Don't be a scape G.O.A.T

Hello all of my over achieving readers. This post falls into the “How do I manage a 9-5 and still advance myself for myself? ” category.

Super aggressive entrepreneurs who still work for corporate America often suffer from the need to be the GOAT. What’s the GOAT? It’s the Greatest Of All Time.

I want to be the greatest of all times in making money. That’s how I’m going to get my millions. Not by being the greatest blogger, not by being the greatest Program Manager, the greatest online marketer or small business owner, but by managing my time and being one of the Greatest business minds of all time . Losing my job last year helped me see that by trying to be the GOAT at everything isn’t necessary to accomplish my goals.

You have to look at this like one of those strongmen competitions, sometimes the little guy is at a disadvantage when it comes to putting the big stones on the wall, but his shorter arms help him with all of the overhead lifts. In order to be the Greatest Strong Man he doesn’t have to be the Greatest at all the events, just good enough at most of them, and great at a few. That is the recipe for our success. Good at all, and great at a few.

YOUR 9 TO 5 MIND SET
At my last job, this was my big mistake. I thought that you should go into work every day and want to be the Greatest of all Time, the best that ever did what you do. It doesn’t really matter what the position is, just be the best ever. When I worked at McDonald’s, I wanted to be the best cashier and cook that ever did it. I wanted to be ranked World Wide Number 1 on Fries. The Tiger Woods of cashiers!! My last job, the same thing. I wanted to not only be the best Program manager in that place, but the best that anyone has ever seen for any company, ever!!!

That is all wrong.
That is the quickest way to burn yourself out. Corporate America is not set up to reward Tiger Woods. They are setup to reward decent performance. When you show up, and you are the best that’s ever did it. You shake things up too much. The organization isn’t ready for it and it will take a lot of mental tenacity to put so much effort out, and receive little reward in return. You might even be ridiculed, resented and possibly let go, as you might pose a threat to those you work for.

WHAT SHOULD YOU DO?You should do whatever it takes to outperform your peers. When you have outperformed them on a consistent basis, do no more. The reward for being t
 he GOAT and for barely outperforming your PEERS will be the same. That’s the secret

My Unemployment Anniversary and becoming Fearless!

This week makes it a year since I was laid off. Wow, what a difference a year makes. I am so much smarter then I was then….and back then I thought I knew it all.

There were a lot of things that I thought about during my 16 weeks of “unenjoyment”. The lessons that I assumed I would learn, I really didn’t. In fact, it has done nothing but re-install a lot of the stuff that I already thought. I went from thinking to knowing.

I gave that job all I had, no vacation, 70 hrs per week, just to get cut with no severance. They just don’t give a crap about you. I used to think getting laid off was for non-performers but when you are the Business Unit Manager for HUMMER and there is no HUMMER then there is no position for you, no matter how good you think you are.

I think I rebounded pretty swiftly; two job offers in 16 weeks – literally the roughest 16 weeks of my life. Mentally, physically and emotionally. Here’s what I re-learned, because a lot of this stuff I already knew:

WORK HARD AT WORK
You would think that I would be against this, but let me tell you, I lasted a lot longer then most people in companies that were struggling. The automotive industry has been laying people off for the last 5 years and up until 2009 I was getting raises. The hard work that I’ve done is what enabled me to find a job in the worse job market that my generation will ever face and at least hold on to the job I had as long as I had it.

WORK HARD OUTSIDE OF WORK
Don’t let your job be all that you have. I happened to want to be rich so outside of work I work on making that happen. Whatever your aspirations are, when you get home from that 9-5, don’t hit the couch every night, hit your dreams. The best way to insure your dreams don’t come true is to not even try.

FAMILY OUTRANKS MONEY – (YEP I SAID IT!!)
I’ve seen husbands getting their company cars stripped away from them and returning home with their tales between their legs; tantamount to castration. When they get home they have the support of their loving wife and their kids still think they are the greatest! Family Is Key, not to mention if the wife is working and unemployment check can go a long way!

YOU CAN DO ANYTHING THAT YOU PUT YOUR MIND TO – REALLY!!
When I was out f work, I wanted nothing more then to get a job. I eat, slept, drank employment. I looked for a job, like it was my job....(click below to Read More). I divided my day into four parts. I woke up, showered and went to Panera Bread everyday. One Bagel and all the coffee my blatter could hold. From 8:30 to Noon, I used www.indeed.com and applied for every job that fit my 6 different job descriptions I fit into. From 12:30 to 3:00 I worked the phones, calling head hunters, friends and friends of friends, and then after 4:00 I looked outside the box, emailing people I didn’t even know on Facebook and linked if their company’s were hiring. I watched interviews on Youtube, reviewed resume writing tips, looked for job fairs, and studied job fair tips. Then I spent the rest of the night doing self hypnosis, listening to Jim Rohn, Tim Robbins and Earl Nightingale. I knew that after 3 weeks of this, and I didn’t get a call that I would start to feel discouraged. It was true. Then 3 weeks turned to 4 and 4 to 8. I tweaked my routine a little but stayed at it. If there were 20 people doing the same thing, when 19 of them quit I would still be around ready to get that job.

There was no choice. I was able to keep all my businesses running, and pay all my bills. I laid awake at night dreaming about the day I would get the call for an interview. When I got an interview I went over every possible question in my head, I went to Barnes and Noble and read interview books until they kicked me out.

Some people, who were laid off, knew people in the right places and were able to obtain gainful employment super quick, some are still unemployed. I was prepared to work for it until I got it. How bad do you want it?

FEARLESS!
That’s why I know I am going to hit the million dollar mark. If you asked me a year and 1 week ago, what my biggest fear was. Honestly, I would have told you losing my job; by far my biggest fear.

I’m no longer afraid of that. Now if you asked me what my biggest fear is, I honestly couldn’t answer you.
I’ve already failed at many things many times, I’ve been so close to losing everything I’ve ever had many times, I’ve been forced to move out of my home because I couldn’t pay my bills, I’ve been divorced, I’ve been fat, I’ve been so many things except the one thing I am now. Fearless! (Fear of God doesn’t count). Getting laid off has removed one of my biggest fears….and for that, I’m Most Thankful.

So thanks to that crappy company, with crappy management, and my crappy boss for doing what I thought couldn’t be done….removing my Fear!! Now it’s time to Do Work!



P.S. When you think Fearless - Think Jet-Li not Taylor Swift!

Eitherway I've attached links to WallPapers of the Post. Click them and make these your inspirational Wall Papers of the week.


HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO ME!!!
-MJL

Being a super hero 101 - Part 2 of a Series.....

We find ourselves back at super hero school! Question: If you are a superhero, do you have a lunchbox of yourself? Ha ha.

Welcome to Class. This is “Being a super hero 101”
In order to be eligible for this class, you have to have already completed “I am a Superhero”. If you need to be refreshed, click the Super hero badge to go back to the first part of this series.

Let’s get down to business…….

UNLOCKING YOUR SUPER ABILITY
Unlocking your superpowers is not easy! A matter of fact, it’s so hard that only a few of us will ever have the courage to do it. That’s where I come in.

Let’s take a normal day in your life. Not a terrible day a typical day. If you have no kids, in your 20’s then you are a Super Duper Hero. A typical day for you might be,
7:30 AM Wake UP
9:00 AM Work an 8 to 10 hour day,
7:00 PM Go to the gym
8:30 PM Shower, eat dinner, watch some TV.

Life is Good – but you are not using your Super Powers.

Now unlocking your super powers depends on what your goals are. Hopefully you have some goals that you want to reach. Things that you want to accomplish. No matter what the scale. Let’s pick a hypothetical goal or a dream. It must be somewhat realistic, but it’s Ok if it’s a stretch. For instance, if you are a decent bowler and want to go on the Pro tour, if you want to be a motorcycle mechanic and own your own shop, or if you want to be CEO of a fortune 500 company.

THE POWER OF MENTAL D-DUCTION!!!
Ok so let’s pick one. A Tour Pro bowler, on the PBA Tour. Let’s say you can easily bowl a 200 game. In order to qualify for the PBA, you must carry a 200 or better average for 36 games in a USBC (United States Bowling Congress) sanctioned league.
You have just used your super powers of deduction to make your problem simpler – add 20 points to your game.

Now this might seem impossible to most people, but you are a super hero! Difficult takes a day, impossible a week. We do the impossible, you had a bowl of impossibles for breakfast. Ha!

If this is really what you want to do, you go after it! PERIOD!!! You start by going to the library and reading how the greats got started, reading Bowlers Weekly, Bowlers Digest, reading anything you can get your hands on. Are you in good enough physical shape to be on the PBA tour? You tailor your workouts to get you in Pro Bowling shape (which is round). You stop drinking your paycheck away and upgrade your equipment and hire a Pro-trainer. You look for a better bowling league to join so you are surrounded by better players. You spend your morning and nights at the bowling alley. Instead of taking that ski vacation, you take a week and enroll in one of the best Pro Bowling schools. You EAT, BREATH, SLEEP bowling. Do you get it?

Your super powers allow you to do this. You have the mental capacity and the physical capacity to make yourself better.

No need to pray to God for it…he’s already given you everything you need to Go GET IT. You should start thanking God already for giving it to you, and act like your dream is already come true. It's a a matter of how bad do you want it!!

A REALISTIC EXAMPLE
If you have a family, living paycheck to paycheck – you are a superhero but just not like “Super Single Twenty Man”, instead you are “Family Man! “

Let’s take a more realistic example, one that is very real to me. I have a buddy who is working as a security guard and he wants to be a motorcycle mechanic. The school that will certify him costs a seemingly ton of money and he barely makes enough to pay his bills as is. After talking to him; I find out that once he’s completed his first year of school he can get a job that pays more then the security job and they will pay for the rest of his school. The more we talked the simpler the problem became. At the end of the conversation, after using our powers of D-duction all he needed was $5000. That’s it. His dreams were on hold for a mere $5000. How bad does he want it?

The solution is there; you work 3 jobs, collect cans, eat franks and beans, do what you need to do to get the $5000. If I had the money would I give it to him?
It depends on what he was doing. Was he going out to the club every weekend spending $30 at the bar. Yep, I said $30 dollars. If your dreams are on hold for $5000, $30 is .6% of your dream. $50 is 1% of your dream. If I called him on Saturday and instead he rented a movie and cooked dinner, staying in, trying to save money, then I would easily give him the money. Does he need to Pray to God for the Money. NO. He needs to Thank God! God has already given it to him. He lives in America, he’s healthy, he’s intelligent i.e. he’s a super hero!!! Use your powers and make it happen.

IS THIS CONCEPT EXTREME?
I know it sounds extreme, but life is extreme. Extreme people make it happen. Extreme people have uncovered their super powers. Anyone or anything that is not helping you is hurting you. Attack them with trying harder, pushing harder, being more clever. Finding out ways around your obstacles, using everything that God has already given you.

Hopefully you get it. You are a super hero – it’s just up to you if you want to use your powers or not.

Next lesson we will review Actual Seemingly Impossible real life Examples of superhero’s doing their thang!!

-MJL