Life Lesson

New Life Resolutions: An Out-Of-Your-Box Goal Challenge

Garth Beyer

“Change itself is neither good nor bad, but knowledge is always useful” says Christopher Paolini. What better knowledge to have than to know what you want from life? What you want today, tomorrow, a week from now, a month, a year, 20 years, 50 years, and the rest of your life.

I have about eight pages of goals, some scribbled on sticky notes, others on notepads, legal paper, college ruled, and printer paper. If I had better handwriting and artistic abilities, I would even make a poster board listing all my goals with pictures. There are times that I am more passionate about thinking of new goals than I am accomplishing them. Quite simply, I am fascinated with the concept of goals. Justifiably I have to make a post for New Years Resolutions.

Ever since I read “The Four-Hour Work Week” by Tim Ferriss, I continuously notice how cheap it really is to go on the vacations I want to go on. A one way ticket to Paris, an apartment, oil painting lessons, food, and a french language class for two weeks can cost less than 5,000 dollars. It may not seem cheap to you now, but I have to call you out on something… I know something you have done. It’s something I have done and everyone else in the world. You imagined winning the lottery…

Most of the time you win one million dollars. Do you realize that 10,000 dollars out of a million is 1% of your winnings? Now you’re going to have to trust my college education and a bit of deep common sense when I say that in your life time you will make an average of 2-6 million dollars (tax included). The point is, if you really wanted to take that two-week trip to Paris, you could VERY easily do it. Why is it in the “if I won the lottery” category. Put it on your New Life’s Resolutions list for 2012.

After I had written goals for today, 30 days, the year, five years I looked back at them and asked myself “where’s the fun?” All I wrote was about getting money, gaining more muscle mass, rising to success, publishing my book, finding a job I love, etc. Basically, the same goals as anyone else — to get what we want when we want it. Every page or two I may find a goal to take a trip somewhere but when I read it I even thought “Ha, only if I won the lottery”. I decided I needed an attitude adjustment so I challenged myself to write 110 goals..

110 goals without limitations, no false “reality”, and without the help of the lottery. Can we accept our fate for a moment, if you are reading this blog post, than I can guarantee you are going to be financially victorious. You are going to rise to success, earn a larger income than 6 digits and the job is going to be something you love. It’s who you are and who I am.. so why are we writing goals that we all know we will carry out?

I am going to admit, the first 20 goals I was skimping. It is as hard as you can imagine to think and write what you want out of life without any monetary boundaries. Nearing the half way mark it got even harder… I had to start detailing my goals like “go to a pepper tasting event in Chile and not get the runs”.

This year, forget writing new years resolutions on new years eve and start writing New Life’s Resolutions today.

I am more than happy to give you the 110 Life Goals Challenge. As I said before, everyone knows you are going to be a hit and happily make enough money to do whatever you want… so instead of making goals you know you will accomplish, go crazy and write Out-Of-The-Box Goals!

Stay Positive and Accept Your Successful Fate

Garth E. Beyer

Slap In The Face Elevator Speech

Garth Beyer

For everyone who does not know, an Elevator Speech is like taking an entire encyclopedia book set and turning it into a one page slap in the face. I call it a slap in the face race because those who can summarize themselves or their business to get their listener to act the quickest, wins. The typical elevator speech summarizes

1 everything you do*

2 everything you are made of*

3 everything the listener should consider

4 everything you envision*

5 everything you achieved*

5.5 every reason the person you’re talking to should quit whatever job they have and come work for you

*Note: I always remind people that an elevator speech should encompass both your business and yourself because the listener may love your business but not like you and vise-verse. It is not only about getting someone to fall in love with your business — winning them over and having them fall in love with your purpose is just as important.

How To Start Writing An Elevator Speech

Molly Gordon advises you to jot down words and phrases that stand out most to you and promote yourself and your business. She then has you pick two of the words or phrases and reflect upon them to create part of your elevator speech. Almost the same as breaking down an encyclopedia isn’t it? Just as you, if I were given enough time to use a thesaurus to find words that made my blog sound as if it were rated #1 in all countries of the world, I could. Unlike Molly, I don’t want you to choose two out of the hundred words you think of. I want you to choose two words that encompass the hundred words you wrote down and the thousand you didn’t. Once you have accomplished this, you have the basis of your elevator speech. Now you can do the same for the 5.5 variables of an elevator speech that I provided above. Make a list for each variable and then finding two words or phrases that encompass everything on your list, do not use the best two achievements. Why not? Because you can gloat about specifics after your elevator speech is up.

How To Get Off The Elevator… With Your Investor

Personally, I do not have an elevator speech, not because I hate time limits and restrictions. I think having time restrictions on everything in life allows you to live it to the fullest (Pareto Principle). I do not have one because I do not see an elevator speech as being a pitch to sell an idea. I do not see it as a challenge which the only reward is getting a chance to have a longer conversation at a later time. The true point of an elevator speech is to get your listeners to forget about the thirty seconds. What I bring to the table with every new idea is the goal of forgetting the time limit. Every meeting I go to, especially the ones with a time limit of 15 min, 30 min, or an hour, I make it a goal to be there longer. Whether I am with there along with the other members, or just the boss — I am there after the meeting “ends”.

At one job interview I had, I was told that I had 30 minutes because they were meeting others to interview as well. Before the day of the interview, I told myself that I was going to be there for 45 minutes. I told other people as well because I know the power in telling people that you are going to do something. (Fear of disappointing the ones you love is a strong motivator) The next day I checked my phone for the time as I left the Coffee shop where the interview was held… 45 minutes exactly. I promoted myself and connected with the employer enough to get them to forget about the time limit. Success

Why Bother Having An Elevator Speech

If it does not make sense to you yet, an elevator speech is “one of the most effective methods available to reach new buyers and clients with a winning message”, says Bloomberg BusinessWeek. You might be thinking how you are going to work hard for everything in life and there are no easy rides to success like an elevator. I was once told that the elevator in life is always broken — I was going to have to take the stairs. How true is that? We will always have to work for our success, hence the “stairs to success” or “steps to success”. Although I look up to the one who told me that, I have to argue that the elevator is always there but someone is always on it already. You can’t argue that you wont get your chance to take the elevator at a hotel no matter how many people are using it. Your time will come. I am positive that each and every one of us gets at least one chance to use the elevator..

Will you be ready to go on?

Stay Positive and Prepared

Garth E. Beyer

Quality Over Quantity Is An Antiquity

Quality Over Quantity Is An Antiquity

Garth Beyer

 

 

Quality

It’s expressed over and over that quality should always be over quantity. It is one of three factors to profiting most from a product.

1. Lowest Price

2. Best Service

3. Best Quality

But I am not telling you to choose quality over quantity.

Quantity

Sure quantity over quality had its spotlight at one time. But the light has since gone dim. It flickers from time to time and that is how we got generic brands or bulk items. There are times in life that we can forget the quality of something for the quantity. Do you really want to spend 60 dollars on one new quality toy for your four-year old? Or purchase 10 toys for 60 dollars? Especially when you know that if you paid extra for the one toy, the chances of a four-year old breaking it is pretty high.

But I am not telling you to choose quantity over quality again either.

So What’s The Q-Fusion

Why is it that you have to choose quality or quantity with a product? Why do we have to place one over the other?

You know what you can do? Put them on the same level and see what happens. Yes, I’m telling you to use both. If we are talking about importance then sure quality is the most important, but that doesn’t mean quality can’t be completed at a steady pace. Nor can you argue that a quantity of quality will always make you — not just A winner, but THE winner. A winner in sales, in business…in life.

 

Abraham Lincoln said, “And in the end, it’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years.”  — Quality

I will add, “And don’t settle for a bit of life in each year, go all out” — Quantity

 

Stay Positive and Synthesized

Garth E. Beyer

 

Poetry Night 007

Garth Beyer

Tonight I want to share a poem that I read in Tim Ferriss’s “4 Hour Work Week”. I can say nothing more, this young girl who wrote the poem says it all. This poem was written by a terminally ill young girl in a New York Hospital. It was sent by a medical doctor – Dr. Yeou Cheng Ma. Please do what you can to help fulfill this young girl’s dreams.

SLOW DANCE

Have you ever watched kids
On a merry-go-round?
Or listened to the rain
Slapping on the ground?
Ever followed a butterfly’s erratic flight?
Or gazed at the sun into the fading night?
You’d better slow down.
Don’t dance so fast.
Time is short.
The music won’t last.

Do you run through each day
On the fly?
When you ask “How are you?”
Do you hear the reply?
When the day is done
Do you lie in your bed
With the next hundred chores
Running through your head?
You’d better slow down
Don’t dance so fast.
Time is short.
The music won’t last.

Ever told your child,
We’ll do it tomorrow?
And in your haste,
Not see his sorrow?
Ever lost touch,
Let a good friendship die
Cause you never had time
To call and say “Hi”?
You’d better slow down.
Don’t dance so fast.
Time is short.
The music won’t last.

When you run so fast to get somewhere
You miss half the fun of getting there.
When you worry and hurry through your day,
It is like an unopened gift….
Thrown away.
Life is not a race.
Do take it slower
Hear the music
Before the song is over.

Stay Positive and Slow Dance

Garth E. Beyer

Discovering What LIFE Truly Is

Discovering What LIFE Truly Is

Garth Beyer

A girl once told me at the beginning of our relationship how she was not a gift to be had, or a reward to be won. It is the same with life — it is not a problem that needs solving, a game to be won, although it has challenges, it is not a challenge itself to be completed. There is not a completion to it and no rewards because there is no winning. In order to find out what life is, consider defining what life is not.

Although, your life CAN have an advantage, and there are benefits to that.

 

Stay Positive and Understanding of YOUR life

Garth E. Beyer

The Budget: A Priority Expense and Out-Of-The-Box Methods to Saving Money for it

The Budget: A Priority Expense and Out-Of-The-Box Methods to Saving Money for it

Garth Beyer

Hopefully you caught my post the other day about not being able to save money. In summary I inspired you to take the energy you use at focusing how to make your budget work and direct it at making more money. Now that you’re caught up, answer me this..

What  could happen today that would reap your budget meaningless? (Besides death, for you sarcastic followers)

Most Common Answers: Broken bone or hospitalization, House Fire, Broken down car

For the last 19 years of my life my mother has told me that “nothing lasts forever”. Yet this is true, can you pick one of the common answers that is the least likely to last a lifetime? Just by asking my friends, I found out the majority have yet to break a bone. Even older family members have told me they have never broken a bone. Next, I say that hospitalization happens maybe once every 25 years for a person and more likely to occur later in age. A house fire might happen once in your neighborhood of 20,000 people over the span of 10 years. I am sure you could agree with these estimates, its common sense that none of them occur too often.

Did I miss one? Oh right, the car

The number of occurrences of a broken down car is too many to count and far too many to give a number anywhere accurate to the truth.

So why is it that people still do not save money for it? To often people put the car as a separate category in their budget but they don’t prioritize it until “after the fact”. After something happens to it they end up going into their savings account, taking a loan, or begging parents and friends to help out. People rarely have money saved up specifically for their car, and if so, it is only enough for a car wash.

Why do we sacrifice our working budget and saved up funds for a car repair? Because we NEED our vehicles to get us places.

With the cold season upon us, I am certain you can agree with me that the most car breakdowns occur in the winter. Are you putting money aside to fund the unexpected need for a car repair?

Some quick out-of-the-box tips to lowering budgets in other categories so you prioritize your vehicle

  • Generic brands just started tasting better. A box of honey bunches of oats $4.45. Hyvee generic brand, $2.43
  • Instead of buying a new block building set for your kids, find something in the house to be creative with. For example
  • They call it junkfood, I call it junkfoold. Again, if you read my earlier post on saving money, you know that  I had to cut way back. I would not share this tip if it wasn’t effective enough to share.
  • Pull out that winter clothes bin and use it in the house. The average electricity bill in our apartment complex is 40-60 dollars. Typically 60 in the winter cold and 60 in the summer heat. I have spent as little as 20 dollars and as high as 46 dollars on our electricity bill. I am currently wearing her old black, white, and pink striped gloves to keep my hands warm instead of putting the heater on. *See above pic*
  • Cash for gold. I don’t mean just gold (Although my Dad and his lady got over 600 dollars from her grandma’s bracelet and a couple of earrings. They were creative with how to pay for their wedding) It’s time to let go of those items that you keep but never use. The sentimental value it may hold does not counter the terrible feeling of owing money and diving into your savings funds and having a budget you can’t keep up with.
  • Internet is not necessary at the home any longer (unless that is where your office is). I can bet that you can walk no more than 5 blocks from your house to get free wi-fi, as long as you don’t live in the country. I spent 16 dollars on a Droid application on my phone to get internet to my computer from my phone. That’s $16 dollars paid once compared to 40+ dollars paid each month for internet.
  • Stay following for a post on more out-of-the-box ways to save money.

Stay Positive and For those with a bike and not an automobile. Brownie points right to you. (Generic brand of course, but it’ll do)

Garth E. Beyer

Read This If You Feel That You Can’t Save Money

Garth Beyer

I have experience with a budget. I know various formats that can be used for a variety of people. I am 19 years old and have written at least 10 different budgets for myself alone and 20 with someone else. In addition I have reviewed others’ budgets and studied the art of budgeting intensely. When a person passes the point of giving themselves excuses to not write a budget, the next thing I hear is that they are not saving any money.

They write a budget and at the end it shows that they will be saving at least 200 dollars. Yet at the end of the month they are negative 20 dollars. Of course there were life changes during the month and as I always say about budgets, they are not constant, but they are a constant process. No budget will work two months in a row perfectly unless you do absolutely nothing with your life, make no income, and no expenses. Not the most sought after life.

After another attempt at adjusting the budget for the following month, the same results occur. They just can’t save any money.

As I corrected budgets, for a long time I would find ways to lower expenses and cut back. A little about my story, I moved to Madison WI with someone in Aug 2011. Being young and in love, you can guess that we did not have much money. We had saved enough to last seven months living at the lowest amount of expenses possible. We quickly got jobs. (Check my LinkedIn and you can know why, but don’t judge a book by its cover. I actually got the jobs I have because of what is NOT on my résumé) Now that we were set with employment, our goal was to keep saved what we had and save more from our paychecks. Hell no it’s not easy! Can you imagine spending 55 dollars a week on groceries for two people? We do it. We minimize every other expense as much as we can as well. Yet at the end of each month, we only save about 50-250 dollars a month.

Last month we sat down with the budget and tried to make more adjustments so we could save more. It just couldn’t be done unless we wanted to sacrifice all of our happiness. Then it hit me, kinda like a master craftsmen would slap his apprentice over his head once he figured out how to accomplish something he thought could not be done. It was almost as if the slap had a voice and said “You idiot, of course that’s the only way. Why are you spending all of your time on limiting yourself to save money!”

What I learned — If you can’t save money, EARN MORE

I and so many others are doing the right thing with creating a budget but were so focused on making the current monthly income we have work properly. If we could just take all that energy and focus on making more money… You can only imagine how much life would change and the money you would save.

We are a perfect example, we now save 300-450 a month and have only just began our approach at earning more since we couldn’t save more.

Stay Positive and Know Where Your Energy Is Going

Garth E. Beyer