Hey everyone! It has been almost two weeks since I have actually posted something on the site and it was done intentionally. I wanted to take the remainder of the year to reflect and plan for the exciting year ahead. 2010 has been a year of growth for me, I have learned many new life lessons this past year and today I want to share them with you. So, without further ado, “Dave’s Top Ten Learned Lessons for 2010!”
In no particular order:
1.) Change will occur – Whether you want to change or not, it is inevitable that change will happen. It might be a slow gradual change or it might be fast and sudden. Embrace it and realize that nothing lasts forever. Sometimes change can be for the best. For me, being thrown into starting my own business was the best thing that ever happened to me.
2.) Save for a rainy day – My wife’s parents and my parents always told us both to make sure you save for a rainy day. They preached how you never know when some unforeseen circumstance might occur that you may need to tap into some savings to keep things running smooth. Well, thank you so much much mom and dad for instilling that trait into me. Having that safety blanket has given us the ability to not worry about finances if something unforeseen happens.
3.) Have your fiscal house in order – This is different than saving for a rainy day in the sense that if you are leveraged to the hill with expensive cars, houses, fun toys, etc… the saving that you put away will be blown through in no time at all. If you have debt know the difference between good and bad debt. Having a credit card with 29% interest is not good. Having depreciating assets that do not generate you cash flow are not good. Increase your financial IQ and learn how to make your money work for you.
4.) Have a back up plan – As I mentioned earlier change will occur and one day you might wake up and find yourself asking “What next?” Make sure you have a back up plan in place. Always, keep networking and making sure that you are building your “well” before you need it!
5.) Faith – This past year I have grown tremendously in my spirituality and faith in God. Having that belief allowed me to get through some of the tough times I encountered this past year. All I can say is “Believe!”
6.) Family and Friends are everything – I have some of the greatest family and friends in the world. When times were tough for me my friends were there to give me support and reassurance. My wife, whom is my best friend, has been such a huge supporter and as I say, “A Rock” for me as I venture into my own business. I am very thankful also for my mother who has always instilled in me that “I am a winner and winners never quit!” I want to thank all my friends and family for your support! Also, one more thing and that is something I learned a few years back from listening to Jim Rohn speak and that is do not be lazy when it comes to managing your relationships with friends and family because they are your life support when times get tough!
7.) Cherish the moments – I was listening to the radio and a new George Strait song came on the radio that talked about life is not the breathe you take but the moments that take away your breathe. Wow, that hit home with me and made me realize all the amazing moments in my life I have experienced and the future moments that I know are ahead of me!
8.) Life is a journey – I read somewhere when you are in a rut you need to start a gratitude journal. The goal is to write down all the great things you have accomplished in your life and then everyday start writing down all the things you are grateful for that day. Doing this exercise made me realize that there will be times when things seem tough and not going your way but when you look at the big picture you experience and do some amazing things! As the great Jim Rohn says, ” You are either in a crisis, coming out of a crisis, or in a period of great things happening!” Life is a cycle and enjoy the journey!
9.) Money isn’t everything – I know this is a shocking statement coming from me but the biggest lesson I have learned this past year is that the focus of life should not solely be on making money. Don’t get me wrong money can create many opportunities and make life easy, however, it should not be how you judge success. If you hate what you are doing then all the money in the world isn’t going to change that. Focus in on doing what you love and judge your success on the contribution you make to society.
10.) Never quit – It is so easy to quit when things get tough. Far too often we give in too soon. We are an instant gratification society and when we don’t things quickly we give in. If you ask any successful person who created something big they will tell you that they had to overcome leaps and bounds to succeed and as I venture into my new business venture I have made it my modus operandi to “Never Quit!”
I hope that you are able to relate to some of my lessons and maybe even take one thing away from them to implement into your life and career this upcoming year! I truly believe that this is going to be a great year! I look forward to sharing with you more of the exciting things I have in store for 2011.