Tag: Action

Shake It Off and Step Up!

Posted on by Heath Hunsaker

Have you ever felt like you’re trapped in a well and life is just shoveling dirt on top of you? So did this donkey, but he just shook it off and stepped up!

Once upon a time, there was a donkey.

It was a stupid, stubborn old donkey and even the farmer who owned it didn’t like him.

The farmer owned a large property and one day he heard in the distance the loud, distinctive “eye-ore, eye-ore” of the donkey.  He wondered what the stupid donkey had done now, so he looked all over his property until at last he found the animal at the bottom of an old abandoned well.

Exasperated, the farmer rang his neighbors and asked them each to bring a shovel.  He’d had enough of the stupid donkey, so he had decided to bury it in the well.

All of his friends came over and together they started to shovel dirt into the well.  At first, the donkey protested loudly, braying with all of his might, but after about 10 minutes, he stopped.

The farmers kept shoveling.

After a while, someone decided to have a look into the well to see what had happened to the donkey.  What he saw astonished him.

Instead of being buried, the donkey would shake off the incoming dirt, standing on the ever-increasing mound.

Now the mission changed and the farmers went from trying to bury the donkey to trying to save him, shoveling more and more dirt into the abandoned well until the donkey jumped out of the top victorious.

Upon his release, the farmers all dropped their shovels and applauded the old stubborn beast with a newfound admiration.

Life is always going to shovel dirt on you at some point. You may feel like you’re at the bottom of a well and it’s coming quicker than you know what to do. Taking real action and shaking the “dirt” off is the first step towards moving on. Learn from the “dirt” and use it as stepping stones to bigger and better things.

Don’t just take it and get buried, shake it off and STEP UP!

What are you going to shake off and use as stepping stones in the coming year? Leave a comment below.

Resolutions vs. Goals: How Leveraging Both Can Make You More Successful!

Posted on by Heath Hunsaker

It’s getting to be that time of year again! You know…the time where 45% of Americans are getting ready to make New Year’s Resolutions! According to Statistic Brain only 8% of people actually achieve their resolutions. Why is that? Could it be that people are making good resolutions but don’t have any goals to help achieve them? What is the difference between a Resolution and a Goal anyways?! Let’s dig a little deeper and find out how we can set and achieve our New Year’s Resolutions by leveraging solid goals!

What is a resolution and how does it differ from a goal? Great question! A resolution is something that you desire to make as a permanent lifestyle change. Resolutions are something you may never achieve (think “perfection”) but something you strive for on a daily basis. Goals on the other hand are specific, measurable, actionable and achievable. Goals support Resolutions.

Here is an example of both and how they work together:

Resolution: Live a healthier life
          Goal: Lose 25 lbs. by June 30
          Goal: Cut out 75% of processed foods by January 31
          Goal: Run a 5k race in under 40 minutes by August 1

Living a healthier life is something you can continue to do on a daily basis and always strive to improve. There may be days that you do better than others, but each day provides a fresh opportunity to move forward. Losing 25 lbs by June 30 is a goal that will help you progress towards living a healthier life.

Here is another example:

Resolution: Improve my financial outlook
          Goal: Eliminate $5,000 in debt by September 1
          Goal: Save $200 of each paycheck
          Goal: Work with a financial advisor to set up a retirement account

Eliminating debt, saving a portion of your paychecks and setting up a retirement account are three very specific and measurable goals that will help in reaching the resolution of improving one’s financial outlook.

Now that we know the difference between Resolutions and Goals, here are five ways we can leverage Goals to help us achieve our Resolutions and to enable us have a phenomenal New Year!

1. Determine three “Resolutions” to commit to for the new year
When determining what resolutions to commit to make sure that they are things that matter to you. We will push harder and stick with things even when times get tough if we believe it’s worth working for. If your resolutions don’t motivate you, you have a much smaller chance of sticking with them.

2. Attribute three “Goals” under each resolution that will help you progress
Just like with meaningful resolutions make sure your goals are ones that will motivate you. Make sure you set Specific, Measurable, Actionable, Realistic and Time-based (S.M.A.R.T.) The SMARTer the goals the more likely you will achieve them.

3. Write down your Resolutions and Goals
Statistics from Dr. Gail Matthews show that you are 42% more likely to achieve your goals if you write them down. If writing down your goals catapults the likelihood of achieving them, why are we doing it?!

4. Take that first step!
Taking the first step can be the most difficult in any journey. It’s only when we take that first step, often in faith, that we find the courage to keep going. Sometimes just taking that step is all that we need to run with gusto towards the finish line!

5. Stick with it!
This is where the rubber meets the road so to speak. Too many times we quit when things get tough or uncomfortable. This is why it is so important to have Resolutions and Goals that matter and motivate you. If you believe in what you are doing, you are more likely to stick with it through the tough times. Remember, very seldom are great things achieved in your comfort zone.

What resolutions are you setting for the new year? What goals have you identified to help you progress with your resolutions? Share your thoughts in the comment section below!