It's Not Always Simple

Yes, it's been a while since I've gotten an e-mail off to you. It hasn't been for a lack of trying, but I've been off covorting around England and Scotland, and found that parts of the world don't have as ready access to the Internet as I am used to having. I would grab my iPhone or my Mac and head out for a hot spot, only to find that they would be shut down, unavailable, or otherwise not usable for me. As a result, you'll get a series of e-mails that I've written on this trip as soon as I get on-line more regularly. Perhaps partially because I spent so little time on the Internet, it's been a great time of connecting with Terry and the kids, and I'm looking forward to sharing some of it with you.

It started on Thursday when we headed to the airport in Denver...

Traveling with five people of varying ages and interests is a challenge, you know. Some are used to travel, and practically run through the airports. Others are in awe of the grand surroundings. I watched harried business travelers who had to rethink the security line because of this family of five dumping bag after bag onto the X-ray belt. Gabe is an inquisitive 6-year-old, too, and some of his questions can be... well... let's just say we have to watch the timing.

"Papa, what can a 500 pound bomb do?"

The TSA would want to talk to that young recruit, I think. And to his father, too, no doubt!

You see, he's very into World War II. He can tell you about fighters and bombers, missles and bombs. The other day in the car, he asked his mom, "Mamma, what was the most dengerous German fighter plane in World War I?" His follow-up was about World War II. And he listed the top three from each war for us. He loves explosions. He studies it all and asks great questions. Great questions that show a lot of understanding and an insatiable hunger for knowledge...

Not necessarily a good conversation to be having when we go through security, though!

Thankfully, he didn't ask any of those questions in security. He's a pretty wise little boy.

Good questions are the starting blocks for the marathon of life learning.

There was a time when I couldn't ask those questions. I was embarrassed by not knowing the answer already. I had learned in school that knowing the right answer got you rewarded and not knowing it meant ridicule.

So, I either knew the answer or kept my mouth shut. And I learned to learn by observing and listening closely. Later, I had to learn to ask questions, though...

Asking the right questions means discovering new ideas, possibilities, and opportunities that you could not have known before. And that's learning to think differently, which is a big part of your personal success.

In fact, recently a few of you have asked about your copies of the Time Shaving book and special report. I'm excited that we have the first set of the It's About Time Special Reports ready to ship, and they will go out to the Charter members this week. The book is still on pre-publication, but on-track. Thanks for sending me those questions!

...and I'll let you know more about the book process over the next few weeks, too.

To YOUR success, ssh

PS After a challenge of delays, the special reports are ready to ship.

A Story for Holly

Holly is one of my favorite people. She is beautiful, blond, and cheerful. She is very good at what she does, and willingly takes on new assignments and learns new skills. But today wasn't her day.

Her daily work has been a real challenge for her lately. The company where she works is moving locations, and much of the coordination and communication passes through her. Not necessarily because it's her role, either, but often just because she's an easy person to ask.

Many of the people who have been stopping by lately are complainers, though. And they were sucking her dry. I could see through the window of her office that her normally joyful face showed stress and strain, and I hate to see that. So I stepped into her office, slid the door closed, and spent a few minutes encouraging her.

"Everyone is coming to me," she said. "I don't know what to do."

"Holly," I said, "you do not have to take on their negative energy. You can listen to them, tell them that you'll do your best, be cheerful, and let them leave with all that negative energy. You can even wave it out of your office just like this..." and I waved my hands as if moving a mass of energy right out the door.

Then, I promised her a story.

Although today I coach entrepreneurs and consult with businesses regarding their organizations, their marketing, their products, their technology, and designing their own lives, there was a time when I ran operations and customer support for technology companies. We were proud of our products -- even when they weren't perfect -- and we worked really hard to please our customers. Sometimes, though, it didn't work.

I remember the call like it was yesterday. Our Director of Client Care had warned me it was coming. He was the executive for a Fortune 50 company responsible for their on-line presence for which they were using our systems. We were in the middle of a transition, and he wasn't happy. And he was going to make sure I knew it.

It was one of those phone calls you see in the comics. I could put the handset on my desk and hear every word. He was screaming into the phone. Periodically, I would speak calmly into the microphone, "I understand. We will work through that issue. ..." and so on.

I'm not sure that he liked my calm. I'm sure that he wanted me to either scream back at him or start screaming at staff to do things. But by this point I had learned a few things about leadership, and one of them was that staying calm leads to better decisions and better results. I knew that would be the key to our success in this, whether he liked it or not.

So, I let him scream at me until he ran out of bluster. I reassured him that we were working on his sites, and that we would meet our commitments. I thanked him for calling and let him know we'd speak soon.

When I looked up, my entire staff was outside the door. Seems they could hear his raving from their desks! They came to see how I'd respond. I called them all in and said, "What we do isn't life and death. It's important to our customers, and we need to keep it in perspective. But, we stay calm and do what we can do." We continued the conversation for a while, coming up with specifics about how to help our client. But, the key was that we stayed calm and focused and didn't take on the panic and emotion. It never works, although many people try to convince themselves that it's "motivation." It's not. It's just fear. And it doesn't lead to healthy living. Although it does help you to fight or fly.

But, that's not life.

And your life is yours to design.

Every moment of every day is your choice. No one else's. Yours. You decide. Your attitude is your choice. How you respond is your choice. How you live each day is your choice.

Like Holly, you don't need to take on another's negative energy. You can send it right out with them.

Will you?

Let's go!

Stephen Hultquist

PS We'll talk more about designing your life. Let me know if you have any other topics on your mind. And know that you can grow through my books and coaching here: http://stephenhultquist.com/.

I Can Do It Myself

My son Gabriel is 6. Since his sisters are so much older than he is, he ends up being the little boy with three mommies. He's great, though. All boy, and yet with a special affection for others. He's awesome. He's growing, though, and breaking through into new things that he can do. Lately, it's been about pulling the pitcher out of the 'fridge and pouring it himself. Sometimes, we forget, and start to do it for him. You know what he says, don't you?

"I can do it myself!"

Sound familiar?

Most adults I know haven't outgrown that. They are still trying to do it all themselves. YOU know better. But, it's worth checking once in a while.

I've mentioned my Master Mind groups a lot this month, since it's been a full one for me. I've been in Master Mind meetings that I facilitate, and Master Mind meetings where others do. I have multiple coaches in my life, too, and that's a big change from earlier in my life. The results in my life are outstanding, too. And others are noticing.

The first step it took was to admit that I could learn more working with others. I can't do it all myself!

The term Master Mind was coined by Napoleon Hill during his research at Andrew Carnegie's behest. Hill interviewed the most successful men of his day and pulled together the "Laws of Success" that formed the framework of their success. One of them he called "Power of the Master Mind: The Driving Force." In his description, he describes the experience you've had when you're in a group of people discovering ideas, and you realize that the whole is worth more than the sum of the parts. This "whole" he called the "Master Mind".

Be coached. Get into a Master Mind. Develop the power of working with other towards a common goal. And find joy in the journey.

Let's go!

Stephen Hultquist

PS I have updated my blog with e-mails that I have sent from early February through Thursday night. You can find them on the Blogs link on my main page: http://stephenhultquist.com/

The Finger of God

This morning, a huge storm crashed across northern Colorado, spreading a mile-wide tornado across the town of Windsor and spawning a number of smaller twisters in neighboring communities. Even though they live near the path of the storm, my in-laws were spared most of the devastation that you can see on the videos and photos on CNN and other news sites. They'll spend the night with my sister-in-law nearby, and we'll figure out how to repair their car that was pummeled by hail that some reported to be as big as a baseball.

When the storm hit, I was on my way to Boulder to have lunch with a friend I hadn't seen for a number of years, and the storm didn't seem to be unusual in any way. Only a few miles north, it was a different story.

Tonight, one of the local radio personalities hosted a special show: Tornado, the Finger of God.

Pause.

Events like this give you pause. When the event directly effects you -- like when I was only a few miles from the epicenter of the World Series earthquake of 1989 or like it was for you on 9/11/2001 -- you take a fresh look at your life. You ask important questions. And sometimes you make commitments and significant changes.

I thought about that this evening. The Finger of God seems so fickle. And yet it stirs up your perception and vision and gives you an opportunity to start again.

Take some time tonight to be grateful. Say a prayer of gratitude and really mean it. You are so blessed to have another day to live, another 14000 or so breaths to breathe today.

And then refocus on what you really care about.

Let's go!

Stephen Hultquist

P.S. When you are truly grateful, you are truly free.

Get Tough

This past weekend I was back in Tampa at the Tampa Airport Marriott hotel. It was warm in Tampa, and there was some nice moisture in the air. For those of us who live in drier climates like Colorado, it's nice to get a tase of that moisture once in a while.

But, the hotel was super-cooled. The air conditioning was on full blast, and people were wearing jackets in the meeting rooms and then heading for the patios on the breaks just to warm up.

The temperature didn't cool down the seminar, though.

Before I tell you what happened, I want to tell you about the guy in front of me this morning as I got ready to board my flight home. He was just a bit grumpy. Actually, he was a LOT grumpy. After he ended his long conversation with the gate agent, he turned and started talking to me. He had a long list of complaints about United. This time, they had lost his upgrade and had nothing to say or do about it, he said. Then, he told me that he has flown over 8 million miles on United, and they treat him like dirt. He told me that it was all going to end in October, though, when he takes delivery on his new plane.

What I learned next was a shocker, though.

I ask him what he did that had him on the road so much. Know what he said? "I'm a motivational speaker..." and then he told me more about what he does.

What?

You're kidding, right? With all that negativity? I don't get it. And I don't have time for thinking that way. But, he's made a very good living for many years doing what he does. Good enough to buy a new jet. Very interesting!

That said, his attitude was so different from the one I experienced all weekend. At the Get Tough fitness seminar, I met Dan Gable again and he challenged me with some great insights into how to keep moving forward. I had my body -- and mind -- challenged and pushed to Get Tough. To be tough on myself. Tougher than anyone else is. The other speakers and coaches pushed all of us, too. And I'll tell you more about them in future emails, too, including a man who pushed himself beyond what would kill most people.

Here is what he said: Balance what you know and what you do.

It is important to keep learning. It is equally important to apply what you learn. Balance kowing and doing.

Push yourself to do what you are committed to doing!

Let's go!

Stephen Hultquist

P.S. A couple new opportunities coming down the pike. In the meantime, let me know your thoughts on what you'd like to see in the e-mails... Thanks!

It Depends on Your Definition

Earlier today I got a great question from Annie Black, a great friend, amazing skier, and someone who is focused on her own improvement. She also has to be the person who is at work tempting me to join her group for a helicopter skiing trip to Revelstoke next January... but that's not what her email was asking me.

After she read my "Get Tough" email, she asked me a question that may have been on your mind about the "motivational speaker" I mentioned who is buying his own Eclipse 500 jet:

"How could a guy so negative be so successful?"

Think for a minute about how you would answer that question. I think the answer is a bit more complex than it might seem at first blush.

I answered her with this:

It's actually dependent on your definition of "successful".

And that's the truth. If earning enough money to buy a multi-million dollar jet is the definition of success, then the question is a challenge to answer. But that's not all that I put into my definition of success. I think success is living your life actualized. Being who you are created to be. Being fully engaged in what you know is your purpose.

Earning an extensive income is a matter of how you serve others and how comfortable they are with paying you for it. Living a successful life is far more. I can't judge whether or not he was just having a bad day, but I will say that he wouldn't let it go. He mentioned it to me again when I saw him on-board.

Let go!

Here's the question for you and your life: Are you living the life you are here to live? Being about a purpose that you find to be profound makes all the difference.

Let's go!

Stephen Hultquist

P.S. I'm really excited about a new product that I'm creating around this, but until then, check out the Mastering Your Life program: http://stephenhultquist.com/

Steps to Your Dreams (part 2)

This e-mail has been a long time coming. I've sat at my desk more than once to write it, written a good chunk, and then erased it in the computer equivalent of wadding up the paper and tossing it into the trash. This afternoon, it's beautiful here in Colorado. The springtime air is full of the fragrance of new blossoms, and the mountains are covered with a new layer of snow. With that natural power all around me, I've sat down to write, again.

This step is soooo important, but it's likely to challenge some very deep beliefs that you hold near and dear. Stick with me, though.

Have you ever watched a kid learn to walk? I remember when Rachel was first learning to walk. She would grab on to a table or a chair, stand up... and then wobble and fall down on her diaper-padded behind. Then she would look at you, laugh and do it all over again.

She never doubted that she'll learn how to walk, of course. Neither did we. No one would ever tell her that it was impossible, either, even though she failed day after day. Her legs got stronger, though. Her balance got better. Her coordination improved. And then one day, like magic, she walked.

But nobody did it for her. In fact, nobody could. If we had tried, she NEVER would have learned to walk.

And that's the secret to the second step to your dreams.

If you are waiting for someone to help YOU take that step towards your dream, it's time to learn this secret. Here it is:

No one is coming to rescue you.

That may seem obvious, but if you look at how you're moving towards your dreams (or how you're not moving!), you may find that you're hoping for a rescue. Lotteries grow rich from those who want to be rescued. So do con men. You get it, I'm sure.

From now on, when you look at your dreams, realize that it's up to you. No one is coming to rescue you. You can even say it to yourself this way, as Famous Amos made famous: "If it's to be, it's up to me."

It doesn't matter how you say it, but it does matter that you live it. It's up to you.

Let's go!

Stephen Hultquist

P.S. Thanks to those of you who are inviting others to join the list at http://stephenhultquist.com/. Good luck in the iPod contest!

P.P.S. I've got a new site for those of you who have asked for a way to introduce my consulting services to your businesses. You can check it out here: http://infinitesummit.com/

Steps to Your Dreams (part 3)

Last summer, Terry and I spent a great week in Maine. We stayed near Bar Harbor just outside Acadia National Park. We hiked a few of the hundreds of trails there, had high tea at the famous Jordan Pond restaurant, and I ate lobster stew as often as I could find it. What reminded me of it?

As I sat on my flight today, United played an OLN production called "Park Raving Mad." In it, two guys are taking a road trip to all the National Parks, and this episode was their first... Acadia.

I remember the first time I learned about Acadia and Bar Harbor from a book on the National Parks that my folks had when I was a kid. I read about all the National Parks, and thought about the ones that I wanted to visit. Parks like Yellowstone, Grand Teton, Yosemite, the Grand Canyon... and Acadia. I hadn't been to Acadia before, but I had always planned to visit there.

What about you? Ever visit a place you've always wanted to go?

Think about what it took for you to make it there. What you did to go from having it be a place you wanted to go to being a place you had been is the key to step 3:

Know where you are going.

Some people talk about having goals. Some people come up with other language for it. But whatever you call it, to get somewhere, you have to know where you're going. And this is another step that most people mostly ignore. What about you?

To go where you dream, you have to actually know where that is. You need to be really clear in your thinking about it. Are you?

Let's go!

Stephen Hultquist

P.S. I'm on my way to a great seminar this weekend. I'll share more about that over the next couple days. In the meantime, check out the updated web site at http://stephenhultquist.com/ for more that's going on.

P.P.S. Look forward to some new ways of getting more of what you want with some upcoming features of the website!

Steps to Your Dreams (part 1)

This morning as I sat down in my seat on the plane to Chicago, I thought about you. There in seat 13J on a United 777, I sat thinking about your life and your dreams and what little I know about them. But how committed I am to seeing you achieve them. After all, as I often hear echoing in my memory: you are designed for accomplishment. You are engineered for success. You are endowed with the very seeds of greatness. Zig Ziglar said that, and it rings true for me about you.

The real question for you is what you are doing -- or not doing -- about your dreams.

As I sat there on flight 908, I thought about the questions I get about my life, and I thought about this e-mail to you. I thought about how many of you ask me questions like, "You seem to ski all the time. I wish I could get out and ski as much as you do."

So do it. If it is part of your dream, make it happen. If it's not, don't bother. Don't waste your time wishing on a star. Decide what you want and then go and do it.

Maybe you're like the small child I heard a couple of weeks ago. She was sitting in a restaurant with her father and grandpa having breakfast. Sometimes she was quiet, but a lot of the time, she wanted something different. You can hear her in your own mind if you listen hard enough.

She was whining.

"But, Daddy..." she'd complain, "I don't want to!"

"Grampa, I don't want it!"

We expect this from little ones, but even with them, after a while it's too much. It's time for Dad to take her outside and help her understand how life works.

You know, many people never learn how life works. Parents don't take their kids outside and teach them about life. Maybe your parents never taught you. If not, that will get in your wayHere's the first step to your dreams: No one owes you anything.

This is essential. If you don't get this, nothing else will ever matter. You'll whine and complain, and life will never be what it can be.

And that's a tragedy. Because life is amazing. It's a blessing every day, no matter what happens. You woke up this morning and drew a breath. You did nothing to deserve that breath, but you drew another and another. You opened your eyes. Your brain works. And far more is going on in your life than that. Regardless of how you see it, you're living in a miracle today.

And no one owes you anything.

Start there. That's the first step toward your dreams.

Let's go!

Stephen Hultquist

P.S. Every book and product that I put on my site is specifically designed for you to take those steps to your dreams. Pick up the one that you need most today: http://stephenhultquist.com/

Steps to Your Dreams (part 2)

This e-mail has been a long time coming. I've sat at my desk more than once to write it, written a good chunk, and then erased it in the computer equivalent of wadding up the paper and tossing it into the trash. This afternoon, it's beautiful here in Colorado. The springtime air is full of the fragrance of new blossoms, and the mountains are covered with a new layer of snow. With that natural power all around me, I've sat down to write, again.

This step is soooo important, but it's likely to challenge some very deep beliefs that you hold near and dear. Stick with me, though.

Have you ever watched a kid learn to walk? I remember when Rachel was first learning to walk. She would grab on to a table or a chair, stand up... and then wobble and fall down on her diaper-padded behind. Then she would look at you, laugh and do it all over again.

She never doubted that she'll learn how to walk, of course. Neither did we. No one would ever tell her that it was impossible, either, even though she failed day after day. Her legs got stronger, though. Her balance got better. Her coordination improved. And then one day, like magic, she walked.

But nobody did it for her. In fact, nobody could. If we had tried, she NEVER would have learned to walk.

And that's the secret to the second step to your dreams.

If you are waiting for someone to help YOU take that step towards your dream, it's time to learn this secret. Here it is:

No one is coming to rescue you.

That may seem obvious, but if you look at how you're moving towards your dreams (or how you're not moving!), you may find that you're hoping for a rescue. Lotteries grow rich from those who want to be rescued. So do con men. You get it, I'm sure.

From now on, when you look at your dreams, realize that it's up to you. No one is coming to rescue you. You can even say it to yourself this way, as Famous Amos made famous: "If it's to be, it's up to me."

It doesn't matter how you say it, but it does matter that you live it. It's up to you.

Let's go!

Stephen Hultquist

P.S. Thanks to those of you who are inviting others to join the list at http://stephenhultquist.com/. Good luck in the iPod contest!

P.P.S. I've got a new site for those of you who have asked for a way to introduce my consulting services to your businesses. You can check it out here: http://infinitesummit.com/

What Do You See?

At 13,000 feet, the air gets a little thin and the wind seems much stronger, especially when you're hiking a ridge line with skis on your shoulder. That's where I found myself yesterday during an outing to produce video for the on-line version of "The Encyclopedia of Skiing." High atop the East Wall of Arapahoe Basin, we picked our way over rocks and snow to the entrance of a slash of snow on the side of a wonderful mountain.

The mouth was about 10 feet across, and the couloir varied in width up to about 25 feet, and narrowed in the choke. It was also peppered with rocks, and was about 45 degrees steep -- although standing at the top and looking down, it seemed much steeper. It was at this point that the power of visualization became crystal clear to me, again.

Those of you who have read the skiing book (http://stephenhultquist.com/skiing.html) will remember my experience at the top of Liberty at Big Sky. When I peeked over the edge of the couloir yesterday, those feelings started pushing at the back of my brain. In my imagination, I started to see myself scraping a rock near the top, losing a ski, and cartwheeling into the rock wall. At that point, I had a couple of choices to make, including whether or not I was going to ski it and how I was going to approach it.

Can you imagine what I did?

First, I looked away, to the south east, and drank in the wild freedom of my beloved mountains. I took a few deep breaths. Then I took control of my run away imagination.

I saw myself slipping in to the soft snow at the tip, avoiding the first few rocks, and making my first half-dozen turns past the first camera. Then, I saw myself pick my way through the rocks to the apron of snow, and make a few lazy turns down to the main camera.

A few minutes later, I dropped in. I skied it like I had seen it in my head. In fact, I enjoyed it, and the sense of accomplishment at the bottom was awesome!

There are things in your life that are like that. Occasions that bring back bad memories or that somehow spook you. It could be in your business, in your relationships, in your health and fitness, or any other area where you aren't breaking through to what you really want to be doing.

Think about how you handle it. Then, think about what I did on the mountain yesterday.

While I had used visualization in specific situations over the years, I have been practicing it in more ways for the past couple of years as I've learned more about eliminating resistance in my life. One of the ways has been with the zero resistance living course (http://stephenhultquist/zrl.html). By practicing my visualization, getting better at it, and then targeting what I most care about, I've been able to literally change my life.

I need to be reminded, though. I still get coaching and help. But, I'm pretty happy with where I am and where I'm going.

What about you?

Let's go!

Stephen Hultquist

P.S. I am going to do a special teleseminar for those who order Time Shaving this month. Check it out: http://stephenhultquist.com/shaving-book.html.

Your Personal Business (part 3)

Last Monday morning on my way to Chicago, I settled into seat 13F and pulled out one of the books that I had brought along to focus my energy during takeoff and landing while my computer is properly stowed. The first book I grabbed is an insightful book by advertising maverick Ben Mack called "Think Two Products Ahead".

I am a voracious reader, and I make sure that I spend the time I have concentrating on ideas that will move YOU and me forward. This book was new to my collection, and I read it with interest. Mack is typically irreverent, but he also has a solid track record and the right perspective: results are the only success.

Your forward vision will define your focus. If you know where you're headed and why, today becomes part of that thread that leads you forward. Your time today is your investment in that success.

Only YOU can define who you are. You do it by being consistent, and moving forward with intention towards what YOU have decided is most important to you. Thinking ahead gives today meaning.

When you stack those days one on top of the other, you create the image that others see of you.

Take your time today to define your next two "products".

Let's go!

Stephen Hultquist

P.S. There is only so much time in every day. You can't manage it. It passes at the same pace no matter what you do. But, you can find ways of using it that work. That's what Time Shaving is all about. Order the book now, before it's available, and get the special report all at a special price: http://stephenhultquist.com/shaving-book.html

Your Personal Business (part 2)

Earlier this year, I was in a meeting with a group of professional people discussing their careers and their business focuses. I began to see a trend in the conversation, so I asked them a pointed question: "How many of you in this room work for yourself?"

How would you have answered that question? It is vitally important that you answer it correctly.

Typically, those who are self-employed raise their hands. They run their own business, whether a one-man shop or a privately-held company. They understand that it is up to them to develop their business, and that "the buck stops here."

They aren't the only ones who work for themselves, though.

You see, it's a trick question.

EVERYONE works for themselves! Most importantly, YOU work for YOURSELF!

Seen that way, it's obvious. It's important that you think about this every day, though. No one else is responsible for your career. No one else is responsible for your earnings. In fact, no one else actually CAN do anything about your success if you don't do it.

YOU are in business for YOURSELF.

What does this mean? Ultimately, it means that you need to make the best decisions for your long-term success, just like any business leader has to do. You consider the various components of your personal company (R&D, Finance, Marketing & Sales, Production...) and you manage them just like a company. And every day, you decide what the most important things for you to do are. Every day.

This is the first lesson in Time Shaving: change your thinking and focus on what's important to you.

Because YOU are in business for YOURSELF.

Let's go!

Stephen Hultquist

P.S. You can get the entire set of Time Shaving lessons in the book, together with the free Special Report "It's About Time" here: http://stephenhultquist.com/shaving-book.html

Your Best Chance

Last week I enjoyed a lively meeting with my marketing meeting members in the great classroom facility at Steve Weaver's Dive & Travel shop in Boulder. We spent time -- as we do every month -- discussing ways to get more done, accomplish more, grow businesses... it was a dynamic time, and I enjoy it every time we meet. During one of my comments, I asked them what they thought of this idea, and... well... I've decided to offer you your best chance ever for a free iPod.

Although this e-mail list has many great members, it's time to get the word out to a broader audience as there are more helpful tips that I'll be sharing with you. You know that you have friends who will benefit from making better use of their time, learning how to earn more (more about that in a tip next week!), or taking the time to consider ideas that will help them live happier lives.

This is a chance to give them access to great information at no cost, win an iPod, and give them a chance to win one, too!

Between now and the anniversary of my marriage to Terry on July 7th, I will give you credit for every person you invite who joins the list. The person who invites the most members will get the iPod.

Then, on the 7th, I will announce the winner of the iPod for inviting people and I'll also announce that one of our new members won an iPod, too.

There may be a few more things in store, too.

Start by forwarding this to your friends and letting them know that you're going to win that iPod when they join the list... and they may just win one, too. All they need to do is go to http://stephenhultquist.com/ and join the list...

Let's go!

Stephen Hultquist

P.S. If you are looking for ways of getting more out of every day, you really need to check out my revolutionary approach to time... shave a little! http://stephenhultquist.com/shaving-book.html

Your Personal Business (part 1)

In 1993, I started thinking about an idea that would change my life. As I sat in my big office at IBM after another rescue mission at a sales office -- this time in Michigan -- I did the math. How much, I wondered, does each person need to generate to make it worthwhile for the company to keep them around?

If you are employed, this is a particularly important equation. If you are self-employed, you already know the implications, but perhaps you haven't thought about it in quite this detail.

First, take your salary, multiply it by 1.3, and realize that you've found the number typically used for your cost to the company. That extra 30% includes things like the costs of the facility where you work, your equipment, and other costs to keep you productive.

With that total, think about this: how could you generate that kind of revenue? For the sake of conversation, let's consider a $100,000 salary, so a total revenue of $130,000. You could, for example, find 1 person who would find that total value in your doing something for them. Or two people who would find $65,000 worth of value in something that you do for them or sell them. Or 65,000 people who would find $2 of value. You get the idea.

Of course, that income would have to be above your costs for any product or service that you had to buy to satisfy them.

Are you getting the picture?

Every day, then, you must generate a portion of that value. Typically, employees work 2000 hours per year over the course of 250 8 hour days. So, you can do the math and figure out how much value you need to produce every day, every morning or afternoon, every hour. Even every minute.

There's more to it than this as you really start to look at it, but this is a good start.

Spend a bit of time with this today. It will start you on an amazing path of growth and success...

Let's go!

Stephen Hultquist

P.S. Success starts with a change in thinking. Grab a copy of Time Shaving to get yourself focused right now: http://stephenhultquist.com/shaving-book.html.

P.P.S. Don't forget to introduce your friends to this list for an opportunity for both of you to win an iPod! Have them sign up at http://stephenhultquist.com/ and then just let me know who you've invited!

The Shortest Distance?

Earlier today, I sat at the conference table in the Presidents' Room of the Denver Athletic Club talking with the members of my Mastermind group. The room is adorned with the pictures of the Presidents of the DAC, starting with the first President in 1884. In that room, with the big leather chairs, large mahogany table, and the focus of those I have come to know in the group, we accomplished a lot. Each member of the group is committed to our mutual success in all things, and this meeting was a physical representation of that commitment.

It was great!

I came away with some great ideas (some of which I'll begin sharing with you over the next few days) and was able to share some ideas with the others that will make a difference in their lives, as well.

And that's kinda the point, isn't it?

As I mention in the book, "Although we have all been taught that the shortest distance between any two points is a straight line, life seldom gives us straight lines. Even if it did, would we really want to take that path? There are twists and turns in life, and skiing is a clear demonstration of how the best path between two points is often a curving line. There is grace in the curving. Power builds and recedes as you simultaneously go with the flow and direct your energy in the direction of your dreams."

That's one way that the experience of skiing informs life (for more like this, pick up an autographed copy for yourself: http://stephenhultquist.com/skiing.html).

For you, one key is to let go of the "straight line" thinking in life. Stop expecting life to be a boring straight line to a destination. That NEVER happens! Think about it... even a short trip to the store or a jaunt to your favorite restaurant isn't a straight line! Why should living life be?

Celebrate the turns in YOUR life.

During our conversation at the DAC, we talked about the challenges that time presents. So many people find it so difficult to understand how to handle time, especially with the overwhelming information that pummels us daily from TV, e-mail, the web, and even our ever-present mobile phones.

It takes a 21st century view of time, and a specific strategy for dealing with it.

Every day, start it by thinking about the essential truths about time: that it always moves forward, you can't stop it, you can't save it... And focus in on your own plan for using the time you have, each day.

How we talk about time impacts how we think about it. And how we think about it limits what we can and cannot do.

Focus on the truth, and your results will improve. My Time Shaving special report is all about how you see time, and it's free with your pre-publication order of Time Shaving (http://stephenhultquist.com/shaving-book.html). Pick up your copy now!

Let's go!

Stephen Hultquist

P.S. Live the successful life YOU want to live. Learn more at http://stephenhultquist.com/

Time Flies

Last Friday was one of those days. We all rolled out of bed early, grabbed a quick bite to eat, and were on the road a few minutes after 7. The weather was brilliant; a Colorado blue-sky day. A couple of hours later, all five of us were standing on the slopes at Copper Mountain, ready for a day of sliding around as a family. We were there with another family and we met some other friends there, too.

It was a memorable day.

Gabe had some breakthroughs in his skiing, spending the entire day on the high-speed quads with the rest of the family. He was learning to use the shape of his skis (see chapter seven of the book -- http://stephenhultquist.com/skiing.html), and enjoying the feeling of control and freedom that comes from using the skis as tools.

Since then, time has been a blur. It hardly seems like it was more than a week ago, but it was. A lot has happened since then, some good and some exceptionally challenging.

But it's life.

And that's part of the secret to life: this is life. The past is done and can only be a memory. The future is a promise. All we have is what is here and now.

How do you live? Think about that truth as much as you can. It's about right now. How you are living and where it's leading you. (More on this in Time Shaving at http://stephenhultquist.com/shaving-book.html.)

Today. Now. This moment. It will be gone soon enough. How you live it determines your life.

Live!

Let's go!

Stephen Hultquist

PS I've decided to leave Time Shaving on pre-pub for another week or so. Grab it now if you've been thinking about it: http://stephenhultquist.com/shaving-book.html.

Time for Recess?

Last Wednesday I stopped at Jerry's shop in Idaho Springs. Jerry has run his Mountain and Road Bike Repair shop for over two decades there, and it's a classic place. Long and narrow along the north side of Miners' Street next door to the local coffee shop, the store is full of bikes in various states of repair, from Jerry's mountain bike that he rides to work every day to the WW II-era bike hanging in the back waiting for Jerry's next bit of loving restoration.

The store is a place that just reeks of Jerry's passion for bikes and biking.

And all that even before Jerry opens his mouth.

When he does, you discover even more. He is a fount of knowledge and wisdom about bikes and biking. He can tell you the weight difference between a Shimano 520 and 540 pedal, give you his take on the best value for whatever you are looking for, and regale you with stories of international bikers who visit him for products and services.

I was there to pick up my new mountain bike.

He spent some time getting the final measurements done, checked out the sag on the shocks, filled the front with a bit more air, and so on. After he was done with that, he helped me wedge it into my car since the rack was missing a couple of parts when I had tried to stick it on in the morning.

Now I have a new toy to help me stay in shape over the summer. Part of life is learning to stay in shape (and you'll find more about that in my book: http://stephenhultquist.com/skiing.html). Having a new toy to play with over the summier is a bit like recess when we were kids, isn't it?

Later in the week, I listened to the news while I was checking the traffic for Denver. During that newscast, the serious-sounding anchor was lamenting the various economic reports tumbling out of the government these days. "Downturn." "Recession." Blah, blah, blah...

What silliness!

I have spent some time thinking about all this economic indicator stuff the past few weeks as the various talking heads have made it a primary topic of discussion. And you know what I've discovered?

First, it's all about looking backwards. What happened last month? How many jobs? How much in inventory? It's history.

Second, it's self-fulfilling prophesy. When businesses and consumers think that a recession is coming, they contract production and spending. When business and consumers aren't spending, it becomes a recession. It's a death spiral until enough people get smart and start finding ways to benefit from it. Then we "come out" of the "downturn".

Third, smart people always prosper when the weak are fearful. This is another opportunity for those who are independent and forward-thinking.

And fourth, most of the economic pundits ignore the fact that our economy has changed. We are no longer primarily a manufacturing economy with high inventories. We are a "just-in-time" world with instantaneous communications worldwide. The old models may give us some insights if we treat them with deep intelligence, but they are less accurate than they have ever been.

It's not time for a recess in your business! It's time to leap forward!

Let's go!

Stephen Sven Hultquist

PS The most successful people you know are the busiest getting things done. To learn how they do it, take a look at the pre-publication special for Time Shaving. In it, I will share the secrets of busy, successful people and explode the 20th century ideas about time management: http://stephenhultquist.com/shaving-book.html

Handling Surprises

Early this morning I was deep in a restful sleep in a hotel room in Peoria, Illinois, home of Caterpillar and also of one of my clients. I was awakened by an early morning phone call on my iPhone. I didn't quite get to it in time, so I had to check on it.

It seems that my flight this evening -- that I had planned so I could take my favorite Boeing 777 airplane -- had been cancelled. United took all of its 777s out of service to inspect the cargo hold fire suppression system.

So a full plane flight from Chicago to Denver was cancelled. Lots of people woke up to a surprise this morning all around the world wherever United 777s fly!

United had rebooked me on a flight tomorrow morning, but I didn't like their choice, so I spent some time moving things around, extending my car rental, getting a room for the night, and so on before going into the office.

But I didn't get upset. "It is what it is." I can't change the situation, but I can decide how I'll respond to it. (I mention a bit about this in the book -- http://stephenhultquist.com/skiing.html) I decided to use the extra time to get some additional work done.

I am working on a second draft of the Time Shaving special report, so those of you who have ordered it can expect it soon. If you haven't, you have a bit longer to take advantage of the pre-publication special at http://stephenhultquist.com/shaving-book.html.

What about YOU?

How do YOU respond to surprises in your life? What reaction do you have when things don't go the way you expected them to go?

This is one of the measures of who you are.

Do you keep your good attitude? Do you find ways to keep moving in the direction you've chosen?

Many people get mad. You've seen them. I told a couple of the stories in the book of times where I have stepped in an intervened when people got upset (funny, one of those was about a United flight, too!). I've seen people yell at a gate agent when a flight doesn't go in the middle of a thunderstorm.

What are they thinking?

For you, you need to know what is important to you. You need to balance your life and keep moving towards that goal, even if something gets in the way.

One of the things I've done is to watch Randy Pausch's "Last Lecture". You can watch it here on Google video: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5700431505846055184 You can also see my friend Ronald Lewis interviewed on the ABC news special about Randy and his lecture next week. If you haven't watched it, you might want to. It's insightful.

Are you dreaming?

Let's go!

Stephen Sven Hultquist

PS Don't forget to grab the pre-pub price on Time Shaving and learn why time management doesn't work. For the 21st Century... Time Shaving: http://stephenhultquist.com/shaving-book.html

The Broad Smile of Discovery

A few days ago I had the blessing of spending the afternoon with a wonderful woman on the slopes of Copper Mountain. It was a beautiful day. The snow has been plentiful, the sun bright and clear, and the views stunning, and this day was postcard beautiful. We met at lunch when she mentioned to me that her husband had enjoyed his time in my group the day before.

It was then that she discovered that she'd be spending the afternoon with me.

Nancy is a beautiful woman, not the least for what she has been through. A bright and articulate lady with silver-white hair, her smile is a welcoming as her words. There is a depth to her, though. A depth born of living so close to death for so long.

Ten years ago, she was diagnosed with cancer. Stage 3. And she and her husband made the decision to treat it with the most aggressive of chemo-therapies.

Today, she lives. And she lives life to the full. Her doctor doesn't want her skiing, since the on-going medication she takes steals minerals from her bones, making them more porous and brittle than they should be. But, she loves being out in the sun and snow.

We skied together that afternoon. I skied behind her to protect her from any of the spring-break skiers and riders that might not see her. I shared with her a few thoughts about her skiing, both technique and tactics.

And I saw her beautiful smile as she let the skis run a little and enjoyed the wind on her face and the feel of speed and power that comes with letting go a bit. She had a wonderful time, and sent me a great e-mail the next morning that will be one that I re-read when I need to think about the people I've taught.

And that smile of discovery. Finding something new that works.

Do you know what feeling?

For many people, each day is a drudgery. Another day stacked on the day before. The same thing but one day older. Nothing changes. Nothing gets better. Another day before you die.

Nancy has been there and back, though. And she would tell you: Grab on to your life and live it!

That's one of the topics in the book (http://stephenhultquist.com/skiing.html). If you want to find a way to discovery joy in your days, find your way clear to your dreams, and connect with deeper reasons for what you are doing, it's a good place to start.

Another is with my forthcoming book on managing your time, available now on pre-publication here: http://stephenhultquist.com/shaving-book.html. Your life is up to you. No one else can live it. No one else is to blame. No one else can take the credit.

What are YOU doing with YOUR life?

Are you living it to the full?

Let's go!

Stephen Sven Hultquist

PS Don't forget that pre-pub on Time Shaving: http://stephenhultquist.com/shaving-book.html

PPS I'd love to hear your thoughts on my new website, so drop me a line when you have a chance: http://stephenhultquist.com/