"It's better than nothing" might not be...

"It's better than nothing" might not be.

Sometimes better than nothing is more damaging than nothing.

Nothing is empty and eventually creates a Vacuum.

Vacuums suck…

See what I did there?

Zero action = nothing.

Nothing creates a vacuum that sucks and magnifies the lack of action aka the "nothing".

The suckiness of the vacuum eventually leads to rock bottom.

Rock bottom, if it's doing its job, inspires powerful action.

Presto change o, nothing has sparked something and that something has the potential to change everything.

You're obese so three times a month you go for a walk during which your heart rate never really gets elevated.

You long for a companion so six months ago you went on two match.com dates.

You've hated your job for years so once every couple of months you play around with your résumé.

"I'ts better than nothing" is what we say when we are basically doing nothing but won't admit it.

“It's better than nothing” is what we say when we are doing a bit of something but not enough to get any meaningful results.

If this is hitting home with you try these steps to start your shift.

1.  Admit that you have choices and be honest with yourself about what you have been choosing.

2.  Replace the phrase “its better than nothing” with “its basically nothing”.  This is not about beating yourself up, its about keeping it real in service of your goals.

3.  List twenty potential actions then choose the four that have the most juice.  Write a little about what you thinkthe potential resultswould be if you were to engage each of the four action items for nine months.

4.  Use your calendar to schedule these action items, keep those appointments and track each action item’s result.

Initial steps are courageous and can be really hard.

“Its better than nothing" is a mindset that is neither courageous nor is it difficult, and in fact may not be what it claims to be.

Curious about life coaching?  If you are ready to schedule your sample session or have any questions just call:  978.994.0431 or email thatlifenow@gmail.com

The price of regret...

Henry Rollins was the lead singer of the Hard Core, Punk Rock band, Black Flagg.

He went on to become a television personality, writer, producer and spoken word artist.

Prior to that he worked at Häagen-Dazs.

He was the head manager…

At Häagen-Dazs...

It had nothing to do with anything that he was or longed to be.

Through a series of events he was offered an audition for his favorite band,  Black Flag.

He got the gig and then asked “now what do I do?”.

They said go home, quit your job, pack your bags and get ready to leave.

He did…

His fuel?

Knowing he wanted more out life than a job.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with workingat Häagen-Dazs

Seriously…

If however fear, laziness or a thin skin is keeping you from living the life you long for…

Well… thats another story…

So are fear, laziness or a thin skin keeping you from living the life you long for?

If so here are a couple of questions.

Grab a pen...

- What things while not ideal are legitimately not likely to change in the next year?

- What things could change but might not because you have confused them with the last question?

- What have you been thinking about doing for the last few months but haven’t because you are overwhelmed or blindedby the answers to the last two questions?

You now have a starting point.

And it is wildly, completely and utterly up to no one but you, whether or not you will take that first step.

And then the second…

And then the third and then the….

You get the point.

My friend PW Gopal says

"Paralysis and procrastination don’t cost you anything in the moment, but in hindsight they will cost you everything."

The price you pay will come in a regret shaped box.

Here’s the thing, you might not get the chance to audition for your favorite band.

You might not ever have anyone come along and drop an opportunity of that magnitude in your lap.

Most people don’t.

Our road is paved with courage, discipline, honesty, creativity and endurance.

Until you take the first steps in that direction you will have what you are supposed to have.

You will not however have what you want.

You may get tons and tons of what other people want you to have but it will always leave you empty.

Henry Rollins didn’t only leave, he stayed gone and took every single gig he could get.

Why?

Because he knew full well what he had to go back to.

Welcome to Häagen-Dazs

This post is going long…

Its as much for me today as it is for you…

I’m not sorry…

:)

Jim Rohn talks about the two kinds of pain…

I think there are more than two.

Courage is painful…

Honestyis painful...

True creativity is painful...

Perseverance is so painful...

And yes, discipline is painful, but none of those things are as painful as regret.

If I had a son...

If I had a son

I would teach him how to say hello.

I would teach him when someone says “hi my name is Mike”  he is to say “hi mike, my name is Billy, nice to meet you”.

I would not only teach him the importance of eye contact and a firm but not too firm handshake but also the importance of living up to that handshake.

If I had a son

The pain in my arm from carrying him wouldn’t matter but the pain of his first steps would.

If I had a son

he would knowsometimes we have to eat things we don’t like, do things we don’t feel like doing and not always say what’s on our mind.

He would realize engaging these truths will make doing the things he loves even more lovely.

If I had a son

I would teach him how to make his own trout flies and how to fish them.   He would know about the emerging caddis and the power of hoppers and cinnamon ants in the Fall.

He would know we roll cast and high stick dead drift way more than we false cast and that the shadow cast scene in A River Runs Through It is totally bogus.

If I had a son

he would teach me to love what he loves.

For the first time in my life I’d know the rules of football.

I would understand all the ins and outs of baseball or ballet or watercolor painting or a million other pursuits about which I know little.

If I had a son

I would teach him that the only way to have a good friend is by being one.

He’d know that many he will encounter were not taught this but that wouldn’t stop him.

If I had a son

I would teach him how to write a song, talk to girls, stand up for people who can’t and appreciate beauty.

If I had a son

I would teach him how to throw a punch and why he shouldn’t.

If I had a son

I would teach him how to stand up under heartbreak.

If I had a son

I would help him understand grace, redemption and reconciliation as more than just theological concepts but as a way of life.

If i had a son

I would teach him how to apologize, tell a joke, make a fire, pray, cook eggs, be kind and forgive.

If I had a son

I’d have so much to learn...

If I had a son

I would teach him to never see another’s brokenness as his own.

I would say “I love you” and “I’m so proud of you” so that he would never have to guess.

I would let him know that my desire was to get it right and that I regret the wounds I inadvertently bestowed upon him.

If I had a son

I would teach him how to say goodbye.

 If you are ready to schedule your free sample coaching session or have any questions just call:  978.994.0431 or email thatlifenow@gmail.com