You are the CEO of Your Life - So What Are You Are Going to Do About It?

Earlier this week, I decided to be a little social at the company cafeteria and sat down with some people I knew.    I figured why not, the cafeteria was serving some BBQ and it would be great to get my mind off of work for a few minutes.    So, I sat down and the conversation started with some small talk, which led to what people did for evening activities after work.   There were six of us sitting at the lunch table so I am sure I would be hearing about some interesting hobbies, maybe about their children's activities or even about a little side gig they are doing.   Not a chance.

The conversation was dominated by news events, TV shows and more TV Shows.    I heard about "The Walking Dead", "The Game of Thrones", "13 Reasons Why" and then more "Game of Thrones".  The excitement and energy over these TV shows was baffling.   Then everyone looked at me wondering why I was so quiet and then proceeded to ask what do I watch on TV.     I answered, well, I don't really watch TV, except maybe Shark Tank or The Profit.  But most of the time, I read books when I am home.    Being nice, one person asked if I was into Science Fiction books.    I said that I was not into Science Fiction and proceeded to mention that some of my favorite authors are Gary Vaynerchuk,  T. Harv Eker and maybe Napoleon Hill.

By now, everyone looked at me like I was some freak show with no life.   I mean, I don't watch "Game of Thrones"?   How lame is that?  One person asked me if Gary Vaynerchuk was some pyramid scheme.

Ok, now I was at a point, that maybe in the future, I will look to spend lunch with a different crew.

You hear these facts all the time.

95% of people work hard to make the other 5% rich.
It is not the size of your TV, it is the size of your Library, that matters
With today's volatile economy, it is more important than ever to have multiple streams of income.

My impression from the TV addicts I sat with is that they basically rely on their company and their boss to dictate their own success and their free time is staying up to date with the most popular TV shows.  After all, what does "Game of Thrones" have to do with investing in a business?  

I didn't have a problem with my lunch colleagues, in fact it was fun and informative.  The time I spend at lunch made me think of how I am a little different from most of my colleagues at work.

So, let's talk about being the CEO of your life.

You are the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of your life.   You are 100% responsible for your life; its happiness, its wealth and its health.  Your life is the organization and as such will have different departments such as accounting, marketing or health.   In other words, how you manage your finances, your resume, and your wellness.

Here are some tips to get your own departments in order:

- First, assess who you hang with and who influences you, and make any changes that have nothing to do with what you are working to accomplish.

- Second, what is the purpose of your own life?  Is it to be Rich?  Healthy? Compassionate? or all of the above?   Write it down on your dream board so you stay focused.

- Third, assess how you are spending your time.  Are you spending at least 80-90% of time on result producing activities that work toward your goals as the CEO of yourself?  Build a roadmap toward your goals and stay on track.

Personally, my goal is to not rely on a corporation to reach my goals of financial independence and happiness.    I am working toward my goals by reading the right books, hanging with the right people and spending my time on result producing activities "after work" such as my business ventures.  That is what I am doing about it, how about you?

The World of Video is Expanding and Can't Be Ignored - Introducing You T...

Adapt or Die - Why Change is Great for Your Career, Business and Life

You heard it all before, that old saying "This is how it has always been done, it works, why change?".  As an IT professional, it drives me crazy to hear that, since IT is supposed to be all about innovation and adapting to changing technologies and processes.

I would like to provide some examples, how entrenched we are with not changing our habits, our career and generally, the way we do things.   Then, I like to offer a suggestion how to change.

Have you ever noticed that when people go to vote, they select the same candidate over and over again, despite complaining about the state of affairs and how bad the candidate is.  Think Rhode Island politics.   Next time, perhaps research the other candidates and make an educated risk to select someone new.   It may bring the change that is needed in your area.

When people talked about shopping online, Amazon comes to mind first.  Believe or not, there are way better online shopping sites out there, and they don't ding you for that great deal of $99 a year for "free shipping".

Here is a case of a relationship going through the motions.  When a couple is thinking of going out to dinner on a Saturday night and they end up going to the "usual" place where every wait person knows their name.  Eventually, the ravioli may get a little boring.   Check out some websites that can provide some ideas of new new restaurants and/or entertainment venues to mix it up a little and put a spark in that old relationship.

How about a classic, the corporate employee that will not go away.  You have been working at the same job for eight, ten maybe fifteen years, and someone suggests that you attend a networking event or to look at a business idea that might make you more money.  Your first reaction, is that networking events and side businesses are a scam.   Working 9 to 5 is the way to go, why change?  Until that ol' layoff happens.    Change your perspective and listen to ideas and build your network, even if you have been at Fidelity for 50 years in some comfy job with 1% annual raises.

Face it, the world is changing fast.   Real fast.
Technology is eliminating jobs.   Jobs are no longer safe.  Technology professionals have to constantly stay ahead of the curve.  After all, how many C++ programmers are there now that are still working steadily.    Adapt to new technologies or die.

The whole idea of change is to introduce opportunity and a new perspective that can bring great results.    The ones that can adapt to change without thinking it is bad, live on.  The ones that thinks change is bad, die.

So take a different route to work next time, try a new restaurant, shake up that exercise routine and most all adapt to life, since life is changing fast for all of us, and for the better.

When It Comes to Your Health - It Is All About Love, Nutrition and Exercise - An Inspiration from Max

Recently, we lost our beloved miniature pinscher, Max, after enjoying 15 and half years of his 18 years of life.   Max was our son, our laughter and our guard dog.   After a long day, it was always heartwarming to see his little tail wagging in happiness to see you and then he proceeded to beg for a treat.    Max has provided more memories that will forever be on our minds.

It has been a tough few weeks.    As we broke the news of Max's passing to friends, family and colleagues, the outpouring of sympathy warmed our hearts.   When we mentioned Max's age, that he passed at 18 years old, a sense of amazement and eyes popping our of their heads was a common reaction.    Wow, Max lived 18 years?   The life expectancy of miniature pinschers was around 14 years.   We were always asked, what was our secret to Max's long life?

It was easy.
Love, Nutrition and Exercise.

Love - We were always there for Max and telling him that we loved him and made sure he had all the comforts of home.   We treated Max like gold since he was gold to us.

Nutrition - We rarely gave Max human food.  After all, he is a canine.   We made sure he had his vitamins and ate the best food.   He would have a treat here and there, but we made sure the treats had the nutrition Max needed for a long life

Exercise - Max didn't just sit around.   Until his last week, we took him out for walks every day, sometimes 3 or 4 times a day.  Max has hiked a few short mountains and walked some of our great beaches.   Back in the early days, he would sprint after the squirrels and rabbits in our back yard.

What we learned from caring from Max is how important, love, nutrition and exercise is to personal health.   I know I am stating the obvious, but for some people that are not in the best of health, perhaps something is missing that will help them reach their health and wellness goals.

Here are some ideas to help you focus on the three important aspects of great health.

Love - At AIMC Health Solutions we always stress that positive mindset and determination is the most important part of a health/wellness plan.   First, get rid of any negative influence in your life and focus your energy on the positive influences in your life.   Even if you are totally out of shape and are going to the gym for the first time, congrats to you and hang with people that cheer for you, not hurt you.   You will notice your energy level go up the more you are around positive influences.

Nutrition - It really is all about what you put into your bodies.    You heard that sugar strips your body of nutrients and even causes disease if taken in high doses.   Dairy, alcohol and soft drinks do nothing to help your health.   Yes, milk has calcium, but it is pasteurized calcium, not the real thing.  Focus on food that is naturally produced like fruits and vegetables, and take a vitamin supplement to help closed the gap on your body's daily nutritional needs.    Once you start eliminating sugar and artificial foods out of your diet, you will notice your appearance and general feeling about life to be a lot better.

Exercise - Another important aspect of what AIMC Health Solutions preaches to their clients is fitness and exercise.   You can eat the best foods, take the best vitamins, but if you don't move, you may still have health issues.   A recent study mentioned, that people that sit at a desk all day at their job is worst than smoking a pack of cigarettes a day.    Put together an exercise program with a mix of cardiovascular work, free weights and even yoga and follow it at least three or four days a week.   A little tip is to go for walk after each meal so your body processes your food faster.   The more you exercise, the better you will feel about yourself and reach your health and wellness goals.

Finally, when it is all said and done, focusing on love, nutrition and exercise is what it is all about, so lose the negative nellies, eat small nutritional meals, and get the gym and you will experience some amazing results!

How to Set Yourself Apart in the Social Media World - 5 Quick Tips

In the digital world we are in, the daily drill is always the same.

You head into the homestretch of your long day, and you have some time, so you pull out your smartphone to check your Facebook News Feed, Messenger, Twitter and Instagram.

As you scroll through your newsfeeds and messages, you notice a lot of boring monotonous posts about the same damn thing.

Political Post
Political Post
Post About How Great Life Is
Post About How Miserable Life Is
Political Post
Post About Great Ground Floor Opportunity That Will Make You Rich
Political Post

Makes you want to flush your smartphone down the toilet.

Bu then, you get all anxious that you might be missing the meaningless text or Facebook Post.  Maybe, just maybe, someone would post something that set themselves apart from all the rest.

So How Do You Set Yourself Apart in the Social Media World and not cause a spike of smartphones in our sewer system?   Here are 5 Quick Tips.

1) Identify and Post About Your Passion -  Everyone has a passion whether it is the weather, music, sports, helping others or simply a great hobby.   Post articles about your passion or a challenge you are having learning a new song on your guitar.  Chances are you will get some engagement and people wanting to know more about your passion and why it interests you.

2) Friends First, Business Second - A lot of people use their Social Media Feed to promote their business not thinking there is a human side of social media.    Join my team, buy my product or service, quit your job.  You heard them all.   Use Social Media to make friends and build rapport.  Talk about hobbies (See #1) and then if your friend identifies a need, talk to them about it.

3) Be Yourself - Your Best Self on Social Media -  Keep it positive on social media and don't gloat how great you are.  If you are having a bad day, stay off your newsfeed.   People can care less if your hair looks bad.   People care even more less about the fifteenth selfie of yourself you posted today.   Communicate with your connections and ask questions about their thoughts on a topic you were researching.   It will bring you down to earth and you will be your best self.

4) Manage Your Time on Social Media - Social Media is meant to be social, not spend countless hours looking at posts about politics or some other controversial topic.  Think about leveraging your time on the social platforms that will help you, not waste you.  Subscribe to learning groups and nurture your brain versus stressing it out.  

5) Don't Spam! But Do Create Curiosity -  Network Marketers are notorious for this.   They post about how they are this amazing entrepreneur and if you don't join their cult, I mean team, you are a corporate job loser.   And they continue to post about their opportunity and/or product daily.  This my friends is spam.  The better way is to post something that build curiosity so they your connections ask for more.   An example, is to post a picture of a clean car, or a vacation spot or of yourself with new makeup.   Leave the post open ended, so it leads to engagement.

Why August is the Most Important Month of the Year to Business Network.

It is 85 degrees and sunny, you are at the beach in Rhode Island or climbing a beautiful mountain in Vermont.

You are enjoying quality time with friends and family.  The ol' family get-away house is busting at the seams with people and activity.   Then suddenly, the cell phone rings, and it is a potential client.   Your response?   Can we talk after Labor Day?

In reality, waiting till after Labor Day is a great idea for many reasons including spending time with your family, doing some soul searching and getting your priorities in line.   It is like the summer version of celebrating the new year.

However, for many, their business and/or their job is their lifeblood, and it is important to have a step ahead of the competition going into the busy September month.

One of the best ways to get ahead in August is to go to a business networking event and build a new names list for your business and career.   People generally have more time for events in August and usually the go-getters are at the same event and you may make some amazing connections that could bring you more business and career success.

By September, school has started, people are in work mode and may not attend as many events since life is getting in the way.

So, why is August a key time to do some business networking and conduct 1-on-1 meetings?

1. Most business professionals are in vacation mode in August and it also means that people in the office may be in fewer meetings.  Fewer meetings means that individuals may have more time to attend networking events or have a face-to-face meeting with you.   You might meet some great connections that have the same drive to succeed as you do.

2.  If you ever had the feeling that everyone else is on vacation but you?   The old saying of if you can't beat them, join them.   Look for events or hold 1-on-1 meetings in resort areas or destination places along the water and/or with a great view, so the meeting would be memorable in many ways.

3.  The early part of September is generally one of the worst times of the year to attend events.  Why?  Kids are back to school, schedules are moving and shifting and work schedules kick into high gear.   Generally, events don't really get going till late September so that is all the more reason to take advantage of the beautiful month of August and look for some great events to attend.

Top Ten Reasons Social Media Is Driving Us Crazy and Making Us Want The Old Days Back

You have all experienced it.   You are plowing through your Facebook News Feed and after about 35 negative posts about Trump and how much people hate him, you get to that post that hits you like a brick.  You know, the one with the tagged picture of you looking cross-eyed after a few too many cocktails.   You want to kill your dear Facebook friend, but heck, things can be worse right?

Social Media and smart phones are an epidemic.  I was walking through the streets of Boston today,  you can feel the magnet of wireless connectivity from all of the people glued to their phones posting an Instagram Story, commenting about their hair or even better tweeting about Donnie boy.   It honestly drives me crazy and makes me yearn for the good ol' days of wall phones, cassette tapes and people that talk to you and say hi walking down the street.

So I came up with the Top Ten Reasons Why Social Media is Driving Us All Crazy with some throwbacks to the old days.  Enjoy :)

10.   Everyone thinks they need to practice the First Amendment and then troll anyone that has a different opinion.    You know this never happened in 1995 right?

9.  You know that old crush from high school is trolling through all of your pictures now and using your picture as their screensaver.   Now that is a creepy thought.   Back in 1995, you just had a pin board in your room.  Now it is all online.  Creepy.

8. People need to post their "check-in" to the gym, the hairdresser, the bar, their work, their house, their garage, even their bathroom.   Honestly, who cares where you are right now.   You are asking to get stalked.

7. Trump.   That frigging orange face is all over the place.     He finally is in first place and on the first page of Google because he is trending on social media every flipping day.

6. Traffic in major cities is worst than ever.  Why? Because everyone is multi-tasking texting and posting on social media when they should be looking ahead and driving.   Wanna solve the traffic issue?   Everyone, put their phones down.   Back in 1995, the issue was reading the newspaper and shaving while driving.

5. Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Linkedin, SMS... UGH!!!!  Where else can I post about something useless today?   I can't keep up with all of these social media apps on my phone.  Remember in 1995, when we just had a beeper and it beeped when someone was trying to contact us?

4.  Social Media is now a Sales Funnel for that great new business you started.  Honestly, people could care less you found this great little organic grain drink that gives you energy and makes your skin glow like a full moon.   This  drives a lot of people crazy and has caused a lot of blocking of friends.    Back in 1995, you simply sold lemonade on the side of the street.

3.  People get so emotional on Social Media.    See #10.   Honestly, people need to chill out and not take things so seriously.   Who cares if someone posted that you have a wart on the side of your ear or they hate the city you live in?    Relax and remember, "Sticks and Stones May Break My Bones, But Words Will Never Hurt Me".   Move on.

2. Oh, great now they have live video on most Social Media platforms.  Nice, now some chick is going to post of video of her brushing her hair for twenty minutes.   That is sure to drive some people crazy.

1.  Always remember, everything you post cannot be deleted so if you screw up, it will be with you forever.   That is sure to drive you crazy.   Nothing like the old days when you can simply burn or shred that bad note.