OK, so I’m not a pirate, but I was inspired to write this while listening to Jimmy Buffett’s classic, ‘A Pirate Looks At Forty’ — so I hope you’ll humor me.

It’s crazy to think that I used to listen to that song on tape cassette as a teenager (suddenly I’m realizing what it must have been like for those who grew up listening to 8 track tapes) and now, at the time of this writing I am 40 years old myself.… Read the rest of the article

In life there will be storms. Certainly there will be sunshine and rainbows, but make no mistake, there will be storms — and they will bring with them the winds of change.

One moment we are humming right along. Life is good. As the saying goes, all is right with the world. The next thing you know you’ve lost your footing somehow and everything appears to be spiralling out of control. It’s scary. It makes no sense. How do you regain control?… Read the rest of the article

It’s a wonderful thing to set goals. To plan for the future. But you have to be cognizant of the fact that no amount of planning alone will guarantee the outcome you hope for.

The difference, whether you see things come to fruition or not will be determined by the effort you put into what you have planned for. Interestingly, you can’t have one without the other. Planning & action. They’re twins of sorts, in that they feed each other.… Read the rest of the article

I’ve learned much in the years I’ve been a student of personal development. I’m certain I have become more than I would have, had I never begun this journey so many years ago. By far, one of the most important lessons I picked up was taught to me by Jim Rohn, on the importance of keeping a journal.

The benefits are vast. One of the many reasons for keeping a journal is that you not only want to take in information that you hope can help you in some way, you also want to look for opportunities to apply it in your life, and be able to review how doing so worked out for you.… Read the rest of the article

I find that many people have a frame of reference which dictates how capable they believe they are at a particular task, skill, or thing — and in-turn plays a role in what they attempt, which as you can imagine has an effect on what they end up achieving — be it personally or professionally.

You Are Far More Capable Than Any Shortcoming From Your Past…

Your frame of reference is often shaped by your past accomplishments, as well as those times where you’ve fallen short of your intended outcome.… Read the rest of the article

Don’t let your never-ending quest for the latest and greatest productivity solution be your downfall.

More often than I’d care to admit I have found myself fighting to implement the latest “productivity hack” — only to eventually give up on it. Wasted time? Perhaps, but I don’t beat myself up over it.

I’ve long lived by the motto “personal development is a hands on project.” Meaning that I believe we have to try new things and implement what works, but at the same time be willing to kick to the curb, so to speak, those things that don’t work for us.… Read the rest of the article