Coach Jay - Coaching Mavericks

MINDSET MONDAY: ELIMINATE NEGATIVE INFLUENCES Identify and limit exposure to negative influences in your life, whether they are people, media, or environments. Surround yourself with positivity and supportive individuals who uplift and inspire you to reach your potential. This is perhaps one of the biggest issues holding you back from your success. It is because as humans we like the familiar, and because we have belief systems that keep us from making the necessary changes of who or what you are trying to eliminate. Here is a simple example: Stop Watching the News. When I stopped watching the news, life changed for me. I eliminated a negative spiral that can become addictive. Most people will say that they, "need to be informed". But the fact is the news doesn't inform, it only provides, drama, controversy, negativity, divide, opinion, etc. How can I say that with such conviction? There are a lot of positive things going on in our world. Ask yourself, why is that not being reported? There are millions of stories happening, why do they only choose certain ones? Why are they controversial? Where are the stories of people getting along? We don't get the news, we get what they want to call the news. But it's 99.9% negative. When you eliminate it, your mind is at peace. You think more clearly and more innovatively BTW, I still know what's going on, you can't avoid it. This brings me to the next group that people do not want to eliminate...friends and family. Yep, I said it. Sometimes you need to drop your friends and limit your family. If they are not building you up, supporting you, encouraging you, and making you better...they must go...sorry, not sorry. The fact is, if you have people in your life that you are close to that are not making you better, they are making you worse. That's because we do not stay stagnant...we either grow or we die, we do not stay the same. If you are not where you want to be, you probably are surrounded by the wrong people. But we don't want to get rid of them. We like them. They are our family, after all. That may be all true, but that doesn't mean they are good for you. Key lime pie is delicious, but a regular diet of it will kill you. This is the most difficult of all and will take courage. I know I've done it. It is so difficult. But when you do it, the life changing benefits are amazing. Your success is multiplied. And when the blinders finally come off, you finally see how these people that you know so well, were the very people keeping you from achieving the greatness you have inside of you. So, take a look around you. Look at the people, and the things, that you consume. Are they making you more positive? Are they encouraging you to be better? Are you growing positively as a result of these people and things? If the answer is no, then you need to eliminate them. If you are looking for a new friend with a positive attitude...I'm right here. To your success! Coach Jay

STOP HOPING & WAITING, GET ACTIVELY INACTIVE! My biggest regrets have always come from waiting. Thinking that something was going to happen and that I did not need to put forth effort. Don't get me wrong, "faith" and "hope" are good things and necessary, but only in the right context. Check out this Proverb... 30 I passed by the field of the lazy man and the vineyard of the man lacking sense. 31 There it was, overgrown with thistles; the ground was covered with nettles, and its stone wall was broken down. 32 I looked, and I thought about it; I saw, and I learned this lesson: 33 “I’ll just lie here a bit, rest a little longer, just fold my hands for a little more sleep” — 34 and poverty comes marching in on you, scarcity hits you like an invading soldier. PROVERBS 24:30-34 The Rabbinic Interpretation: Nothing comes to those who wait, or at least not to those who wait too long. It isn’t that the idle do not have fields but that they do not tend to them, imagining that they will somehow take care of themselves. But entropy is the law, and all things give way to chaos unless continually refreshed. Do not imagine the wise avoid work or that labor is beneath them. On the contrary, the wise know when to work, while the foolish know nothing of it. My thoughts: How much of my life has been wasted because I just didn't "feel" like it was the right time? How often have I used "faith" as an excuse for inaction? How many times have I played the "victim" waiting to be saved? As I look back on my life, the answer is...too many! Yes, we must move wisely. And sometimes there are moments of active inaction. What do I mean, "active inaction". Think of the farmer. When the farmer plants, it appears that he is doing nothing more in the field. From an outsiders' perspective, it looks as if the farmer only plants and harvests...and that is all he does. He just works twice a year. Nothing could be further from the truth. The farmer is always working. There is always work to be done. As we say in farming life...the farm has no days off. They are actively inactive. Meaning they may not be tending to the field every day, but they are doing something to support it. The same is true of you and I. Don't get caught sitting and waiting, moping and hoping. When you have done the major work. Think about what more you can do to support your efforts. Is it a phone call? Is it writing an article? Is it an extra email or 12? Should be networking? What skills can you enhance? How knows someone that knows someone who can give you some tips or pointers? What about mental preparation? Emotional preparation? Spiritual preparation? How about the physical? What ever your quest is, whatever you have recently planted, don't just sit and wait. Get out there do something that either works toward your goals or can support it. That's when the harvest will be at its best. If I can help you...let me know. Coach Jay #izsoisms

MINDSET MONDAY VISUALIZE SUCCESS Spend a few minutes each day visualizing your goals as if they’ve already been achieved. Imagine the emotions and sensations associated with your success. This powerful technique can enhance motivation and reinforce your belief in your capabilities. It is very easy to get caught up into failure. This is why seeing yourself actually achieve your goals actually gets you closer to your goals. After gratitude, spend some time really seeing and feeling what it will look like and feel like to achieve the goals you have set. Really see it, and really feel it...when you do...that feeling and vision can inspire you to keep going. Let me know if I can help. Coach Jay #izsoisms

MINDSET MONDAY...I know it's Tuesday SET INTENTIONS AND ACTIONS At the beginning of each week, set clear intentions for what you want to achieve. WRITE THEM DOWN AND REVISIT THEM DAILY. This practice helps you stay focused and aligned with your goals, making it easier to navigate distractions and setbacks. More than likely, you set goals for the year. However, if you are like most people, they haven't looked at them since the beginning of the year. Your goals for the year need to be able to be broken down into weekly segments. Those weekly segments when added together should help reach the goals. Do you know what you need to do this week that will contribute to the goals you set in January? Finally, intention can be great, but they mean nothing if you do not act on them. It starts with intention, but it ends in action. Get your week off to the right start... Let me know how it goes! Jay

MINDSET MONDAY on WEDNESDAY... I apologize to everyone I did not get this out Monday. There is no time like the present to work on your mindset. This week's Mindset Monday... Practice Gratitude Start each day by listing 5 to 10 things you are grateful for. This simple practice shifts your focus from what’s lacking to what’s abundant in your life. Gratitude can enhance your mood, increase resilience, and foster a positive outlook on life. In fact, research has shown that when you practice gratitude you rewire your brain to think different, which in turn, causes you to act different. It is not enough to think about gratitude. The power is in writing out your gratitude. I started with a gratitude journal that I did for years. Now I have gratitude cards that I write 7 things down and put in a jar. THE 30 DAY CHALLENGE Be consistent for 30 days starting your day everyday writing down your gratitude list. At the end of 30 days tell me how you have changed. I was present with the same challenge, and I am a different man, a different person than I was all those years ago. ...and for that I am so grateful Looking forward to hearing your stories. You can email your story to [email protected] Tag it with "My Gratitude Story" Coach Jay

Mindset Monday Embrace a Growth Mindset Remember a growth mindset believes that not only can I change, but so can others. If you have ever said, "He'll never change", you are living in a fixed mindset. If you say even jokingly, "buyers are liars", you have at least on some level, even in your cynicism a fixed mindset. The fact is when you adopt a "growth mindset" you will view challenges as opportunities. You will understand that for growth requires risk and discomfort. There is no failure only a lesson learned that is a stepping stone to success. Before you go forward look back. What obstacles have you overcome to get you where you are now? What did that take? Effort, Discipline, Resilience? Use those lessons and reminders to get to the next level of growth. As I like to say, "Don't stop! Keep Growing! Coach Jay

MINDSET MONDAY (Even though it's Wednesday) Your mind is a decision maker. We want to believe we are logical, but the fact is every single decision you make is done out of emotion. We know this from people who lose their emotional centers in their brain due to injury cannot make a decision. So how do you make the right decisions? How well do you know your core values? Recently, I have been asking people to give me their top 3 core values. To date, I have not had 1 person give me core values. They will tell me some things they like, but not their values. If you are not clear on your core values, you are making decisions on the fly...never a good idea. Here are my 7: Faith Authenticity Gratitude Positive Attitude Effort/Excellence Resilience Kindness How did I arrive at these. First, I checked in with what it is I truly believe in. Not what I aspire to be. Second, I asked my friends to tell me what they think my top 3 core values are. Because they found things in me I did not see in me. What I have found is regardless of the decision I am about to make, I can filter it through my core values. If it is not in alignment or compromises any one of them... I will not make the decision. Do your core value work and your decision-making will improve as well as your mindset and confidence. I look forward to hearing your stories Jay

MINDSET TIP FOR THE WEEK: Things will happen to you that you did not count on. Sometimes even tragedy strikes... But you still have a choice! You always have a choice! And it's FREE! Not Easy, but FREE! You can respond to your circumstances as a "victim"... Or as a "conqueror"... Which one will you choose to be this week, no matter what happens to you? Coach Jay

WHO YOU HANG AROUND WILL AFFECT YOUR SUCCESS You probably have heard the quote by Charlie "Tremendous" Jones that goes like this: “Five years from today, you will be the same person that you are today, except for the books you read and the people you meet.” Sadly, in today's world, we don't read books very much anymore, and we don't look closely at the people we interact with as having influence over us. Today's Proverb translated from Hebrew and the Rabbinical explanation reemphasizes that point. Beware of mingling among the indiscreet or with those who gossip and tell lies. Proverbs 20:19 Do not imagine you can withstand the pressure of the crowd. In time, your norms will reflect those of your community. If they value falsehood, you too will come to lie and call it truth. Befriend those who can lift you to higher levels of justice and compassion, not those who seek to bring you to lower ones. Rabbi Rami Shapiro. Proverbs: Annotated & Explained Look closely at your "friends". Are these friends going to take you to a higher level, or are you going to stagnate with them? Do they talk about other people behind their back negatively, or do they speak of others positively? Do they practice principles of success, or are they just okay where they are at? Do they encourage you for greatness, or say nothing at all? Do they complain about their situation, or do they do something about it? Do they always have drama, or do they look for ways to overcome? Do they speak more like victims, or do they look at their circumstances as just another challenge to demonstrate how successful they can be? Friends, your friends should be taking you to higher more successful levels. If they are not...you need new friends. That includes family too, by the way. I know this is not easy. We often lead with a prevention mindset. Meaning, we are more afraid of what we might lose than what we might gain. Let me say this: If you are not on the success path you want to be on! Take a look at your friends and family. You are hanging with the wrong crowd of people who will not get you there. I can tell you from experience. My life changed when I changed the people I was with. It is real. One more thing about books. As many of you know, I read about 60 to 70 books a year. I have been practicing that for the last 6 years. I am not the same person. And I wish I would have started that habit 35 years ago. Start today. Get out of your comfort zone. Change your people and get reading books that will make a difference. I know it is hard...do it anyway! Coach Jay #izsoisms

THE ARGUMENT IS NOT WORTH IT... This is not the Proverb we want to hear. No, it is the Proverb that we want to stand against. For many people, this Proverb is wrong. I can only laugh. What is the Proverb...well it comes from Proverbs 20:3 and in Hebrew to English it reads like this: Avoiding an argument is a wise choice; a hasty retort is a sign of stupidity. Rabbi Rami Shapiro. Proverbs: Annotated & Explained. So funny, I know people and have even been raised by people who love or loved to argue. It wasn't just a pass time it was a passion. Somehow in their arguing they believe that they are convincing others of the wrong of their ways... Never works. Better yet is the person who makes the online argument and then says to anyone with a differing opinion...you are no longer my friend. That my friends is a "hasty retort" and as this Proverb says... "It's a sign of stupidity" Stay intelligent my friends...stop arguing... or keep arguing and convince us of just how unintelligent you are. LOL! #izsoisms