Fitness in 2009!

2009 is right around the corner! Enjoy this video blog and have a happy and safe New Year!

Don't turn into a statistic! Motion creates emotion!

Don't Lose Your High Expectations!

Are you tempted to water down all of your goals and dreams? Maybe you have a passion in your head, in your heart; but then people have told you that it is not possible, no one in your family ever did that, the economy, blah, blah, blah...

Don't settle! Enjoy the video blog, visit www.theshef.com

Need 10 People Who Would Like to Earn an Extra $2000 this month!

I had the greatest revelation this morning. I arose at 4:45 and started doing some of my goal work. I was also preparing for a speaking engagement that I am doing in ummm an hour. (this will be quick because I still have to shower:)) I went through my old goals from 1996. That was a fantastic year for me. At 23, I was making well into 6 figures of income. I also had 50 active people going out working for me EVERY DAY. This amount of leverage allowed me to work on average about 16 days per month. I also took 6 vacations. Not too bad.

The thing that jumped out at me is that no where in my goals did it state what I would make. I just had the number of people every month that I would help make $2000,$4000, etc. The result was astounding. I have a bit of a confession: In the last year or so I have been focusing on how much I can do and make in terms of income. Beginning today, my personal income will be on the back burner and I will be focusing on helping a minimum of 10 people per month make an extra $2000 or more.

Due to my speaking and consulting schedule I need to limit it to 10 people at this time. This number will grow. If you are an author, speaker, or desire to earn a pretty darn good living from home while in your pj's, contact me at dave@theshef.com. Type "success" in the subject line. I will screen people and select who gets to come along for the ride.

Yours in success!

Shef
www.theshef.com

Beware the Should!

I should do this, I should do that. The company should make changes.....We have all heard and said these things at one time or another. One of the things that separates people and businesses apart is their willingness to take action. If you have something small in your life that bugs you (leaky faucet, broken chair, slow computer, etc.) change it! I would challenge you to take a day and take care of your "This bugs me list".

My Realtor clients will tell me that when they do an initial walk through, they will come up with a list of stuff that needs to be done in order to make the house more "cozy". Most of the time that entire list can be done for a few hundred dollars or less. This weekend we are going to work on the Shef pad. If you don't hear from me on Monday, it is because Branson and Alex buried me underneath the basement.

Once you have your environment taken care of, start on some bigger things. Enjoy the momentum!!

www.theshef.com

Shut Out the Noise!

I have the pleasure of addressing thousands of people every year; helping them develop tools to change their lives. 100% of the time, the room is silent, the sound and lighting works every time, and cell phones never go off during the middle of my presentation. WOAH! I must have been dreaming! There are many distractions that pop up at any time during a program. Here are a few of them that I have personally experienced:
Cell phones
Full Voice conversations in the back of the room or elsewhere
dining staff setting or clearing table service
fire alarms
bomb threats
power going out
MC taking up 1/2 of my stage time with a rambling talk
many more...

I just visited with my good friend and business partner, Tony Rubleski. (www.mindcapturegroup.com) He is in the middle of a book tour and was speaking to a group in Texas the other day. He mentioned that there was a ton of ambient noise and distraction during the program (mainly from the wait staff as he was speaking at a restaurant). Yet 1/2 of the people in the audience invested in his best selling book, Mind Capture in the Age of ADD.

What a great analogy for life. As we are trying to either do something or learn something, there will be a lot of distraction and noise around us. Don't let it sidetrack you, though. Learn to shut out the noise and move forward with your goals!

The Fast Way or the Slow Way?

It amazes me that there are so many people that have enough time in their lives for trial and error. One of the first things I did when I decided to get into shape was to hire a personal trainer. Yes, I knew that if a weight was on the ground and I picked it up, it was working something. It was not working the right things in the right way. My trainer, Matt, guided me through the paces and techniques necessary to speed up my outcomes dramatically.

The same is true with coaching. I select a few individuals every year who are serious about building a speaking business. Yes, I realize that some people may make a movie about your life or you may be an Olympic athlete; but for the remaining 99.9998% of us, we need to follow a system. Is there an investment? You bet. Is there a payoff? No question! (If you have an interest in this, email my assistant, Tamara at info@theshef.com and she will set an initial consult appointment for you)

Whatever you are wanting to accomplish, there is someone who has done it before. Instead of learning from your mistakes, why not learn from others so you can avoid the mistakes. It is much more cost effective in time and money!

Yours in success


Shef
www.theshef.com

Who Needs to Give You Permission?

Tonight, Jack Canfield and I will be enjoying a wonderful evening at St. Ambrose University. The Dean of the Business School, John Byrne, left all of the event planning and promotion up to his students. Most people would have insisted upon having complete control over an event that costs tens of thousands of dollars to promote. However, the empowerment of those students not only have done a great job promoting the deal (We will have nearly a packed house tonight!), but they are gaining valuable experiences that will help them throughout life.
Here are your challenges:
1. What permission are you thinking you need to achieve what you'd like to achieve?
2. Who would have to give you that permission?
3. What would life look like after you have achieved your goals?

Now, eliminate points 1 and 2 and just DO IT!!

Visit my site at www.theshef.com

How Many Irons Are In Your Fire?

"Too many irons in the fire" We have all heard this one. If you are doing 9 things that are totally unrelated and you aren't doing any of them real well, you need to scale back. There are a few things that I observe about this statement.

1. The less you do, the more you make. If you are in sales or are a business owner, take the amount of time that you would spend doing something else and focus on doing your highest revenue producing activity.
2. It's OK to have multiple irons in the fire; as long as they're in the same fire. Do what you can do to have multiple streams of income. Our educational system in the United States teaches students to go work for a company and get a watch after 30 years. That world does not exist any more (other than in government). The most un-secure thing in the world is a secure job.
3. Continue to better yourself. People who are successful don't wait to get to a certain level before they start on a personal development program. Start now. This is the foundation for anything successful.

It is also great to have people around who support you in your goals. Get excited about their accomplishments and victories.

Fire it up!

visit www.theshef.com

What Have You Done to WOW Someone?

What an interesting experience I had yesterday. I was speaking to a fantastic company, Modern Woodmen of America yesterday afternoon. They are based only 20 miles from where I live. I had everything prepped and ready for the program and was just running some errands yesterday morning.

I had just replaced my radiator in my car a couple of weeks ago and was shocked to find smoke/steam pouring from the hood (this is 90 minutes prior to me being on stage!) Upon opening it, I had found a fist sized hole in a radiator hose. After a few frantic phone calls, I located the crucial $13 replacement. It was only 8 miles away and I set out to begin my journey. 4 miles out, my car was red lining the temperature gauge.

I pulled over and called Autozone (the auto parts store) after briefly explaining my situation (this is now 60 minutes prior to my engagement!) they sent out an employee who replaced the part and got me on my way within 5 minutes.

Needless to say, this great display of outstanding customer service will not only endear me to that company, but I will also be able to praise them everywhere I speak.

Go out of your way to wow someone.!

Oh yeah, after this "angel" came out and helped me, I couldn't wait to repay the favor. Last night on the way to a meeting, I met a gentleman with a flat tire on the side of the highway. His tire taker offer thinger was broken so I popped out and changed it for him. When God smiles on you, don't hesitate to help someone else!

Check out my site and my leadership programs at www.theshef.com

But It's Only a Little Bit of Dog Poop!

I was with a group of friends over the weekend and we were discussing a particular retail establishment that tends to draw some of their consumer base from the "other side of the tracks".
"I see people screaming at their kids and slapping them when I'm there. It makes me so mad!" said one person.
"I just feel like I've walked out of the Twilight Zone when I leave there, but they have good prices." Said another.
"I get so agitated when I see some of the things that go on there, but I save $20 on my weekly shopping" comments another.

Here's a novel idea; if it puts you through that kind of tension when you frequent anyplace, STOP! So you save a bit of money and have all kinds of trash floating around in your head for half a day. Is it really worth it?

If I wanted the best cake in the world, I would have to visit my mom. She makes the most awesome chocolate cake! She will use the best of ingredients and puts a tremendous amount of love into everything she bakes. What if next time I went home and found a slice of chocolate cake sitting there waiting there for me. I would be thrilled! But before I took the first bite, Mom said, "I put just a little, but not much, dog poop in the batter." All of the sudden, the cake would lose it's appeal!

If I wouldn't tolerate that in my food, why would I pollute my mind with the same garbage that can be found by frequenting certain establishments? If you find businesses that make you feel uneasy, leave. So you spend an extra $20. Big deal. Consider it a deposit into the greatness of your mind!

I Don't Have Time for Personal Development!

I hear this from people all of the time. They offer a litany of how much stuff they have to do and offer up why they can't pick up a book or listen to an audio. Yet these people are glued to their televisions to capture the next episode of American Idol.

I have several consulting clients and one of the subjects that comes up is increasing revenue. (Duh, if you're paying someone for their advice, you may want a return on your investment!) I immediately ask them what the last book they read was. I'm not talking about the latest thriller or romance novel they devoured on the beach; rather, I want to know the last personal development book. I then send them to the book store and tell them that I will continue their session after they have finished half of the book. They still pay me for the session even if it is only 10 minutes; but that is how profound personal development is!

My challenge to you is this: Go hang out at your local bookstore and devour some personal development material. Your business will never grow until you grow. Let me know how it works for you.

For more great info, visit www.theshef.com

Shut Up and Enjoy the Ride!

We all realize that life is a process. It is a journey. Unfortunately, there are way too many people who feel like it is a destination. You will find them tirelessly out of balance and sacrificing certain elements of their lives so that they feel like they are "On their way".

When I was beginning in direct sales, I bought into the company mantra hook line and sinker. Need me to work 7 days per week? No problem. Need me to be gone from 7 am till 11 pm? No problem. The fact that I had a new baby had nothing to do with it. They would understand.

Fast forward till today. My son has a great relationship with both his mother, myself, and his step dad. All of us can easily get together and visit or grill out or whatever. However, the lesson learned is that no matter what your goal is, you need to take a time out and enjoy the ride.

A friend of mine and I were watching the thunderstorms last night and enjoying the evening immensely. "Too many people are unwilling to just shut up and enjoy the ride of life", she said. How true. Take time to tell those around you that they are loved. Mend a relationship, write a book, learn to play an instrument, go do something with your kid that you may not care about but they love. This is the true essence of life isn't in the amount of time that we put in. It is the quality of the memories that we create for ourselves and those around us.

Visit my site at www.theshef.com for more great info!

This One Will Upset Some

"I want just enough to get by..." says one person. "I just want to feel a little better..." mentions another, "Just a little more money..." All of these comments are not only hideous in their direction and focus; they are a slap in the face of God. OK, I realize I just ticked a few of you off on that one. Deal with it. We never make change unless we are a bit uncomfortable.

I was in church the other day when it dawned on me that unless we ask for all that we can have, we will not get it. (The specific answer I received when talking about revenue was "Add another 2 zeros to the end of your income goal") Guess what? Many people would tell you that the pie is only so big, that we are being greedy. There was a Presidential candidate who was telling us the other day that we couldn't drive whatever we wanted and have our heat set at what we wanted because it might upset some idiot half way across the world. Those of you 30 years old and older may remember this type of mindset FROM JIMMY CARTER!

We can be, do, and have whatever we want. We don't need to ask permission of anyone; other than to make sure that it somehow benefits others. Guess what? I don't want to drive a roller skate with a weed eater motor on the back. The damn thing would hit a butterfly and put me in the hospital. When I'm driving something, I want to win if I'm in a wreck. Is it greedy for me to ask for more money? No way! I can employ a ton more people by spending $100 in my community than sending that $100 off to DC where they will send me back $17.

My challenge to you is this: raise the level of your expectations. You will receive it. In order to do this, you will have to shatter some limiting beliefs. In my live seminars I will have participants write down all of their limiting beliefs on a pine board. They then MAKE THE DECISION that those beliefs don't benefit them anymore and smash through it with their hand. Here is the key: it only hurts if you don't break the board. It also only hurts if you hang on to garbage beliefs.

Visit my site at www.theshef.com for more info

What are Your Rules for Happiness

I get to see such a cross section of people in my travels. Some people have seemingly miserable outlooks and attitudes when they appear to have everything in the world going for them. Yet, others seem to be down on their luck. When 90% of the people would be calling it "rock bottom"; they are happy and excited.

I have found that many people need a ton of excuses for success. One of the clients who I worked with on a personal coaching level said that they felt they were a failure because his company's stock didn't hit it's target earnings. It fell short by 2 cents. Never mind that this company realized fabulous growth over the last 2 years and this person was a millionaire many times over. His need to be happy was just too high. (After a bit of mental floss, he realized that everything was far beyond OK. He just needed a little "wake up call")

Don't base your happiness upon society's standards, make it yours. Visit a pediatric oncology ward. There you will find kids who are suffering from cancer and many won't make it until Christmas. Yet, they are cracking up laughing at the way the light shimmers off of the green Jello they are eating for lunch! What a great life lesson.

Here is my recommendation:
1. Lower your expectations to be happy. I'm not saying "Don't reach for the stars"; rather, I would encourage you to celebrate the journey of your life every step of the way.
2. Model others who have accomplished what you desire. This will cut your learning curve way down.
3. Attend one of my live programs. Visit www.theshef.com for my schedule. I don't even know where I will be at on a day to day basis; but all of the public events are highlighted with a link to purchase tickets.

Celebrate the day!
Shef

What is Your Reach?

"It doesn't matter what I do" is one of the comments that drives me insane. Many people don't realize the importance of their reach. This comment usually comes from people who have very little self esteem. One of the casualties of the 1980s and 1990s is the "Let's build the kid's self esteem first" idea. Here is a newsflash for you: You cannot build someone else's self esteem. This is only accomplished by completing something.

If you don't think that what you do matters, take a moment of personal reflection on your life. Chances are you are in life due to the words or beliefs of someone else. Many people are paralyzed by the beliefs of a negative spouse, parent, teacher, or other person who had no darn business telling you what to do with your life.

My challenge to you is this: TODAY- Reflect on where you are and what negative beliefs you may possess. Make the decision that today is a new day and you will no longer be held captive to these beliefs.

Also, find 5 people to encourage today. This may be commenting on someone's new hair style, thanking the mailman, or simply smiling at a stranger. This is one of the most lucrative ways to pay the gift of life forward.

For more great info, visit www.theshef.com

Don't Iignore the Youth!

Yes, the young people of America may look a little different than adults. They may talk a little different than adults. They may do things differently than adults. BUT SO DID WE WHEN WE WERE THEIR AGE! Way too many people stand by the sidelines and ignore the potential of our youth market.

I was in Nashville at a marketing seminar with about 1200 other people. I happened to meet a woman who teaches yoga to kids! What a great concept. This young person identified a niche, created a product, and is doing exceedingly well. When you meet her, her handshake is firm and her eyes are locked on yours. The most fascinating part of this is not that there is someone out there who knows how to network and build a business. It is that the young woman I am describing is 10 years old! Don't give me this garbage about people being "too young" or "too old" they are just excuses!

Find a way to utilize the technical expertise of the youth of today in your business. What you slave over, they may play at; freeing you up for greater revenue producing opportunities.

How is Your Ferrari Running?

How is your Ferrari?

Jerry Jenkins tells a great story about a young man coming to pick up his teenage daughter for a date. He is a great inspirational author and somewhat of a car buff. He and the young man were visiting while his daughter was putting the "finishing touches" on for the evening. They walked over to the open garage, and he pulled the tarp off of a beautiful sports car. "If I let you take this car this evening, would you treat it with the utmost care and consideration?" Jerry asked the young man. "Of course! This car is beautiful. I wouldn't let anything happen to it. I will care for it like a baby!" the young man replied. Then Jerry turned to the young man and said, "You will be taking your own car this evening. Let me assure you that my daughter is far more valuable to me than this car. I am trusting her to you, and I expect her to come back in as pristine a state as when she is leaving." The point is sometimes in life we value the things more than the people. If you have children, compliment them, spend time with them. Be interested in what they like to do; even if it doesn't interest you at all. If you are in a loving marriage, don't belittle your spouse for every little issue or thing that irritates you. Put them first! If they didn't have the little quirks that irritate you; they would have found a better spouse. Finally, if you are an adult in a situation where you are feeling like you are living out a sentence instead of celebrating a life; make the appropriate changes. It is never too late to begin a celebration of life!