For those of you who are into sports, you all know that the NBA playoff’s are currently in progress. Things are heating up and getting intense as this season comes to an end, yet during the playoff’s, it seems things are finally getting started. Hopefully your team is one of the many that are still in the race for the championship. I know the Phoenix Suns made it and are doing well as they lead the series 2 – 1 over the Trail Blazers.

I absolutely love the playoff’s because of the pure intensity if it. Everybody comes to the court with all their hope and preparation, expecting to be the best. After 48 minutes of play, giving it all they have, knowing that they will be able to look up at the score board as the team who is victorious. A lifetime of practice and a season of competition comes to a head during a few series of games battling an opponent that has done the exact same thing.

It’s not so much the trophy at the end of the championship that matters the most or that they’ll remember for years after it’s over, it’s the victory. And the victory is the culmination of all that it took to get there…..composure, fortitude and determination are a few of the characteristics necessary. Every drop of sweat and blood was a test of willpower and strength along with all the drama and politics floating around the NBA. A victory, I could imagine, would be the season full of effort that paid off in the end.

I think at times we look at NBA athletes and think that they have it made. They’re making millions off of pure talent. They are set for life, just for being born. Sure, talent has a lot to do with it, just about as much as willpower and work does. They made it happen for themselves. They wanted it, so they went out and got it, and the team that shows the best composure and the most intensity during the playoff’s, is usually the one who is crowned champion.

So, we’ll see just how far the Suns go this year. Either way, I’m a die hard fan and with them ’til the end.

And you know what? We all deserve to live our lives as though we are in the playoff’s. The ones who show the most composure and intensity will usually be the ones who are victorious. A lifetime of preparation, sweat and vision has prepared us for today, right here, right now. We can chose to be effected and intimidated by the Kobe Bryants and the Lebron James’ of our future victory, or we can chose to be the Steve Nash, who takes control of the game and does it his way, not theirs.

Life is full of opponents and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Every time I defeat someone or something, I grow. I progress, just as I do when I lose to someone or something. Either way, I win, if I chose to learn from EVERY experience.

Victory is about being able to adjust on the fly and adapt as you go. It’s about seeing an opening and taking it. An opportunity that is missed will never present itself in that way again. It’s now or never and at times, we only have a split second to decide to be proactive, and to take that opportunity.

It’s playoff time for me! It’s time to get intense. It’s time to make things happen…..so watch closely. Things are coming in the near future that will take my team and I to the top.

I once heard a quote that said, “”The object of life’s journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, shouting, ‘Holy #@$*, What a Ride!!!'” — Mavis Leyrer

I intend on being worn the heck out and full of victory as well, and the end isn’t even close. So it’s game time!

If you have ever wanted to or thought about starting a website, now would be the perfect time. There are so many great companies offering great deals on the Net right now. Hosting can cost anywhere from a few bucks a month to several hundred per year.

This post is specifically a sales pitch. I just have to come right out and say it how it is and it’s not just because I am an affiliate with them. It really is a good deal and something you should take advantage of. I mean, if you’re going to start a website anyway, sooner or later you are just going to have to do it. And sooner or later depends directly on the amount of time you have to devote to your site and the amount of money it is going to cost you to get it started.

For the past few weeks, Ipower has been offering a KILLER DEAL on their hosting with a 50% savings and a free domain. You can’t beat that! And by the way, did I mention that you get a free domain with your hosting plan? You’re set!

Now here’s the link to get your site up and going and if you need a little assistance getting it all setup, let me know!

 

For those of you who spend a bit more time on the computer than the average Joe or Jane, things can get pretty mundane at times. Staring at the same computer screen all the time just adds to the “boredom” factor. Booting up your PC brings you the same desktop you always see. Launching your browser brings the same layout over and over again.

It’s nice to spice and change things up a bit, especially of your business is internet based and a bit repetitious. Any kind of change to atmosphere adds a little more excitement and a feeling of freshness to repetitive daily duties. Just a simple change can break up the “tunnel vision” that can occur and avoid getting burned out or bored.

So here are a few ways to bring a little something different to your day:

1. Personas with Mozilla Firefox. You can create your own or choose from thousands of different designs submitted by others around the world. I created one with a photo I took while in Hawaii this past summer. Here’s a picture of it. If you like it, click on the picture below and use it or choose a different one!
   
2. Change your Desktop background frequently. In fact, I use it as a goal board. I place pictures of my short and long term goals as well as daily, weekly, monthly and yearly written goals. It’s constantly changing and is a breath or fresh air and a constant reminder of what I want each and every time I boot my PC. I use a program from Macromedia called Fireworks to create my background creatives.
3. Install different Themes for your specific operating system. These are easy to find, just type the words “IE themes” or “desktop themes” into your search bar. There are different themes for PC’s and Mac’s alike. You can also change the colors and styles of your windows. On a PC you simply right click on your desktop and you’ll have options to change themes or just the appearance. For those of you who are Mac users, sorry, I’m a PC guy still so I don’t know how you would go about it. Good luck!
4. Listen to music. There are a ton of these places on the net but the one I enjoy the most is Pandora.com. It’s an online radio station that you can customize to your liking. I have a Metallica channel and hear a range of jams from them, Megadeth, AC/DC and a few of the bands I listen to. It’s a great counter to listening to music already on your PC and you don’t have to listen to the same songs over and over again. Unless you enjoy that!

So there you have it. Just a few ideas from an internet marketing addict. It’s amazing what a few simple changes can do for your motivation. Remember, enjoying what you do equals more $$$ in the bank. Stay motivated, stay excited and keep things fresh. Every time I look at my Persona, it brings back all the memories I had while in Hawaii. It’s that little extra dose of motivation and it helps….I promise!

Those of you who have visited this blog before will know of my conviction for entrepreneurship. It really is the only way to keep the soul alive and progressing. A life spent fulfilling and building someone’s dreams other than your own, no matter how passionate you are about them, is a life partially fulfilled. Think about it! How many people have you spoken to over the years who have at one point said the famous words, “You know what would be a good idea for a business?” I hear it over and over again, yet, there is no action to follow the idea. They remain in what I like to call, the Employee Rut!

Now in past posts here at CreateFinancialWealth I have really bagged on having a job as if it was the worst punishment anyone could have in this life….and I have to apologize for that. A job has its purpose, and there are some benefits to having one, versus being self employed. It’s a lifestyle choice. Without employees there would be no employers. It’s the circle of commerce and industry. There must be both and at times you might find yourself being one or the other, wishing you were the other, struggling day in and day out to find an opportunity to become such.

Yet, when you get home from work, it’s so easy to eat dinner and just sit down on that couch for a few hours as you plug away on the internet or watch TV. Between spending time with your wife and kids and visiting with friends and family, it’s extremely difficult to find the time your entrepreneurial ideas deserve. So you find yourself attempting to stay up late at night trying to figure things out to get things moving, but you tire yourself so quickly and nearly go into a coma the rest of the week when you attempt to stay up a few more hours.

At this point, the job starts to take priority in your life. It’s much easier just to wake up, go to work, come home and not have to worry about anything until the next day when you start that drill all over again. Life becomes very predictable….with a bi-weekly paycheck and your schedule mapped out, you get on a routine. This routine is so habitual that it becomes nearly impossible to fit anything else around it. You are now 12 inches deep in the mud and are spinning your wheels every time you attempt to get out of the rut you’re in.

This is what I mean by the Employee Rut. Not that it’s a bad thing. Some do prefer and enjoy being in this rut….but it rips the spirit out of others. At times in your life, you may find yourself in this rut, not because you want to be there, but because your past choices have landed you there. Don’t become content with your lot! Get out as soon as you have the opportunity to, or the entrepreneurial spirit within will begin to diminish. Plan to succeed. Act on those ideas you have or someone else will, I promise you that. How many times have your ideas been so called, “Stolen,” by someone who acted instead of speculated about “Good ideas for a business.”

The world is full of people who can fill the ruts on the road to success…..but lacking those who have the fortitude and the ambition to make their way around, through, in and out of these ruts until they reach their destination. If there is a single ounce of entrepreneur in you, join the minority and live a life fulfilling and building your dreams! If you don’t, enjoy what you are doing now…because you’ll probably be doing it for the rest of your life.