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Weekend Challenge #06 (02/29/2020): START SOMETHING NEW

HERE IS YOUR WEEKEND CHALLENGE: START SOMETHING NEW

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Welcome To The Weekend. It is time for another challenge.

This weekend marks the end of the last full month of the Winter Season. Yep, Spring arrives on Thursday, March 19th and ends on Saturday, June 20th. That means that as the new season arrives so does the spring weather, the environment, and we arrive coming out of the winter ready for a new season of growth. Soon, we shed out winter attire (for those that had a real winter) and on goes the spring fashion. Yet, this is also the time to shed something else.

Shed those thoughts and ideas of doing something new and do something new for yourself.

As a leader, you have resolved yourself to be a lifelong learner. As a lifelong learner, you should always be up for the next adventure, the next new & exciting thing to do. Even if that thing means reading a book, going for a walk, or just crafting something new.

This weekend’s challenge is truly all about you getting yourself ready to GET OUT AND DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT.

There is no fancy list to make, there is no itinerary to set, there is only you getting up and execute.

I know you have had grandiose plans in your mind that if just had an opportunity to get started. If you just had the motivation to add one more thing to your list of things you are already doing. Well, guess what here it is. Reach into your well of “I wish”, “I could”, “I should” and pick one new thing to do and get started.

I cannot stress how important it is to continuously be doing something and continuously adding something new to the mix. It works to keep you motivated, to keep you inspired, to keep you going and ultimately, it makes you want more. To add more to the pile that is your life.

I will used myself as an example. I have a FULL-TIME job (Monday through Friday 8-5), training for my first 10K run in over 30 years (done lots of 5Ks) and currently I video blog Monday through Friday, microblog Monday through Friday, a weekly live sports talk show with my brother, audio podcast once a week and a once a month podcast for my Veterans website. Speaking of websites, did you know I currently am the webmaster for five websites? I currently am writing three books (Leadership, Historical Fiction, and Murder Mystery).

Now, I am adding this Weekend Challenge to my already growing list of things I do because of two reasons; I want to share my message with you and I want you to succeed in what you do. I want that success to come from your hard work, your dedication, and your commitment to YOURSELF!

Also I do this to show you, that no matter what the situation YOU can ALWAYS do just a little bit more. I am sharing this Weekend Challenge because I am very tired of hearing the excuses as to why people refuse to become better individuals, better human beings. Again, I offer myself as the If this middle-aged, married, father of two, home owner, full time employee, Veteran, and author can do it, there is really no excuse for YOU NOT TO ADD JUST ONE THING TO DO. Something just for you. I know you can do it because I know you have it in you.

How do I know you have it in you? Because you have taken the time to read this and have made it this far. As I mentioned, I have just grown so very tiresome of ALL the nonsense, excuses, and BS that comes from the people that I know can take back control of their lives and turn themselves around and do something better. Do just one new thing better.
It is up to you. It is solely up to you to decide to stay right where you are, spinning your wheels or step up, step out, and make life better for you.

I CHALLENGE YOU TO STOP WITH THE EXCUSES AND GET TO WORK!

P.S. I forgot to mention, I am already on the lookout for the next thing to add to my ever growing list.

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Weekend Challenge #05 (02/22/2020): A FINANCIAL REVIEW

HERE IS YOUR WEEKEND CHALLENGE: A FINANCIAL REVIEW

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The weekend is the perfect time to get do a FINANCIAL REVIEW.

The way I see it, as part of being a leader in your professional life, you must be a great leader in your personal life. The best way to be a great leader in your personal life is to keep your house in order. The less you can stress about your personal life, the less you stress with your professional life.

YES, they are a symbiotic. The two live and exist because of the other. Do NOT kid yourself and think otherwise. Simply break it down, if you cannot manage your own person finances, how are you expected to be a good steward at work?

While I am a complete and total advocate for keeping WORK at WORK and HOME at HOME. You are still one person and the events of one will impact how you act and react with the other. That is why you have to be aware and cognizant of both.

So, what does this have to do with finances?

Simple. You have to ensure that you know how much money you have, how much you need, where it is coming from and most importantly where it is going. Stress levels decrease when finances are in order. In just about anything and everything we do, when there is less ambiguity there is more confidence. Having more confidence means being less stressed. Being less stressed at home means being less stressed at work. All that confidence means a lot less anxiety. Doing what it takes to be less anxious is key to being an Authentic Leader.

I hope you can see how that works?

Don’t worry this WEEKEND CHALLENGE is relatively simple.

  1. Make a list of all your money holding accounts (Savings, Checking, Stocks, Mutual Funds, ETFs, etc.). If you only have a couple well then things just got a lot easier.
  2. Determine the amount of money you have in each account.
  3. Make a list of ALL outstanding debt (who you owe money to): Credit Cards, Loans, Mortgage, Car, Liens, etc. (again, if you have a couple of these debt items, CONGRATULATIONS things just got a lot easier).
  4. Determine and list ALL your sources of income (DO NOT INCLUDE ANY ITEM FROM #1)
  5. Here comes the cold hard truth: Determine how much money you have and how much you owe. This is the one thing most people refuse to see and admit. For most of us, this realization is going to sting. Let it sting.
  6. Now, here comes another difficult thing to do. Determine what you need to do to increase your income and decrease your debt and NOT paying on your debt is NOT the correct answer.
    1. Create a budget
      1. Pay yourself first (if you can, make $100 your monthly allowance)
      2. Save some $$$ (buy assets (saving it in the bank is not an asset (remember your money in the bank is an ASSET FOR THE BANK!))
        1. Buy Precious Metals (I.e., Gold, Silver, Platinum, Rhodium)
        2. Buy Financials such as Stocks, Funds, etc. (do your homework)
        3. Real Estate (Rental Property)
      3. Live off the budget
    2. Create a pay-off debt plan
      1. I recommend the SNOWBALL plan
        1. Pay on all your debt the minimum
        2. Select the one debt (DEBT#1) you owe the least and pay extra until all paid
        3. Once DEBT#1 is paid off, take the COMPLETE amount you were sending to DEBT#1 and ADD it to DEBT#2 and keeping doing that until it is also paid in full.
        4. Now take DEBT#1 and DEBT#2 amounts and apply them to DEBT#3 and repeat the process until you are completely debt free.
      2. DO NOT CREATE ANY NEW DEBT.
        1. If your only reason to create new debt is because you are buying CRAP to impress not the family, not the friends, but totally complete strangers then you are WRONG and nothing anyone, including me, can say or do will help you become a Great Leader.
        2. However, if you must CREATE new debt then make absolutely certain it is for the right reason (such as):
          1. Transportation (old one cost too much to fix or constantly breaking down)
          2. Housing (previous one was TOO expensive to live in)
          3. Appliances (only if the previous item no longer works, buy the bare minimum (a.k.a., Absolutely NO touchscreen refrigerator)
          4. Clothing (only if you shop at Thrift stores, 2nd Hand, Goodwill (lots of great stuff there)
          5. Food (STOP GOING OUT TO EAT! Buy and Cook Your Own Food)
          6. Entertainment. Going out is OUT OF THE QUESTION! Stay in and save a ton coin by subscribing to Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, Amazon Prime (this cost way far less than table service in the Velvet Room)
        3. STOP WASTING MONEY!
      3. LIVE LIKE A PAUPER until you are debt free, then you will be surprised how you will live like ROYALTY later.
      4. There is NO BAD TIME TO BEGIN on taking care of your finances. Well there is a bad time and that BAD TIME IS NEVER TAKING CARE OF YOUR FINANCES.

Remember, just because the app on your fancy schmancy smartphone says you have money does NOT mean you have money to waste.

NOW, GET TO WORK!

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Positive Thinking; Just Start Doing by David Guerra (04/100)

positive thinking just startStill in that New Year, New You mindset? If you are good for you! If not, well that’s alright. You can still get back up on that horse. That “New Year, New You” mindset, is short lived. Some say it does not even last a full two weeks. It is my understanding that by the evening of the 12th of January the resolutions are out the window.

 

It happens. It happens to the best of us. It has happened to me and it has happened to you. If not yet then it is a matter of time before it does. Remember, as with most things it is not a matter if but when. However, there is one thing you can keep working for you: Positive Thinking.

 

Positive Thinking?

 

Yes, Positive Thinking. An optimistic attitude. Fostering optimism. Seeing the positive in everything and everyone around you is not just a good idea. It is good for you, all over. It is good for your body, mind and spirit. The power of positivity and being optimistic can make things happen. In his book, Think and Grow Rich, Napoleon Hill wrote, “What your mind can conceive and believe it can achieve.” Therefore, if it can conceive and believe positivity and optimism, then it will come to be.

 

When can you start Positive Thinking?

 

You can start right here, right now. There is no rule that says you have to start the next time something good happens. There is no rule at all, there are no restrictions, not prohibited in all fifty states and no purchase necessary. Yep, you start right now and it is free.

 

My recommendation is to start small. Then gradually increase your level of positive thinking. How you ask? Simple, start with one thing. One thing that you have historically been on the fence about, then move on to the next. It may take time but then again anything worth doing, maintaining and sustaining is worth doing in an intentional and deliberate manner. That will make sticking to it easier when things start to wane.

 

Then come the naysayers. There are always a few naysayers along the way. First off, forget the naysayers. You may have been one or under the thumb of one or two over the course of your life. Oh, don’t worry there will be more in your. Their negativity is not the way life should be. Know, whatever the reason for the negative baggage it is NOT yours to carry. So when others offer it, just look them in the eye and make sure it is coming from your heart when you say, “No, Thank you.”

 

Saying no to the negative and the negativity mindset of others means you are growing. Growing, in that you are recognizing that your priorities matter. Your priorities are being reshaped, redefined, especially when others have been imposing their priorities on you.

 

By taking those intentional and deliberate steps to increase your level of positive thinking, you are going to start doing and creating an environment of positivity. Eventually, like the negativity, your positive mindset will become contagious. As you are visibly seen achieving more based on the positivity you have created. Isn’t that what a “New Year, New You” is all about? I say it is.

 

Get started and stay started, all the while you are growing and improving. Kind of makes you wonder what “New Year, New You” will be all about in 2021 or if you will need it at all?

 

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Thank you,
David G. Guerra, MBA
email: [email protected]
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