it with less, but more is definitely not necessary). Applied this to my face and went to work.

First reaction: Holy shit this is smooth!! No kidding...the blade was gliding like a figure skater. Better than any commercial shave oil product I've used to date. I rinsed that off, applied oil again, and went at the detail shave. Again, it was amazing!

Note: some of you may freak at the idea of a "second shave." I've seen more than enough videos of professional barbers to know this is not only standard, but necessary for the closest shave. Just make sure your blade is good and you'll be fine.

So, what's the takeaway from this experiment?

Pros: 

• an unbelievably smooth shave that's closer than I think I've ever experienced;
• zero toxic additives;
• environmentally friendly, sustainable product;
• cheaper by volume than 100% of the other shaving products out there;
• the oil actually coats the razor blade as well, which actually reduces oxidation (rust) and retains a sharper edge for longer (I was using a 2-blade disposable, and it was still the best shave ever);
• absolutely NO moisturizer needed...the product is the moisturizer!

Cons:

• because it's oil, the whiskers stick to everything...water alone wont rinse it out of the sink either;
• you're left with a faint aura of coconut scent following you around.

Now, that's a pretty short list of negatives. I'm told by friends in the know that there are ways around these though:

For the first, use the coconut oil as a base shave oil (as you normally would) under a foam. The foam catches the whiskers for easier rinsing. A natural glycerin soap with tea tree oil was recommended for the shaving soap. I've been using a green tea soap. This will be experiment #2.

For the second, a dedicated jar of coconut oil scented with essential oils was recommended. Peppermint, sandalwood, and eucalyptus were suggested (as three separate scents, although I imagine you could mix and match...I'm not an aromatherapy expert by any means, but I know what I like!). This will be experiment #3.

Experiment #4 will combine these two solutions.

So that's it. Straight coconut oil on skin is a winner in my books. If you don't mind a very tiny bit of cleanup and the scent of coconut, go for it. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

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The surprise setting on your phone that increases productivity

Most people these days, including myself are glued to their smartphones. For the most part this can be explained away by the usefulness of the things: they keep us connected, bringing and sending information and ideas with an unprecedented efficiency.

But they're also notorious time wasters. If you catch yourself checking email or Facebook first thing in the morning and delaying your morning prep as you get sucked into another buzzfeed link vortex, try this trick:

Set your phone to airplane mode before bedtime, and do not switch it back until you've completed your morning action items.

Airplane mode (or flight mode) cancels all incoming and outgoing signals from your phone. The apps still work, so you can still track your checklist or run a workout timer, but there's less distraction from online apps and email.

Bonus: if like me you use your phone as your alarm clock, it still works this way as well, but without the annoying flashing light of an incoming email. Make use of this mode in meetings too for the same reason. You still have your note pad handy, but can get by without the constant notifications.

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Word of the Week: Hospitality

Every week I try to get my daughter focused on a new “value” that will help to engender respect and courtesy, and make her the kind of person other people want to be around. And because of that, you get to work on that word too :)

This week’s word is “hospitality.” Dictionary.com offers the following definition:

1. the friendly reception and treatment of guests or strangers.

2. the quality or disposition of receiving and treating guests and strangers in a warm, friendly, generous way.

These are traits I consider absolutely imperative. When you have someone in your home, it’s important to be hospitable. That means treating them in a warm, friendly, and generous way.

Growing up, my relatives were always hospitable. You couldn’t go to my Croatian aunt’s house, for instance, without having a full meal spread out before you (regardless of the time of day!). She somehow magically manifested this bounty of food out of nowhere, and when it was time to go there was always a container of leftovers to take with you.

I’ve caught myself a few times having to say, “sorry, I don’t have anything to offer you right now.” But that’s not the truth at all. Really, it takes only a few minutes to whip something up. And since I don’t drink pop myself, there’s no reason I can’t keep a case in the storage room just in case someone shows up!

Being hospitable also means sharing what you have when you’re out. When my daughter celebrated her birthday party, I made sure she knew that the party was her opportunity to show her friends how much she appreciates them. This is why we have cake and goodie bags and go bowling. It’s not to celebrate our own success at achieving a certain age. It’s to show our friends how much we appreciate having them in our lives, and how much we appreciate them being there for us during the previous year.

That one little shift in mindset--from focusing on ourselves as the centre of attention to focusing on others as the source of our gratittude--makes all the difference in the world when it comes to seeing our lives as abundant. And of course, the reflection of this action comes back on us as others view us as open and generous. This is where leadership comes from, and it’s where your attitude of gratitude will start to lead to bigger things in your life.

Remember: hospitality. Next time, pick up the the check!

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Crisis Aversion: Take action NOW

When faced with an immediate crisis, many people (I'd say most) go into a panic and start worrying about the worst that could happen.

Instead, take action on the one solution you KNOW will work. It might cost money up front. It might take a bit of time. But what you gain is respite from the crisis itself, and a chance to gain a little altitude on the situation. This way, you can seek out a more ideal (i.e., cheaper, less time-consuming, more convenient) long-term solution without the threat of whatever impending doom the crisis brought on in the first place.

My mom once asked how I'm able to stay level-headed when things are about to implode; and I've had plenty of implosions in the last few years, believe me! I explained that my first step is to roll through my mental list of people who might have a solution right now. If that doesn't work, I hit Google and start looking at options.

The thing to remember is that an immediate, actionable solution might sting right this second, but the purpose is to remove the crisis and turn it into a lower-priority problem that needs a better solution but isn't going to ruin your life this week.

If you can do that, you'll remove a ton of stress from problems that, at first glance, seem insurmountable.

Remember: There's ALWAYS a solution that will give you the result you ultimately want.

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37 Things You'll Regret At The End Of 2014

Last week, Buzzfeed ran up one of its longer but curiously more profound lists entitled "37 Things You'll Regret When You're Old." Although littered with GIFs (as Buzzfeed tends to do), the actual list is worthy enough of attention.

In fact, I'm posting the list with my own commentary here as 37 Things You'll Regret At The End Of 2014. Because I don't think there's anything here I or anyone else would be unable to pull off in the next year.

...and doing so would make it a hell of a good year!

Here's your checklist:

37 Things You'll Regret At The End Of 2014

1. Not traveling when you had the chance.
Make a trip this year. It doesn't have to be to another country, but make a point of going somewhere...preferably on a plane, and preferably as a full-blown tourist. You can worry about dreamlining and "going native" in the Tim Ferriss sense some other time, but if it's been a while since you've gone outside of your glass and concrete filing cabinet, get out in the world.

2. Not learning another language.
This is ridiculously easy. Choose one: Berlitz or Pimsleur (I prefer Pimsleur myself). Take six weeks and get fluent enough to order dinner in the country you're traveling to in #1 above.

3. Staying in a bad relationship.
Not my personal issue, but if you're in a bad relationship, fix it. As the meme says, if you choose to stay in a bad relationship you're making a choice to be unhappy.

4. Forgoing sunscreen.
Not much to say here. Sun burns suck. Skin cancer sucks worse. It's not hard to grease up before hitting the beach or slopes, so just take the time and do it right.

5. Missing the chance to see your favorite musicians.
I blew this one in 2013 by missing out on seeing Black Sabbath in Toronto. They're playing Winnipeg in April...I may have to do something about that, because a long time ago I held tickets to see Ozzy in Winnipeg, and missed out because my ride bailed.

6. Being scared to do things.
"What are you waiting for? If you cannot answer this without restoring to the previously-rejected concept of 'good timing,' the answer is simple: you're afraid." Yup. Another Tim Ferriss reference.

7. Failing to make physical fitness a priority.
This has become my priority since kicking off last year's list of goals. I made it to the best shape of my life, and this year will mark the beginning of what I hope will be a lifetime of peak physical condition (I'm already regretting ancient shoulder and knee injuries that have reared their ugly heads again, however...)

8. Letting yourself be defined by gender roles.
We've already established the fact that I built a fairy garden for my daughter, and she liked it a lot. She also likes big construction machines. My gender roles aren't at stake...I can cook and sew, and I want her to change tires and saw wood. That's how my parents did it, and my sisters and I are quite functional thanks very much.

9. Not quitting a terrible job.
Paying the bills is one thing. Doing so at the expense of your soul and dignity is another thing altogether. Find some bliss and get the hell out. It's OK to fire a crappy boss (just get your bases covered before you do!).

10. Not trying harder in school.
I'm a terrible student in a lot of ways. But this is the year to take on learning something new, and when you do, settle for nothing less than the highest grades possible, even if you have to take the webinar five times before you can score a perfect quiz.

11. Not realizing how beautiful you were.
Feel better about yourself. You're amazing, and you work like a beast. Revel in that fact. In fact, ask your youngest how they think you look. You'll be surprised at how amazing you'll feel when you just learn to love yourself as much as they do.

12. Being afraid to say “I love you.”
Nothing else to say about this.

13. Not listening to your parents’ advice.
Well, they may not have been right about everything, but a good quote from my dad may suffice: "Anything you're thinking of doing I've already done, screwed up, and paid for."

14. Spending your youth self-absorbed.
Yup...being too self-absorbed is one of the downfalls of "kids today." But hey, we did it too, and in retrospect it is embarrassing. Do some analysis and see whether you're still doing this...and then knock it off!

15. Caring too much about what other people think.
Down the road you won't care about those people and they won't care about you. So just ignore their opinions and get on with your life.

16. Supporting others’ dreams over your own.
I'm a big proponent of supporting others, but don't lose sight of your own dreams and goals. You have a right to their support too.

17. Not moving on fast enough.
Don't waste time getting over things. Get up, dust off, and get back in the game. Major tragedies notwithstanding, most incidents are just blips on the radar of your life. What could you do with that year instead of wallowing in self-pity?

18. Holding grudges, especially with those you love.
Get over it.

19. Not standing up for yourself.
Grow some and don't take crap from anyone...least of all that bad relationship, crummy job, and people who don't support your dreams.

20. Not volunteering enough.
Contribution is a major source of personal satisfaction, and a terrific networking tool as well. Don't go to the end of your life, or even this coming year, without having given something back. The benefits to your whole outlook on life will far outweigh any potential sacrifices you make with your time.

21. Neglecting your teeth.
Brush. Floss. Do it. It's not hard, and it actually goes a long way to improving your overall health. I don't care if they're a bit stained from coffee; mine are. But proper oral hygiene reduces a pile of health risks, from cardiac disease to cancers. And you'll never regret going to the grave with your own teeth! (Plus, maintenance is cheaper than repair.)

22. Missing the chance to ask your grandparents questions before they die.
I was fortunate enough to have had some very good conversations with my grandparents while they were alive. Even if you don't have any specific questions, just get them talking. They love to talk about their lives and the past. Make a point of getting them started, and enjoy every word. This year, if your grandparents are no longer around, find an older person and strike up a conversation anyway. I have yet to meet someone over the age of 70 who doesn't like to talk when there's a willing ear to listen. It'll brighten their day, and you'll walk away wiser.

23. Working too much.
Do you wish you'd spent more time at the office? Yeah...you probably won't later in life either. So for this year, leave the office at the office.

24. Not learning how to cook one awesome meal.
If you're kitchen impaired, fix it now. Cooking is easy, and if you have one go-to meal that's a guaranteed winner you'll never be at a loss for a dinner party, date, or any other occasion. You can have lots of simple meals, but here we're talking about something amazing and mind-blowing. The internet is your friend. Find out how to do this and you'll be a rock star whenever you make it happen.

25. Not stopping enough to appreciate the moment.
Life is full of moments that really need your attention. Take some of those moments seriously and make the most of them. Those become things you'll later recall as memories. Why not have a bunch from this year?

26. Failing to finish what you start.
Get the job done. That's all there is to it.

OK, I have to go back to my philosophy that if something sucks or isn't productive you can and should cut it loose and stop wasting time on it. There's no use in the old work-for-work's-sake mentality when it's a waste of time. But don't mistake that for an excuse to bail when things get hard. If you start a project or a course with the intent of making yourself better in some way, finish it. You'll never regret the time spent.

27. Never mastering one awesome party trick.
I like this one. I'm working on a card trick right now. I'll let you know how it goes.

28. Letting yourself be defined by cultural expectations.
I'm not sure what to do with this one. But be on the lookout. If someone says, "we don't do that," do it anyway. The fallout will probably be so minuscule they won't remember it anyway (and if they do, who cares?).

29. Refusing to let friendships run their course.
Sometimes friendships end. That's OK. Let them. There's a natural progress to all relationships, and clinging to something because of established cultural norms (there's one for #28!) of "friends for life" can really be frustrating. If you're not into the same stuff anymore, just move on.

30. Not playing with your kids enough.
No explanation necessary. Put down the remote and go outside.

31. Never taking a big risk (especially in love).
Leaps of faith present themselves all the time. Maybe it's time you took one. Sure, it could be in love, but any time a big risk presents itself, the results are always life-changing. Do a little risk analysis and see how much is really at stake.

32. Not taking the time to develop contacts and network.
Do some serious networking this year. Make things happen. You'll always have those people in your contacts, and there will always be an opportunity to build your brand, but not if you're isolated from the world. Get to know people. They'll help you on your path.

33. Worrying too much.
It's probably not that big a deal, and it'll blow over. Worry if your plane is currently going down over the Atlantic. In pretty well every other circumstance, give it your concern and then either correct it or come to grips with it.

34. Getting caught up in needless drama.
Drama is generally perpetuated by the self-absorbed. Distance yourself from it as quickly as possible.

35. Not spending enough time with loved ones.
Just make it happen. It can be time on the phone, on Skype, or in person. Regardless, this is the most important improvement you can make to your life this year, because it will improve everyone's life this year.

36. Never performing in front of others.
I'm a musician, so this is a given for me. But I haven't done a concert in a while, so it's fortunate I was approached last week with the opportunity to present a Cole Porter program in February with a group of singers. Should be fun!

37. Not being grateful sooner.
You're incredibly lucky. You have a place to live. You have food. You have people around you. Chances are the people surrounding you aren't at constant war with each other (I hope). Take some time each day to count your blessings. It's hard at first, but over time you'll start to find your outlook is greatly improved.

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My exact supplement routine (easy meal plan included)

A lot of people have asked what supplement routines I follow for fat loss and muscle gain. I have to say I’m flattered: while I’m not exactly fitness model stature (yet LOL), I have done a lot of work over the last year and lost a considerable amount of fat while maintaining and even building my muscle tone.

So, here it is...the whole routine (including what I eat and when). Just remember, none of this works without exercise!

Fat Burning Cycle:
Morning:

• Pre-workout: Creatine
• Post-workout: BCAAs

Lunch:
Power Shake:

• 8 oz unsweetened vanilla almond milk
• 1 scoop vanilla protein powder
• 1 cup frozen berries
• ⅓ cup Greek yogurt
• 1 big handful of spinach
• 1 cup water
• Krill Oil
• Multi-vitamin

Snack:
PB&B Shake:

• 8 oz unsweetened vanilla almond milk
• 1 scoop vanilla protein powder
• 1 banana
• 1 tbsp natural peanut butter
• ⅓ cup Greek yogurt
• 1 big handful of spinach
• 1 cup water

Supper:

• Portion of meat, 2 cups vegetables, 1 tbsp coconut oil
• I try to have 2 servings of beef and 2 servings of fish a week. On the days I have chicken, I’ll also include some cheese.

Snack:

• Something high in protein. Favourites include:
• 1 cup of Greek yogurt with 1 scoop of protein powder
• 2 eggs, 1 banana, and 1 scoop of protein powder (mash or blend it up and fry like pancakes. Amazing!)

Bedtime: 

• BCAAs

The moral of the story here is, it’s high in nutrients, low in carbs, and generally low in calories. You'll also notice there's no breakfast. That's because I stick to an 8-hour window for the whole fat loss thing...generally getting all my calories in between noon and 8:00 p.m..

One day a week (usually Saturday), I eat whatever I want throughout the day. The next day I fast. On my “cheat” day, I skip the creatine, but maintain the other supplements, taking BCAAs with breakfast. On my fast day, I take up to six servings of BCAAs, and maintain the krill oil and multivitamin.

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Jump off the Stress Express--Bring Back the Holiday Spirit with Family Christmas Traditions

Twas the week before Christmas and all though the house everything was in shambles. Too much to do and not enough time. More shopping to be done, presents to wrap, cookies to bake and decorating await. Oh the hustle and bustle, the extra work and the stress. Is it any wonder you feel like the Kranks?

If your holiday season rings in more stress than joy, you’re not alone. Consider these facts:

• In a recent survey, 96% of 8-12 year olds included a big screen TV in their wish list. This despite 73% of parents wanting to limit their children’s TV time.
• It takes an average of 4 months for a credit card user to pay off what they buy during the holidays.
• Americans plan to spend $1,564 per household during the holidays. $1,042 for gifts.

• A national survey suggests that 70% of Americans would like less emphasis put on spending and giving gifts.

Helpless to resist the pressures of a “Spend it” society, many people feel obligated to get on the frenzied commercialized Christmas train—and they don’t know how to get off.

If your holiday season tends to exhaust rather than uplift, maybe it’s time to wrestle the holidays from the clutches of commercialism. Pump joy and love back into your holiday filling it with the true spirit of Christmas.

[Read more...]

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Coming up for 2014

With a goal-oriented platform like The Man Sphere, you had to know I was eventually going to start blogging about 2014. There's only a month left of this year, after all!

One of the major stumbling points I've encountered over 2013 is time. There never seems to be quite enough, and so I'm resolving now, well in advance of the new year, to start managing my time better. My routine does get everything done that has to get done, but most of the stuff I want to get done gets waylaid...sometimes for months longer than expected.

2013 was dedicated mainly to fitness, and I've dropped over 30 lbs. and cut a pretty decent physique. I'm not quite Tough Mudder read, but I'm definitely in the best overall condition of my life.

2014, then, will be dedicated to financial matters, mostly pertaining to building my business. I have two key goals in my professional life that leverage the two things I do particularly well: educating others, and writing music. The music goal is the harder of the two (obviously), but will come with the freedom of time I hope to achieve by meeting my goal as an educator.

My main goal, then, is to get to work helping as many guys as possible get their shit together. After the launch of the 2013 Women We Love Dating Compilation (more on that soon), I'll be launching a new web-based personal coaching service called Your Personal Reset Button.

This service is the culmination of my work in personal development and coaching over the last four years, and showcases the strategies and processes I've found worked best for me (and others I've worked with) in recovering from a breakup.

Keep an eye out for that one. It'll be a game changer for a lot of people. And hopefully it will see the start of a new and exciting chapter in the life I'm looking to live as well.

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Finding and Leveraging Legitimate Opportunity Online

Yesterday I ran an experiment with an online operation called "The Task Pay." The test was simple: run traffic to the website, reach the "instant payment" threshold, and then see if they actually follow through.

The first challenge of legitimacy failed: the supposed pay scale is $5 for click referrals, and $10 for signups. As it turns out, my balance went up by $10 for every click. What's worse, it went up $10 every time I logged in, which means it was registering MY clicks. This is a cautionary note, because they do say on the site that they have anit-cheating measures in place. They could say that I cheated by clicking on my own link, and use that as an excuse not to pay me. Not cool, and not a good structure.

The second challenge also failed: multiple payment options mentioned on the landing page (Western Union, Moneygram, PayPal), but no place on the website itself to actually include information on how to get the money to these services. One could presume you might do this when cashing out, but again this is usually the first step in registering, not something you do after the fact.

The third challenge failed. This has to do with the details. On one section of the site, it says the minimum payment threshold is $300. On another, it says $200. Within the member section, it says there are multiple tiers of payment, and each takes a different length of time to process.

Hold the phone...process? This is the internet, folks. When you get paid, you get paid. There's no time to process.

I actually hit the payment threshold for "instant payment" -- $1,000 -- overnight. So I clicked on the redemption button. This took me to a page where I could "download" the form to request payment.

Hold the phone again...how is this "instant?"

Anyway, when you click the download button, you're taken to a typical CPA (cost per action) site where you pick from a list of advertiser "special offers." In this case, there was an offer for a $50 Coke or Pepsi reward with which you can buy a 24-pack of whichever you like ($50 for pop? yeah...right). To get it, however, you have to complete THEIR advertisers' offers: one bronze, one silver, one gold, and TWO platinum level offers.

Are you with me? You have to BUY stuff in order to complete the offers that would qualify you to be able to download the form so you can request your payment from The Task Pay. And therein lies the death of the legitimacy. There's no mention anywhere on the original site of having to buy stuff in order to get paid. By my definition, The Task Pay is not a legitimate opportunity.

Why Does It Matter?

I like finding legitimate opportunities; things that actually pay when they're supposed to in the way they're supposed to. This is because, like most people in business (I like to believe), I want the people on my team to be able to benefit as much as I do. If the system is legit, I'd like others to have a crack at it.

This is why I prefer, whenever possible, to leverage existing networks. For example, one of my favourite opportunities is with a company that specializes in website hosting. Everyone in business needs a website, so that's a piece of cake. But this particular opportunity (costing all of $10 a month) happens to pay a commission on website sales. The commissions aren't big, but they add up.

This particular website/domain host happens to include cPanel hosting, and can use a Wordpress blog as the main feature of the site, which is great for ease-of-use and client side design and content. If it's a personal or business blog, info or content site, photo, portfolio, music, resume, or a general marketing platform using HTML, all the standard tools (including branded email) are available.

It happens to be that this opportunity pays $1 from every monthly payment. That's not a lot, but it's decent considering you only need 10 referrals to essentially have a free website. What's more, it pays this on five levels, meaning you get paid a dollar for every referral your referrals make, and so on down five levels. The paranoid in the crowd will say, "that's a pyarmid scheme!" ...but in reality it's not. It's just a way of multiplying commissions for an actual product. If you do the math, the company still makes its profits, and you only get paid for your actual work.

Having said that, there are a few types of professionals I like to present this opportunity to, simply because the nature of their business centres around providing web space for those who work with them.

[Read more...]

To view the opportunity directly, visit:

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4 Harmful Muscle-Building Myths Uncovered

If you’re serious about making a solid commitment to a muscle-building program, you need to be very careful of who you take advice from. Bodybuilding and fitness is literally a multi-billion dollar industry with new websites popping up every single day. Many of the so-called “experts” out there really don’t have a clue of what they’re talking about and are only motivated by pushing expensive pills, powders and “miracle programs” on you that you don’t really need. If you don’t watch your step you may end up falling for some fatal muscle-building pitfalls that will literally destroy your gains and prevent you from ever achieving the impressive, muscular physique you desire. In this article I’m going to expose 4 very common muscle-building myths in order to keep you on the proper path to the mind-blowing muscle and strength gains you deserve.

[Read more...]

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Building Your Confidence in Dating Women

When it comes to dating (or even seducing) a woman, confidence is vital. Women often equate “self confidence” with the ability to be successful. While many men believe that women look for successful men because they’re likely to make more money, that’s simply not true.

While it’s a given, women actually look for successful men because they’re more likely to be satisfied. So you may be wondering what a man being satisfied has to do with anything. You see, women know that men who are satisfied with themselves are less likely to go out looking for someone to satisfy them and are more stable.

[Read more...]

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4 Essential Steps You Must Take To Succeed With Anything

There are 4 essential steps you must take if you want to succeed with any project. A project is anything that requires a plan. It can be simple like making a plan to go to a movie, or could be complicated like setting up an Internet business. But simple or not, if you want your project to succeed you need to take the these four steps:

Step 1 Picture the Purpose.

Before you start any project you need to ask yourself what you really want. This might sound obvious, but it is amazing the number of people who don't know what they really want when they start a project. When you have answered that question you then need to ask yourself why you want what you want. This is very important as many people want something but don't really know why they want it. In the case of the movie your answer might be that your favourite star is in it. To the Internet business you might answer that you want to work from home so you can spend more time with your family.

Step 2 Plan the Procedure.

Once you have found the answers to the questions above you then need to ask yourself how you can get what you want. The best way to answer this question is to imagine you already have what you want! Now that might sound strange, but if you think about it, when you answered your first question you had some sort of picture in your mind. And when you answered your second question that picture must have become clearer. Now all you have to do is make the picture clearer still by imagining that you already have what you want. Then you ask yourself how you got it! In the case of the movie that should be easy. The steps to an Internet business maybe harder to see, but if you keep thinking, keep imagining you have what you want, something amazing will happen. You will start to see the steps you need to take. You will begin to see opportunities you haven't seen before. This may sound like magic but it is actually the Law of Attraction working for you. This is the law that works for everyone who truly wants success.

Step 3 Prepare with Patience.

So many people fail to prepare a project. They have an idea and they plunge right in. Sometimes it works but mainly it doesn't! You need to prepare both mentally and physically. If you are not prepared mentally the chances are you will fail physically. Preparation also requires patience. You would like to get going immediately but sometimes you have to wait. Maybe your project requires a lot of practice before you are ready to go. Or maybe you might have to rely on others who are not ready when you are.

Step 4 Perform with Pleasure.

So you now you know what you want, why you want it and how to get it. You have prepared and practiced and you are ready to go. However if your project involves other people, it may take time to get what you want. They may not have the same agenda or the same priorities as you. This is where you have got to keep focused on what you want to make happen. The way to do this is to continually imagine how great you will feel when you have got what you wanted. You must enjoy the whole "journey" to your success. Ask any successful person if they really enjoy what they do and I guarantee the answer will be yes! One last thing, keep records of your activity, they can help you when things are not going as well or as fast as you want. They can also remind you of the steps you took to get what you wanted.


[source: http://themansphere.com/4-essential-steps-you-must-take-succeed-anything/]

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11 Tips to Making the Best Pork Ribs

Summer may be over, but there’s nothing like a great cookout in the brisk fall air! Here are 11 tips to making the best pork ribs of your late BBQ season (you can transfer some of these inside if you want to do them in the oven…but who says you can only fire up the grill in the summer?):

1. Purchase ribs that are evenly covered in meat. In other words, don’t buy a slab that is fatty on one end and fleshy on the other. Avoid slabs that have exposed bones!

2. Allow for one pound of ribs per guest. This is a generous helping but for more impressive appetites, make it two!

3. When preparing the meat, make sure you remove the membrane on the underside of the ribs with a sharp knife. If you don’t it blocks the flavor intake.

4. Always marinate your ribs in the refrigerator, not at room temperature.

[Read more...]

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