Author Chris Brady's Blog

Top 10 Reasons People Quit Something Worthy

For nearly twenty years I've worked with people in an entrepreneurial setting, encouraging and coaching them to fulfill their dreams and goals. I've seen people come and I've seen people go, and through it all there emerges a pattern of behavior. I've often been asked, "What's the difference between those who 'make it' and those who don't?"

Giving this some thought recently resulted in what I'll call my "Top 10 Reasons People Quit Something Worthy." This isn't revelation from God, it's not infallible, and it's probably not even complete. But it is mine, and now it can be yours, too.  I hope it helps!

10. Pride - uwilling to "look the fool" while going through the necessary failures along the way

9. Besetting Sin - an addiction or something destructive in their lifestyle that tears their life apart

8. Lack of Character - they have to take their "game" elsewhere because they've been "found out"

7. Distractions - men fail by "broken focus"

6. Comfort - the "lure of lesser things"

5. Dream Not Big Enough - without a powerful dream there is no focus, no passion, and no long term vision

4. Relational Challenges - can't get along with others

3. Unwillingness to Accept Personal Responsibility - blame others for lack of results

2. Self Doubt - can't see themselves having the big victory

1. No Mental Toughness - don't have the discipline and/or courage to hang in there when times get tough

Of course, we could debate the order of these items, and even add a few more to the list, but the point is to provide some thought starters you can use to hold up against your own life. Also, don't get me wrong. Part of success in life is knowing what to quit! You can't do everything, and in order to succeed mightily you must focus. So quitting "unworthy" or "lesser" things is actually a part of success. The situation to which I'm referring in the list above is when people quit something worthy, something central, something that has been their heart's desire, something into which they've poured hours and energy and hopes.

Now, a couple questions:

Are you chasing something great in your life?

Are you seeking to live a life of purpose and meaning?

I hope the answer to both is a hearty "yes," and if so, then perhaps this list can help you identify weaknesses you can shore up against failure. Figure out where you're susceptible and do something about it. It's these ten you'll have to beat if you're going to "make it."

 

Ewe Don't No What Ewe Don't No

Eye am knot perfect, aisle admit it wright off the bat. Your likely two have sum issues as well. Butt sometimes the weigh people right or type in this new social networking world can bee funny.

Hear are the ones that seam two cause the most problems:

Your and You're

Their and there and they're

Are and our (this won amazes me)

Should of instead of should have

To and too and two

Its and it's

and all manor of apostraphes

Sayings our fun knee to, such as:

"Doggy dog world" instead of "Dog Eat Dog World"

"With all intensive purposes" instead of "With all intents and purposes"

"A tough road to hoe" instead of "A tough row to hoe"

Wood ewe bee interested in contributing sum of you're own? Awl ewe half two dew is post a comment. Wee our sure glad your reading this blog, because the moor the marry her. 

Preparation

I love watching people who are at the top of their game.  Whether it be the type of performance readily seen (such as sports, preaching, musical performing, acting, or public speaking), or those which can best be known by observing the finished product (such as architecture, great writing, and painting), people who rise to such levels of greatness have a tendency to "make it look easy."

Looks, however, can be deceiving. No one can really perform "that well" without thousands of hours of unseen practice. No one is "gifted" as much as we sometimes wish to think in our efforts to comfort ourselves why we aren't that good. Certainly people have areas of gifting. Certainly there are different levels of endownments given to each one of us in different areas. But there is still a difference even among those equipped with similar inate ability - and that difference is preparation.

It never ceases to amaze me the lengths to which people will go in order to avoid preparation. Given relatively equal abilities, the more prepared person will win nearly every time. I don't know about you, but I think I can almost always tell when someone is "winging it."  This always makes me wonder. Why wouldn't someone choose to give an endeavor all they've got? Why wouldn't they prepare? Is their heart not in it? Are they just lazy? It may be they simply haven't been convinced that preparation is a competitive advantage.

Jerry Rice, the most decorated wide receiver in pro football history was famous for his hours of prepartion and grueling workouts, even into his forties!

"Sweetness" Walter Payton said he gained his advantage in his offseason training and by running up and down a sand dune near his house.

Stephen King wrote that he forces himself to follow a rigid writing routine every day and won't leave his desk until he's written at least 2500 words.

Throughout his remarkable business career, Sam Walton was famous for walking through competitor's stores in search of even little ideas that could be copied and improved upon, and was known for digesting reams of data prior to his legendary Saturday morning operations meetings.

John Wooden pre-scripted every single minute of every practice in every season of his coaching career.

Napoleaon would sleep a mere three hours a night, utilizing the rest of the "quiet hours" to pour over maps and battlefield reports so that he would be the most informed commander on the battlefield.

One of my favorite quotes is by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow:

"The heights by great men reached and kept were not attained by sudden flight, but they, while their companions slept, were toiling upward through the night"

In what area of life are you striving for excellence?

Would a court of law be able to convict you of that fact by observing your preparation?

Take time today to consider what more you can do to prepare, so you can blossom into the professional you were meant to be.

Remember, the best make it look easy, but it's not. Excellence is always hard, and it is forged on the anvil of preparation.

Now get to work.

"How Are You?" at Greetings?

"How are you?"

"What's up?"

"Morning."

These and perhaps hundreds of other greetings are muttered throughout our culture with no thought and even less sincerity.  We have almost a knee-jerk reaction to seeing someone and respond by robotically throwing out a perfunctory salution. But this is better than some, who instead walk into a room and nearly ignore everyone there out of shyness or self-absorption.

As a father to four children I have tried to teach them against their natural tendencies to enter a room and make eye contact, greet people, and show a heartfelt interest in others. Nothing is more common than a mute child who won't acknowledge adults and won't speak audibly when spoken to.  Some of this is understandable in children, of course, they being new to the art of human relations and easily intimidated by tall people who have hair growing on their face (especially when they're women). Nonetheless, we parents must make an effort to train them to notice and interact with others. It is at least as important as getting them to eat their spinach.

The sad part, however, is that so many children don't really grow up, but merely grow bigger. They reach "maturity" without even rudimentary people skills or manners. This is not only unfortunate but annoying, and it even finds its way into driving habits - but then, I digress.

To come at it from a positive side, I was recently making my way into a public place when I realized how glad I was to see a certain individual. We greeted and began chatting amicably and time passed without notice. Afterwards I reflected for a bit on just why this person holds such a pleasant spot in my mind, and it occurred to me at once that it was at least in part because of his greetings. Having taken note of this, I watched more carefully at our next interaction, and witnessed this same person breaking the silence barrier by approaching newcomers to our circle and offering his hand as an introduction first. His face lit with a smile, his eye contact was warm and direct, and his voice was all welcome.

Greetings, I thought. A moment in time. A brief second, perhaps. A lifetime of goodwill fostered.

Could it be that simple?

Well, certainly if it's backed by a pure heart and good intentions. After all, sincerity is impossible to defend against. But given good intentions as a constant, the person who makes a sincere, hearty greeting, either to a stranger but especially to a friend or acquintance, will carry the day every time. How can we resist someone who lights up at our appearance? How can we harbor ill feelings toward someone who is outwardly glad at our arrival? How can we resist wanting to become better friends with this fascinating, and obviously intelligent creature?

I would suggest that in our cell phone world this principle is equally important for telephone greetings. I don't mean the word "hello," but the reaction to the knowledge of the caller's identity. "Oh, Mike! Glad to hear from you! How have you been?" You get the idea. This stuff is so simple and obvious it is hardly needs mentioning. Or does it?

So consider the following questions:

1. How are you at walking into a room and taking notice of the individuals there?

2. Do you make eye contact, provide heartfelt greetings, and introduce yourself to strangers?

3. Upon seeing an acquaintance or friend, do you light up and project gladness at seeing them?

4. Do you introduce others into your "circle" and make efforts to connect people and make them feel accepted?

5. Do you likewise exude warm greetings on a telephone call?

These are simple but extremely fruitful concepts to make habitual in our lives. Other people matter. The Bible tells us to esteem others higher than ourselves. One of the easiest, cheapest, and simplest way to do this is with proper greetings. 

So, when it comes to greetings . . . 

How are you?

 

 

Money View

"World View" is a term recently popularized by philosophers and media pundits who debate spiritual and political matters.  It refers to the lens through which people see (and therefore interpret) the world around them.  All information and observations must pass through this lens and be colored by one's World View.

Similarly, there is another "View" I would like to propose for consideration, and I'm calling this the "Money View."  In my nearly two decades of dealing with people and their finances I have slowly awakened to the fact that how people are doing financially is often a direct result of their "Money View." Just as with World Views, there are several very different Money Views, each with its own ramifications. These include, but are probably not limited to, the following:

1.  Money as a Mystery - in which people seem to have no clue how money is made (or retained) and therefore think that others who are successful financially are somehow "lucky"

2. Money as a Master - in which one's entire life is lived out in bondage to the need for more money, or at least the drudgery of scraping by. This is often accompanied by terms such as, "I have to go to work," or "Another day, another dollar." 

3. Money as a Monster - this is the condition whereby financial pressures become so large they dominate a person's thoughts and affect him emotionally. Often at this stage relationships are damaged and health is compromised.

4. Money as a Major - in which a person applies most of his focus and fascination on how to acquire more. In this situation money is an idol.

5. Money as a Motivator - this is the condition whereby money is used to push one to higher achievement and greater contribution. This can be for both selfish or selfless reasons. Beware.

6. Money as a Manipulator - whereby a person uses his or her money to get what he or she wants out of other people. It is here where phrases such as "Money is Power" apply.

7. Money as a Minimizer - the condition in which the presence of money diminishes one's ambition. This is where complacency and mediocrity reside.

8. Money as a Maximizer - where one is driven to utilize his or her money to make a greater contribution and maximize his or her potential. This is usually much more selfless and altruistic than #5 above.

9. Money as a Monument - where money is used as a status symbol, to build a reputation, or as an attempt to establish an immortal family legacy.

10. Money as a Menace - wherein the money one has is a destructive force in one's life, either by feeding addictions or by causing fights or by dominating one's time and energy with the care and maintenance required to sustain it.

In considering this list, it may be helpful to ask yourself some questions, such as:

1. Which "Money View" best represents where you are right now?

2. Which of these "Money Views" have you encountered previoulsy in your life?

3. Notice that several of these "Money Views" are quite negative. What are you doing to make sure you are living under a positive and productive one? Which one would you choose?

4. What are you doing to grow in your financial understanding and education?

In each of the above views we see that money is always used as a Means. The key question in money matters is therefore, "As a means for what?" This is why the Bible again and again treats money as a heart issue. Money in itself is not evil, but the heart is desperately wicked, who can know it? Money becomes a dangerous or productive tool, depending upon the heart that wields it.

Make sure you choose your "Money View" deliberately and intentionally, don't simply let it choose you. Pursue some financial education to enable you to be in charge of money instead of it being in charge of you. And guard your heart when it comes to money, in plenty or in want.

That's my view.