What is success?
No, I’m not about to take you on a philosophical journey filled with mumbo-jumbo. What I want to do is get you to think about where you are in your life and where you really want to be. Success is measured in a lot of different ways and it has always meant different things to different people.
I don’t know about where you are, but here in Memphis, the weather is starting to really heat up. Heat, more than other elements, really makes me consider my own health. I think it has something to do with how uncomfortable it makes everything. Especially in the South, where the heat comes with that hot-and-sticky humidity.
There are two types of people when it comes to a wealth mindset.
There are people who want wealth and there are people who are willing to earn it.
I think for many people, wealth is this insurmountable concept. It’s this lofty goal. A Mount Everest. A Moby Dick. It’s something that we so badly want but we’re either so intimidated by the idea of even beginning or so discouraged by our own perceived inability that we never begin in the first place or we give up somewhere along the line.
Have you ever finished a task so overwhelming that, at the time, you couldn’t believe you’d done it? For so many people, the act of completing a race is a lot like that. Whether it’s your first 5k, a marathon, or an Iron Man Triathlon, there’s something almost surreal about the experience of pushing your body to its limits and actually finishing a race.
When it comes to health and nutrition, we have a hard enough times holding ourselves to a healthy diet. Helping our kids eat healthy foods is another challenge altogether. Family nutrition can feel like an uphill battle, but it doesn’t have to be a constant struggle. Even if your kids are picky eaters, struggling with allergies, or just plain refuse to eat their vegetables, there are ways that you can start teaching them healthy eating habits.
As busy professionals, it’s hard to find room for one more thing. We have a hard enough time squeezing in time to get our oil changed. When it comes to your financial future, though, nothing is more important. So many of us get stuck with this idea that the money we’re making at our day jobs is all we can really rely on. We have our income, a 401k or other retirement package, maybe some stocks and bonds, a savings account, and for too many Americans...that’s it! If that!
Stress is one of the worst things for our health. Most of us can attest to that without knowing any of the statistics. We’ve all felt the effects of stress in our lives. Some of the most intense stress comes from the professional world. Our careers can bring enormous pressure to succeed, impress, and perform. Regardless of how many times we go through it, the cycle always repeats.
While I have no problem being what some people call a “go-getter,” I understand that not everyone operates the same way. There can arise situations in the workplace where we just don’t feel comfortable speaking up—whether because our personality doesn’t mix well with that of our managers, bosses, and coworkers, because of the working environment, or because we’re just not naturally assertive.
We’re already well into the year and while some of us may have long-forgotten any resolutions we may have made, I hope most of you are still going strong in your resolve. At the same time, whether you found yourself feeling discouraged and defeated by the year, there’s no reason you can’t pick yourself up and start again.
When the doldrums of the daily grind set in, it can become one of two things: highly efficient or dangerously complacent. When it comes to your work routine, it’s easy to approach it with an “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” mindset. I have to pose the question, though: is that helping you achieve your professional goals?
Just a few days ago, a report came out that MasterChef contestant Matt Campbell collapsed after completing the London Marathon. Shortly after, he was pronounced dead. While the entire running community is saddened by Campbell’s death—there’s a thought I think it brings up for all of us. Matt was no stranger to marathons. He was a runner.
We’ve all probably had it said to us at one time or another: Boy, you sure woke up on the wrong side of the bed! I think, for the most part, we’re fairly oblivious to our moods unless we’re taking it out on someone and they call us out on it. Sure, we know if we feel good and we definitely know if we’re in a bad mood. But rarely do we see how our moods affect the people around us or the things we do until our attention is specifically drawn to it.
Have you ever considered the effect of stress on health? Stress isn’t just a mental or psychological thing. It can profoundly affect our bodies in negative ways, and we might not even realize it. Work stress is so incredibly common but we don’t often think about the ways in which it damages our health.
When you’re the boss of your own schedule and the sole person in charge of your success, the pressure is on. While many of us dream of the freedom of being at the top, autotomy comes with its fair share of challenges. When you’re the one calling the shots and there’s no one setting your schedule, setting tasks before you, or telling you what needs to be done and when you need to do it, it can be all-too-easy to get derailed and unproductive.
When it comes to our money, many of us hesitate. It’s difficult to pull the trigger on big deals and jump in with both feet. We’d much rather dip in a toe first. We’re wary of the risk, afraid to take the leap. As real estate investors, we’re always acutely aware of the risk (as we should be), and that, in many ways, can prevent us from taking the chances we ought to.
At some time or another, we’ve all been in a position to prove ourselves. In the professional world, earning the opportunity to take on more responsibilities in the quest to climb the ladder, earn a promotion, and reach to the heights of your career is a lot easier said than done. Proving your leadership capabilities is, at times, a head-scratcher. You work hard, show up on time, and do everything that's expected of you.
