After being beaten by Tortoise, Hare reminds himself, “Don’t brag about your lightning pace, for Slow and Steady won the race!”

There’s wisdom for today in this age-old Aesop fable, and today’s lesson is about the power of being consistent when it comes to reaching your goals.

Whether you have committed to eating healthy, to exercising regularly, or to achieving an aggressive sales target, being consistent will play a crucial role in achieving your goals.

Why Strive to Be Consistent?

To illustrate the value of consistently, consider this amazing fact…read more

(Author: Josh Cearbaugh, Todd’s son-in-law)

How’s your memory? Can you recall the thoughts, emotions, reactions of family or friends, or even subtle prayers from earlier today?  How about yesterday, or last week?  What about the warm feeling of your toes thawing after playing outside in a cold winter day five years ago?  Unless you have a memory like Brad Williams, there’s a good chance you won’t recall the minute details of life as you lived it.

Memory Versus Journaling

When Todd, my father-in-law, asked me to write a post for the Little Things Matter blog I asked myself this question.  “What is the one lesson from my life that would contribute the most to the LTM community”.   My answer to that question was simple, “give them the best gift possible”.   Since we’re not all blessed with the ability to capture the details of life like Brad Williams, one of the greatest gifts you can give yourself is journaling.  Keeping a journal has benefits that far surpass the time that you take to write down what’s happening…read more

Think of at least one major accomplishment in your life that has really made you proud of yourself. Now, think of the initial commitment you made when you got started. On a scale of 1-10, how committed were you? Were you very committed or simply desiring something? There’s a vast difference between the two. When you simply desire something, you do it only when circumstances permit. When you’re committed, you accept no excuses, only results.

A commitment is a binding pledge that obligates you to assume a position or carry out a course of action. Making a commitment to what you do—whether in your personal life or your professional life—is one of the most fundamental principles of success…read more

Think of something you want to achieve that is really important to you? (Don’t continue without selecting one of your top goals.)

Now imagine having achieved it? You’re basking in the satisfaction of a job well done. What does it look like? What does it smell like? What does it taste like? What does it feel like? How do you feel?

The ONLY way in which you will experience the joy, beauty, and fulfillment that will come by achieving this goal is if you use your personal initiative. It won’t happen without it…read more

Today’s post is one of the foundational pillars for Little Things Matter.  Of the more than a thousand comments left below my Web posts—on both this blog and on Facebook, it is clear that most people know the simple, easy little things they need to do, they just don’t do them with consistency.  As my mentor Jim Rohn* said, “What is easy to do is easy not to do.”

Know it—Do it

We know we should listen without interrupting, but we still find ourselves interrupting.  We know we need to finish our projects on time, yet we find ourselves missing deadlines.  We know we should remember someone’s name, but yet we don’t pay attention and forget. We know we should answer that email or return that phone call, yet we keep putting it off….read more

After having worked with thousands of entrepreneurs over the last 29 years, I have seen many succeed but many more fail. And what distinguishes the two groups? Successful people consistently push themselves outside their comfort zone to achieve their goals.

Best selling author Brian Tracy, whose teachings I have been following for more than 25 years said, “Move out of your comfort zone. You can only grow if you are willing to feel awkward and uncomfortable when you try something new.”

Another best selling author, Denis Waitley who has trained countless U.S Olympic athletes said, “To achieve your dreams you must break out of your current comfort zone and become comfortable with the unfamiliar and the unknown.”

I am convinced that you must push yourself outside your comfort zone to make any advances in your life. Think about it. Your comfort zone is where everything feels safe and familiar. How can you reach greater heights personally and professionally if you aren’t stretching yourself and growing on a regular basis?

It’s Time to Get Uncomfortable…read more