15% unemployment!

Someone close to me called me recently to tell me that they have been following my blog and are really proud of the fact that I've found a good "hobby". They told me that I might want to tone it down because while people would like to have a job they love, it's just not possible with 9% unemployment in our economy (they saw a story on CNN). Before I got a chance to respond, this person called me to say that they saw another story that stated the actual unemployment rate is more like 15% (they saw another story on some other news channel). My response was SO WHAT!!! Even with 15% unemployment there are still companies willing to hire, their just looking for the right people, and those right people aren't the one's with the negative attitudes because they've been watching cable news. Our economy has changed and we must change with it. You can't get a traditional job? Why not work for yourself? "The economy's bad, you can't start a business", really? This is the best time to start a business because there's very little competition out there because everyone else is to busy watching and believing cable news. Here, let me give you one idea right now: do you have a lawn mower, can you borrow one? Get one and start "So and So lawn service". Can you do odd work around someones house? You just became "All Purpose Handy Service". I read a story about a 14 year old kid who wanted to make a little extra money for the summer doing all sort's of odd jobs around someones house. He went to a 450 home subdivision and worked it all summer, when it was all said and done, he made $10,000 in 3 months, why can't that be you? There's work out there for those that are willing to do whatever it takes, the days of the laid back, easy jobs are over, wake up and smell the opportunity! The question I'll leave you with is, do you agree with that person close to me because you guys watch the same always negative news cast? Or are you like that 14 year kid who wasn't afraid to do some hard work to achieve a goal? When that 14 year old kid grows up he probably end up being a millionaire and if you are that negative person, you'll still be on the couch watching him on that news cast you love so much!

A healthy risk or just plain stupidity!

I got an email from a guy who told me that he has been reading my blog and he was inspired. He said he was at a job he hated (McDonald's) so being inspired to do a job he actually loved, he quit the next day! I started this blog to inspire people and wake people up to the fact that 40 hours a week is too long to spend doing something you don't like, with the eventual goal of moving on to a job or business you actually love. I want to be clear about the process. Once you have identified what or where you should be, you have to have an exit strategy, DON'T JUST QUIT YOUR JOB! It's not a calculated risk, it's just plain stupid. Make a solid step by step plan giving yourself a timetable, a plan without a timetable attached to it, is just a pipe dream. If you are in a position to leave sooner, still don't burn any bridges, you don't want to put yourself in a corner with little hope of getting out. If you are reading this chances are that you are at a job or business you don't like or maybe it's just not suited for you. We've made it through this long, just stick it out with the sight of the finish line in the distance! If you are somewhere you don't like and haven't started making any plans, what are you waiting for? The guy at McDonald's lives at home and has very little bills (he's 19) so he's probably going to be OK, but don't make a mistake and set yourself up for failure by not having a plan!

One more look back

A couple of days ago I went to get some food at KFC. I went to the drive through and waited for what seemed like forever (2 minutes), so I drove around to walk into the restaurant. When I got into the restaurant, there was a huge line (3 people). I waited and waited forever (2 minutes) and got fed up and left! I'm being honest about my experience to talk about patience. This is the one thought I want to leave with you this post: when doing a work related task, or personal task, or any kind of project, after your finished and are ready to move on to the next thing, take one more look at your work. I think as a group of people, myself included, we are generally impatient. Take the extra few minutes to double check your work and see if there is that one thing you missed. I did this very thing at work this morning and corrected 3 mistakes by going back to double check my work. You never know how this will affect you, your boss might be considering giving you a raise and this might just be the extra thing that gets you one. Double checking your work might also keep your boss from firing you if you have been messing up lately. Looking back at a task or errand that you did at home might save you from having to call a professional!  Like determination, patience is a quality we all should strive for, I do daily and hope you will to. We might never reach perfection, but taking one more look back might get us one step closer!

Determination- easier said, then done

"I'm going to lose 20 pounds this month". "I'm going to finish that project at work". "I'm going to do that thing that I've been putting off". That drive that propels you to get all these things accomplished is determination, you probably already know this. I'd like to submit one thought to you: Determination without a plan is a recipe for failure! You may be determined to lose 20 pounds, but if you don't hit the gym or diet, you may gain weight. You may be determined to do those things you've been putting off, but if you don't have a plan, you might not even know what all of those things are. If there are things in your life right know that you are determined to get accomplished, plan them out today! Are they goal's for this week? Are they goal's for this month? Are they goal's for this year? As an every day workingman spending 40 hours of our week at work, it's hard to have determination, it's hard sometimes to even have the energy. So the plan is a very important part of the equation. Sit down today, make a list of different things you are determined to see done, plan them out giving yourself a solid timeline. And my hope is, after following this blog, that one thing you're determined for this year is to move on to work that you actual enjoy!

Pulled apart from every direction!!

As an everyday working man or woman it seems like your constantly being pulled apart from every direction! At work, your boss seems to "miss" the 99 things you did right to focus on the 1 thing you made a mistake on, "hey buddy, I'm not perfect"! At home, whoops I'm at home? I was suppose to stop at the gym before I got home, looks like I'm staying fat today! At home, your kids require your immediate attention because they've been waiting all day to talk to you, your husband or wife needs the same! You have a 100 different errands to run, not to mention all the projects around the house! Don't forget to get those fiances in order, you got to get the mortgage payment out today, your already 1 month behind! You look at all this everyday and want to scream: AAAAHHHH!!! We've all heard the expression that when it rains, it pours? It's just all in our minds. As an everyday working man or woman we are faced with these things everyday, but instead of screaming or going crazy, let's try a different approach. As these things happen, let's try to stop for a minute, take a deep breath and tackle them one at a time. You need more help, take out your I pod or whatever you use, and listen to your favorite song and decompress. If your a Christian, like I am, you pray and ask for God's peace. For that complaining boss, my friend always says: "never let them see you sweat". If you miss that day at the gym, you'll workout twice as hard tomorrow. For the wife or husband and kids, you remember that you do it all for them and you give them every moment they need. Send out the bills. Tackle the errands one at a time. You miss them today, there's always tomorrow! It's all in your mind so don't give in!! Over come these things, learn from them, and grow from them, that's all you can do. Or I guess you can give in and go crazy! GOOD LUCK EITHER WAY!

Time- your best friend or your worst enemy

If you have been following my blog, I dedicated the next few posts to answer email questions. I have to detour a little for something that's been burning on my mind. As you know, there are 168 hours in a week. Let's take off 56 hours for sleep (assuming you get 8 hours a night of sleep, most of us don't). Let's also take off 50 hours for work (Most people work 40 hours, but let's say 50 to account for overtime), that leaves you 62 hours a week. The burning question is what do you do with your extra time? This question has been burning in my mind because I read a report that the average American watches 34.5 hours a week of TV, REALLY??? If we dedicated 34.5 hours a week to figure out what we want to be when we grow up, and then attack that goal, how long would it take to accomplish it? I'm guessing not very long. As an everyday working man or woman it's easy to have a hard day at work and come home and just want to veg out, I've done it. The problem is life is to short to waste any of those hours! Are you using your spare time to do everything you want to do? If your a parent, do you ignore your kids for your favorite show? When was the last time you read a good book, not fiction, something that would help improve your life? And let me just close with this: If your at a job or business that you constantly need to decompress from, what are you still doing there? Could you use any of those 62 hours to break free? Only you can answer that! I've found personal the answer is yes, and I hope you will to. Please feel free to get involved by becoming a follower of this blog, leaving comments, and telling everyone you know to check it out!

You will always have questions

As I've been writing this blog, I've had many questions from a lot of people, GREAT! It's been my goal through this to first, get people interested in my book when it comes out. Second, to open your mind and show you it's possible for you to wake up everyday and not have to go to a place you hate! The problem is not, that's where most of us are at, the problem is most of us are content to stay there, SAD! The most common questions are: How do I figure out what I love to do? Next: How can I start doing that? Third: Will I make less money? I'd like to take the next few post to answer these questions. First let me say right off the bat, that I'm no expert on anything, just ask my wife. The title of this blog is everyday working man because that's what I am, I'm one of you. So when I talk about anything or answer questions, it's from that perspective. Figuring out what it is you love to do is a very personal process. My advice is to start very basic: when you were a little kid, what did you want to be when you grew up? You have to take a lot of time to examine what your natural good at, what do you enjoy, and how does it fit with your personality. Even after you read this take some time to "figure yourself out", then once you've done that, you can look at what companies would be a good match for you. Or maybe you would be more suited to start your own business. For me personal, this process brought me exactly here, writing. Stay tuned for more answers!