Self Motivation

Earlier this week we got our biggest snow storm of the year yet. While it only lasted for one day, we have quite a bit of the white stuff to remind us of its visit. Due to all this snow, we've had various people in the office end up stuck in the parking lot, myself included!

I often hear people say that everything happens for a reason. That may be, but I'm more of a believer that we make our opportunities out of what life offers us. We simply cannot wait for something to come our way that screams "I'm the opportunity you've been looking for!"

Sure, if we're lucky, this might happen, but more often than not, the people that get those amazing chances are the ones that worked hard to create them for themselves.

The other day my son was home for a visit from school. Well, at least he came home to get his laundry cleaned and stock up on food.

While I was trying to do work, I kept getting distracted by the blaring rap music coming from his room. I was just about ready to yell that golden phrase from the How to Parent a Teenager handbook, "Turn that music down!" But then I stopped and started listening to the words. And I was surprised.

Today I got to talking to one of my employees about exercising. He was having a hard time finding an activity he enjoyed. He didn't like running, swimming, walking or playing sports.

It got me thinking about motivation and what keeps us going. Do you ever find that you have a much easier time doing the activities you enjoy than the ones you don't. You leave the ones you dislike to the very last moment or not at all, even if there is a good reason for doing them.

Last week was my son’s first full week in his new place. He spent his first year of school commuting back and forth from home, but decided this year he wanted a change of scenery and the opportunity to experience living on his own.

So after a $200 grocery bill and a sore back from lugging in all his stuff, he was gone. Well, not really, he was down this weekend with dirty laundry and demands of a steak dinner. Ahh, kids.

Have you ever heard of an elevator speech? It’s a marketing term, which basically says that if you step onto an elevator with someone, and they ask you what your company does, you should be able to explain it to them before the elevator doors open on your floor and you have to exit.