Motivational Blog» Page 2 of 3 »

Feb 11

Six Lessons Leaders Can Learn From Tiny Little Babies

By Ryan Avery Motivation One Comment

I had the chance to hang out with a few of my entrepreneur friends this weekend who happen to have the cutest babies I know! After spending the day with them, I realized we, as leaders, can learn a lot from these miniature humans!

1) Cry and get over it: Babies fall, they fail, and they make mistakes. They cry for a minute, and then they move on to the next thing. They don’t look back.

2) Be happy with the simple things: Babies have fancy toys, nice clothes, and fancy food! What do they play with that makes them the happiest? The boxes the toys came in. They have no care for fancy clothes other than what feels good to wear. They are happy, too, with a simple diet of milk and mushy food high in nutrients! Now, I am one who likes to wear nice clothes, and I prefer tasteful food; but, I can do a better job being happier with the simple things in life!

3) Tell people how you really feel: Babies don’t keep their emotions inside. When they are angry, they let you know. When you are happy, they let you know. When they like someone or don’t like them, they let the person know. They don’t care what people think of them. They care about letting others know what they think!

4) Be curious and try new things: Babies are constantly crawling to explore new territory and scanning for new things to touch! They are alive and happy to be alive, because there is so much out there to explore, see, taste, and touch!

5) Always be learning: Babies are digesting new things everyday! They are thirsty for knowledge.

6) Laugh often: No matter how much they cry, babies always laugh. They smile, they enjoy, and they experience happiness. They want to be happy and do what it takes. They say what they need to say in order to find that happiness.

Sure, babies scream on planes, make a mess, and deprive their parents of sleep; but, we as leaders can do many things to be more like tiny little babies! Move on! Be happy with the simple things, tell people how you feel, try new things, learn something new, and laugh often! Enjoy the day, and as always…

Dream BIG,
Ryan

P.s. Thank you Jessica and Devin for letting me use your little one for this post! Y’all are awesome!

Feb 09

Love0

Do You Have a Loser or a Winner Mindset?

By Ryan Avery Motivation, Uncategorized One Comment

After my last article, I thought I would share some insight on what losers say versus what winners say on various subjects and to see where we land on the loser versus winner mindset scale!

Dreams and Goals

Losers Say: “I have goals. I have them in my head. I don’t share them with anyone because it’s not their business. I think about them every so often, and I am pretty sure I will make them happen this year!”

Winners Say: “I have goals. I have written them down and have shared them with my family and friends to hold me accountable. I look at them everyday! They are clear, obtainable, and I believe I can and will accomplish them.”

Money

Losers Say: “If I had X amount of dollars, my life would be so different!”

Winners Say: “I am going find a way to earn X amount of dollars so I can change my life, give more, and do more for myself, my family and my friends!”

Love

Losers Say: “I wish someone would love me!”

Winners Say: “I can’t find love until I love myself.”

Happiness

Losers Say: “I just want to be happy!”

Winners Say: “What are the things that already make me happy, and what can I do starting today to be happier on a regular basis?”

Family and Friends

Losers Say: “My friends and family take up so much time. They always annoy me. They seem to cause more pain than good.”

Winners Say: “I love my family. I take care of my family. We communicate on a regular basis to avoid misunderstandings.”

Profession

Losers Say: “Ugh, I hate my job!”

Winners Say: “I will do what it takes to get the job of my dreams! I deserve to love what I do!”

Health

Losers Say: “We all die, sometime!”

Winners Say: “The healthier I am, the more I can do!”

So, do you have a loser mindset or a winner mindset? What are the things you need to start telling yourself to gain that championship mindset? As always…

Dream BIG,
Ryan

Feb 04

Love0

Five Ways to Increase Your Productivity

By Ryan Avery Family & Personal Life One Comment

So you need help being more productive and finding ways to increase your productivity? You and me, both! Wouldn’t it be great if we had four or even three more hours in the day? Better yet, wouldn’t it be nice to only need four or three hours of sleep each night so you could do more!

Well, we only get 24 hours in a day and for those of us who would like to be more productive with our time, here are five ways to increase productivity:

Complete things in threes. Write down

Do a time audit. The first thing I make my clients do is a time audit. I want to see– and I want them to see–how they are spending their time. It is crazy how much time people spend on social media, Hulu, Netflix, and lounging around. See how much time you can save in the week by being more productive. I am all for social media, Hulu, and lounging around, but maybe you are doing it too often or too much!

Block out time for time-wasters. Instead of taking time everyday to plan your meals or what clothes you are going to wear, take time at the end of each week to plan them out and get them ready. Schedule your email, keynote practice, social media, and TV consumption. Don’t check and respond to email throughout the entire day. Block out time in the morning and at night to do them rather than being interrupted on a regular basis.

De-clutter your work space. Stop letting your office space get in the way of what you need to accomplish. If you have paperwork you need to file, letters you need to write, bills you need to pay or things you see you need to do, clutter can stop you from being productive and fully engaged with the work at hand because it lingers in your mind.

Turn off that thing you still call a phone. Its buzzers, whistles, alerts, and photos comprise of a ticking time bomb to distract you. Put your phone on airplane mode when working and see how productive you really are.

Take time to incorporate one or more of these five things this week and see how much more productive you will be! As always…

Dream BIG,
Ryan

Jan 28

Love0

How to Deal With People Who Are Better Than You

By Ryan Avery Family & Personal Life 2 Comments

There is this feeling I get sometimes when I think, “Wow, that person is way better at that than I am.” Instead of getting angry or upset I do one of four things, and you may want to try these, too:

Reach out to them. Reach out and see what you can learn from them. Who knows? They might give you insight, advice, or strategies to become better. I can’t tell you how many people I have emailed or called and asked them how they do something and they just gave me the answer!

Copy them. If you find something they are doing that you like or that you know you could do better, copy them! Who is to say you can’t do it better?

Follow them. I utilize my lists on Twitter, adding people who are better than me to lists like “Speakers” or “Leaders” or “Mentors” so I can see what they are doing and how I can improve.

Share Them. Share with others what they are doing and why they inspire you. Show them that you are following them and you like their style!

People are not better than you; they are just bigger than you (with their reach). If someone else is doing something, that means you can do it also. Keep pushing yourself to new limits and as always…

Dream BIG,
Ryan

Jan 26

Love0

3 Reasons Why Your New Year’s Resolutions Will Fail

By Ryan Avery Motivation 2 Comments

Many of us set New Year’s Resolutions and after March 80% of us give up on them! Why? Here are three reasons your New Year’s resolutions will fail:

You Have Too Many of Them. Quit trying to accomplish five things at once! It’s overwhelming! Instead, try putting all of your energy into accomplishing just one thing. If you are spread too thinly, you could easily lose focus and eventually give up.

You Jumped on a Band Wagon. You decided to do something because your friends or family are doing it and not because you really want to do it! If you don’t believe in it, it will be easy to quit or forget. Do something that you really want to do and that makes you feel good. Forget the wagon!

You Are Doing The Same Thing. Come on… what is the definition of insanity again… “doing the same thing, expecting different results!” Just because it is a new year does not mean it is going to be easier, or that you are going to be more motivated. It means you must do something different. You have to hang around different people. You have to write your goals down and share them with your family and friends. You have to identify the consistent behaviors that hinder you from accomplishing your new year’s resolution and change those behaviors. Like they say, “If you don’t like change, you will like irrelevance even less!” Change your ways and you will change your world!

If you want to, you can share with us what your new year’s resolution or goals for this year are in the comments below. Come on… put some positive pressure on yourself and let us hold you accountable! As always…

Dream BIG,
Ryan

Jan 21

Love0

Six Semi-Risky Ways to Land Your Dream Job

By Ryan Avery Adventure 4 Comments

Most of the things on this list I have done myself. They have all worked for me in some capacity, especially the one regarding YouTube!

More competition exists now than ever before to get a job, let alone land your dream job. You need to take some risks, stand out, and show your future employer you can take the initiative. Here are six semi-risky ways to land your dream job:

Drive to their office. Sit and wait to talk to them in person. I have heard of leaders like Steve Jobs doing this and others! Demand to meet with them in person no matter how long it takes! I did this for a job once and waited for two hours until the manager came back. One week later I landed the job!

Make a YouTube video. Doing this got my foot in the door at Special Olympics and caught the CEO’s attention. I had little experience compared to the other candidates, but she saw it and liked it. They wanted someone in addition who was savvy with video and social media, so it played to my advantage. I have never shared this video publicly before, but if you want to see it, here it is!

Send them a handwritten letter. Handwritten letters in today’s hyper-communicated world are king! They get read and they create an emotional connection, thus providing an opportunity for you to stand out and shine. If you have poor handwriting, ask a friend to write a letter for you using your words.

Volunteer at one of their events Let them see your face! Show them you care by asking if they need help with anything from taking out the garbage to hanging up fliers in town. Anything you can do to show them you work hard, take initiative, and make things happen!

Ask to Intern. Go to a person in the office and ask if you can help them with the everyday tasks they don’t want to do. Offer to come in every other day, once a week, or as often as you can. Being seen at the office will get people wondering, “Who is the new guy/lady!” Consistency and familiarity will help you land your dream job!

Just start working. I read an article about this leader who wanted to work at Universal Studios; he just showed up and began asking what people needed help with, and if he could get anyone coffee. He did it for a week. Someone finally asked if he worked there and he said, “No, but I should would like to!” A few weeks later he was hired!

Take some risks. Your dream job is worth it! You already don’t have the job, so why not try! Regardless of what happens, you will have a good story, get your name out there, and possibly land yourself the career you have been wanting! As always…

Dream BIG,

Ryan

Jan 14

Love3

9 Reasons “Those” People Always Win

By Ryan Avery Motivation One Comment

You know those people who always win? They seem to have everything, accomplish everything, and do everything! Well, here are nine reasons why “those” people always win:

They start. They don’t care about knowing how to do it; they learn along the way. They are not held down by waiting until everything is perfect before starting. They get started and get closer to becoming perfect. It’s like Jim Rohn said, “You don’t have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great!”

They keep going. They fail… oh, boy do they fail, but they take that failure, learn from it, and move on. They keep going when times are good, when times are rough, and when times are uncertain. They always keep moving forward while appreciating the past!

They have a positive attitude. Negative things come their way on a regular basis, but they have learned to find the positive in it. They have learned how to learn from the negative rather than let it consume them. Their attitude is infectious. They work hard to build up others along the way!

They evaluate their performance. Whether they win or lose they are constantly seeing what they can do to get better, be better, and do better the next time. They look at wins and losses in the same way, as opportunities for improvement. They ask others for feedback, and they work to incorporate the suggestions the next time.

They hangout with other winners Winners hang out with other winners! You think Michael Jordan hangs out with a bench warmer? No, he hangs out with Michal Phelps and Oprah! Whom you surround yourself with is whom you will become. Take a mental note of the people with whom you socialize; it’s time for some people to acquire new friends!

They believe in themselves. They are constantly believing in themselves and their abilities. They might not know how to do it, but they have the drive and will to learn how. They say “I can” and “I will” on a regular basis.

They invest their time. They are not spending their time, they are investing their time. While others are watching TV, playing video games, and sleeping in late, they are up early, reading books, practicing, and getting out there!

They focus. They are not trying to do five things at once. They are all in. They focus and put their attention level to the test by pushing all of their brain power to accomplish the task at hand! They focus, focus, focus!

They delegate. They know what their strengths and weaknesses are, and they do something about it. They utilize their strengths and delegate their weaknesses to others. They surround themselves with a strong team who can take on any challenge and look at instilling the same qualities in their teams as the ones listed above!

Constant winners don’t wait for things to happen. They make things happen! They take the above nine things and work on them everyday! Ask yourself… are you a winner? As always…

Dream BIG,
Ryan

Jan 12

Love0

How to Live Before You Die

By Ryan Avery Family & Personal Life 5 Comments

Last Monday, my aunt passed away. My cousins lost their mom, my uncle lost his wife, and my Aunt Becky and mom lost their sister.

Death hasn’t occurred too much in my family. I am not a religious person, so I can’t say with certainty what happens after this life. But what I can say, what I am reminded of when someone we love leaves this earth, is that we should live life before we die. Here’s how…

Soak up Your Family. How much time are you spending with those you love?

Fall in Love. What are you doing to make more room for love in your heart?

Smile More. How much do you smile?

Travel Often. Where in the world do you want to go? Go there!

Share Your Feelings. Don’t hold them in. Share what you feel and believe!

Take a Break. Take time to breathe in the air and really see your surroundings. Give thanks for what you have!

Live Your Life, Not Someone Else’s. Are you living the life that is true to you?

Create a Bucket List. What do you want to do before you die?

Actually Start Your Bucket List. What are you doing to check things off the list?

Volunteer More. How do you give back on a regular basis?

Make Money but Don’t Let it Consume You. Money gives us options, but are you too consumed with it?

Be Adventurous. When is the last time you have done something adventurous and fun?

Create Something That Helps Others. What are you doing to offer your talents to the world? Will the world be better off once you leave?

Dream… Then Go After Them. Please, please dream! The world belongs to those who dream and take action! The bigger your dream, the more you give the world! So please, please dream!

There is a saying that, “Everyone wants to go to heaven, but no one wants to die!” I don’t know what the next life will look like, but for now I want you and me to live our lives before we leave this earth!

I want more people to have fun, enjoy family time, and work to accomplish something bigger than themselves! Live life, live today, and as always…

Dream BIG,
Ryan

Jan 05

Love0

6 Reasons You Should Be More Attractive

By Ryan Avery Motivation 3 Comments

This sounds harsh, but it is true! Prettier people have it easier than ugly people! I am not only talking about your appearance, I am talking about having an attractive attitude, outlook, and energy! The good thing about our individual beauty is that we can do a lot to improve the way we look and feel without changing our core values.

We also need to do a good job identifying what attractive looks like to “us” and not “them” because being attractive is more about a feeling than a look. It’s more about confidence than about your cheekbones or chic clothes! Being attractive is all about how you feel!

So here are… Six Reasons Why You Should Be More Attractive:

1) You get paid more: According to Daniel Hamermesh, a professor of economics at the University of Texas at Austin, and author of the new book Beauty Pays: Why Attractive People Are More Successful, says a good-looking person will earn, on average, $230,000 more over the course of a lifetime than someone who is perceived as less attractive.

2) More people like you: More people want to be around attractive people than they do ugly people–both physically ugly and emotionally ugly! If you don’t agree, look at any magazine on the shelf. You will see a supermodel who gets paid millions or politicians without brains, but a little more beauty can help win an election!

3) You feel more confident: This is the most important one. Remember: being attractive is a feeling, not a look! Plus, if you want to be a leader, you have to look and feel as though you have confidence. Simon Sinek says the only things a leader needs are followers. Well, you can’t and won’t get those followers if they don’t have confidence in what they see in you!

4) Things are easier for you: I mean all you need to do is read all eight reasons from this Business Insider article to see why!

5) You appear to be friendlier: According to PickTheBrain.com those who smile more bear less stress, a smile is a universal sign of happiness, and smiling helps us get promoted! And if you think it is all about looks, think again. According to Orbit Complete, 69% of people find women more attractive when they smile than when they wear make-up! When you seem happier, less stressed, and confident, more people are going to want to be around you!

6) You are more likely to get a job: According to the 2011 Economic Letters attractive people are 10.3% more likely to be considered for a job compared to 7.6% for less attractive people. Have you ever wondered why some companies ask for your photo in a job application? Are you guilty of looking at someone’s social media before you hire them and judge them based on their looks? I have been guilty of this myself!

In two days I will post an article called “Six Ways to Be More Attractive“. I believe everyone is attractive in his or her own right, but all first have to believe they are! As sad as it is, pretty people (both inside and out) have it better! The good news is we all have the opportunity to look and feel more attractive on a daily basis! As always…

Dream BIG,

Ryan

Question: In your opinion, why do you think we put so much value on being attractive?

Dec 29

Love0

5 easy ways to live in the present moment everyday

By Ryan Avery Motivation, Productivity One Comment

Today’s question comes from Kapil Patel from Ronkonkoma, NY when he asks “How do you live in the present moment everyday?”

This can be difficult now that we are conditioned to be distracted with the temptation of multitasking and the various communication channels we use. But is necessary if we want to taste what life has to offer!

They say, “Today is a gift, that’s why we call it the present.” I know sometimes I will wake up and say, “Where did my weekend go?” or “How was that day was so quick?” It’s because I numbed out or while or was focused on something else. There are times when I am trying to complete a task and the whole time I will be thinking about the next thing I have to do. Rather than put my energy and focus in what I am doing I am out in la-la land and wake up feeling like I didn’t live that day.

We only get one life. Some of us get better lives than others. Some get more years. Very few find ways to be happy everyday but it is possible!

Here are five things to do to center yourself and be present everyday:

Remind yourself you will be gone one day: This can be hard to think about but if we can remind ourselves we are not immortal and one day their will be a last page to our autobiography it can help get us focused. I know when I think about this it brings me back to what is important in my life; family/friends, adding value to others and being adventurous.

Give thanks for all your senses at night: I used to do this for years. I would lay in bed and go through all of my senses one by one and think about what would I see that day? What did I feel ? Hear? Taste? Smell? Now I don’t wait till the end of the night. I do it when I experience it. This exercise has heightened my senses and makes me appreciate the small things.

Do something random: That photo you see above! I took a run the other day and all these kids were playing in that fountain so I decided to run through it. I have always wanted to do this and decided “What the heck, I am sweaty anyways, why not get wet!” I think some of the moms might have judged me, but who cares, I still want to feel like I am 12 sometimes and I smiled the entire way home. It’s like in the

Set up reminders: Put a reminder every 3 hours in your phone during the times you are awake that says, “Are you being present right now?” Or put quotes up around your house, car, bathroom or office! Set up visual reminders and make sure you change them often so they don’t become things you look at and pass over.

Take 5 minutes of alone time: This has been one of the best things I have done in the past few years. Everyday I take five minutes of alone time. No phone. No computer. I don’t think about what I need to get done or what I did wrong or where my future will take me. I sit, walk or lay in an area that is calming and I won’t be distracted for at least five minutes. Sometimes this can be me locked in a laundry room or on a hotel balcony overlooking the ocean.

The Latin word for present is Ostendo, Ostendo is defined as: show, reveal, make plain or declare. So being present is more than a “feel-good” feeling. This can often be the time when you come up with the best ideas, when you reveal who you really want to be, when your inner self declares what you want to accomplish in life. It can also be a great way to feel alive and happy!

Take time to implement these five action items into your daily routine and start living in the present moment. Thanks for the question Kapil and as always…

Dream BIG,
Ryan

P.s. What other ways can we be in the present moment? Remember to sing up for my blog in the top right hand corner if you want to receive posts similar to this every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 9am PST!