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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 06

Love0

What is a Todayer?

By Ryan Avery Communication, Leadership, Motivation 3 Comments

The reason I started this blog was to motivate and inspire people to take action on their big goals. I believe we all have the opportunity to add value to this world, and the bigger we dream, the more value we add.

I see my friends, family and community go through the motions of life rather than utilizing their potential and giving their gifts to the world. It’s been said, “The biggest obstacle keeping you from becoming the greatest, is you settling for being good at what you do!”

Just like a car needs gasoline, humans need motivation to move. The farther you plan to go the more you need! My articles, videos, speeches, and life are dedicated to motivating you toward accomplishing your goals and helping you make things happen.

This blog is for those who want to take advantage of today, plan for tomorrow, and to achieve their BIG dreams. I write, speak, and share stories to motivate you to pursue your goals while being open and honest as I strive to attain mine.

So where does the term “Todayer” come into play?

I want to build a like-minded community of people who think, “I am sick of being average, and I am ready to be the best!” I looked at those who were accomplishing big things and I found that each one of them

Takes advantage of what he or she has right now
Plans for the future
Has a positive attitude
Takes action
Gives back

So, for me a Todayer is someone who takes advantage of today, plans for tomorrow, and actively goes after BIG dreams!

We learn as we go, we support each other while we are on our way, and we make things happen. Do we mess up? Yes! Do we give up! No! We take advantage of what we are given and use it to help others, build up those around us, and make an impact.

After seeing this quote, “The goal is not to live forever, the goal is to create something that will!” on an old journal I thought… I want to build a community around people who want more motivation, want to make a difference in this world, and want to go after their big dreams… no matter how crazy, outlandish, and far-fetched the dream seems!

I hope you will join us. Read, share, and comment on articles and videos you see here. I am here for you. I am here to offer motivational stories, strategies, and insights of real value to you.

You will see a lot more of the word “Todayers” on this blog. My hope is to one day see the word spread and have a community full of those who take advantage of today, plan for tomorrow, and go after their BIG dreams!” As always…

Dream BIG,
Ryan

* Subscribe to this blog via email at the top right hand corner of this article if you feel you would like to join us in being a Todayer!

Feb 04

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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

Feb 01

Love0

15 Best and Worst Super Bowl Commercials 2015

By Ryan Avery Motivation 3 Comments

Which were the best and worst Super Bowl commercials this year? Some watch the BIG Game to show support for their team, or to bet BIG money on the game, or to indulge their passion for football! But if you are like me, I switch between watching the Puppy Bowl and watching the BIG Game because of the commercials.

This year we had ones that made us laugh, cry, cringe, think, and feel! What do you think topped the cake for the best and worst Super Bowl commercial in 2015?

Here are the 15 best and worst Super Bowl commercials of 2015 in my opinion:

Jan 30

Love0

My 4 Favorite Speeches of 2014

By Ryan Avery Communication, Motivation No Comments

I watch TED talks every week. Sometimes, I lose track of time as I watch speech after speech soaking up knowledge and critiquing a speaker’s style.

In 2014 I heard four different speakers who each moved me in different ways. Here are my four favorite speeches in 2014 and why:

Dananjaya Hettiarachchi: The 2014 World Champion of Public Speaking rocked the stage in Kuala Lumpur at the Toastmasters International Convention. He had the world captivated with his message and is doing a great job representing the organization!

Edward Snowden: What I loved about this speech is how we can utilize technology to get our voice heard. We no longer need to be on stage to share a message. This speech is inspiring, futuristic, and insightful. You can see the government’s response to Snowden’s speech here. In my opinion, whether you agree with Snowden or not, he did a much better job presenting. You can tell why how you present makes just as much of a difference as what you present.

Simon Sinek: I may or may not have a man crush on Simon Sinek. He is genuine, full of knowledge and uses his voice to create better leaders. His books are fantastic and his speaking style and ability is of the quality of Ziglar and Robbins. His speech inspires me to be a better leader and motivates me to “up my game” as a speaker!

I realize there are no women on this list and I am going to do a much better job this year keeping my eyes open for amazing females who rock the world with their voice!

What were some of your favorite speeches of 2014? If you know of someone who moved you last year, please share in the comments below! 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 23

Love0

The 5 Best Books for Speakers

By Ryan Avery Communication, Motivation 6 Comments

Here are the best books for speakers. These five books have changed my personal and professional life in some way or another when it comes to being a better speaker:

Million Dollar Consulting. This book is hands-down the best business book I have read on public speaking and consulting. If you read only one book on the business side of speaking and consulting, let it be this one! It is life changing!

Speak Like Churchill, Stand Like Lincoln. This was the book I read which helped me win the world championship of public speaking in 2012. I still utilize the tools in this book. Anyone serious about speaking on stage needs to pick up a copy!

Speaker Leader Champion. Yes, I wrote this book with Jeremey Donovan, but more importantly–what this book allowed me to do was dive deeper into public speaking and the art and science behind motivating people on stage. I learned more from writing this book than I have from any other thing I have done as a speaker. It is for those looking to excel in the workplace through the power of public speaking. I recommend for anyone wanting to teach a subject to write a book about it, first. It forces you to focus, research, and find stories that can help your target audience.

Stop Talking, Start Communicating. I was handed a copy of this book by my publisher. It changed the way I communicate on a day-to-day basis. Those who are searching for ways to improve the way they communicate on and off stage need to pick up a copy of Geoffrey’s book!

Confessions of a Public Speaker. This book gives great insight into why people are afraid of public speaking, what it is really like being a professional speaker, and why everyone is not fit for it in the first place! It’s a great read filled with tips, stories, and strategies for those of us who call ourselves speakers.

Read and implement the strategies found in one of these five books this year and watch your personal and professional life strengthen immediately! As always…

Dream BIG,
Ryan

Question: What other books do you recommend? Leave your answers in the comments below!

Jan 19

Love0

The MLK Day GIVEAWAY

By Ryan Avery Motivation 20 Comments

In honor of Dr. Martin Luther King I want to provide a free copy of his

For those looking for a transcript of his “I Have a Dream Speech” here it is, word for word:

Always use your voice to make a difference. Your voice is the most powerful tool on the planet. You might not be alive one day to see your actions and words change the world, but think of the impact you can have if you start speaking up! As always…

Dream BIG,
Ryan