While engaging in some self-reflection recently, I came across a passage from the 1970s in a book. It discussed which two days of the week were considered the least important. Some might assume it refers to the weekend. That would direct thoughts towards Saturday or Sunday, the days when work is typically paused. It’s easy to conclude that Monday, being the start of the workweek, couldn’t be the least important. After all, Monday marks the beginning of our efforts to achieve the week’s goals.

However, the passage revealed that the two least important days aren’t adjacent. They aren’t part of the weekend or nestled within the weekdays. Instead, they are yesterday and tomorrow. The rationale is straightforward: yesterday’s actions, being in the past, don’t influence today’s tasks. Similarly, tomorrow’s potential has no impact on how today concludes. The focus is on the irrelevance of yesterday and tomorrow. Whatever happened yesterday is behind us, and tomorrow’s occurrence is uncertain. Without the guarantee of a tomorrow, it’s considered one of the least important days.

This concept underscores the importance of living in the present. What matters is what you’re doing now, this very minute. It’s about being present for yourself and others. Initially, I assumed the weekends or even a Monday might be deemed least important. The idea that yesterday and tomorrow hold that title never crossed my mind. This insight has encouraged a deeper appreciation for the present moment.

As I travel across the country, meeting various people in various places, I hear story after story of how people have become successful. Many have worked tirelessly throughout their careers to build something remarkable, while others found success by simply being in the right place at the right time. Despite their different paths, a common thread among them is a positive mentality coupled with a strong work ethic.

During a recent lunch, a friend shared a valuable lesson from their father: when starting a new venture, you won’t know everything you need, but success requires two things. First, always show up on time, no matter what. In today’s world of flexible schedules and competing demands, the importance of punctuality has diminished for many. Yet, if someone is relying on you – be it a boss, colleague, or friend – you owe it to them to be where you’re supposed to be, when you’re supposed to be there. You’re never going to get where you want to go if you’re always making excuses. So, lesson number one in what it takes to be successful: always know that it’s up to you to show up on time.

The second key is to always be open to learning. Always be open to asking questions. I recently advised a young man about to embark on his career post-college. I told him flat out that he wouldn’t start off knowing everything about his chosen field. The marketing skills he seeks are not something you can get through college education, books, or instructors. However, they can be learned by acknowledging what you don’t know, showing up, and being willing to ask questions. The ‘no dumb question’ saying goes a long way and should become a mindset. There’s always more that you can learn. And by asking questions and knowing you’ve always got more to learn, it’s going to set you up for success.

While these insights might not be revolutionary, they underscore the practical steps that have proven effective for many. Remembering the discussion about the essentials for success during that recent lunch has been enlightening.

It’s always been a part of my character and lifestyle to have more going on than I can manage at any given time. I find it fun when things come at me fast, presenting new obstacles and challenges to tackle. Especially now, being in a new phase of life, it has been exhilarating to encounter so many opportunities, ensuring there’s never a dull moment or a chance for distraction.

But sometimes, it’s too much. There are moments when the multitude of tasks and directions make you feel as though you’re not doing anything well. Your time and responsibilities are divided among work, family, friends, causes, and activities outside my daily routine. It seems like you’re attempting to do so many things, yet accomplishing them so poorly, that in reality, you’re achieving nothing, despite believing the opposite.

It’s at times like these where I have to stop. That means to pause, breathe for a minute, and remind myself that not everything can happen at once, and sometimes, doing the best I can is all that’s possible. As someone who thrives on being busy, accepting this can feel like a failure or disappointment. Yet, by selecting which activities to pursue, I’m also choosing not to engage in others that may be less important or necessary.

Every now and then, it’s crucial to pause and consider the good things in life and the positive aspects. Taking a moment to reflect helps you to slow down and appreciate all that you’re accomplishing, all that you’re doing, and the phase of life you’re experiencing.

Another perspective was offered to me recently in the form of great advice: “Be where your feet are.” Don’t try to be in too many places, rooms, or situations. Simply be present where you are.

Some of the people who read this blog may or may not know about my recent challenge/struggle to get sober.

While I wasn’t living under a bridge or holding a cardboard sign on a corner asking for money, I had developed a lifestyle that involved way too much alcohol. And while alcohol was something I had always enjoyed socially in my life, from the age of 16 until 43, I recently decided that there was no longer a place for alcohol in my life.

So, I did the only thing I knew how to do, and that was to get help from the best source that I could find to rid myself of alcohol. As of today, I’m 37 days into a new chapter of life that is alcohol-free.

If some people reading this have their mouths’ on the ground, it’s okay. I’m still me. I’m still as tenacious, power-driven, and crazy as I’ve ever been. But now I simply get to do it without any substance occupying my life. And I’ve got to tell you, the start of this new chapter has been almost magical.

They talk in sobriety about a pink cloud. A pink cloud is the state of mind where you always feel good and you always feel free, and you always feel away from all of the bad feelings and things that occupied your mind. But now, as I continue day after day through this journey, I truly can tell you it is a magical state of being.

It’s magical to feel as good as I feel. It’s magical to not have stress upon stress piled up in my life. It’s magical to see things from a clearer, broader perspective. And that perspective for me is being rid of alcohol.

So, as I come to a close with this, my point is very simple. Do what a very wise person once told me, and that is, take the one thing in your life that is causing you to not be successful and get rid of it. Get rid of it, and get rid of it for good.

Maybe it’s because it’s the first of the year. Maybe it’s because it seems more busy than normal. But I found myself in a meeting today with a very old phrase that came back to me.
And that is: “The only thing constant is change.”

Change is everywhere you go. I’m watching my kids change right before my very eyes. My 11-year-old now wears makeup, talks about Taylor Swift, and spends hours a day with skincare products.

My nine-year-old, all she cares about is dancing (she also loves Taylor Swift). I think she likes boys or has a crush on boys and is growing up right before my very eyes.

My eight-year-old son is so ready to shoot a deer this year that he can’t even stand it. Watching him from a few years ago, when he barely even understood what going hunting was to where he has come now, it’s just been transformational.

And my five-year-old son now has a dirt bike. Even though it has training wheels, it is still a dirt bike, but he is learning to ride.

These are just some personal examples of change. But I see change everywhere in business. People who love you one minute might not love you the next. People who you’ve never met before put you on a pedestal and entrust you to take them forward.

It’s funny how things change in such a short amount of time. If change is the only constant, I wonder why so many people have such a hard time adapting to change. I guess it’s the luck of what I do and the ability I’ve had.

I’m used to change. I know stuff’s going to change every day. But with change comes responsibility. You have to be responsible, knowing that things are going to change and being responsible to change them quickly enough, but not just change things for the sake of change.

My advice to anybody as they go through the beginning part of the year and set their course on 2024 is this: Know that change is coming. Know that there’s going to be a lot of change. Know that things in your personal life, as well as your work life, are definitely going to change, and you will be ready for a great year.

Sometimes, you get so caught up trying to do things that you think you need to do and should do, and you’re wasting time because you’re not focused on doing things that you can do.

I had a recent example of this in my career, in my work life, where we were wasting a lot of time on some business that was big business, but we were going nowhere with it. It was taking us nowhere. It was problematic. It was just not fit for what we do and who we are. And I said goodbye to it today. Because I have so much new business and big opportunities on the horizon. Things I’ve never even dreamed or thought about in my career are now coming to the forefront as we speak.

So my point of this is: don’t waste time on smaller stuff than you’re capable of. Go after and set your sights on things that are so big, so opportunistic, so incredible, that you just never even know the opportunities that you’re missing because you’re wasting time on countless small, minute, problematic things. Don’t waste time in your work life and don’t waste time in your personal life. It’s a two-fold component. Don’t waste time on your phone when you’re sitting there with your kids. Don’t waste time watching sports with your friends, rather than having real, deep conversations about how life is going. Don’t waste time mindlessly doing tasks when you could be doing things that you really enjoy.

“Don’t waste time” is a really critical thing in how you live and how you work. And it dawned on me today that I had wasted some time, and I need to focus on things so far greater, so far bigger that it’s just amazing.

I see this all the time. In fact, it’s probably the number one reason I don’t like going on LinkedIn. People boasting and the animated confetti accompanied by, “Happy to announce I’ve started a new position at….”

If you look at the person’s profile, you can see how many times over the last decade or so they’ve posted about how many new positions they’ve had. Well, I have a statement I’d like to make. I’m happy to announce I started a new position at… “I will continue working my ass off for the next 20 years, just as I have done for the last 20 years.”

I think people today really don’t understand how to view their careers. They look at jobs, not careers. They look at bosses, not mentors. They look at opportunities in a different way, meaning, “What’s in it for me?”

While it is a “What’s in it for me?” society, there has to be a component of your career or your job where you’re giving to the company or the entity that is providing for you. This isn’t a high and mighty speech. But it’s a point I’m trying to make about hoping people start to look at their careers differently than just hopping from job to job.

I’m happy to announce I’m starting a new position at “I will continue working as hard for the people who work with me as I always have.”

I’m happy to announce I’m starting a new position at “I will continue delivering for my clients the same excellent level of service that I have always delivered for them.”

I’m happy to announce I’m starting a new position as a better father, a better husband, and someone who makes an effort to improve every day.

I’m happy to announce… I’m just happy to announce. I hope everybody reads this and gets a little bit of humor and a little bit of reprieve from LinkedIn and being happy to announce their new position.

Everywhere I look, I see people talking about all the bad in the world.

The wars in Ukraine and Israel, the rising price of food, inflation, interest rates, and a looming stock market crash – these factors keep some people so hung up that they can’t see past them to realize that everything is actually pretty good. And no matter what you may say or fear, you really have no control over these things.

I deal with this mindset day-to-day. Some people want to make every excuse in the world for why they shouldn’t advertise: the fear, the worry, the UAW strike, the concern over a potential vehicle shortage. I think people can manufacture any reason in their minds as to why things aren’t going to be good.

Sometimes I may be too much of an optimist, but I’ve always believed that attitude is everything. It’s reached a point where it almost bothers me when people talk about all the bad and the perceived bad things that are about to happen again.

Regardless of what you think or say, you don’t really have any control over wars, interest rates, inflation, the economy, or the stock market. So why let it bother you? More importantly, why let it create a negative mental space?

I think some people just really love bad news so much that they want to spout it out and scare everyone else. I’m not a big believer in this. In both my career and life, I’ve learned that there’s a way to conquer and overcome any obstacle that comes your way. If you believe that, you can enjoy your days much more than if you sit around worrying about everything.

I’m writing this note from seat 4D on a United Airlines flight from Birmingham to Boise, Idaho. I’m so giddy with excitement as I travel to a new part of the country to try and earn a little more new business. You see, I’ve been to Boise, Idaho many times to ski with a longtime friend who has a house in the Idaho mountains, but I’ve never been out here for work. It’s a new space and part of the country that I’m very excited about, with endless opportunities. The best part is that I feel really good about the plan I’m taking out to present. Our team has really built a masterpiece for a big dealer group that’s so common-sense-based, it’s going to be a fun presentation.

Everything feels like it came out as it should. I’ve put the right people in the right seats and now have time to go and expand into new areas. Yes, that means a lot more on the West Coast and Mountain States, which I’ve never really tried to dominate simply because of a lack of time in my schedule. But now I have a mission and a purpose, plus I love snowboarding and wine country, so having a work reason to come out here doesn’t suck either.

It will mean more time away from home, which I don’t always love, but hopefully my absence will teach my children that what you want in life, you have to work like hell to get. The sacrifice isn’t easy, but then again, getting to do what I do best is very fulfilling.