Is it possible to raise my kids to be entrepreneurs? This is the question I asked myself recently. I believe the answer is “yes” and I want to be intentional with it. As all good parents, my wife and I want to set them up to be successful in life. Teaching them entrepreneurial skills would be a great first step. No, this is not just about money. Yes, play is important. In fact, as homeschool kids, mine get to play a lot. My primary motivation here is figuring out a way to stimulate their creativity. It is fascinating to me that from a young age I can already see their…
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Rest, Work and Relationships
These 3 areas of life are important to your productivity. They will propel you forward or hold you back if you let any one of them take priority over the others. If you rest too much, you may have time for relationships, but you will not be able to provide for your own needs. Not to mention the impending cycle of depression that will then keep you from working. You do not want to go down this road! If you spend too much time on relationships, at the expense of work or rest, again you are headed somewhere you don’t want to go. I do not know anyone who has…
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Worship with Your Work
What is worship? I’m not going off of any special definition. Essentially worship is anything we do that brings God glory, anything that lifts up the name of Jesus. I want to suggest we begin to worship with our work. Whether we are creating something amazing, running a report, taking out the trash or whatever you do during your workday, you can choose to enter into worship while you work. Decide to make it about God. Decide to do it for Him. Do you like what you are doing? Do you hate it? Are you thinking about making a change? Or do you plan to keep it up for as…
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Productive Creativity: Helping Creatives Manage Time and Create with Excellence
Creativity has always been a high value for me. I would not put myself on the super creative end when matched up against all creatives on the planet. However, I do love to create and am absolutely captivated by the creativity of others. So why a post on “Creativity” in the “Productivity” category of my blog? Those two don’t go together. They are opposites. Or are they? I actually believe everyone is made to create. Sometimes we are discouraged from creativity. Some other values stamp out the creativity bone in us. I do not believe productivity is the culprit though. Productivity is about efficiently using your time to accomplish the…
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Read with Me: Linchpin by Seth Godin
Here is a list of what I’m reading this quarter. Would love for you to join in with me. The 4-Hour Workweek by Timothy Ferriss – I just finished this one. Biggest takeaway, in my own words, you decide if you are going to work to live or live to work. Linchpin: Are You Indispensable? by Seth Godin – Started this one a few days ago. Jump in with me if you are interested. I think it will be a good one for both bosses and employees, as well as small business owners. Wisdom Meets Passion by Dan Miller and Jared Angaza – This is next up on my list. Looking forward…
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August Psalms Challenge
Starting August 1st, I’ll be reading the Book of Psalms. My goal is to read all 150 chapters in a month. Want to join me? Whether you are still deciding what role God will have in your life, new to faith, or you have been following Jesus for a long time, the Psalms are a great way to grow your faith. They help us see the power and mercy of God. “How am I going to read 150 chapters in 31 days? That seems impossible!” It is possible. It works out to about 5 chapters a day, which on most days will involve about 20 minutes of reading. Shhhhhhh. I…
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Step Into It
“What do you do?” I roll my eyes and begin to answer all the things I am currently involved in from my transition from nonprofit work into coaching…consulting and wherever else this leads me. After a long answer to a simple question, everyone listening has a glazed look in their eyes. I have impressed them with how busy I am (not really), but they really don’t know what I do. It is time to step into coaching. “I am a Life Coach. I help people create work that matters.” It can be a little intimidating as I am not only doing this right now. I am stuck in this in…
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Sleep More, Sit Less
It is an interesting dichotomy. We don’t get enough sleep and we sit too much. Both of these are killers, literally. Sleep Your body needs about 8 hours of sleep a night. Without it, you will be less productive, a less pleasant person to be around and tired (of course). You body needs sleep. My sweet spot is 7.5 hours. Less than this and I’ve noticed I feel groggy. More…well, I don’t usually have a problem with sleeping too much. My body wakes me up one way or another. Sitting Do you sit all day at work? That is bad. No really, it is not good for you. If you…
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Create Your Masterpiece
You are here for a purpose. In you is the passion, gifts and talents to do something spectacular. You have a masterpiece to create. What is your masterpiece? Perhaps you are interested in setting up a new business, launching a nonprofit, starting a venture or leaving a legacy. New Business – Whether starting from scratch or turning a side project into a business, you need to leave your j-o-b. It is time to act. You can make a profit and make a difference in the lives of others. Nonprofit – Ever thought about starting a nonprofit or ministry in your community? How about embarking on a new adventure internationally? Awesome! You can change the world! Venture – Do you…
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Meet Weekly with Your Spouse
Each week, Michelle and I sit down to check in, cover “business” related topics and look at our schedule. It is an opportunity to make sure we are on the same page for this week and coming weeks. It is also a chance to float any new ideas we might have to one another. Not a Date This meeting is not a date. We do dates at other times. Some topics might flow into both, especially cool ideas for our family. However, checking in on one another’s to do lists and double checking the calendar typically max out our time at this weekly check-in before the kids can’t stand it…