"Consider how you’ve been trying to improve. Examine what you’ve done wrong and what you’ve done right. I’ve found that there are always ways I can improve no matter what area of life I’m tackling. When you continually review and analyze, you will always get new and different signals on how to get a better result."
-- Matt Mayberry
"If you aren’t achieving your goals, a lack of motivation or confidence isn’t the problem. A lack of motivation or confidence is actually the means to a solution. When you accept your weak points, when you accept your flaws, when you accept your imperfections . . . that’s when you can motivate yourself to make changes and improve."
-- Jeff Haden
"When my kids were young, putting them to sleep instead of reading them a book, sometimes I would ask them, “What did you learn today?” When you finish a book, ask yourself that question. There are no failures in life: you either succeed or you learn."
-- Ichak K. Adizes
"The important distinction to make is to take pleasure in the journey rather than it being all about the destination. This gives you permission to start small, allowing you to enjoy yourself more thoroughly. For example, learning to run a 5-kilometre race, and then working up to a local 10-kilometre fun run, congratulating yourself on each step, rather than waiting until you’ve run the marathon before you can feel like you’ve achieved something."
-- Suzy Greaves
"Life unfolds moment by moment. We generally let the present slip away, allowing time to rush past unobserved. We squander the precious seconds of our lives as we worry about the future and ruminate about the past. Yes, we must mandate a vision for where we want to go and take ownership of where we currently are, but we can’t neglect the present. It is here to help develop and mold us into being the best of ourselves."
-- Matt Mayberry
"One of the reasons why successful innovators, entrepreneurs, and creative artists are able to think outside the box and recognize opportunities that others can’t see is that they are voraciously curious about their world and continually learn from their experiences. As Steve Jobs told Wired magazine, “Creativity is just connecting things. When you ask creative people how they did something, they feel a little guilty because they didn’t really do it, they just saw something. It seemed obvious to them after a while. That’s because they were able to connect experiences they’ve had and synthesize new things. And the reason they were able to do that was that they’ve had more experiences or they have thought more about their experiences than other people.”"
-- Ryan Babineaux
"No one lives forever, but who knows when any of us will part company with this world? You might live a long life, so why not keep learning and improving who you are? The more you know, the more you know how much you do not know. There is endless opportunity to learn."
-- Ichak K. Adizes
"You need several hours of deep sleep every night to refresh you, but you don’t always need to sleep for seven or eight hours. What you do need to do is rest. Too many after-midnight stop-outs and your skin, your hair, your weight and your ability to make decisions go west. Aim to go to bed in time for you to be there for seven or eight hours a night, most nights."
-- Suzie Hayman
"To improve yourself: to learn, to grow. Otherwise, you’ll be aging mentally. Keep your mind active, keep your spirit active, and you will prolong your life. It doesn’t have to be every week or every day. You can say, “Every three months I’m going to take a course, learn something new.” Or, “I’m going to read a book every evening.” That keeps you growing because when you stop growing, you start dying. Your last priority should be to work to build your assets."
-- Ichak K. Adizes
"One of the first things you can do is decide that each day, no matter what your circumstances and struggles are, you will find ways to get better. Even if they’re baby steps. One little thing each day will add up to big things tomorrow. Some days will consume all your energy. Other days will throw you obstacles. Just know that and be prepared for it. Determine that you will be the leader of your life. The CEO and master of your world."
-- Matt Mayberry
"Painful as it was when Stacy failed in her first attempt at Everest, she took it in stride because she knew she’d be back: “Climbing has helped me all my life because it taught me that it’s okay to fail. I’m not afraid to fall flat on my face. I know I’m going to come back with a better idea of what to do the next time. Only when you give up does failure become permanent.”"
-- James P. Owen
"You can’t just hope, you have to do—and keep on doing whatever it takes to make your goal a reality. If you’ve finished all the action that’s necessary, yet the results still feel far off, find out what changes you can make in your plan and see what new results those tweaks could bring. Be flexible, persistent, patient, and optimistic. These are intentions and energies that move you forward."
-- Sandra Anne Taylor
"This decision will light the way in the darkness. You will need that glimmer of hope and faith to be able to see your way forward. Darkness and misery can be scary, but they can also be great places to hide. When you light the match, you’re scuppered, because then people can see where you are. You can’t hide any longer. Are you willing to come out of hiding? Make that decision."
-- Suzy Greaves
"The more we try to control things, the more we struggle, and the more we suffer. The key to a good life is to let go of the things we can't control and focus on the things we can."
-- Mark Manson
Many of us have a tendency to try and control everything in our lives, from our relationships and our careers to our health and our happiness. But as Manson suggests, the more we try to control these things, the more we tend to struggle and suffer.
Instead of trying to control everything, Manson suggests that we should focus on the things we can control and let go of the things we can't. For example, we can't control the actions of other people, but we can control our own actions and reactions. We can't control the weather, but we can control how we choose to dress or whether we choose to go outside.
By accepting the things that are beyond our control and focusing on the things we can control, we can reduce our stress and anxiety, and ultimately lead a more fulfilling life. So, in essence, Manson is reminding us to let go of the need to control everything and instead focus on what we can do to make our lives better.
"Sometimes we have to be pushed out of our comfort zone in order to get better and excel. And it can be painful and difficult. Focus is the key. What have you done lately that pushed you to the limit? Did you stay focused? Or did you quit? That is the the question."
-- Matt Mayberry
"That is what you should do. And do the best you can. Without wanting, without expecting. Just DO the best you can and if it doesn’t work, look for the reason and learn how to do better next time. Life is teaching you, like falling off a bicycle. What did you learn? How to ride it better next time. Remember: people who love what they are doing are more productive, more innovative, and more pleasant to live and to work with. And they love themselves, too."
-- Ichak K. Adizes
"Fear of failure masks itself in many disguises: laziness, jealousy at the success of others, distraction, indecisiveness, doubt, caution. When you are worried about whether you have enough talent or intelligence, you tend to engage only in things that you know you are good at and that confirm your abilities, and avoid activities that might call into question your competence or expertise."
-- Ryan Babineaux
“True success is not measured by money, power, or position. Success is the balance between giving and receiving. In my personal life, I want to be a good steward of the resources I have and use them to help others achieve more. And in my business life, I will always go the extra mile to do the right thing for a client, because it comes back to me. It’s one of the laws of the universe: When you give, you get.”
-- James P. Owen
