Newton

The Law of Inertia - things in motion tend to stay in motion – First Law of Motion…

If you know what that is just by looking at it your probably much smarter than me.

It’s the equation for the first law of Motion as established by Sir Isaac Newton in 1687. (Although I think it was originally formed by Descartes … In college I first Major in Engineering and I took a lot of physics and thermodynamics in college.

Correction, I failed a lot of physics and thermodynamics in college … yea…

Anyway its basic premises is that thing in motion tend to stay in motion and things at rest tend to stay at rest unless acted on by an outside force …

Anyway that law not only applies to physical mass it also applies to state of mind and how you work and process.

Ever heard that is if you want something done give it to someone busy? Why? Because they are used to getting thing done a processed.

Ever go on vacation and feel like it takes you a few days just to relax? How to do you feel when you get back from vacation and back on the grind of work and life?

Yea.

When we have a daunting task is best to get cracking at it. The faster you get started, the faster your get done.

Have to make a load of cold calls? Try getting started as early as possible (eat the frog) …

Need to hit the gym – try going in the morning, at lunch, or right after work.

Have to have an unpleased conversation with a colleague – get it out of the way ASAP.

What you find is that getting going on tasks (especially the unpleasant ones) will help you to get more done during your day –reducing stress and increasing productivity.

Or you could try to wait. Get a late start, push off that conversation, hitting the gym, getting that business idea off the ground and watch it get pushed to 2 hours later, 4 hours later, 8 hours, tomorrow, next week, next month, next year, when I’m a bit more economically ready, never.

It happens. It’s happened to me. I was supposed to start this blog in 2010 … yea…

Get moving … get it started you will find that you can keep going once you get in motion. The longer you take to start the hard it will be to get started as you get accustom to doing nothing or something less important or easier… like watching TV. For 4 hours.

The world needs what you have to give.

Feel like you are stuck? Would you like to some help getting unstuck ? Feel free to message me at mike@thelewisconsultinggroup.com

24 Starring Jack Bauer ...and YOU...

Today is the last today your going to have. You can never get these 24 hours back- once they are gone they are gone.

You will have to deal with what you did , did not do, said,  or should have said, for the rest of your life. Why not make this 24 hours count ?

This next day could be filled with projects, work, good times, and activities that help you, your family , friends, or maybe the world.  

Today, spend some quality time with your  family and friends and don’t for get to tell the ones you love how much you love them. Your not guaranteed another 24 hours – or even the rest of the day your currently going through so tell them now. 

And, if everything were to end right now , would you be happy how you spent your last day ?

this dude is always standing on every cab I catch...

I always found it curios how some people can’t get there car wash ( let alone there ass sometime ) in a day while others can run 2 business , save a puppy, clean the house, save the neighbor's cat from a tree,  Inspire and connect with friends and family , and coach a little league team to victory.

Is this an attribute of fantastic organization skills, over booking, or lust for life ?

I would guess the latter …

But maximizing your day doesn't always mean going all Tony Stark on the world. 

I have a very good friend who ran a very successful company who walked away from it all to spend more time raising her young children. Every time I see her she seem happier than I've every seen her at her company but sometimes she feels guilty that she is not doing more.  Is there any great thing you can do with your time then help develop your kids in to productive good people ? She is doing what is most important to her and when she is ready to dive back into the business world she will be awesome again. 

Jack Bauer saved the world 8 times in 24 hours. ( and is currently working on it again for a ninth time - tbc...) – what will you do with your next 24 hours ? Can you do the things that are most important to you and try to be the person you want to be today ?  

If you can pull that off, isn't that enough ?  ( if your not Jack Bauer...) 

On Being an Amateur...

It’s always a bit scary starting out something new.  There a fear of failure, rejection, and on the other side of the coin the fear of success, and responsibility that comes with that..

If you are good at a job, skill, or task it take a lot of courage to start something else as a total novice or amateur. You are always thinking :

What if I fail ?

what if I succeed ?

what if I'm not as good or smart as I think I am ?

Is this stupid to even try ?

I don't have enough formal training !

What will my friends and family think ?

The big thing to remember when you launch into something is that there is it OK to fall and fail.  In fact you are supposed to.  It is almost impossible to get to the top without some failure.  Anyone who great at something was a novice and a newbie at some point, made mistakes, let folks down, had embarring moments.  All of those are stepping stones - helping  you get to a leave of proficiently ;

Tom Brady was on the bench and has thrown over 120 interceptions.

Sad, Sad Tommy...

Oprah was on a cheesy network show in Baltimore.

I wonder where Jerry Turner is now...

Derek Jeter has struck out over 1700 times..

nothing funny to say about the captain...

Will smith did that crappy movie AFTER EARTH.  Yea …  

Seriously Will - this movie stunk like good cheese...#urbetterthanthis

You are supposed to fail and you're supposed to have some struggle because the best things in life rarely come easy.   In fact, the more stuff you try the more likely you will have failure.  Along with that, those who have greatest successes also have great failures as well.  It’s a part of a process to  help you learn it and make sure you earn it.

Think about the first time you tried to ride a 2-wheel bike…did you fall over?  I bet you did. Ya got back up though ( maybe your mom or dad made you but you did ) … didn't you? You bet you did…

Don’t be afraid to fall off your bike… Embrace the fact that success is usually on the far side of failure.   No one who ever put their bike down went anywhere…

Need some help or motivation getting started ? – feel free to reach out to me at mike@TheLewisConsultingGroup.com.

The Absolute Best Shortcut to Take to Get to Greatness

We live in an age of speed. Everything comes at us so fast and information seems to be available at a moments notice. The phone that I use is twice as fast as the old MAC G4 I’m writing on. (Don’t hate – I got a faster computer but I love my silver G4). We celebrate the young and successful and we want everything NOW.

With that in mind, I thought that I would share with you by far the best, most successful, most used shortcut to success -regardless of what personal or business goals you have.

Go ahead and get a pen and some paper … you're gonna want to write this stuff down to remember..

READY ?

DON’T SHORTCUT !!!! DO THE WORK !!!!

Yea.. put your pen back.

Can you quickly rise to a leadership position in your business ? Sure …

Can you come up with a better mousetrap everyone will want ? Why not..

Do some successful people take short cut ? All the time …

Will any of those scenarios play out for you? … Probably not. Don't try to take a shortcut when keeping on the path and hard work is really what is required.

"Just short cut over the tracks and you will be there !!! "

Oh, I’m not saying you're not special, or gifted, or blessed with a certain skill. I think everyone has something to offer the world that is unique. But, I will take the dude or lady who is willing to work harder and faster than the guy who is the MOST talented.

There is nothing in the world more common than a man with potential.

Things will still move fast…  Just know that they will move by you fast if you're not keeping up …

You want to get to your goals faster ? work twice as hard … Period.

I have a dear friend that went through a rough spot in his life and had about 50 bucks cash, two gift card to Target, and 40K in debt. In 30 days he was debt free and UP 45K. How'd he do that ? He worked like a man possessed. Well, a smart man possessed. Was it easy? Nope.

Are you looking for an easy way ? That’s OK; there is nothing wrong with wanting easy. Just don’t aspire to be great.

Michael Jordan once said that while he was with the Bulls many of the practices were harder than the actual games- he ran practice scrimmages at 110% - what happens after that ?

You get a shoe designed for you that sell out every year for 25+ years…

I don't even care for Jordan but that a lot of shoes...

Look : 
Find a way to be more efficient;

Design a better app;

Find a better way to market and sell;

Learn a create a new skill ;

When you get all that accomplished get back on the grind and work your arse off…

In fact find out what the next guy is doing and go twice as hard as him. …

Success and greatness require payment upfront...

Are You Turning Molehills into Mountains ???

We have all done it. There is that problem and/or issue out there that we have allowed to get bigger and bigger and bigger.  But is it really that big???  

Did you get passed over for that promotion?

Did you lose that sure-thing deal?

Did you lose that job?

Do you have a duplicitous coworker or boss?

" No really, trust me..."

Is everything taking longer than you wanted it to?

Are you stuck in traffic?

How do you react when these things happen?

 

Do you freeze?

Do you get angry?

Do you work to figure it out and take action?

Truth is, depending on the situation, we all probably react a bit differently. For most people being unemotional about a bad situation is unrealistic. However, most of the problems we face in normal day-to-day life can be fixed and adjusted with some kind of direct action. The longer we take to pout, complain, and be angry and upset--the longer it will take to fix the problem. The longer that we let a problem sit unresolved, the bigger that problem becomes. The biggest question to ask after a problem presents itself is, what are you prepared to do next to fix it?

Did you get passed over for that promotion? Figure out why and make sure you're more prepared next time.

Did you lose that sure-thing deal? Start marketing and prospecting to find two new deals to replace the one you lost.

You didn’t get that job? Start looking for another one--right now.

Have a coworker who is super irritating ? Hire Terry Tate, office linebacker, for a day:

Everything is taking longer than you wanted it to?--Be thankful. It could take twice as long or it could not happen.

You're stuck in traffic? Yeah that sucks. I totally turned this situation into a mountain. (We got stuck driving home in NYC for four hours. FOUR HOURS!!! You can drive from New York City to Boston in four hours--we never left Manhattan!). But it's just traffic. Get some good music, books on tape, or even better--a GPS system that can shows you how to avoid the traffic.

Delicious leaf-flavored yogurt...

The milk is spilled and it's all over the place. Clean it up and go get yourself another glass…  

Need help turning your mountain back into a molehill ? Feel free to contact us ...

WHEEL OF PAIN

Have you ever seen Conan the Barbarian? I mean the original Conan with Arnold Schwarzenegger?

Not that crap movie with Jason Momoa... (Didn't see that one? NO ONE DID...)

So yes, for our younger readers, the dude who used to be governor of California was a full blown shoot ‘em up and chop ‘em down action hero. Maybe even the first movie star who was huge and buff, and occasionally, high…

Your better than this California...

Anyway, here is a quick summary of Conan: James Earl Jones—in a horrible wig—

Did I say a horrible Wig? Horrible.  Really, Really Horrible

and his snake loving friend attack Conan’s village and kill everyone, including Conan’s mom and dad. Conan is sold into child slavery, tied to the Wheel of Pain (which does who knows what) with a bunch of other kids until all the kids but Conan die (let’s say he pushed that wheel around for 8 to 12 years).

He is sold again, becomes an old school MMA fighter, whoops constant ass, gets freed, robs some bad guys, has some sex, kills a gang of henchmen, and finally manages to kill James Earl Jones and his horrible wig… FIN.

Instant cinema classic. Twenty years later he’s the governor of California... life...

Let’s go back to the wheel. 

Conan was the last dude on the wheel…all the other kids died, quit or got re-assigned to accounts payable or something…who knows. The point being —something in that dude refused to give up. Pushing that terrible, monotonous wheel of pain in a circle for years on end eventually made him strong as an ox and determined as hell to survive.

Now, I know what you are thinking, yea, Mike, Conan was a great movie when you were 12. So?

Spending time on the wheel of pain may be a requirement for success. Maybe your wheel of pain is cold calling, or studying, or being away from family, or maybe it’s the freaking wheel of pain. Point being… if it’s a required process for you to reach the next level of your goals—embrace it and determine that you will be the person who is still on the wheel at the end of the day..

Success can sometimes be a matter of sticking it out long enough to reap the benefits of your hard work

Success is OFTEN a matter of sticking it out long enough to reap the benefits of your hard work….

Success is USUALLY a matter of sticking it out long enough to reap the benefits of your hard work.

If your goals in life warrant tough times, don’t give up. Persistence and toughness can be more important than raw talent and acumen. Stay on the wheel for as long as it takes!! Hey, you might end up being the next GOVERNATOR!!!

Arnuld.  Luvs Kalfornia. Not cats.

THE CONSTANZA

                                 

 The best employee Vandalay industries have ever had..

For quick clarification, THE COSTANZA – it's not about building a small shelf in your desk so you can sleep ( that would be awesome though…)

Who has a desk big enough for them to sleep in ? Send pictures ...

It's about making drastic changes in your approach or procedures to help create changes in outcome.

In Seinfeld, season 5 episode 22, George Costanza makes a decision that he will do everything opposite what he has been doing in order to try to get better result at work, dating, etc... To test this out, he walks up to a girl and says“ Hello, My name is George. I'm unemployed and I live with my parents."  He gets the date. 

  The basic idea of The Costanza is that if what you are doing isn’t working try doing some thing different or the opposite.  Albert Einstein  once said “the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results". So, If what your doing isn't working, change it!!!  Maybe do something opposite of what you have been doing might help you take a step forward toward your goals instead of doing what you have been doing and spinning in place. 

  If what your have been saying to your prospective clients is not working--change it drastically !

If you been coming in early is not helping you get what you need done, try staying a bit late.

If, in your personal life, you are meeting  "the wrong people"--try going someplace new and doing something you wouldn’t normally do.        

 Not getting through to your staff with compassion, try a swift kick in the ass. Or vice-versa...

Basically, if your experience has told you to always do “XYZ” try "YXZ" or "ZYX" or "MRZ"...
  

At best, it may help you find a new ways to get closer to your goals and develop different skills, meet different people, and learn something new. Worst case scenario is you make a few calls, do a few meetings, or change your day or style for awhile and some of the monotony of your day has been broken up and you got some good stories to tell about how crazy you are ...

      Reversal : Don’t Pull the Constanza it if what your doing is successful !

 Also, give it some time to work.  Maybe  try doing the opposite for an hour a day for a few weeks .. Give it a real college try and be consistent for. 

Don’t be afraid of being a bit uncomfortable for awhile. If it was too comfortable for you to do at first then your probably not doing it right.  Understand that there are many ways for us to try to secure the results we want. As you develop different techniques while doing The Constanza , you will be able to pull from those skill at the appropriate time . 

That being said ,  if your unemployed, bald,  short, and living with your parents – and you wanna date the hot girl… you should probably not expect George’s results – if you get one date after asking  500, you're doing great… 

Have some specific ways you want to pull The Constanza in your marketing, business, or personal life ?  

Tweet us at @TLConGrp  

LIVE FROGS FOR BREAKFAST

Do the hardest, most difficult, and ugliest task first.

I think it was Brian Tracey who is generally credited with the Live Frogs for Breakfast concept--

“If you gotta eat a live frog, looking at it for a long time won't make it taste any better.”

Neither will putting it in your morning cup of joe…

( I’m slimy, not delicious, full of caffeine and willing to fight to the end …)

                                                     

A frog is, of course, a metaphor for our most difficult and unpleasant task. And, if that frog is the worst thing that you do today, once it is out of the way the rest of the day should be easier and a whole lot less stressful.

We often get trapped into pushing the things we consider the most uncomfortable off and then those tasks hover over us for the rest of our day like a dark cloud.

For me--it is the gym, any uncomfortable calls, or meetings, etc...

I tend to want to exercise about 5:30 am and start my calling at 7 am (decision makers tend to be in early). When I don't attack these tasks, they get pushed back, and back, until the day is over and I am anxious about getting the things I need done and worried that I will have to push them off until tomorrow–thus starting the cycle again.

By doing my most hated and uncomfortable task first, I tend to feel less anxious about my day, I am more productive, happier in my duties, and way less stressed. And often, those frogs aren't as bad as we think they are going to be. Plus, I get it over with early so I can't even remember the bad parts!!! 

Now, of course, you can't always do the worst thing you need to do in the morning–life doesn't always work like that. If that's the case, put that frog on the top of your daily to-do list IN CAPS. Make sure you physically write, check, scratch, whatever it off –that will give you personal satisfaction with your day and make you feel calmer just knowing that the hardest task is done. Don't trick yourself into thinking that getting all the little things on your to-do list done will compensate for not doing the difficult, froggish task–if it is small, less important, and easily accomplished, won't it be even easier if the larger, harder task is already done?

If you don’t eat up that frog today, put it in BIGGER caps for the next day,  AT THE TOP OF YOUR TO-DO LIST or put it down TWICE. Skip it again?--THREE TIMES. Scratching off large to-dos or multiple large to-dos will give you a greater sense of accomplishment. Remember, when you can't face the frog, it becomes more powerful than you. 

 And it's not.

 It's just a frog.

OK, this guy might a bit more trouble...

                                                                      

Need help working through your frog? 

 Feel free to contact us directly...