New Year's Resolution? Or Something Better?

Every year, the same old thing. You come up with some New Year's resolutions. Things that you want to do in your life. Things you NEED to do in your life. This is going to be the year they get done. This year you are going to stay with it and not quit. This year you're going to persevere through the setbacks. This year you will accomplish everything. Yeah. Right. The reality is that this year people will come up with the same resolutions they probably had last year and the year before that. Why? Because they never accomplish those things the first time around. Has anyone figured out that New Year's resolutions really are difficult to succeed at? This is why I am proposing something different for 2013.

This year, instead of coming up with a resolution for the whole year, come up with New Day's resolutions!! When you make a resolution you are resolving to accomplish something. Maybe you want to lose weight. Or start an exercise program. Or stop smoking. Whatever it is, I want you to resolve to accomplish it for just one day. That's it. One day. Then resolve to accomplish it the next day and then the next day after that. That's all you need to do to achieve the results you desire anyway.

Most people make a resolution for the year and when they slip for a day or two or three, they deem themselves a failure and quit altogether. But if you make a resolution every day, then if you miss a day...or slip up, then it isn't as big a deal. You just make the resolution again the next day and work to accomplish it. Just one day. Add all those days together and think of how many pounds you will have lost. Think of all the days you will have exercised. Think of all the days you didn't smoke. Think of all the negative habits that have now been replaced with newer, more positive habits. And isn't that the goal of making resolutions in the first place? My wish for you is that you accomplish and achieve all that you want in 2013.....one day at a time.

The Great Momentum

The definition of momentum is the impetus of a moving object. Momentum remains constant unless it is acted upon by an outside force. In classical mechanics, it is defined as mass times velocity. Or the size of the object multiplied by the speed it is moving. Business leaders, sports coaches and motivational experts are always speaking about taking "massive action". Massive is the size and action is the velocity. The bigger and faster you can move yourself, your idea, your goals, the football or whatever, then the more momentum you will have generated.

Momentum is your best friend. I don't care who you are or what you do, momentum is a necessity. Sometimes, momentum is the only difference between winning and losing...achieving and failing. It is extremely difficult to get momentum and even more difficult to keep it. But keep it you must. If you have ever watched the 100 Meter dash in the Olympics you will see that the start, the time when the runners leave the blocks, is actually timed. The announcers make a big deal out of who got the fastest start. Why? Because the   faster the start, the more momentum throughout the race. And how much difference is there between one runner to the next? Only a few thousandths of a second!! That's it. The small difference in momentum at the start ends up being a larger difference at the finish. The difference between winning and losing. Whatever your goals are, you must get a fast start to create this winning momentum.

Still a Slave? Or Free at Last?

 I'm always hearing and reading of people writing about helping others to be free. Telling people to stop being a slave to others and create financial independence. Guess what? I'm one of those people, too. I know. Some people will say, "But, Scott. I am free. I can choose to do whatever I want." They are right.....to a point. They have freedom of choice but they have chosen to be slaves. Can you believe that anyone would do such a thing? Well, let's have a little history lesson.

 In America, we had slavery at one time. Officially, it ended in the 1860's but it never really went away. It only changed. The old kind of slavery was physical. Slaves were kept in chains, kept illiterate, physically beaten as punishment. Today's slavery is more of an economic bondage. Slaves are kept in low paying jobs, credit debt, and barely educated to do their jobs.

 Let me tell you a story about the slaves who suffered through physical bondage. Back then, a slave would wake up in the morning and have some strange feeling in the pit of their stomach. They weren't sick, just didn't feel right. Have you ever felt like that? Well, the slave couldn't quite determine what was wrong and so they went out for their day of work. Everyday, the same thing...the same feeling. Eventually, some slaves were able to repress that feeling, or to just deal with it as something that would never go away. Others, though, figured it out. What was that feeling inside of them? It was a small ember. A tiny flame...the flame of freedom burning within them. They KNEW they were meant to be free. Everyday they felt wrong because they were living wrong. And so, they ran away. But not being from America, they didn't know which way to go. What areas would be safe? These escaped slaves were easily caught and brought back for tortuous punishment. But did the flame die. NO!! Eventually, they learned of a place called the "north". A slave could be free in the north. So, they would escape again and head north. But where do you think the slave-catchers would be? Yep, hanging out north of the slave states. Again, slaves would be captured, returned and tortured.

 Some slaves would slip through and gain their freedom, though. Out of those, some kept on going and never looked back. They had their freedom and all they wanted to do was make a new life. Others, however, felt a little guilty that they should be free while others still toiled for their masters. The freed men and women began going back south to help others escape safely. The use of certain roads and trails and farmhouses came to be known as the Underground Railroad. Now, the most famous freed person of the Underground Railroad was a little old lady named Harriet Tubman. When she, and others, would pick up another group of escapees she would lead them to freedom. But some escapees would start to have doubts...begin to second guess their choice. They would start to talk about how good they had it back at the master's place. "The master is going to be mad at me. But if I go back now, my punishment might not be so bad. I sure miss what little I had." As  they would stop and turn to head back, they would go face to face with Harriet Tubman. She would tell them they weren't going back. The escapee would say yes they were. Back and forth, back and forth until it escalated. Now, being a petite old lady it was mostly a physical mismatch and when the escaped slaves would try to push their way past Harriet, she would pull out her pistol and put it right up against the head of the slave wanting to go back. You see, going back would mean the slave would be tortured until they gave up all the secrets of the Railroad. For the greater good, nobody could return once they set out for freedom. So, Harriet would tell the escapee, "You're either going forward or you're going down. But you ain't going back."

 What does all this have to with you here in the modern day. Well, you are either an economic slave or you are an escapee. For those of you who have escaped and found freedom, you may be trying to help others do the same. You have found a way, a system to create your freedom. And you have to have that same toughness with people that you are helping that Harriet Tubman had. There must be no going back. And for those of you who wake up everyday with that horrible feeling in the pit of your stomach as you tumble out of bed to get dressed for that job of yours, well now you know what that feeling is. The flame of freedom. It's calling you. It's burning a hole inside of you...creating discomfort, wanting you to act on it. You need to start finding your personal Underground Railroad....your ticket to financial freedom. And when you start thinking about quitting, turning back, saying how good you had it with the little bit that your master gave you every two weeks, go to the mirror and fix your hand in the shape of a gun and put it to your head and tell yourself...."You're not going back. Ever!" Escape from your corporate master and run away from your cubicle plantation as fast as you can. Only then will you be able to live the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr......Free at last, free at last. Thank God Almighty. I am free, at last!!