START TYPING AND PRESS ENTER TO SEARCH
Generic selectors
Exact matches only
Search in title
Search in content
Post Type Selectors
Filter by Categories
Business
Entrepreneurship
Life
Manhood
Marriage
Money
Personal Growth
Personal Story
Success

Author: Mike Watts

How to Deal with Change

Change is inevitable.  We all know this, you simply can’t avoid it.  I believe one of the personal trials we face in the prospect of change, is how we react to it.  A lot of the power in our own lives, lies within our reactions.  And change is something we will all have to deal with at some point – shifts in our personal life, a new challenge at work or even adapting to a transformation within ourselves.

[If you’d like to hear about my struggle with changes in my life listen to Episode 6 of Project Life with Mike Watts  ]

More often than not this adjustment is a blessing in disguise.  If you struggle with the prospect of switching up your daily routine or getting out of your comfort zone – look at it from the angle of personal growth.  Being pushed out and away from the familiar is an excellent learning experience and can absolutely help you grow within yourself.

How can we learn to be comfortable with the uncomfortable?  How should we react?  

Here’s my quick how to guide on approaching a change (big or small) in your life:

  1. Acknowledge the shift.
  2. Accept the fact that you’re going to be uncomfortable.
  3. Reflect on how this change can positively impact your life.  
  4. Consider and curate your reaction.
  5. Balance.  Figure out what you can do for yourself and others around you to make the transition as smooth and enjoyable as possible.
  6. Embrace the change – sometimes when there’s nothing left to do and it’s out of your control. Let go and let it be.

Did you find this helpful? Let me know in the comments!

The Importance of Communication in Life and Business

It’s no secret that communication is an essential factor in most, if not all areas of life.

Recently, I experienced a massive communication fail.  It spanned all the way from our business, to Kate, to myself.  And it could have been easily avoided.  

[Want to hear more about that experience? Check out Episode 3 of my podcast > Project Life Ep. 3]

Have you actually taken the time to reflect on your own communication and clarity? In your relationships? At work? With yourself?  Well that’s what we’re about to do.

I wanted to take a few moments to reflect on how this small misstep had such a large impact on everything surrounding it, completely set us back and caused way more problems than it should have.  

Communication works pretty much the same way in each of the above categories.  Take a look at what communication can do for you and how you can improve your skills, then take a moment or two and reflect on your current relationship with communication.

Here’s what communication can do for you:

  • Improve your relationship with others
  • Improve your relationship with yourself

Practicing effective communication will make the sailing as smooth as it is able to be.  It will keep you from feeling dissatisfied, unappreciated and not heard…and in general, will result in a less sloppy life and business.

Here’s how you can improve your communication:

  • Write things down and stay organized.  This will help keep you put together and everything else around you less scattered.
  • Set deadlines and make them clear.  In both business & life, with a team or by yourself – this will only help you.
  • Designate time to communicate with others and speak to everyone who needs to hear it!  Otherwise the result may be a multiple communication failure, alike my unfortunate experience.
  • Think before you speak. Take a moment to mentally prepare on how you mean to come across and how your words may be received. Be as clear and concise as possible.
  • Don’t bottle things up and save them for later.  Holding back a thought, whether it was positive or negative, is good for no one.  In order to keep any relationship in your life, with another person or with yourself, in positive working order remember:  Honesty and communication go hand in hand.  
  • Prioritize and live intentionally.  Prioritize your communication and intentionally create time for it.

Have you ever experienced communication failure? Have awesome tips for keeping that clarity in your life? Let me know in the comments!

A Beginner’s Guide to Letting Go

When you look back on your past, how does it make you feel?

Now, how does it feel when you let it go?

This past summer, we had a leak in our basement.  Parts of our past are now covered in mold and it forced me to come face to face with previous chapters of my life.

So here I am with boxes upon boxes of things I have carried around and clung on to for roughly 16 years. Reflecting on the history of where I came from versus where I am today.

Step 1 – Acknowledge Your Past

When sorting through my past belongings, a few different feelings came up.  Everything from ‘Wow, that’s so not me anymore’ to ‘Wow, I actually accomplished that.’  An important part of the process was to recognize and acknowledge the person I was and how that previous version of myself shaped me into the person I am now.

Reflecting on my past made me realize that even though it looked like I was having the time of my life – I was not a happy person.  I think I had everything a little twisted, my habits were not in line with anything I currently value.  But, I also came across a few of my goals, what I previously aimed for and seeing what I accomplished surprised me and felt really good.

When you take the time to acknowledge the good, the bad and the ugly from your past, then you can begin to move forward.

Step 2 – Appreciate Your Past (shed a tear if necessary)

It’s powerful to look back and be reminded of what you went through, how you felt, how you behaved and ultimately, all the decisions you made.  Looking back forces you to look forward and appreciate who you have become, how far you have come and what you actually manifested in your life that you previously envisioned.  This shift in perspective will give your past a new found value.

Once you fully accept all you have been through – your childhood, how your parents affected you, past relationships, jobs…

Remember these stories, learn from them, take note of how they propelled you forward – but don’t hang on to them longer than necessary.

Step 3 – Let It Go

Seeing my belongings now physically falling apart – it’s therapeutic to let go.

It’s one thing to think about and reminisce on the past, but to hold it, look at the pictures, read the words you wrote – that’s where letting go can become a challenge for some.  But in this way, the freedom is that much more sweet.

It’s easy to get stuck on where we have been, instead of looking ahead to where we are going.  

Your history is part of you, it’s something you will never forget.  But the unknown is still out there, so remember to look forward not back.

How I Saved $9,600 in One Week with This Decision

A few weeks ago, Kate and I were reviewing our financials from 2015.  We were looking at our monthly nut and asked the question, “What can we do to lower that?” We ask ourselves this question about three times per year.

Why, you might ask?

Because Kate and I have the same money personality, which is a good thing but also a challenging thing. Good part, we understand each other. Challenging part, we love to spend money. It comes in, and it goes out. We have to make sure we set up automatic withdrawals to be put away in savings, or we would never do it. Sometimes we track everything we spend to keep us on track with the direction we are heading, which allows us to pay more attention to our monthly spending.

One number was sticking out to us when we were reviewing our monthly nut. It was the amount we were spending on our cars.  We officially paid off Kate’s Prius in February 2016, which created an extra $474 we are able to put into savings or toward something else. Okay, that is awesome.

We took a look at my truck, and I am paying $650/month on my truck with a six-year loan. I don’t know why the bank gave me a six-year loan but they did. I purchased it in June 2014.

When it comes to automobiles, I was taught leasing wasn’t a great decision. Instead of leasing I was supposed to purchase a car and own it outright. Which is funny because at the moment, the reason I rent is so I don’t have to own anything.

I recently learned about this concept called leasing. I was hanging out with my buddy, and he had leased the same truck I have, minus a few bells and whistles. His was two years newer, but he was paying $200 less per month. I was blown away.

Kate and I talked about this on a Wednesday. I called a friend who pretty much knows everyone in Maine who has a car dealership. He gave me the name of the guy at the Toyota dealership, I filled out the form online, and the next day I went into the dealership and spoke to the sales guy, Bryce. I walked out 30 minutes later with an estimate for what Toyota would give me for my truck, and when I got home there was an email waiting for me regarding trucks I’d inquired about.

I took about four days to chat think about the next move. Penelope was about to nap, so Kate and I hopped in my truck, drove to the Toyota dealership, tried three different models, and I paid for the first month’s lease on a new 4Runner. I had to wait two days for the model I wanted to arrive from New Hampshire.

In one week, I made a decision to save us $200 per month on a brand-new 2016 vehicle.

$200 x 12months = $2,400/year

$2,400 x 4 years left on my old truck =

$9,600 savings over the next 4 years

I can now take that extra $200 per month and put it towards something more valuable than a truck that sits in the driveway.

Actually I’ve saved even more than that because I signed the lease in the name of our company.  I use the 4Runner for business, which allows us to write off the business expenses for this truck on our tax returns.

I had an ego check with myself about why I had a truck in the first place. At one point I needed it, and I am sure I will need another one again. I felt like a big man driving a big truck – it is crazy but true. 

It has now been 3 weeks, and I miss the truck but not really that much. I miss the idea of having a truck more than the truck itself.    

I love the new 4Runner.   

We always talk about creating more income, but we can always create more savings as well.

What are you keeping around that you don’t really need?  Where can you find some money?

Why I Am Not Afraid to Die

This morning, I was driving to Boston-Logan airport, listening to this podcast with Tim Ferriss interviewing a guy who founded Zen Hospice. My grandparents were part of hospice care before they passed on, and it got me thinking about dying.

I have never seen a dead body or watched someone die, but I am fascinated by the entire concept. In Baltimore, I met a woman whose husband goes around and picks up dead bodies. He would transfer the bodies to the morgue for them to be properly cared for while they transformed to the next part of their life. I asked her questions about it for over an hour. 

Anyway, back on track about death and dying. Kate and I have discussed dying many times before, but now that I have a new baby, I wanted to ask myself again.

Am I afraid to die at the age of 33 in 2016?

The answer is no. I am not someone who thinks they are going to die young. Fun fact:  Did you know Tupac knew he was going to die young?

I actually believe I am going to live until 101. Kate is going to live to 101 as well, and we will die within hours of each other. 

I have no idea how I will act if death was going to happen today because it is really something you have to experience, and no one can predict how they will act in that moment.

Here are a few reasons why I am not afraid to die:

1. Our business – I know it will continue to bring income in whether I am working it or not. I know my girls will be taken care of financially.

2. Infinite banking – We have positioned ourselves with a great plan if we happen to pass. Once again the girls are supported financially.

3. Health – My girls are healthy and they have each other as well as family and friends around them for support.

4. Cutting expenses – Kate and I have been really focused on reducing our monthly nut over the past two months, allowing us to focus on what we really care about in our life.  Plus this goes with the previous posts about money and being secured financially.

5. Living for the future – About a year ago, I focused on living for the present instead of living for the future. This is hard because we live in a culture where we chase the more, more, more game. I realized that is how I was living my life, and it was crushing my present reality.

6. Ego – About a year ago, I sat down to reflect on what is important in my life. I realized about 50% of everything I was looking to create or I “wanted’ in my life was to support this ego of mine. My life purpose has changed. I am not 100% sure what it is yet, but I’m getting there.

7. Experiences/Adventures – I value these more than anything else, and they have created a life I dreamed of when I was a little boy. Dreams do come true. Put in the work.

8.  Family – Kate and I created it with Penelope. Watching Kate grow, labor, and birth our child – holy smokes, that was amazing. The power of women – WOW!

9. Home – I found it in Maine.

10. Kate – You are my everything. I love you so much. The greatest day of my life was when we started our life together on February 2, 2011, in the Buffalo Airport. We took a chance, and holy smokes, it paid off.

These are some of the reasons I am not afraid to die. Yes, I have so much to complete in my life, and dreams I want to accomplish. I know, I will die before I do all of them. The list is literally endless.

I have lived, I am living, and I will continue to live. Life, up to this point, is complete. 

How do you feel about dying? 

Average Actions Produces Average Results

Average is the sum of a list of numbers divided by the number of numbers in the list. 

– Average household income

– Average weight & height

– Average career results

– Average………. (Fill in the blank)

The most common trait in life, I hear, is the average.  I have never liked the word average, and when anyone tells me I am average, it drives me nuts.  

Right now, every person I talk to who has a baby says he/she is above/below the average for height and weight. I know it is only a guide, but who really wants to be average? (If you care, Penelope is under the average for both of these.) 

Taking average actions will deliver average or below-average results, yet people wonder why they are unable to get ahead in their business. 

For example, we have a network marketing business, which I started in 2009 (Kate in 2000), so let’s talk about average actions and average results in this business. 

When I started my business, I had no idea what I was doing. I previously ran a small business before but not a serious business. You know, it is like saying you want a kid as opposed to actually having one – two completely different experiences. 

When I started my network marketing business, I was working 70 hours per week at Philip Morris and attending classes all day on Saturdays for my MBA. I made over 50 calls per day for weeks. I traveled to every event for our company in the United States. I traveled to Florida multiple times to learn from my mentor about building a business. He was so gracious to open his house to me.

I was laid-off from Philip Morris one month after I started my business, so I went all in. I held meetings at my house, I met people at restaurants and coffee shops, and I put out hundreds of signs in North Carolina, Florida and Arizona with a number for people to call if they were interested. (Ask Kate about our first date.) I hung over 1000 door hangers on front doors in Florida. I stood outside of Target in North Carolina and asked people about which supplements they consumed. I tried anything and everything to create interest in my business.   

I was green, I was new, I didn’t know any better, but I had the hustle and desire to never work for anyone else again in my life. The fire was burning hot. 

I decided to take the biggest leap and move to Florida. I moved into a house with my mentor and my buddy. I sold my house in North Carolina and gave up everything, loaded up my truck with clothes and a ladder. I drove down I-95 to start this new adventure with new roommates. I lived in Florida for 8 months then decided to move to Arizona to learn from another one of my buddies about building a business. Then 8 months after that, Kate and I started to travel the United States for 10 months. We spent 6 months in the Hamptons (Eastern Long Island), then we moved to Maine, got married and had our first child. 

Oh yeah, and we built a multiple-6-figure business over the past 4 years, which is well above average.

When I was starting out, my income was far below average: right around $8,350. I had the fire, but I also had a rough couple of years when I was beginning to build my business.

I will never forget sitting at a table in San Diego at an internet marketing event. There were six of us including myself: three of them made over $1million per year, the other two made multiple 6-figures per year, and me – who cleared around $35,000 that year.  

I asked myself when I left, how the heck did I end up here? 

I have never believed in taking average actions in anything in my life because I never considered myself average. 

Those unusual actions I took along the way, many of them described above, allowed me to travel the world with my wife-to-be Kate for 1.5 years.  I paid off $132,000 of debt in 6 years, I haven’t been back to work for someone else in 4 years, and I am able to stay at home every day with my 7-month-old daughter. 

This happened for me and thousands of others, so please start to take those unusual actions.

When you think about your business, are you taking unusual actions? Or are you taking average actions? 

Are these actions producing the results you desire? If not, what can you do differently? 

Create your desired results with your desired actions. 

Download my free “3 Tools You Need to Make Your Business Life Easier Starting Now” checklist.

I'm good, thanks though