ID Your Frog

In an earlier blog post we talked about the concept of Eating You Frog. Now, it is time to explore the first step in that process.

In order to Eat Your Frog each morning it is critical that we ID our frogs, afterall you sure don't want to eat someone elses frog (who knows where that has been).

This step actually begins the night before because by identifying our big task then it allows us to get right to work the next morning. Don't go check Facebook or email just get down to business.

Take 10-15 minutes each night to write down all of the tasks you need to do the next day and then circle the one that you are most likely to procrastinate or avoid.

So what are you waiting for? ID your Frog.

Welcome

This is my blog. Thanks for stopping by.

If you have any questions or comments feel free to send them to me at Nick@MotivatingPerformanceLLC.com

The Breakfast of Champions

For weeks college and high school students across the nation have been waiting for the arrival of Thanksgiving break. Now, it has come and gone but how nice was the break because if your teachers are anything like mine they assigned you homework and projects to work on since you had plenty of free time this past weekend. Personally I can easily say that this week is by far the busiest of my semester thus far and probably will be for the entire year.

How do you handle those really tough weeks? What allows us to power through the major assignments and projects?

An even more important question is...

What do you have for breakfast each morning?

We have all heard the saying that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. A good healthy breakfast will prepare you to handle the stresses and challenges of the day ahead but too often we eat the wrong thing each morning. Instead of reaching for that box of Wheaties it is time we chow down on the true breakfast of champions. The first thing we need to do each day is... Eat a Frog.

There is an old saying that goes

"If the first thing you do when you wake up each morning is eat a live frog,
nothing worse can happen for the rest of the day."

It is hard to argue with that. A frog is your biggest most difficult task on your to-do list. It is the item that you are most likely to procrastinate. A lot of time we end up putting that item off doing other far less important items which drastically lowers our productivity because we just keep looking at this big green slimy task that is staring back at us. Even when we are working on other important tasks its eyes keep staring; drawing our attention back to it. Not allowing us to keep our focus. An uncompleted task like this physically drains you of energy because we keep thinking about it which causes stress.

That is why each and every day we need to eat our frogs. It will not always be easy. There will be days where you would much rather spend time on facebook or reading the lastest blog posts but summon the will power to tackle that task first and your improvement will be incredible.

In following posts we will take a deeper look at these three steps needed in order to Eat a Frog.

• ID
  
• Plan
  
• Chew
  

Stay tune but for now go get something to eat, you look hungry.

Off to a Great Start

These last two weeks have been very busy but very rewarding. Lots of tests and papers were due but now I am on the downhill slide to finals.

The most exciting part of these two weeks is the progress that has been made with starting my speaking company Motivating Performance. Last Thursday, I had my first official speaking engagement with the UW Sigma Alpha sorority. Also, I have positions on the UW-Madison campus Student Consultant and Speaker's Bureau and ALPs or Adventure Leadership Programs. These two positions are going to allow me to continue to help others understand themselves and grow their leadership ability while still going to school full-time.

I am super excited for Thanksgiving break because I plan to use some of that time to make some changes with this blog and the content that is posted. Be sure to check back in. It will be awesomomenal!!
Sent from my BlackBerry Smartphone provided by Alltel

MMM - Mondays

“I love getting up in the morning. I clap my hands and say, 'This is gonna be a great day.'”
- the late Dicky Fox sports agent in the movie "Jerry Maguire"

It's Monday morning. The first day of the week. So much potential lays in front of us. This week is all about possibilities. We can hang our heads just wishing the weekend would hurry up and come or we can take action. We can take steps and work on tasks that will put us closer to achieving our dreams. We can stop wishing away our days and start living.

Each moment is yours for the taking. What kind of day are you going to have?

MMM - Smile and Move

Make the most of your Monday's. Set a productive, high paced, energy packed tone for the week.

For some great Monday Motivation check out Smile and Move.

Also, see these great videos for a quick pick-me up.

Rev up
Think Different
Wake Up

Harness the Fire to Soar Higher

MMM

Leadership...it is all about knowing how you can bring value to each situation.

As a leader we find ourselves in a variety of situations. Most people spend their time trying to fit this cookie cutter format that they think others are looking for. The more effective approach would be to look at the skills, strengths and unique perspectives that you bring to the table then figure out how you can add value to the situation based off of what you already possess.

How do you add value?

Reflection

The mirror, we use them all the time. To see it that shirt goes with those pants, to see the progress we are making at the gym (or lack there of), or even making sure we got our hair just right before walking out the door (like I did this morning...and let me tell you it looks phenomenal). Yes, we spend time on a regular basis looking at our reflection in the mirror but how often do you put a mirror to your life?
This time of year is a big change for many young leaders. Fall brings a new school year which brings the transition to a new grade level or even the big life altering change of moving out on your own and heading off to college. This means that fall is the perfect time to check out the reflection of your life. Take some time to really examine who you are, what you bring to the table and more importantly who you want to become.

This last part is especially true for those students who are going off to college. When you move away from home to a whole new scene, whole new classmates and out from the watchful eye of your parents it is a chance to start over and be who you really are. Be who you want to be.

I know this was especially true for me. In high school I was always considered more of a jock then anything else. I was the one who was always out for a sport or getting ready for the start of the next sports season on my calander. While there is nothing wrong with athletics and I still really enjoy weightlifting and running, that is not what I wanted my life to be based on anymore. The start of college was a chance for me to start over and discover what I was truly interested in.

Taking the time to examine and evaluate yourself is extremely important no matter what age you are. At the very least we all should evaluate who we are, finding our goals, strengths and passions.

The next step is to figure out who we want to be. What values are important to you? What is your personal mission and your vision for your life?

The most important step is to take action to close the gap between where you are currently and where you want to be. Take the time now to create an action plan. Your life will NOT wait.

Reflect and take action.

The Bucket List

The Bucket List. If you have not seen it, it is a great movie about these two men who make a list about all the things they want to do before they kick the bucket. Actually, my nickname Ray Ray came around because of this movie but that is another story.

I can remember back during my senior year of high school when my Agricutlure Instructor Ms. Jumbeck had our class do this very same activity. As a senior getting ready to make one of the most significant changes in my life up to that point (moving out and going to college) just doing this activity had an incredible impact.

I still have my Bucket List. It has already changed slightly since that intitial draft, some items were added, others deleted and a few accomplished. I keep my current list posted right next to my desk, where I can see it everyday as a reminder of what I want to achieve and the adventures I want to have. It is by no means an extensive list but it is ever evolving.

So, here it is. The moment you have all been waiting for.

My Bucket List:

-Start a presenting company
- Get married
-Explore a rainforest
-Visit all of the National Wilderness Areas
-Visit all seven continents
-Go bowhunting in Kenya
-Own a house on a lake or an ocean
-Own some woodland in Buffalo County WI
-Go back to Eluethra and go snorkeling
-Run in the Ironman Triathlon before graduating college
-Go to the Olympia competition
-Study or work abroad
-Go to the Super Bowl
-Have kids (2-3)
-Invest in the foreign stock market
-Invest in reality
-Go to a college bowl game
-Go to Jamacia
-Pay off college debt before I graduate
-Go rock climbing (the real stuff)
-Go sky-diving
-Go White water rafting
-Lobby
-Help to change the structure of our educational system
-Help others realize their potential and fulfill their dreams

That is my list. Just one question.... Have you made yours?

MMM - The Sandals

A pair of old worn out sandals...What can they teach us?

A simple pair of sandals, used to protect our feet. On the beach they are used to keep our feet from getting burned by the hot sand and any sharp rocks.

On our journey to our goals and our dream we need to have some sandals in our life. At times these sandals can protect our dreams from the sharp and jagged obstacles we face or from the harsh words of critics. The sandals allow us to be safe. They help shield us from the harshness. they allow us to stay motivated. In our lives the sandals could be people who support us, that picture representing a past success or proven ways that we feel comfortable with. These help us to ward off the doubts, the uncertainties and the fear.

But when we are at the beach we don't want to run into the water of our dreams with our sandals on. That would only ruin them. No at some point we must kick of the comfort and safety of our sandals. We must face the hot sand on our own in order reach the vast, cool and limitless water which is our dreams.

Sandals, they help protect our dream when we face obstacles and keep us moving in the right direction. Helping get us closer to our goal so that we can take off running.

Do you have your sandals? Are you finally ready to kick them off and make your run towards the ocean?

Go after your dreams.

Monday's Motivational Morsel - Bubbles

“Ideas are like soap bubbles floating in the air close to jagged rocks on a windy day.”

- John Maxwell

That statement is so true in many ways. Just think how many times you have ever had a great idea but were so caught up in the moment that within a matter of hours or even minutes that idea was lost...a bubble that never even had a chance to completely form.

Of those few ideas that we do manage to capture and start pursuing they are often like those bubbles being blown towards the jagged rocks. Other people are constantly putting down our ideas. These ideas, especially when they are in the early stages, are so fragile that a few unsupportive words from the wrong person can cause them to pop, never to be seen again.

Our job as true leaders is to be that gentle breeze that takes those ideas away from the jagged rocks and out into the grassy fields where they can have a chance to soar to the sky.

We need to encourage those around us to pursue and further develop their ideas. We need to help them strengthen their idea so that they will be able to handle a harsh wind or obstacle that they will face sooner or later.

Now ask yourself, whose ideas are you helping protect? What are you doing to Develop Others?

Monday's Motivational Morsel

"Strong motivation is the most important factor in getting you to the top."
- Edmund Hillary

What is it that gets you out of bed in the morning? What makes you so excited that you can't sleep at night? Asking yourself simple questions like those will help you discover where your motivation comes from.

Find it and go after it.

Dare to Dream

I was sitting in church this morning and the choir was singing. I was not paying too much attention to what they were singing when I heard the phrase, "To satisfy a hungry heart." That immediatly got me thinking. What is it that satisfies a persons heart? What is it that gives us a sense of purpose?

The answer is simple, we get that feeling of purpose when we are pursuing our dreams. Having and pursuing your dreams is the nurishment to our days. They fill them and make them worthwhile. They become the driving force that gets us out of bed in the morning.

Of course the key word is pursuing, it is the process of actually going after those dreams that bring you that sense of fulfillment. This can only happen when you turn that dream into a goal. When we make that transformation is when we truly hit the ground with our feet running.

Over the next few weeks we will discuss some strategies for helping turn our dreams into reality. We will take an in depth look that the goal setting process and more importantly how we can be sure to follow through on our goals.

Now, I just have one question....What is your dream?

MMM - Risky Business

"If it scares you, it might be a good thing to try."

Recently, I had the opportunity to be a small group leader at the OK FFA Alumni Camp. This was a phenomenal experience and I plan to go into more detail on what I learned during this week in future posts.

This year the camp was all about change. During one of the small group sessions we talked about going after your goals with enthusiasm and how when you get closer to a goal the excitement builds, then there is nothing like that feeling you get after you accomplished a hard earned goal. But what if we didn't have goals....then there would be no reason to celebrate.

It is our goals that give us a reason to celebrate because when we attempt to reach a goal there is a certain amount of risk that goes along with it. There is that chance of failure. It is that chance, that risk that scars the average person away. Embrace the risk, embrace the fear and use it to push you through those hard times.

~Harness the Fire, to Soar Higher~

A Disciplined Life

Last night I watched the movie "The Last Samurai." Now, I remember watching this movie when it first came out in 2003 and thought it was really good but I have not seen it sense. I had planned on working while watching it but shortly into the movie I found that I could not take my eyes off the screen. No it was not the incredible fighting senses that had me mesmerized, it was the lessons embedded into the story that kept me watching in amazement and admiration. This movie is all about the Samurai way of life which is centered around upholding certain principles.

The word Samurai literally means service. These men dedicate their lives to the service of their Emperor. But it is so much more then that. In their village Captain Algren notices that everyone (men, women and children, young and old alike) from the moment they wake up are devote themselves to the perfection of whatever they pursue. They follow a life of discipline, service and compassion. Honor, it is the principle that they believe is of the upmost importance. Honoring yourself, your family, your friends, your enemies and your values.

Everyone in that Samurai village knows the principles the value, do you know yours? What are those principles that you feel are nonegotiable? When you wake up in the morning, what area do you devote yourself to perfecting?

This movie is an excellent reminder of how we should all live our lives. Go rent it, buy it (Walmart $5), borrow it from a buddy...however you do it just watch it. Sit down and take some notes if you seen it before or if it is your first time just experience it but be ready when it is over to take a look at how you are living your life...Are you a Samurai?

"It's not an opportunity, it's an obligation." We have an obligation to strive for our full potential, to seek out and initiate change. Are you meeting your's?

MMM - Integrity

"Wisdom is knowing what path to take next...integrity is taking it."

Just simply knowing the right thing to do means little...we need to stand up for what is right even in the face of adversity.

Most People

Who are you? Are you like most people?

"Most people like the products they already have, so marketers ignore them.
Most people work hard to fit in, so others don't notice them.
Most people like eating at places where they've eaten before.
Most people think this book is a bad idea.
Most people would like the world to stay just as it is, but calmer.
Most people are afraid.
Most people didn't use Google until last year.
Most people aren't curious.
You're not most people."
- Seth Godin, Tribes

What do you want out of life? Are you content with just fitting in, doing only what needs to be done? Or perhaps you are someone who wants something more.

If we want to be leaders, if we want to be top performers in life then we can't be like most people. We need to go beyond. We need to challenge the norm.

Tribes is a book that is dedicated to the aspect of gathering and leadering a group of individuals with a common vision. Currently, I am a Wisconsin State FFA Officer. We have the 7th largest membership in the organization and we are alway worried about increasing our numbers so that we are bigger and.....better?

Is bigger always better? Seth's book posses and addresses this question. To often organizations feel like they constantly need to be growing in order to improve. The fact is that just isn't the case. When we focus too much on getting bigger we end up broadening our mission. This can create an organization that is "watered down" bringing itself closer to the status quo rather then challenging it, simply because the organization is trying hard to appeal to most people in an attempt to grow bigger.

Leaders don't try to please everyone. They don't adjust their message simply to help the organization get bigger. No they stick to their values and their mission realizing that a tight knit "tribe" is far more effective.


*Check out Seth's book at: http://www.sethgodin.com/sg/

Monday's Motivational Morsel - The Plate

"You can't hit a home run unless you step up to the plate. You can't catch a fish unless you put your line in the water. You can't reach your goals if you don't try."
- Kathy Seligman

The status quo...the ordinary...the average. It is what happens when we stop growing and changing. When we stop trying challenging those preconceived notions that already exist. But what keeps us from expressing and going after those innovative ideas.....a fear of failing? No, that is not it at all. We don't have a fear of failure, we have a fear of blame.

Criticisms. That is what keeps most of us from expressing our break through ideas, from creating the next techno wonder or writing a literary masterpiece. We are afraid of getting our feelings hurt by someone who says our book is a disaster or our gadget is flawed. But consider this, if you keep that idea to yourself and continue to do what you always have done...who notices you?

Criticisms is not always pleasant and sometimes it may not even be constructive but if a food critic writes about how off the wall your the food at your restaurant is at least that means that it was unique enough for them to notice and it is only by being noticed that you ever have a chance to be remarkable. Don't let fear hold you back. Pursue your dreams.

To often in life we are held back by our fears. We may have grand goals and big dreams but those mean nothing if we don't take action. We need to take that step. We need to not be afraid to leap. Now, step up to the plate and hit it out of the park.

Monday's Motivational Morsel - The Great General

* This story is taken from the book “Strengths Finder 2.0”

“Mark Twain once described a man who died and met Saint Peter at the Pearly Gates. Knowing that Saint Peter was very wise, the man asked a question that he had wondered about throughout his life.

He said, ‘Saint Peter, I have been interested in military history for many years. Who was the greatest general of all time?’

Saint Peter quickly responded, ‘Oh that’s a simple question. It’s that man right over there.’
‘You must be mistaken,’ responded the man, now very perplexed. ‘I knew that man on earth and he was just a common laborer.’

‘That’s right my friend,’ assured Saint Peter. ‘He would have been the greatest general of all time, if he had been a general.”


In life we can’t be afraid to seize opportunities because we never know where our true potential lies. This man had the power to be THE greatest general of all time, but he never pushed himself in order to find his full potential. Remember to: Harness the Fire to Soar Higher

Monday's Motivational Morsel

This first series is an extension of one started on my State Officer blog. Every Monday will feature a motivational post of some kind. This is a great way to get fired up and kick start each week.

Starting Out

This brand new blog is just one step in the next step in my life. It is just a small piece of a much bigger goal. I have a dream to start a presenting company that would focus on helping people achieve their maximum potential, helping everyone become top performs.

This goal is not going to be an easy one but none of the goals worth going after ever are. However, I am confident that thus far I have set myself up for success but now enough about me.

This blog is about motivation and performance. Its about finding that fire that is burning inside you, then learning how to control it and most importantly harness it to help you be a top performer. But its not all about you. We will explore ways to help others discover their fire and reach their full potential. In life, its not about the awards or successes you earn, its about the awards and successes you help others earn. Keep the fire burning.